Yo,
So I´m diggin´ further in my backlog and has been playing DQ11 on my Switch for the last couple of weeks. I´m somewhere mid to late act 2 (I think).
Dragon Quest has been one of my favorite roleplaying series for at long time. It stands out by keeping it´s feet on the ground, which is rare in todays JRPG market.
The spotlight being on the smaller stories along the journey, but never losing the focus on the relatively simple overarching story tying the game together. This coupled with a pretty brisk pace (minus VII and maybe VIII) has made the games very enjoyable.
The game takes a lot of what made the earlier games great and makes them better.
But,
this game also very much feels like a one step forth, two steps back kinda situation.
The game is incredibly drawn out. Regarding the main story, the entire first act could have been a short introduction. It´s simply bogged down by it´s own ambition.
Take the villains for example. They show up for a couple of very short appearances in the first what 25hrs? Essentially, you don´t give a shit about them or what they´re up to.
You´ve been running aorund fixing the "smaller" problems around the world, with almost zero profound connection to the main plot.
Mind you, there´s always been like this balance between the vignettes and main story, but I think previous games handled it better.
This game throws a huge amount of stuff your way, barraging you with small details, exposition and slow voice acting that goes absolutely nowhere. It constantly tells you the same things over and over again from different angles, but it very rarely gives you a greater understandment or appreciation of it. it constantly tries to make high stakes, but then keeps peddling back instead of making real consequences.
At the end of act 1 there was a glimmer of some real consequences, but when act 2 starts up, nothing really changed. The same monsters are roaming around causing the same trouble in the same areas.
Also, the pacing completely dies at the beginning of act 2. What do you want the most after an exciting cliffhanger ending of act 1? If you were thinking of boring, mandatory "sidequests", with combat that is essentially impossible to loose for 6 hours, then guess what? This game has got you covered. The side characters parts in act 2 were so boring, that I fell asleep multiple times playing it.
Thankfully the game picks up speed afterwards, but it´s dissapointing that you´re walking through the exact same towns, talking to the same people.
I´ve heard that act 3 is even worse in this regard, but I don´t know how as I´ve not made it as far. It´s sorta starting to feel like Bravely default with it´s unbearable rehash in the end.
Otherwise the game is charming with simple and relaxing gameplay, lovely art for the most part, a well realized world and great music that is really enhanced by the performance of the symphony orchestra (although there´s way too few tracks for a game this long).
So I´m diggin´ further in my backlog and has been playing DQ11 on my Switch for the last couple of weeks. I´m somewhere mid to late act 2 (I think).
Dragon Quest has been one of my favorite roleplaying series for at long time. It stands out by keeping it´s feet on the ground, which is rare in todays JRPG market.
The spotlight being on the smaller stories along the journey, but never losing the focus on the relatively simple overarching story tying the game together. This coupled with a pretty brisk pace (minus VII and maybe VIII) has made the games very enjoyable.
The game takes a lot of what made the earlier games great and makes them better.
But,
this game also very much feels like a one step forth, two steps back kinda situation.
The game is incredibly drawn out. Regarding the main story, the entire first act could have been a short introduction. It´s simply bogged down by it´s own ambition.
Take the villains for example. They show up for a couple of very short appearances in the first what 25hrs? Essentially, you don´t give a shit about them or what they´re up to.
You´ve been running aorund fixing the "smaller" problems around the world, with almost zero profound connection to the main plot.
Mind you, there´s always been like this balance between the vignettes and main story, but I think previous games handled it better.
This game throws a huge amount of stuff your way, barraging you with small details, exposition and slow voice acting that goes absolutely nowhere. It constantly tells you the same things over and over again from different angles, but it very rarely gives you a greater understandment or appreciation of it. it constantly tries to make high stakes, but then keeps peddling back instead of making real consequences.
At the end of act 1 there was a glimmer of some real consequences, but when act 2 starts up, nothing really changed. The same monsters are roaming around causing the same trouble in the same areas.
Also, the pacing completely dies at the beginning of act 2. What do you want the most after an exciting cliffhanger ending of act 1? If you were thinking of boring, mandatory "sidequests", with combat that is essentially impossible to loose for 6 hours, then guess what? This game has got you covered. The side characters parts in act 2 were so boring, that I fell asleep multiple times playing it.
Thankfully the game picks up speed afterwards, but it´s dissapointing that you´re walking through the exact same towns, talking to the same people.
I´ve heard that act 3 is even worse in this regard, but I don´t know how as I´ve not made it as far. It´s sorta starting to feel like Bravely default with it´s unbearable rehash in the end.
Otherwise the game is charming with simple and relaxing gameplay, lovely art for the most part, a well realized world and great music that is really enhanced by the performance of the symphony orchestra (although there´s way too few tracks for a game this long).
