Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake features new story elements, Performance and Graphics modes on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and more.
Speaking to Famitsu and translated by @Genki_JPN on X/Twitter, Square Enix said the classic role-playing game’s remake features several improvements for modern players while staying true to the original.
Perhaps most notably, Square Enix is adding new story elements to Dragon Quest 3, and while it’s unclear how significant these will be, everything was supervised by series creator Yuji Horii.
On the technical side of things, the RPG will support 4K resolution on PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC, though console players must choose between it and a 60 frames per second Performance Mode.
Players can also choose between two protagonist appearances and three difficulty settings. Myriad quality of life features will also be available, including autosaves (though manual saves are still available), the ability to speed up battle with the shoulder buttons, two camera modes, a mini map which can be toggled on and off, and an NPC conversation log which saves the last 30 interactions.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake otherwise features towns which appear like miniatures in the overworld in classic RPG fashion, monsters which can appear in towns, a day and night cycle, and more.
The game was announced as a recreation of the 1988 original and launches November 14, 2024, meaning it will arrive more than three decades later. The HD-2D style was coined when Square Enix released Octopath Traveller for Nintendo Switch in 2018, which had 2D characters moving through high quality backgrounds in a tribute to classic turn-based RPGs.
Breaking numerical convention, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake will be followed up Dragon Quest 1 HD-2D Remake and Dragon Quest 2 HD-2D Remake at some point in 2025.
In our preview of the game, IGN said: “The HD-2D foundation once again proves to be nearly foolproof when it comes to recreating that classic charm and a great way to modernize an old RPG that many would not have otherwise revisited.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
