Our VerdictDragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
Our VerdictDragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
Our Verdict
Our Verdict
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
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I didn’t think I’d get emotional over another run through Dragon Quest 3, of all games. It’s decades old, has sold millions of copies, and has already been remade twice. The “HD-2D” look this time around may be very well done, but it’s hardly unique. I thought this would be one more reheated round with something inoffensively retro and pleasantly familiar, as quickly cleared as it would be forgotten after.
Need to knowWhat is it?A brilliant remake of a legendary RPGRelease date:November 14, 2024Expect to pay:£49.99 / $60Developer:Square Enix, ArtdinkPublisher:Square EnixReviewed on:Intel i9-13900HX, RTX 4090 (laptop), 32GB RAMSteam Deck:VerifiedMultiplayer?NoLink:Official website
Need to know
What is it?A brilliant remake of a legendary RPGRelease date:November 14, 2024Expect to pay:£49.99 / $60Developer:Square Enix, ArtdinkPublisher:Square EnixReviewed on:Intel i9-13900HX, RTX 4090 (laptop), 32GB RAMSteam Deck:VerifiedMultiplayer?NoLink:Official website
What is it?A brilliant remake of a legendary RPG
Release date:November 14, 2024
Expect to pay:£49.99 / $60
Developer:Square Enix, Artdink
Publisher:Square Enix
Reviewed on:Intel i9-13900HX, RTX 4090 (laptop), 32GB RAM
Steam Deck:Verified
Multiplayer?No
Link:Official website
I wanted to explore just for the pleasure of seeing where I’d end up next and who I’d get to meet when I got there, or which impressively animated pixel monsters I’d do battle with. The dungeons have never been as intimidating and claustrophobic as they are here, the warm glow of my brave hero’s trusty lantern gently pushing back the dark. These seemingly small details breathe new life into something old, familiar—and excellent. Dragon Quest 3 has always been a perfect capsule of the very best of the traditional side of the genre, innocence turned into something epic. There are ships to sail, kings to visit, volcanoes to climb and wrongs to right, but the scale of it all—especially the parts only lightly sketched out in most RPGs—is so grand that even just visiting a new town feels like an adventure. These aren’t places to stock up on items and instantly leave; you can poke around and come to feel at home in them, then visit again at night and see what’s open and who’s out and about in the early hours of the day.
Dragon Quest 3’s job system really enlivens battles that only on the surface look like so many other classic RPGs. The warrior, priest, and mage starter trio are sensible, safe, and soon give way to whip-wielding thieves capable of hitting entire groups of enemies at once, treasure hunting merchants with their own questline, and even the unpredictable gadabout, a real clown of a character who is often as much a hindrance as a help.
The skills you learn are built upon over time, leading to characters with an incredible and wholly unique set of abilities. Each party and every playthrough I’ve done over the years has felt entirely my own as a result. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D retains all of that and adds so much more.
Old warriors, new tricks
Image1of7(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
Image1of7(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
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(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
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(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
I always have some idea what I’m doing but still have to explore like it’s my first time playing. Getting that magical new adventurer feeling back in a game as old as this is a real gift.
How the game within this gorgeous remade world behaves is largely up to me. It only takes a quick trip to the menu to tune Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D until it fairly closely recreates the 1988 original’s somewhat unforgiving experience. Or I can go all-in on 2024 comforts. When played inye olde wayeI have to pay close attention to the flavourful NPC dialogue (now occasionally dubbed with a wide range of British accents, encompassing everything from thick cockney to rich northern tones) if I want to learn where to head next, and spend time running around in circles grinding for XP and gold to survive the challenges ahead. I can still allow the game to take a good chunk of my hard-earned cash if I die in the middle of a dungeon because I pushed my luck instead of sensibly retreating to safety, same as it used to.
Image1of3(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
Image1of3(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
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(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
(Image credit: Square Enix)
The game is just as happy to lean hard in the other direction. A convenient bookmarking feature lets me save any conversation I’ve heard and then replay it back whenever I like, sparing me the frustration of standing in an open plain and wondering if the helpful person I spoke to earlier said I needed to head south then east, or east then south. If I’m still not sure where to go I can bring up a handy minimap any time I please, and then dismiss it the instant I decide I’m done with it. If I’ve been away for a while I can have the game remind me of my current objectives and even mark the precise location I need to visit next—and individually hide these features any time I’d rather head off and explore under my own steam. Dragon Quest 3 doesn’t mind how I tweak it, so long as I’m having a good time.
Battles have their own short but sweet set of customisation options, allowing me to easily speed up or slow down the new combat animations whenever I choose (even every turn), and decide how much of a challenge I want the fights to be. The easy “Dracky Quest” setting is so generous it prevents my party from dying in battle. On the other hand the Draconian Quest setting is ready and willing to try and kill off my team whenever I dare activate it, and the frequently updated autosave is still there to catch them if I need it to (or be completely ignored, if I’d rather suffer the old fashioned way).
(Image credit: Square Enix)
One person’s modern helpful addition will always be another’s retro RPG ruiner, and this version of Dragon Quest 3 is smart enough to let everyone decide exactly where that line lies for them.
It’s a perfect remake. The changes are substantial yet respectful, supremely nostalgic and surprising all at once. This is more than RPG history made accessible to modern audiences, this is a great RPG for anyone who longs to go on a fantastic (dragon) quest.
The Verdict91Read our review policyDragon Quest 3 HD-2D RemakeDragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
The Verdict
The Verdict
91Read our review policyDragon Quest 3 HD-2D RemakeDragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
91Read our review policy
91
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D RemakeDragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic.
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