Feature: "Reimagining The Scenario Was Necessary" - Making Old & New Fans Happy With Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined

"I hope that, through developing this title, I too have grown"

by Alana Hagues 1 hour ago

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined Ruff — *Image: Square Enix*

2026 marks 40 years of the Dragon Quest series, a staggering achievement for one of the RPG genre's biggest and brightest. Known for its cosy atmosphere, warm character, humour, and iconic art, Dragon Quest is due a big year, and Square Enix is kicking things off with a brand new "reimagining" — Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined.

Bringing what is regarded as one of the longest RPGs of the PlayStation era to Switch 1 and Switch 2, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined has attracted joy — and a few raised eyebrows — for streamlining events and making a few tweaks to the game. What was a 100+ hour experience (or 70-ish-hours on 3DS) is now much leaner. So, how to you retain the magic when you're trying to appeal to new audiences, but make sure that old fans are satisfied?

We had a chance to ask the game's producer, Takeshi Ichikawa, a few questions about the upcoming reimagining — which, for the record, we absolutely loved. Ichikawa has worked on the Dragon Quest series since 2018, starting out with Dragon Quest Builders 2 as an assistant producer.

As a long-time fan of the series, we asked him about his experience with the original PS version, what changes were difficult to make, and whether the team got to share their work with the series' artist, the late Akira Toriyama.

Nintendo Life: Before we dive into Reimagined, can you share with us the first time you experienced Dragon Quest VII, and what you thought of the game - PlayStation or 3DS version?

Takeshi Ichikawa, Producer of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined: I was in the lower grades of elementary school when I first played the PlayStation version. I remember thinking at the very beginning, “When will the battles start?” and I don’t think I managed to clear the whole game back then.

When I played it again as an adult, I was able to complete it successfully, and I found the dark world filled with irrationality especially striking and modern.

There’s a lot of pressure to keep the traditions of Dragon Quest intact while modernising certain aspects. How do you juggle those expectations with a game like Dragon Quest VII Reimagined?

As a major title with a passionate fanbase, there was certainly pressure. However, the excitement of being able to deliver this beloved franchise in a way that feels fresh outweighed it, and I believe we were able to enjoy the development process.

I remember thinking at the very beginning, “When will the battles start?”

Having worked on previous Dragon Quest games before in various different ways, how different is it working on a remake like Reimagined to say, a mainline entry such as Dragon Quest XI or a spin-off like Dragon Quest Builders 2?

In a remake, we believe it’s essential not only to offer players a fresh experience but also to preserve the charm of the original version. Striking the right balance between these two is crucial.

Given that it’s a big year for Dragon Quest in 2026 with the 40th anniversary, why is this year the right time to return to Dragon Quest VII? And why kick off the celebrations with this one?

DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past originally released in 2000 - so this year is its 26th Anniversary! Because of this, we felt it was the perfect time to bring its storytelling and unique atmosphere to a wider audience - especially now, in today’s world.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined not only “reimagines” the story and emotional portrayal of its characters but also makes the game significantly more approachable and accessible. We believe this game will be enjoyable for both previous DRAGON QUEST VII players and newcomers alike!

What attracted you to the diorama style that’s used in Reimagined? Why did you decide to go with something completely different, as opposed to the HD-2D style used for Dragon Quest III and Dragon Quest I & II?

The original DRAGON QUEST VII was defined by Akira Toriyama’s designs, featuring charming, stylized characters. We considered how to convey that cuteness while still capturing the game’s unique atmosphere.

At the same time, we discovered that movies and games featuring doll motifs were well-received globally, which inspired us to combine this concept with DRAGON QUEST VII’s character designs. We felt this approach would create a visually appealing style, leading to the visual expression seen in the game.

Unfortunately, we never had the opportunity to show this work to Toriyama. However, as mentioned earlier, we kept in mind throughout production that the visual style needed to match the charm of his adorable illustrations.

Dragon Quest is usually known for being lighthearted and charming – at least, it always feels very cozy to us! But Dragon Quest VII is often considered one of the darker entries. How do you balance this and do you make any changes in Reimagined to lean more one way rather than the other?

DRAGON QUEST VII is a work whose appeal lies in two aspects: the irrational and dark scenarios encountered throughout the journey, and the exciting coming-of-age story of an ordinary boy growing into the savior of the world. This title preserves that appeal while reimagining it.

You’ve talked about streamlining the game’s narrative and the discussions you had on which scenarios you wanted to keep, rather than get rid of. How tough was it to cut the sections you eventually settled on, and do you have a favourite that was a must-keep for the final game?

We felt that reimagining the scenario was necessary to create a more fast-paced and immersive narrative experience. Throughout the process, we consciously made adjustments to ensure that the original version’s unique atmosphere and core story remained intact.

If you were to sum up Dragon Quest VII Reimagined in one sentence (or one word if you want a challenge), what would it be?

Unfortunately, we never had the opportunity to show this work to Toriyama.

This title allows you to experience the irrational nature of the world and the exciting story of growth that lies beyond.

And finally, to wrap up this interview, what does Dragon Quest mean to you? And how will you be celebrating the 40th anniversary?

DRAGON QUEST VII is the story of the growth of a boy from humble beginnings, and I hope that, through developing this title, I too have grown. I would be delighted if this game could serve as the beginning of delivering a wonderful 40th anniversary celebration of DRAGON QUEST to everyone.

This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and flow.

Thank you to Ichikawa-san and the team at Square Enix for making the time to speak to us.

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined launches on Switch 1 and Switch 2 on 5th February 2026. Will this be your first time playing the game, or did you play it on PlayStation or 3DS? Let us know down below!

Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate.

1
Bass_X0
1 hour ago

Which is like remaking Super Mario Bros with only five worlds to streamline the experience and calling it better than the original that had eight worlds.

2
stillpondjosh
1 hour ago

The bit about "I remember thinking at the very beginning, 'When will the battles start?'" makes me a little sad. Not necessarily in this instance, since the interviewee was recounting his feelings as a child. It makes me sad because that childish rubric for game quality seems to have permeated even to professional reviewers of this game.

Yes, the original game took a while before you got to the first battle. But that was a story decision. To make the transition from "safe home" to "dangerous outside world" more stark. The original's approach isn't unimpeachable by any means, and I actually like the way the opening quest was redesigned to be more streamlined (aside from the added pointless tutorial battle that takes the wind out of the "first battle signifying step into greater danger" thing but whatever). But, even though it's shorter, I've still seen several reviews being like "it still takes too long to get to the first battle." As though that were all Dragon Quest was!

It really feels like game critique has regressed if we're still judging a story-focused game on "But I wanna fight something!" The pace of DQVII has always been antithetical to the review process. It's long. It's episodic. If you have to binge it as fast as possible, you're going to have a bad time. I'm sympathetic to that plight. If someone said to me "Review Star Trek: The Next Generation. By the way, you have four days to watch the whole thing." that probably wouldn't lead to a positive experience. It just bums me out that game preservation inadequacies mean that the only way to experience a game is through the Abridged Version.

3
LastFootnote
1 hour ago

@Bass_X0 I mean, Super Mario Bros. isn’t 100 hours long unless you’re really bad at it.

I’ve never finished any version of DQ7, so I’m looking forward to this.

4
roy130390
1 hour ago

@Bass_X0 That depends on the content that is removed/changed. From what I've seen people do complain about the pacing if this game so removing or improving the pacing on certain parts might be beneficial for it.

5
bransby
1 hour ago

@stillpondjosh Well said! I was really excited to get this game until I found out about the "streamlining". I probably won't bother, now.

6
foursider
1 hour ago

I'm not usually a fan of these games, thanks to random battles/encounters, but I really enjoyed my time with the demo and am considering getting the full game at some point. I appreciate the reimagining which I guess means that I like dumbdowned JRPGs based on the reviewer's comments?

7
WiltonRoots
1 hour ago

Never played the previous versions before, streamlined or not, don't care, I'm getting it, I liked the demo. Looks like I will be getting my money's worth out of it.

8
Bobb
59 mins ago

@LastFootnote Right? If each stage in Mario Bros was 2 hours long I wouldn't mind them cutting a few worlds out.

I've played the 3DS version of DQ7 and while many directing choices had a good reasoning to be it's undeniable that it's tiring on the long run. I've enjoyed the slow beginning (which I've been told it was even slower on the ps1) but after 80 hours in you start questioning if the game has a pacing problem

9
Jhena
56 mins ago

Now I want to play the original even more.

10
deezcronuts
51 mins ago

“Why does the remake use the absolute ugliest possible art style? Why? It’s such a great game! Why?”

I understand not asking my question (not respectful, no time) but it’s wild that everyone dances around this.

11
Uncle_Franklin
50 mins ago

I don't like the general character design,
gives cheap CGI movie vibes.

12
seinfeldfanatic
42 mins ago

Ill pass on the Switch/Switch Lite new remake of Dragon Quest VII since I still have and still prefer and enjoy my old Nintendo 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII

13
nhSnork
30 mins ago

@seinfeldfanatic I had this feeling as well but have since seen reports that the 3DS remake itself cut some of the PS1 side content, so it's starting to seem like a "pick your poison" situation where the latest incarnation does beckon with its own reported new side bits AND a functional save cloud (although I didn't get the 3DS version in time and would be playing it on the hacked unit with its own backup tool, too). Time will tell, I guess; I've only ever finished DQIII to date, and now its HD-2D remake alongside the two other Erdrick games may well reset my mainline binge, making DQVII a distant prospect and prospectively keeping my dual screen backlog busy with IV-IV instead.