The growth and evolution of Dragon Quest in the West has been a real sight to behold over the last decade.

Not every game has been a hit, of course, with some spin-offs working out better than others, but we’ve reached that wonderful point where the classics are receiving full remakes for players who’ve never had the chance to experience them before.

The fantastic HD-2D Remakes of Dragon Quest 1-3 have been the clear smash hits, of course, and we absolutely adored HD1-2 back last year. And now, following a release on the 3DS, we have a modern day reimagining of Dragon Quest 7, one of the most epic, intriguing entries in the series.

This is a classic, true to form, explorative RPG with the Reimagined edition providing new content, adjustments and tweaks to the existing content as well as full voice acting and updated visuals. Seriously, Kiefer looks like he’s directly modelled off Lord Farquad. For better or worse…

That said, and quite interestingly, there is a fair bit of content shaved off this release from the 3DS original. This is a reimagining, after all, but it’s hard to exactly call this version definitive. It’s certainly a wonderful way to experience a great cast of characters and enjoyable world.

But for instance, some areas, side quests, and features such as the casino game and the Monster Meadows side quest are gone.  The game has also toned down some of the lore you can pick up from bookshelves and the puzzles have been tweaked to be less obstructive, more amenable to a wider audience range.

For those who’ve played the game before, that makes this a tougher sell. Especially since many of these locations and missions are considered some of the best the game has to offer.

In other respects, the changes are smart and more reflective of modern systems and mechanics. It’s both to the game’s benefit and detriment, and so it’s an interesting mix of those who played the original will appreciate the updates but also find themselves frustrated by what’s been taken away.

Meanwhile those who’ve never played the game before will absolutely love the presentation, the depth, and feel appreciative for the amount of content here, as the game will easily still run you at least 50+ hours with side quests and all. And enable you to roam about a wider map, travelling from island to island on board ship. That just shows how much was in the original game.

In DQ7, you begin the adventure as a humble fisherman’s son. With a father who has a zest for adventure, travelling out on ship, and friends that both satiate that appetite for exploration and some who try to restrain it, it’s little wonder that you’re seeking your own adventure.

You’ve spent your life on a small remote island since the day you were born, though this small remote land has its own set of mysteries you’re gradually starting to unpick. And with such an inquisitive nature, suddenly you get involved in a series of unusual circumstances that even hooks the interest of the King himself.

Collecting and gathering pieces of stone slabs as well as other riches, you’ll eventually be able to set off on your own ship and explore island after island, meeting its fearsome batch of creatures, learning more from its characters and seeing the distinct sights, all alongside friends, and new allies.

Where DQ7 is quite interesting is that it’s a game filled with micro missions that make up part of a larger narrative. It’s a good way to dip in and out of the game’s hefty campaign, not feel entirely lost for doing so, and keep up with what’s happening all throughout. There’s even a Story So Far Screen before you load up so you can keep up to date and abreast of what’s going on.

Yet there is an overarching element to the game that ties everything together while still tapping into the sense of adventure, exploration and wonder that RPGs do so well. It’s a really intricately layered story that you’ll find yourself drawn into rather quickly and find extremely difficult to put down.

In that, Square have reimagined DQ7’s content beautifully. From the camera angles and the freedom of movement, to the detail in the characters, beautiful cutscenes, well acted voices, smart adjustments to the gameplay, combat that’s neither too simple nor too difficult, with the ability to customise just enough that you can feel progress. Plus it goes deeper the further into the game you go with a Job system.

And despite the fact that it’s 7th in the series, much like Final Fantasy before it, this is actually a pretty decent jumping on point if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest before. You don’t necessarily need that context from other games and rarely has a title been so self contained. In fact, this is about as good a place as any to start!

Plus a note on the grand soundtrack in this one, it’s truly superb and features one wonderful piece after another that just all builds into this wondrous feel of a grand, epic adventure.

There are moments where the game can feel a bit repetitive, some cutscenes run a bit long and there’s a tendency to overexplain things which can become quite tedious at times, but the character and world charm manages to bring you back and make you feel right at home. Never quite failing to bring a smile to the face.

Verdict

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is an absolutely triumphant reimagining that will do more for the franchise in bringing in new players and rekindling the love of the franchise than many of its most recent entries. Those who grew up with and loved the 3DS original might have some tough love here, with some of the cut content and adjustments that have been made to make this feel a more natural fit for modern systems. But all in all, this is a beautiful, seamless, epic adventure that has a wonderful feel about it and despite the updates, has an extremely healthy length where you’ll want to explore far and wide. And keep coming back for more.

Pros

---

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is out now on PC, Xbox, PS, and Switch 2

Played on Switch 2

Code Kindly Provided by Square Enix for review purposes