Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake review roundup: 'Nails what made the original game so special'
Square Enix's classic JRPG has been remade, and it's impressed critics
👍 Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake has a Metacritic score of 85 after 34 critic reviews
👏 The game has 94% positive reviews, 6% mixed and 0% negative
🗡️ Dragon Quest III first released on the NES in 1988
📆 The game is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC
This generation has seen countless remakes and remasters already, and sometimes its questionable whether a game should have even been remade. However, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is certainly welcome, as it first released in 1988 for the NES.
Thankfully, it seems like Square Enix’s classic JRPG has successfully transitioned to modern-day systems. The game currently has a Metacritic score of 85 after 34 critic reviews, which continues the series’ record of strong review scores. Here’s what critics had to say about Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.
Forbes gave the game a perfect score, saying: “Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is probably one of the best remakes I’ve ever played. Doubly so, as it nails what made the original game so special. While some have had issues with how Japanese role-playing games work, the Wizardry lineage is also hard to ignore, so those criticisms are clearly moot and quite ignorant by this point. In any case, if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game, then this is the one to start with.”
Hardcore Gamer also enjoyed Square Enix’s remake, and said: “Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is how a classic game should be remade. The new graphics style brings Dragon Quest III into the modern era while maintaining the original iconic designs. The quality-of-life improvements also make the 36-year-old game feel modern without sacrificing the core elements of the original experience. There are certain aspects that may not appeal to everyone, such as maintaining the original first-person battle perspective instead of changing it to the more animated one seen in more recent Dragon Quest games, or the omission of the Pachisi minigame. Even with these criticisms, however, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is among the best releases of 2024, reimagining the classic game in a contemporary form without sacrificing any of the original charm.”
Another outlet that enjoyed Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was Push Square. The reviewer wrote, “That eternal Dragon Quest charm is especially potent in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake — a thoughtful repackaging of a classic RPG. With its quality of life additions and delightful 3D visuals, it's easy to argue that this is the adventure's definitive form — even if some of its structural weaknesses remain in place.”
However, GameSpew was one of the few sites that wasn’t as forthcoming in its praise. “This remake of Dragon Quest 3 remains very old-fashioned; it's at times uncompromising and it's missing some modern quality of life features,” the review reads. “For existing fans of the JRPG classic and those who aren't afraid of a challenge, however, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake will no doubt prove to be captivating.”
Square Enix has found great success with its HD-2D art style in recent years, and it’s also releasing Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake next year. It joins the likes of Octopath Traveler, Octopath Traveler 2, Triangle Strategy and Live A Live, all of which use the retro-modern aesthetic.
Check out the upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games to see what’s next for Sony and Microsoft’s consoles.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.