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The first 'Dragon Quest' game has been lovingly recreated with lots of new content. Square Enix Following the release of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which was entirely amazing, we now have the first two games done in the same way, and they’re equally great. The reason for this order of releases is that the third game was actually the first game in the Erdrick Trilogy narrative, with the first and second games rounding that story out. Now, when they were released, the narrative pacing and plot hooks were all a bit rushed and didn’t quite match up properly, and it’s this uneven storytelling that these remakes focus on remedying. This is not to say that these two new remakes don’t play fantastically, because they really do, but that the emphasis is very much on the story and making it all fit together properly. In that, at the end of the third remake, we were introduced to a priest called Hargon, in his normal human form. This was a big deal, as Hargon was the big baddie of the second game in the trilogy. So, these new remakes stitch everything together in a very coherent way in terms of the story, and actually explain who the Dragonlord really is, at least in an inferred way, and that Hargon was behind his ascension to power. You also get a lot of genuinely amazing post-game content, especially in the second game, but I won't spoil any of that here. However, I may do a write-up on it after the game is launched. You really need to explore Alefgard thoroughly in the first game to find all the best weapons and armor. Square Enix As for gameplay, if you played the third remake already, you’ll know that the traditional mainline Dragon Quest games are role-playing games with turn-based battles viewed in the first person. The latter is a nod to the Wizardry games, which Dragon Quest director Yuji Horii was a big fan of. In addition, these remakes also employ a tilt-shift camera view for world navigation, and while the environment is all in 3D, the characters and enemies are shown as 2D pixel art. While the third game in the Erdrick Trilogy already received updated versions back in the day, such as the SNES release and the inclusion of the secret boss Xenlon, the first two games haven't had quite the same care and attention over the years. These remakes change all that. The first game is a lot more fleshed out, with the various sigils giving you extra powers. Battles are also with multiple enemies now, rather than just one, and all parts of Erdrick’s armor set are now available, if you look hard enough. You also have new story beats, including new characters. The sigils are really nicely handled in terms of their discovery, too. You also have abilities that can scan areas for treasure and others that highlight them in the level. These were in the third remake, too, but only via the thief character class. Here, the hero has access to it all. Mini medals make a return, and the rewards for these offer some genuinely useful weapons for the post-game, especially in hunting down metal slimes. The second game has also had an overhaul to the hints setup. Square Enix There are now also scrolls that you can pick up that teach the character new spells and abilities. This is a fun addition, as these were previously linked to your levelling progression, so hunting these down is actually worthwhile. The only caveat to all of this is that you really are just one buff dude against the world. That means when you die, it’s game over, which is quite a bit harsher than when your whole party dies in the other games (as the party members effectively act as your “lives” in battle). So I would strongly recommend over-levelling said buff dude before you explore Alefgard. Which brings me to the second remake, and this is a much bigger game, not least because you have multiple party members now. The updated sigils make a return, as do mini medals, but you also have a tombola mini-game that affords you new items and weapons. You also now have a whole new underwater section of the game, which effectively doubles the game’s size, especially as there are even deeper levels of the ocean you can explore. In addition to Erdrick’s descendants from Midenhall, Moonbrooke, and Cannock, you also get an additional party member in the form of the Cannock Prince's sister, Princess Matilda. She was in the original game, but never playable, which is a bit weird considering that she was as much a descendant of Erdrick as the other three. This time around, she is very much part of the party, initially at first and then permanently later on. Matlida’s abilities are a mix of the thief and martial artist classes from other games, as she, too, can help you sniff out treasure across the game world. The second game now features an all-new underwater world to explore. Square Enix Again, the sigils are given extra powers and handled in a more reverential way. You also have memories that can be collected for the faeries. These are hidden in the ocean, and one in particular ties into the post-game narrative. The second game also has a lot more in the post-game, with new and extended narrative elements that tie the whole trilogy together. Again, I won’t spoil any of that here; suffice to say that it’s epic. As a set, then, it’s very comprehensive and arguably bigger than the third remake from last year. There's also been a lot more optimization done to the UI and graphics, with everything looking better and running even smoother, on the PlayStation 5 at least. Of the two games, I think I prefer the first, purely down to its functional purity of you being one man against the world, and the fact that it directly ties into the first Dragon Quest Builders game, which I also love. The second game is much more than its earlier counterparts, though, and has a lot extra tucked away and more care given to its role as the final part of the narrative trilogy. The other major thing I feel I should mention is that the voice acting in these games is superb. It’s all British actors throughout, and there’s a great deal of effort put into the performance for each character. Also, whoever came up with the idea for cockney mermaids deserves a pay raise. It’s also worth noting that there are no carryover elements between the two games; they are entirely separate, and things like weapons and armor aren’t transferable. Overall, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is arguably as good as the remake of the third Dragon Quest game, if not better. The stories of both games have also been fleshed out and tied together more coherently than ever before. While the third game in the Erdrick Trilogy defined modern role-playing games, it’s wonderful that the other two parts to this story have finally been given such genuinely excellent remakes. Platform: PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Switch 2, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC Developer: Artdink Publisher: Square Enix Released: 30th October 2025 Price: $59.99 Score: 10/10 Disclosure: Square Enix sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This review was done with both games completed in their entirety, including all the post-game content. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
