PAX East 2025: DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake is shaping up to be the best remake of 2025

Few JRPGs can hold the legendary status of the Dragon Quest franchise. Known for its breathtaking story, engaging gameplay, and arresting visuals, the long-running franchise is celebrating 39 years this year. The franchise means a lot to its players, known for captivating music, remarkable stories, and engaging gameplay that keeps players in the adventure until the credits roll. 

To celebrate this occasion, a remake of Dragon Quest I and II is set for release this year on the Nintendo Switch, titled DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake. Thanks to Square Enix, I had special access to preview both games well ahead of launch. Based on my time, this is shaping up to be one of the best remasters of the year. 

The Quest Begins

For those unfamiliar with Dragon Quest, it is a long-running RPG franchise with talents from the likes of Yuji Hori, Koichi Sugiyama, and late Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama. Yuji Hori would be known to later create one of the most celebrated RPGs of all time, Chrono Trigger. 

The franchise is known for being a twist to the classic fairy tale narrative of knights, dragons, and damsels in distress. The first three games have parallel narratives, all converging on each other in various ways. It is a time of myths and legends, but legends have a means of being told differently as the ages go on.  Only faith and courage can slay a malevolent plenty beast and save the land.

Onwards

My demo from Dragon Quest took me into an early dungeon, where I had to proceed to find a party at a mysterious altar. The first big impression of the game is its visuals. The world takes place from an isometric perspective with 3D environments and 2D pixelated characters straight from the original. Their movements and design were fascinating and nostalgic, moving with incredible fluidity and brightness. 

The 3D environments looked sharp as well. The beginning town area was filled with the standard fare of temples and structures, with a few characters to interact with. Accompanying this is a rousing orchestral score with arrangements of tracks from the original composer, Koichi Sugiyama. I was immediately immersed in the whimsical world of Alefgard and the mysteries it unfolds.  

Monster Slayer

I eventually made it to the pristine and charming overworld that dazzled with water and trees. Here, I got a taste of the combat encounter in the game. At random, monsters would appear, and fighting took place in turn-based combat. The combat featured its fair assortment of options, with melee attacks and magic spells. There was also the ability to adjust combat speed, which was a nice feature. 

Combat felt satisfying and rewarding. The enemy designs meshed well with their pixelated designs, and the environments looked sharp as well. My encounters featured slimes, bats, and other monsters. While it was a bit of a grind getting to my destination with the random encounters, the combat was done very well. 

The Adventure Continues

Exploring the dungeon, the music changed, and the presentation went from bright to moody and dark. The music arrangement changed as well. There were more enemies to fight and a party to link up with. Once again, the environment and presentation were spot on and complemented each other into an extremely immersive experience. My time with Dragon Quest has concluded. 

My time with Dragon Quest II of   DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake was over, and the time had come to play Dragon Quest II. Dragon Quest II takes place 100 years after the first one, deepening a mystery as the game focuses on the descendants of the hero from the first game. My time with the demo was much shorter, but it was just as incredible as the first! The demo was more combat-heavy heavy and I discovered the ability to attack multiple enemies at once as opposed to one at a time. Additionally, this particular remake had a party equipped with its own unique attack and spells.

A Land beyond Imagination

Visually, Dragon Quest II of the DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake was just as stunning as the first. Varied environments and biomes filled the land. A castle lies in ruins, tainted with the stain of evil. Venemous enemies emerge from the desert. Water glistens in the sun. It’s an extraordinarily fresh breath of air for such a revered installment in the franchise. Like Dragon Quest I, the pixel animations were fluid, bright, and remarkably detailed. 

DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake is shaping up to be one of the best examples of a remake. It clearly harkens and stays strong to the roots of the original, but the visual upgrades and quality-of-life improvements will create an unforgettable experience. There is still much more mystery underneath the exterior of DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake. There are some things I still cannot talk about. However, my time with the two games cements that this is a must-play for anyone and everyone. The remake may be one of the finest releases of 2025.

Behold DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake

Whether new to the series or having played all the installments, the Dragon Quest series is riding high like the dragons of the land. The newest installment, DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age, was a huge success in 2019, shipping close to 9 million units to date. Last year’s Dragon Quest III was another big success, and invited many new players into the land of Alefgard. 

With the release of last year’s DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake,  DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake completes the fabled Erdrick trilogy as Dragon Quest I and II take place after Dragon Quest III. The story will soon be complete, and the mysteries and legends of Erdrick and the Dragon Warrior will soon be complete. The grand adventure of Dragon Quest begins soon. 

DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake launches for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 30th, 2025.