Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake First Impression: Classic DQ has never been so good
Blog Andrew Joseph 27 May , 2025 0
Interestingly, in its local Japan, the Dragon Quest is said to be more popular than Final Fantasy, which is more popular abroad. This is the most obvious for any fan of fantasy anime, who will find the undeniable influence of Dragon Quest on this genre, from monster designs like Slimes to other fantasy rivals pioneered by the early Dragon Quest Games.
As someone who grew up primarily in the United States, I was more familiar with the Final Fantasy series in the gamers’ camps and had a great time getting familiar with Dragon Quest. Plus, while fans were craving new productions like Dragon Quest 11, for someone like me, it was an older Dragon Quest game, and for someone like me, they were more interested in the legacy of the series.
It also means it's been a very good few years for me, as Square Enix has finally remade these older, much-loved Dragon Quest games for modern systems and have a new look. Instead of a full polygon upgrade, Square Enix uses a retro fusion of HD-2D they call the Octopus series to revive modern audiences like Dragon Quest 3 (like Dragon Quest 3). Then, for the next remake, the Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D remake will be later this year.
Although released before Dragon Quest 3, Dragon Quest 1 and Dragon Quest 2 are actually sequels, so it is correct to play Dragon Quest 3, 1 and 2 in chronological order in the game's universe. I had the chance to play the next two on PlayStation 5 recently and I was even more excited to find these early Dragon Quest champions.
The best way to play the original Dragon Quest game
The first three Dragon Quest games include “Erdrick Trilogy”, named after the heroes of Dragon Quest 3. Say that in Dragon Quest 3, Erdrick succeeded in saving his mission from evil. You will then be a descendant of Erdrick in Dragon Quest 1&2. So Square Enix actually released these games in chronological order, which is good.
Until these remakes, these contents were released on ports on mobile devices and on certain consoles, but there is no need to bother with these ports now unless you want a truly classic experience.
How Square Enix Modernizes Dragon Quest
Given the legendary status of these games, Square Enix has to go some ropes to try to maintain parts that fans already like while modernizing some of the more outdated locations. I've been told that, besides the art style, these changes are often related to gameplay and storytelling. For example, in Dragon Quest 1, there is no party system in the series yet, so the entire campaign is conducted using a single character fighting one enemy at a time. This has changed so that now the player is still solo, but faces multiple enemies immediately.
Compared with modern RPG, these two games are also “short”, how long will it take to go? Dragon Quest 1 is about 10 hours, although Dragon Quest 2 dials up to 16 hours Game time. Square Enix said they have stepped up some content and cutscenes to try to raise those numbers a little, but don't expect to play 100 hours of RPG suddenly.
Bilong Quest 3 HD-2D looks better
Of course, the main attraction of the remake is the visual style. Square Enix advocates this HD-2D art style – in which the pixelated 2D player character model exists in a vibrant 3D world. Although already playing games like Octopus Traveler 2 and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D in this art style, it looks better in the upcoming series.
The texture is even clearer, making the contrast between 2D pixels and 3D World Starker, but therefore more striking. 2D pixels have also been upgraded, although you may not realize it at first. I compared some screenshots of Square Enix with my Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D copy, which run on switches, they are completely different, and the Pixelwork in Dragon 1&2 HD-2D looks more exhaustive and complex than with Pixels. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D.
The character model is a little bigger and looks particularly refined in the new remake of armor and weapons. I discovered the artistic style, coupled with the gorgeous music, which brought me completely into the world of Dragon Quest. Square Enix put some chips during my preview event and I found myself chewing while focusing on the story of discovering the wreckage of the Fallen Kingdom in the Heroes Party.
In a sense, the storyline of Dragon Quest is “classic” and the Trope-ish environment are easier to appreciate than it was a decade ago. Nowadays, with high-end graphics in graphics, and storylines trying to compete with the biggest movies and TV shows, Dragon Quest reminds people that some stories are timeless and there is a reason. I look forward to playing both HD-2D remakes when all major systems (including the Nintendo Switch 2) are released on October 30, 2025.
Matt Kim is an advanced feature editor for IGN.