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Lately, I’ve tried many new RPGs and a few other remakes of classic ones. I’ve gradually learned that jumping into these gigantic games is like opening some of these modern mystery boxes. While you expect what might come, you only know what will be inside once you dive headfirst. In my case, I always expect an RPG to have a heartfelt story, a memorable world, a top-notch combat system, and something that sells me that feeling of being an adventurer — Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake does this all flawlessly. It might feel dated due to specific design choices, yet it is still an exceptional adventure from start to finish.
Formerly known as Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation or simply Dragon Warrior III, it is the culmination of the famous Erdrick Trilogy, encompassing Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II as well. However, the third entry is the first one in chronological order, making it the perfect way to start one’s Dragon Quest journey. Also, as someone who’s followed the series in an on-and-off way, I can confidently say that this one is one of the best this legendary franchise has to offer. And beyond that, the new art style and QoL features make it a must-play for any RPG fan.
Destiny’s Child
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake puts us in the shoes of the child of Ortega, the realm’s hero who failed to defeat the Archfiend Baramos. During your character’s 16th birthday, you take up your father’s mantle to accomplish what he couldn’t achieve. Accompanied by three other adventurers, you set out on a realm-wide quest, one of the most endearing I’ve experienced. I could tell you more about the overarching narrative, but I’d rather stop here and discuss other broader aspects. The pacing, for example.
The plot takes a while to get going. Initially, you leave your home and meet the realm’s cheapskate king, who only gives you the worst starter pack ever and his blessing to take on the world’s worst foe. I guess the economy wasn’t that great at the time, but I digress. After that, you go from beautiful town to beautiful town, recovering keys and orbs to reach the Archfiend’s lair. In those hours, the main story tends to suffer a bit from the pacing and lack of overall connection. But once it all comes together, it makes way for one of the series’ best plot twists.
Fortunately, the side quests mitigate the somewhat slow pacing of the main story’s opening hours. As you traverse this gorgeous world, you’ll encounter fairy villages, desert towns, and other colorful locales with their troubles. Since I decided to explore everything thoroughly, I couldn’t help but feel like a main character from the anime shows I used to watch as a kid. Arriving at a new location, solving a contained issue, and then moving on to defeat the big baddie threatening the realm felt highly immersive. In a way, I felt I was part of this world as I traveled from town to town.
Despite my complaint about the pacing, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake has one of the best plots in the series. When it reaches its highest notes, it never quiets down and continues to crescendo until the end. Also, while I know many are already familiar with this hero’s story, I won’t delve into its details further because it is a narrative worth experiencing without any spoilers.
Old-School RPG Greatness
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake brings a familiar old-school turn-based gameplay. After playing modern RPGs, such as Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven and Metaphor: ReFantazio, it took me a while to get the hang of it. For starters, encounters are random, similar to how tall grass works in Pokemon. You walk around the overworld or dungeon, and foes will likely jump you. I don’t mind this system, but the frequency of encounters was a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, the game allows you to give orders to your party members to let them auto-battle. Also, if you’re not keen on facing a pack of monsters every ten steps, you can change the difficulty, breeze through some fights, and then turn it up again for the more challenging encounters.
Beyond that, I also liked how the game abandons some of the more time-consuming aspects of combat. You can now alter the combat’s speed on the fly. Also, your camera takes a first-person perspective when attacking monsters, cutting a battle’s time in half since there are no party animations for you to see. At first, I missed seeing my characters. Yet, it was refreshing to go straight to the fight instead of watching the same move for the hundredth time.
For those looking for strategic combat, boy, you’re in for a treat. Often, I found myself in many hairy situations where grinding beforehand would’ve been ideal. You don’t have fancy icons to show you an enemy’s weakness. Usually, you just have to hit them with everything you have and pray you see red or yellow numbers, which denote weakness or a critical hit, respectively. There are many ways to kick monster butts in the game, meaning there’s plenty of room for experimentation.
Forming the Ideal Party
Speaking of experimentation, one of my favorite aspects of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was building the perfect party. When you get free reins to embark on your quest, you can head to Patty’s Party Planning Place and create your three ideal adventurers. You can edit their body type, hair color, outfit design, and vocation. There’s also an option to assign certain stat points to them, which is good for those who know what they’re doing with the stat growth and point allocation.
However, party customization doesn’t end there. This game lets you create some whacky equipment options for your allies. For instance, the protagonist’s vocation, Hero, can use most of the equipment. Whips, Swords, and Lances are just a few weapons they can use. The new Monster Wrangler, however, can equip a boomerang that attacks every enemy or a sword to focus on single-target damage. Add to that the many skills and spells you get after leveling up, and you can create a solid party to stick around for the entire game if you so desire.
The one thing I found a bit tiresome but could circumvent after finding a good route was leveling new characters. Since all of them start at level 1, they will be way behind in terms of levels. Because of that, I avoided trying new vocations the further I progressed into the game. And while there’s an option to swap jobs at a certain point, it can also get a bit grindy, but not as bad as with a fresh adventurer.
Lastly, there is a personality system that feels like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows you to create a perfect character with specific stat growths. Some items can swap a party member’s personality on the spot. On the other hand, I didn’t find it too beginner-friendly. It didn’t deter me from trying new personalities on my companions, but I didn’t delve into it much. Frankly, it felt a bit overwhelming. Still, I like how the game offers you options to dig deep into the game’s stats system or enjoy the story with your eclectic group. Ultimately, it depends on the type of player you are.
The HD-2D Style Steals the Show Again
Above all, the art style of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the true highlight. We’ve already seen these visuals in games like Octopath Traveler. Yet, they are beyond gorgeous in this game. The medley of 3D-like environments with old-school pixel art and dynamic lighting remains one of the best visual combinations in the video game industry.
Throughout the journey, the places that shined the most were the towns and dungeons. My jaw dropped as I entered Portoga, and I didn’t want to leave some of the game’s final dungeons. All of these setpieces are works of art that deserve every minute of your time.
The overworld, however, isn’t bad, but it isn’t as surprising as the towns. Yes, it is great to traverse a land modeled after our planet, but I often tried to rush from one locale to another to see how they all looked. Still, it was great to have an expansive map that usually lured me to its most hidden corners and, fortunately, most held a few secrets or items to help me in my journey.
A Reminder of How a Proper Adventure Should Be
Despite my minor complaints, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake reminded me why I fell in love with the genre. Modern RPGs try to get you from point A to point B as fast as possible. It even feels like some games want us to reach the end without taking everything in. Others bring huge open worlds with little to do. But this one does the opposite. It offers an immersive world that is worth exploring thoroughly. It draws you in and enthralls you with the colorful locales, extensive character customization, and slow-paced but heartfelt narrative.
With the first two games getting the same treatment soon, this is the perfect time to jump into the trilogy. Whether you’re a newcomer to the series or a veteran fan trying to experience the franchise’s beginnings, this adventure will leave you beyond satisfied. With so many RPGs this year, Square Enix keeps proving it knows how to deliver some of the most unforgettable adventures in this evergrowing genre.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (PC Reviewed)
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the best way to experience this RPG classic. With new QoL features, expanded story content, and a gorgeous new visual style, this is an unmatched entry in the whole franchise. And while there are a few things that feel dated, it still stands out as a masterpiece of the genre.
Pros
- A gorgeous art style
- Many options to customize your party
- An intricate world to explore
Cons
- The story starts slow
- The personality system might be overwhelming for new players
