If you're looking to capture the magic of those halcyon days of sitting in front of the CRT with a classic RPG, then Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which launches tomorrow — 14th November 2024 — on Switch and other systems, might be just the tonic you need.
Reviews for the HD-2D remake of the NES's Dragon Warrior III have dropped today, and they're very positive across the board. It manages to recreate the feel of the original game while adding some beautiful visuals, music, and a handful of quality-of-life features to the experience.
We're among those positive reviews here at Nintendo Life, awarding the game an 8/10. And even with performance issues on Switch, "this is a faithful adaptation of a treasured RPG classic that elevates its strongest aspects while doing its best to make up for any shortcomings".
What did others think of it, though? Well, let's start with our sister site Push Square, which also awarded the game an 8/10, calling it "a powerfully nostalgic rebuild of a true classic", even if the game could have gone a bit further in the "remake" department:
"With its quality of life additions and delightful 3D visuals, it's easy to argue that this is the adventure's definitive form — even if some of its structural weaknesses remain in place."
What about more Switch impressions, though? Nintendo World Report loved the game, scoring it a 9/10, giving praise to the game's ageless feel, timeless appeal, and beautiful visuals:
"It’s wild to me how this NES RPG made in the 1980s holds up as well as it does more than 35 years later. Even wilder is how this fancypants remake is far more light-touch than I expected. This is more or less the same game from 1988, just with modern bells and whistles. It’s a smart, brilliant remake that carries forth the original masterpiece while not truly feeling dated."
Another glowing review comes from RPGFan, which gave the game (the PS5 version) a 90/100, lavishing praise on the looks and the nostalgic feel of the remake. They call it a "triumph" and "the best new entry point" in the franchise [full disclosure, this author is a former writer at RPGFan]:
"It took all the simplicity, all the purity of Dragon Quest III and maintained it while adding a layer of beautiful graphics, a soaring symphonic arrangement of the soundtrack, and enough quality-of-life updates that probably could have helped me keep up with the original all those years ago."
Noisy Pixel calls Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake the "definitive version" of the game, scoring it an 8/10. One particular aspect of the game the outlet highlights is the exploration, but it's also critical of the high encounter rate:
"The world map of this entry expands upon its foundations, with countless secret areas and collectibles strewn about. You have more incentive than ever to explore the world map at your leisure, and it’s practically always worthwhile."
Back to the Switch reviews, DigitalTrends gave the game an 8/10. That retro feel is once again praised, but with some added caveats on difficulty. Plus, given how modern RPGs are structured, this game's approach feels refreshing::
"In fact, this is probably the most authentic remake I’ve seen in recent years. It kept close to the original vision that’ll keep veterans happy while adding in just enough sensibilities for modern audiences."
Last up is Eurogamer, which scored the remake a 3/5. The outlet praises the visuals and the exploration, but like Noisy Pixel, criticises the high encounter rate and feels it could have been modernised a bit more:
"That sense of retaining its history is both the game's blessing and its curse. For every change that enhances the original, there are points where it hasn't evolved enough and ends up holding itself back in the process. There's still a good game to be discovered here, and if you've played the original, you'll undoubtedly enjoy this new remake."
So, overall, it sounds like Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a hit. The game is currently sitting at an 81 on Metacritic on Switch (based on 17 reviews), with PS5 getting the most reviews (34) and sitting at an average of 85. On Opencritic, which curates reviews for all platforms under one average, the game is on an average of 84.
Don't forget, Famitsu also published its review of Dragon Quest III, and it awarded the game a 35/40. It's a beloved game in Japan, so we're not surprised to see it score well there. But don't forget, if you're grabbing the remake of this 36-year-old game and plan on streaming it, Square Enix has issued specific guidelines.
Are you getting Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Switch? Have you played the game before? Let us know in the comments.
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Comments 19
Yeah... a high random encounter rate is always a bit of a bummer. It makes most games a slog to get through. But I'm still going to give it a chance next year, together with DQ 1 and 2.
I’ll be honest, Dragon Ball Daima is making me very sincerely nostalgic for anything Toriyama, even more than I expected, and I am fighting on waiting to ask for this one for Christmas. The reviews were really solid. Feels like the biggest gripe is that it plays like DQ3, which, man, I loved it years ago.
Random encounters? no thank you. I enjoyed that style of gameplay back in the day but today? not so much. In fact a high encounter rate can be absolutely infuriating at times and completely destroy my motivation to continue playing the game.
I really want this but for like $30. Not $60.
Pass. 30 year old game not worth it's price.
@Maulbert @awp69 It's 2024, $60 dollars is the standard price. What are you guys going to do when games cost 70 dollars next year. XP
Putting aside the fact that gaming is an expensive hobby to begin with, I'd still want to get this game. I never got to finish the original Dragon Warrior 3 game. Be nice to play this version and complete it. ^^
Dragon Quest fans are nothing if not traditional. Count me among them who fought hard against them getting rid of traditional turn-based battles.
So more than most other series, their fans will want this to feel like it did on the Super Famicom remake if not the NES original. Random battles are surely less than they were on the nes, still an annoyance, but strangely nostalgic at the same time. Sounds like they did well with this one. Not sure I'll buy it since I have it on nes, snes, and Game Boy Color. But we'll see.
But for anyone who has never played it before, you are in for a treat.
Whats Eurogamer up to lately?
Very pessimistic about every Switch game it seems
@Shade_Koopa Yes, $60 IS standard. But not for a game with a story already written and an engine already built. Over half the work was already done. No remake is worth $60. Link's Awakening on Switch wasn't worth it either.
@Maulbert Tell that to the latest Persona 3 Remake. That is $70 as a multiple times told story with a long existing engine. Imagine buying the game day 1 and just the dlc expansion ($35) without a sale which sets you back three figures.
You will learn real quick that a game’s perceptive “worth” is extremely flexible in the gaming community.
@Maulbert - That just tell me I pay a premium to avoid modern day story telling.
I'd say it's worth it on that alone.
@awp69 You want basic, get the Android Version for like less than $10 on the eShop! Same Game, but with less flair, and no Monster Wrangler, Symphonic Suite OR Voice Acting!
@Arawn93 Did I say Persona wasn't guilty, too? We weren't talking about it. Square and Nintendo are far from the only guilty ones, and Atlus doing it doesn't absolve Square. They both suck, but they also get away with it because, as the old saying goes, 'A fool and his money are soon parted.' I'm not a fool. Plenty of gamers are.
@Maulbert That's irrelevant. A remake is still seen as a new game. Plus, there are plenty of gamers who haven't even touched the series.
As I said before, gaming is an expensive hobby. If your not willing to spend the money, it's time to find something else to keep your time busy. Gaming is NOT for the cheap and frugile.
@Shade_Koopa No, it is not seen as a new game. It's just apologists like you that let them get away with it.
@Maulbert I don't think people who buy remakes are fools. A good chunk of people never played the original games, so Remakes are the best bet for them. Especially given that sometimes the older game is actually more expensive than the remade version of said game.
Some people like remakes because it gives an old classic a new coat of paint- and others again, never got to play the game because they were born too late to buy it when it first released.
It's fine if you don't like remakes. However I don't think it's right for people to go around saying that others are fools for purchasing them.
@Maulbert Dang man. What remake hurt you?
@Maulbert Ah yes. The "apologist" argument all you cheap and frugal people use. Because you people are too ignorant to know what "inflation" is.
Judging from the comments, you're in the minority. If you can't pay the expensive price to play video games, then you shouldn't have gotten into gaming in the first place. Simple facts.
See what I meant in the comment section of this game's review when I said that some people disregard the work of the developers making games with this insistence on exclusively the starting price (which also doesn't make sense in the first place when most games eventually get discounted if not even day one in several regions nowadays)?
Anyway, love to hear the overall positive - I also wonder what's up with Eurogamer lately - reception of this remake, looking forward to playing it as my first Dragon Quest as soon as my discounted physical copy arrives!
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