Not content with simply re-revealing Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake during today's Nintendo Direct, Square Enix also confirmed that a separate remake of Dragon Quest 1 & 2 is also coming, and due to launch in 2025.
We don't have any direct footage of Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake, but it's a safe bet it'll look a whole lot like what we've seen of the 3 remake. Square Enix is billing this as "The Erdrick Trilogy" despite the fact that it's releasing in two separate packages, so it certainly seems like there'll be a fair amount of similarities between the games. Square Enix has not yet announced platforms for the 1 & 2 remake, but the 3 remake is coming to Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Speaking about the Dragon Quest 3 remake during the Direct, series creator Yuji Horii said "I'm delighted we were finally able to announce the game's release date. And we even snuck in a surprise announcement: Dragon Quest 1 & 2 will also receive the HD-2D treatment. Chronologically, Dragon Quest 3 comes first in the Erdrick trilogy. I think players will have fun seeing how things unfold if they play 3, 1, and 2 in that order. I really hope you'll all enjoy experiencing the entire Erdrick trilogy across these remakes."
These games have been remade several times over the years, and the original two Dragon Quest games are often bundled together. Such was the case with remakes released for both the Super Famicom and the Game Boy Color. The popularity of the original Dragon Quest back in the '80s paved the way for pretty much every Japanese RPG that would follow, so it's fantastic to see the entire trilogy getting such a lavish remake treatment for modern platforms.
The announcement of the 1 & 2 remake was accompanied by new trilogy key art from designer Naoki Ikushima. "The inspiration comes from Toriyama-sensei's illustrations," Square Enix explains on Twitter, "and in order to continue that tradition, we came up with a composition that portrays the Hero, who was kneeling in Toriyama-sensei's SFC illustration, standing up and gazing beyond the castle."
An hour of hands-on with Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has convinced me it's time to grind like it's 1988.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake may have "never happened" if its devs didn't have access to the art style Square Enix used to freshen up other beloved JRPGs
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake devs want players to have the "same feeling" exploring the JRPG's open world as they'd have in Zelda: Breath of the Wild
