Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: a simple, old-school RPG

We’re in a fairly good second for sprawling, complicated role-playing video games. New releases like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Age Absolution, together with older titles like Elden Ring (together with this yr’s growth), Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur’s Gate 3 have sucked hundreds of thousands of individuals into their expansive worlds. They are often all-consuming experiences, providing gamers every kind of freedom to discover their worlds and characters. However actually? Generally I don’t wish to fuss with dialog wheels or make tough, narrative-altering decisions. I simply wish to go on a giant journey and slowly flip into an overpowered hero combating monsters — and that’s the place the wonderful new remake of Dragon Quest 3 is available in.

The sport initially got here out means again in 1988 (it was initially referred to as Dragon Warrior 3 in North America) and it has a refreshingly easy premise: you’re on a quest to kill an awesome evil that your father didn’t destroy a few years earlier than. There are a couple of colourful characters, however there isn’t a complete lot else to it past a quest for revenge. This isn’t a sport you play for the story. As an alternative, it’s about occurring adventures, exploring unusual and harmful areas, and killing plenty of cute blue slimes.

That simplicity has stood the check of time moderately effectively, with methods which can be straightforward to know whereas nonetheless providing a problem (even when the common battles can finally get tedious). This can be a good factor, as a result of the remake doesn’t change all that a lot. The exploration and turn-based battles all nonetheless really feel largely as they did. Because of this the sport follows a largely predictable path, as you go from one dungeon to the following, visiting cities in between to relaxation and kit up for the following problem. There are some additions, like a brand new character class that allows you to gather monsters, together with further story scenes to flesh out the barebones narrative.

Although it’s principally the identical as the unique, there are main adjustments to the presentation and a few notable high quality of life options. To begin, this model of Dragon Quest 3 appears unimaginable. It makes use of the identical visible fashion as video games like Octopatch Traveller and Triangle Technique, which Sq. Enix awkwardly calls “HD 2D.” Principally, these are nonetheless video games with pixel artwork characters, however they discover extremely detailed worlds. The builders then throw in a tilt-shift impact that offers the entire thing a diorama-like look. The result’s a sport that appears decidedly old-school, however in a slick, trendy means. I particularly love the lovely monster animations in battle. There’s additionally an up to date orchestral rating carried out by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, together with all-new voice appearing.

It’s extra than simply an aesthetic overhaul, although. The Dragon Quest 3 remake additionally makes some very sensible tweaks that usually make it much less irritating to play. These embody a extra helpful map that makes it simpler to search out the place you’re headed, an choice to hurry up battles so you may grind faster, and a handful of problem choices. These might sound small, however they’re the sort of trendy conveniences that may make many older video games tough to play, particularly ones constructed round repetitive fight like a traditional RPG. Smoothing out these few tough edges has a huge impact on the general really feel of a sport like Dragon Quest 3.

Despite the fact that it’s technically the third sport of the collection, this model of Dragon Quest can be an awesome place for newcomers to see what the collection is all about (and actually, issues haven’t modified all that a lot through the years). It’s a fairly, approachable option to expertise an epic quest with out getting overwhelmed by story or options. It’s simply you, some swords and magic, and a complete lot of monsters to defeat. Generally, that’s all you really want.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is offered now on the Change, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.