Preview of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D

Earlier this month, I finally dove into Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on my Switch. Never touched the original, so I had, uh, two major epiphanies? First off, the sprite work is just, wow, top-tier eye candy. But then, the grind… oh boy. It’s like these old-school games demand you either stick it out or flip on that can’t-lose “Dracky Mode” (yeah, I went with the easy route).

This whole adventure kicked off after a quick 25-minute demo of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D on PlayStation 5 at PAX East 2025. Needed a point of reference before scribbling down this preview. Anyway—or, wait—catching my thoughts here… This write-up’s gonna be more ramble than review, I guess. Mechanically, not tons to dissect. But the bigger picture? Way cool.

So, here’s the scoop. In the Dragon Quest I demo, I stumbled from the starting town into open fields, then a cave. Fought some monsters, wandered around. Not loads of new jazz, but the visuals—sheesh. The tweaks, like battling multiple baddies, add some flavor to the old-school vibe.

Dragon Quest II was equally stunning, echoing the III remake style—low cam overworld, voiced scenes, the works. And, if you remember, II’s kind of divisive. It’s that awkward middle child between grind-happy Dragon Quest and the bigger, grander III.

Can you gauge a game from a few minutes of play? Nah, not really. But if Square Enix gave II the glow-up like III—with zippier battles, easier modes, and overall chill vibes—it might just smooth over some of those long-standing fan gripes.

Now, here’s where my brain got hooked: the way the remakes link I & II as a follow-up to III. III’s all about Erdrick, a prequel deal, which leads neatly into I & II, with Erdrick’s kin taking the reins. Beyond matching visuals with III, these remakes promise fresh content tying the trilogy’s narrative and gameplay together neatly.

A Square Enix rep let slip that pairing these upcoming duo remakes means you’re in for about the same length as the Dragon Quest III remake from last year. Think 30-40 hours if you’re on typical difficulty. This same rep got all jazzed when I mused about Dragon Quest II being an easier hangout now. Apparently, those II upgrades were a collective team obsession.

Anyway—Dragon Quest Day dropped big news. Square Enix announced that Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake lands (even on Switch 2!) on October 30. My surface glance at the remake? Feels like they nailed it, just like III. But, if you scratch that surface? Square Enix seems to have higher stakes, ambitions that deserve a second look.