As one of the most popular JRPGs in recent years, there are a lot of things that Dragon Quest 11 stands with the best of the genre in these areas, it doesn't break new ground in any of them. There is one aspect, though, where Dragon Quest 11 does pave its own path, and sets a new standard for the RPG genre in the process. The level of detail and immersion found in its towns and cities is simply unmatched.
There are 20 cities and towns in Dragon Quest 11, and each one feels like it was created with the utmost love and attention. Large, explorable towns are nothing new for the RPG genre, but the areas present here feel like actual places, not just hubs to purchase new items or restore the party's HP. Dragon Quest 11 sets its towns apart from the rest of the genre by making each one remarkably unique, and giving every single one of them the feel of a real, lived-in place.
Dragon Quest 11's land of Erdrea is home to many of the typical themed towns players are used to seeing in other RPGs. There's a large castle town, a city in the middle of the dessert, a village on the beach, etc. - but Dragon Quest 11 shines in how far it takes these themes. Each and every major city in Dragon Quest 11 has its own culture, its own story, and the residents even speak their own dialect.
The Towns in Erdrea Are Remarkably Diverse and Detailed
Dragon Quest 11's Puerto Valor is a Spanish port city, which is made clear through the citizens' Spanish accents and the city's décor. The city of Gondolia is given the same treatment, but its people are Italian. The level of care is never more apparent than when Dragon Quest 11's hero and crew arrive in small town of Hotto. At first it just appears to be a sleepy village nestled at the foot of a volcano, until the player learns that the local dialect of the region is to speak in the form of a haiku. Every single NPC in town, no matter how inconsequential to Dragon Quest 11's main story, speaks in perfectly formatted poetry.
Another consistent detail is that the style of Dragon Quest 11's homes found in each town vary depending on what makes the most sense for the area. For example, most of the homes in Lonalulu are very open in order to take advantage of the area's tropical climate. Most of them have large openings for windows and have doors that roll up and down. The castle town of Helidor in Dragon Quest 11 is much more traditional in its structures, with most of its buildings made out of brick and stone.
There are many smaller details present in Dragon Quest 11's towns that are just too numerous to list. Kitchens in homes actually have food laid out with cooking utensils and ingredients always nearby. The amount of table settings and beds in the homes also always match the number of NPCs living there. Details that one would never even think of are present in each and every location.
As Dragon Quest 11 continues to grow in popularity and mainstream success, hopefully developers are inspired by its world design. Every town in the game is remarkably unique and the detail that went into each one is truly impressive. There are a lot of things that Dragon Quest XI does well, but the level of immersion and detail found in its towns and cities is a step above everything else.
