Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake review – reanimated classic

Square Enix’s HD-2D exertion breathes caller beingness into 1 of the astir influential classics successful the JRPG genre.

While 1988’s Dragon Quest 3 was an undoubted classic, that went a agelong mode towards cementing the format of the Japanese role-playing crippled arsenic we cognize it, I wouldn’t fancy playing it these days. Originally released connected the NES (but lone successful the US and Japan), its wispy sprites connected blocky, pixellated backgrounds would consciousness unacceptably basal today. However, Square Enix has a solution for that, successful the signifier of its clever HD-2D technology, which gives past games modern visuals, retaining an overhead presumption and a pixel creation consciousness but adding coagulated 3D backgrounds.

Graphically speaking, I recovered Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake to beryllium much than acceptable erstwhile viewed arsenic a 21st period game. Unlike successful the original, I nary longer had to usage my imaginativeness to decipher textures similar stone, soil oregon water, oregon effects similar flames. Square Enix has besides endowed it with a vibrant colour palette, with greens, reds, and purples that sometimes verge connected the fluorescent, truthful it looks each spot arsenic cheery and upbeat arsenic its wide underlying vibe.

So, acknowledgment to that HD-2D technology, which was pioneered successful retro homage Octopath Traveler and 2022’s remake of Live A Live (as good arsenic Dragon Quest 1 and 2 – this 1 is coming retired archetypal due to the fact that it’s chronologically the archetypal introduction successful the series) this tin present beryllium viewed successful presumption of its gaming merit, alternatively than arsenic a shonky-looking curiosity. And gameplay-wise, it’s rather fascinating – a benignant of archaeological artefact that charts the infinitesimal erstwhile Japanese role-players developed conventions and systems that tin inactive beryllium seen successful enactment today.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D’s conflict strategy is turn-based and you tin gully a consecutive enactment from it to, say, the likewise turn-based Metaphor: ReFantazio. Sure, astatine archetypal its battling seems trivially easy, arsenic the 4 quality enactment instrumentality connected a assortment of cutely named but easy dispatched enemies, but I recovered that it rapidly evolved into thing much challenging and tactical, arsenic my characters levelled up and began encountering bosses.

I adjacent had to scrap my mage, who conscionable wasn’t gaining capable deed points arsenic she levelled up, and past swapped successful a spell-casting replacement. That wasn’t arsenic overmuch of chore arsenic it sounds, since Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D contains a batch of optional broadside missions and has a amazingly ample representation (which, admittedly, Square Enix has expanded for the remake) that rewards exploration. Overall, it provides much than 20 hours of gameplay – much than I expected from specified an aged title.

Story-wise, it tends towards Zelda benignant cuteness and whimsy, with a hint of underlying darkness. Its protagonist is the 16-year-old lad of the legendary warrior who, arsenic helium comes of age, is tasked by the king of his hometown Aliahan (the crippled satellite is precise overmuch of the medieval phantasy ilk) with uncovering and defeating the arch-fiend Baramos, a task his begetter perished portion attempting to complete.

Cue a quest that sends the enactment to each corners of the divers kingdom, archetypal successful hunt of keys to unlock caller areas, past connected the way of Baramos. Pretty modular worldly successful the discourse of modern medieval-style Japanese role-players, but reasonably revolutionary successful the precocious 80s; particularly since each caller metropolis you sojourn has a chiseled vibe arsenic a larboard oregon godforsaken oasis, and the locals talk successful accents recognisable as, for example, Italian oregon Arabic.

There are immoderate unusual quirks, but I recovered them mostly endearing: churches, for example, play a ample part, arsenic they are the lone places wherever you tin prevention the crippled (although random nuns volition occasionally execute that work – a caller concession for the remake). They besides fto you resurrect dormant enactment members (hilariously represented arsenic coffins, aft they autumn successful battle) and assistance curses.

The crippled makes you property a fastener aft important story-advancing conversations with characters, successful bid to sphere those conversations for aboriginal reference, which is simply a spot odd. But it’s besides imaginable to teleport astir the representation and I amassed a immense magnitude of utile objects and equipment, specified arsenic seeds which buff idiosyncratic attributes (such arsenic strength, wisdom, oregon luck) and tin beryllium utilized to code enactment members’ circumstantial deficiencies.

There’s besides a large trading strategy – handily, since having the champion kit tin extremity the equilibrium erstwhile battling – which has besides been rendered much logical since the archetypal game. Deciding whether to equip characters with single-hit weapons that battalion an added punch, oregon weapons that tin onslaught respective enemies per crook besides plays into the tactical quality of the combat.

Square Enix’s subtle but important updates to Dragon Quest 3’s gameplay assistance to make a crippled which feels amazingly coherent and familiar, successful presumption of the conventions of the genre. While its gameplay is beauteous straightforward – cipher would expect a adjacent 40-year-old crippled to innovate – it feels perfectly logical and the much I progressed successful the game, the much extent I perceived successful the gameplay. Which is what Japanese role-players, adjacent now, are each about.

Sure, Dragon Quest 3I HD-2D Remake is simply a curiosity – an 8-bit crippled dragged into the 21st period purely connected the ground of nostalgia (the remake became the best-selling crippled of 2024 successful Japan wrong a week, solely due to the fact that of however fondly the archetypal is remembered). But it’s mode much amusive to play than that inheritance mightiness suggest.

Whether you cognize thing astir Dragon Quest oregon not this offers a satisfyingly meaty acquisition and is endowed with a sweetly guiltless vibe. Anyone who is funny astir the origins of the genre should find Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake fascinating; it’s inactive much entertaining than galore modern equivalents and galore times much charming.

Formats: Xbox Series X/S (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC
Price: £59.99
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Artdink (original: Chunsoft)
Release Date: 14th November 2024
Age Rating: 12

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