Just a few years in the past, Sq. Enix introduced it could be doing a remake of Dragon Quest III in its standard HD-2D engine, however this was then adopted by a prolonged interval of radio silence the place its improvement standing appeared unsure. Whereas they had been at it, the builders determined to go forward and remake the primary and second Dragon Quests, too. Now that Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is lastly right here, we’re joyful to report that the wait has been effectively price it. Although it isn’t with out drawbacks, that is simply probably the most feature-rich and pleasing model of Dragon Quest III obtainable.
Launched in Japan in 1988, Dragon Quest III hails from a a lot less complicated period, so the narrative is significantly much less detailed than one it’s possible you’ll discover in a title from subsequent a long time. You start as a anonymous warrior, the kid of a once-legendary hero, now referred to as upon to take up your father’s mantle and save the world from the specter of an evil darkish lord. There’s not a lot character improvement to talk of, nor narrative depth—your character is basically a clean slate and your celebration members are principally animated cardboard cutouts with some stats and kit connected. Although there are in the end some intelligent tie-ins to different releases within the sequence and a few new cutscenes to flesh out your father’s function, the plot quantities to little greater than ‘there’s a nasty dude on the market; go get him!’
These of you on the lookout for in-depth RPG storytelling could also be left wanting, then, however that’s to not say that the narrative in Dragon Quest III is fully with out advantage. What this story lacks in depth, it comfortably makes up for with attraction, which is generally present in how the sport presents itself to you. If you’re confronted with a crab enemy in a random encounter, it’s not referred to as one thing generic like ‘Big Enemy Crab’, however as an alternative one thing goofy like “Crabber dabber doo.” And even for those who step foot in a city on the opposite facet of the continent, many of the NPCs will greet and work together with you as for those who’re a neighbour who’s been dwelling amongst them for years. Regardless of the shortage of depth on this story, there’s one thing extremely inviting about the way it pitches itself that lures you deeper into its world and tempts you to tease out its secrets and techniques.
Now, Dragon Quest is arguably the franchise that created the core blueprint that JRPGs have been following for many years, in order that primary construction continues to be current right here in its full type. You assemble a celebration to discover an unlimited overworld, examine right into a city the place you’ll be able to top off on gear and relaxation, bounce right into a dungeon for a prolonged sortie that often ends in a boss battle, then do it another time elsewhere.
Should you’re in any respect conversant in RPGs, you received’t be a lot stunned by the construction right here, however there’s an excellent purpose why that construction has been repeated so typically. As you battle foes, gear up, and conquer more and more more durable dungeons, there’s an amazing sense of empowerment gained from watching the workforce develop below your command and overcome such lengthy odds. You all the time really feel such as you’re both simply at or barely beneath the ability stage that you ought to be for wherever the narrative throws at you subsequent, however taking the occasional backtracking journey to an earlier space typically stands as a stark reminder of simply how far you’ve come as you carve a path by way of foes with practised ease.
Character development is dealt with by a typical leveling system, however there’s additionally a easy class system that offers you simply sufficient leeway to form a workforce to your liking with out distracting from the principle loop of exploring and battling. You possibly can ‘rent’ characters from a few dozen completely different lessons (although you’ll be able to solely have 4 in your celebration without delay), and also you later achieve the power to reclass a given character, which permits them the potential to study a slew of latest fight skills in trade for a pointy stage and stat reset. With such choices at your disposal (and maybe with the assistance of grinding some Steel Slimes), there are a whole lot of methods you’ll be able to develop your celebration, including replayability if you wish to attempt recent runs after defeating the ultimate boss.
Fight happens through frequent random encounters with a straight, no-frills, turn-based battle system. Right here, you’ll be able to select whether or not you wish to manually direct every character’s actions or put them on one of some pre-set auto instruction units corresponding to “concentrate on therapeutic” or “present no mercy.” The AI does a reasonably good job of doing what you count on, making it nice for grinding trash mobs to get your ranges up, whereas taking up handbook management for the more durable foes and boss fights is all the time a easy button press away. The one downside we discovered to fight is admittedly a nitpick, however you’ll be able to’t keep away from the digicam forcing you right into a first-person view when the motion truly begins throughout a flip, regardless of there being totally animated battle sprites that you would be able to see whenever you’re deciding on your subsequent actions.
Although this launch stays fairly devoted to the unique recreation, Sq. makes varied additions and quality-of-life modifications to carry it extra in step with present sequence requirements. Components that appeared in later video games, corresponding to an expanded Monster Area or the Monster Wrangler class, have been added to flesh out the providing, whereas modifications corresponding to a speed-up choice in battles and map markers that clearly spotlight your subsequent goal assist streamline the expertise. Purists could baulk, however for our cash, that is the most effective model of Dragon Quest III obtainable to this point—it’s been neatly up to date for brand spanking new audiences with out sacrificing what made the unique particular.
But regardless of the varied updates, there’s nonetheless no avoiding the truth that this remake is being constructed on the bones of a Famicom recreation from the late ’80s. It’s a refreshingly ‘pure’ JRPG, however it will possibly really feel fairly simplistic when put next with different fashionable RPGs or its fashionable descendants, corresponding to Dragon Quest XI. This isn’t to say that it’s a nasty expertise, however for those who’re the sort of RPG fan who enjoys interacting with issues like ability bushes, non-obligatory minigames, and crafting methods, Dragon Quest III is about as restricted because it will get when it comes to its gameplay loop.
Whereas the myriad gameplay enhancements are fairly modest, the obvious improve being made right here is the shift to stunning HD-2D graphics, making this really feel like a completely new recreation in some ways. Character and enemy sprites are all rendered in a properly detailed, hi-bit type, whereas the environments and backgrounds are all in full 3D and have fashionable touches like dynamic lighting. The world thus comes alive and feels far more ‘lived in’ than in any of its earlier interpretations, showcasing but once more the easy brilliance of Sq.’s HD-2D engine. It’s the sort of factor that it’s a must to see in movement on an precise Swap to actually ‘get it’—the fusion of retro and fashionable parts on this artwork type makes for one thing particular.
The one downside to all these beautiful visuals is that the Swap notably struggles to show them at many factors. We observed sizable body charge drops in almost each city or village we visited, and although an RPG naturally isn’t as affected by these drops provided that reflexes do not issue into its turn-based gameplay, it’s nonetheless disappointing to see such efficiency points in a recreation that doesn’t appear to justify them. Sq. Enix has been growing its HD-2D expertise for at the least six years now and, contemplating that earlier HD-2D titles didn’t seem to have the identical issues, we are able to’t assist however marvel what went fallacious right here. Although the body dips are removed from game-breaking, they’re an apparent blemish on an in any other case well-executed remake.
Although the body drops are disappointing, the soundtrack does a improbable job of setting the cosy ambiance by way of varied symphonic items. Whether or not it’s the bluesy vibes of an area Monster Area or the lullaby-esque tones of a village theme at evening, there’s great vary within the music right here and all of it feels completely executed. Even when investigating the depths of a harmful dungeon, parts of that ‘pleasant’ aesthetic that each one Dragon Quest video games are totally drenched in nonetheless characteristic within the music, giving the soundtrack a grand cohesion regardless of the place you end up.
Conclusion
It has been a very long time coming, and we’re joyful to report that Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake largely lives as much as expectations. Disappointing efficiency points apart, it is a devoted adaptation of a treasured RPG traditional that elevates its strongest features whereas doing its finest to make up for any shortcomings. Some could also be delay by its relative simplicity however, refreshingly, it neither overstays its welcome nor spreads itself skinny with too many half-baked concepts. It goes with out saying that followers of the unique will wish to snap this up, however for those who’re on the lookout for a superb ‘entry-level’ RPG otherwise you simply wish to know what the long-running franchise is all about, Dragon Quest III is the sport for you.
