Square Enix recently confirmed that Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake will be launching on the Switch and Switch 2 on 30th October 2025.
As part of the Dragon Quest Day celebrations, several outlets have gone hands-on with the latest title to see how its shaping up in the months leading up to its release. It seems Square Enix provided the PlayStation 5 version for preview purposes, so we'll have to wait and see how it holds up on Nintendo's systems, but early accounts indicate that it's another hit for fans of the series.
So let's see what folks make of it so far...
First up, IGN notes that the game is a slight step up from Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake in terms of visuals, with "more detailed and sophisticated" pixelwork:
"The textures are even sharper, making the contrast between the 2D pixels and the 3D world starker, but more striking as a result. The 2D pixels have also received an upgrade, though you might not realize it at first. I compared some of the screenshots Square Enix sent over with my copy of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D running on the Switch, and they’re quite different, with the pixelwork in Dragon 1 & 2 HD-2D looking much more detailed and sophisticated than the pixels in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D."
Gameshub was similarly optimistic, and praised the remake for maintaining the original games' balance of drama and humour:
"What was most striking about my time with this game, beyond its aforementioned art style, was just how well the humour of the series has endured. There’s a timelessness to both of the original games, and this was clear in my time questing and battling through various dungeons. Both Dragon Quest games might be dramatic high fantasy adventures, but they leave plenty of time for levity and goofiness. In this remake, that balance in tone has seemingly been very well maintained."
Noisy Pixel states that the new release is an excellent way for newcomers to find their way into the Dragon Quest series:
"The Erdrick Trilogy has long held a special place in JRPG history, but its earliest entries haven’t always been easy to revisit. This new remake package offers an accessible and visually cohesive way to experience the foundation of the Dragon Quest series. Whether you’re coming off Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake or jumping into the series for the first time, this is shaping up to be an excellent way to trace the lineage of one of gaming’s most influential series."
The Sixth Axis says that the new release follows in the footsteps of DQ III, highlighting similar quality-of-life improvements and expressing excitement for the new content:
"In many ways, the upcoming remakes of 1 and 2 follow in the footsteps of number 3. The skeleton of these games is much the same, but with some modern tweaks to make things a lot easier in 2025. The HD-2D art style harks back to the original pixellated visuals and are incredibly nostalgic for those of us who grew up with turn-based RPGs, but lends the game a modernity that looks fantastic when expanded to fill a modern TV screen.
"But then there’s the gameplay updates like variable difficulty, tweaks to improve combat, and ability to set different combat speeds to help you get through the game quicker. It sounds like a minor thing, but once you realise you can blitz through combat, it’s hard to go back. On top of this, we’ve been promised never-before-seen story content, which is something that all fans should be excited by."
And finally, Restart says that if you didn't particularly enjoy DQ III, then there's nothing here that would necessarily change your mind. It seems that Square Enix has endeavoured to make the Edrick Trilogy as consistent and cohesive as possible:
"If you bounced off of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, I don't think there's much here that will change your mind about these titles, as they’re largely more of the same. Remakes and remasters are abundant these days, and that train doesn't seem to want to stop anytime soon. Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake serves to bring the origins of a legendary RPG series to a wider audience, and that's about the most you can ask for from a remake these days."
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is available to pre-order now. It's been confirmed that the Switch 2 version will be a Game-Key Card release at retail, with Square Enix also offering a Collector's Edition via its official store.