Previous this month, I after all performed thru Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on my Transfer. Having by no means performed the unique, I had two major takeaways. One, that is one of the most highest taking a look sprite paintings I’ve ever observed. Two, like many video games from that generation, it will get extraordinarily grindy and your alternatives are to both stick it out or transfer to the can’t-die “Dracky Mode” issue (I did the latter).
I did this within the wake of a 25-minute demo of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on PlayStation 5 at PAX East 2025 previous this month, as I sought after a body of reference earlier than after all penning this preview. That is going to be just a little of a unique type of writeup as, automatically, there’s no longer a ton to mention. To me, what they’re conceptually going for here’s much more attention-grabbing.
Let me provide an explanation for. Within the Dragon Quest I portion of the demo, I went from the beginning the town into the open box right into a cave. I did some battles, walked round, and did not see a lot of the brand new stuff. Hiya, it appears to be like wonderful. The little tweaks that I may just see, similar to the facility to combat more than one monsters, appear to be an effective way so as to add mechanical complexity to the unique name.
II was once in a similar way stunning, and it performed much more just like the Dragon Quest III remake – low digital camera overworld and voiced cutscenes in type – which is just right as a result of, in the event you’ve performed II at first, it’s a slightly polarizing sport. II, whilst no longer totally a black sheep at the collection, is unforgiving and a clumsy midway between the addictingly grindy Dragon Quest and the extra expansive Dragon Quest III.
There’s little you’ll inform from a couple of mins with a sport, but when Sq. Enix gave II the similar remedy they gave III which they completely looked as if it would have (larger struggle pace, more than one issue choices, and in most cases a extra relaxed enjoy total), then it sort of feels like a great option to enjoy a sport many Dragon Quest fanatics have a sophisticated dating with.
Now conceptually, what stood out to me was once how the remake’s builders took pains to make I & II really feel like a sequel to the III remake that got here out remaining yr. III stars Erdrick and acts as a prequel to I & 2, that are led by means of his descendents. Out of doors of visible/stylistic parity with III, I & 2 could have new content material (each tale and gameplay) to tie this remake trilogy in combination and make the III -> I -> II playthrough really feel herbal.
A Sq. Enix consultant instructed me that enjoying the 2 upcoming remakes in combination is more or less similar to the period of the Dragon Quest III remake remaining yr (which, in the event you performed on default issue, would have taken about 30-40 hours). That very same rep were given excited once I mentioned the brand new remake gave the impression of a possibility to make Dragon Quest II into an more straightforward hold; to paraphrase, they mentioned the II upgrades/additions have been particularly some degree of focal point for the workforce.
Lately, on Dragon Quest Day, Sq. Enix introduced Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake would pop out (together with on Transfer 2!) on October 30. My floor takeaway of this remake is, “Hiya, turns out like they did an excellent activity with this one like they did III!” However just a little underneath the skin, it’s transparent Sq. Enix has grand ambitions for this remake, ambitions that will probably be value being attentive to.
