While I spent time playing Dragon Warrior III in my early years of discovering JRPGs, I didn’t fully understand its greatness until its release on Switch. The nuances of the adventure finally began to make sense, given that it was the first game chronologically in the series. However, elements of the adventure made it one of the most approachable JRPGs I have ever played. It’s just so traditional in its design, yet it manages to spark that element of discovery and fantasy to keep players invested in its world. Now, over 30 years since its release, Square Enix is giving new players the chance to discover this adventure through the release of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.
Nostalgia Meets Modern Graphics
I was able to play through a portion of the game during Play Days 2024, and that immediate feeling of being a kid again set in within minutes. The charming visual presentation of the HD-2D graphics gives players some nice eye candy. Still, I was more impressed with the way they’ve captured everything about the original release within this modern version. Surprisingly, the team has changed very little when it comes to story and worldbuilding elements, making this a true Remake aimed to only enhance an already timeless adventure. Now, with that out of the way, let me just fill you in on my experience playing the game.
Familiar Yet Fresh: Gameplay Experience
At Play Days 2024, I was able to play through a portion of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Specifically, the mission where you make your way to the Dreamer’s Tower to get the Thief’s Key. This key is used to get through the specific locked door within the game and progress the narrative. What surprised me so much was how the HD-2D graphics mirrored classic Dragon Quest more than it did other HD-2D games, such as Octopath II.
The charming visual presentation of the HD-2D graphics gives players some nice eye candy.
The team clearly spent time making the presentation unique to this adventure, and this is evident in the various set pieces and character designs. It instilled a sense of nostalgia in me that caused me to take a pause and just enjoy the various touches to the environment that have been created. While I was playing this game for the first time, I didn’t necessarily feel lost. It was like hanging out with an old friend who went through a glow-up phase.
Classic Treasures and New Features
Another thing I want to point out is that all of the treasures that I remember being in this dungeon are still there, including The Girl’s Own Annual, which changes a character’s class. Still, one of the coolest aspects of the game is the battles, which mirror classic and modern JRPG turn-based systems.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake balances nostalgia with modern systems without overshadowing its place within JRPG history.
For starters, you can increase the speed of the battles and also turn on auto-battle for your party members. However, you’ll still have to make selections for the Hero character. This system can be turned off as well, so it’s possible to play in a more traditional way, but the customization options for the auto-battle settings seem like enough to get the job done for the grunt fights.
Battles: A Blend of Old and New
Once you encounter a battle, enemy groups can be targeted, and the battle commences. I really liked how the camera shifted from a view of the party to a more classic first-person view of the enemy during the attack phases. I will say that the game can be rather challenging at times, so some natural level grinding is needed to ensure that you don’t get wiped out by a random mob of monsters deep in a dungeon. In the event a character does die, you’ll need to revive them at the church, which I had to do after I let my ego get the best of me as I attempted to speed through the dungeon to see as much as possible during my play session.
Reviving the Classic Adventure
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake balances nostalgia with modern systems without overshadowing its place within JRPG history. This is a game that is seemingly created for new players to experience the first events of the Dragon Quest series. Still, it also acts as a way for older players to rediscover the imaginative experience created by Koichi Nakamura, Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama, and so many other brilliant video game developers. The way that the game doesn’t touch the core elements of what initially made this adventure so appealing has me eager to rediscover its brilliance. If you haven’t already been looking forward to this release, you should.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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