The Dragon Quest 3 remake delivers classic RPG comfort food with an ‘HD-2D’ sheen

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The Dragon Quest games have hewed to tradition over the past four decades. Series creator Yuji Horii, inspired by Ultima and Wizardry, aimed to bring role-playing games to the masses with simplicity and a smile. That same philosophy is applied to Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, a new version of the 1988 original that retains the game’s classic, turn-based battles and random encounters but softens its old-school edges and gives it a prettier-than-ever coat of paint.

Square Enix’s latest game in the HD-2D family doesn’t fuss with the simplicity and approachability of Dragon Quest. It does, however, make it easier to play than ever, and gives longtime fans a few new things to do. Dragon Quest 3 has, after all, been repackaged and rereleased multiple times across console generations. This version ranks among the best.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake tells largely the same story as its inspiration: Players take on the role of a hero, the offspring of a long-lost warrior named Ortega, tasked by the king with dispatching an evil, world-conquering entity known as Baramos. The hero rallies a team of allies, each with their own vocations and personalities, and sets off for a classic hero’s journey with at least one fun twist.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is comforting in that way. I knew what to expect throughout the experience: I would battle a long list of Akira Toriyama-designed monsters in random encounters, level up my hero and his party, earn gold and experience, and grow ever stronger in my quest to avenge my father.

Square Enix and developer Artdink help modernize this old-school experience with some concessions. There are three difficulty options from the start, and battles can be sped up to “ultra-fast” velocity so that they take mere seconds. Thank goodness, because you randomly encounter so many monsters. Movement through the world is also speedy; I feel like I’m in command of a fast-forward button at all times.

Battles are relatively simplistic by modern RPG standards, but they offer some level of tactical control. By default, I can command my character as I wish — casting spells, fighting with weapons, defending, etc. — and let my party members attack automatically. Additionally, there are a handful of behavior settings for party members; I can task them to attack aggressively, conserve mana, focus on healing, or play defensively. Or I can take full control of each of my party members, choosing the specific tactics, turn by turn, that I want to focus on to win a battle.

There’s a surprising depth to Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, which is replete with weapons, spells, vocations, and personalities. Party members can be swapped in and out at Patty’s Party Planning Place in town, so building a party suited to the task at hand is easy. (It’s also guilt-free, as you have little personal attachment to your crew. It’s all about the hero.)

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake gives the original game a huge graphical overhaul in the HD-2D style, which pairs 16-bit-esque pixelated characters with lavishly rendered 3D backgrounds. The HD-2D spin on Dragon Quest 3 deviates from the look seen in previous entries. Instead of the dark vignetting of Octopath Traveler or the graphically varied and chunky Live A Live, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is cheerfully bright and soft. The developers have gone too far in that regard, though — the stylistic gulf between the pixelated characters and the full 3D backgrounds is too pronounced. I’d have preferred a look that retains some level of pixelization to the game environments.

I can’t fault the game’s pixel work, though. Toriyama’s monsters look gorgeous in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, thanks to the rich detail in their attacks and dying animations in turn-based battles. Every time an enemy Slime wiggles on screen, I have to smile. The same is true for the classic Dragon Quest themes and sound effects in this remake, which are as gloriously vintage as the gameplay.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake does introduce some compelling new additions to the original and its remakes. That includes the Monster Arena, a monster auto-battling tournament that feels lightly Pokémon-inspired. That mechanic is paired with a new vocation, Monster Wrangler — a hybrid attack/healing class that aids you in collecting the rare friendly monsters you encounter. You can send your friendly monsters into the battle arena, which offers a nice, light tactical diversion to the adventure. Plus, the more friendly monsters you collect, the stronger your Wrangler class gets, making the vocation an incredibly well-designed addition.

For the Dragon Quest-curious, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake offers a slickly designed new way into the venerable RPG franchise. It’s a solid starting point, thanks to its relative simplicity and ease of play. It’s also the very first Dragon Quest game chronologically, setting up the story for next year’s Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake. So if you’ve ever been charmed by Dragon Quest’s Slimes but weren’t sure where to start on your adventure, strangely, it’s the glossy remake of the third installment in the franchise. 

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake will be released on Nov. 14 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on PS5 using a pre-release download code provided by Square Enix. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.