Summary
During the June 2024 Nintendo Direct,Dragon Questfans were delighted to see the return of theDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. After its announcement three years ago, this remake of perhaps the most influential entry in theDragon Questseries went silent for a worrying amount of time. The same can be said for the still-unaccounted-forDragon Quest 12, though the return ofDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeis probably a good sign of that as well. With a November 2024 release date set,Dragon Quest 3should delight a whole new generation of fans in its best form yet.
The good news doesn’t stop there, however, asDragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remakewas also revealed, coming some time in 2025. Players will be able to enjoy the same enhancementsDragon Quest 3is getting inDragon Quest 1and2, both of which chronologically followDragon Quest 3to form an entire trilogy aroundDQ3hero Erdrick’s lineage. Aside from a western release forDragon Quest 10 Offlineor more news onDragon Quest 12, it’s hard to imagine betterDragon Questnews arriving right now. All that’s dampening the situation is how strange it is that these games won’t be released together.
Dragon Quest 3 Has Been Separated From Dragon Quest 1 and 2
For whatever reason,Dragon Quest 3is launching several months beforeDragon Quest 1 & 2. There is enough content and replay value inDQ3for it to earn a standalone release, butDragon Quest 1 & 2coming separately runs the risk of makingDragon Quest 3look like it’s not the full package. There are no objections to these games getting HD-2D remakes, especially given Square Enix’s excellent track record with games likeLive A Liveand theOctopath Travelerseries, but it’s still confusing why they are launching so far apart.
Why Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake Was Made
IfDragon Quest 1&2was a later development that started whileDQ3was underway, it’s likely because these games share a lot of sprite-based assets. Finishing remakes of bothDQ1and2afterDQ3laid their groundwork wouldn’ttake as long as making an HD-2DDQ3in the first place. That logic doesn’t result in a clear development time schedule, but it does help explain why1 & 2 HD-2D Remakewas made in the first place. Being less resource intensive, they could help recoup the initialDQ3project’s costs. None of that gets closer to unraveling these games’ separate launch dates, however.
Uncovering Dragon Quest HD-2D’s Release Logic
There are a few more possibilities to explain the disparity between these releases, but they’re rather flimsy. First is thatDragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remakewill come out during the Nintendo Switch successor’s launch window. In theory, this would make up for the lower sales these games would otherwise get from being both the second release in their “series,” and from being lower priority games thanDragon Quest 3. However, this idea ignores the fact that these are multi-platform releases, as well as the commontheory thatDragon Quest 12’s revealis coming alongside the Switch 2’s.
Dragon Quest HD-2D’s Separate Launches Might Have A Simple Cause
A more mundane reason is thatDragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remakesimply isn’t done yet. Just because it began duringDQ3 HD-2D’s development using recycled assets doesn’t mean it took less time to make. Standardizing each game’s mechanics, especially with howold and archaicDragon Quest 1is, would practically be its own project. There’s even a chance thatDragon Quest 1 & 2will have to miss the Switch successor’s launch because they don’t meet Square Enix franchise quality standards yet. Regardless,Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeshould keep fans busy, even if it’s part of a situation that doesn’t entirely make sense.
