Most modern RPGs front-load their excitement. DQXI instead opts for a slow, methodical world-building exercise. You walk. You talk to villagers. You save a town from a simple problem. It lulls the player into a comfortable rhythm, making the sudden betrayal at the halfway point feel like a punch to the gut. The "Fall" of the Luminary is effective only because the "Rise" was given so much room to breathe.
Dragon Quest XI balances traditional turn-based combat with modern quality-of-life features. dragon quest xi echoes of an elusive agecodex new