I load up my save file and awaken in Gallopolis.
It's been about eight hours since I started playing Dragon Quest XI on the recommendation of a few friends from Twitch. I was craving some kind of old-school RPG. DQ XI is the newest game in the franchise, and while not literally old, it does have an old-school battle system and stays faithful to the core mechanics of the genre.
So, why not? Only $26 on sale was a steal anyway for a large AAA game.
Thus, Gallopolis. Having completed a questline at the end of my previous session, I am already free from any requirements in this city. The quest log tells me to move on. First there's one urgent thing to do: Become a horse racing champ.
Horse Racing in Gallopolis
The horse racing minigame in DQXI is simple. Hold right trigger, collect stamina-boosting items, and hit X to make sharp turns. Other than that, it's all about avoiding the walls and obstacles like pumpkins (?) and dirt patches that sap stamina.
Bronze was easy, but silver poses more of a challenge. The opposing racers aren't pulling way ahead of me, but they aren't way behind either. In bronze, I was able to lap the slowest racer. No chance this time.
About 20 paces from the end of the race, another rider overtakes me. NO!! I manage to crush the last turn with a perfectly timed X-press and pull ahead to take first place.
it was hard to get good photos during the race
In the end, I won!
I've completed both of the "easy" races. There's a bronze and silver cup in the "hard" race category as well. I will leave those for another time.
Where Next? Gondolia!
Quick side note -- the maps in this game are EXCELLENT!! In general the UI is very nice and makes it super easy to remember what the NPCs have already told me. It doesn't really make the game "softer" or easier per se, just means I don't have to struggle to remember which plotline is most important at the moment.
My next stop is Gondolia. Gallopolis was the horse racing town, Gondolia is the port town with all the boats. Every name is very "on the nose" lol.
Most of the towns are easy to travel to -- they're arranged in a fairly logical, linear way thus far. I am stopped from going past my current area of the story by checkpoints that ask you for a note from the king, sultan, mayor, or whoever may be most powerful in the preceding area.
This time it is the Sultan's note that gets me through. Onward, to Gondolia!
On the way to Gondolia there's a bunch of new monsters. I LOVE the monster design in this game. There's a distinct style, a lifelike yet stylized approach that keeps reminding me of Pikmin. Some of these enemies would be right at home alongside the world of Pikmin 1, one of my favorite Gamecube games.
Level-ups are satisfying. I like how my stats jump by 5-10 at a time, rather than 1-2 points at a time. Makes each level up feel like it "means" something.
On the path between cities, there is usually a convenient campfire to rest, heal, and save. Again, it looks gorgeous.
Occasionally I encounter a sparkly monster. When defeated, these monsters turn into temporary mounts. You can't collect them and take them with you, but it's still fun to ride around on a new mount.
On the path to Gondolia, I found an epic hornet-esque thing. It moves so fast.
We Have Arrived: The Port City
Arriving at Gondolia, I am reminded of the scene from a different Gamecube game, one that maybe aged less well than Pikmin: Super Mario Sunshine! Specifically, this town really has a Delfino Plaza vibe to me. The layout, the colors, the port town theme.... super Delfino.
There is a lot of plot and character development in this area. I meet some kids, one of whom is the son of the "Doge" i.e. most powerful man in the town. This kid has lost his voice to a curse!! Another adventure begins, and I'm off to find the sacred water that can cure this affliction.
Dragon Quest XI is a huge game and one that I have decided to enjoy at a casual pace. Thus, after about ~1.5 hours, I am ready to wrap up for the day. I can't help but find another spot of absolute beauty on my way out.
So far I am in love with the world of Dragon Quest XI. It has great UI, the story is fun and already has had several unexpected twists and turns... also, the monsters are amazing. In one word, this game is DELIGHTFUL!! I am constantly delighted by monsters, by characters, by new power-ups and moves, and another thing I haven't mentioned: the amazing soundtrack performed live by the Tokyo Orchestra.
I have to stop myself here. Hang out with us on Twitch to catch some of this playthrough, or stay tuned -- I plan on checking in roughly once per 10 playtime hours for blog updates on this playthrough.
Have you played this game before? What do you think? (NO SPOILERS!!)
