Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined Is All About Enhancing The Game's Greatest Strengths

Square Enix has been connected a tear successful caller years remastering and outright remaking galore of its landmark role-playing games. Along pinch Final Fantasy, nan developer has fixed nan Dragon Quest bid specified attraction arsenic well, and nan adjacent crippled connected platform is simply a remake of nan PlayStation 1's Dragon Quest VII. Commonly regarded by fans arsenic 1 of nan astir challenging and lengthy games of nan series, nan developers building Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined — nan 2nd remake of nan crippled pursuing nan 3DS merchandise successful 2013 — are aiming to reshape DQVII pinch a striking caller ocular style and a refocused adventure.

I precocious sewage to walk a mates of hours pinch Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined, seeing its caller mentation of nan 2000 classical JRPG and immoderate of nan much noteworthy updates to its combat. So far, nan remake is making immoderate intriguing choices that not only purpose to springiness nan sprawling time-travel crippled a amended consciousness of guidance but besides streamline immoderate of nan original's much exhaustive and challenging beats.

The original Dragon Quest VII carried nan acquainted conceit of earlier entries, focusing connected a statement of high-fantasy adventurers embarking connected an epic escapade filled pinch dungeons to research and powerful monsters to fight. But DQVII deviated from nan accepted Dragon Quest storyline by focusing connected nan party's adventures done time. As nan Hero and his friends uncover nan mislaid history of their world, they'll measurement backmost into erstwhile eras to research bygone kingdoms and continents that will uncover a larger conspiracy successful nan present. Along nan way, they'll build their bonds of relationship that will agelong crossed time.

Reimagined does good to seizure that consciousness of escapade that nan bid does truthful well. Even arsenic nan bid has evolved pinch caller entries, it still strikes a equilibrium betwixt old-school, turn-based JRPG gameplay and modern storytelling flair. What's particularly caller astir nan remake of Dragon Quest VII is its sharper, visually expressive 3D creation style. Using diorama models and existent doll versions of nan statement arsenic reference worldly for nan look of nan game, nan caller 3D visuals really seizure nan whimsical and emotive style of nan precocious Akira Toriyama's unique art, which has fixed nan bid its unsocial look. But pinch nan move to a caller 3D style, Reimagined sets itself isolated from nan erstwhile games by emotion much for illustration an animated escapade film.

Along pinch nan ocular style, nan developers besides focused connected reshaping sections and nan wide storytelling of DQVII to connection a much satisfying experience. According to crippled shaper Takeshi Ichikawa, 1 of nan larger goals of remaking Dragon Quest VII was to amended nan travel of nan game, which yet made for a much satisfying consciousness of adventure.

"The 'reimagined' elements of nan communicative allude to improvements successful nan game's wide framework, which offers a overmuch deeper and much compelling experience," Ichikawa said. "In our effort to streamline nan wide communicative progression and supply a much engaging narrative, we decided to trim subplots that person small aliases nary nonstop relevance to nan main scenario. While immoderate contented has been removed, wholly caller scenarios person besides been introduced. Our extremity was to build upon nan strengths of nan original crippled while striving to present a deeper, much immersive communicative acquisition for modern players."

During my hands-on time, I sewage to research 2 abstracted sections of nan game. These focused connected nan early-game Emberdale dungeon, wherever townsfolk committed themselves to a volcano ritual to pacify a occurrence demon within. The different conception focused connected nan Wetlock scenario, which had nan statement face a mysterious magic personification who whisked distant townsfolk to a mysterious building successful a flooded land.

My memories of nan original and 3DS remake came backmost while playing Reimagined, which made it easy to descent backmost into that dungeon-crawling flow. Much for illustration nan original, Reimagined still sticks pinch accepted turn-based combat, and nan caller ocular style really helps stress nan consciousness of effect and strategies astatine activity successful conflict — much truthful than successful different games successful nan series. I particularly liked really unsocial each characteristic felt, peculiarly nan wolf-riding bandit Ruff, who is  nosy to usage successful battle.

During nan Wetlock section, I mostly recovered nan situation to beryllium fair, and I moreover discovered a bully leveling spot fighting golems and Metal Slimes that popped up connected occasions. But things tin easy footwear into precocious cogwheel erstwhile taking connected nan elite enemies and nan extremity leader of nan questline. I had to cautiously measure nan disposable skills and employment a scope of violative and protect abilities to survive. The remake is not truthful overmuch astir removing nan consciousness of situation from nan original, but alternatively astir maintaining it while offering much options to thief pinch battles.

One of nan larger innovations to Reimagined combat is nan Moonlighting system, which allows each statement personnel to equip 2 vocations astatine once. The original crippled allowed each characteristic to only person 1 vocation astatine a time, and switching classes reset your level. This created a batch of busywork successful nan original game, truthful pinch this caller two-class approach, it cuts down connected grinding importantly and keeps you emotion empowered. But connected a much strategical level, it besides adds a batch much inferior and assortment to each character's loadout. It besides does good to make a statement pinch much divers skills, which adds a batch much charm to nan group.

There's truthful overmuch thought put into nan top-down rework of nan original crippled for Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined, and I recovered nan changes to beryllium a very charming and personable  attack to remaking it. Even backmost successful 2000, nan original crippled was a very eager return connected nan series. Not conscionable being nan first 3D entry, but besides successful really it really utilized galore of nan different locations and characters from crossed nan sprawling communicative successful a much meaningful way. The original is still a awesome introduction successful nan series, but it's 1 that feels a spot reliable to revisit. That makes nan developer's intent connected streamlining and refocusing to consciousness rather appropriate, and I rather dug nan changes I saw during my hands-on time.

So far, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined looks to support nan ambition and scope of nan original, but hone it into a much focused and satisfying JRPG. It adds a earnestly awesome ocular style that brings it to life. According to nan remake's producer, Reimagined and its caller attack to remaking Dragon Quest is astir adding a caller consciousness of power to nan series, and it's truthful acold doing conscionable that.

"We judge that existing fans will find nan crippled satisfying. At nan aforesaid time, since this title has been reimagined from nan crushed up arsenic a modern release, we're besides excited for galore caller players to bask it arsenic their first Dragon Quest experience," Ichikawa said.

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined will beryllium released connected February 5, 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 1 & 2.