Summary
Dragon Quest 3 HD2D Remakeis nearly here,and while not everyone is happy about the Collector’s Edition offerings, there’s no denying the hype surrounding the revival of one of gaming’s seminal JRPGs.With the launch date rapidly approaching, a slew of information and gameplay has been revealed. In short, it’s glorious.
That said, we’ve sifted through all the available information to highlight some of the most noteworthy aspects and changes, including the game’s combat, voice cast and story elements, among other updates. So, with that in mind, let’s dive in.
Dynamic Time Cycles, Updated Combat And Voice Acting Join The Fold
First and foremost, the game will be adopting the HD2D style, which has been most commonly associated with Octopath Traveler. As Square Enix notes,and as translated by Gematsu, “pixel sprites blend seamlessly with 3D backgrounds, and (are) brought to life with sumptuously detailed video effects for a contemporary visual experience that’s reminiscent of classic gaming.” In other words, it’s a modern take on a classic art style.
Speaking of modernization, the remake will feature added scenes and story elements along with voiced cutscenes and a soundtrack performed by an orchestra.According to Genki on Twitter, those story elements have been supervised by none other than Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest himself. As for the voice cast, Toby Laurence and Nobuyuki Hiyama will voice the male protagonist in English and Japanese, respectively, while Jenna Sharpe and Yuuko Minaguchi will do the same for the female protagonist.
The story of Dragon Quest won’t be the only thing getting an overhaul, as the combat has also gotten some improvements. Random encounters have been added to the mix,according to Gematsu, meaning enemies can appear and attack at random. And,according to Genki’s translation, new abilities have been added. That said, the combat will still retain its turn-based format, though players will have the ability to speed up battles via the shoulder buttons.
Elsewhere, the game will have a dynamic day/night system. As players explore the world, the game will go from daylight to evening time all the way to nighttime and back. In other words, the game’s world will feel like a living and breathing place. Of note when it comes to the world is the fact that villagers and townspeople can help provide hints, and the world itself is home to many different treasures. Oh, and monsters will apparently make their way into towns.
As a final note via Genki, the game will have two different graphics modes on console, either 4K or 60 FPS. In another quality of life update, there will be nine autosave slots, and the game will store the last 30 conversations in its menus. If the game seems particularly daunting to newcomers, then know that three difficulty settings will be available, per reports.
With all of that in mind, it looks like the delay between reveals for Dragon Quest 3 HD2D remake was well worth it. Square Enix has managed to take one of gaming’s most important titles and modernize it for a new audience while still keeping many of the traits that made it so iconic to begin with. And even if the Collector’s Edition is being called an L, this remake sure looks like a W in our books.
