Insomniac Nightmares

I think games have gotten too complicated, too layered and full of spectacle and obscure systems.

I’ve come to this conclusion after having spent a deal of time with Dragon Quest XI, specifically the “S” Definitive Edition. Now, I had the game before, and tried to start it four different times.

Four times, I got nowhere. I was bored and overwhelmed by the third town. At the insistence of others, I tried the Definitive Edition, because it has a “2D” mode. Basically, it strips it down to behave in most ways like the old NES iterations of the franchise.

I’m forty hours in and still enjoying it… at least, enjoying it as much as I do anything these days, but that’s still more than the newest, flashiest games are keeping me occupied. Maybe I’ve finally gotten old, and can’t deal with things if they’re not the way they were in my youth.

Regardless of the reason, DQXI is pretty entertaining in 2D mode, and has a pretty good – if bog-standard for a fantasy RPG – story. I recommend checking it out if you’re into JRPGs.