Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review, Gameplay Impressions, Features and Videos

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake from Square Enix puts a neat bow on bringing an upgraded version of a legendary JRPG series to modern consoles. 

Roughly one year ago, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake got the ball rolling on this front to strong reviews as a classic got new life. 

Now, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D completes the puzzle, returning to form a generations-spanning series that launched in 1986 before being localized in the United States as Dragon Warrior in 1989. 

Bringing two games forward at once is a tall order, especially when DQ1 had a markedly different gameplay experience than DQ2. But last year's effort seemed like the perfect warmup for the effort, so it's reasonable to expect this one will be a smashing success, too. 

Graphics and Gameplay

A year ago, DQ3 getting an almost Octopath Traveler-like revamp visually was a perfect blend of old and new to honor a classic. 

Here, it's the same story, with the unique HD-2D moniker a mouthful to say, yet old-new balancing done right. The visuals are vibrant and demand attention, with splashy little additions like spell effects and environmental detail really deepening the experience. 

Like DQ3, sound design is a huge feat, including an amazing musical score that manages to straddle the balance between retro and modern times. DQ II gets voiceovers, too, which helps the role-playing aspect. 

Exploration of those nostalgic, great-looking areas is more rewarding than in the past, too, thanks to findable scrolls that permit character customization. Both games offer new dungeons to explore, too. 

Taking a cue from games that came later in the series, these remakes have also peppered droves of mini medals throughout the world to collect for rewards. 

Many of the highlights in these remakes are actually the games taking cues from each other, or releases later in the series, in a good way. Sigils, for example, are now collectable in both games, offering passive bonuses to spells and otherwise. 

About the combat. 

Dragon Quest has long been a source of inspiration for turn-based RPGs for generations now for good reason. The simple loop of party management, decision-making, buffs and debuffs and all the standard JRPG goodness triumphantly return here. 

DQ I finally lets players fight more than one monster at a time, but still retains its spirit as a solo-character romp. It's balanced just fine and fun, with some spells notably changed to impact all enemies. DQ2 gets expanded party sizes and that simple-yet-deep combat loop that was a trendsetter for the genre.

The team behind the efforts here modernized the user interface (UI) along the way. Nice modern must-have things like auto-saving after battles, auto-running while exploring and battle speed options offer players agency in just how fast they progress through things, too. 

Story and more 

DQ  I & II promises a revamped narrative that does a more robust job of looping the games into the Erdrick Trilogy. 

Overall, though, it's important for players to keep in mind that these tales initially arrived on the scene in the late 80s and decades of storytelling have interated on them since. It's very basic here, in the sense that a descendant of a hero of legend must save a realm besieged by monsters under the orders of a big bad known as Dragonlord. Same thing for the II, but add on a quest to find the special items that can help save the day. 

And yet, what made the narrative beats and especially the characters so compelling back then remains. The characters are heartfelt and stand the test of time, making the backdrop's pitfalls more than forgivable. 

There are some new things sprinkled throughout the games, too, including scenarios that add context or further develop characters. These will stick out to veteran players, but otherwise be a seamless part of the narrative for newcomers. 

Progression remains largely the same for both efforts. Translated, simply: It's well-done, deep and didn't need much help. Difficulty gets modernized here, too. One setting keeps things true to the original, another is much easier and the highest is only for those really seeking a challenge.

Beyond the expected suite of modern options tucked into the menus, these remakes also naturally lean into accessibility and quality-of-life stuff with solid tutorials and helpful objective markers as the highlights. 

Conclusion 

When DQ3 dropped roughly a year ago with some praiseworthy features and a nice balance between old and new, it was pretty clear that  I & II were in good hands. 

Now, the waiting game is officially over. DQ I is still that short and sweet tale that holds up surprisingly well in near-2026. DQ II has a lot more going on, yet offers up a reminder that it paved the way for many of the dominant genre's main features and rules long, long ago. 

This is simply a remake done right. It's obviously the best way to experience the games these days. But it's also a love letter to the series and genre, plus a stark reminder that remakes can, with a little love and care, find the perfect balance of preserving the spirit of the past while modernizing in important ways.