Since the original release of Dragon Quest 11, have you gotten into the series?

[Durden]

So basically since September of 2018. Whether you got original 11 at launch, got sucked into DQB2, Hero in Smash stirring your interest in checking out the series, DQ11S being when you hopped in, ect. Has your relationship with the series changed in this time frame?

I did, and I now VERY MUCH am a Dragon Quest fan. My journey with the series started around April of last year. I guess I never really knew what Dragon Quest was. JRPGs are not typically my most played genre. They can really go either way for me, and most of the time I find myself enjoying the concepts of them more than the actual games themselves. People started discussing the "Erdrick" might be getting added to Smash around this time.

I looked up some information on it, and lo and behold, these games' designs are done by Akira Toriyama?!? WHAAAAAA?!?! How did I not know this I thought? Combined with the fact that they seemed very traditional in a way I probably could appreciate, the series instantly went from something I barely knew anything about, to something I HAD to at least try.

And appreciate them I did. I don't know if any established series has ever shot so quickly up my favorites list. I started with the first 3 games on mobile. Even putting my bias for Toriyama aside, the games truly sucked me in naturally on a very intense level. I adored their structure and their heart. DQ3 ended up being one of my favorite games ever, and maybe personally my single favorite JRPG. Until 11S came along which I promptly picked up on release. I'm working on the post game now, and at this point I have no idea how this won't end up as my favorite JRPG. It will probably end up in my top 5, or certainly at least 10, games of all time period. I adore it. It's a game that I've put over 150 hours into, yet still enjoy every moment and truly don't want it to end.

I'm playing Quest of the Stars on mobile now because I'm now a sucker for this series. I will be going back play each game in the rest of the series. I plan to play DQB2. I'm so god damn happy I found Dragon Quest. The funny thing is, not only am I not a typical JRPG player, I also generally veer away from fantasy stuff. Sword and shield, magic, DRAGON, type shit. But something about this series encapsulates everything about those things in a way that works so well for me. It was really like a missing link in my gaming catalogue in a lot of ways, and at this point I can't imagine gaming without it.

So what about you? If you did, what got you started on it? And if you were a fan beforehand, how long and what games have you played?

Also, shoutouts to this awesome thread by FiveSide that was pretty instrumental in getting my journey started. I highly recommend checking it out if you have interest in the series.

A Guide for Getting Into Dragon Quest

A Guide for Getting Into Dragon Quest With the imminent release of Dragon Quest XI (which is a huge deal - it's been a full 8 years since we got Dragon Quest IX), I figured now would be a fantastic time to provide some advice about "getting into" the series. This post was originally much...

www.resetera.com

EDIT : There seems to be some confusion around the term "fan". If you have enjoyed a game in the DQ series enough to finish it and are at least somewhat interested in it's future, I'd say you're a fan in some capacity. So for instance, if you only played DQ11 but really liked it and are potentially interested in future installments, the first option would be your go to. Saying you're a fan doesn't mean you have to be as deeply in love with the series as my OP implied for myself. That's why I said I'm VERY MUCH one lol.

 

[Jawmuncher]

It's been too expensive. I'd be interested in playing the PC or Switch version for about $20 (Mainly just want the option of less bad music).
I did play Dragon Quest 1 and Dragon Quest Heroes though.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I gave it a shot on PS4, and it was so boring I couldn't finish it. My JRPG nostalgia tends to be for the more serious, dramatic stuff like Tactics Ogre and Suikoden rather than colorful anime-inspired games with simple themes, so DQXI just kind of fell flat for me once it became clear the writing wasn't doing anything interesting and the combat was achingly slow-paced.

If they patched the improvements from the Switch version into the PS4 version I would try it again but I just can't be bothered otherwise, and I outright refuse to buy a game I didn't even like that much a second time in the hopes that it might be better with some extra stuff.

 

[Samiya]

While DQ11 was an amazing experience for me and the best JRPG this generation by far, the time demand is simply too high for me to getting into previous games. It feels like a monumental task to try to get through one game.

 

[Razgriz417]

no but I would love to play them on pc or current/next gen or maybe even have some of the classics remade

 

[Foxnull]

I absolutely LOVED Dragon Quest 11, but I've not tried another title so far. Will probably even wait for 12 instead of going back and trying older titles.

 

[Reinhard]

I enjoyed DQ11, but I have 0 interest in any of the spin-offs or older games. The only way I could even play the older games is via emulator anyway as I sold my 3DS a long time ago. I'll play DQ12 if it comes to PC but that is about it. Didn't really seem to be a poll option for my case - enjoyed DQ11 enough that I will try DQ12 but not enough of a fan to try side games or older games. I initially selected "I don't have much interest in the series" but it is more like I was satisfied with 11 but not really a huge fan of the series overall. I changed my vote to first option but I am more of an extremely casual fan where I will take a look at DQ12 and not much beyond that.

Would be nice if DQ4-8 DS/3DS remake versions were "remastered" for PS4/PC, I would like to give the older games a chance to become a true fan, but I am not going to get a 3DS again and I am not going to play an old-school RPG on a cell phone of all things, the horror.

 

[yurr]

Got the ending and couldn't force myself through the epilogue. Just not for me...I tried 8 back when I was getting into jrpgs. It just doesn't do it for me.

Yet I play every tales game to completion. What's wrong with me?

 

[Deleted member 10737]

i was already a fan, played 4-5-6-8.
it's a huge shame the switch ports of 1-2-3 look butt ugly, would have loved to play those.

i'm not really into the current spin off games (heroes/builders), but would buy a new monsters game day 1.

 

[Ze_Shoopuf]

we love the Dragon Quest Heroes series. such great fun!

also the Dragon Quest Builders games.

 

[Deleted member 31199]

I imported DQXI for 3DS so that should tell you everything. I am a massive DQ fan with VIII probably being one of my favorites but also I like II and III. XI was a lot of fun but very frustrating at first until I realized that stupid me didn't master the crafting system.

Can't wait for DQXII in 2022 or so... hopefully sooner...

 

[Swift_Gamer]

Where is the "I played XI and was satisfied with only it" option?

 

[brinstar]

I was already a fan. I've played and beaten every game in the series. Currently replaying them all again and I'm on VII now...

 

[Donizetty]

I became a fan with DQ9

 

[Warukyure]

I mean how can people? Square Enix seems like they are at lengths trying to kill the series in the West. At the very best you have a few scattered titles on Android and iOS, next to nothing on PC, 7 and 8 on PSN locked to PS3, no advertising on their spin off games and can't be bothered to remake or remaster for everyday consoles. And let's not even talk about Big Green...

 

[molnizzle]

Yep, I'm a fan now. Played through 1 and 2 on iOS. Finished DQB on Switch, where I'm now working through DQ3. Waiting for some sort of discount to get DQB2 on PC.

 

[Durden]

Where is the "I played XI and was satisfied with only it" option?

Click to shrink...

I meant to make the first option "I did, and I am now a Dragon Quest fan in some capacity". Dammit. That would be the option for people like you and some others in this thread. I don't want people to think the first option is only for people like me that have gotten mildly psycho into it. I'm not sure if mods can change poll options but I'll see.

Edit : Thanks modzos! It's changed now

 

[maxxatom]

I really, really enjoyed DQXI. I am very excited about whatever comes out in the future, but I don't think I am brave enough to go back and play the older ones that lack the polish and QOL changes that had happened over the years.

 

[D-Man]

I have bought a physical copy of every mainline game (except X of course) soon after I beat DQXI on PS4 in the middle of last year alongside a few spinoffs and even figures. I am now a series fan for life.

 

[Deleted member 4869]

The original Dragon Quest was the first RPG that I ever played, and it made me into a fan of the genre.

However, after that, I just couldn't get into any of the following games. And I tried. But no matter which DQ entry I play, I always find the stories to be extremely boring and cliche, the music to be bland and the combat system so archaic that it has barely evolved since the NES.

I gave in to the hype of Dragon Quest XI so I pre-ordered it. Big mistake. The game bored me to tears. I had not experienced a story so boring and overly long in many, many years. The characters were super bland or annoying, and again the combat system felt like it was stuck in the 90's. And the music. God, the music...

I really wanted to like it. I wanted to share the hype. But I just couldn't.

I'm not wasting my time with Dragon Quest anymore. Time or money.

 

[Bit_Reactor]

I've been hunting down a copy of DQV as a result and hope it gets a remake at some point. I'm pretty into the art direction and gameplay.

 

[c bweezie]

Dragon Quest XI was my first Dragon Quest since VII.

I beat it and enjoyed my time with it, but i wouldn't say i'm now a fan. I'll likely give the next one a shot.

 

[RingoGaSuki]

11 was my first DQ, I played it back at it's Japanese launch on 3DS in 2017. I loved it and have since played through most other games in the series (still haven't gotten around to VII and IX; X doesn't count) and loved all of them too. It's such a consistently fantastic series. V, VIII and XI are all in my top 10 games of all time (V is equal first; XI equal second)

Spin-offs as well, they're all made to a great standard (DQ: Monsters and DQ: Heroes are both great). DQ12 and the DQ Monsters game starring Erik and Mia are my most anticipated games, despite there being next to no info on either.

 

[Poltergust]

Where's the poll option for someone like me, who beat DQVII before ever touching DQXI (which I also beat) but hasn't played another game in the series yet?

 

[Deleted member 11008]

I don't know. I really loved the first fourth games, but outside VII I haven't played seriously other Dragon Quest. DQ 3 and 4 are two of my favorite games anyway.

 

[Benzychenz]

I bought 4-6 on DS a couple of years before 11 came out. Became a fan pretty much instantly and have been slowly playing through them, played 1-7, 11, and both Builders so far. Really need to play 8 and 9 soon.

'Erdrick' and Sora were my most wanted Smash characters, so I was so hyped at the Hero reveal. The lukewarm reception it got here bums me out a bit.

 

[Deleted member 48813]

Dragon Quest XI S was my first DQ game and the best game I've played on the Switch so far, so I definitely consider myself a Dragon Quest fan now and I'm really looking forward to DQXII eventually. I want to go back and play the older ones but most of the good versions of those are either on mobile or on consoles I don't own though, which is a bummer.

 

[Atolm]

No, they're not on systems that I own (I don't use smartphones for gaming)

 

[P-Bo]

Hell yeah I did...Is what I'd like to say, but the DS remakes are super expensive, and general consensus seems to be that the remasters of 1-3 aren't very good.

I have fallen in love with the franchise though, going forward I'll be picking up new releases--if ever/whenever SE decides to localize them.

 

[CarlSagan94]

Never played the series before and I loved DQXI (less so the 3rd act) and I'm looking forward to play a new game in the series.

 

[Deleted member 8468]

I just started DQ11 this past weekend!

Builders 2 got me into the series, enough that I double dipped on Switch and PC (switch performance wasn't enough for me). After being deep into the endgame and seeing 11 was on sale, I figured why not see what the fuss is about?

Really enjoying 11 so far! It's old school in all the best ways, but still has QoL stuff like auto battles to help with grinding. Fun game and very nice to look at. I'm thinking of either trying 8 or 9 next, but I think I have plenty of time to decide.

 

[Durden]

Where's the poll option for someone like me, who beat DQVII before ever touching DQXI (which I also beat) but hasn't played another game in the series yet?

Click to shrink...

Did you play DQVII before or after DQ11's release? Depending on which you'd be either the first or second to last option.

If you have enjoyed a game in the DQ series enough to finish it and are at least somewhat interested in it's future, I'd say you're a fan in some capacity. Saying you're a fan doesn't mean you have to be as deeply in love with the series as my OP implied for myself.

 

[Yoss]

I really liked DQ XI and I want to check VII and VIII on 3DS when I get the chance. I don't like playing games on my phone so they're in line with some other rpgs I'm working through (slowly).

 

[Chie Satonaka91]

I was already a fan. Dragon Quest VII remake was my favorite game of 2016.

 

[ContraWars]

I've been on board since Nintendo Power gave away free copies of the first game.

 

[Mejilan]

I've been a fan since my free copy of Dragon Warrior I via Nintendo Power oh so many years ago.
Like with the Ys series, my sadness only grew over the years as the series died out in the West, and again like the Ys series, I've become more heartened in recent years what with the series seeing a resurrection in the West.

I platinumed DQXI on PS4 not long after it came out, and more recently played through completion Dragon Quests I-III on Switch (not my first runs, since I've played them on NES and then GBC back in the day). The only mainline entries I never actually beat are VI, IX, and X. I need to get back on the DS train to finish up VI and IX. X, I imagine, will never get localized. /shrug

Some, as with I-III, I've played repeatedly.

That said, DQXI is probably one of my least favorite mainline DQs. So if I didn't already love the franchise, this entry definitely would NOT have converted me.
My favorites, in no particular order, are III, IV, V, and to a lesser extent, VII, and VIII. Not sure where I stand with VI and IX yet, though. Some day!

 

[King_Moc]

DQ xi is decent enough, but I find Dragon Quest games too old school and conservative in design normally. The builders games are great though.

 

[Kazer]

Was already a fan. DQ8 is still my fav.

 

[Deleted member 34949]

I liked what I played of XI, but my attempts to play past entries don't work out. Tried 4, and got to the second controllable character before losing interest. Heard all the praise lavished on 5 and that ended up boring me to the point of sleep on several occasions. Same with 7. Didn't even bother with 8.

To be honest, the most I've enjoyed the series outside of XI is the GBC version of DQ1. I might seek out the GBC version of 3 based on that, but I don't know if I see myself engaging with the series further past that.

It's so weird, because I love the art style, love turn based combat, and have no problem with more vignette focused stories as opposed to a wide scope epic adventure. I should by all means love this series, but (most of) it just never clicks with me.

 

[mopinks]

I played the first one when it came out because Nintendo Power gave it to me for free

I didn't become a fan until they put DQIV on the DS, though

 

[dedhead54]

Got sucked in to DQB2 last year and then decided to give DQXI:S a shot and loved in.

 

[Mirage]

I was already a fan and I've finished every mainline DQ except X.

 

[Another]

Good place as any to ask this... are the phone versions controller compatible? Curious about 3 specifically, been meaning to replay it and if controller support is available I'll easily go the phone route (outputting to the TV).

 

[phant0m]

DQ V and VIII were masterpieces, and XI is damn near as good.

 

[Durden]

I mean how can people? Square Enix seems like they are at lengths trying to kill the series in the West. At the very best you have a few scattered titles on Android and iOS, next to nothing on PC, 7 and 8 on PSN locked to PS3, no advertising on their spin off games and can't be bothered to remake or remaster for everyday consoles. And let's not even talk about Big Green...

Click to shrink...

I find these takes odd. Maybe I just had my head in some sort of specific sand pit for way too long, but I went from being so unaware of the series that I didn't realize it heavily involved maybe my favorite artist of all time, to being deeply aware and invested in it within the past few years. Hero getting into Smash alone is huge, along with the Builders series, the extensive work put into the localization of DQ11 and Quest of the Stars...

If anything, while they could do more, I feel like S-E is doing more than ever to try and build a fan base for DQ outside of Japan. It feels like they're sewing pretty similar seeds to how Fire Emblem went about it. And while it took some time, Fire Emblem is in a fantastic place in the West now.

 

[FaceHugger]

Yes. I was already a mild fan, in that the original on the NES (Dragon Warrior) was one of my first RPG's, and I enjoyed DQ Heroes 1, which introduced me to the wider universe(s) of the franchise, and Builders, which I thought was the best building/crafting game out there for consoles. DQ11 just made me love it all even more.

 

[MaverickHunterAsh]

I had always appreciated and respected the series' legacy and importance from a distance but was never able to get into it myself... until playing DQXIS, that is. Dragon Quest XI S is so fucking tremendously magnificent that it ended up being a top 3 of all time JRPG and possibly a top 5 (definitely top 10) game of all time for me, and I absolutely consider myself a Dragon Quest fan now.

Looking back, it's not surprising I didn't think DQ was for me for so long, because the first game I tried was the PS1 version of DQ VII, and, uh, let's just say that one's just a slight bit dense and unwelcoming.

 

[Mejilan]

I had always appreciated and respected the series' legacy and importance from a distance but was never able to get into it myself... until playing DQXIS, that is. Dragon Quest XI S is so fucking tremendously magnificent that it ended up being a top 3 of all time JRPG and possibly a top 5 (definitely top 10) game of all time for me, and I absolutely consider myself a Dragon Quest fan now.

Looking back, it's not surprising I didn't think DQ was for me for so long, because the first game I tried was the PS1 version of DQ VII, and, uh, let's just say that one's just a slight bit dense and unwelcoming.

Click to shrink...

You might want to consider DQVIII next. (Not necessarily right away, of course). XI follows in VIII's footsteps in a lot of ways. It was on PS2 originally, got an absolute shit Unity (I think) port to mobile, and a much better expanded port to 3DS. 3DS version is the most content-complete and has the best QoL improvements of the bunch, though it's visually a step down from the PS2 game. Two more playable characters that join the party, random encounters gone in lieu of roaming critters, new loot and quests, etc. Bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting too.

VII got a full-blown remake on 3DS as well. Looooots of changes there. And while it's still a slower-paced game compared to just about any other DQ out there, it does move at a somewhat faster clip than the PSOne original.

Full disclosure, I didn't much like XI. I did really, really like VIII though. Kind of feel like VIII did a lot of what XI tried to do, but did it first and better for the most part. III-V remain my top three of the mainline franchise, though.

 

[brinstar]

I mean how can people? Square Enix seems like they are at lengths trying to kill the series in the West. At the very best you have a few scattered titles on Android and iOS, next to nothing on PC, 7 and 8 on PSN locked to PS3, no advertising on their spin off games and can't be bothered to remake or remaster for everyday consoles. And let's not even talk about Big Green...

Click to shrink...

It's not a few scattered titles on mobile, it's nearly the entire series. 1 - 6 and 8 are on mobile in the west.

7 and 8 are on 3DS, not PS3.

 

[Derkon]

Went and grabbed 4/5/7/8 for my 3DS after playing 11. I'd get 6 if it wasn't like $150 for a physical copy with the case/manual lol.