According to a new video on Square Enix’s Japanese YouTube channel, the company is considering making more HD-2D remakes. The revelation came as part of the new Asano Team Development Radio podcast that was posted to the Square Enix channel. Asano Team is the group within Square Enix that is led by Tomoya Asano. The team is known for creating Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler, and Triangle Strategy. The last two of which are HD-2D games.
The term “HD-2D” was coined with the release of Octopath Traveler. The game was the first to use the new graphics style that merges retro SNES-style graphics with modern HD games. Octopath Traveler featured high-definition environments and effects with SNES-style character sprites on top. The graphics of Octopath Traveler were so popular that Square Enix has announced other games will be made using the same style. Triangle Strategy, which releases on March 4, is the next game from Asano Team and features the HD-2D style. Square Enix has also announced HD-2D remakes of SNES classics Dragon Quest III and Live A Live.
According to the podcast, Square Enix president, Yosuke Matsuda specifically requested more remakes be made with the HD-2D style. Asano Team prepared multiple options that they felt could be done in HD-2D and presented them to Matsuda. Live A Live was the title chosen. The game was announced earlier this month, during the Nintendo Direct, and will release in July. Actraiser was second on the list of games that Asano Team proposed. That game was remade and released last year. However, it doesn’t seem to be counted as an HD-2D title as the game is more of an updated SNES graphics style rather than the HD-2D style.
If Square Enix is successful with Live A Live later this year, the HD-2D style may be used for many more remakes to come.
