Akai

TL;DR

DQ XI S is lush and beautiful game, with a full orchestral soundtrack. It brings all the classic characteristics of a JRPG with a modern feel.
There is great balance between all the characters, and I found myself alternating my party very often. This is an RPG that has a decent amount of strategizing yet also a great JRPG for beginners.
With an abundance of side content that is meaningful, this is great game for JRPGers to stick with beginning to end, and past that!
The beginning hours are seemingly overly tutorialized and "hand-holding."
While the turn-based battle system is great, there is also a lack of innovation or mold-breaking in this game. Some parts of the game seem outdated, where Square Enix "plays it safe."

[Played on a Nintendo Switch Lite]

I was really excited to return to the world of Dragon Quest with this title. I had not played Dragon Quest in years, and I always have had a soft side for the games (being more of a SquareSoft guy) because of Akira Toriyama's (rip) artwork/character design. I will say that Dragon Quest, even to this day, stays true to the JRPG formula and I give it a tremendous amount of credit for not selling out its turn-based mode for something more action-packed and fast-paced.

This version of DQ XI is full of QoL improvements. Yet being someone who never played the original version of it, I was not at the least spoiled or spoon-fed. I did have to put in the work and the time to get through this title, as it is a true JRPG in an age of fake JRPGs. Maybe, that is the seemingly inspiring Heroism that this game gives out, much like its Hero protagonist. I had a fun time configuring my party and using all the characters in this game. The character developments at the climax of this game really made me see the connection all the characters have. With a full orchestral soundtrack and emotional/inspiring cutscenes, I was able to be very immersed in DQ XI S.

Putting aside sticking to the true JRPG bones, I love how I can transport to 2D recreations of past DQ worlds with the Tickington side quests. The 2D story mode option of the game was not the mode that I had played it in, but I did give it a shot. I will be sure to play beginning to end in this mode, for my next playthrough of it (whenever that is). I did, however, do a good deal of the Tickington side quests, and was always eager to return to there when I had more to do. For long-time DQ fans, this game is a treat because it really takes a huge nod to all past games.

My primary issues with this title were that the beginning was too hand-holding or tutorialized, lacking some exploration or intuition that you had to depend on in older games. There is a bit of generic "Hero's Journey" that is cemented into the beginning of the story, and that can be bland for awhile. The story does get a lot better as it goes on, and I was able to put that to the side. So for people interested in this game, definitely give it a chance to pick up if you feel like it is boring!

I do enjoy the traditional JRPG of Dragon Quest, even in its modern form. It is awesome that Square Enix did not abandon it like they did in other titles. (see: Final Fantasy) The traditional structure is outdated, and needs some improvement to be truly daring to compete with other modern JRPGs. Instead of daring mechanics or mold-breaking, Square Enix's modern improvments lean toward stream-lining and being inclusive/easier. Too much "talk to this NPC" in order to do this or "back and forth" are a bit unnecessary for a modern game, even a JRPG. Talking to NPCs should be part of the adventure, however when I am directed on who to talk to and where to go all the time: I feel like I am not on an adventure and my hand is being held. In this respect, I think this game is a great JRPG for beginners/non-gamers. The title is redeemed mostly by the abundance of side story content that is meaningful, and the reason I urge for JRPGers to stick with DQ XI S from beginning to end, and past that!