Dragon Quest XI: A Beginner’s Guide to Erdrea

Dragon Quest XI introduces the brand new world of Erdrea to players. Here’s a guide on everything players need to know when exploring Erdrea. The Dragon Quest series has been a staple in the gaming world and pillar to the RPG genre. Beginning back on the NES, the Dragon Quest series has evolved with gaming but still keeps the principles of what makes it special. The player takes over the role of The Hero character. In the case of Dragon Quest XI, the player steps in as the legendary Luminary, a hero destined to save the world from falling into darkness. As the Luminary begins his journey to save the world, he is trapped by an evil king who believes the Luminary will be the one to destroy the world, not protect it. This is where the adventure truly begins. There’s plenty to learn about the world of Erdrea and all of its secrets. This guide will help beginner players explore Erdrea in Dragon Quest XI.

While Dragon Quest has had some trouble landing a massive hardcore audience in the west. The east in Japan adores this franchise. The inclusion of four different main protagonists of the Dragon Quest series making their way into Super Smash Brothers Ultimate as a new DLC character made waves in Japan. His move set in Smash Brothers pulls inspiration from several other Dragon Quest titles, even bringing the iconic drop-down menu that comes from the games. Players are allowed to select spells and physical attacks in-game, all attacks of which are all from the main games. Dragon Quest XI even received a Nintendo Switch port a few months after its initial release on other platforms. Not only that, but a 10-hour demo is available absolutely free on the Nintendo eShop. Players can binge through this demo, and carry over their save files when they purchase the full game. This guide is perfect for stepping into the world of Erdrea for the first time.

Exploring Endrea in Dragon Quest XI

This is a game that’s recommended to take the player’s time in getting through. There are tons to explore and discover in the overworld of the game. When exploring Endrea, players may find some sparkling areas. These sparkling areas are loot for the player to collect. Make sure to check around every corner for potential hidden pathways and treasure chests. When inside of towns, the player can loot everything inside of people’s homes. Make sure to check for bookshelves, as they can hide valuable secrets. Not only that, but players are allowed to ride their horses around, making travel much faster. Be sure to constantly check the map on the pause screen. The map can help players remember their objectives and will help the player navigate where they are going. Players also have the option to battle different types of enemies that spawn in the overworld. Battling these enemies will give the player experience points to level up their party. It’s always recommended to swing first at enemies instead of letting them get the jump on the Luminary.

Battling in Dragon Quest XI

As this is a turned based RPG, combat is done turn by turn. Although, Dragon Quest XI introduces a good amount of quality-of-life improvements for the series. For starters, players can make the animations faster in the options. This is especially important if players are tired of sitting through the same animations over and over again or if they’re grinding for specific loot. This makes the whole experience much easier to consume. Not only that but when the Luminary begins to build up his party, the game allows players to manage each party member’s tactics. While players do have the option to select a move coming from each party member, with tactics, the AI takes over and selects their own moves for the situation. This isn’t the most reliable option, as a member of the party can do a move that is terrible for the situation at hand, but this does make it feel like the player character is with real characters aside from controlling them all. It depends on the players’ preference.

Fun-Size Forge in Dragon Quest XI

When exploring the overworld, the player may sometimes run into a campfire. Here, players can save their progress and use the Fun-Size Forge. The Forge is a portable crafting system that allows players to improve their gear. Using the recipes players collect on their journey, they can craft new items. This is important throughout the entire game, as things begin to ramp up, upgrades will be needed to survive. A small mini-game plays when using the Fun-Size Forge. The better the player does, the higher the rank and quality of the upgrade. Doing well in the mini-game will reward the player Perfection Pearls, which can be used to replay the Forge mini-game in case of the player screws up a few times.

Skill Panels in Dragon Quest XI

As with plenty of RPGs, leveling up provides the player with points they can apply to a skill tree. The skill tree breaks off based on the different types of weapons available in the game. From swords to boomerangs, each weapon has its own specific skill tree. It’s recommended for players to focus mainly on one weapon skill tree early on. For example, the Luminary primarily uses a sword, so focus on upgrading his sword skills with the skill points. Another character the player will meet early on is Erik. Erik fights by using a boomerang. For his skill panels, focus on upgrading his boomerang abilities. As players approach closer to the endgame, then its recommended dabbling in other skill branches for their characters.

Dragon Quest XI is a massive JRPG that will take even the most hardcore players over 80 hours to complete. Erdrea is a beautiful landscape with varying towns and characters. The combat is the best the series has ever seen, with the inclusion of a speed-up feature to remove all the monotony that comes with fighting several of the same enemies again and again. As mentioned, if players own a Nintendo Switch and don’t own the game, they can play up to 10 hours of it, absolutely free. It’s definitely one of the best turn-based RPG’s to release in the last few years.

Dragon Quest XI is available now on Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC.

About The Author

Sky Flores
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Sky Flores is a writer and game player based out of New York City. His hobbies consist of creating content on YouTube and streaming video games on Twitch. His online alias is @SkywardWing.

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