This reviewer is happy to admit that although a veteran to the genre, the Dragon Quest series has gone mainly undisturbed in the “titles to play” column. Mostly, a fantasy a bit more final was favoured until playing the absolutely superb Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. After such a great experience it was a pleasure to give one of the latest in what seems like endless remakes on the market a go; one that succeeds at every opportunity.
Firstly, if familiar with the original NES title, “unrecognisable” may not be a strong enough word to describe the difference in visuals. Going down the same route that Octopath Traveler started, the HD-2D visuals provide a bright, energetic and unique aesthetic. The best way to describe what you are seeing is a reimagining. If you were still not beaten down by the weight of the world back then, this was what you thought it looked like in your head when running on an 8-bit console or its 16-bit original remake. Quite simply, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
One throwback to that era of gaming is kept firmly in place, however: the story – and it’s as simple as you would like. Bad mojo is afoot and it’s up to a group of warriors to travel the world and ensure that said mojo is extinguished. This isn’t, in any way, a criticism in the slightest. With such an easy to follow plot thread, if new to the genre, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake becomes an easy jump-in point for anyone who has never played an RPG. As the years progressed, storylines in titles such as these became intricate and convoluted, so refreshing to have a charming reminder of simpler times.
What plot is here is raised by a beautiful orchestrated soundtrack showcasing the genius of composers of that era. Cinematography is also improved to really elevate what is on offer. In terms of characters, side quests have also been given additional scenes to further flesh out your silent protagonists. These additional scenes also give more depth to the Dragon Quest series as a whole and should reverberate throughout the lore in future, giving long term fans that warm, fuzzy feeling as they do.
It’s clear this has been lovingly made for the fans, but what about the newcomers hoping for a new obsession? Square Enix (Squaresoft was such a better name) has them covered with some huge quality of life features that have been carried over from some of the company’s other remasters and remakes to allow for accessibility and develop that real love of JRPGs that many of us caught early.
The most unique of these is the recall mechanic, which allows any conversation previously had with an NPC to be recalled, making it easier to keep track of where to go and what to do, and is a massive help in titles such as these. Getting lost is almost always the hardest thing to get to grips with when starting an epic adventure and this feature, as well as clear navigation markers for objectives, are the biggest draws for a new starter.
The standard other quality of life features are also present, including battle and difficulty settings and the like. Having these forms a healthy balance to the G-word. Grinding is unavoidable with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, but again, it can be eased with faster battle speeds and dropping the difficulty down to gain more EXP as a result. You will want to, as well, due to the vocations system.
A standard in most of its genre, when first released, systems like this could be seen as revolutionary. Classes can be chosen for each hero and abilities gained based on that class. These can then be changed as progression is made, giving a nearly limitless amount of possibilities in terms of character development. None seem like a dead end and allow a lot of fun to be had knowing that with the right amount of commitment, all options are viable. 
