Despite already getting two Dragon Quest HD-2D remakes in the span of one year, Square Enix isn’t anywhere near done, as early next year the series will get its most ambitious remake yet. Dragon Quest 7 Remimagined was one of the biggest surprises of September’s Nintendo Direct, and Square Enix has released a slew of new details that show how expansive this reimagining actually is. It integrally changes the world, combat, and story, but perhaps the most interesting element is the game’s new visual style, which seems to take heavy inspiration from one of the most overlooked RPGs of the decade, Fantasian.
In a wave of new info shared with Inverse, Square Enix highlights Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined’s choice to emulate a “hand-crafted” aesthetic, and deliberately uses the word “diorama-like.” Apparently, Square Enix even created real-life dolls and scanned them into the game as character models.
That approach is notable, considering that last year Square Enix published Fantasian Neo Dimension, an updated version of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s latest game. Fantasian’s defining feature was the real-life hand-crafted dioramas created for its entire world, giving the game a distinct visual flavor. It’s impossible not to see Fantasian as a kind of testing ground for this remake, and from what we’ve seen so far, it seems like Square Enix has nailed that cozy diorama feel.
Outside of that huge visual overhaul, there’s a cavalcade of changes being made to this remake, which is interesting considering that Dragon Quest 7 was already remade for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Quite notoriously, Dragon Quest 7 is one of the longest entries in the franchise, with a single playthrough typically clocking in at a minimum of 100 hours. The story takes place on an archipelago, where each island works like its own vignette before everything finally comes together near the end.
Dragon Quest 7 kicks off when the protagonist and his friend, who live on Estard Island, discover the fragments of an ancient tablet and are inadvertently transported to the past. While we don’t know the details, the game’s story has been “significantly streamlined,” although side quests and modes like the battle arena and Lucky Panel minigame are still included. Square has also announced the playable party’s voice cast, which you can see below.
- Protagonist - Isaac Rouse
- Kiefer - Roly Botha
- Maribel - Becky Wright
- Ruff - Clare Corbett
- Aishe - Amrita Acharia
- Sir Mervyn - Nicholas Boulton
Other aspects have been significantly changed as well, including the game’s battle system and menus. The main menu and UI have been completely overhauled to use a tab-based system, instead of the cluttered menus that Dragon Quest is typically known for.
In terms of gameplay, there’s now an option to pre-set the party’s tactics so that combat proceeds smoothly, and doesn’t even pause between turns. The traditional approach of choosing every turn is still available, along with new options for adjusting battle speed. On top of that, you can now attack enemies on the world map directly, taking out weaker foes without even having to enter battle.
But perhaps the biggest change is a new feature called Moonlighting, which allows party members to equip two vocations at once. Vocations are essentially Dragon Quest 7’s job system, letting you turn your characters into Warriors, Priests, Pirates, and more. You can switch Vocations at a certain point in the game, but being able to equip two is a legitimate game-changer, opening up countless new options for strategies and party builds. Alongside this, there’s a brand-new vocation called Monster Master, which allows you to summon monsters in battle.
While the HD-2D games have been novel and full of new content, it already feels like Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is on another level. Outside of Final Fantasy 7, this is the most comprehensive remake Square Enix has done, and another step in a major push towards the future for the Dragon Quest franchise. And considering Dragon Quest’s fame and legacy, I would be surprised if the remakes stop here.
