As with any new game, figuring out the basic controls in Dragon Quest 11 can be a daunting task. There are a lot of actions in the game, so knowing all of the Dragon Quest 11 controls can help you hit the ground running and dive into the story instead of trying to figure things out on your own. In this article we’ll cover all of the basic controls in Dragon Quest 11, from how to run to pulling up the map and interacting with people. So read on to find out the basic Dragon Quest 11 controls.
Dragon Quest 11 Controls
| Input | Action | Notes |
| Triangle | Menu | Access items, equipment, party info and more. |
| Circle | Jump | |
| X / L2 | Interact | Interact with people or the environment, or attack nearby enemies to initiate battle. |
| Square | Map | |
| L1 / R1 | Camera Movement | Move the camera left or right. |
| R2 | Sprint | You don’t have to hold up at all, you can simply hold R2, then move the analog stick in the direction you want to go. |
| L3 | First-Person View | Switch between third-person and first-person viewpoints. |
| R3 | Camera Center | Center the camera behind your character. |
| Options | Auto-Run | Tap the Options button (Start) and your character automatically runs until press Options again or down on the analog stick. |
Triangle – Press Triangle to pull up the in-game menu. This gives you access to your item inventory, equipment inventory, character attributes, magic abilities, party talk and miscellaneous options such as healing all party member (automatically using your inventory and magic abilities), traveller’s tips, quest catalogue, system settings and more.
Circle – Most modern RPGs allow you to jump, and DQ11 is no exception. Press Circle to jump, which can help you reach higher platforms and ledges so you can get on top of houses and perform other actions.
X or L2 – You can press X or L2 to interact with people and objects. If you want to speak with someone in town, pick up an item represented by a blue sparkle on the ground, climb a ladder, or even initiate a battle with a nearby enemy, simply press X or L2. It should also be noted that simply running into an enemy will start a battle, but if you attack it first the enemies will start with slightly lower health.
Square – If you want to take a look at the map for the current area or your current objective, press the Square button. Once the map is on-screen, you can zoom in and adjust the overlay as you see fit. You can also access the world map from the map menu (press X once the map is visible), which lets you see nearby areas and quests, as well as places where you’ve previously found materials.
L1 or R1 – To turn the camera left or right, simply press and hold L1 or R1 respectively.
R2 and Options – There are three different movement speeds in DQ11. You can walk by slightly tilting the analog stick or run by holding the analog stick in any direction. You can auto-run by pressing the Options button (Start), or you can sprint by simply holding the R2 button. There’s no stamina bar for running in DQ11, so feel free to run or sprint for as long as you wish.
L3 – Pressing the L3 button (press the left analog stick inward toward the controller) allows you to switch between a first-person perspective and a third-person perspective. Once you’re in a first-person view, you can only move the screen slightly and zoom in and out. You won’t be able to move your character until you switch back to third-person.
R3 – You can center the camera behind your character by tapping the R3 button (tap the right analog stick inward toward the controller).
For more information, such as saving your game, check out our Dragon Quest 11 game hub!
