First impressions of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake: Erdrick's legacy is fully updated and safe

Dragon Quest has been a major name in video games for almost 40 years. Its reach and importance as a role model for subsequent developments is matched only by the deep respect for the franchise in its home country of Japan since its inception and, more "recently" (it's been 21 years since Dragon Quest VIII, really?), around the world after its belated landing. 39 years since a first game that, along with its sequel, will soon be coming to PC and consoles under the HD-2D treatment. Yes, I had a chance to briefly play Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake during Gamescom, and now I can tell you a little bit about what you can and should expect for this dual release from Square Enix that completes, along with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, the so-called Erdrick Trilogy.

The reason for releasing the games in III-I-II order, if you haven't played the 2024 game yet, is that for the purposes of the narrative in the story, that would be the correct chronological order. And it would also be the right order to play them in, according to series producer and Yūji Horii's right-hand man, Masaaki Hayasaka, told the four media present at the session. And while I fully understand what he's proposing in terms of a choral story, during my time testing Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake I felt that I could enjoy each instalment (especially the first one, I'll come back to this) independently.

Following a logical order, I picked up the controllers and opened the save file that Square Enix staff provided for the Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake demo, in which we take control of its sole character and the game's protagonist, the hero. What is his connection to the legendary Erdrick? Well, it's unclear whether he is his grandson or a more distant degree of kinship, but either way he is a descendant of the original hero, and must travel throughout the realm of Alefgard to save him and all its inhabitants from the menace of Draconarius and his hordes of monsters. But in this case the playable section did not show anything relevant to the story, but rather a series of intermediate and secondary objectives of a main quest to retrieve the Thief's Key, a very useful and recurring item in the series.

The mission launches us into a series of cutscenes and cinematics where we follow various characters and do some sleuthing, before heading out into the open. It's here that we get the hang of the lone hero concept (never better said, as our name in the save file is "Solo") in combat. A few fights later, we see that this is a unique instalment in the series because it's all about one character, who has to combine healing, tanking, and attacking qualities, both physical and magical. It requires a bit more strategy in terms of item usage and keeping an eye on the MP (mana points) bar.

If you've already tried Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, you know exactly what to expect. Both this first and second instalment follow the exact same pattern and menu design as the previous game, as well as maintaining dialogue bubbles, animations for spells and attacks in combat, as well as for monsters and enemies. In short, this is a port with exactly the same palette of tools we've seen before, and only in some small reflections in the lighting or on the water do I notice that the version of the development software or the assets used have been slightly iterated. Of course, this remake is all the more necessary knowing that the NES original was as foundational as it was basic, and that everything has required a comprehensive redesign that exudes love and respect.

It's much the same in the second part of the demo, Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake, in which, also under a major redesign of the original work, we manage a group of four members led by our hero protagonist, the prince of Midenhall. In the case of this second instalment I could directly see a change from the original, and that is that the Princess of Cannock is now a playable character who joins the party. Again, this demo is only intended to explore the most obvious aspects of the menu, some of the stages and environments, as well as trying out some of the combat. Producer Masaaki Hayasaka told us after the session that they were very satisfied with the work done and the reception of the HD-2D Remake versions of the Erdrick Trilogy, and that he ruled out further work on remakes of the series in this format... or even venturing into a whole new game using this technology.

If you enjoyed Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, there's no reason to miss out on the upcoming Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake duo on October 30th. By adding small changes to link the story of that one with these two games, the trilogy is perfectly adapted to modern times and preserved in the best possible version of itself. It's time to go on an adventure again!