Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. And with Dragon Quest I I I HD-2D Remake — or whatever it's meant to be now — finally re-emerging after three years, Alana's here to make a case as to why this is the RPG remake we need right now. Square Enix's back catalogue is full to bursting.
Think of a classic RPG from the '90s that you'd love to see on a modern system — ported, remastered, remade, you know it — and there's a good chance Square, Enix, or Chunsoft made it. So, when HD-2D burst onto the scene with Octopath Traveler in 2018, showcasing gorgeous lighting, stunning pixel art, and a combination of 3D backgrounds with 2D sprites, a whole generation of us lost our minds. Chrono Trigger in HD-2D? Final Fantasy VI ? Or wait, what about Dragon Quest V ? The possibilities were, and still are, endless.
But Square's first pick wasn't what many were expecting — it was Dragon Quest III HD-2D . Revealed back in 2021, I and many others were thrilled at the game's announcement. But for the past three years, the remake effectively vanished, and DQIII was pipped to the post as the first HD-2D remake by Live A Live .
Still, the remake never left my mind, and over time, I've heard a sentiment whispered from many a person's lips — why Dragon Quest III ? If it's going to be a Dragon Quest game, then why not IV or, as mentioned, V? If leakers are to be believed, then it is g.