D Remake is finally here, and it's raised some very exciting possibilities for what the next entries may bring to the table. Though the remake largely remains faithful to the original NES game in terms of content,

Generally speaking, a lot of new players are quickly discovering that Dragon Quest 3 has some nasty difficulty spikes — and many of them are still present in the remake. The Dragon Quest Reddit is flush with posts about being obliterated in tougher battles, having eased through the adventure up until then.

To unpack that, the Dragon Quest 3 remake will be followed by an HD-2D glow-up for the first two games. That may seem odd at a glance, but the third game is a prequel to Dragon Quest 1 and 2, so it's logical enough.

The Dragon Quest games have hewed to tradition over the past four decades. Series creator Yuji Horii, inspired by Ultima and Wizardry, aimed to bring role-playing games to the masses with simplicity and a smile.

Sure, Dragon Quest 3I HD-2D Remake is a curiosity – an 8-bit game dragged into the 21st century purely on the basis of nostalgia (the remake became the best-selling game of 2024 in Japan within a week, solely because of how fondly the original is remembered). But it’s way more fun to play than that background might suggest.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is more than just a graphical overhaul. It retains the original's gameplay and adds many welcome quality of life features.

HD-2D is the loving treatment this classic deserves, but this remake will struggle to win new fans even as it delights retro-heads like me

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is overflowing with quality-of-life improvements around every corner, successfully bringing the best version of one of the world’s most beloved role-playing adventures to an entirely new generation of players.

Since the launch of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake last week, the game has sold incredibly well in Japan. According to Famitsu, the game’s physical sales in Japan have topped the weekly charts. With the Switch leading with 641,