DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a completely standalone experience that features entirely new characters, a beautifully detailed world, finely tuned turn-based combat, and an immersive story that will appeal to longtime fans and franchise newcomers alike. A young man, about to participate in his villages coming of age ceremony, travels to a Sacred Stone alongside his childhood friend. After a series of unexpected events, this intrepid adventurer learns he is the reincarnation of a legendary hero from a forgotten age. The young hero sets forth into an unknown world on a journey to unravel the mystery of his past but the welcome he receives is far from warm. Upon revealing his identity to the King, the hero is branded as The Darkspawn and hunted by a relentless army. Fleeing from his pursuers, the hero assembles a band of endearing adventurers who believe he is actually The Luminary reborn. The hero and his newfound companions embark on a quest that will take them across continents and over vast oceans as they learn of an ominous threat facing the world.