It’s good to see a company treat an old IP like a new one, and with so much care.
This past week, ARTDINK and Square Enix released Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake for consoles, and I tell you, folks, this is one gorgeous and fun set of games. Improved in this remake are the graphics, which set a new standard for how 2D isometric games should look, as well as quality-of-life features that should bring in a new generation of gamers into an old 80s storyline. Of course, that doesn’t mean that gamers familiar with the Dragon Warrior series from the 80s will get nothing from this, as the new remake still brings the tough and rough RPG experience it carried long ago.
So, sit back, relax, know that you’re about to be taken down a rabbit hole nearly 40 years old, and let’s get this review going.
Stories worth exploring
Well, if you’re looking for the same turn-based experience from the Dragon Warrior days, then you won’t be disappointed. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake brings the same story of Erdrick’s descendants to life on long journeys that start linear but test out some very early branching moments.
In the first game, players go against the Dragonlord, which has reared its ugly head against Alefgard once again. This story follows a young knight’s journey through caves, massive amounts of enemies, and boss fights that are tough as they are impressively done.
What I enjoyed about Dragon Quest I 2D-HD Remake is the solo adventure with just one character. That’s some old school throwback to simpler times, where picking up companions for massive fights just wasn’t a thing. As it has been a hot minute since I played the original cartridge that is sitting on my shelf at work, it did throw me off a little, as I thought my dude was going to pick someone up in a town at some point to help him along the way. The fights certainly felt built for that, but alas, that was not the case. It didn’t make it less fun, but it certainly felt like it was very solo and slow to progress.
Of course, when Dragon Warrior II was released in 1987, it brought with it a new perspective on how RPG adventures should be handled, as well as multiple characters on a single team contributing to the fight. This design was copied by Sega for Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System, and it opened an entirely new way to play RPGs. That’s a good history lesson for you to explore on your own.
Anyway, speaking of Dragon Warrior II, let’s talk Dragon Quest II 2D-HD Remake.
The story behind DQ II revolves around the return of evil in Alefgard and the invasion of monsters from some deep, dark evil below. Instead of one character’s journey, the story involves three separate kingdoms that are all affected and, with one immediately devastated by the invasion. For each kingdom, there is a representative in the party, which makes the entire adventure feel like one massive fight with all kingdoms affected. A very different story, though you can argue that it goes along the same hero’s journey.
What I found fascinating and entertaining about the second story is that the beginning sets up the three kingdoms perfectly. It gives insight into the background of each kingdom, brings heirs to the kingdom, and then plunges forward with a high-stakes invasion that will affect different groups of people, and the player will feel it. It also introduces the idea that while the kingdoms are separate in culture and intentions, the land is still everyone’s to lose if something isn’t done. It just seemed bigger and more intense because of this looming problem, which just upped the gameplay to 11 in the ‘worthwhile to help out’ department.
Overall, both stories are incredibly entertaining and will hook you from the moment you are introduced to the characters and their potential plight to prevent evil.
Remake and Newness
If stories weren’t enough to satisfy your fancy, then how about new, remade quality of life gameplay features? Trust me, this is good.
If you were privy enough to play Dragon Quest III 2D-HD Remake, then you understand what you’re in for with this game. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake still maintains its core RPG lifeforce that made them popular back in the day. If players are expecting a typical turn-based experience on the base level, then they won’t be disappointed with what is delivered with this release.
Both games still follow that gameplay structure of crossing over massive amounts of land and randomly encountering enemies. Occasionally, that journey ends up in a cave, tower, or castle, depending on the quest, which changes gameplay slightly. It still encourages exploration, while also putting some tiny puzzles and pathway problems in the way. That is an expected and delivered aspect of the gameplay that is firmly intact.
Now, how that is improved starts with the graphical shift of the remakes. Shifting from a bird’s-eye view during exploration to a more actual isometric viewpoint allows for more content to be placed in obvious and not-so-obvious places. It also stretches the land and makes it feel huge, which only stands to benefit the gameplay experience. That means that the game features more goodies, hidden gems, and not-so-obvious goodies that I won’t mention. Ultimately, the shift in graphics helps open a bigger world than originally designed.
As for the more pointed QoL upgrades, the game features three different difficulty modes that allow the player to either have an easy time throughout the story or put them to the test. The former is made for entry-level players, probably younger gamers who are being introduced to an RPG for the first time. This difficulty will allow players’ health bars to stop at ‘1’, all the while preventing the player from perishing. What this brings is the ability for younger gamers or just people who want to have fun to not have to worry about juggling medicine or be pressed to keep up with weapon/armor upgrades. It simply makes the experience enjoyable.
For the latter part of the above statement on difficulty, if players prefer upped difficulty, then they’re in for a tough treat. For those players who enjoy going up against tough enemies and impossible boss fights, well, this tough difficulty is for you. The game doesn’t hold back and fights you every step of the way. I’m sure that Dark Souls fans will enjoy putting themselves to the test with this difficulty, and they won’t be disappointed with how the games push back.
Between easy and impossible difficulties lies an unremarkable difficulty that is the normal one. It’s exactly what you would expect. Not too easy, not too impossible, rather just right.
Other retooled portions of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake are the menu systems and the way players can approach fights. Starting with the menu system, it has been brought into modern times. A quick hit of the triangle button launches the menu, and the information architecture of it is HCI-friendly. It’s easy to find material quickly, it’s more organized, and it’s far less 80s.
Related to that system is the map. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so happy with a map in an ancient RPG to date, but the one featured in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is perfect. You can bring up the map and quickly navigate around to landmarks and places you have found. This portion of the game also features quest reminders, which is great for an old fart like me, and visible objectives on the map (circled and yelling that this is where you need to go, DUMMY). Hitting the square button brings it to life, and you can also zoom in and out of towns and back to an overall world perspective without a hitch. I know the map mention might seem like small gameplay potatoes, but it’s absolute gold when players are trying to remember where they’re going or when they’re trying to get somewhere quickly.
In addition to all these QoL items, there is also improved fighting gameplay, which allows players to select a strategy for fights and/or speed up fights when players need to do so. Trust me, you want to do the latter. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting and watching for hours. That will certainly extend the hours of gameplay for most people, but it’s dreadful when you want to go-go-go and complete quests quickly.
Now, while all the above is great, I must throw just a tiny wrench in this machine of perfection – the random encounters while exploring. I cannot remember how the encounters were in the original games, but I can assure you they are ravenously relentless in the remakes. I wish the game would have toned it down a bit because getting somewhere quickly feels like an endless battle chore. Sure, players will get to see more neatly animated monsters, but that only goes so far when you’re trying to speed up the journey.
Overall, the new and retooled features in the remakes make both gameplay experiences bigger, better, and far more entertaining. I certainly enjoyed my time with these games. They were reminders of how good we had it back in the day, and how much care was given to make sure that everything good about the originals was maintained in the remakes.
Presentation
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake will give players a gorgeous isometric land that treats a follow focus/depth of field viewpoint like it’s the best thing in the world. And it wouldn’t be wrong.
The visuals are stunning in these 2D-HD remakes. They are creatively done with 2D pixel characters and respectfully improved with precise care. Players will find this out the moment they turn on the first game and see a pop-up book-like world come to life. It’s just visually amazing.
Beyond the visuals, the orchestrated soundtrack is going to be on some gaming OST-obsessed player’s Spotify list for a long time. It pushes this game into masterpiece status, as players will get heartfelt melodies and triumphant and dramatic scores that they’ll probably keep humming to once the adventure is over. The music is really something special.
Before I wrap up this review, let me also throw a shout-out to the actors who voiced over these games. They brought the energy and passion that propelled the story to new levels. You could tell that they bought into what they were doing, and there wasn’t a single moment of lazy delivery or carelessness in their process. Simply stunning performances.
On that note, let’s wrap up this long-winded review.
Conclusion
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake brings gorgeous graphics, wonderful RPG gameplay, and a fantastically retooled front and back-end system. It captures the majesty of the original releases, while putting its own stamp of modern gaming on every aspect of each adventure.
