Summary
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake is releasing in November, followed by remakes of Dragon Quest 1 and 2.
- Dragon Quest 3's popularity and narrative justify its early release in the series' remake pipeline.
- HD-2D remake introduces new features, including 3 difficulty modes, performance and graphics modes, and quest markers.
After a multi-year wait between its initial reveal and the most recent release date trailer, JRPG fans will finally get their hands on Square Enix's Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake in November. Originally announced as part of Dragon Quest's 35th anniversary celebration in 2021, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D would get a teaser trailer in 2023 only to go silent again for the better part of a year. The recent release date announcement for the Dragon Quest 3 remake brought with it the confirmation that Square Enix are also giving the same HD-2D treatment to Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest 2, bringing the Erdrick Trilogy into the modern era.
The release schedule for the Dragon Quest remakes sees Dragon Quest 3 arriving a full year ahead of the remakes of the first two games in the series, which might seem odd but actually makes perfect sense for both the franchise's history and Dragon Quest 3's narrative. Dragon Quest 3 is where the series transcended levels of popularity in Japan, going from being a well-received JRPG to a cultural phenomenon. The best-selling game in the franchise prior to Dragon Quest 7, Dragon Quest 3 has a long history of remakes before the most recent HD-2D update, but the quality of life features in this most recent remake promise to make it the definitive version of a formative JRPG.
Dragon Quest's New HD-2D Remakes are Bittersweet News for DQ12
Although news of even more HD-2D Dragon Quest remakes is exciting, they might be bad news for the unreleased Dragon Quest 12.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is the Fourth Remake of Dragon Quest 3
The original Dragon Quest 3 was released on the Famicom and NES (as Dragon Warrior 3) in 1988. This version of the game is free of any alterations or additions that future remakes and updates would make. The first remake of the game would come courtesy of the Super Famicom release in 1996, never making its way to the West due to Enix's ceasing of publishing operations in the territory. As the first remake of Dragon Quest 3, the Super Famicom version is mostly noteworthy for its upgraded visuals, though it does introduce several new elements that would become standard across subsequent remakes.
The most important of these is the addition of the Thief class to Dragon Quest 3's class system, as well as an improved localization and translation that more accurately reflects the game's original story. The Game Boy Color release of Dragon Quest 3 is based on the Super Famicom version and retains all of its improvements while also adding in new mini-games, Monster Medals to collect (and trade via the Link Cable), and animations during battles. The Nintendo Switch version of Dragon Quest 3 is the most recent console release of the title prior to this year's upcoming HD-2D remake and is based on the mobile port of the game for Android and iOS devices.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D's New Features Position It as the Definitive Version
Outside its captivating visual style previously used in games like Octopath Traveler and the Live-A-Live remake, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D introduces a slew of quality-of-life improvements to usher the classic JRPG into the modern era. There are the expected inclusions of the ability to save anywhere and change the speed of both dialogue and battles, but Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is taking things a step further to make the newest remake of the game the definitive version of the title. The following are each of the features Square Enix has confirmed will be available in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D:
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3 separate difficulty modes
- Dracky Quest Mode: The "Easy" difficulty setting. Players deal more damage and bosses cannot recover HP.
- Dragon Quest Mode: The "Normal" difficulty setting.
- Draconian Quest Mode: The "Hard" difficulty setting. Boss enemies have higher HP reserves, deal more damage, and reward less XP and Gold after defeat.
- Performance and Graphics modes (Exclusive to the PS5 version of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D)
- Enemy animations and status changes to indicate HP loss.
- Recall Function that allows players to re-examine NPC dialogue.
- Chimera Wings can be used inside towns and dungeons for fast travel.
- Quest Markers to indicate objectives and points of interest.
Cumulatively, each of these quality-of-life updates should help to make Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D an enjoyable experience for modern players, despite the fact that the title is 36 years old.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- November 14, 2024
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Artdink
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake is a stunning reimagining of the beloved masterpiece and narrative beginning to The Erdrick Trilogy.
Story:
Years ago, the great hero Ortega bid farewell to his wife and child as he set off on a quest to defeat the villainous Archfiend, Baramos. Ortega failed his quest, and Baramos still threatens the world. Now, on their sixteenth birthday, Ortega’s only child is summoned by the king of Aliahan and entrusted with a mission of the highest import: to take on Ortega’s quest, vanquish Baramos, and save the world.
A fully modernized remake of the original:
Stunning HD-2D visuals fuse pixel art with 3D graphics, bringing players into the world of DRAGON QUEST III like never before, along with an improved and modernized UI, and other quality of life improvements.
Traditional DRAGON QUEST style battles:
A refined take on the classic turn-based battle system, featuring new animations, additional improvements such as an adjustable battle speed, an auto-battle setting, and more.
Immersive world:
Deep exploration of a vast world map with an abundance of rich and captivating locations to discover, challenging players to overcome many unexpected encounters during the journey.
- Franchise
- Dragon Quest
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
