As is typical of the publisher at this point, Square Enix had a pretty big presence at last week's Nintendo Direct. It showed off not one, but two upcoming titles for the Nintendo Switch family of systems: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade and Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined. FF7 Remake, of course, was released years ago on PS4 and PC, but this port of the game will mark the FF7 Remake trilogy's first release on Nintendo hardware. Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, meanwhile, is a completely new remake of the PS1-era JRPG, Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, and it's seemingly going to be a pretty big overhaul of the original game.
Unlike the last two Dragon Quest remakes that Square Enix has produced, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined does not use the HD-2D art style that was pioneered by Octopath Traveler. Instead, the game features an aesthetic inspired by handmade dioramas. Each of its characters, in fact, were modeled after dolls made in real life. The narrative of Dragon Quest 7 has been overhauled considerably in Reimagined. Although some of the subplots from the original game have been cut out due to being deemed unnecessary, Square Enix has added a handful of story scenarios to flesh out the game's world. In addition to all this, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined also has a modernized combat system, along with a new Moonlighting mechanic that allows players to have two vocations assigned at once.
Square Enix Announced a DQ7 Remake, But Still Hasn't Provided an Update on DQ12
While it's great that a remake of Dragon Quest 7 actually exists, given that it's somewhat of a fan-favorite in the series, it's unfortunate that its reveal at the Nintendo Direct wasn't accompanied by an update on the franchise's next numbered installment, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. Dragon Quest 12 was originally announced by Square Enix in 2021, to coincide with the series' 35th anniversary. Since then, however, the company has gone radio silent on the game, and has yet to show a single snippet of its gameplay. The only concrete evidence fans have of Dragon Quest 12's existence is a mere logo, as well as a remarkably short teaser trailer that was revealed alongside it.
Dragon Quest 12 is going to have a darker tone compared to the recent entries in the series, and it will apparently have a reworked combat system, which will still be turn-based.
Dragon Quest 12's Development is Taking Longer than Expected, But for an Understandable Reason
Over the last decade or so, Square Enix has focused almost entirely on making remakes and spin-offs in the Dragon Quest franchise rather than developing completely new mainline entries. The last installment in the series, Dragon Quest 11, was released in 2017, but it didn't make its way to the West until more than a year later. When Dragon Quest 12 is inevitably released, it's likely that there will be a decade-long gap between the launches of both it and its predecessor. In Square Enix's defense, though, there is at least an understandable reason as to why the game is taking so long to be released.
Dragon Quest 12's development has likely been hampered a lot by the unfortunate deaths of two individuals who were instrumental in the production of the Dragon Quest series: Akira Toriyama and Koichi Sugiyama. Toriyama designed most of the characters and monsters in Dragon Quest, but he sadly died last year at the age of 68. Sugiyama, meanwhile, was one of the main composers of the franchise, and he died in 2021, just a few years after the launch of Dragon Quest 11. Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii said last year that he was worried about Dragon Quest 12's development due to the passing of Toriyama and Sugiyama, but he stated that he would still do his best for the game without them.
Remakes Can Keep Dragon Quest Fans Occupied Until DQ12 Comes Out
Even though it was revealed almost five years ago, it's unlikely that Square Enix will show Dragon Quest 12 off anytime soon, since it seems like the game still isn't close to being finished. That said, remakes like Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined will, at the very least, give fans something to occupy themselves with until the company shares more information about the game. With the rate that these remakes are being released, though, it honestly wouldn't be surprising if Square Enix brought most of the older Dragon Quest games to modern platforms before Dragon Quest 12 was even launched.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- February 5, 2026
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, HexaDrive
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Adventure
