Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D review: The gold standard for classic RPG remakes

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is a game I’ve been obsessed with since it was originally announced. When I first played Dragon Warrior 3, my life was irrevocably altered. A new standard had been set for what an excellent role-playing game could and should be.

After 60+ hours of gameplay, I have a good idea of what this RPG remake is, and if it’s worthy of the name “Dragon Quest.” In short, it absolutely is. Not every video game remake is created equal, but I hope more of them in the future follow a similar blueprint.

With challenging new encounters, a graphical overhaul, and plenty of familiar/new content for all skill levels, there’s so much to love about Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D. While not perfect, this RPG is as close as it could possibly come. There are quality-of-life changes, story updates, and even some surprises – no spoilers here. That's for you to experience.

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Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D blends a classic RPG with some modern content and updates

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D tells the story of a land plagued by the might of Archfiend Baramos and his minions. Huddled away in a citadel far from the reach of normal men, a hero has to come forth and set things right. The original story plays out exactly as you remember it – though there are some surprises and special moments for those familiar with this tale.

Sadness and joy await on this rollercoaster of emotion (Image via Square Enix) nter caption

As the Hero and son of Ortega, you need to put together a party and set into the world. Like the original, you can pick from several classes, ranging from Warrior, Pilgrim (Healer) Wizard, Gadabout (Goof-off), Merchant, and even the brand-new Monster Wrangler. You can customize their look, body type, and even their voice during combat in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D.

There are a few little touches that make the game far more approachable than the original was. When you level up, that character gets a full heal (HP/MP), for example. This is brilliant and it lets you spend more time farming money/XP out in the wilderness. You can also track your current quest objective or turn off the feature if you wish.

I’m also a huge fan of the new Friendly Monsters/Monster Arena content. As you progress through Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D, you can recruit friendly monsters who battle for you against other monsters in friendly competition. There are amazing rewards in this, and it’s a marked improvement over the RNG of the original game.

Treasure awaits! (Image via Square Enix) nter caption All classes have useful combat maneuvers now – spells or skills (Image via Square Enix)

You will also find sparkly points out in the world that reward you with items (including stat seeds), equipment, and other goodies – always take the time out to pick these up when you can. Another fun new feature is the Hidden/Secret Spots –these can be home to Friendly Monsters and other very valuable treasure chests.

This makes exploring every nook and cranny of the world far more enjoyable and worthwhile. In the original game, you essentially just ran from one objective to the next, but that’s not the case in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D, much to my delight.

Combat has greatly improved for certain classes in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D

All classes have useful combat maneuvers now – spells or skills (Image via Square Enix)

One of the things about the original Dragon Warrior 3 that frustrated me greatly was that the martial/melee classes had nothing special to use. Other than the occasional weapon that casts a spell, all they could do was “Fight,” unless they were a spellcaster. That’s a thing of the past in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D.

Your party has a wealth of new skills to use, some of which are remarkably powerful to boot. For example, Warrior can make enemies attack him or deflect attacks that are aimed at someone else. Spellcasters are still great, don’t get me wrong – but I’m thrilled that the melee classes have improved vastly. This includes the new, ultra-strong Monster Wrangler.

What is the new Monster Wrangler class, and what can it do?

Monster Wranglers are amazing – every party should have one (Image via Square Enix)

So, let’s talk about one of the biggest new features of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D – Monster Wrangler. At first, I didn’t have one in my party – I kept a level 1 Monster Wrangler, in case Friendly Monsters required it. Sometimes, those monsters won’t want to join you and you would need a Monster Wrangler to convince them.

Once I reached Alltrades Abbey, however, I swapped my Warrior into a Monster Wrangler, and let me tell you, it was a complete game-changer. It’s so strong! The deeper you go into the game, the stronger it is – provided you find every Friendly Monster you possibly can.

It has a wealth of amazing attacks, like breath weapons, and single-target strikes, but where it stands out are powers like Wild Side (two actions back to back) and skills like Monster Pile-on.

The attack hits four times and strikes every enemy. It’s my favorite boss-killer combo, especially late game when it’s hitting for roughly 600-800 damage a use. It’s such a great class. Don’t skip it just because it’s “new and strange.”

Let’s talk difficulty: What’s it like in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D?

Some areas are just going to be hard, no matter what - unless you're on Dracky Quest difficulty

The baseline difficulty has three options in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D: Dracky Quest, Dragon Quest, and Draconian Quest. The default difficulty, Dragon Quest, is the “normal” option. If it’s not hard enough for you, you can play Draconian Quest, which makes enemies stronger: you also get less exp/gold.

Then, you have the Dracky Quest, which is the easiest option. There will be times in this game you’ll likely want to turn it on, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In this difficulty, you get more gold/exp, and you typically cannot die in battle.

The reason I say it’s a useful difficulty level is that while most of this game is relatively easy, there are some ridiculous difficulty spikes in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D. A wealth of new bosses (no names mentioned here) are terrifyingly powerful. You’ll need to pay close attention and work harder to beat them.

Everything in this game is relatively easy until you get to the final dungeons. That’s when the difficulty really cranks up.

Trust me when I say, you're gonna need a lot of these Prayer Rings (Image via Square Enix)

There is something else you should know about the difficulty of the game. There are way more Prayer Rings than ever before. You can even start finding them earlier if you’re diligent in searching through every chest, bag, and dresser drawer.

When used as an item, it restores MP but has a chance to break. I found somewhere in the neighborhood six or seven of these items – and there are monsters that can drop them – to boot. You can change the difficulty at any time as long as you aren’t in battle. Choose one that’s right for you, no matter what it is.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is a masterpiece in terms of visuals and dubbing

It's a whole new world we live in (Image via Square Enix) nter caption There's never been a better time to revisit this classic than now (Image via Square Enix)

When I heard Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D was going to be voice-acted, I was very excited. DQ11 had an amazing dub, and so have previous games. I was certainly not disappointed – whether it was the battle cries, or the monsters hissing and squawking their evil plans at the party. The voice acting is superb, and it was really enjoyable to listen to.

Then there’s the visuals. The HD-2D graphics are so incredible to behold. From how the light shimmers on the water, or being in a deep, ominous cave, every area looked fantastic. The monsters still had that classic Akira Toriyama design, which is one of the reasons I was charmed by the franchise in the first place. Visually, this game is a masterclass in creating an updated version of a classic RPG.

In conclusion

There's never been a better time to revisit this classic than now (Image via Square Enix) Enter caption Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is an incredible remake of the classic Square Enix RPG (Image via Sportskeeda)

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is everything I hoped it would be and so much more. Even if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game before, you owe it to yourself to try this one. There are some amazing secrets and surprises in the game, no matter how much you know about the franchise. As a long-time fan, I was both excited and nervous, but I’m glad to say that this is exactly what a remake should be like.

It can be as easy or challenging as you want, with new and rearranged content. Some of the Mini Medals you knew from the Super Famicom version have been moved (for obvious reasons), while some other minor changes that were a net positive to the overall experience have been made.

Exploration is so important in this game – even if you’ve played the original multiple times like me. This RPG is brilliant and it’s the perfect title to pick up for your collection as we near the holiday season. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is as close to perfection as it gets, from start to finish.