Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a fresh retelling of the classic story about becoming the Hero of the Overworld. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well , and if it's worth buying.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Review Overview
What is Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake?
Set before the events of DQ 1 and 2, DQ 3 stars the Hero, the child of the legendary warrior Ortega who was said to have fallen and died in a volcano. On their 16th birthday, they are summoned by the King of Aliahan to continue their father’s quest, which was to travel the world and defeat the evil archfiend Baramos.
The Hero then recruits three other party members and sets out on an adventure across the world.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake features:
⚫︎ HD-2D Graphics
⚫︎ Complete Remake from the Ground Up
⚫︎ A Classic Fantasy Story
⚫︎ Turn-Based Combat
⚫︎ Adventure Game
⚫︎ Akira Toriyama Art Style
⚫︎ New Additional Story Scenarios
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake's gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 PlayStation |
 Xbox |
 Switch |
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| Price: | $59.99 | ||||||
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Absolutely Gorgeous 2D-HD Graphics Amazing Quality of Life Features Additional Story Content and Gameplay Features Beautifully Redone Soundtrack |
Tedious Random Battle Encounters Barebones Characters |
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Overall Score - 90/100
This year has been a standout for JRPGs and remakes, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a brilliant addition to that list. It’s a visually stunning, highly enjoyable game that faithfully honors the original while adding fresh elements that beautifully blend old and new. Though not every aspect fits seamlessly, the game offers a fantastic experience from beginning to end. The late Akira Toriyama and Koichi Sugiyama would surely be proud of this remake.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Story - 7/10
DQ 3 remains a classic tale of good versus evil, and while it’s executed well, the story feels relatively simple compared to the rest of Dragon Quest. It arguably has some of the weakest character development overall, though the added backstory for Ortega is a welcome addition, giving insight into his journey. However, the game could have benefited from more character depth in the present-day storyline, with additional side characters or expanded interactions for the Hero.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Gameplay - 9/10
Team Asano has done an impressive job of capturing the original Dragon Quest III’s sense of wonder and adventure in this remake, while adding quality-of-life improvements that make it more accessible, especially for newcomers. Although some of the gameplay occasionally feels slowed down by certain outdated mechanics faithfully recreated from the original, it’s still an absolutely delightful journey.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Visuals - 10/10
Dragon Quest III HD-2D is arguably the most visually stunning entry among HD-2D games like Octopath Traveler. The world is brought to life with vibrant, rich visuals that feel both fresh and nostalgic. More than once, I found myself pausing just to take in the beautifully crafted environments and detailed character sprites. The hero and the hireable party members are especially well-designed, adding tons of charm and personality to these characters.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Audio - 10/10
Koichi Sugiyama’s iconic score has been faithfully brought back to life here, and it’s an absolute joy to listen to. The music has this whimsical, feel-good vibe that pulls you right into the adventure—it’s so catchy you’ll probably find yourself humming it without even realizing. The retro sound effects are still here, too, blending perfectly with the soundtrack and adding a nice touch of nostalgia. And even though there isn’t a ton of voice acting, what’s there is done really well.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Value for Money - 9/10
This is hands-down the best way to play Dragon Quest III. The only downside is that there are so many other versions out there—like the mobile version, which is much cheaper. So the $60 price tag might feel a bit steep for some. But even with that, this remake really does bring together the best of everything previous versions offered, and it adds a lot of fresh content and features that make it worth the purchase.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Review
A Timeless Classic Beautifully Retold
What a year it’s been for JRPGs and remakes, with so many incredible titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth making waves in the gaming world. It’s been a thrilling ride watching new JRPGs make their mark and remakes continue to prove their timeless appeal. Dragon Quest III HD-2D, as both a JRPG and a remake of a beloved classic, had a lot to live up to—and plenty of hype surrounding it.
The game was first announced in 2021 during Dragon Quest's 35th anniversary, and let me tell you—this was absolutely worth the wait. This classic has been beautifully retold in every way possible.
What Makes Dragon Quest 3 A Timeless Classic?
For those who may not know, Dragon Quest III was originally released on the NES on February 10, 1988, in Japan, and later on June 12, 1991, in North America. Simply put, this game helped put Dragon Quest on the map and became a major inspiration for many games that followed.
It’s part of the Erdrick Trilogy (the first three Dragon Quest games), though interestingly, its story takes place before Dragon Quest I, making it a prequel.
Set prior to the events of Dragon Quest I and II, the game follows the Hero, the child of the legendary warrior Ortega, who was believed to have perished in a volcanic eruption. On their 16th birthday, the Hero is summoned by the King of Aliahan to continue their father’s quest: to travel the world and defeat the evil archfiend Baramos.
While the plot itself is fairly straightforward, it captivated many, especially in Japan, and its art style, drawn by the legendary Akira Toriyama (famous for Dragon Ball), helped elevate the game further.
What truly made Dragon Quest III stand out was its sense of adventure and fun. It offered a large, fully explorable world map that made it easy to lose yourself in its scale and freedom. It felt like a heroic journey in the truest sense, with engaging turn-based battles that, while simple, provided plenty of customization and options as you progressed.
This game essentially popularized the JRPG genre, taking it to new heights and shaping the direction for many RPGs to come.
Absolutely Breathtaking Visuals
I thank the developers of Octopath Traveler every day for introducing the 2D-HD art style because it's such a stunning look that never gets old. Let me just say, that Dragon Quest III HD-2D is absolutely the best use of this engine, and it’s no surprise as well since it’s the first game to use Unreal Engine 5—it looks breathtaking. 2D-HD is the perfect fit for Dragon Quest, and I’m so glad they’re continuing this approach with the remakes of DQ 1 and DQ 2.
What stands out most to me is the gorgeous lighting and color work. From the very first moment the Hero awakens and you're prompted to answer the personality quiz, the game immediately showcases the stunningly beautiful visuals of this world. It brings every area you visit to life, giving them incredible depth. The dungeons feel claustrophobic and eerie as you navigate with a torch, while the towns are bustling with vibrant life. Every location is filled with meticulous details that really enhance the atmosphere.
As for the sprites, they’re some of my favorites—especially the hero and their party members. I started with the female warrior, mage, and thief, and they all have this classic Akira Toriyama style that’s just fantastic. Also, Slimes are still adorable in this game.
A Great Mix of New and Old
The remake of Dragon Quest III does an amazing job of capturing that classic JRPG feeling of wonder, adventure, and nostalgia, all while modernizing the experience. It strikes a perfect balance between the old and the new, bringing fresh updates without losing what made the original so beloved. You can see this in various aspects of the game, such as the remastered music that keeps the charm of the original while blending in retro sound effects, and the battles that retain the classic turn-based RPG gameplay.
You’ll control a party of heroes, engaging in random encounters both in dungeons and on the overworld, and the familiar first-person perspective during battle choices is still here. On top of that, there are numerous new additions and quality-of-life improvements that make the game feel fresh.
One of the major improvements is in the story. The addition of backstory and lore from Ortega’s perspective enriches the narrative, shedding light on his death and giving more depth to the story, which was previously a bit barebones. The characters also become more engaging because of these updates, something that was sorely needed in the original.
The monster arena has been completely revamped, allowing you to enter your own recruited monsters rather than relying on the arena's stable. It’s a small but exciting change that adds a lot of fun to the game.
Quality-of-life improvements are everywhere. You can now save almost anywhere, adjust battle and text speeds, and enjoy new features like sparkling items scattered throughout the world, the ability to use Chimera wings in dungeons, and even the option to change the difficulty at any time. Additionally, guide markers on maps can be toggled on and off, making navigation easier, and there’s a feature to track your current objectives—helpful for staying on track.
Combat has been improved as well. For example, multihit weapons can now deal critical hits, you restore HP and MP when leveling up, there’s finally a defense stat, and characters who couldn’t use abilities before (like warriors and thieves) can now do so. Plus, new vocations like the monster wrangler bring additional strategic depth.
If you want to streamline the gameplay, I highly recommend setting the battle speed to fast or very fast—it makes the flow of combat much smoother and less tedious. The customization options are another highlight. You can really make your party stand out, by changing their names, genders, and appearances. And there’s a ton of new side quests to enjoy, giving you plenty to do on top of the main story.
Some Features Feel Outdated
While I appreciate what the developers were aiming for with Dragon Quest III, blending the classic gameplay with fresh ideas, there are a few features that haven’t aged as well. The most notorious one is the random encounters, which can quickly become frustrating.
I found myself frequently needing to flee from battles because I wasn’t in the best condition to fight, and it felt tedious at times. It would have been much more enjoyable if the game had sprite-based encounters or a system like Bravely Default, where you can control the frequency of encounters.
Another aspect that could use improvement is the inventory and menu system. The separation of item inventories feels unnecessary, and having a single, unified inventory would have made things much smoother.
It’s a bit of a hassle when you have to equip items and medicines to specific party members, especially when you forget to place an antidote in one member’s inventory, and then someone gets poisoned. It’s an inconvenience that could have been streamlined for a better experience.
That said, you can learn to live with these quirks. There are items in the game that help manage random encounters, so while it’s an issue, it doesn’t ruin the overall experience.
Is Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Worth It?
Great for Newcomers and a Fantastic Blast from the Past for Fans
Despite my complaints, the game is still an excellent entry point for newcomers to the series or anyone who’s still relatively new to Dragon Quest. It’s also a wonderful experience for long-time fans who grew up with the game, as it brings the classic to life in stunning 2D-HD. It's a true visual treat, and I sincerely hope this game finds financial success so we can see more Dragon Quest titles reimagined in this beautiful 2D-HD style.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
PlayStation |
Xbox |
Switch |
||||
| Price: | $59.99 | ||||||
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake FAQ
What are the List of Vocations in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake?
⚫︎ Hero
⚫︎ Sage
⚫︎ Thief
⚫︎ Warrior
⚫︎ Martial Artist
⚫︎ Mage
⚫︎ Priest
⚫︎ Gadabout
⚫︎ Merchant
⚫︎ Monster Wrangler
Can You Play Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake without Playing the Previous Games?
No, you don’t need to have played any of the previous Dragon Quest games to understand the story, as this one serves as a prequel to the very first Dragon Quest.
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Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Product Information
 | |
| Title | DRAGON QUEST 3 HD-2D REMAKE |
|---|---|
| Release Date | November 14, 2024 |
| Developer | SQUARE ENIX Team Asano |
| Publisher | SQUARE ENIX |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam, Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch |
| Genre | RPG |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| Rating | RP |
| Official Website | Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Official Website |
