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

I was going on about Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster at PAX East 2025, right? But there’s something I didn’t spill till now. Sneaky, right? Square Enix had this secret surprise stashed away—Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Yep, I got to dabble with it before everyone else. And man, if you’ve played the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, you kinda get it. This new pack? Same vibes, a blast for old-timers and the new crowd alike.

So, about PAX, we media folks—funny term, I know—were given this playbook. It was sort of a “do not stray from this path or monsters will eat your face” guide. You know those higher-level beasties lurking in Dragon Quest III? They’re still playing that game here. But who can blame them? 60 FPS performance, grabbing goodies while you wander, speeding battles… Oh, and there’s a toggle run! Thank goodness—no more thumb cramps from holding the button.

Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake deserves its own chapter here. It’s funny, you play as Erdrick’s offspring from III. That game was a solo affair. Battling the Dragonlord with no buddies—old school hard mode. Remember NES, where games were a “throw controller at wall” difficult? But now it’s rebalanced. More brain, less brute force. Makes sense? Square Enix found the sweet spot between challenging and downright insane.

And then there’s Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake, bringing back the party system setup. Names, personalities, quirks—you name it, they got it. What was that cryptic line from the rep—about the party maybe hitting four members? And the AI helping with spells? Yeah, makes battles a bit less of a guessing game.

So, I’m hyped for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, no doubt. Got an early peek and they’re visually stunning. That HD-2D is killer, like combining nostalgia with a fresh coat of paint. Music’s got new orchestrations too. It’s all dropping October 30th on Switch, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC. So yeah, mark your calendars!