Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake [Review]

Dragon Quest III is so, so good that what they've done in 88 is still fresh in 2024. Truly an adventure, it is one of those games that makes you excited to find a new town, where quests are few but really memorable constantly rewards curiosity and exploration with nice gear and wacky items.

It is, at the same time, a bit lost in time, a relic and as old as it gets. The grind is REAL, and you've got to grind and go out of your way to farm metal slimes, otherwise you'll be left behind, only the main scenario and side quest aren't nearly enough. The random encounters are, in the end, the best way to level up, and that can get stale super quick.

The difficulty, though? Amazing. There were tough battles, and the enemies really do use all in their power to win the fight, they feel like real encounters and are hard to beat. The vocation system is pretty cool and different as well, with rebirths and resets and mixed vocations that all have nice and cool spells and abilities. I've played the game only in the “Dragon Quest” difficulty.

What makes it unique, really, is the personality system. Different types of equipment and books can change the way your character grows statuses, and it is super charming to swap personalities and try to find the best one for each vocation that you have. In the end, everyone in the party feels super unique to play.

For HD-2D Remake specifically, the game is simply gorgeous. All the cities are pretty, there's way more voice acting than I was expecting and the pixel art of the enemies really stand out, with beautiful animation throughout. Everything just works, and it may be the best looking “retro” RPG I've ever played, maybe behind Star Ocean: The Second Story R.

The original game may have been the best NES game of all time, but it is still a NES game. With an impressive amount of content and cool systems like day and night cycles and spells to use on the overworld, it is a bit stuck in its age of release. The remake could've helped a bit making more difficulties options with one easier on the grind than the “normal” that we have now, with more experience rewarded by battles but with the same good AI. Could've been a good opportunity to make the monster arena reward experience as well.

If you know what you're entering in, truly, Dragon Quest III Seeds of Salvation HD-2D Remake is an impressive feat, although too grindy and sometimes too punishing. Either way, it is fantastic. It may not be as good as an entry point as Dragon Quest XI S Echoes of An Elusive Age Definitive Edition is, but as a retro game, it almost feels new.

8.5/10