YMMV / Dragon Quest XI

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Was Hendrik telling the truth to Jasper about always feeling inferior to him, or was he just telling his former friend what he wanted to hear so that Jasper could die happily?
  • Hendrik's profile in the official character book offers an interpretation about his relationship with Jasper that is neither definitively proven or disproven by the game itself; postulating that Hendrik's own inferiority complex toward Jasper is what caused him to neglect taking his feelings into account as he began to eclipse him in fame, making the envy that Jasper's Start of Darkness is rooted in mutual rather than one-sided.
  • Did Sylvando deliberately do a poor job tying the Sand-Slayer up in order to make events play out as they did for the sake of Prince Faris's growth, or was the beast breaking free simply an accident that Sylvando happened to be present for?
• Anti-Climax Boss: The True Final Boss Calasmos, surprisingly, but not for the reasons you'd expect. While he's very strong if you choose to challenge him as soon as you gain the option to, the postgame includes a Difficulty Spike that requires a substantial amount of Forced Level-Grinding if the player intends to complete its side content. It's not uncommon for a diligent player to hit the level cap by the time they get around to fighting him, by which point they'll likely be more than strong enough to shrug off basically anything he can throw at them. Even with his ability to remove positive effects and sometimes prevent some members of the party from taking action during a turn, he's ultimately not much of a challenge compared to many of the other Optional Bosses that came before him.
• Ass Pull: Rab, whose body becomes an emaciated husk after travelling to Angri-La's snowy summit to enter the void and convene with his departed master, returns to his usual rotund self after nothing more than a good breakfast. This is a rather odd incident that's Played for Laughs and never mentioned again, despite the build up to the corpse's identity being rather serious.
• Base-Breaking Character:
  • Opinions on Veronica tend to vary from badass Little Miss Snarker to an annoying brat who never shuts up. Regardless of the side however, Veronica's Heroic Sacrifice is agreed to be downright heartbreaking.
  • Gemma is a more minor example, some think she's sweet and that it's a shame she doesn't get more screentime or become a full time party member, whereas others think she's bland and rather irritating, and that her friendship with the MC feels forced since she's not around long enough for the player to really form much attachment of their own to her.
• Best Boss Ever:
  • The Final Boss is a Dual Boss that changes the targets into a Stance System. It also uses a slowed down version of the decisive battle theme.
  • The True Final Boss, to those who didn't find it to be an Anti-Climax Boss. It's not easy by any means. You have to focus down his arms to weaken him, and he goes through multiple attack phases where he summons adds to help him out. You have to really really prepare - it's in a completely different league than the Final Boss.
• Broken Base:
  • The fact that the 3DS version will not leave Japan. On the one hand, some people feel that the 3DS is getting the shaft (since the versions do have some differences). But on the other, some feel that this is a smarter business choice, due to the fact that the 3DS is in decline outside of Japan, particularly in 2018 (when shelf space in most brick-and-mortar stores for 3DS software is shrinking). It has become less of an issue when the Switch version was announced to have the ability to play the game with 16-bit SNES style graphics, a mode that was available in the 3DS version but not the PS4 and PC versions...at least until September 4th 2020.
  • Also, the fact that Square-Enix is publishing. Some who are not fans of the accents used in the Nintendo-published remakes like it, while others think that adds to the charm. This ended up being a bit moot as the game does retain a fair bit of the accent conceit of older titles but pares it down in a lot of cases to not be obnoxious.
  • The localization from there is a major point of contention. Almost every single place, character and thing of importance was significantly changed and rewritten, to the point that many a Mythology Gag to prior games was stripped out in favor of adding to the Hurricane of Puns with many other replacements. The split only increased from there with Definitive Edition adding in Japanese voice acting.. referencing all the Japanese terms and names. "Kamyu" being turned into Erik is the tip of the iceberg, to say the least.
  • The soundtrack. Some people take significant issue with the MIDI soundtrack, feeling that it's a significant downgrade to the orchestral version that was made, but wasn't included because the composer wanted to maximize music and ticket sales instead of letting players hear it in the game. Others are more accepting, feeling that it suits the classic feel of the game. While PC players got a mod that replaces the music with the orchestral version almost immediately and the Definitive Edition includes both the MIDI and orchestral versions, players of the original on 3DS and PS4 are currently out of luck. Even putting the MIDI controversy aside, many fans have found the composition to be subpar, regardless of whether it's orchestrated or MIDI, and that the game's best tracks are those recycled from prior games.
  • The nature of the post-game undoes a lot of the character development of the crew in exchange for a happier ending. Some argue that this is disingenuous and that removing said character development is a disservice to the story, with Serena in particular reverting back to her old self and making her emotional triumph kind of pointless. Others argue that this is in the nature of Dragon Quest- to always strive for a better conclusion for our heroes, and that because of the defeat of the True Final Boss, the happier ending is worth it for the struggle it takes to get there.
  • The Nintendo Switch version getting announced as the Definitive Edition, getting extra story content, dual audio options, and even having the full Orchestral OST the PS4 and PC (without mods) versions lacked. This ended up invoking quite a bit of Console Wars sentiment among the community. As it later turned out, PS4 and PC players will get the get the chance to experience this content over a year later on December 4, 2020, alongside with a new port to the Xbox One.
  • The PC, PS4, and Xbox One version of Definitive Edition has also been controversial. While PS4 and PC players are happy to be able to get the extra content and features added in the Definitive Edition (and Xbox players are happy to get the game at all), many fans were upset because it is a straight port of the Switch version, including the graphical downgrades made for that system, and is available only as an entirely new game instead of a DLC or expansion pack for the original.
• Captain Obvious Reveal: It's not exactly hard to see the reveal of Sylvando being Don Rodrigo's missing son coming from a mile away. Sylvando's teasing of Hendrik for not being able to pick up on it sooner almost feels like an acknowledgement of this.
  • The majority of players will have most likely figured out that Dora-in-grey and the girl "searching for her parents" are the same person since the mural in the ruins where features a woman with red hair and a purple dress, which the little girl also has.
• Catharsis Factor:
  • In this game, you can trample over enemies while riding a horse, provided that your level is high enough. Relish the joys of sending helpless monsters flying like ragdolls while you venture forth into this beautiful world.
  • The start of Act 3. After finally defeating Mordegon, you go back in time to the moment it all went wrong initially: Jasper ambushing you at the World Tree. Only this time, you know it's coming, so you instead block his attack and break his dark barrier using Mordegon's Sword of Shadows. Then you fight and easily beat him (in a previously unwinnable battle). Mordegon attempts to save his plan of stealing the Sword of Light by trying to maintain his disguise as King Carnelian, but is so bad at it that he lasts less than a day before getting it - pointy end first. While this leads to new problems, it is still extremely satisfying.
• Common Knowledge: The Nintendo Switch version of the game allows the hero to marry Gemma or any of their companions towards the end of the game. In actuality, Gemma is the only character where references to marriage are directly made. Choosing any of Hero's female companions as his bride is still acknowledged via party chat and some of the people in Cobblestone, but the same can't be said if he chooses any of his male companions. Instead, they become Heterosexual Life-Partners with the hero and even Sylvando, for how campy he is, isn't any more affectionate than he previously was. The fact that it's possible to choose Rab (your grandpa), Jade (who supposedly sees you like a sibling) or Veronica (who has a small child's body) for this lends a layer of Squick for some fans, since though it's not outright called a marriage in all cases the connotations are still there.
• Complete Monster:
  • Dora-In-Grey is the sadistic spirit of the cursed mural of Phnom Nonh. To make herself more beautiful, Dora spreads rumors that looking at her mural grants wealth and luck and lures in good-hearted ones by disguising herself as a lost girl. Once her victims are trapped, Dora absorbs their souls to add to the mural. Having stolen the soul of innocents in front of the heroes, Dora intends to do the same to them too, commenting that she looks forward to have them added to the mural.
  • The Gloomnivore is a monster and predator that enjoys eating despair. To this end, it targets victims and imprisons them in their worst memories, forcing them to relive the anguish over and over again as it savors the meal. Encountered when it targets the ghost of King Irwin, the Gloomnivore forces him to relive his murder countless times to hurt him worse as a delicious meal, before intending to attack the heroes and put them through the same.
• Cry for the Devil: Jasper gets this in his final moments. The lead-up to the hero and Hendrik's confrontation with him in the ruins of Heliodor castle is also interlaced with flashbacks to his more innocent youth. He’s perhaps the only character whose fate is even worse in the new timeline. He’s betrayed and brutally killed by his master Mordegon, in order for Mordegon to maintain his disguise as the King of Heliodor. Mordegon happens to be so ridiculously evil that his disguise is given up not even 24 hours later.
• Difficulty Spike: The third act is tougher than the first and second acts. Side quest bosses can be harder than the second act's Final Boss, with no indication that they are getting towards Superboss hardness. Be especially wary of quests which do not show up in the quest log.
• Draco in Leather Pants: Jasper might have a sympathetic backstory, but he's a cold and cruel man who betrays his kingdom, his closest friend, and all of humanity to the darkness. His good looks and lovely voice make it easy for some to overlook this.
• Ending Fatigue: The game is both linear and very long, with Act 1 and Act 2 combined being around the length of most other JRPGs, but if you want to complete Act 3 and get the Golden Ending the game gets exponentially longer. Act 3, on top of the added story, has several sidequests you basically have to do stand a chance against the True Final Boss with the alternative being mindless grinding. Coupled with several hidden cutscenes and the very long Cobblestone restoration questline, it can take a long while to get to the true end credits of the game.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Gemma, the hero's sweet childhood friend and potential Love Interest; it's been lamented that she wasn't a full-time party member. Prince Faris is very popular as well, another common sentiment being that he'd have made an organic addition to the party after his arc.
  • For the villains, Tyriant is well-liked despite not lasting very long. Krystalinda is popular as well.
  • By virtue of Sylvando's own popularity, characters affiliated with him such as Dave and the Soldiers of Smile tend to also be very well-liked, which resulted in them gaining some focus in Sylvando's character episode in the Switch version.
  • Queen Marina, the ruler of the land beneath the waves, who even after meeting her the first time, still helps you out again later in the story. It also helps that she's very beautiful, elegant, and probably the best ruler of any kingdom in the game.
• Event-Obscuring Camera: The game will place the camera directly behind party members when it's their turn. Regardless of whether or not something or someone is in the way. Relatively benign, but sometimes comedic.
• Fan Nickname:
  • Eleven for our hero, since this is the 11th main series Dragon Quest game.
  • Eight is used as a codename for Hendrik in order to not spoil his inclusion to the party.
• Fan-Preferred Couple: Despite Gemma being pushed as the canon love interest in the base game, fans tended to ship Eleven more with Jade (arguably the game's most popular het ship) or Erik (arguably the game's most popular slash ship). Those who don't ship Erik with Eleven tend to ship him with Serena.
• Game-Breaker: There are surprisingly a few of them, more than one would expect in most Dragon Quest games.
  • Divide. Erik's next move will be multiplied by 3 when used. That means more chances to hit, more chances to crit, and with Critical Claim, three guaranteed crits. Using Divide followed by Double Down while dual-wielding boomerangs is lethal in boss fights that have multiple targets. Divide followed by either Persecutter or Victimizer (which deal 6x the damage on targets with applicable status conditions) can deal so much damage as to kill the True Final Boss in ONE GO. Divide and Twomerang while dual-wielding boomerangs is another viable combo, as it will deal enormous damage to every enemy on the board, which is a great way to kill boss add-ons.
  • MP Regeneration
    • The Belle's Bow. An accessory for Jade that can be acquired nearly immediately after getting her, in its best form it increases her charm drastically and gives her 6MP Recovery per turn. This eliminates most of her MP concerns and remains useful even in the post game. Broken even more if she is equipped with it when you arrive in Arboria, where it will be duplicated in the post game.
    • In the Switch version, switching between 2D and 3D modes resets all treasure chests with a very small number of exceptions. Once the player has reached Arboria, this can be used to obtain enough copies of the Supplicant accessory to outfit the entire party. With two fully-upgraded Supplicants on every party member, the entire party will be regenerating 6 MP (9 if Jade uses one alongside the Belle's Bow) per turn from the end of Act 1 onward.
    • Mode switching will also allow the player to stock up on mini medals much sooner, allowing them to obtain Erdwin's Shield at the very beginning of Act 3. For the entirety of the final act, the Luminary can recover at least 10 MP every round.
  • Though it takes a bit of work to get and you get it in the middle of the second act, the Sage's Stone is as broken in this game as it is in every other game. It is a literal, infinite use free Multi-heal, and it suits both Hendrik and the Luminary as a means to heal the party cheaply. Particularly good for Hendrik, due to his less than stellar MP pool.
  • It is stupidly easy to break the game using the 200-token roulette tables in the Octagonia Casino: simply walk in with a few thousand tokens to start (although the minimum required is 800, this removes Save Scumming) and bet 200 on all three rows and the treasure square (so that you're guaranteed a win). While this seems like a good way to lose money, it isn't. At worst, you'll only lose 200 coins each time, and eventually, the wheel will absolutely land on the Jackpot, netting you a million tokens. And this is repeatable. All of a sudden, you have the best whip in the main game, amazing armour, great forging materials, and, most importantly, the means for infinite gold: Sage's Elixirs are very cheap in tokens, sell for a decent amount at market, and are damned useful to boot. By winning the jackpot, buying a ludicrous amount of Elixirs, and selling them, you can kiss any worries about gold goodbye.
  • While it's not usable during the main story, Veronica's Magic Burst spell is by far the most powerful attack available in the postgame. Enhanced by Channel Anger's 50% damage bonus, it can deal upwards of 4000 damage to all enemies, enough to kill some bosses outright and severely weaken those that can survive it. After it's used, the exhausted Veronica can be swapped out for another party member to finish the job... or you could use an Elfin Elixir you bought from the casino to refill her MP so she can cast Magic Burst again next turn.
  • Forbearance, a skill Hendrik only had as a non playable ally in the beginning of Part 2, is unlocked for player use after a quest in the postgame, basically turns Hendrik into a magnet for punishment. With the proper equipment to stave off elemental damage or and a couple buffs to stave off status ailments, it basically renders most enemy attacks useless while the rest of the party wails on them with impunity.
  • Sylvando's Ladies First ability can basically set up an infinite loop of Channel Anger-boosted Magic Bursts from Veronica provided you have the Elfin Elixirs to keep up with the MP usage.
  • Yggdragon's Blessing. This pep power requires 4 pepped party members including the hero, but once it's cast, you're invulnerable to damage for multiple turns. Completely invulnerable. The only things your enemies can do is to wait it out or dispel it with Disruptive Wave. One thing certain enemies can still do to you while in this state is to use a burning breath to paralyse you, but other than that, nothing can get past the shields.
  • Exclusive to the Definitive Edition, Benevolessence is a free, infinite use Magic Barrier. It can be given to anyone to add utility to their arsenal. Jade and Erik especially benefit from it as they have great speed and next to no supporting moves, while Serena can be made to have both defensive buffs to free up Veronica's turns.
  • Another Definitive Edition exclusive is the War Drum. It's a multi-target Oomph spell that costs no MP and can be used an infinite number of times. Two turns is all it takes to double the entire party's attack power. Much like its home game, it's only available during the postgame, and very far into the final optional dungeon.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: XI is one of the most successful Dragon Quest games outside of Japan alongside Dragon Quests VII and VIII.
• Goddamned Boss: Dragon Quest bosses traditionally have the ability to attack twice. That's not a problem... However, some bosses have the ability to attack three times. Bonus points for when they use an attack that can crowd control you and renew the effect on you.
  • The Tentacular boss fight, as with its tentacles intact, it can strike up to four times. Lord have mercy if you're playing with Stronger Monsters on.
• Harsher in Hindsight: When Erik reappears in Part 2 without his memory, Sylvando notes his new manners and says that Veronica would "die" if she saw him now. It turns out later on that after Mordegon destroyed the Yddrasil Tree, Veronica performed a Heroic Sacrifice to save the Luminary and their companions.
• Ho Yay:
  • Loads between Hendrik and Jasper, especially towards the end of the game.
  • Hendrik also shares quite a bit with Sylvando, his Forgotten Childhood Friend. Both profess the other to be a major source of inspiration to them in achieving their dreams, and Sylvando seems to love watching Hendrik get flustered, even teasingly claiming to know all of his dirty little secrets.
  • Aside from the pair of clearly infatuated schoolgirls at L'Academie de Notre Maitre les Medailles and a faculty member at the same who was blatantly in love with Jade's mother, Queen Frysabel and Krystalinda have some of this going on. The queen's bikini-clad royal guards will actually mention how inseparable they've become if spoken to after the first Sniflheim arc.
  • Inevitably, between the Hero and any male companion he chooses to live with in the Switch version. Except Rab, for the obvious reason. Special mention goes to Erik's which goes perhaps the furthest in this direction without stating outright, especially with following comments he'll make in your home. Of course, a poll held in Japan for who fans wished to be able to marry had Erik as the landslide victor, so this may well have been deliberate.
  • A sidequest in Tickington requires the Luminary to play the groom in a wedding rehearsal, with the option of choosing any of his companions, including the men, to stand in for the bride. If either Erik or Hendrik is chosen, he genuinely thinks the Luminary is proposing to him. Before realizing that it's pretend, Erik outright says yes, while Hendrik is concerned that they don't know each other well enough yet but still seriously takes it under consideration.
  • While visiting Dragon Quest VI’s Weaver’s Peak via Tickington, Erik mentions in party chat that there’s someone who the townspeople finds has hair similar to his (which is the world’s hero) and would like to meet him to see “who’s better looking.”
  • Golden Boy, one of the coliseum fighters in Octagonia, seems to experience an offscreen Coming-Out Story during his partnership with Sylvando; claiming that Sylvando made him "realize some stuff" about himself and saying that it was the sweet sound of Sylvando's voice that kept him from giving in while he was captured by Arachtagon.
  • Similar to the above, the Soldiers of Smile all seem to be infatuated with Sylvando, with his sidestory in S in particular framing him as being a Closet Key whose dashing demeanor left them each spellbound.
  • In battle, any gender of enemies can beguile any party member. Notable examples are when Jockilles performs a move that flexes his muscles, the guys can even fall for him. Also Dora-in-Gray has a move that can even mesmerize the girls. All reactions from the members make them remark why do they feel this way, why the enemy look so beautiful and look clearly infatuated.
• Iron Woobie: Hendrik. One of the few known survivors of Zwaardsrust's destruction, made an Unwitting Pawn against the heroes, betrayed by his best friend, betrayed and nearly killed by his demon-possessed king, and only seeing the light after the world has been literally covered in darkness. He soldiers through all of this with nary a word of complaint; he always rises to the challenge.
• It Was His Sled: As is the Dragon Quest norm, the plot has a very classic fantasy feel and thus several big plot twists can be spoiled very casually, but Hendrik pulling a Heel–Face Turn and joining the party is probably the easiest to stumble across, as you literally can't watch anything from the game's second half without seeing it, and lots of promotional material (as well as the Spirit Battle artwork for the "Hero's Comrades" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) shows him among the rest of party.
• LGBT Fanbase: This game has garnered a respectable following amongst gaymers due to having a major party member (Sylvando) who's obviously gay and portrayed in a positive light; not the butt of a disrespectful joke, not evil, and not meant to be shunned by everyone, just unapologetically himself and a true hero. Gay male gamers have voiced a lot of appreciation for this.
• Magnificent Bitch: Krystalinda is an ice witch freed by Jasper from a magical grimoire who follows his orders by freezing the town of Sniflheim and pursuing Hendrik as thanks. On her own accord, Krystalinda seals Queen Frysabel in the grimoire and transforms into her, tricking Hendrik and the Luminary into killing Jörmun, the beast that kept a portion of her powers. When revealed and defeated, Krystalinda takes advantage of the scholar Snorri making a mistake on the sealing spell by keeping Frysabel sealed and transforming into her again, at the cost of all of her ice powers. When this ruse is also revealed, Krystalinda surrenders but is pardoned, sincerely promising to "take very good care" of Frysabel.
• Mexicans Love Speedy Gonzales: Sylvando is a walking Camp Gay stereotype, complete with the lispy voice, swishy mannerisms and flamboyant, heart-themed attacks. While he functions as the primary Plucky Comic Relief of the party, he is otherwise portrayed as being a dashing, heroic and admirable character who embraces his quirks with gusto and encourages others to do the same. His subplot also has clear parallels to real life disputes between queer people and their parents, giving him a surprisingly relatable edge that many have professed empathy for. All in all, this has made him very well-liked among gay gamers.
• Most Wonderful Sound: Every time you land a critical hit, which is a loud, thunderous crackling sound, complete with slow motion and screenshaking. Amplified even further if you have Erik use Critical Claim with Divide in effect.
  • The jingle when you win the jackpot at the casino is extraordinarily satisfying, especially after a series of small wins, or no wins at all.
• Narm:
  • Can be invoked by the player through the choice of aesthetic items. Some items will change your characters' appearance, much like Dragon Quest VIII.
    • One of the Hero's outfits makes him dance. And he does not stop dancing, even in a lot of dialog scenes.
  • Can also be forced by the player through running around in combat. This doesn't actually mean anything, just where your character is. Cue players doing things like making every character get as spread out as possible, making people turn their backs to enemies, putting the Squishy Wizard party members right in front of enemies while the melee fighters are distanced... the possibilities are endless. Further adding to the comedy is the fact that the enemies don't react to this - meaning they will literally run around party members to get at the hero in the back (and party members literally stepping to the side to let enemies attack someone right behind them), and enemies will attack party members without even facing them or throw Area of Effect Attacks away from them yet still hit them. The only reason this is forced by the player is the fact it's an entirely optional feature.
  • Kainui's voice is quite monotone, which can make his Dull Surprise take seem almost funny. However, this becomes a bit of Fridge Horror when you realise he could actually be monotone due to living with depression (see Tear Jerker).
• Narm Charm: The ridiculousness of some of the regional dialects even when compared to other localized titles, most especially with the residents of Hotto speaking (mostly) in Haiku while everyone from Nautica Rhymes on a Dime, even during sad and dramatic scenes. But, the crazy thing is, it all still works!
• Not Badass Enough for Fans: One of the reasons Gemma being the sole Love Interest (or at least the main one in the Switch version) is divisive.
• No Yay: In the Switch version, instead of being forced to be in a couple with Gemma, the player can choose whoever Luminary's "soulmate" is. That includes Rab (an old man and your grandfather) and Veronica (still physically a child despite her real age).
• Polished Port: The Switch version comes with a large number of quality-of-life changes and a bunch of features not found on the PC or PS4 versions, such as content previously exclusive to the Japan-only 3DS version. One of the most notable additions is the inclusion of an orchestrated soundtrack, which fixes the problem many had with the game being stuck with midi tracks.
• Porting Disaster: A complicated and Downplayed Trope. When the Definitive Edition, previously a Switch exclusive, was announced to be getting a port to the other platforms, it quickly became apparent that it was going to be a straight port of the "technically inferior" Switch version, rather than the build of the original PS4/PC release. This is due to the fact that the Definitive Edition was entirely redesigned on an updated version of Unreal 4, including all the new content that was not made from the original release. So rather than redesign all the original content from scratch again in the original build of the game, Square opted to port the Switch version.
• Portmanteau Couple Name: "Luminerik" for Erik and the hero.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Daggers/knives were a Scrappy Weapon in previous Dragon Quest games due to low attack power, crapshoot Useless Useful Spell abilities, and characters who can use them often either not being very well equipped to do so or have better weapons available. This game however makes the daggers much better by allowing characters to wield two, enabling the weapons' low base damage to keep up and double the chance to inflict status ailments, which daggers tend to be richer in than other weapons... and the general dagger tree now includes a backstab-style attack patterned on similar mechanics in other games, wherein you can attack a monster disabled by a debuff for absolutely stupendous damage with your "main hand" dagger.
• Scrappy Mechanic: At no point does the game make it clear that different party members level up at different rates, which often results in certain party members at lower levels than others, and anyone who attempts to correct this is in for a rude awakening. The ones that focus more on healing, Rab and Serena, are the slowest ones to level up, meaning that they're the ones who obtain those important skill points slower, and there's no means of distributing experience evenly easily. The only option to allow the lower-leveled characters to catch up without resorting to having everyone else getting themselves killed is the Draconian Setting that prevents weaker monsters from handing out exp to more powerful characters, as it works on an individual character basis as opposed to the entire party, but even that only gets the player so far, and must be enabled at the start of a brand new save file.
  • The Definitive Edition tries to help by moving the Elevating Vest, an EXP-boosting armor, out of the Octagonia Casino token exchange line up and into a DLC Pack to make it available faster, as well as rewarding you the Elevating Shoes, an accessory that gives experience as you move around, for completing the third mission in the Bonus Dungeon based on DQ7, meaning you can put both on a character struggling to keep up, but even with both items at +3 refinement, it is a very slow grind of a fix reserved for the patient. It does however, makes the 2D/3D item respawn exploit more tolerable, as without using Zoom, all that movement around Erdrea gives you EXP.
• Self-Imposed Challenge: It's technically possible to defeat the True Final Boss without using the specific item that weakens it, but if so its stats will be buffed to super-boss level, to the point that even a party that was overprepared for the weakened True Final Boss will have great difficulty in dealing with it. Doubly so should the Stronger Monsters Draconian Difficulty be turned on. Your reward for all of this? Bragging rights.
• Squick: It's a bit dodgy how Rab is clearly aroused by Jade's sexiness despite her essentially being his adopted daughter. It thankfully doesn't receive any attention outside of a few pep power cutscenes.
• That One Attack:
  • Alt-timeline Mordegon's black mist that reverses healing and buffs on you.
  • The "Disruptive wave" makes its return here. In contrast to Dragon Quest VII or Dragon Quest VIII where the bosses will sometimes use it when there's no real "need" to, this is much more like Dragon Quest IX in which the game will ''detect'' you buffing the living hell out of your party and then proceed to use it to undo all your work.
• That One Achievement: Getting a Royal Jelly Flush in Poker, winning 10 consecutive rounds of Double or Nothing, and experiencing the Freeze in Slime Quest slots are often the biggest barriers blocking players from 100% completion due to being Luck Based Missions with ridiculously poor odds. With Double or Nothing in particular, getting 7 consecutive wins is cause for the game to give you fanfare and you have to do it three more times to actually earn an achievement!
• That One Boss:
  • The Slayer of the Sands is where shit gets real for many players (especially Draconian Quest players). The previous bosses were basically an Elite Mook if anything. This is the first real "Boss battle" in Dragon Quest XI - the game was going very easy on you prior to this fight. However, this isn't as much of a Wake-Up Call Boss as...
  • The Arachtagon - it's possible to bumble your way to this without even being prepared. He can tangle up any number of party members for a turn or can attempt to confuse them all. And he loves to spam both attacks. It's common to have half your party invalid every turn literally for the entire fight. Oh and what's more, you can't swap party members out if they're immobilized.
  • Dora-in-Grey is one of the most infamous bosses in the game especially on the higher difficulties. Her main gimmick is charming/confusing/sealing you and using her additional turn to deal out hefty damage, leading to an experience that comes closer to Luck-Based Mission than anything else. Oh, and what's more, she often goes for Sylvando, who has an ability that removes charm or confusion with no damage.
  • Tyriant, who not only gets to attack twice in a row but is constantly creating a doppelganger you have to deal with as well. To make matters worse, you are virtually fighting him alone, and Heaven help you both Tyriant and his doppelganger go into Pep mode...
  • The Restless Knight is one of the fiercest opponents in the game. In addition to having access to powerful physical and lightning moves, he is one of the few enemies to make liberal use of the curse ailment, which can cause effects as benign as losing a turn, to cutting max HP, to outright killing someone. There is no easy way to approach this fight, and very few ways to counter both his onslaught and curses at the same time.
  • Avarith. While she isn't a dangerous boss per se, her shtick is that she repeatedly debuffs your characters while buffing herself. Thus, the difference between making the fight last a couple minutes and over ten is whether or not you have remembered this, as you cannot beat the fight by just going focusing on burning her down with physical attacks. (Especially if you went there before scaling Angri-La and thus not having Rab on the team, who has access to Sap and other useful buff spells.)
  • Booga comes straight on the heels of another tough boss fight, meaning you have no chance to heal up or adjust your equipment. On top of that, he absolutely spams the ever-loving hell out of beguilement and charm moves as well as a move which drains a fair amount of what MP your entire party may have left after fighting Jinxed Jade.
  • The Auroral Serpent can withstand loads of damage and hits like a train. He is able to attack twice in a given turn, but what really makes him scary is that he can paralyze your party with a burning breath, which he will do quickly and often. What’s more, he can potentially force party members from acting in a turn, which coupled with paralysis (which can easily happen in the same turn), can lead to a very swift wipe if you’re not so lucky.
  • Jasper Unbound can be really damn tough if you come in unprepared. His Signature Move does an extreme amount of damage to all party members, and the fact he has multiple actions per turn could lead him to use that one, then kill whichever party member is at critical health. Similiar to previous bosses like Gyldygga, he also has the ability to remove buffs from your party without fail, except he uses it a lot more liberally.
  • In the postgame, Mordegon. Think just because the hero is mid to late 50s in terms of level, your allies are carrying gear that they used against the Final Boss, and you have an immortal Guest-Star Party Member with forbearance that this will be a cakewalk? Think again. The boss will throw out a mist that reverses your healing and buffs for several rounds, forcing you to just eat his attacks. Bonus points since he's a Flunky Boss - and he will also remove your buffs with the disruptive wave attack when he's not reversing them.
  • Hey, remember that bird you fried with lightning in the tutorial? Well, in the Post-game, he's back, and he's 'mad! Repeatedly spamming a powerful fire spell that hits all of your allies for 200+ damage, and with two actions per turn, he can easily drop a party member from 100% to zero each round if you don't get some mitigation in play fast.
  • The second fight against Tatsunaga even on regular difficulty can run the gamut. He gets three attacks per turn and his attacks can range from a physical attack, a very powerful fire barrage, and area of effect attack that can knock down your party, and finally a all out desperation attack that has an uncanny ability to land. And since there's no set pattern to which attacks he'll use, this can quickly turn into a Luck-Based Mission, especially on Draconian Difficulty.
  • The Malicious Grey Gordon in the post-game seems easy enough. Most Malicious monsters are simply powered up versions of regular monsters. This guy however, has tons of abilities to immobilize the party, calls an infinite supply of allies that deal roughly as much damage as himself (many of whom can also heal him), uses Hustle Dance, which heals and instantly peps up all enemies including himself, and casts high level spells. And he moves 3 times a turn so he can do just about everything every turn. And of course he has a ridiculous amount of health.
  • The Definitive Edition brings back Baramos and his fight is not easy. He has spells that hit everyone, hits twice a turn, and has the ability to blow party members away for a few turns. Fitting for the series' most memorable Disc-One Final Boss.
• That One Sidequest:
  • A sidequest around one area requires you to find monsters and get an item drop from them... they only appear when it's raining. Two things make it a bit easier: So long as the quest is active, the item drop is guaranteed, and speaking to a nearby cow makes it much easier to learn when it will rain again.
  • A mid-game one involves winning the Jackpot at roulette. Even though a nearby casino bunny can say if someone's about to win, it's still entirely a Luck-Based Mission.
  • Two sidequests in the Post Game involve searching for specific books. One quest's books are all in a single dungeon, but the other sidequest requires searching across the whole world!
  • One Guide Dang It! sidequest tasks you with tracking down a hide-and-seek master, but the only thing you're told is that he's "somewhere in Champs Sauvage", one of the larger regions in the game, holding an expansive overworld area, a dungeon, and two full towns, all of which have a lot of hidden alcoves, twists, and turns. Good luck finding the guy! For those that can't be bothered, he is hiding in the mini medal academy's magic key door room.
  • One post-game sidequest requires you to battle a duo of tough Cyclopses but finish both of them with one specific Pep Power. There are many other side quests that involve having to finish off an enemy with a particular Pep Power, but this one is unique for requiring you to do it twice in one battle since the required move can only target one enemy at a time. Also the Cyclopses can hit hard with their physical attacks, even if you're at a high level and have great armor. It's pretty much required to use Pep Pips or Pep Pops, which, outside the limited number that you get as an award in several end-game side quests, are very expensive or are a rare drop. Even better, the pep move you have to use at least twice has a 10% chance of missing, thanks to Hatchet Man's influence.
  • The Final Trial of the Wheel of Harma is a nasty spike when compared to what came before. While it is expected to be hard, the main issue is that a lot of the challenge comes from simple RNG, and lots of it. One bad roll and it can end the chances of a whole run.
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!:
  • Using Zoom indoors no longer resulting in hitting the ceiling was met with disappointment from fans. While one can't argue that it allows for far more fluid exploration of Erdrea, many veteran Dragon Quest players felt that it robbed XI of a mechanic that for many became something of a personal Running Gag and added a bit of realism to the setting. This change also leaves Evac pretty much obsolete, as escaping a dungeon is not particularly useful now that you can simply zoom away for 0 MP whenever you want. Which is a shame because the visual effect for Evac is really cool this time. However if you are playing in 2D on the Switch or 3DS versions, you will still need to use Evac in dungeons as using Zoom will give you the typical result.
  • Having party members not following you around the map. While VIII lacked this feature as well, it's a shame that such a classic element was removed, again after it return in IX. And to rub salt in the wound, multiple guest characters DO follow at certain points, which puts the kibosh on arguments that it somehow was unfeasible due to the camera angle or due to technical limitations. This is addressed in the Switch version of the game, where up to three (four if the Hero is not in the active party) party members will follow after you.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • Some felt that Faris would have been a better addition to the party in place of Sylvando or in addition to Sylvando, owing mostly to the fact that the arc preceding to Sylvando joining the party is centered around Faris. On top of that, Faris himself has a story arc about him becoming a knight and better fighter, which some felt it would have been for a story arc that doesn't get revealed until later in the case of Sylvando.
  • While the post-game scenario is generally seen as interesting enough to keep fans at the game, many have complained that this comes at the cost of a lot of the development that the cast underwent during the second act of the game. In particular, Serena loses a lot of what makes her arc special after Veronica's death thanks to the Reset Button.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
  • At the start of the second portion of the game, the sky is filled with dark clouds which give a creepy After the End feel. One of the first things the player has to do after this happens is kill the monster causing the clouds, ending the effect. While it does make sense for this to be a priority, the player doesn't get to see most of the world under its effects. Only the Last Bastion and now abandoned Heliodor Castle are visited. The rest of the world has a fairly Cozy Catastrophe feel by the time you get to see them again. This is lessened in the Switch version, where the rest of the party visits other areas before the Luminary deals with the darkness; the dark clouds are not present in those segments, which take place in other parts of the world, but other effects of Yggdrasil's fall are still seen.
  • Despite having the Commonality Connection of being Childhood Friends and fellow knights-in-training to Hendrik, Sylvando and Jasper aren't suggested to have any sort of relationship with each other and are never shown interacting. While Sylvando will occasionally share his opinions about Jasper in the Party Chat when it's relevant to the situation, Jasper never so much as acknowledges Sylvando's existence and Sylvando never speaks of Jasper with any familiarity. Arguably justified by Jasper only coming face-to-face with Sylvando in Act I twice- in Gondolia and the Heart of Yggdrasil. Considering it took Hendrik a while to realize who Sylvando was even when traveling in the same party as him, it isn't hard to believe that Jasper simply didn't recognize him.
• Unintentional Uncanny Valley: The characters look...off...in pre-rendered cinematics, due to their designs being slightly tweaked to look more realistic while still being mostly cartoony, giving them an unsettling "in-between" look.
• Woolseyism: "Shirubia" being localized into "Sylvando", rather than "Sylvia". Despite the fact that Sylvando is very flamboyant, it's generally agreed that Sylvando is a wiser choice of name for the character, because he still very much identifies and presents as male. "Sylvia" in Japanese was a sign of just how far he had tried to distance himself from his old name and life as Goliath/Norberto, but in English, especially in 2018, it could be construed as the character being transgender, which he simply isn't in any language. It also sounds more Spanish, and more like a Stage Name, which is fitting as Sylvando is an actor.