Last week, we got to go hands on with Square Enix’s long in development HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III. The demo we played was the opening of the game and we got to spend about 45 minutes with it. As someone who only recently got into the series with Dragon Quest XI, going back to a game that came out five years before I was born felt as if I was jumping into a modern game with how much love was put into updating this classic RPG for current day audiences.

The first thing you’ll notice about the remake is how perfect the HD-2D art style fits for this reimagining of a classic NES game. While not as stylized as other games with the HD-2D style, Dragon Quest III looks absolutely stunning. The lighting and shading in the world makes every area pop and, as the time of day changes, you can see how the colors and lighting effects just enrapture you in the beauty of the style. So much so that I was resting at inns just to see the towns or areas at different times of day just to see how they look, and even the world map has a different aesthetic depending on the time of day. It’s incredible how Square Enix keeps improving this graphical design in just the six years that it’s been around.

As for the game itself, Sqaure Enix is aiming to have this remake stay true to its roots, but appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers to the series. They’re doing that by improving playabilty of the game such as having an updated UI such as having a minimap, an updated save system, and improvements to the game’s battle system. Then, there’s the classic story. They targeted Dragon Quest III as the one to remake as it starts the Erdrick trilogy of games within the series making it a perfect starting point for people to jump into. While a faithful recreation, it won’t just be the same story though as they promised a refined and expanded narrative helmed by the game’s creator and original designer Yuji Horii. Thus, we’ll still get the tale of Ortega’s child taking on Baramos with some new elements.

The battle system is straight out of the NES game in look and feel, but has been updated immensely though. The battle speed has been increased so they don’t take too long. Then, you can either fully control your party or set them to do specific things in battle such as focusing on a more defensive style or go all out. The developers have also included an auto-battle system which helps immensely when you are constantly encountering random battles. My only complaint with the battles is how bland the backgrounds are in the battle arenas.

The Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake is set to release later this year on November 14, 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.