Ever since it first introduced the HD-2D art style in 2017, fans have been begging Square Enix to remake some of its most beloved classic titles in the style ofOctopath Traveler. While the team behindOctopath Travelerhas already revealed its next game, theFire Emblem-likeProject Triangle Strategy, it turns out they will be returning to one of Square Enix’s most beloved classic games with a remake ofDragon Quest 3, as announced during theDragon Quest35th anniversary stream.
Dragon Quest 3: The Seeds of Salvationfirst released in Japan in February 1988 and was developed by Chunsoft (now known as Spike Chunsoft) and published by Enix (now part of Square Enix.)The game was a genre-defining JRPGand is most synonymous with having perfected many of the standards that the genre still functions by today. Chronologically, it is the first entry in the series, making it a prime candidate for a remake intended to retell the story of the series from the beginning.
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It seems like that’s just what Square Enix intends to do, with the developer announcing that the HD-2D team responsible forOctopath Traveleris hard at work on a full remake of the game with the possibility of even following it up with remakes of the first two games. Square Enix announced theDragon Quest 3remake as part of its 35th anniversary stream, where it alsoannouncedDragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, a new expansion for the Japan-only MMORPGDragon Quest 10, and multiple new spin-off titles.
Square Enix has recently been looking towards remaking past projects, with its most ambitious effort in recent years being theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeproject, which aims to reimagine the beloved PS1 RPG for a whole new audience. Recently it published a remaster ofNieR: Replicant, and in 2020 it released the full remake ofTrials of Mana. A few months ago the publisher announced that it would be partnering withPanzer Dragoon RemakedeveloperForever Entertainment for multiple upcoming remakeprojects, which some fans have theorized to be remakes of theDrakengardseries.
Dragon Quest 3is the first remake project fromthe HD-2D team at Square Enixand represents what could be a bright future for the developer in revisiting past IP and reintroducing them to fans in a way that does not deviate too much from what made the original titles so beloved. Fans have already began drumming up excitement for possibleFinal Fantasy 6orChrono Triggerremakes in this style. During the 35th anniversary stream however,Dragon Questcreator Yuji Horii implied that the team is already considering remakingDragon QuestandDragon Quest 2in this style. As for theDragon Quest 3remake, no platforms were revealed other than the game is coming to “consoles,” nor was a release window. It was confirmed that much likeDragon Quest 12,Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakewill be one of the first titles in the series to launch worldwide simultaneously.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeis currently in development.
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