Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake - A Stunning Rebirth, But Not Without Friction
When Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake launched, I was ready to fall in love all over again. Two of the earliest, most iconic entries in the Dragon Quest saga rebuilt in charming HD-2D, with modern quality-of-life upgrades and fresh extras. But after dozens of hours, I’ve also bumped into some interesting issues. For all its beauty, this remake sometimes feels like a tightrope walk between nostalgia and execution.
What Makes the Dragon Quest Remake Shine
From my first steps in Alefgard, the visuals absolutely hit. The 2D sprites, the layered backgrounds, the lighting it’s everything I hoped a “classic JRPG remaster” would look like. The orchestral music and new narrative touches also help both games feel deeper.
And yet, it’s not all perfect sadly. Some of the pacing still feels old-school clunky, especially in Dragon Quest II’s early world-map exploration, which feels a little bloated.
Auto-Battle vs. the Grind – Convenience That Cuts Too Deep?
One of the biggest modern changes in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D remake and a point of real tension for me is the advanced auto-battle system. On paper, it makes sense, you grind out weaker monsters with minimal effort, save time, and focus later on boss fights. But in practice, it sometimes feels like the grind is being both solved and trivialized.
I love how this system reduces tedious encounters, but it does take away the “warrior’s struggle”. Personally, I find myself alternating, using auto-battle for the low-risk monsters, but manually controlling combat during story or tougher battles to feel like I’m earning each victory.
AI Decision-Making Leaves a Lot to Be Desired
Here’s a complaint I didn’t expect to have, the party AI feels dumb at times. I don’t mean “not optimal,” I mean bizarre. Healers will sometimes pick weak recovery spells, or buff when I desperately need healing. The AI doesn’t always know how to use proper tactics, especially when it comes to buffing or casting healing.
It’s frustrating because this is a remake and I want updates, but not a broken version of the old quirks. It feels like they tuned everything except how your AI teammates decide to play.
Quality-of-Life Upgrades, is this a Blessing or Overkill?
One thing I adore in the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D remake is the QoL improvements. There’s a map marker to guide you, faster battle animations, and options to toggle difficulty or speed up fights. On Switch 2 in particular, I saw a performance vs quality toggle that absolutely helped when I was exploring big zones.
Still, I would argue these tweaks change the feel too much. The remake is losing the simplicity and tactical rhythm of the originals. I feel that tension too, part of me loves the convenience, part of me misses the slower, crunchier old-school DQ pacing.
Is Post-Game Content Deep Enough?
After beating Dragon Quest I, I dove into the II content and I appreciated the expanded story, the added dungeons, and the extra narrative beats. But not all of these feel equally worthwhile. Some of the new locations (like underwater areas) drag out, and several side quests feel like padding rather than meaningful additions.
For effort and nostalgia, it’s a treat. But for someone who just wants a tight, focused JRPG experience? It sometimes feels like too much stretch for limited payoff.
If you’re into adventure that walks the line between modern convenience and classic structure, you’ll want to check out Kingdom Hearts 2: Where Dreams And Realities Collide.
For the latest patch notes, official announcements, and developer commentary on Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, hit up the Square Enix official site or the game’s dedicated page on their news portal.
So, how melty is it?
Nostalgia Hit: 8.5/10
Seeing those classic heroes again with HD-2D graphics warmed my retro-JRPG-loving heart.
Mid-Game Frustration: 8/10
Auto-battle saves time, but sometimes it cheapens the combat. And the AI? Not always reliable.
Late-Game Padding: 9/10
More content is great, but some of the added quests and dungeons feel slow or underwhelming.
Quality Risk – Peak Concern: 9.5/10
The QoL changes are fantastic, but if they lean too modern, they risk losing what made the originals so charming.
Total Melt Score: 8.8/10
The remake is ambitious, gorgeous, and often magical but not immune to the compromises that come with modernizing a classic.
I wanted this remake to be a love letter and in many ways, it is. The world feels reborn, the combat feels right, and the nostalgia is real. But the balancing act is risky. If Square Enix leans too far into modern convenience, they lose part of what made Dragon Quest timeless. For now, I’m hopeful, excited, and a bit wary. Because even the best remakes deserve to feel like the originals, not a shadow of them.
