Dragon Quest 2: Luminaries of the Legendary Line was a big deal in Japan in 1987, and a lesser deal in 1990 in North America. That said, the Dragon Quest series has steadily increased in popularity in the West, and now many new fans can finally play the two original games that started it all via the collection, Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake.
How Long to Beat All Missions in Dragon Quest 1 & 2 Remake
A complete list of all missions in both Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D remakes, and how long it will take to beat them both individually.
Anyone who likes old-school RPGs without flashy cutscenes or long dialogue sessions should check this collection out. And anyone who is struggling with Dragon Quest 2 Remake in particular should note these ways on how to level up faster. Grinding for EXP can be a chore in any RPG, but not with these tips.
Using Tactics Effectively With Good Settings
Before going on the hunt for good EXP zones, players have to be tactically prepared for battle. First, players should set their battle settings to Ultra-Fast either in the menu or during an encounter. This will fast-forward through combat quickly, thus speeding up the process altogether. Next, in the menu, there are shortcuts that players can assign items, spells, and abilities to.
Once Peronel joins the party, players should add Zoom to shortcuts, as that will be a quick way to zip back to town to heal in between battles and to manually save. The bigger shortcut-must is a spell called Whistle, which Caradoc will learn at level twelve. This will summon enemies directly, meaning players won’t have to wander around to incite an encounter, as everything is randomized in Dragon Quest 2 Remake in classic RPG tradition. Next, to make encounters flow more easily, it would be a good idea to implement tactics in battle.
Manually going through each character will add seconds to the clock, and the goal is to level up as quickly as possible. For pure grinding sessions, players may as well highlight “Show No Mercy” in the tactics menu. Also, in the main menu, players can manually select spells that they don’t want their party to use during autoplay. They should keep healing spells active along with group targeting spells like Peronel’s Bang, Caradoc’s Sizzle, and the Hero’s Stone’s Throw. With the other spells and abilities deactivated, the party will focus on what’s left. It’s a cool system that hopefully more RPGs will implement.
A Good Early Area to Grind: Cave of the Lake Dungeon
One of the first good leveling up areas is the Cave of the Lake dungeon, which players will venture into during the story. Inside, players will find a snail-like monster called a Drohl Drone. It has the highest EXP rate in the dungeon and overall starting area, with the ghostly Fightgeist coming in second place. Between Caradoc and the Hero of Dragon Quest 2 Remake, players should not have a problem grinding in this cave.
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The EXP rate is only half the reason why the Cave of the Lake dungeon is worth diving into. Toward the end of the dungeon, players will find a stone tablet on the floor that will heal HP and MP. This means players will get a safety net to use after every encounter, so that they can also go all out with MP. Most dungeons don’t have a healing area like this, which is why the Cave of the Lake is so special. This area isn’t a cozy little secret, as most players will probably figure out the advantages on their own, but it’s still worth noting.
Level Up in Secret Area Accessed Early
There is a better leveling-up spot guaranteed to level up characters once per encounter or every other encounter. Players will come across Gwaelin's Gate during the story, and in the back of the area, there will be a teleportation pad. Accessing it will take players to an island where the Shrine of Flames is kept. Outside, players can encounter enemies that will easily give them 500 to 700 EXP per battle, but unfortunately, the Gold rewards here are still pretty small for Dragon Quest 2 Remake.
These monsters will far out-level what players should be at during this point in the story, meaning that a few hits will probably kill the party. There are some ways to negate this difficulty spike, though, as players can lower the challenge level to Dracky Quest temporarily. They can even turn on invincibility so that party members cannot die. It’s a cheat for sure, but if players want an advantage for the rest of the game, then they can come to this island, implement a few cheats, and then turn them off after. It may go against the ideals of the series, but it’s an available option for anyone who wants to check it out.
Finding Metal Slimes
Metal Slimes are present in Dragon Quest 2 Remake, as they are in almost every game. Players will have to wait a long time to encounter any variety, though, which is uncommon for the series, making leveling up trickier than usual. The first area players may encounter Metal Slimes is outside of Damdara, according to the monster guide in the game; however, if they are here, the encounters are incredibly rare.
If players want to try, the ruins of Damdara are right across from Rippleport, the place where players get their ship in Dragon Quest 2 Remake. That said, there is another region, albeit with tougher monsters in it, where players can find Metal Slimes more easily. If they sail pretty much to the other side of the world, they can find a small island with the kingdom of Dirkandor on it. Metal Slimes should appear every few encounters or so. If players need to increase a few levels, it may be worth grinding a bit here, but by this point, players should also be close to the Holy Grail.
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Before moving on, it’s worth reminding veteran players and newbies how to kill Metal Slimes. They are immune to magic, are quick, and will escape if they feel threatened, and their dodge abilities are through the roof. This means physical attacks are a must, and anything that can hit multiple times in a row would be a good idea. Some good abilities include the Hero’s Multifists, Peronel’s Call of the Wild, Caradoc’s Falcon Slash, and Matilda’s Hypnowhip, if players recruited her by this point in Dragon Quest 2 Remake. It’s also not a bad idea to equip the party with gear that can raise Agility, like Agility Rings.
Finding Slime Island: Late-Game Leveling Zone
Finally, the ultimate training spot in the game is an island inhabited by Slimes of all Dragon Quest varieties, including Metal Slimes and Liquid Metal Slimes. Defeating just one of the latter Slimes will net the party about 15,000 EXP! To get here, players must progress through the story until they unlock the Moonshard, which allows the ship to break through coral reefs.
This may take about twenty to thirty hours, depending on the difficulty level chosen and how much extra exploring players do. Once the Moonshard power is unlocked, players should Zoom outside of the Shrine West of Moonbrooke. Here, they can follow a small canal to break through a coral reef, and then the island is just ahead. The same battle strategies for Metal Slimes apply to Liquid Metal Slimes. All that is left to say then is good luck, and happy Slime hunting!
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
- Released
- October 30, 2025
