Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake review: Brilliant bundle with the secret sauce

It's something that feels to be continuously ebbing away in games as graphics become ever more realistic, multiplayer is more popular than ever and developers continuously try to get you to spend as much money as possible, even after you've bought the full game already.

But then you get releases like Square Enix's Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake that remind you some games do have that secret sauce that simply can't be manufactured - and that's soul, which this bundle has in abundance.

Classic single-player JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games), a distinct art style and an addictive gameplay loop. What more do you need?

When games are becoming increasingly complex, there's something that ironically just feels so refreshing about the way these two classics have been remade.

Setting off as a descendant of the almighty Erdrick in the first game / Armor Project, Bird Studio, Spike Chunsoft & Square Enix

What happens in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake? (Spoiler-free)

In Dragon Quest 1, the Lord of the Underworld was defeated by the legendary Erdrick and peace returned to the land of Alefgard.

But this peace did not last as the diabolical Dragonlord has risen and unleashed monsters on the realm again. As a descendant of Erdrick, it's down to you to defeat this evil and rescue the world once more.

Dragon Quest 2 picks up two generations on from the hero's plight in the first game and the descendants of Erdrick and his scions founded three kingdoms that built up during the time of peace.

But once again, there's a sudden invasion of malicious monsters into the world and the prices and princesses of Erdrick's lineage need to band together to save the realm.

There are more characters to control in the second game, each with their own unique strengths, abilities and stats. It's generally darker in tone than the first too but both offer strong enough stories to keep you engaged throughout.

Compared to more modern games, there are some elements where you have to fill in the blanks but it faithfully recaptures how the first two Dragon Quest games play out, with simple good versus evil storylines.

Some voice acting is included within key cutscenes but the game is predominantly text based through its dialogue.

These two games conclude the Erdrick trilogy following Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake that released last year, which is a prequel.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is vibrant and runs sublimely in terms of performance / Armor Project, Bird Studio, Spike Chunsoft & Square Enix

How does Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake look and perform?

To note here, a review code was provided by the publisher and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake was played through on a base PS5 through this review. I had the chance to play through the game in advance of writing this review.

Square Enix's distinct HD-2D style is simply a joy to behold. The distinct visual identity combines 2D sprites, specifically the characters, with 3D environments that looks great.

There's also modern lighting and effects that bring the world it's set in to life and it really is a feast for the eyes in terms of how vibrant it looks in certain settings.

There are two modes, graphics and performance. Playing on a TV with a 60hZ refresh rate, meaning it displays up to 60fps, it seems graphics mode consistently achieved 4K at 60fps so this was my preference throughout.

Turn-based combat is fun and fluid across Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake / Armor Project, Bird Studio, Spike Chunsoft & Square Enix

What's the gameplay in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake like?

In a world of increasingly complex and ambitious game mechanics, there's something refreshing about being taken back to the roots of classic RPGs through Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake that I couldn't get enough of.

There are three difficulty modes which can be chosen, which are Dracky Quest, Dragon Quest or Draconian Quest. I went with Dragon Quest mode and personally it provided a little bit of a challenge but nothing too taxing.

Both games are turn-based RPGs where you travel through key areas and the game's world map and battle monsters that usually appear through random encounters by using weapons, spells, defending and items. In the menu, you can manage items, spells, equipment and abilities you can continue to learn, find and trade for.

An auto-battle of sorts can be used, where you can instruct characters to perform actions in a certain way, such as making sure your HP is full at all times, going all out attack or prioritising using magic but I found myself inputting the commands myself throughout.

Battles can be sped up too and inputs, such as walking more quickly, can be toggled instead of having to hold the button down.

When exploring, players will come across dungeons, different towns with places like shops, churches to rest and save, inns to restore health, armouries to buy new gear and more. Players also travel across the world map.

Items and gear can be found all throughout these different locations and it's always worth going off the beaten path to see what you can find. You can commit dialogue to memory, useful for when you're being told where to go if you forget, especially if you choose to have the more original, authentic experience.

By that, I mean there's an option to toggle if you want the map to show your objective or not. This sounds like a simple quality of life feature you'd expect in a modern game but having spent countless hours lost in the depths of older JRPGs searching for where to go, this is most welcome.

The user interface (UI) has been modernised and there is lots of new gameplay content to play through too.

Looking at game specific tweaks, in Dragon Quest I, multiple monsters can be fought at once, there are new dungeons and story elements too.

In Dragon Quest II, Princess Cannock is playable for the first time and the game's main quest has been significantly deepened with new content and locations.

Across both, certain spells can be learned by finding and using scrolls and mini medals can be found in exchange for rewards. Sigils now appear in both games as key items players must obtain.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is an impressive bundle from Square Enix / Armor Project / Bird Studio / Spike Chunsoft / Square Enix

What's the verdict on Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake?

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake fantastically recaptures the magic of the first game while offering quality of life improvements you'd expect from a more modern title.

Developers wanted to keep everything that made the originals special while bringing them up-to-date in line with modern audiences and expectations using Square Enix's renowned HD 2D style and that has been done fantastically.

Sure, there are some elements of the story that leave it upon you to fill in the blanks.

But Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a fantastic package with the secret ingredient that feels as though it's lacking in so many modern games - and that's soul.

9/10

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is out 30 October on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, the original Switch and PC.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate finally gets update from series creator
• The Outer Worlds 2 review: Not quite out of this world

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.