Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition puts you in the shoes of a young village boy who sets out on an adventure with his best friend. It isn't long before he discovers that he's no ordinary boy. He's the Luminary, heir to a long-destroyed kingdom, and has been blessed with the power to fight evil. He must now journey across the land, gather heroes to join his cause, defeat the great evil threatening the world, and get into plenty of wacky adventures along the way.

Dragon Quest XI might sound generic, and in some ways it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's an endlessly creative adventure filled with twists, charming characters, and a world that's a joy to explore. Even if you've seen the broad outline of its story before, the journey remains fun. A handful of late-game twists add some much-needed spice, while the adventure continues far longer than you might expect (arguably too long). Still, it all comes together into a straightforward but thoroughly enjoyable package that showcases what Dragon Quest does best.

The combat is similarly traditional. You and your opponents take turns attacking until one side runs out of HP. Characters have distinct skills and abilities, magic uses MP, and anyone familiar with RPGs will understand the fundamentals immediately. The main wrinkle is the Pep system, which resembles the Tension mechanic from Dragon Quest VIII. Taking or dealing damage can put characters into a Pepped-Up state, improving their stats and unlocking combo attacks with other party members.

Basic doesn't mean boring, though. The variety of abilities and character builds makes combat consistently enjoyable, and the game has some excellent bosses. Figuring out how to build each character is especially satisfying. You might start the protagonist with Greatswords for raw damage before switching to a one-handed sword and magical support. Jade can specialize in spears, making her particularly effective against metal slimes, or become an AoE powerhouse capable of clearing groups in a single turn. It's also easy to re-spec, so experimenting with different builds comes with little risk.

Dungeons are more straightforward. Most are endurance challenges where the main concern is collecting treasure and reaching the boss without exhausting your resources. A few introduce special gimmicks, but none are particularly difficult. Even so, they provide enough variety to stay interesting, and I had a great time working through the game's many dungeons. The game occasionally requires backtracking, especially late in the adventure, but it makes an effort to keep those sections from becoming tedious.

For players looking for more challenge, Draconic Quest options let you impose restrictions ranging from reduced EXP gains to having the entire party die if the protagonist falls in battle. They're probably best saved for a second playthrough, but they provide a nice way to change things up. If the game feels too easy, the "all enemies are stronger" modifier is a particularly useful option.

The Definitive Edition also lets you play the game in either 2D or 3D. That's because the original release had separate handheld 2D and console 3D versions. The 2D mode is a neat nostalgic option, but most players will probably prefer 3D when the two are only a button press apart. The 2D presentation feels especially limited during cut scenes, but it's still a fun addition and another way to make a replay feel different.

On Switch 2, Dragon Quest XI isn't dramatically different from the Switch 1 version. It runs somewhat better and at a slightly higher resolution but otherwise remains largely the same game. If you're choosing between the two, the Switch 2 version makes sense, but there's little reason to upgrade if you already own the Switch 1 release, particularly with Switch 2's Boost Mode improving performance on existing games.

That's not necessarily a criticism. Dragon Quest XI was already a good-looking game, and the Switch 2 version doesn't need to do much to preserve that. The late Akiya Toriyama's colorful character designs translate beautifully to the cel-shaded visuals, which still look great despite the game's age. The charming, cartoonish voice acting complements the presentation, while the music delivers the familiar Dragon Quest sound without doing much new.

Overall, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition is a solid Switch 2 port with few bells and whistles. It's essentially Dragon Quest XI on a newer console rather than a major upgrade, so existing owners have little reason to buy it again. For RPG fans who haven't played it yet, however, there's a lot to love. The Definitive Edition is an excellent portable version of a long, charming, and consistently enjoyable adventure.

Score: 8.5/10