One of the best RPGs ever made. This is right up there with Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger for me. It sucks that you have to save and quit to switch between 3D and 2D, but the game is still amazing, and I love that they brought that feature back from the 3DS version.

If you've never played a Dragon Quest game before, this is the perfect entry point for new players. It's fun, the humor is great, and the storytelling is great!

I haven't finished Dragon Quest 11 on Switch yet, but only because there is just so much to do! In order to reach the true ending, and complete all challenges - you are looking at approximately 120+ hours worth of content. Without a doubt, this is single handedly one of the best JRPGs I've had the pleasure to enjoy playing. I got hooked from Xbox game pass, and needed to be able to play this title on the go... not to mention, Switch definitive edition has exclusive content that is not available on Xbox or Playstation. Overall the story, character development, and gameplay are all captivating aspects of DQ11. However, I can guarantee you'll enjoy nearly every step of your journey. There is a unique variety of companions, who each have their own class/skill set, substory, outfits, and contributions as party members. Also, the world is incredibly expansive and feels genuinely fun to explore. The art design is cute, and may remind folks of Dragonball, because that person is responsible for creating both worlds. Finally, the original soundtrack is filled with epic symphonies, and a strong orchestra to support exciting discovery, impending doom, dramatic moments, or even just the simple town background -- you name it, this OST does not miss! There is plenty of nostalgia for fans of the series, yet it is also a great place to introduce yourself to the dragon quest world. Personally, I preferred playing in 3D mode to get the most out of my experience. I did not enjoy playing the game in 2D, but for "OG" fans of the DQ series, or people who appreciate retro/arcade style graphics, this feature is for you. That would be my only critique -- I did not particularly enjoy being restricted to 2D mode as you saved Tickington, where you had to travel to previous DQ worlds, and complete quests there. This really catered to the older audience/fanbase. And, you unfortunately do need to complete this content to reach the true ending. With that being said, I highly recommend this title for anyone who likes turn based combat, like Pokemon, or party systems, such as Final Fantasy. If nothing less, you will be completely enthralled with this immersive narrative, which is injected with humorous, wholesome moments, yet balanced with the gravity of your responsibility as the Hero. Totally kid friendly!

Graphics: 5/5. Akira Toriyama's character designs are gorgeous as always, with expressive faces for the human characters and monsters that alternate perfectly between scary and cute. From a technical aspect, it's about as good as you can expect on the Switch; the graphics are slightly blurry, but still look great and perform stably for the most part (I've had about 2 crashes in 90 hours of gameplay, that I recall). Sound: 5/5. The orchestral score is AMAZING. I feel sorry for the people who played the earlier versions and had to settle for the synthesized music. (I understand that this was due to legal issues with the composer. I'm very glad that got settled!) Story: 4.5/5. I've heard the story described as "restrained" and I think that's a good word. It doesn't try to do too much outside of what you'd expect; you're a silent protagonist, raised in a peasant village, but you find out you're the destined hero, chosen to save the world, etc. Within the constraints of the heroic fantasy/chosen one framework, though, the story is very well executed. A couple of warnings, though: if you don't like tearjerkers, you might want to avoid this one. I'm a grown man, and I cried at a couple of points in the story. Also, if you're offended by homosexuals, or extremely stereotypical depictions of homosexuals, you also might want to stay away. One of the characters is the most flamboyant gay stereotype I've ever seen. Some will find him hilarious, some will find him obnoxious, I think he manages to be both at once most of the time. (There aren't any sexually explicit parts in this game, hetero or homo, just a lot of what the ESRB calls "suggestive themes.") Gameplay: 4/5. In gameplay terms, this game makes a couple of superficial gestures towards innovation, but largely stays within the Dragon Quest classic turn-based RPG formula. The one improvement that I most appreciate is its adoption of non-random encounters; you actually see monsters walking around in the world, and you go into battle with them if you touch them. The crafting system is also quite addictive, although somewhat basic; you have to find crafting recipes in the world (check ALL of the bookshelves!) and then make items from those recipes with crafting materials dropped from monsters or found in regenerating harvesting locations. If you try to make an item and don't have all the needed materials, then the game will let you automatically purchase all the missing materials for whatever their gold cost is, even if the place that sells it is on the other side of the world in a place you haven't visited yet. (There are some rare materials that cannot be purchased.) I have mixed feelings about this, it does save time tromping around gathering ingredients, but it kind of feels like cheating, and makes the whole system seem pointless. Overall, Dragon Quest 11 S is a fantastic JRPG, even with a few nitpicks, it's worth 5 stars all the way.

I just finished the game and I'm mad at myself for sleeping on it for so long. The music is incredible, the gameplay is some of the most fun I've ever experienced, and the characters are great! There's so much to do and the world never feels empty. This has to be one of my favorite games of all time. If there's anything you should know, though, it's that you should put aside 60-100 hours if you want to finish the game. When you finish the game, there's actually a whole post game story that is around 40 extra hours or so. It is so worth it to play that much. I will admit that the first hour or so is a little boring and bland, but once you leave the village, that's when it gets exciting. That's what hooked me. If there's one thing I don't like, it's the main character. He never speaks and he always has this stoic look on his face. Emotionless... You could tell him that his dad died, everyone in the party would freak out, but he would just be standing there looking like nothing happened. That's my only complaint. By far, everything this game does right outweighs this one complaint. I had so much fun and I recommend this game wholeheartedly. Just don't forget to beat the post game true boss. Definitely worth it.