Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake [REVIEW] – Classic RPG Legends Reborn

Nearly forty years after their original release (they’re even older than me), Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake proves that timeless design never fades… it just needs a little modern polish now and then. Square Enix have taken two of the most influential RPGs ever made and re-imagined them with dazzling HD-2D visuals, smart quality-of-life updates, and expanded storytelling, resulting in a pair of adventures that honour the legacy of the Dragon Quest series.

Check out some screenshots down below:

This double pack completes the Erdrick Trilogy that began with Dragon Quest III HD-2D, charting the events that unfold in the world of Alefgard after the fall of the Underworld’s ruler. And, despite their age, these stories retain a charming simplicity that’s part of their enduring appeal, with the remakes enhancing that foundation with added emotional depth and refined pacing, offering a nostalgic yet fresh take on the adventures that captures what made the originals so groundbreaking at the time.

In Dragon Quest I, players step into the boots of one of Erdrick’s descendants, tasked with rescuing the king’s daughter and defeating the dreaded Dragonlord. The setup is as classic as they come as far as JRPGs are concerned, but the remake gives this short journey some revamped energy. It’s a focused, roughly 13-hour adventure that now includes cinematic storytelling, expressive voice acting, and the ability to face multiple foes at once. Whilst the original was a one-on-one grind, the updated combat allows for multi-enemy encounters and new area-of-effect attacks, giving battles a modern edge – all without disrupting the game’s minimalist charm. It’s familiar, but also feels refreshing.

Despite its brevity, the first game’s simplicity really works in its favour. The tighter runtime keeps exploration engaging and never lets the experience overstay its welcome, whilst conversations with townsfolk and small character moments help breathe life into Alefgard and add weight to what was once a barebones plot. It’s still a humble story, sure, but it’s one that’s told with newfound warmth and visual flair to make it feel like more of a spectacle.

If Dragon Quest I feels like an intimate prologue to what’s to come, Dragon Quest II is the sprawling saga that starts to fully realise the series’ potential. Set a century later, it follows the descendants of Erdrick’s hero – royals from three different kingdoms who unite to battle a demonic force threatening their world. Where have I heard that before? This sequel embraces a traditional party system when compared to the first game, with each character offering distinct strengths and personalities that flesh out both the combat and storytelling. A newly added fourth party member, the Princess of Cannock, rounds out the group, helping add more depth to both the narrative and gameplay.

“Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a shining example of how to celebrate gaming history without losing what made it so damn special in the first place.”

This second entry benefits the most from the remake treatment, with expanded events, additional dialogue, and new side content really fleshing out the experience, turning what was once a somewhat rudimentary RPG into a rich, globe-spanning adventure. It’s still an old-school fantasy romp at heart, but one told with the confidence and pacing of a modern game.

Combat has also been refined, with the strategic use of spells, group attacks, and synergy between party members making every battle more engaging than before. And if you don’t fancy grinding it out whilst taking on all of the enemies in your path? You can even hand control to the AI for routine fights, a small but welcome addition that makes grinding painless when revisiting earlier areas (especially with the game’s high encounter rate). The expanded Sigil system – borrowed and enhanced from later Dragon Quest titles -adds a satisfying layer of customisation to your party, while Mini Medals, and scroll spells make combat more approachable without losing any of its depth. A LOT has been done to make the whole experience more intuitive, and whilst Square Enix already proved their commitment to these remakes with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, the work that has gone in here somehow feels more substantial. 

Accessibility is another major improvement, with the remakes including three primary difficulty settings: all the way from the easy-going Dracky Quest mode to the punishing Draconian Quest option, all of which can be toggled freely. This flexibility ensures the game can be enjoyed both by nostalgic veterans seeking a challenge and newcomers looking for a smoother ride, so if you fancy whizzing through the adventure without too much challenge along the way, it’s more than possible. Objective markers, auto-save, and battle speed toggles further streamline the experience for newbies to the genre, ensuring that Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is more accessible than ever.

As with Dragon Quest III HD-2D, the visual overhaul here with the HD-2D style is simply stunning. The hybrid of pixel art and 3D environments captures the spirit of the NES originals while adding a sense of scale and atmosphere those early games could only suggest, with towns shimmering under warm lighting, dungeons glowing with subtle detail that make them feel alive, and the world map bursting with glorious colour. It’s easily one of the most visually impressive examples of the HD-2D style yet, managing to look both nostalgic and cutting-edge at the same time… it’ll always blow me away, and I can’t wait to see what Square Enix do with it next.

Check out some screenshots down below:

And, of course, the soundtrack also gets a taste of the reinvention, with new orchestral recordings helping make beloved melodies feel grander and more emotive than ever before. Full voice acting in both English and Japanese also adds extra personality to the characters, helping make the narrative feel more immersive than ever. It’s something that actually caught me off-guard returning to these games after such a long time, but it helped make me care even more about the world and its characters by the end. It proves the game isn’t just a visual spectacle, with the audio getting the same love and care.

However, for all its successes, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake isn’t completely flawless. The aforementioned high encounter rate remains a recurring annoyance, and without an option to reduce or disable random battles (something other classic RPG re-releases have often included), exploration can occasionally feel interrupted. Dungeon layouts stay faithful to the originals’ simplicity rather than fully reinventing them too, and whilst this does give the game an old-school sense of authenticity, it does feel like an opportunity wasted to modernise them and make them more engaging.

There’s simply no doubting that these are small issues compared to the sheer quality of the overall experience found within Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake though, so it really is hard to complain too much. Beneath the HD-2D visual pizzazz, expanded narrative and world, and accessibility improvements, lies the same core design philosophy that helped define a genre so many years ago: deliberate progression, steady growth, and a true sense of earned triumph. You still need a little patience and an appreciation for that old-school RPG mindset to get the most out of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, but believe me, the payoff is absolutely worth it.

Developer: Square Enix, ARTDINK
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2893570/DRAGON_QUEST_I__II_HD2D_Remake/