Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review – Timeless Inspiration

Since games like Octopath Traveler, the 2D-style has become more popular both with players and developers like Square Enix. The style captures a unique feeling of nostalgia that still feels fresh and modern. That feeling completely applies to Dragon Quest, which changed the JRPG realm years ago. It inspired other popular classic franchises like Final Fantasy, to even modern ones like the JRPG games in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, in which protagonist Ichiban himself admits to being a big fan of Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is the perfect opportunity not only to get into the Dragon Quest series, but to also catch a glimpse of what games of that era offered.  

Created by Yuji Horii and his dream team of artist Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama, Dragon Quest 1 makes the player into a Hero, with a classic damsel in distress story. You play as a descendant of the legendary Erdrick, and must save the princess and the kingdom from the evil Dragonlord. While the story is simple, the remake version offers even more thanks to a new stellar voice acting. The performances are so good that you’ll miss those voices when there are only text dialogue sections. And even if you didn’t play the original, you won’t have any problem keeping track of this story or the one in the sequel. The story also knows its simplicity, because just as it starts getting a bit wearisome, the game reaches its concluding act.  

Dragon Quest 2 offers even more in every aspect: gameplay, level design, and story. Its story adds more complexity with more main characters, as well as deeper writing and dialogue. While the first game offers simple character traits, Dragon Quest 2 brings meaningful character development to the main party. Accompanied by another incredible voice cast, it is impossible not to care and connect with the characters. Players control another offspring of Erdrick, however, the protagonist in not alone this time, and it’s accompanied by other members of the Erdrick lineage to save the kingdom. There is now a bigger and more complex conflict that will have you more engaged in the story than the first one.   

As mentioned before, these two games were created with titans of the Japanese animation industry like Toriyama and composer, Koichi. Toriyama’s art style shines and will have adults feeling like kids again. From the monsters’ design, to even the eyes of the characters, you can see Toriyama’s influence and style reflected in them. When in the open world or battles, it is impossible not to feel like you are inside a world or planet from Dragon Ball. The way the protagonist stands in battle or some power animations will remind you as well of Toriyama’s work. Thanks to this new take on 2D graphics, both Dragon Quest 1 and 2’s art styles will make you feel nostalgic, even if you didn’t play the originals. It also makes me wish that this treatment was the one the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters had received. The game also looks beautiful on handhelds. Yet for some reason Square Enix continues their irregular behavior of not supporting some aspect ratios/ultrawide monitors, which were available for the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters. 

The art isn’t the only element that will make you nostalgic. The soundtrack by the great Koichi shows how ahead of its time his music was, since it still feels like it was composed just yesterday. The soundtrack is full of emotion, especially in the dark beats of the story. The score kicks in and lifts the tragedies or joys of each scene. The exploration tracks, as well as the sound design, help immensely in the immersion and the relaxation feeling the games can offer. It is a generational soundtrack, clearly inspiring other great composers in the JRPG genre. 

Gameplay is where both games differ. While in Dragon Quest 1 you are a jack of all trades, in Dragon Quest 2 there are party members with their own specialties beside you. The turn-based combat is engaging, but here is also where most balancing issues arose for me. When fighting multiple enemies, it’s not much of a problem in Dragon Quest 2 because you have other members to help you fight and heal you. In Dragon Quest 1 however, you fight alone even against multiple enemies, and sometimes that might complicate things to the point of feeling unfair. You receive multiple attacks, but you can only react with one, and sometimes not at all because you take your turn to heal. The level gap between some sections can also feel unbalanced in both games. For example, you are doing well against enemies in the story, yet in the next encounter the enemies are suddenly at a much, much higher level. You will have to either go all the way back and farm, or lower the difficulty. Those difficulty spikes are normal in JRPGs, but here they are placed in some weird instances and could’ve been better designed for smoother transitions. 

The Traversal of the world is also a big step from Dragon Quest 1 to Dragon Quest 2, and it’s impossible not to see its influence even in modern games’ world design like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The first Dragon Quest game is a lonesome, yet peaceful experience. Traveling the Dragon Quest 1 world can even be relaxing, and like the story, when it starts getting a bit repetitive, it knows it is time to end. Exploration is also where Dragon Quest 2 shines. Having party members by your side not only adds more dynamism to dialogue and combat, but also makes it a more joyful ride by seeing the animations of all the party members. Dragon Quest 2 also adds more to the minigames area, making the side content experiences more fun as well.  

After playing both remakes, it is clear why Square Enix decided to bundle these two games. Dragon Quest 1 alone would have been a bit underwhelming, depending on the price of course. By adding the two together it helps not only in making it a better financial option, but also, it is a great feeling seeing how much care and improvement went from Dragon Quest 1 to Dragon Quest 2. This collection of games shows that the art of video games can be as timeless as any other art form, and that nostalgic elements can still find its way into modern creations. I can’t help to be excited not only for the future of the Dragon Quest franchise, but for the possibilities of the 2D style that can emerge. 

Walter reviewed Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on PC with his own bought copy. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing and our score will not be changed.