As a longtime fan of the Dragon Quest series, I’ve eagerly followed every announcement, every trailer, and every preview about the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Dragon Quest’s charming sense of adventure helps it always engage me, no matter what mood I’m in. After finally playing it, I can confidently say it exceeded my expectations, delivering a beautiful reimagining of a classic that reminded me why this series is so special. Now, I’m even more excited for the upcoming remakes of Dragon Quest I and II, which will complete the modern retelling of the Erdrick Trilogy.
For those unfamiliar, Dragon Quest III is a foundational RPG in the genre, and is considered by many fans to be one of the highlights of the franchise. Set in a richly detailed world, you play as a young hero tasked with defeating the Demon Lord Baramos and uncovering the legacy of your father, Ortega, a legendary warrior. Along the way, you’ll assemble a party of adventurers, travel across varied landscapes, and uncover smaller, episodic stories that breathe life into the world.
The remake stays true to this narrative while making subtle additions that enhance its emotional resonance. Without spoiling anything, there are new scenes included that add depth to the family’s story, making your hero’s journey feel even more personal and providing further incentive even for those that are incredibly familiar with Dragon Quest 3’s story.
The most immediately striking feature of the remake is its HD-2D art style. This visual overhaul breathes new life into Dragon Quest III, elevating its classic pixel art into something spectacular. Towns glow with soft, golden light, dungeons feel foreboding with dynamic shadows, and the overworld map feels vast and alive, with its lush environments and vibrant biomes.
Every location feels carefully crafted, whether it’s a bustling coastal town, an arid desert, or a snow-covered mountain pass. The HD-2D engine masterfully balances nostalgia and modernity, keeping the game’s old-school charm while adding layers of depth and polish. It’s impossible not to stop and admire the world around you, especially when playing on a big screen.
The combat system in Dragon Quest III has always been one of its highlights, offering classic turn-based battles with a surprising amount of strategy. The remake doesn’t reinvent the wheel but instead refines it, introducing much-needed quality-of-life improvements.
One of the most notable changes is the ability to speed up combat animations. This feature keeps grinding from becoming tedious and ensures that even long dungeon crawls feel well-paced. The balance between difficulty and accessibility is also thoughtfully handled. You can tweak settings to make battles easier for newcomers or ramp up the challenge for veterans seeking the thrill of a more unforgiving experience.
Boss battles remain a standout, offering just the right mix of challenge and strategy. Each encounter feels like a test of your preparation and adaptability, requiring you to use all the tools at your disposal.
Dragon Quest III is unique in that you can build your party from scratch, choosing from various job classes like Warrior, Mage, Priest, and even unconventional roles like Gadabout. This system allows for incredible flexibility and replayability.
The remake enhances this by giving party members subtle personality through animations and interactions, making them feel more alive despite their silent protagonist roots. While they don’t have the deep backstories of modern RPG characters, they complement the player’s journey and justify their own existence perfectly.
For the first time, Dragon Quest III includes voice acting, and the performances are a delight. NPCs across the world speak with a variety of accents, adding flavor and personality to the game’s already charming dialogue.
That said, the voice acting is somewhat underutilized. It’s mostly reserved for important NPCs and key moments, leaving large swaths of the game silent. While this doesn’t detract from the experience, I couldn’t help but wish for more fully voiced scenes, especially during some of the more emotional story beats.
One of the joys of Dragon Quest III is its sense of exploration. The world feels expansive and varied, with biomes that range from lush forests to barren deserts and snowy peaks. Each location offers something unique, whether it’s a hidden treasure, a challenging dungeon, or a small story that adds to the game’s charm.
The dungeons are a particular highlight, feeling more atmospheric and intricate than ever thanks to the HD-2D visuals. Late-game areas are especially tense, with desolate environments and ominous lighting that make every step forward feel like a risk.
The remake doesn’t just stop at visual improvements—it also introduces several new features. Autosaves, for example, make the game more forgiving without sacrificing its challenge. A minimap and objective reminders help guide players through the game’s open-ended exploration, though these can be turned off for purists who prefer the original’s sense of mystery.
The combat adjustments, particularly the ability to adjust speed and difficulty, are a game-changer, ensuring the pacing feels modern without straying too far from the series’ roots and provides greater approachability, especially for younger players.
I played the game primarily on the Nintendo Switch, and I was impressed by its performance. The game runs smoothly at 30 FPS in both handheld and docked modes, with no game breaking bugs. I did encounter some minimal but noticeable frame drops in the game’s more dense areas though. The portability of the Switch makes it an ideal platform for this kind of game, allowing me to pick up and play wherever I wanted.
And while the visuals are higher resolution on more powerful platforms, the Switch version holds its own, delivering a consistently enjoyable experience.
As much as I loved the remake, there are a few areas where it could improve though. The limited use of voice acting feels like a missed opportunity, especially given how much it adds to the world. Expanding it to cover more story scenes and dialogue would have made the game feel even more immersive.
Additionally, while the job system is engaging, I would have loved to see more new classes or expanded customization options for the Hero. These additions could have added even more depth to party building. Lastly, some of the dungeons, while beautifully rendered, could benefit from more varied layouts to keep exploration feeling fresh throughout the entire game.
Final Thoughts
The Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is everything I hoped it would be—a love letter to a timeless classic, updated with modern features. Its gorgeous visuals, refined combat, and thoughtful additions make it a joy to play, whether you’re a veteran fan or a newcomer.
Despite a few areas for improvement, the game captures the magic of the original while breathing new life into it. As I finished my playthrough, I couldn’t help but feel even more excited for the upcoming remakes of Dragon Quest I and II. If they’re anything like this, we’re in for something truly special.
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9
- + A tale that is still engaging and holds up
- + The HD-2D visuals
- + The inclusion of voice acting
- + So many little quality of life improvements
- - Voice acting is a bit under utilised
- - Would have loved deeper customisation options for the Hero to really change up gameplay
