9 things we learned from Inside DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake
What went into the creation of DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake? Here are some secrets of development straight from the team.DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake is a beautiful game - and a real achievement for the talented development team.
Remaking a game is a challenge at the best of times, but taking on one of the most beloved, iconic and influential RPGs of all time? That has to be a daunting prospect.
In a recent 'INSIDE SQUARE ENIX’ video in Japan, where video game creators are interviewed about the Square Enix titles they’ve worked on, Producer Masaaki Hayasaka talked extensively about the development of the game - and its reception. It was full of fascinating tidbits, so here are just some of the things that the team talked about:
The game was built with a different philosophy to previous HD-2D titles…
DRAGON QUEST HD-2D Remake uses the visual style pioneered by titles such as OCTOPATH TRAVELER, LIVE A LIVE and TRIANGLE STRATEGY - but it takes a very different approach to those games.
According to the development team, HD-2D visuals originally came from the desire to create an art style that found something new in the nostalgic. DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake takes the opposite approach - the goal was to find the nostalgia in something new.
…and takes a different creative approach
Another difference comes from the game itself. OCTOPATH TRAVELER, TRIANGLE STRATEGY and LIVE A LIVE draw heavily from the style of classic SquareSoft games - the visuals and color schemes are naturalistic and, as the team says, somewhat chic.
DRAGON QUEST has a very different tone - it’s bright and warm and appealing to families. Because of this, the team thought that if they were to match the style of the existing HD-2D titles, their game would feel closer to a FINAL FANTASY title than a DRAGON QUEST one.
So, they leaned heavily into the color palate for the new remake. The grass is very green, the water is very blue and everything is vividly colorful. The team also adjusted several features of HD-2D games because they were proving to be incompatible with the DRAGON QUEST aesthetic.
For example, previous games make use of depth of field and fog effects to create a sense of atmosphere and create the perspective of you looking down from above. However, when the team used these they discovered that the saturation dropped and areas didn’t feel like DRAGON QUEST anymore.
Similarly, making water too realistic also detracted from the spirit of the game.
As a result, the team had to stylize the visual style to suit the game. Ironically, making it look more artificial made it look much better for the game!
The locations in DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake are just built different
The world of DRAGON QUEST III is full towns and cities, and it’s impressive how different each one feels. This is entirely by design - each one has unique lighting, their own flags and many more differences beyond.
Another way the team differentiated between places is through the use of color. Every settlement and dungeon in the game has its own color palate, which both makes it feel more identifiable to players, but also gives it a more defined atmosphere.
New details were added to the world to surprise fans
While many players are experiencing DRAGON QUEST III for the first time, the team was also aware that some people would have played the original. While they wanted to keep the game faithful to that original experience, they also wanted to make the places you explore feel fresh.
The HD-2D art style gave them the opportunity to do just that, adding in little details, such as new windows that distort the image when you pass under them. These weren’t there in the original version of the game, but they’ve been added to give more life and visual variety to the scenes.
Another difference is the introduction of evenings to the towns and cities you visit. The original DRAGON QUEST III had a day / night cycle and it also had evenings in the overworld, but for the remake they’ve added the ability to explore towns and dungeons at dusk.
Another example is just how shiny the game is. Everything glints and shimmers in the game - reflections catch the light and the water sparkles in the sun. It all adds up to a world that feels rich and distinctive.
The Overworld was designed to give players a sense of adventure
The development team wanted players to feel like they were on a trip around the world when they played DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D, including while traversing the overworld.
While all the towns and dungeons have a distinct look and feel, it would mean nothing if the overworld that connects these regions just felt like a boring passageway. So, the team put a lot of effort into building the world map, experimenting with differences in elevation of terrain to inspire that sense of adventure.
It was one of the biggest challenges the team faced when developing the game, especially considering the increased size when compared to the original. In fact, if you look the earliest teaser trailers, you can actually see the world is much flatter, in the style of the original game.
During early playtests, however, they realised it made the game feel more like a remaster than a proper remake, so they changed direction, ultimately creating the world as it is now.
Ramia flies slowly for a reason
While DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake has been very well received, some fans have suggested that maybe the legendary bird Ramia could fly you round the world a little… faster?
There’s a reason, however, and as is so often the case in games, it’s technical in nature - there are inherent challenges in making a 3D landscape loop around, including loading times, consistency of effects and more.
The team could have retained a top-down view as in the original game, and that would reduce the number of objects shown and ultimately allow for faster flying - and the team even built this during development.
But the creators had exacting standards for Ramia and the game experience as a whole. It didn’t feel like you were soaring over the world or a sense of adventure. Zipping around at super speeds also didn’t match the beautiful melody that accompanies traversal with Ramia. The vibe was just wrong.
So, after much discussion, the team made the decision to prioritize the feeling of flying over anything else - that’s what they wanted the player to experience.
Story and lore are infused throughout
When the team was developing the game, they always thought about how to show the world and story through the art. Everything in the game is as it is for a reason - even if it’s not explicitly explained to the player.
For example, in the hero’s house is a painting of a ship. It’s not just a random image - it refers to something very specific, although the development team is tight-lipped about exactly what. But it speaks to the level of passion and intentionality in the game’s stellar art direction.
It incorporates elements from DRAGON QUEST XI
The game doesn’t just pull from the original DRAGON QUEST III, it also features details inspired by DRAGON QUEST XI. Without giving too much away, there is a connection between the two games.
Baramos’s Lair is a region known as the Necrogond. This name turns up in DRAGON QUEST XI as well as the name of a nation, and much of the lore and history is explained in that game. So, when the art team was creating this area for DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake, they looked at that area and incorporated it into this remake.
It inspired new designs which were then turned into the HD-2D visual style!
The team is delighted with the game’s reception
When all’s said and done, DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake is… well, a remake. That means that the team is contending with players’ memories. The creators wanted the game to look beautiful, but also match how players of the original would have imagined the world in their own minds.
The team poured their hearts and souls into the game’s visuals - especially since they were calling it an ‘HD-2D Remake’, so as Producer Masaaki Hayasaka says, it’s rewarding that players have responded so positively!
DRAGON QUEST HD-2D Remake is available now for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Microsoft Store and Steam.
To stay up to date with news and information about the game, be sure to follow us on social media.