Experiencing Double Vision: DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake

I was buzzing at PAX East 2025, gobbling up all things Square Enix—well, sort of. You might remember I jabbered about Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. But here’s the kicker: I was playing something else, too. Drumroll, please… Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. It’s a mouthful, but trust me, if loved the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, you’ll flip for this one.

The vibe at the event? Pure chaos. Press badges dangling like tiny medals of honor while trying to keep our excitement in check. We got our hands on gameplay tidbits but there were strict do’s and don’ts. Wandering off to fight uber monsters? Forget it. Stick to the script, folks. It was all 60 FPS smoothness on the PS5, snatching random goodies while huffing across the land. And let’s not forget—my thumb still thanks them for that toggling run button, freeing up my poor digits.

Getting down to brass tacks, Dragon Quest I is this blast-from-the-past ride, set after III just to keep us on our toes. You’re Erdrick’s kin, solo trekking it to off the Dragonlord. (Honestly, who thought ‘Dragonlord’ sounded less villainous back then?) Back in its original NES day, it was brutally hard, like ‘throw your console out the window’ tough. But now, it’s finely tuned to challenge, not crush. You make more cunning moves than ever, and by the end of it, you’re feeling like some RPG superhero.

Now onto Dragon Quest II—here’s where the party system jumps back in. Unlike III, your comrades here come with names and quirks. No spoilers from Square Enix on whether there’s a class system twist, though. Sneaky reps hinted the party might balloon to four, but went mum otherwise. One neat trick? The game remembers if a spell nuked a monster before and hints at it. Handy, right? I’m all for saving brain cells.

I’m jazzed to dive back into those HD-2D visuals and orchestral tunes when it launches on October 30. Seriously, mark the date—Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, PC. Can’t wait!