All things come to those who wait, and this Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake is perfect proof of that. The project was announced three years ago. Three long years during which players have essentially had to deal with Square Enix's silence. But for once, the studio's silence wasn't in vain. It was finally during the Nintendo Direct last June that we discovered the true extent of the project. Why develop only one game when you can prepare three at once? To the delight of fans, the initial remake has been transformed into a complete trilogy.
To respect the chronological order of this video game triptych, it is therefore with Dragon Quest 3 that the festivities begin. The other two games will arrive as a single game in 2025. Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake has been available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and PC since November 14, but does it live up to the hype? If you're still hesitating to take the plunge this weekend or to slip this title under the tree next month, here are three reasons to fall for this classic RPG perfectly brought up to date.
Discover the remake of Erdrick's adventures
The charm of retro, but better
Have you always wanted to get into the first Dragon Quest games, but the games that are too old put you off? It must be said that the role-playing games of the time don't make it easy for us. The slow gameplay, the visuals and the complex structure of the adventure end up getting the better of even the most seasoned gamers. That’s where remakes come in, to give a new audience a chance. But sometimes these versions distort the original experience. When that happens, there’s no good way to experience the game in question. Fortunately, Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake manages to find a perfect balance to convince younger players as well as veterans.
There is no doubt about it: the artistic direction started by Octopath Traveler in 2018 is the best thing that has happened to Square Enix in recent years. The HD-2D formula offers a whole host of advantages, both for players and developers. In addition to offering visuals that combine nostalgia and modernity, building a world in such an engine requires less effort than with the new standards in terms of AAA production. By applying this approach to the remake of DQ3, the teams were able to focus their efforts on the atmosphere of the title, which is particularly effective. This new generation pixel art allows to preserve the retro identity of the title while making it even more lively. Ultimately, it's a bit like bringing to life the images that young players had when discovering this adventure for the first time in 1988.
Game comfort and accessibility
In addition to the visuals that have been unanimously acclaimed since the first trailers, what about the gameplay? Some of you may be wondering if the remake is too sanitized, or if on the contrary, it is still too hard for beginners. Rest assured: Dragon Quest 3 will please everyone. From the first menus, the game lets us choose from many accessibility and comfort options, so that everyone can customize their experience as they wish. It is notably possible to change the difficulty of the fights, but this is not where the complexity of the game lies.
Dragon Quest 3 is an old-school RPG, where each dialogue can contain the solution for the rest of the adventure, provided you stay focused and know how to read between the lines. If you're worried about losing track of the adventure and not knowing what to do, one of the best new features is the ability to display the current objective on the map. This way, it's impossible to miss the next trigger for the main quest, which isn't always easy to find without this extra help.
The title also comes with all the features needed for a more modern adventure (but always at the player's discretion). It is possible to press B to move faster or to speed up the fights to avoid being affected by the random actions of teammates and enemies. A real pleasure, since a little more pace never hurts in this kind of game. Let's also note the presence of a automatic save system which is more than welcome. This serves as a real safety net in case of forgetfulness, because there is nothing worse than losing several hours in such an RPG. The classic save via churches, specific to the Dragon Quest franchise, remains accessible and highly recommended.
An epic to take everywhere
Thanks to the PC and Switch versions, this magnificent adventure never leaves us. On Steam Deck OLED, the title is truly resplendent and has no performance issues. If you were planning to slip a PC console under the tree at Christmas, Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake is an excellent title to accompany this new investment. As with Octopath Traveler 2, the Switch version of this game is far from being up to par with its competitors, but remains satisfactory all the same.
And who knows, maybe Nintendo's next console will manage to sublimate the graphics of this adventure. In the meantime, Dragon Quest 3 remains an excellent addition to the Switch library, which we highly recommend to all role-playing game fans. It is also more comfortable to enjoy this remake on portable machines than on PS5 or Xbox Series. Unless you have a massive television, you will have to squint to read the menus and dialogues during your adventure…
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