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Here goes, I’m going to try and review two games in one. Yes, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a revival of the legendary series’ first two titles, combined into one shiny package. Square Enix and Artdink are back again after their triumphant remake of Dragon Quest III, bringing a similar promise forward. A promise of significantly revamped visuals, full voice acting, new in-game content, and a much more user-friendly experience for modern gamers.
Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: PS5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
Release date: October 30, 2025
For anyone unfamiliar with the first two stories, allow me to introduce you. In Dragon Quest I, you play as a solitary Hero who is descended from Erdrick. In the past, Erdrick foiled the dastardly plans of a character known as the Lord of the Underworld and restored peace to the land of Alefgard. But now, the scheming Dragonlord has made an unwelcome return, and it is up to you, and you alone, to deliver the land from evil.
And then, after the Hero of Dragon Quest I was able to save Alefgard again, we move to Dragon Quest II, where you take control of four young princes and princesses, themselves also descended from Erdrick. After foul beasts suddenly invade Alefgard, it is up to the band of young nobles to honor Erdrick’s legacy and ensure the realm’s safety once more.
So, how engaging are these stories? And just how well do these remakes bring the world, combat, and characters of classic Dragon Quest into the modern era of gaming? Having played this duology for well over 40 hours on my Nintendo Switch 2, I’ll break it all down for you below.
A remake fit for a king
I want to start by discussing some of my general feelings about the duology before I speak about the two games individually.
As soon as you’ve been thrust into either title’s fantasy world, you’re treated to a delicious cocktail of sublime HD-2D graphics, wonderful voice acting, and head-spinningly beautiful music. No, seriously, the score here is majestic. It’s grandiose, orchestral, and emotive – it really does complement the medieval-inspired fantasy world to absolute perfection.
Meanwhile, the duology is a visual delight. Character sprites are detailed and faithful to the series’ origin, while light is used in a way that makes each environment feel deeply natural. The polish on display through each building, mountain, and piece of equipment makes the game a joy to look at.
Square Enix is the pioneer of the HD-2D graphical style, so it may not be a huge surprise that it nailed the visuals, but I was still bowled over by the appearance of each new area and enemy I encountered.
Best bit
This one’s easy. My favorite moment by far was the Hero’s interaction with Robin ‘Ood in DQI. The dialogue is hilarious and had me laughing out loud – voice acting here is top-notch, too. When you battle it out against the masked figure and his band (well…two guys) of merry men, it is challenging – but not overwhelming. It’s just a wonderful segment of the game.
As I mentioned above, the voice acting across both games is top-notch, too. There’s so much character running through the veins of each performance.
Comedic moments are delivered with expert timing, while moments of heartbreak feel raw and convincing. I criticized Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles for a few flat-sounding performances and small inconsistencies, but this wasn’t the case here at all.
But one thing that was slightly disappointing was the decision to only partially voice the main story. A few segments have no voice acting whatsoever, which can really break up your immersion in the action. As the voice acting is so great, I would have loved it to have featured throughout, although this is a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things.
Me against the world
Right, let’s drill into both games in a little more depth. Naturally, I started with Dragon Quest I, and I had a fantastic time during my playthrough.
In this title, it’s you against the world. No, really, there are no additional team members to recruit. You’ve got to fight your way through enemy encounters – where you can sometimes be significantly outnumbered – totally by yourself.
This remake does a masterful job of making you feel like David in his plight against Goliath. Especially because combat is no longer one-on-one only – you can face large groups of enemies now. I faced some absolutely gruelling turn-based battles during my time playing, both from aggressive hordes of foes and ruthless standalone bosses.
Luckily, the game has an auto-save feature, so if you die (spoiler alert, this will probably happen quite a bit), you can continue from the point of the last successful battle. This means you can rapidly progress through the game without having to trek through entire areas from the beginning. What an addition!
At times, I did feel like the odds were stacked a little too far against me. A few bosses, like the very last one, caused me a fair bit of bother. But the game gives you the tools to overcome your challenges. If I went away and grinded up against random enemies, I was always able to level up enough to best my enemies. Levelling increases stats like HP, MP, strength, and resilience (defense), and you’ll often learn new abilities and spells too.
Scrolls have also been added, which can be found scattered across the world, and contain abilities that can be learned at any time. They’ll disappear after use – a bit like how TMs used to work in Pokémon (in the good old days, at least). Combine that with Sigils, which can ‘soup up’ the skills you already possess, and you’ve got everything you need to crack through the Hero’s quest.
At its core, Dragon Quest I is still a classic JRPG. You’ll have to grind now and then. Sometimes, you’ll get straight up unlucky and get wiped out in an instant.
Turn-based combat is fairly simple too – it just comes down to attacking, defending against incoming attacks, and healing. But when you master the balance of those three actions, seemingly basic battle becomes addictive, surprisingly strategic, and straight up exhilarating.
Narrative-wise, there’s nothing crazy going on. The kingdom is in trouble, you’re tasked with saving it, and you overcome the threat. It’s really classic stuff, but I found beauty in the simplicity, with endearing characters like the faeries, Princess Gwaelin, and of course Robin ‘Ood. And there have been plenty of new additions to the plot, with new battles, character dialogue, and areas to explore. I’m a big fan of this one.
Me… and my three pals against the world
Moving on to Dragon Quest II now, and the added variation of having four members in the party is very refreshing. That’s one additional team member than the original game had, but it still feels like your party is excellently balanced.
I found myself dying a lot less in the sequel, with the expanded team enabling me to dedicate one unit to healing, and others to hitting hard with magic and physical attacks, for instance. As a result of the larger team, you’ll have to manage scrolls a little more carefully, though – you have to consider who will suit the relevant ability best before waving goodbye to your scroll forever!
The world is more developed in the sequel, with multiple kingdoms established through Erdrick’s descendants. Said world is vast (and expanded for this remake), the runtime of your adventure is considerably longer than DQ I, and the amount of content additions is larger than that found in the revamped editions of DQ I and indeed DQ III. I found the story to be engaging, and I felt compelled to explore the world that lay before me.
And that’s because both of these games, especially the sequel, reward curiosity handsomely. If you take that extra time to look around a castle, to wander off into a random part of the overworld, or even search the local inn, you’re almost certain to find something of interest. I’m talking scrolls, money, armor, weapons…you name it! You can also find mini medals now, which can be redeemed for swanky prizes.
There are just so many excellent quality of life additions across both games. Difficulty options are there if you want to make things a touch easier…or if you want to punish yourself and turn up the heat. Fast-travel has been refined, there are more customization settings, and objective markers make for a much more accessible user experience.
If I were to nitpick, I’d argue that the new UI is still too basic, and menus could’ve been both a little more stylish and developed. For instance, the ‘Misc.’ menu feels quite cluttered, holding everything from unit status, through to system settings and traveller’s tips. It does appear faithful to its classic JRPG roots, though, which some may still appreciate.
Overall, I had the adventure of a lifetime during my playthrough of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Not only did it run like a dream on my Nintendo Switch 2, but I felt genuinely excited to fire this game up every single time. I knew there would be new items to discover, new enemies that would probably beat the life out of me, and new areas to soak in. Combine that with a legendary score, excellent voice acting, and a gorgeous visual overhaul, and you’re looking at a very special remake indeed.
Should you play Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility features
You can adjust the camera to a zoomed-in mode if you prefer, and adjust aspects like text and battle speed using the system settings menu. You can also toggle controls like running, removing the need to hold down a button.
Voices can be set to English or Japanese, with text available in a wider range of languages, such as Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish. There is no color blind mode, unfortunately.
How I reviewed Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
I spent more than 40 hours playing Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, playing through the main story of both titles and tackling a bunch of side content. I played both titles in the ‘Dragon Quest’ mode, which is the normal difficulty equivalent.
As I downloaded the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, I was able to split my time fairly evenly between TV and handheld play. When in docked mode, I had my console hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 television and the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. In handheld mode, I sometimes connected my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones to the Switch 2 via a 3.5mm cable.
Personally, I’ve reviewed a variety of games here at TechRadar, including a number of RPGs like Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. I’m also a seasoned RPG player, with some of my favorite games of all time including Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Yakuza 0, and Final Fantasy VII (the original, of course).
First reviewed October 2025
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
