The long-awaited HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III is just around the corner, bringing the RPG classic to a new age with a brand-new look. In the wake of our first hands-on and our preview, I’ve been plugging away at Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake with my merry band of adventurers over the last few weeks, and I’ve been in awe at how enjoyable it’s been.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake sees you embarking on a quest to defeat the Archfiend Baramos, picking up where your father, Ortega, left off in the wake of his disappearance. Your quest will have you traveling from your humble beginnings to every corner of a world that seems quite similar to our own, with clear analogues for many nations of the real world dotting the map.
A Beautiful World
As I explored the world of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, I continually found myself impressed by the care taken to modernize the visuals of the original game while keeping the map design similar. Familiar locations have come alive in the jump to HD-2D, and they look vibrant and lush while keeping their charm. The castles have especially gotten the royal treatment, with many of them looking as grand and exquisite as you’d expect a castle to look. An overhaul like this really highlights the benefits of the HD-2D engine in regards to RPGs – the story-book quality allows for a wonderful sense of scale and depth without overwhelming the player, and that’s on full display in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.
The visuals are still decidedly Dragon Quest, thankfully. Akira Toriyama’s timeless Dragon Quest designs are instantly recognizable, and in my opinion are actually at their best in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. From Slimes to Vampire Cats to Walking Corpses, classic Dragon Quest monsters have gorgeous new art and they’ve never looked better. Plenty of staple NPC designs are back and looking great as well. Even with this fresh coat of HD-2D paint, Dragon Quest still looks unmistakably like Dragon Quest rather than Octopath Traveler with Dragon Quest characters and enemies.
“Lend a Hand to Those in Need”
The story contained in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is simple – there are a couple variations of “show up in a new place, meet its ruler, go track down an item or rescue someone, rinse and repeat,” that you’ll play through. It seems a touch trite on the surface but I’d be lying if I said that I was bored by the story or the actions taken to progress it. As simple as it is, it’s been impactful on my own mental health. A line from partway through the game really stood out to me given the current state of the world: “Scour the world and lend a hand to those in need, whilst denying those who would do wrong.” This simple line encompasses the entirety of the experience of playing Dragon Quest III, because from the get-go what you’re doing is traversing this vast world helping those who need help without question. Am I reading too much into a rather simple RPG premise from 1988? Maybe, but the advice is timeless, and it felt nice to escape to a world where the entire point was that I was helping people.
Properly Portable
As far as how this remake looks on Switch specifically, I have no complaints whatsoever. The colors are bright and the pixel art is clear in both handheld and docked modes. There is a bit of stuttering as you move through busy sections of towns but nothing major, and battles run smoothly with both the enemy and party sprites looking lively and fluid. I have always felt that RPGs are right at home on the Switch thanks to its portability, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is no exception. You can easily jump in and out of playing with Sleep Mode, which is mostly a convenience factor thanks to the new autosave feature that wasn’t present in the original version of the game.
Battling to Save the World
To go right along with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake still looking very much like Dragon Quest, it also still plays very much like Dragon Quest. Battles are all turn-based but, like in other Dragon Quest titles, attacks are group-based. What this means is that if an enemy is a part of a group of the same type of enemy, then you won’t be able to select that specific enemy to attack. Instead, you’ll select the group and the game will decide which enemy you hit. I honestly like the added layer of imprecision, it makes strategizing in Dragon Quest feel more unique than other RPGs, and it feels old-school because, well, it is old-school. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and if you don’t normally like Dragon Quest’s combat then it’s not likely that HD-2D Remake is going to suddenly change your mind, but long-time fans of the series will find more of the same here.
Finishing Your Quest
When Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was announced, I wondered if it would be nothing more than Octopath Traveler with a Dragon Quest theme. What we got instead is a loving recreation of one of the most influential RPGs of all time. It’s a gorgeous and fresh take on classic Dragon Quest that will hit home for Dragon Quest fans and I can’t wait to see it followed up with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake in 2025.
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System: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: November 14, 2024
Categories: Role-playing
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix, Team Asano, Artdink
Written by Jaxson Tapp
As a lover of gaming and the written word, Jaxson currently fills his time not only with playing games, but also writing about them. Ready for anything, Jaxson’s passion for puzzle games, JRPGs, tough platformers, and whimsical indies helps him bring a well-rounded opinion to Nintendo Wire’s reporting.
