Square Enix will soon bring back the remake of the legendary Dragon Quest 3: The Seeds of Salvation in the form of the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, and I got to play it.
During a behind-closed-doors preview session at Gamescom in Cologne, I enjoyed the PS5 version of the game and came out frankly impressed. To be honest with you, this isn’t even a surprise.
I know I’m stating the obvious, but the big headline feature of this HD-2D remake is… the HD-2D visual style. It debuted with Octopath Traveler in 2018, and since then Square Enix has used it sparingly for a few other games.
I’ll cut to the chase and tell you that it looks wonderful applied to Dragon Quest 3. While I played for most of my time on PS5, I also took a look at the Nintendo Switch version, and it’s just as impressive.
The visuals are crisp, colorful, and vibrant, and it absolutely looks like the style “belongs” on Dragon Quest 3. I’m not just talking about the characters, but also the 3D environments are lovingly designed and they really feel great.
On top of that, as HD-2D veterans may expect, characters and environments fit each other beautifully, which in my opinion is the real groundbreaking achievement of this technology.
Most of the time, when I see a 3D remake of a 2D game or an old game in general (excluding AAA-budget ones like the Final Fantasy VII trilogy) I feel a sort of “uncanny valley” effect. The visuals are colorful and the developers obviously do their best to translate the original art style into 3D, but it simply feels like it doesn’t belong.
That sensation is completely gone with HD-2D, and I must conclude that it’s simply the perfect style to remake old and glorious 2D JRPGs. I usually refrain from making broad-strokes, sweeping statements like this, but I’ve spent nearly two weeks since the demo session thinking about it.
I’m not a Spring Chicken anymore, which means that I’ve played pretty much every JRPG Square Enix has released (including some that never made it to the West in their original form) either at release or shortly after, and I’ve been thinking about them all, imagining what they would look like remade in HD-2D style.
My conclusion is that all the 2D ones would look awesome remade in HD-2D, without exception. I can’t think of one of my beloved 2D pixel-art JRPGs that wouldn’t look great. Just imagine how fantastic would Final Fantasy VI look with modern HD-2D visuals and try not to smile if you can.
So yes. I am taking a stance here: Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake looks awesome and I am officially petitioning Square Enix to use this style as the base of any remake of its traditional 2D JRPGs going forward. If you’re wondering, I didn’t refrain from expressing this position when I interviewed producer Masaaki Hayasaka after my hands-on time.
The only exception would possibly be the aforementioned AAA-budget full remake like the Final Fantasy VII trilogy, but even in that case, I’d be on the fence between the two options.
The gameplay is more or less like you would expect it, with classic turn-based combat that has been slightly modernized with the addition of speed settings and auto-battle, but the flavor remains unchanged, and that’s great.
Things are made even more pleasant by improved animations. They still feel “retro-style” to fit the game, so don’t expect Live2D levels (not that I’d want it), but the fluidity (and I think the variety as well, albeit I couldn’t compare with the original side-by-side, so please take this with a grain of salt) has been visibly enhanced.
The demo also featured prominently the Monster Arena, which lets you assemble teams of monsters to fight against other Monster Wranglers’ teams and earn rewards. While I can see it becoming a little repetitive in the long run, it’s an interesting and welcome diversion from the adventuring and dungeon crawling.
One of the most beloved (and pretty comedic) elements of the game has been preserved. You can still go around looting every container you can find. You may be a hero, but you’re still going to rob every peasant (and nobleman) around you blind. Of course, this rewards exploration, but I find it no less hilarious now than I did in the eighties and nineties.
While I’d have to play the full game to pass final judgment, this really feels like one of the best, if not the best remake of a traditional 2D JRPG I’ve ever played, at least in terms of looks and feel. I can only hope that Square Enix will expand the use of this lovely style to more and more of its games going forward.
I definitely believe that HD-2D represents the perfect meeting point that can satisfy younger players while also respecting the nostalgia and memories of those belonging to my generation.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is coming for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on November 14, 2024. Incidentally, if you’re interested in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest Monster: The Dark Prince has recently been announced for PC.
