The Dragon Quest franchise has been releasing hit games in Japan for over thirty years, but the series has only recently found larger success in the West. With eleven mainline entries and many spin-offs, there are a lot of titles to keep up with. Because of this, many newcomers to the series may be wondering where to start - and which game to play first.
The long-running JRPG series celebrated its 35th Anniversary in May, announcing a host of new games including Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. All of this comes fresh off the heels of the series' recent successes in the West, spurred by sales of Dragon Quest 11. A lot of people may be looking to check out the series for the very first time, but with a franchise with this many mainline games and spin-offs, it may be intimidating.
While early entries in the series still have their merits, and are available on platforms like Switch and mobile, they're likely too archaic for many first timers (or even some series veterans) - and they don't necessarily represent the series as a whole. Dragon Quest 3 was a phenomenon when it released in Japan in the 1980s, but with a Dragon Quest 3 remake in the works, a lot of beginners may decide to wait until that releases to try it out. This is especially true considering some quality-of-life updates and graphical improvements are expected. Otherwise, mobile and Switch ports for DQ3 are readily available to anyone looking to try it out.
Why Dragon Quest 11 Makes A Great Starting Place For The Series
Dragon Quest 8 was once the best-selling entry in the series in the West, and many fans outside Japan got into the franchise because of it, which makes it a great contender for a first entry. And while that logic may be hard to argue with, the more recent Dragon Quest 11 makes a better starting place - least of all because in many ways it plays like a new and improved DQ8. For those interested, however, DQ8 is available on mobile and the Nintendo 3DS with some upgrades (the original is on PS2).
Dragon Quest 11 is simply the best representation of the series as a whole. The story beats, combat mechanics, and characters all feel like the culmination of the best parts of thirty years' worth of past entries. The Dragon Quest 11 S version of the game also includes past worlds for players to visit, giving newcomers a taste of what to expect if they decide to dive deeper into the series. It's also the most readily available, since Dragon Quest 11 S is on Stadia, PC, PlayStation, Xbox (including Game Pass), and Switch.
While every fan has their favorite entry in the series, Dragon Quest 11 objectively makes the best starting point. Newcomers interested in trying out Dragon Quest should definitely consider beginning there, since it's a great representation of the series and easily available almost everywhere.