Alright, so here I am. Sitting at PAX East 2025, all hyped about the remaster of Bravely Default Flying Fairy. But here’s the kicker—Square Enix had another ace up their sleeve. I’ll spill the beans now—I got to dive into Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake before you guys. Being a sucker for the Dragon Quest III remake, I couldn’t pass this up. What can I say? Old fans and newbies are gonna have a blast with these legendary RPGs.
Side note—picture this: me fumbling in a press area, juggling excitement and caffeine. Press folks like me had strict orders not to roam too far in the game, like straying from the main path meant getting squashed by overpowered monsters. Oh, boy. Anyway, if you’ve rocked Dragon Quest III HD-2D, you kinda know the drill. 60 FPS on the PS5, items scattered around for the taking, turbocharged fights, and thank heavens for an auto-run toggle—my fingers are grateful.
Zooming into Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake—why did they release these in reverse order? Well, chronological stuff. Here, you’re a descendant of Erdrick. Yup, flying solo in a quest against the Dragonlord. The NES original was a tough cookie, but Enix rebalanced it. Yay for not wanting to pull my hair out! It’s all about strategy now. It’s not just mindless button-mashing. By the end, you’re kind of like, I don’t know, a heroic one-man army? Superhero vibes, but medieval.
Dragon Quest II? Back to party systems, my friend. Unlike the third game, characters have names. Personalities too. I asked about class systems, but I might’ve blinked or the rep was being cryptic—couldn’t say for sure. But hey, there’s a sprinkle of AI to control party members if you’re feeling lazy. Also, loved how it hints at a monster’s spell weaknesses after you zap them once. Like, “Hey dude, this works!”
Final thoughts? I am so ready to dive in again. Those HD-2D graphics are a feast for the eyes. Music’s fantastic—new orchestral versions of the classics. Seriously, mark the calendar for October 30. It’s launching on just about everything: Switch, PS5, Xbox, PC. Can’t wait.
