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

I was at PAX East 2025 and totally mentioned playing Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD, right? But here’s the scoop I didn’t share: Square Enix was showing off something else too. So, get this—early hands-on with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake! And yeah, being a fan of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, I kinda knew it’d be epic for both old fans and newbies.

Walking near the booth, funny thing, the buzz was like bees with jetpacks, if you catch my drift. Anyway—wait, no—where was I? Oh right, they let the press dive into these games, but with a catch: stick to the path or face mega-monsters. It’s like they wanted us to feel like daredevils but not get wrecked in seconds. Imagine trying to focus, but also thinking about grabbing random loot off the ground. Sounds weird? Just how my brain works sometimes.

K, so, Dragon Quest I. Let’s dig into that. You follow in Erdrick’s footsteps—solo mission, mind you. No pals tagging along. The NES version? Brutally hard. No joke, made you want to throw the controller. But now, it’s like they found a sweet spot—tough, but won’t have you rage quitting. Maybe that’s why the strategy bit stands out more. No clue why it’s stuck with me, but feeling like a superhero by the end is just… well, awesome.

Switching gears to Dragon Quest II. We’re back with a party! And they’ve got personality, not just blank avatars. Each has their thing going on, but I swear, details were like state secrets at the demo. That moment when you realize: AI or manual control of your team? Choices, choices. Oh, and spells! The game actually remembers which baddies are spell-susceptible ones you’ve already zapped. Handy or what?

So here I am, rambling, but Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D is on my mind a lot. The art is like a love letter to nostalgia sprinkled with newness. I’m talking real swoon-worthy graphics. October 30th can’t come soon enough. Mark your calendars if you’re on Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, or PC—yep, pretty much everywhere.