Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake really wants to help keep you on track

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake really wants to help keep you on track

As a gamer who’s seen the rise and fall of many a game, I must say, I’ve been around the block when it comes to Dragon Quest 3. From its original release, through countless remakes, I’ve played this classic RPG more times than I care to count. So, you can imagine my delight when I got my hands on the latest iteration, the HD-2D Remake!


For much of my life, I’ve had the chance to play Dragon Quest 3 six times over, each time referring to a distinct video game. It’s quite peculiar, isn’t it? One of the most traditional role-playing games and a trailblazer in its genre, Dragon Quest 3, has always been eager to revisit its roots. In fact, it was ahead of the trend by appearing on various platforms even before remakes were fashionable. Recently, I’ve dabbled with Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, marking the first time this game received an upgrade with a heap of additional elements attached to its title. Essentially, you’re playing the same game as before, but now it sparkles more! However, one novel aspect has caught my attention in these initial stages, making this version more welcoming than its predecessors.

In an old Dragon Quest game, one of the initial observations might be its tendency to make you feel disoriented. It’s a classic RPG, where exploring involves conversing with every Non-Player Character (NPC) and deciphering clues. Without doing so, you may find yourself unsure of your next move. Even the first game, which essentially guides you through its world in a linear fashion, can still lead you astray if you’re not cautious. Dragon Quest 3 features a vast map from the start, often requiring long, potentially hazardous treks across its continent inhabited by monsters. It’s quite easy to get lost, especially when you spend time leveling up or are distracted by pursuing an objective prematurely. However, this remake acknowledges the navigational challenges and has made efforts to minimize them.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake really wants to help keep you on track

The obvious new addition here is waypoints. These are just a normal part of video game vocabulary at this point in time, and it makes sense to implement them here. Dragon Quest isn’t really a game that benefits from the joys of discovery, like the SaGa series for example. It’s a linear path across a very traditional world map, and the only thing that happens if you stray off the golden path is getting your ass kicked by monsters you aren’t supposed to fight yet. So for the sake of players with young or aging brains (hi), having a waypoint is helpful. But that isn’t the only solution here, which is important especially because certain objectives (like finding the Magic Key, conveniently located within my “preview” boundaries) can’t be solved until you do a couple other, smaller tasks that aren’t marked the same way.

The latest addition is called “Recall,” which allows you to save any conversations with NPCs by pressing a button. You can store anything, even seemingly irrelevant information. However, I often press the button unintentionally, saving useless info and then having to delete it due to storage limits. Despite my bad habits, this feature has proven useful, storing things like navigation tips, monster recruitment advice for the new gambling alternative, and potential hints for future use. It’s fascinating that you can even save information from signposts found in the game world. Although it seems excessive, it’s incredibly handy, particularly for a game like Dragon Quest!

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake really wants to help keep you on track

Absolutely, Dragon Quest 3 offers much more than meets the eye, especially its HD-2D Remake version. You’ll discover new character classes, features, shortcuts, and stunning visuals that are a sight to behold. Despite being the same game I’ve been familiar with for years, it presents a unique way to revisit its world. In this preview, I highlighted something particularly noteworthy, but expect a comprehensive review from me in the upcoming weeks right here on Shacknews. So, stay tuned, keep cool, and prepare for more engaging and insightful JRPG content from me!

The remastered version of Dragon Quest 3 in HD-2D format will be released on November 14, 2024, and can be played on PCs, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. For this review, a code was given to me by the publisher.

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2024-11-01 01:27