Analysis of the Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake

Dragon Quest returns with its classics revisited for the pleasure of new users and fans of the franchise

Fashions change, transform and evolve. We've experienced it in everything from the way we dress to the way shows are made. Video games are not spared from this transformation either, and digging a little deeper, JRPGs have also undergone this change. Fortunately for us, we can relive this gameplay and this way of understanding the role thanks to Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. A reinvention that gives us Square Enix and it recovers the classic essence that made the franchise great, but with a completely renewed visual aspect.

The fate of the world on our shoulders

They spent a lot 36 years since this third part of the so-called Erdrick trilogy. And while it may seem like a direct continuation of previous iterations, it is a prequel in its own right. A good way to know all the facts about our heroes, in addition to having other luxuries like an open world that moves away from the linearity of the first and second parts.

In Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake we will control a hero destined to change the world. We We will play as the son or daughter of Ortega, a fallen hero in his mission to end Baramos, the villain of the day. When we turn 16, we will be destined to complete the mission that our father began, and to do so, he will have to travel the world in the company of three other warriors to end the evil plaguing the kingdom.

A path full of deeds

This is a traditional JRPG. Very traditional. This implies aspects which today can be quite boring. We will form a squad composed of four warriors with different roles at our disposal. There will be classic warrior or magician, to thieves, paladins or even beast tamers. With the trained team, we will explore towns, caves and dungeons in search of clues that will lead us to the location of Baramos himself.

Once fully in action, we will have random fights that we will resolve based on turn-based combat. The initial approach to these fights, the animations, the interface… everything has this “retro” aftertaste which cannot be hidden despite the impressive facelift of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. An approach which may not be entirely user-friendly, especially given the high frequency of these encounters. There are times when not even five seconds pass between the end of one match and the start of another.

Experience is a diploma

There are obviously improvements in life. We can make fights resolve automatically, or even speed up animations to make it more enjoyable. Despite these speeds, we must always be aware of what is happening on the screen, because a bad play or a critical hit from the opponent can exhaust our team. Like I said, it's a classic role and it means ending badly if one of the team bites the dust. The best way to solve this problem will be “leveling” to our team. On several occasions, I had to force the fight to gain experience. A technique that was used before and which contrasts with the direct format that other current titles have like the recent Visions of Manawhich I also had the pleasure of analyzing.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake features some attention-grabbing elements due to being ahead of its time. In addition to the possibility of choosing the class of each character, there is the possibility of Capture and fight with the game's monsters. Like a kind of very rudimentary Pokémon that considerably extends the hours of play. In addition to gaining experience through combat, we can also improve their statistics if we combine them with others of the same species. A good idea if you want to spend more time in the world remodeled by Square-Enix.

with open mouth

And speaking of renovation, The visual rendering obtained with this role-playing game is incredible. There is a symbiosis between the pixelation of the characters and the three-dimensional modeling of the settings which fit them like a glove. It's not like what we saw in Octopath Traveler… it's even more detailed, organic and interactive. Simply the first scene, with the waterfalls in the background, the lighting of the forest and the detail of the leaves, makes us feel inside from the first second.

Where it falters a little more is in the combat sequences. We see here that they didn't want to get too involved in the redesign or where the generational leap is most visible. The settings when we are in the middle of the action, or the entertainment offered by the fights are purely anecdotal. The menus have also not been changed and the way they are presented is quite austere and simple.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the sound section of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. The text is translated into Spanish (and localized, always a very important aspect in this saga) and the voices can be heard in English or Japanese. Of course, We will continue to have the typical tunes of the saga, which are incredibly good. If you're having a bad day, there's nothing better than traveling the world map while spicy fanfares in all their splendor.

Dragon Quest III 2D-HD Remake Conclusion

Square-Enix wants to stir up our nostalgia (seasoned with a touch of freshness) thanks to this revisited version of one of its classic gems. The launch of Dragon Quest III may be too far away for many people, but with this reimagining we will be able to enjoy one of the best games released at the time. And although it contains aspects that are now boring, like the frequency of random fights, or the crude animations in battles, everything is compensated by an incredible sound part and a very striking visual style. If you want an “old school” role-playing title, there's no better way to enjoy it than with this remake that we already have in our hands.