I think a lot of people will probably wonder why I have this game at such a low rating and if you know me from twitter, you'll probably know why.

I want to let this be clear - I like this game. Although I have problems with it I can see why some people like it a lot. However, it didn't really click with me.

Let's start off with the positives:

1. Graphics
Graphically, this game is insanely beautiful, there's a lot of areas that are so pretty in this game, it kind of astounds me. Even today, it's kind of crazy this game can look as good as it does. Also, I'm quite the big fan of Akira Toriyama's artstyle. I don't think this world would feel as alive as it felt to me without his handiwork on the designs.

2. Combat
While not anything special, the turn based combat is...alright. Its pretty much your standard (you take a turn and then the next someone goes, etc.) and I think it gets the job done

Now, onto the things I am mixed about.

1. Characters

The characters of this game range from very well developed to barely having a character arc. I think characters like Hendrik, Erik and Sylvando have great character arcs and are some of the big highlights - in fact, Sylvando was my favorite character in the game. I think Jade and Rab are alright, they're kinda in the middle for me. Serena and Veronica? They uh...sure do exist! Yeah, they're probably my least favorite characters in the game as i feel they don't really have arcs or really much of a character to either of them at all. The protagonist is okay but i wish he wasn't a silent protagonist and could actually speak because there's a lot that happens with his character in this game and he shows a lot of emotion throughout SEVERAL cutscenes but he just doesn't say a word. and I feel that hurts his character more than it helps him.

2. The main game story
The main game story I think is alright, though quite a bit generic. It's your typical chosen hero beats big bad with a rag-tag group of friends storyline. Although it does get the job done at end of the second act of the game, I think most players will most likely see where the game is going with its plot which. in my opinion is something you really shouldn't do in a JRPG. You've gotta keep the player guessing what will happen next, get them excited for what's about to come next, but during a lot of the game it's pretty noticeable where the game is going to go with its story. Don't get me wrong, it gets the job done at the end of the second act! But the story is also pretty predictable to anyone who's played even the most basic of rpgs.

3. Pacing
The pacing in this game is all over the place, there are some places that are paced really well and there are others that are paced extremely slow and feel really bloated.

Now onto the things I dislike/hate about this game
1. The postgame story
The postgame story, to me, ruins the ending of the main game. The reason why this is because the party gets to time travel and -I kid you not- reverse several major events of the main game -such as veronica's sacrifice (serena's quite literal only "character arc" at all), erik's backstory with his sister, and hendirk's entire story of him redeeming himself. It pisses me off that they would pretty much retcon a big portion of the important character moments in the main game for the sake of "more content" to the stretch the game out.

2. Music
Music - to me - is probably one of the most important parts in getting me into a video game, as well as keeping my attention to a game. The music in this game has some of the wort music I've ever heard in a JRPG. All of it is extremely generic and orchestral. Not only that but there's not a whloe lot of variety in the game so you will hear the same grating theme over and over again and it is just not good at all. There's a DLC track from Dragon Quest VIII in the definitive edition and I kid you not that song alone clears the entirety of Dragon Quest XI's music. Genuinely saddening to me and disappointing that the music was as bad as it was.

~Final Thoughts~
Although I had an alright time with this game and it has a lot going for it, but it falls short with its terrible music, odd pacing, and horrible postgame story.
There's also one more thing for those of you who've read this far. You've probably noticed a certain word I've been using a lot through this review - GENERIC. This game, to me, offers nothing unique that any other RPG franchise brings to the table. Aside from the artstyle of the game, there's nothing this game offers that other rpgs have done equally or better than. Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, The World Ends With You, and Nier are all by the same developer as this game and I can confidently say every single one of those franchises are much better than this franchise from what I've played of it.
I will be giving Dragon Quest VIII a shot soon and hopefully, that game can get me into Dragon Quest, because this one did not do it for me.

Final review score: 5/10