Do the dungeons in Dragon Quest XI get any more interesting?

[Deleted member 17627]

Completed the demo for the S version and fell in love with almost everything about the game: the art direction, the classic design, the dialogue/voice acting, and the characters. The one thing that didn't really impress were the dungeons. There were three before you arrived at Gallopolis and they were all literal dungeons with square rooms linked between each other. I looked up some additional screens and it seems like you go into some caves, but the dungeons don't seem to be anything beyond that and the literal dungeons.

Was wondering for those who played through the game on PS4 if the dungeons ever actually become more varied in layout, design, and look as you play through the game?

 

[dogbox]

Definitely in look! You will get a few dungeon gimmicks here and there. Some are small, like poison pools. Others, like riding a flying mount along a largely vertical dungeon, feel more distinctive and one-off.

Pretty straightforward for the most part though.

 

[Iori Fuyusaka]

It's been a while since I played, but I distinctly remember there being quite a bit of verticality in some dungeons.

 

[Tatsu91]

It's been a while since I played, but I distinctly remember there being quite a bit of verticality in some dungeons.

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Near the end of act 2 they get quite complex

 

[sappyday]

Nope they're always boring even the late game ones. The enemies make up for it sometimes.

 

[Deleted member 17627]

Definitely in look! You will get a few dungeon gimmicks here and there. Some are small, like poison pools. Others, like riding a flying mount along a largely vertical dungeon, feel more distinctive and one-off.

Pretty straightforward for the most part though.

Click to shrink...

That's what I've been unfortunately hearing. That most are straightforward and that if there is a unique one, usually it is either a short one, a one-off, or both.

 

[Cactuar]

No, it's a basic bitch generic game in terms of dungeons, combat and story. Still, you can tell it was made with heart. I finished the game despite its blandness.

 

[dogbox]

That's what I've been unfortunately hearing. That most are straightforward and that if there is a unique one, usually it is either a short one, a one-off, or both.

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That's a pretty good assessment, I'd say. For the game's many virtues, it never gets very daring.

Obviously it would be aesthetically different only, but I wonder if being able to change between 2D and 3D in the Switch version helps mix things up at all. Wow, now I'm wondering how some dungeons translate to the 2D mode!

 

[werezompire]

The dungeons remain pretty standard JRPG fare. The combat gets drastically more involved if you're playing with a bunch of difficulty mods on as the game progresses though.

 

[Deleted member 17627]

The dungeons remain pretty standard JRPG fare. The combat gets drastically more involved if you're playing with a bunch of difficulty mods on as the game progresses though.

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I actually thought the combat was great from the start. Something about keeping it to a basic attack, magic, (de)buffs, and special moves is so welcoming in an era where RPGs so often try to feel like 4D chess in all the factors you have to consider. Playing this game makes me feel like I'm playing something like Paper Mario and I love it.

 

[Deleted member 17627]

No, it's a basic bitch generic game in terms of dungeons, combat and story. Still, you can tell it was made with heart. I finished the game despite its blandness.

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The bolded is definitely what has kept me interested.