Dragon Quest XI or Final Fantasy XII?

[Flavius]

So, I'm not a big jrpg guy but I am curious about these games since I have access to both via Gamepass. I've never played a Dragon Quest game before and the last Final Fantasy game I played for any period of time is the original FFVII for the PSX.

I only have 45min-1 hour 3 to 4 times a week to play (along with an occasional 3-4 hour spot on the weekends). Which would you recommend I try first?

If it helps, I enjoy good narrative with interesting, quirky characters. I'm also big into the minutiae of game worlds...the little added details are a plus to me and I'll spend a lot of time just taking those things in if they're present.

 

[chandoog]

I'm gonna vote for Final Fantasy XII.

It's an older game than DQ, but I find the characters and world more engaging.

 

[Foot]

Dragon Quest games are designed so that you can play brief periods and still feel as though you accomplished something.

 

[super moustique]

Both are pretty different tbh.

You have GP so try both for a few hours then choose the one you like the most! :P

 

[Faiyaz]

I mean, this is not even a fair comparison. Dragon Quest XI S by a country mile.

 

[Tailzo]

Why not both.gif

although if I had to choose, I'd go with Dragon Quest

 

[digitalrelic]

Dragon Quest XI, a million times over.

 

[cvbas]

I played both last year and I'd say Dragon Quest for you. It has a very episodic structure that works well if you can only play a little bit per day. It's also quirkier than FFXII.

Final Fantasy, however, is shorter and has deeper world-building. The lore is very strong, especially if you're interested in the politics of the world.

 

[MangoUltz]

FF XII is my favorite game and I'm about 50 hours into DQ XI at the moment. I find them rather similar tbh, and both are excellent. I'd say go with FF XII first but you can't go wrong really.

 

[Kyrios]

Definitely Dragon Quest.

 

[bushmonkey]

If you want a classic JRPG setup with a light story: DQ11. If you want a different take on JRPGs with a more serious political intrigue: FF12
They're both great games with a strong cast of characters. I personally would recommend you more FF12 if you don't usually like JRPGs as DQ11 really leans into standard tropes.

 

[EggmaniMN]

They're masterworks, all! You can't go wrong!

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I like both but DQXI is clearly the better game.

 

[KtotheRoc]

I'd say DQ XI over FFXII, but if you're using Game Pass you can try out both and see what you like.

 

[lilty]

In my opinion DQXI is the much stronger game, and I think it will suit your shorter play sessions better.

 

[The Unsent]

They're both really enjoyable. I think XII drags on longer because of the mammoth size of the locations. DQ XI is better paced.

 

[Dezzy]

Dragon Quest XI forever.

 

[Beth Cyra]

I'll say some aspects of the Narrative in DQ11 maybe better at least regarding some of the characters.

I however found the game to be so fucking boring to play I can't say I'd suggest it over XII, the game and world as a whole are just much more engaging and fun in FF.

 

[Bavera__]

They're both completely different types of JRPGS

DQXI if you want a super polished classic (REALLY classic) JRPG gameplay with fun twists that keep everything fresh (plus all QOL stuff you'd wanna see)

FFXII is a fun political drama with a sort of free form job system where you can make all your party members be whatever you want AND use a literal pseudo programming language to make your party AI do exactly what you want them to do (its way less daunting than what it sounds like).

A fun tid bit about FFXII is that all the english VAs are all theatrical trained and it really sells the whole drama part of the story super well

 

[ghostcrew]

Dragon Quest XI

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

DX11 but i liked FF12 after not really liking FF10 too much

 

[JudgmentJay]

From your description of what you enjoy, I say Dragon Quest XI. It's the best JRPG I've played since the PS1 era. It's lighthearted and jolly with a fun cast of characters.

 

[Deleted member 61531]

I think FFXII aligns more with a limited gaming schedule, as long as you aren't easily distracted by sidequests/exploration/etc.

 

[Lobster Roll]

I recently buried in incalculable number of hours in Dragon Quest XI. Seriously. Quick Resume keeps the clock running and I did not play 400+ hours of that game. That said, it's incredibly fun. I played about 20 minutes of Final Fantasy XII and the combat was such a immediate turnoff that I never went back to it.

 

[toythatkills]

FFXII is one of my favourite games of all time, and has a much better world and a stronger story than DQXI (I feel), but maybe DQ is the game for you based on your criteria. It's a much more basic game in terms of mechanics, and will be way easier to pick up for a small amount of time here and there, and the characters are definitely more on the quirky side. Even though I like FFXII way more, DQXI is still a fantastic game.

 

[Hippopuncher12]

Both are amazing, and from what you are saying DQ is probably the way to go, even though I think FF 12 is the better game.

 

[Freeglader]

I'm a huge fan of XII myself. It is an atypical jrpg in many ways. It isn't filled with melodrama and the most important characters are quite mature in comparison to most jrpgs. World building and ambiance take a front seat in XII.

I've been interested in DQ XI, but I heard the music was underwhelming. Can anyone who has played DQ XI speak to that? The quality of the music in a game ranks as the most important reason I choose to play a game right after the gameplay.

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

FF XII, not even close. And I loved DQ11. But FF XII is just in another league.

 

[Curt Baboon]

Dragon Quest 11 by far. It ended up becoming one of my favorite games ever and I connected with the world and characters WAY more than anything in FF12; and I believe that the areas you explore are just way better realized from a visual standpoint than the ones in Final Fantasy, which at times can feel like blocky decorated hallways. DQ is also less demanding from a gameplay perspective, which I appreciated as someone who isn't massively into the genre.

They're really different games, though. If you're more into political intrigue and more complex fantasy backstory you might prefer FF12, but from what you're saying it seem DQ11 is definitely more along the lines of what you're looking for. I love that game to bits and I thought FF12 was just alright.

 

[Demon Lizardman]

I played both to 100 percent completion last year and have to go with DQXI, FF12 may have some good dialogue, but the ending and final half of the game seemed rushed and a lot of character felt undeveloped. DQXI mostly delivered this in spades and the combat was more fun instead of just relying on your gambits to do everything.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

DQXI is one of the better entries in the series. XII is one of the worst.

Just sayin.

 

[ImpendingFoil]

Dragon Quest XI is one of the best JRPGs out there and one of my favorite games. I would pick it over FFXII any day of the week. FFXII is interesting but the MMO lite combat system was a huge drag for me.

 

[Vaser]

Hmm, one of the best jrpgs of all time or Generic Quest XI? Tough choice...

 

[The Last One]

Final Fantasy XII and it's not even close, really. Better characters, story, dialogues, battle system, etc.

 

[cw_sasuke]

The answer is always gonna be DQXI regardless of the matchup.

 

[mute]

If you are more into "world/lore" type of stuff FFXII has more for you but DQXI has the better characters/gameplay. Getting FFXII to fight its battles itself is kinda interesting but not very engaging in the long run.

 

[ManNR]

Edit: lol...my bad. I read XIII.

 

[Faiyaz]

The answer is always gonna be DQXI regardless of the matchup.

Click to shrink...

Yep, this.

 

[Rainer516]

They're both so so so good, this is tough. Based on what you're looking for, I may have to err on the side of FF12 though. It's the kind of game that keeps you coming back because you're hooked on the characters and the world.
DQ11 is very episodic, in fact the game itself has its own sequels built into it, but the plot and mechanics are interesting, the character and worlds? Not so much.

But there's no doubt in my mind that you'll enjoy both.

 

[Sabin]

DQ IX by a mile.

FF12 had one of the worst combat system i have ever encountered in a JRPG and considering that i played a lot of kusoge that tells a lot.

 

[AllMight1]

DQXI is one of the best RPG's released in many years.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

I find the gameplay in FFXII to be more compelling, but with a much slower build up to a point of real satisfaction (once the player has access to a very wide range of Gambits to assign and is quite deep into the skill boards).

But I think Dragon Quest XI had a much more compelling cast of characters and storytelling. FFXII has a very excellent and mature tone to its storytelling that I didn't personally expect from a Final Fantasy mainline game, and I do appreciate it and recommend people check that out, but Dragon Quest XI is just a really well-told narrative with what I feel is an extremely strong cast of characters.

 

[lone_stranger]

DQXI gets my vote. I like it more, and the smaller play sessions you've mentioned are a better fit for DQXI if I remember correctly.

 

[Derkon]

Dragon Quest XI. Play the Definitive Edition. It's a gem of a JRPG.

 

[WestEgg]

Dragon Quest XI, I tried both but only stuck with Dragon Quest.

 

[JaegerDeus]

Final Fantasy XII in a walk. Not close.

It's the first truly modern JRPG in terms of story, in terms of gameplay, everything.

DQXI is a wonderful throw-back to the old days, but it's just that... a nice coat of paint on very old ideas.

 

[7thFloor]

Those games are made for completely different people despite being in the same genre, just do a bit of research on each and pick, don't bother with some random person's opinion

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

If you're looking for more quirky characters and jolly vibes-DQXI

If you're looking for a more serious tone and a more innovative battle system-FFXII

 

[Lobster Roll]

DQ IX by a mile.

FF12 had one of the worst combat system i have ever encountered in a JRPG and considering that i played a lot of kusoge that tells a lot.

Click to shrink...

Ok I'm glad to know that mental extrapolation of the first 20 minutes of that game holds true.

 

[ghibli99]

If time is a concern, then FF12. Took me only 50 hours vs. 100+ for DQ11. Both are very different games, but even taking the time element out of the equation, I'd still recommend DQ11 over FF12. And throwing the time element back in, my DQ11 time is probably that high because I enjoyed it so much as to get the platinum vs. FF12, where by the last sections, I just wanted it to be over.