Hot off the back of the HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III last year, we’re heavily anticipating the follow-ups with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake in October. After getting some hands-on preview time with both games, we can confidently say that it’s more classic RPG greatness revisited, and the wait has just become that much harder.
Starting with Dragon Quest 1, players control a descendant of Erdrick, the hero from Dragon Quest III. My adventure with the game saw me on the hunt for a thief’s key. Pursuing and catching a swindler, an interrogation reveals I’m to go to another dungeon some ways away.
Wandering the great overworld, I’m caught with the same wonder that I got in Dragon Quest III HD-2D prior. The great unknown stood out in front of me. Dense forestry saw me happen into more encounters. Going up against slimes and the like, I’m engaging in that simple, homely turn-based combat that I don’t have to think much; just push buttons and see me win, accruing gold, experience and items. Rarely do I have to pause and change tactics. Dragon Quest let me cruise along and feel like the ultimate champion and hero who will change the world.
My hands-on time amalgamated in a fight with the thief I was hearing whispers about. They’re a buff scantily clad figure with a green hood over their head, called Robin ‘Ood and in tow are their ‘oodlings. They’re a callback boss encounter from DQ3, and the game even makes a point to nod to the fact that they are a descendant of the prior baddie. Once more, the world is filled with whimsy, and it effortlessly charms me.
Shifting over to Dragon Quest II, you’re in control of the prince of Midenhall. My time here saw me journeying through a dungeon that was a giant lighthouse with twisty, windy paths and filled to the brim with beasties eager to knock me down and halt my progress.
Again playing the same as its predecessors, what mostly took with my hands-on time here was just how picturesque, vibrant and lovely the world can be. With all the kinks ironed out and everything prettier than ever, it’s the best way to play these early RPGs.
Crystal blue seas that await on your first journey to that lighthouse in Dragon Quest II, flames dancing on torches in a temple dungeon to create a feeling of adventure and atmosphere in that first game… we’re in for a good, and bloody gorgeous time with Dragon Quest I and II HD-2D Remake.
It’s not a long wait now. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake releases on October 30 for PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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Checkpoint Gaming was flown to Sydney as a guest of Square Enix for the purpose of this preview.
About the Author
Charlie Kelly
She/Her, They/Them
Charlie loves her video games as much as she loves dumb, charming JRPG protagonists: probably way too much. You can often catch her spending too much time being emotional over LGBT stories in games. She also thinks Yakuza 6 is the best one.
