Dragon Quest XI

Dragon Quest XI continues the gameplay of previous games in the series, in which the player explores worlds and fights against various monsters, including the ability to explore high areas. The Nintendo 3DS version features a different style to the other versions, showcasing 3D graphics on the top screen and 16-bit styled sprites on the bottom screen. Outside of battle, the player can freely toggle between the 3D and 2D graphical styles. Like with Dragon Quest IX, on land, the game's battle system features no random encounters and shows all enemies on the overworld. The battle system also adds a free-form camera option inspired by the MMORPG Dragon Quest X that allows the player to move around the enclosed battlefield, although it is purely visual and provides no other benefits to gameplay. == Plot ==

The game is set in the world of Erdrea and begins as the kingdom of Dundrasil is invaded and destroyed by an army of monsters. The protagonist, an infant during the attack, survives and is found floating down a river by an old man named Chalky in the village of Cobblestone. The protagonist is adopted by Chalky's daughter Amber and raised in the village. After the protagonist's coming-of-age ceremony, Amber reveals the truth to him about his birth and adoption and sends him to meet King Carnelian of Heliodor. However, the king accuses him of being an evil entity and throws him into the dungeons. Imprisoned, the protagonist meets a thief named Erik, who reveals that he was sent to meet him, as the mark on his hand is proof that he is the Luminary, a legendary hero chosen by the world tree Yggdrasil to save Erdrea from evil. The pair escape and evade capture, later joined by two mages: Veronica, who is trapped in a child's body due to a curse, and her twin sister, Serena. On their quest to help the Luminary reach Yggdrasil, they gain three other companions: Sylvando, a traveling entertainer, Jade, the exiled princess of Heliodor who helped the infant protagonist escape during the attack on Dundrasil, and Rab, the former king of Dundrasil and the protagonist's grandfather. The party eventually arrives at the heart of Yggdrasil, which contains the Sword of Light, the Luminary's destined weapon. However, just as the Luminary is about to take it, he and the party are intercepted by Carnelian and his retainers Jasper and Hendrik. It is revealed that Carnelian was possessed by an evil sorcerer known as Mordegon, who was also responsible for Dundrasil's destruction, and Jasper is Mordegon's agent. The two subdue Hendrik and the Luminary's party, with Mordegon stealing the Luminary's power and the Sword of Light, corrupting it into the Sword of Shadows in the process, and absorbing the heart of Yggdrasil, destroying the tree and plunging the world into an age of darkness. Separated from the others, the Luminary returns to Cobblestone, turned into a fortified refuge for Heliodor citizens led by Carnelian and Hendrik, who apologize to the Luminary for all the troubles they caused him. Hendrik joins forces with the Luminary, and together they reclaim Heliodor from Mordegon's forces. At one point, a dark spirit summons a mysterious orb called Erdwin's Lantern. However, Mordegon destroys it so no one stands in his way. After reuniting with the rest of the party, except for Veronica, who perished saving the others during the fall of Yggdrasil, and reclaiming the Luminary's power, the Luminary obtains the means to forge a new Sword of Light, which they use to defeat Jasper and Mordegon, restoring Yggdrasil and the world. Afterwards, the party discovers the means to bring Veronica, and other people who perished, back within the Tower of Lost Time. There, they meet the Timekeeper, who gives the Luminary the power to go back in time and defeat Mordegon before he can steal the Sword of Light and Yggdrasil's heart, thus saving Veronica from sacrificing herself and preventing Mordegon's dark age. However, due to Mordegon's absence, Erdwin's Lantern was not destroyed, thus the dark spirit is able to merge with it and awaken the Dark One, Calasmos. The party learns that a prior Luminary named Erdwin was betrayed and killed by his mage companion Morcant, who absorbed Calasmos' powers and transformed into Mordegon. Since he could not be destroyed forever without the power of the Luminary, Serenica, Erdwin's former sage companion and lover, then sealed the weakened Calasmos within Erdwin's Lantern and attempted to return to the past at the Tower of Lost Time, but was turned into the Timekeeper instead. The party then confronts and destroys Calasmos, before the Luminary entrusts his mark to Serenica, who reverts to her original form and uses it to return to the past and reunite with Erdwin. Accompanied by Veronica and Serena, he also returns the Sword of Light to Yggdrasil, who reveals itself to be Yggdragon, an ancient dragon of light who was defeated by Calasmos ages ago, whose body transformed into the tree Yggdrasil and gave life to Erdrea. Yggdragon bestows upon the Luminary the title of "Erdrick", the mightiest of all heroes, and keeps the Sword for the day when a new hero will need it to defend Erdrea from evil. In the credits, Serenica reunites with Erdwin in the past. Afterwards, a young mother, following reading the Luminary's story in a book, wakes up her child from bed, setting up the beginning of Dragon Quest III. ==Characters==

Main Party Protagonist A young boy who as a baby was washed along a river into Cobblestone. He is the Luminary, and feels extremely guilty that Modregon took control of the world, and when breaking the Time Sphere, he decided to go back and try to fix what he believes he broke. He has a sisterly relationship with Jade and is the grandson of Rab. He is also an orphan. He uses a sword in battle. He is the first bisexual character of the series, as he has the option of romancing any character in the party, regardless of gender. Erik A boy about the same age as the protagonist. He has blue hair and eyes, and is a thief. He blames himself for his sister Mia turning into gold and used to be enslaved to the Vikings. When they first travel to Sniflheim he is distracted and nervous, not telling the protagonist about his time there. When he falls from the Rock of Wrong in the sky he loses all his memories in order to survive. He hides in the cargo bay and regains his memories when they rescue him from Mia’s golden henchmen. He fights with daggers. He is a romance option. Veronica A girl who got transformed into the shape of a child. After regaining her magic she does not turn back into her original shape but does regain her magic. She has a twin sister Serena, and they were tasked with travelling with and protecting the Luminary. They come from Arboria, near Yggdrasil. Veronica dies in Act Two. She fights with a staff. She is a romance option. Serena Veronica’s twin sister. She looks older and is more polite than Veronica. When Veronica dies in Act Two she cuts her hair and also burns some of it in a traditional Arborian funeral ritual. She fights with a wand and a shield, and does the group's healing. She is a romance option. Sylvando A travelling entertainer who was raised to be a knight by his estranged father Don Rodrigo, the leader of Puerto Valor. He also knows Hendrik as well. In Act One he tries to stay away from Puerto Valor and avoid people recognizing him. He fights with a long, thin sword. He is a romance option. Jade The princess of Heliodor and an expert in martial arts. She defeats Erik during the Masked Martial Arts Competition, and has a brotherly relationship with the protagonist. She is embarassed for Rab because he keeps pornography maganizes about bunny girls. She fights using a spear and martial arts. She is a romance option. Rab The protagonist’s grandfather. He is very old and reads pornography magazines about bunny girls. During Act Two, he meditates and becomes a hermit, meeting someone who helps him strengthen his powers, and is revealed to be the old king of Dundrasil because of his royal pendant. He fights using claws. He is a romance option even though he is the protagonist’s grandfather. Hendrik One of King Carnelian’s two loyal advisors. He is convinced the protagonist is the Darkspawn during Act One but helps him during Act Two. He talks with Jasper about his feelings before he dies, and in Act Three he also fights a shadow Jasper alone. He fights with an axe. He is a romance option. == Development and release ==

Dragon Quest XI started development in 2013, with it being announced in 2015 for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch. In April 2017, Square Enix held a special presentation for the game, where the release date for the PlayStation 4 and 3DS versions of the game in Japan was revealed to be July 29, 2017. The same month, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Nintendo unveiled special editions of their PlayStation 4 Slim and New Nintendo 2DS XL hardware for Japan to tie into the game. Coinciding with the release, lead designer and scenario writer Yuji Horii announced that an international version, localized in five separate languages, would be released in 2018. The exact date was later revealed to be September 4, 2018, along with a version for Windows via Steam, a first for the main series. It includes voiced English dialogue, a first-person camera option, support for 4K resolution, and a set of harder "Draconian Quest" difficulty modifiers, among other minor changes. Square Enix stated they wanted to expand the Dragon Quest brand outside of Japan, which they believed that these features, in addition to having a Windows version, would assist it. The international PlayStation 4 release also saw a special collector's edition, titled Edition of Lost Time, which includes the base game, a set of bonus in-game items, a 128-page hardback art book featuring original character design concepts from Akira Toriyama, a two-disc soundtrack featuring orchestrated versions of the game's music by Koichi Sugiyama, a cloth map of the game's world, and a steelbook case. The 3DS version was not localized outside of Japan, and the Switch version was delayed while the team updated it to a newer version of Unreal Engine 4 that the system supports. The Switch version was re-announced at Tokyo Game Show 2018. Known as Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition, it was released worldwide on September 27, 2019, and features English and Japanese voice acting, with the English voice acting being available as an add-on in the Japanese Switch version, an expanded version of the 2D mode from the 3DS version, an option for orchestral music (with "Overture XI", a version of the series' main theme, from the game's opening movie, being re-orchestrated, which was taken from the orchestrated soundtrack, as with the other tracks in the game), quality-of-life improvements such as a new "ultra-fast" battle speed and more streamlined item forging, a photo mode, and expanded plot elements. Dragon Quest XI S was also released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on December 4, 2020, while a Stadia version was released on March 16, 2021. == Reception ==

Dragon Quest XI received "generally favourable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic, with critics praising it for its visuals, traditional turn-based combat, plot, and characters. By November 2025, the game had shipped over seven million copies worldwide. Awards ==Legacy==

The Luminary appeared as a playable character via downloadable content in the 2018 crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yggdrasil's Altar is his stage and comes with several music tracks from the series. A Luminary Amiibo was released in 2020. A prequel to Dragon Quest XI starring Erik and Mia, Dragon Quest Treasures, was released in 2022. ==Notes==