Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review

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It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what defines a “classic” Dragon Quest game. Each new installment builds on the previous ones, making it difficult to draw a line between the old and the new. And with so many remakes happening, how do you properly update those older titles? Square Enix seemed to believe that last year’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake didn’t require major changes – it’s a truly important game, and a fresh visual style with some minor adjustments were all it needed. However, with the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, they clearly put a lot more consideration into how to approach the remake process.

These new versions of Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II aren’t simple remakes; they’re fresh takes on the originals, more so than what was done with Dragon Quest III. It’s unclear whether the developers avoided a direct port – considering there are already ten different versions of the first two games after about 40 years! – or if they thought the originals were too outdated for today’s players. I personally love the first two Dragon Quest games, even more than the famous third one. Dragon Quest I is a wonderfully concise RPG that cleverly works within the hardware’s limitations. Dragon Quest II, however, aimed for greater scope than it could realistically achieve.

The early Dragon Quest games—I and II—tell the story of the Erdrick, the hero from Dragon Quest III, who was stranded in the land of Alefgard. The first game follows a lone hero tasked with defeating the evil Dragonlord. The second game takes place generations later, focusing on a group of royal cousins who must stop the wizard Hargon. With Dragon Quest III’s connection to the Erdrick now well-known, these remakes aim to make games I and II feel like true sequels, building on that established history.

The core gameplay feels very similar to last year’s remake. You’ll spend your time traveling across the land, visiting towns and helping people with their problems – completing smaller stories as you go. While the way these stories are presented differs, how you interact with the game world remains largely the same. The nice touches to exploration, like detailed buildings and hidden areas, are also back. If you’re familiar with the previous remake, you’ll quickly feel comfortable.

Both of these games are noticeably more challenging than Dragon Quest III HD-2D. Playing them in the intended order (III, then I, then II) creates a smoother increase in difficulty, making each new game feel more intense. As you progress, enemies deal significantly more damage, and bosses are much tougher. By the final boss of the second game, you’ll face enemies that even the hero from the third game would struggle against. It’s refreshing to play a modern RPG that truly tests your skills, and I lost my entire party countless times during the later stages of both titles.

The combat system has been significantly updated with the addition of Sigils. These allow you to temporarily boost certain abilities under specific conditions. For example, if your character is low on health, you can activate a Sigil while selecting a spell or ability – perhaps turning a regular Dragon Slash into a more powerful Double Dragon Slash, but it will cost more magic points. If you don’t have enough magic points, you’ll lose your turn trying to use the enhanced skill. This system is interesting because it rewards aggressive play while also discouraging reckless use of abilities.

If a character survives a powerful attack, and you’ve already chosen a skill to enhance, you can quickly power it up by pressing the left face button just before using it. This is a really cool new feature in Dragon Quest battles, adding a bit more player involvement without changing the classic feel that fans love. Since these games usually evolve gradually, hopefully this signals even more improvements to the battle system in future installments.

Okay, so I’ve been playing Dragon Quest II, and honestly, the fixed characters really make the experience. It’s way more memorable than the party customization in Dragon Quest III. This remake added another princess to your team – the princess of Cannock, alongside the prince and princess from the other kingdoms – and it just works. She’s not amazing at any one thing, she’s pretty good at everything – damage, spells, you name it. But her biggest strength is definitely her speed; she’s faster than everyone else, which makes a real difference in battles.

I thought the bosses in the remake of III were too easy, probably because the game had to work with lots of different player teams. In contrast, the bosses in II seemed designed specifically for your party, creating a more focused challenge. While this might limit how many times you want to replay the game, I think it makes the first time playing much better. The hero in the first Dragon Quest game also has more abilities, helping you overcome bosses that feel more intense than before. Overall, the boss fights in both of these games are among the best I’ve experienced in the series.

What’s really noteworthy about the remakes of these Dragon Quest games is the new approach to how players advance. The original Dragon Quest involved a single character traveling across a large land, fighting monsters individually, and getting directions from townspeople – which could be confusing. However, this forced players to truly explore the world and interact with characters, drawing them into the game’s setting. This is a hallmark of the early Dragon Quest games; creator Yuji Horii used his experience with adventure games, like The Portopia Serial Murder Case, to make figuring out where to go and what to do feel like solving a mystery.

This new version of Dragon Quest I is much more straightforward, dividing the game into clear story chapters with lots of cutscenes. Many players will enjoy this, particularly those who didn’t connect with the original. While some of the added explanations felt unnecessary – I liked figuring things out on my own in the first game – other new cutscenes are a definite improvement. Princess Gwaelin is also a stronger character now, no longer just someone you rescue, but an active participant in fighting the Dragonlord.

Adding these smaller interactions and characters really brings the world to life and makes the Dragonlord feel like a genuine threat. While none of the new characters are particularly stand-out, seeing them struggle adds real weight to the conflict. The faeries are the best part, especially since they reappear in Dragon Quest II – their story feels the most emotionally impactful of all the new additions.

While this Dragon Quest I remake is enjoyable, the expanded story actually makes the world feel smaller and more restrictive. Even with optional markers turned off, it doesn’t feel as open as the original, and you’re often led directly from one story beat to the next, especially near the end when you revisit old locations to gather final items. The original game’s simple storytelling highlighted its clever design, but that’s less apparent here. Though the core experience remains intact and is even improved in some ways, the expanded story ultimately feels overlong and detracts from the sense of freedom.

So, the idea with these remakes is to play them in the order they’re being released – III, then I, then II. Everyone knows III is actually a prequel now, so the developers wanted to make one big, connected story. It’s different from how the originals were meant to be played (I to II to III). They really wanted II to feel like the definitive ending to the whole Erdrick Trilogy, which meant they had to seriously improve it and give it a grand finale it never had before.

I was optimistic after playing III HD-2D that the developers were on the right track for their Dragon Quest II remake. However, I quickly realized my expectations were off. While I’ve always appreciated how Dragon Quest II laid the foundation for the series, actually playing the original game was a different experience. It felt directionless, required a lot of repetitive grinding, and tried to do too much. Games like this were common when franchises were first starting out. I think Dragon Quest II is better than many disliked entries in other series, but it definitely overreached its limits.

The issues with the original game are now resolved in this remake. I was surprised to find myself spending 50 hours playing the new Dragon Quest II – something I never would have predicted! Despite the original game being relatively simple, the time felt well spent. The developers achieved this by expanding the story and world to feel more like the later, larger Dragon Quest titles. The addition of a complete underwater map is fantastic, but I especially appreciate how they developed the cousins into fully realized characters.

Although the added story elements in Dragon Quest Builders 2 sometimes feel a bit awkward, giving the cousins more dialogue and personality actually prevents the game from feeling overly long. Each cousin now has their own distinct story and consistently contributes to the scenes, making them feel much more involved than before.

The Cannock siblings are lively and add a lot of humor to the story. The Prince has been reimagined as a great friend to the team, and his sister, though not an official member, brings a similar energetic spirit. The princess of Moonbrooke really shines, as the writers have developed her backstory – the destruction of her village – into a compelling journey about overcoming her desire for revenge. She’s become almost the main character, but even the usually silent hero is getting his own development this time around.

From the beginning, it’s clear the hero of Dragon Quest II can’t use magic – he’s always been the group’s strong attacker, and this is common knowledge in his kingdom, which clearly bothers him. There’s a great moment in the game where, after your team of unlikely heroes has spent hours saving the world, you encounter a young knight in Cantlin who’s looking for help to deliver an important item.

He leads you on a seemingly pointless quest, but explains he needed to prove his worth. He feels like a failure as a knight because he can’t use magic, and this resonates with your character, showing them that heroism isn’t about who you’re born as. Anyone can rise up and fight against Hargon. The game is full of these small, meaningful stories, reminiscent of later Dragon Quest games. Each town you visit has its own tale to tell, and they’re consistently good – I even found myself getting emotional at times.

Even though Dragon Quest II is significantly longer than the first game, I found it flowed much better. The game really opens up once you get your boat, letting you freely explore the world and choose your own path. I’ve always loved this game because that moment—gaining the ability to sail—represents true freedom in every Dragon Quest title. The remake does a great job of giving you clear goals without holding your hand, staying true to the original spirit while adding compelling storytelling. It feels like a truly epic conclusion, tying up all the loose ends from the entire remade trilogy.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D feels like the heart of the planned Erdrick Remake Trilogy. It’s clear the developers saw a lot of possibilities in these classic games. While these remakes don’t completely replace the originals, they’re engaging and thoughtful updates that build upon what came before. This is exactly the kind of remake that makes a game truly special, offering plenty to explore and enjoy.

While I didn’t love every choice made in the remake of Dragon Quest I, it made me think about what I originally enjoyed about the game. Then, working on Dragon Quest II – a game I always appreciated but never truly loved – helped me pinpoint what I value most in the whole Dragon Quest series. This remake gave the team a chance to use everything they’d learned from designing nine other Dragon Quest games and fix what always felt weak about the original II. The result is a fantastic improvement that’s become one of my favorite games in the series. It’s a real triumph, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic turn-based RPGs.

9

We tested the game on Nintendo Switch 2. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is also playable on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and computers.

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2025-11-20 11:00