Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake Sets the Standard for Square Enix Remakes Going Forward

The Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake is more than just another nostalgic return to gaming’s golden age; it’s a sign of things to come. Square Enix has taken two of its most foundational RPGs and rebuilt them with love and care, mixing nostalgia and modern elements to make them feel fresh again. It’s a rare balance that I love after exploring both titles, and it’s something I want to see the studio do going forward with all future remakes. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this remake captures what makes Dragon Quest so enduring.

The visual updates, new content, and numerous accessibility features manage to retain the game’s original identity while improving it in nearly every aspect. While Square Enix has done remakes in the past, they have either stayed faithfully true, excluding content in the case of Final Fantasy Tactics, or wildly altered the game, as in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake strikes the best balance between innovation and respecting the original games.

Beautiful Remakes That Honor the Series’ Classics

The Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake doesn’t just modernize visuals; it reframes how we experience nostalgia. Using the same HD-2D art style that powered Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy, Square Enix gives these classic games a painterly elegance that feels both contemporary and timeless. The original games were limited by the hardware they had to work with, but those constraints also gave the games unique identities. The HD remakes make these attributes shine better than ever.

The visuals look incredible: like HD dioramas come to life. The pixel art shines in combat and in set pieces, creating a dreamlike painterly aesthetic. The character sprites maintain their simple forms but now move with warmth and life. Towns bustle with ambient detail. Lanterns flicker, water shimmers, and environments feel tangible without losing their old-school grid-based structure. This is how I envisioned the developer wanted these games to look when they first released.

The result is an experience that feels faithful yet invigorating. The original Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II were the foundation of Japanese RPG storytelling, setting the stage for every Final Fantasy, Tales, and Persona game that followed. Reviving them in this fashion is a brilliant showing by Square Enix. Playing these games with an HD facelift made me appreciate all the games that came after, some of which are among my favorite games of all time.

Modern Features That Enhance Dragon Quest Gameplay

What makes the Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake shine isn’t just how it looks but how it plays. Square Enix didn’t just upgrade the visuals; it has completely fine-tuned gameplay with quality-of-life features and accessibility options. These range from speeding up game elements, turning on cheats, and helping players find hidden locations and treasure. Newcomers can use these to acclimate themselves to the games, while veterans can enjoy how it changes up the familiar gameplay.

Combat feels faster, cleaner, and more responsive. The original’s turn-based pacing remains intact, but small adjustments—like clearer enemy targeting, smoother animations, and better menu navigation—make grinding less of a chore and strategy more intuitive. Options to speed up animations and various difficulty settings allow for further tweaking of gameplay to better suit your needs. I preferred speeding up the combat, because it is admittedly slow on the default setting.

That said, not every choice lands perfectly. I noticed odd pacing adjustments, slightly tweaked enemy encounter rates, and minor aesthetic inconsistencies between the two games. But these quirks do not overshadow the achievement of Square Enix’s Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake. They feel current without losing the nostalgic aspect, something that Square can continue to use in future games.

How Future Square Enix Remakes Could Follow Suit

If there’s one takeaway from the Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake, it’s that Square Enix has finally found the right formula for updating its classics. The publisher has spent years experimenting, sometimes successfully, like with Final Fantasy VII Remake, but sometimes not so much as seen with Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition. This remake hits the perfect middle ground: faithful presentation, meaningful upgrades, and respect for legacy content.

This should be the template moving forward. I am not the only one begging for a remake of Chrono Trigger, and Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake shows how Square Enix should handle this. An HD 2D remake that respects the original game while making meaningful improvements. And as much as I love the original story, I really want more content, like a new area as seen in Dragon Quest II HD Remake, to get more Chrono Trigger in my life.

Final Fantasy VI is another title that deserves a remake in the vein of Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake. Terra’s story would be perfect with an HD 2D facelift, and I can only imagine how terrifying Kefka would be. Vagrant Story is another classic Square title that comes to mind and is begging for a remake. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is another opportunity for Square to showcase its skill at remaking games. The potential is endless for how classic JRPGs could be revived, and it’s all thanks to the work of Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake.

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