Zero Punctuation Season 12 Episode 39 Dragon Quest XI

Zero Punctuation season 12 episode 39 features Yahtzee Croshaw's use of his acerbic wit in reviewing the latest installment in the Dragon Quest series - Dragon Quest XI. The game has been developed by Square Enix and released in multiple platforms including PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.

As Yahtzee begins the review, he notes how the Dragon Quest series has been around for over three decades, and yet, the basic formula of the game has not been tweaked much over the years. In Dragon Quest XI, the player steps into the role of a young hero who must save the world from destruction. The game follows a traditional Japanese RPG style where the protagonist has to gather allies, explore landscapes, fight battles, and defeat evil.

Yahtzee begins by praising the game's visuals and the attention to detail. He notes how the world map of Dragon Quest XI is huge and has a variety of landscapes like canyons, forests, and mountains. The game's environments have a hand-drawn aesthetic that gives them a unique look.

However, Yahtzee soon brings up one of his biggest complaints with the game - its slow pace. He notes how the game has a lot of hand-holding tutorials and tutorials that explain basic mechanics. Yahtzee believes that the game could have been more accessible if some of this was left to the player to figure out on their own. He compares it to a college class where the professor lectures for hours before getting to the good stuff.

Moving on to the game's combat system, Yahtzee describes it as a traditional turn-based RPG style. He notes that the game gives players an option to switch between three different combat modes - Normal, Easy, or Hard. Yahtzee believes that this was a smart decision as it allows players to choose their level of challenge. He also notes that the game has a "Pep-Up" system where two characters may become "synced" and can unleash special moves. To activate this, players must make sure their characters are in sync by going through a series of actions and intricate patterns.

Yahtzee also praises the game's party members, each of whom brings their unique skill set to the table, like music and stealth. Additionally, the game has a crafting system where the player can collect items then use them to create new items like weapons or armor. Yahtzee notes that this system is straightforward and easy to use.

However, Yahtzee also brings up one of his biggest complaints with the party system - the lack of control over fellow party members. He notes how AI characters can sometimes do their own thing without taking the player's actions into account. This leads to some frustrations and can often cause the player to lose. Yahtzee believes that this could have been easily fixed by allowing the player to command their party members. He says it is genuinely frustrating when the game unintentionally thwarts the player.

One of the game's standout features is its orchestral soundtrack. Yahtzee believes that the music is one of the shining moments of Dragon Quest XI. He notes that the game's main theme is unforgettable and that the game has a lot of great tracks that complement the gameplay. Overall, Yahtzee praises Dragon Quest XI for being a great traditional RPG experience. He believes that the game would be a great introduction to the genre for beginners. He notes that the game has a few flaws, but the experience is well worth it, especially for longtime fans of the series.

Zero Punctuation season 12 episode 39 sees Yahtzee take on Dragon Quest XI close to his chest, delivering an honest yet humorous review, dissecting the game and making comparisons to other titles in the genre. His criticisms, coupled with his praises, take viewers on a journey to identify whether the game is worth their time and money.