Man, so earlier this month, I finally dove into Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on my Switch. Gotta admit, never tried the original, but two things smacked me right in the face. First off, those sprites? Gorgeous, like really. Second, just like those old games, it gets super grindy. Like, painfully so. Your choices are stick it out or switch to this “Dracky Mode” where you basically can’t lose. Guess what? I totally went Dracky. No shame.
Oh, and this was after a quick 25-minute spin with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on the PS5 at PAX East 2025. Needed to get my bearings before scribbling out this preview. Here’s the thing, though—game mechanics? Not much to yap about. The whole vibe they’re going for? Way more intriguing, I swear.
So, let’s dig in. In Dragon Quest I’s demo part, I wandered from a quaint town into the wild and into some spooky cave. Fought a bit, strolled around… and yeah, not a ton of new stuff jumped out. But it looks stunning. The tweaks, like battling multiple monsters, add some nice complexity layers to the old vibe.
Dragon Quest II, man, it’s a looker too, kinda in that Dragon Quest III remake way—camera angles and all. If you remember II from back in the day, you know it’s a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it game. Not quite the oddball of the series, but it’s tough, a weird middle child between the grind-fest of the first and the sprawling world of the third.
Honestly, a few minutes don’t tell you much, but if Square Enix gave II the same TLC as III (speedy battles, difficulty settings, comfy experience), then yeah, this might be the perfect way for fans to ease into a game that’s been, let’s say, complicated for them.
Okay, here’s what really stuck with me, and maybe it’s just me, but the devs really seemed to craft I & II as follow-ups to that III remake from last year. Erdrick in III, then comes I & II with his descendants. Beyond just looking great, I & II introduces new stuff to bind this trio of remakes together, making the III → I → II journey feel more, I dunno, seamless?
Some rep from Square Enix told me that playing these upcoming remakes is about as long as last year’s Dragon Quest III remake—around 30-40 hours on basic settings. They got all giddy when I guessed they wanted to make II more chill; they confirmed, paraphrasing here, that II’s upgrades were a big deal for them.
Oh! And today’s Dragon Quest Day newsflash—Square Enix says Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake drops on October 30 (Switch 2 included!). My initial thoughts? “Looks like they nailed it again, just like with III!” But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see their big plans for this remake. Seriously, keep an eye on it.
