You at all times know what you are getting with a mainline Dragon Quest recreation. The sequence is just about the epitome of constant, having caught to its timeless Japanese RPG formulation for many years. However that cozy feeling of familiarity by some means hits even more durable with Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake — a powerfully nostalgic rebuild of a real traditional.
In franchise canon, Dragon Quest 3 takes place earlier than 1 and a couple of; it is like an origin story for the sequence’ recurring heroes and themes. But it surely’s additionally from a time when narrative depth wasn’t a precedence. Other than some late-game revelations, the title’s plot is extremely simple. You are the chosen one and the Large Dangerous have to be stopped. What extra cause do you might want to embark on a globetrotting fantasy journey?
Primary stuff, however in typical Dragon Quest trend, it is all delivered with an enormous quantity of appeal. As at all times, the dialogue is splendidly localised and the remake even has voice performing — though it is a rarity. The overwhelming majority of textual content is simply that — textual content — however key scenes are given a bit of additional spice via spoken phrase.
The remake additionally brings some model new story parts to the desk, most of which develop upon the protagonist’s father, Ortega. Having the ability to relive glimpses of Ortega’s escapades is a pleasant contact, however do not go into this remake anticipating any main changes; the brand new bits and items are few and much between.
At this level you may be considering that the remake’s additions are moderately minimal, however because the awkward ‘HD-2D Remake’ identify implies, the actual star of the present is the sport’s full graphical makeover. Environments now encompass 3D belongings completely — full with some beautiful lighting results — and as you’d count on, this visible evolution is transformative.
The journey is given a a lot better sense of place and goal due to the overhaul. Cities and cities have by no means regarded extra inviting, however we’re maybe most impressed with the overworld map. The sport’s sprawling wilderness feels huge and rather more memorable in 3D, with diverse terrain — each when it comes to seems and elevation — drastically enhancing the precise journey between places.

Talking of which, the remake comes with non-compulsory goal markers. These accustomed to old-school RPGs will understand how obtuse they are often with reference to progressing the story — and Dragon Quest 3 has these potential hurdles in abundance. Particularly afterward, while you’re free to traverse a lot of the map, loads of gamers will be glad about an goal marker or two.
The remake’s high quality of life enhancements cowl fight as properly — however we discover ourselves questioning whether or not it might have gone even additional.
First up, you may improve the velocity of battles, which is one thing to be really grateful for. Whereas we get pleasure from Dragon Quest’s fundamental however pleasantly tactical fight system, the remake retains the unique’s typically glacial tempo as assaults are exchanged alongside informative textual content pop-ups. Having the ability to velocity that alongside actually is a game-changer.
Tying into that, the remake provides two new problem settings which may be chosen at any time. ‘Dracky Quest’ is described as a extra informal mode, whereas ‘Draconian Quest’ is for the hardcore.

However no matter which problem you are on, there is not any getting away from the truth that Dragon Quest 3 is a grindy recreation. Whether or not you want only a few additional ranges to even the chances otherwise you’re brief on gold, grinding via battles that hardly tickle your mind is an everlasting a part of the sequence’ DNA.
And right here within the remake, you actually begin to really feel the tedium. In its transfer to 3D environments, the general scope of the sport’s world has been expanded fairly considerably; dungeons are literally greater than they as soon as had been, and the world map is colossal by comparability. Nevertheless, the speed at which you encounter random battles is seemingly unchanged — and that is an issue.
Generally, it is like you may’t stroll for greater than ten seconds with out being hit with yet one more battle. Specifically, later dungeons can turn into a critical slog, particularly while you’re backtracking to missed treasure chests, and also you’re simply being bombarded with fights in opposition to harder monsters.

You can make use of things that briefly stop encounters, however that finally ends up feeling like a workaround for a difficulty that is unnecessarily exasperated right here within the remake.
Once more, given the opposite high quality of life updates that the remake gives, the stability feels off. Finally, methods to minimize the grind could be welcome — and a toggle that reduces the variety of random battles would make the entire thing a lot simpler to abdomen, particularly for those who’re new to the standard Dragon Quest formulation.
However except for these gameplay hangups, it is actually exhausting to fault this reimaging. The stuff that made Dragon Quest 3 nice remains to be current, like with the ability to create your personal celebration members and assign them distinctive jobs, and it is flanked by worthwhile additions, just like the inclusion of a full-on monster area. Put every little thing collectively, and this comes throughout as a strong however welcoming RPG.
Conclusion
That everlasting Dragon Quest appeal is particularly potent in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake — a considerate repackaging of a traditional RPG. With its high quality of life additions and pleasant 3D visuals, it is easy to argue that that is the journey’s definitive type — even when a few of its structural weaknesses stay in place.