During PAX East 2025 earlier this month (May), The Best War Games had the opportunity to sit down with Square Enix and play a couple of minutes of the upcoming HD-2D Remakes of Dragon Quest 1 and Dragon Quest 2. The remake of the third game was released last year and was developed by ARTDINK and Square Enix, marking the start of the Erdrick Trilogy. You see, chronologically, the third Dragon Quest is the first in the timeline, and the other two occur after it.
This gameplay session was split between the remakes, so I didn't get too much hands-on time with these classic JRPGs, but the one thing that stood out to me after playing was that somehow the HD-2D treatment that Square Enix has cooked up looks better than anything that has come before it. Octopath Traveler 1 and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake pale in comparison to the beauty that is in Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake.
From the jaw-dropping water effects to the visuals of the world map to the way the lighting looks when you're walking through a dungeon with a torch, these games look really good. And maybe it was because I was sitting mere inches away from a 4K television hooked up to a PS5, but I was absolutely mesmerized by the graphical detail of the worlds of both games.
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Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake Preview
A Collection of Gorgeous, Iconic JRPGS
Now, I haven't played too many Dragon Quest games in my day. However, from what I can tell, these two remakes (and the one that came before it) are still giving players that classic Dragon Quest treatment of random encounters, old-style medieval dialog, and cheery music amidst a somewhat dark world. The graphical style is getting overhauled, of course, but there's not much there in terms of quality-of-life stuff.
One of the new things that the Square Enix PR people pointed out to me during the preview is that, previously, you were only able to fight against one enemy at a time in Dragon Quest 1. There's only one character in your party in that game, but now you'll be able to fight against multiple monsters. As far as Dragon Quest 2 goes, you actually recruit characters to your party throughout the story, so not much is changing there.
So, for those who have fond memories of these games as a child, you'll be happy to know that the experience you remember will hopefully be the same in these remakes, but just more realized. And for those who have been on the fence about diving into the vast franchise that is Dragon Quest, it seems the HD-2D remakes are one of the best ways to start. It's a gorgeous version of some of the most iconic JRPGs of all time that have gone on to influence so many other video games.
(The Best War Games's preview of Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake was done on a PlayStation 5.)
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- October 30, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Artdink
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
