With the upcoming release ofDragon Quest III HD-2D Remake,Square Enixhas been sharing videos for the game. The most recent ones give us a closer look at the title’s graphical aspects and how they reimagine the original NES title.
Originally released asDragon Warrior IIIin the west, the classic Japanese RPG was a seminal title of its genre, giving birth to systems like the day and night cycle. The game also featured a custom party with variable classes.
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Using Square Enix’s trademark HD-2D style established by Team Asano, the remake aims at updating the experience for a modern audience. Like the Octopath Traveler games and Triangle Strategy, the remake uses 2D sprites and 3D environments with modern lighting and visual effect techniques.
HD-Tinted Nostalgia Glasses
The official Dragon Quest YouTube channel has started sharing new videos to compare the original NES game and the HD-2D edition. These YouTube shorts feature bits of gameplay in Japanese to show how things have changed in those 36 years between releases.
Noticeably, the graphics are one of the big highlights. The original was fully 2D and depended on some abstractions to create a sense of its map, like the red-stone pavement, flowers and other elements that can be seen from a top-down perspective. Meanwhile, the HD-2D one features much more realistic structures which we can see in much more detail.
A bridge that was previously surrounded by trees is now an actual stone bridge with a structure reminiscent of real-life architecture. The whole town is much more expansive and filled with structures that make it feel like a place people actually live in.
In the latest video, we get to see these examples in Aliahan, the very first town we get to explore. This is the starting point of the experience, the town from which the hero (or heroine) hails and where we learn about our quest from the king.
The video also, however, showcases other changes. For instance, the original game featured a command-based menu whenever the player tried to interact with something. This was a staple for the series back in the day, making the basic “talk to NPC” function have an extra step. Now a single button press will let players interact with the individuals they find during their walk through town.
Using Square Enix’s trademark HD-2D style established by Team Asano, the remake aims at updating the experience for a modern audience.
Square Enix has also previously showcased the Pyramid area in another comparison video. There, we get to see this dungeon area and how the lighting effects and replanned geography change the atmosphere and exploration dynamics.
With the 3D layout, the depth of field allows for much more intricate and meticulous usage of the space. Instead of a simple plane for the structure, we can now see and explore multiple layers. We can now see how things connect in a more complex fashion that was not possible to explore in the original release.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remakeis coming to PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch on August 22, 2025. HD-2D remakes of the first and second games in the franchise will also be available on the same systems in 2025. Players can rest assured, however, that these games take place after III in chronological order, making it alright to follow the new release order instead of the original one.
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