Dragon Quest 1 And 2 Remake Are A Fascinating Reimagining Of Two Of The Most Important RPGs Ever Made

Playing the Dragon Quest 1 & 2 remake was a tale of two extremes – going from finishing Dragon Quest 1 and saying “I don’t think this holds up all that well,” to seeing credits roll a second time in Dragon Quest 2 and realizing, “This might be my favorite game in the series.”

Dragon Quest I&II HD-2D Remake is a fascinating double-feature of RPGs – and, similar to the Trails in the Sky remake earlier this year, an examination of why we remake games in the first place. At times, it feels like this entire remake trilogy has been building up to Dragon Quest 2. The almost complete reimagining makes one of the series’ most divisive entries now feel like one of its most defining. At this point, it feels like few game studios have found as much of a winning remake formula as Square Enix has.

Back to the Beginning

If you aren’t overly familiar with the first three Dragon Quest games (named the Dragon Warrior games in their first North American release), the trio make up what’s known as the “Erdrick Trilogy.” Dragon Quest 3 takes place first chronologically and focuses on the world-saving hero Erdrick – then Dragon Quest 1 and 2 follow Erdrick’s descendants. While you can play each game individually, they do have big story connections, and you can even see many of the same locations change over time.

That’s the first thing this remake trilogy has really doubled down on, deepening those connections even more, so much so that if you play them in order, there’s a wealth of little details you’re likely to notice. And the story is really the first major difference between Dragon Quest 1 and 2 in this package.

The first two Dragon Quest games were decidedly sparse on story, as many games of the time were. Both games have drastically expanded narrative elements, but those changes are far more effective in Dragon Quest 2. The first game is a solo adventure where you simply play the stoic hero, questing to save the world from the vile forces of the Dragon Lord.

But the overall changes to the first Dragon Quest feel subdued, as if there’s a hesitancy to really change the game’s formula and disrupt its place in history. As the grandaddy of basically all modern RPGs, it’s easy to see why the first Dragon Quest is important – but there’s an inherent issue in returning to it. Every Dragon Quest has aped the formula of the first game in some way, — even Dragon Quest 11 – with the foretold hero fighting off the forces of darkness. Seeing that format done continuously, in so many more compelling ways, is part of the series’ identity. And returning to the first game, with minimal changes, undeniably starts to feel dated.

I respect the idea of preserving Dragon Quest, but it’s just not all that fun to play, even with a host of gameplay changes – and that’s exactly what made Dragon Quest 2’s triumphant evolution even more astounding. The real key here is that Dragon Quest 2 liberally doubles down on its characters by fleshing out the story, not only making the original two characters (the Prince of Cannock and Princess of Moonbrooke) more robust, but adding an entirely new fourth party member – the Princess of Cannock.

These new interpretations feel like living, vibrant characters, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d have no idea the fourth party member wasn’t there from the very beginning. The other essential ingredient is drastically better pacing that helps the story move along quickly from dungeons to major story moments and surprising new discoveries. Almost every element of Dragon Quest 2 has been smartly streamlined or enhanced, and serves to better prop up a swathe of new content – from being able to explore an entirely new underwater map, to a genuinely astounding postgame that needs to be experienced firsthand (I can’t say anything more without spoiling it.)

Of course, all of this is wrapped up in the game’s dazzling HD-2D presentation, which feels even more effective than in the Dragon Quest 3 remake. Although it’s subtle, it feels like there’s a more colorful edge to the visual design in these games, with a real sense of whimsy crammed into locations like the bedazzled underwater kingdom of the Mermaids. At the same time, Dragon Quest 2 has some absolutely phenomenal voice acting, really adding to the extra characterization of the party members – to the point I’d actually compare it to Dragon Quest 8 in terms of performances.

All of these elements layer on top of each other to make Dragon Quest 2 one of the most riveting and best-paced stories the series has ever seen – something only bolstered by the gameplay enhancements.

Throwing a Party

While I don’t want to imply these remakes are derivative, if you’ve played any single Dragon Quest game, you know exactly what to expect in terms of gameplay. The series has a formula that it’s stuck to for decades, and it hasn’t largely shifted here. But the biggest shift is more adaptive difficulty, which is important as Dragon Quest 2, in particular, is rather notorious for being crushingly hard.

These remakes, like Dragon Quest 3, put both games more in line with the modern entries and the quality-of-life features that entail. You have streamlined menus, new skills and spells, markers for elemental weaknesses, a buff to the Prince of Cannock, adjustable battle speed, and more. There have also been significant changes to how the Sigils work in Dragon Quest 2, as they now give your entire party passive effects, like bumping up your critical rate.

And by and large, the party system is a much better fit for Dragon Quest as a whole, whether you’re talking about story or gameplay – there’s a reason almost every other mainline game has a party. That’s exactly what puts Dragon Quest 1 in a bit of an awkward position, as a strictly solo experience, which in turn means it’s been changed more integrally.

In Dragon Quest 1, the hero now faces multiple monsters in battle, instead of just one, and has a wealth of new skills and spells to choose from. But with the modern changes to the battle system, there’s a a weird problem that emerges – the game is surprisingly difficult at the start and becomes a cakewalk by the end when you’re powered up. The different difficulty options can help with this, of course, but it’s clear to see how Dragon Quest’s combat had to be scaled back slightly for this reimagining of the first game. It’s not bad by any means, but just fine – and again, it absolutely pales in comparison to Dragon Quest 2. Even more than the previous game, these combat updates really benefit the second entry, because of having pre-defined party members.

Dragon Quest 3’s variety lies in its robust class system, but admittedly, it takes time to really dig into said system and unlock the means to change jobs. In Dragon Quest 2, from the jump, combat demands that you learn the roles of each party member and how to properly use them. This only then becomes increasingly true as you unlock more abilities and go up against a wider array of enemies, and some smartly-designed bosses.

Again, it’s a case where the ideas and ethos of these remakes bolster Dragon Quest 2 specifically, while Dragon Quest 1 is kind of just along for the ride. And despite the first game’s place in history, I suppose it’s kind of fitting considering the legacy of Dragon Quest 2, and how it helped define so much of the series’ formula.

A Lasting Legacy

The most impressive element of Dragon Quest 1 & 2 Remake is how Square Enix has altered these games to both stand on their own, and as part of a comprehensive trilogy. Each game feeds into the other in some truly fascinating ways. Outside of Final Fantasy 7, I’ve never seen a trio of games feed into a “reimagining” like this – especially in the way it feels like DQ1 and DQ3 were almost set up for the visions of completely redefining DQ2.

While I personally might have liked to see the first Dragon Quest get a heavier tune-up, it’s still interesting to go back and see the pivotal game that launched a franchise and changed RPGs forever. And any disappointment I might have had with the first Dragon Quest is completely wiped away by its astounding sequel. Dragon Quest 2 flawlessly captures the whimsy and spirit of adventure that has kept the series enduring all these years later.

This remake is one for the ages, and that’s whether you remember playing Dragon Warrior 2 on a little CRT television three decades ago or whether you’ve never even touched the series in your life. And there are decades of games and history to dive into if you can’t get enough.

9/10

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake launches on October 30 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, and PC. Inverse was provided with a Switch 2 copy for this review.

INVERSE VIDEO GAME REVIEW ETHOS: Every Inverse video game review answers two questions: Is this game worth your time? Are you getting what you pay for? We have no tolerance for endless fetch quests, clunky mechanics, or bugs that dilute the experience. We care deeply about a game’s design, world-building, character arcs, and storytelling come together. Inverse will never punch down, but we aren’t afraid to punch up. We love magic and science-fiction in equal measure, and as much as we love experiencing rich stories and worlds through games, we won’t ignore the real-world context in which those games are made.