With a release date finally announced during today’s Nintendo Direct, Square-Enix has finally lifted the veil and shown off Dragon Quest III HD-2D for the first time in years in hopes of bringing the Erdrick trilogy to a new generation. While Square-Enix didn’t explicitly come out and say that they had plans for a trilogy during the hands-on preview, they noted that they wanted to start with Dragon Quest III chronologically as it was the first to come in the series. Nintendo spilled the beans during today's Nintendo Direct, announcing that the first two Dragon Quest titles are also getting the HD-2D treatment in 2025.
Our preview for Dragon Quest III HD-2D opened with a brief greeting by Dragon Quest Creator and Game Designer Yuji Horii and a brief refresher on the series by Producer Masaaki Hayasaka. They spoke briefly on how Dragon Quest III HD-2D is a remake of the 1988 title Seeds of Salvation and while it is the third numbered title in the series, it’s recommended for new fans to jump in as this takes place the earliest in the series timeline. For the most part, Dragon Quest III HD-2D remains true to the original, with the battle system, storyline, and other fundamental aspects remaining largely intact while introducing many improvements for the modern era.
Later, Hayasaka-san spoke briefly about the changes to how players will experience “a global journey” in Dragon Quest III HD-2D. Many modern conveniences are seamlessly integrated into the core gameplay, from tutorials and the ability to quick-save to mini-maps and destination guides meant to keep players on the right path. Players can also use the Zoom spell of Chimaera Wing to escape dungeons, which was only introduced in later Dragon Quest titles. The team also wanted to touch on how the story has been expanded with additional episodes written with Horii’s blessing but didn’t have the opportunity to tell us what those might be.
As the series approaches its 40th anniversary (Dragon Quest originally debuted in Japan in 1986), Armor Project wanted to introduce fans to the beginning of the Erdrick Trilogy by telling the tale of Ortega, the hero who failed in his quest to defeat the evil Baramos, and his child called forth on their 16th birthday to take up the mantle and finish what his father had started. Our hands-on session opened up roughly 30-60 minutes after the opening credits, where the playable hero had gathered up three party members and ventured out for their first steps. For the hour or so that I had time to spend with Dragon Quest III HD-2D, this gave me just enough time to venture from the town of Aliahan, explore the Dreamer’s Tower, acquire the Thief Key and Wrecking Ball, and finally leave the starting region and venture out into the world proper.
For fans who want to adjust their challenge from the default difficulty, Dragon Quest III HD-2D offers two optional difficulty modes. Dracky Quest is the mode for players who simply want to explore the story without engaging too deeply with the combat mechanics. The party will never be wiped out, no matter the damage taken, while also dealing more damage to bosses. Some bosses will no longer automatically heal at the start of their turn. Draconian Quest, on the other hand, flips the script and makes all of the various aspects of Dragon Quest III HD-2D more challenging. Bosses have more HP overall, and the Hero’s party all deal less damage when exploiting weaknesses, while enemies also deal more damage back to the party. EXP and gold rewards are also reduced to prevent players from simply grinding their way through the story.
Combat remains largely the same. The main changes are a redesigned UI and the ability to adjust the battle speed to expedite combat while introducing new animations for the various spells and abilities. Players can also set up Tactics and customize the auto-battle setting for each party member. Beyond that, it’s traditional Dragon Quest combat, with players selecting their moves from a menu and watching each turn play out against foes of various species.
I noticed subtle changes here and there to the items that players will acquire in their journey across Aliahan and beyond. In the Dreamers Tower, where players might find a Mini Medal, is instead replaced by a Boomerang, another weapon type that was introduced in later remakes of Dragon Quest III. Players will still collect a variety of Mini Medals and turn them in to Morgan Minimann in the town of Aliahan’s well, but they won’t be able to use the same GameFAQs guide to seek them all out. Other less prominent changes were seen in some of the existing items, like the Girl’s Own Annual book that can be used to change a character’s personality turns characters into a Tear-Away rather than a Tomboy.
Square-Enix asked that we hold our tongue until the news was ready to go out, but as players have heard during the latest Nintendo Direct, Dragon Quest III HD-2D on November 14, 2024 in North America and will be available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S|X, and PC. No Xbox One or PlayStation 4 versions have been announced. Dragon Quest I+II HD-2D will also be coming at a later time in 2025, completing the Erdrick trilogy.
