I think the word “cozy” is overused when it comes to video game genres these days, but it’s strenuous to find another adjective that so perfectly captures what I love about Dragon Quest. Simple yet satisfying turn-based combat combined with a classic hero’s journey told in a picturesque fantasy world result in a wonderfully time-honored RPG experience that I’ve always found so comforting. So when I was given the choice to try out Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on either PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch during a recent pre-release event, the choice to settle in on the couch in the Switch’s handheld mode was an uncomplicated one.
And rest assured, Switch owners, Dragon Quest 3 looked and ran great on Nintendo’s aging system. Square Enix’s other HD-2D games like Octopath Traveler and Live A Live were perfect for playing in compact bursts before bed, and Dragon Quest 3 looks set to fit that mold, too.
Unlike our first look at the Dragon Quest 3 Remake, which showed how faithfully it stuck to the roots of the 30-plus-year-old NES RPG, the hour I spent playing Dragon Quest 3 was spent on some of the remake’s brand fresh additions. And so far, I’m incredibly pleased with the fresh content, which freshens things up without changing the original experience beyond recognition.
First, I hung out in the revamped Monster Arena, where you can send monsters you’ve defeated and recruited throughout the game to battle other teams of creatures. In the original Dragon Quest 3, you could simply bet on the outcome of the Monster Arena fights, but this remake lets you get in on the action yourself. Collecting monsters has been a substantial part of both the main Dragon Quest games and the Monsters spin-off series for decades, and it’s great to see that tradition continue here.
I entered the arena with a pre-made team of Slime, Healslime, and Spiked Hare, but this side mode is clearly set up so that I can create my own teams with monsters I recruit in the main game. You don’t directly command your team in the Monster Arena tournament, but rather determine how it should behave in battle, choosing from four different options: Show No Mercy, Fight Smart, Focus on Healing, and Don’t Use MP.
For the first few rounds I had Healslime focus on healing allies while Slime and Spiked Hare dealt all the damage, but once I realized I had this fight in the bag I had my whole team go all in. This monstrous auto battler seems like a nice break from the main adventure and I can see myself dropping in regularly to polish my team and enter it into tournaments.
While watching my team fight, I was fascinated by the enemy character models. Ever since the remake was first revealed, I felt like Dragon Quest and the HD-2D art style were a match made in heaven, and seeing it in action confirmed how much I love seeing these classic enemies in Square Enix’s enticing visuals. The Killerpillar (the evil caterpillar, if you haven’t guessed) that I faced in my first fight had a very detailed idle animation where he bounced back and forth, and the way he writhed his entire body in preparation for an attack made the entire turn-based combat feel much more energetic.
The same can be said for the awesome character models of Robbin’ ‘Ood and his array of Robbin’ ‘oodlums, the boss fight I faced atop Skyfell Tower. Climbing the tower was a classic, atmospheric dungeon crawl filled with random encounters. Here, I was impressed by how malleable Dragon Quest 3’s combat system is. Remember those four pre-made orders I could assign to my team in the Monster Arena? In Dragon Quest 3’s main combat, those pre-made orders are still available, with the added option of “Follow Orders.” This means you can barrel through the dungeon’s random, low-stakes encounters by telling all four members of your team to show no mercy, but when a tough boss fight starts, you can take control of every decision to make sure you emerge victorious. This, combined with the ability to escalate the combat speed at will, adds to the cozy, relaxing feel of the game that I mentioned earlier. It’s nice to kick back and watch the experience points roll in during low-level fights that last only a few seconds at max speed, but by the time I reached the top of the tower to face Robbin ‘Ood, I wanted to make every decision myself.
And it’s a good thing I took control of the boss fight, because it was tense. I had to utilize my Priest to heal my team several times while my protagonist and the Monster Wrangler – a fresh class introduced in the remake – dealt bulky blows. I sighed with relief when Robbin’ Ood finally fell to the ground, and it made me want to run straight to the next dungeon to face the next substantial boss.
I also want to mention the fresh party customization feature in this remake. Party members in Dragon Quest 3 are blank slates, but the remake reworks Patty’s Party Planning Place, a tavern where you can design your own party members by choosing their class, name, appearance, hair color, and voice. There aren’t a lot of customization options, but there are enough to create a rudimentary version of myself that I put into my party. I imagine players will have a lot of fun customizing their party and making changes to it as they play.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake will release on November 14 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake following next year.
