As was leaked last week, a demo for Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is available to download now on the PlayStation Store. Any progress that you make in said demo can be carried over to the full game, which launches next month on the 4th December. Completing the demo will also net you three Seed of Skill, which you can use to give your characters three extra skill points.
The demo itself weighs in at just over 10GB, and it's very lengthy. It features many of the improvements that you can expect from Dragon Quest XI S, including the new orchestral soundtrack, and the ability to speed up gameplay.
Will you be playing through the Dragon Quest XI S demo? Begin a grand adventure in the comments section below.
Comments 57
Honestly just going to say it
If you have the option, just get it on Switch. Apparently the PS4 version of S is using the lower resoluton Switch version as a base, which will yield noticeable graphical discrepancies from the sharper looking vanilla PS4 version
The Switch version has all the extra content and will look considerably nicer on a portable screen. Plus, for a JRPG this massive and sprawling with content, I'd wholeheartedly recommend getting it on Switch for being able to play it on the go if you have the option already. In my experience portable versions of RPGs have made grinding a lot more comfortable, as was the case for games like Persona 3 Portable, the remakes of Persona 1/2 on PSP or the DS remakes of Chrono Trigger and FFIII/IV
For everyone else, it's still very much a great buy with loads of very well deserved QoL improvements and added content that will just further prolong your play time.
@TheFrenchiestFry how dare you recommend the Switch version on PS fansite grr grr?!?11???!!1?? 😆
@TheFrenchiestFry Why is it using a lower resolution? What?
@Nepp67 No what I'm saying is that the PS4 version will obviously be at a higher resolution, but it's using a worse looking version of the game as its base which means it's going to look slightly worse by default next to the vanilla release on PS4, which was specifically built for that console in mind
S runs on a specific version of UE4 that was designed to handle Switch initially given it was originally a Switch exclusive game, and they're using that to power the multiplatform versions of S
If you're getting it on PS4, you're not going to have all the visual flourishes of the original PS4 version of DQXI. You're essentially getting a higher resolution port of a Switch game.
@TheFrenchiestFry Ooh well that's a shame but understandable.
Yeah, Fry is correct, the Switch version is (admittingly strangely) superior to the PS4 version. Maybe play the Xbox version if you have game pass, but other than that, the Switch version is the best.
I doubt the resolution difference will be noticeable. You're supposed to play this version in 2D mode. 3D mode is for the old version.
Going to play it on PC, it’s free with Game Pass after all. Still such a strange concept.
@TheFrenchiestFry that is very weird, why use worse graphics than an existing version? Weird. And makes it a hard pass for me.
@Milktastrophe Yeah, you’re not supposed to play it in 2D mode. That’s bare-faced nonsense.
@GamingFiend Basically since S was originally Switch-exclusive, it uses an iteration of UE4 built specifically to support Switch hardware as opposed to the original game's PS4/PC specific engine
If you get it on PS4 you're essentially paying for a better looking version of the game as it was on Switch as opposed to the PS4 version with all its graphical advantages, with more content. At that point I'd just recommend getting the version on the console the game was clearly designed for.
I bought the game on another region's store, would I have to get my demo off the same store in order to transfer my save progress?
@nessisonett yes you are. The old version only had 3D mode so you play that one in 3D, no choice. The new version includes 2D mode so you play it in 2D so it's more different than what you've already played.
@nessisonett 2D Mode is optional. They actually designed all the maps in the game so they'd be playable both regularly and in 2D. Biggest difference being the encounters are now randomized like old school DQ games as opposed to encountering them on the field ahead of time in the default mode.
@Milktastrophe this comment is wrong in so many ways.
@TheFrenchiestFry Yeah, I know it’s optional. The point is that it’s optional. OP saying that 3D looks worse because you’re supposed to play it in 2D is literally nonsense.
@Milktastrophe As someone with experience with both the PS4 and Switch versions of the game, the resolution difference will be very noticeable given DQXI S is basically a Switch game being up ressed for other consoles as opposed to just the PS4/PC versions with the added content from the Switch version
@nessisonett Yeah that's a bit of a one-sided argument
There are clear advantages in both modes but especially for encounters and grinding I'd fully play in 3D over 2D
Let’s be honest this is a cash grab from Square Enix they should’ve upgrade the PS4 vanilla game with all new content instead of this copy paste from a weaker console, but to me the vanilla game was amazing it just needed the orchestral music and the ability to marry however you wanted to please everyone and that’s it, sadly they only care to please Switch owners with the new content
@GKO900 I don't think there's a clear disadvantage to getting the game on PS4 if that's your ONLY option. It's still a vastly improved and largely superior experience with all the additions and extra side content
I think it's just worth prefacing that if you have a Switch, and have that as an option for getting the game, it's strongly recommended you get the game on that instead, but it's not like getting it on PS4 if you have no other choice is inherently a bad idea.
It might be a tough pill to swallow but honestly XI S is just that much better than the vanilla game and the extra side content like the individual quests for the party members and being able to craft weapons wherever you are are extremely welcomed add ons to an already great game.
@sawaoyamanaka you're free to play the game however you want. The rest of us will enjoy the newly added features instead of trying to pretend they don't exist.
@TheFrenchiestFry Worth noting though that the Switch version is currently more expensive. It's launching at £34.99 on PS4. Not a massive difference, but that Switch tax is real.
@ShogunRok Switch tax, especially as a Canadian is a pretty tough pill to swallow in most parts, but much like Persona 5 Royal on PS4 I think the sheer amount of additions and QoL changes justify the price tag.
What's already an amazing package on Switch at full price is basically a steal at the cheaper price on other consoles and PC if that's your only option, but given how mixed the reaction has been to the usage of the Switch version as a base resulting in graphical differences and the lack of visual polish paired next to vanilla DQXI, I think if you truly want the best experience, the game was practically designed with Switch in mind from the start.
@TheFrenchiestFry I'm definitely interested in seeing how this thing looks on PS4. The comparisons between this and the original Dragon Quest XI on PS4 should be good.
@ShogunRok I personally hope they at least address some of the textural oddities from the Switch version and maybe adjust the lighting when running around in the overworld as well as in some in game cutscenes. I don't think it should be in SE's best interest to basically just re-release the game as it was on Switch, just with a higher resolution because the vanilla game on PS4 looks better by default, let alone PC.
Just buy the PC version of the original. It looks the best, can mod in the proper music and almost all the extra S content is completely worthless.
@TheFrenchiestFry Care to tell what this new QoL additions they added to make this better than the vanilla edition besides soundtrack I platinum the vanilla version and honestly I still think it’s the most complete game out of the box from this generation it took me 120 hours to finish and the only thing that people complain was the music and the lack of choice for your wife which to me didn’t matter
@TheFrenchiestFry I see, thanks for the explanation...i played and traded the PS4 version last year, quite enjoyed it. Not going to trade extra content for a graphics downgrade on this though, especially as it'd be more noticeable after previously enjoying the original PS4 version visuals.
@GKO900
Those are the major changes. Orchestral music and marriable female party members are just the absolute tip of the iceberg
Does anyone know if you can transfer saves from the original ps4 version to this one?
@MemSec I would be surprised if you could.
@MemSec You can't. Already confirmed
@TheFrenchiestFry Well some of them are good not gonna lie but nothing that they couldn’t easily update to the vanilla game and some are minor stuff that I can live without it, and thanks for the info
@TheFrenchiestFry
Ok, thanks!
@GKO900 The story behind that is that the Switch version was actually originally planned to launch day and date with PS4 and 3DS in Japan but got delayed as a result of UE4 not officially having Switch support, so due to the extra period of dev time they decided to just add onto it and turn it into an enhanced re-release given it would be coming out a while after the initial releases. It was basically built from the ground up for Switch and not something that could've easily just been added to an update for existing versions.
It's more like how Persona 5 Royal or Catherine Full Body compliment their original versions, and not something that could've just been DLC.
@Orpheus79V
I had also doubts, but you never know...
I'll probably pick it up on PS4 at some point. As I usually play Switch games docked, it'll look about the same on my TV regardless of which console I get it on.
Sweet! I can now delete the switch demo I had on there 😃
No free upgrade? ***** that.
The option to speed up the battles is great as it is kind of like playing an old game with an outdated battle system.
I forced myself to play this one from start to finish and it’s just not my cup of tea - but I would suggest to anyone fast battles over better graphics. It also runs a lot smoother (at least on pro).
I had my hopes high for the music but It still bugs me...must be the tune themselves and not the arrangements.
I'm playing the demo now and I don't really see a difference between this and the original PS4 release. I think it's something you won't really notice unless you compare them side by side.
Am I strange that I think I still want to play the original PS4 version? Those graphics are gorgeous....and Switch's.....aren't..
....And I own both and will have this version on Game Pass as well.....
@Medic_Alert Honestly Sony = Nintendo and Nintendo = Sony this gen. I'm not seeing a difference in their eagerness to exploit the market to the max from either of them. You're not a customer for either, you're a resource to extract. The only one not doing that is MS simply because they're not in a position to be able to.
(Though I still love many Nintendo IPs, and while I love many Sony IPs, have no love for the ones most of the fanbase currently seems to love. TLOU and Soulsborne can go suck an egg...can't stand them even slightly Ratchet FTW though!)
Got the non-S version for £10 over a year ago. I don't think the purchase would be justified, especially with the chore of end game grinding
@TheFrenchiestFry So regarding the claim of Switch not having UE4 support...
That came in May 2017. Heck, in April 2017 UE4 had build options for Switch already, just prior to full release, which was a surprise while doing uni coursework and compiling some code.
Yoshi arrived powered by UE4 almost a year later, as did Fortnite and many UE4 games sprang up pretty fast.
So as to what SquareEnix was doing...we don't know exactly, especially given Octopath Traveler, a UE4 game from Square, was announced and shown off before the Switch even came out.
From what it sounds like, the game they made was heavily tailored PS4, and moving that over to Switch proved difficult, so they rebuilt lots of aspects for the game.
@Medic_Alert Insert zoidberg gif
Yeah, it's funny with how bad ms was 7 years ago we'd be here today. Always happens but still surprises me. Last gen, i thought Sony made Nintendo look friendly. Then for early switch, Nintendo made Sony look friendly. Now both of them look terribad together. I feel like a prostitute buying from both of them.
But i need my fix, man .....
@Haruki_NLI Keep in mind DQXI started development for Switch long before any of those other projects. It was literally the first ever confirmed Switch game back when it was still known under the NX codename. It was meant to launch day and date with PS4/3DS in Japan which meant it was at one point going to be a launch window game for the console, but UE4 wasn't actively supported by the platform and Epic didn't officially pledge their support for the console until right after the Switch reveal trailer dropped in October 2016.
Now as for if this affected how Square was going to work on the game with minimal UE support on the devkit they were probably given? That's hard to say, but both Octopath and Shin Megami Tensei V are UE4 games that were publically unveiled before the Switch launch so that probably says a lot about how long the conversations probably took between Nintendo and Epic to get Unreal Engine 4 support in general.
@TheFrenchiestFry It can't have been too bad given Octopath was already well into development at that stage with a demo in late 2017 IIRC.
Further, I doubt Good Feel were able to get a playable demo of Yoshi at the stage it was at for the showcase in June 2017.
I imagine it was a case of Square knowing about UE4 support but the timelines didn't match up. Whereas most UE4 games starting development in 2016 were fine, anything earlier was an issue.
Hard to say, especially since SquareEnix and smooth development are pretty much antithetical 😂
I just hope once I boot it up tomorrow that the MC's face doesn't look like a pixelated mess like in the switch version. That one was pretty ugly lol
@TheFrenchiestFry I appreciate this post but do you have a source for this? Sometimes these trains of thought are assumed but not proven.
@slips666
https://www.usgamer.net/articles/dragon-quest-11-s-definitive-edition-switch-port-xbox-ps4-pc
On the Japanese FAQ board for the game on its official regional website, Square detailed that it was specifically a direct port of the Switch release and did clarify that this meant the graphical quality would not be the same as the vanilla PS4 version as a result.
https://www.gematsu.com/2019/06/dragon-quest-xi-s-list-of-additional-elements-and-improvements-dlc-voice-drama-and-more-detailed
There's also a more complete list on Gematsu of all the exact changes the game will have regardless of version.
@TheFrenchiestFry ahh, yikes! Thank you for the links! More often than not, ports are generally how you referenced them, locked into the fidelity of the original. That being said, I did adore this game and all 150ish hours I spent getting the platinum on it. Do we know if S will have a separate trophy list so I can justify buying this game again? (I do have a switch but I'm a dumb bitch who is addicted to trophy hunting.)
@slips666 The game on Switch had a built in achievements system within the game probably to compensate for the lack of a proper achievements feature on the console itself
Any form of trophy integration or Achievement integration on PlayStation/Xbox and Steam will probably be based directly on what the in game achievements were on Switch. So probably a seperate trophy list.
@TheFrenchiestFry let's hope so! I would love new trophies, also, including some of the challenge modes.
@TheFrenchiestFry You forgot 2D Mode lol. Seriously it's a game-changer for us retro gaming aficionados.
@KisekiFan7 2D Mode and the Marriage system were highlighted by the guy who originally commented so I wanted to detail other things. It's really cool it's there tho
@TheFrenchiestFry
I’m actually a bit conflicted with which version to get. I wanted to get the game back when it came out on Switch last year. But just never did. I usually prefer getting games on my PS4 compared to my Switch or even Xbox One because to me the visual upgrade is just better then paying an often times much higher price for a worse looking version on Switch.
But this time it’s a bit different. I just compared both demos of the Switch Version and the PS4 version, and while the Switch version is noticeably more blurry it still isn’t that big of a gap. I also have a Xbox one as well. I’m not sure if I should just play it on that or just get the Switch version for portability and due the fact that’s what it was originally intend for. Or even the PS4 version so I have a copy I know I will have forever.
So im already playinf DQ11S on the nintendo switch. You guys salty?
Tap here to load 57 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...