The announcement of the Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake wasn’t specifically made at the most recent Nintendo Direct, as it had technically been announced before then, but it was at that showcase that we got to see the first true footage of it. Said footage looked good and proved once again why the HD-2D style is such a hit with companies like Square Enix; it can breathe new life into the old-school sprite-style of RPGs and give players something new and fresh to look at while they still play and “old-school RPG.” Since its announcement, numerous new details have dropped about what people can expect from the game.
We’ve already covered some of the details, such as how there will be multiple difficulty modes and even a Performance Mode on PS5. However, insiders like Genki got to experience a special preview with the title, and that led to them having a bunch of details to spill, which they did on Twitter:
We’ll break down the key elements for you. For example, the main story will be mostly the same as the iconic original. However, there will be some improvements as you would expect. Sadly, the late, great Akira Toriyama wasn’t a part of this remake, though the spirit of his designs is very much intact within the game.
The graphics aren’t the only thing getting quality-of-life improvements; there will be multiple gameplay improvements, too. There will be Auto-Battles and an Auto-Save feature, the game’s camera will shift around during battle to keep things dramatic, new sounds will be heard during the game, and, of course, there will be voice acting!
They’ve even gone and improved the world map so that it has more detail, and will be present on the screen all the time so you can guide yourself around.
Also, if you don’t recall from the Nintendo Direct itself, the Dragon Quest III remake isn’t the only one that’s coming. The first two games in the series are getting an HD-2D remake as well. This way, people can play the legendary trilogy in chronological order of the game’s internal timeline. Yes, the third game is technically the first game. It makes sense within the story, we promise!
Regardless, the game looks good, and it seems like it’s going to play even better. For those who have wanted nothing more than to enjoy these classic RPGs from Square Enix’s past, you’ll soon get your chance, as the first one arrives later this year, with the other two arriving in 2025.
