Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the latest iteration of the classic roleplaying game that first arrived in the States as Dragon Warrior III back in 1992. The original game is widely considered one of the best RPGs of all time, and served as the blueprint for many RPGs that followed it. Since it debuted, there have been numerous versions - including remakes - on various platforms. That means there are a lot of versions of DQ3 to compare the HD-2D Remake to - all while it contends with the original's legacy.

DQ3 is a game of almost mythical proportions. Its 1988 release in Japan was a zeitgeist moment that inspired one of the biggest myths in gaming - the release of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake impressively lives up to the original.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake doesn't disappoint. The core premise - a young hero sets off to save the world from the Archiend - and many gameplay mechanics are the same, but there are additional content and quality-of-life improvements that help the HD-2D Remake stand out.

This Dragon Quest 3 Remake Has Plenty Of Surprises

Monster Wrangling, Secret Areas, & New Story Beats

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake comes with plenty of great quality-of-life improvements like difficulty settings, auto-save features, and even hints that circle places on the world map to help navigate the more open-world portions of the game. However, it also includes new features that really add to the enjoyableness of this remake. Most notable are the new Monster Wrangler vocation and the Monster Arena, both of which require recruiting friendly monsters to progress through. New story beats featuring Ortega, the hero's warrior father, were another pre-launch selling point.

I kept a Monster Wrangler in my party since it was new, and while it's slow to get going, I found it to be a nice additional vocation - although newcomers may wish to stick to the more balanced Warrior, Mage, Priest combo that the game recommends since it's easier to grasp.

Likewise, finding monsters and recruiting them to the Monster Arena was something I thoroughly enjoyed - and found myself sinking a lot of extra time into it. As someone who's played multiple versions of DQ3 already, this was great for helping Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake feel fresh and unique.

The new story beats centering on Ortega are less effective. They may get players more invested in DQ3's fairly simple story, and certainly help give Ortega a larger presence, but compared to the rest of the new content, these felt underwhelming. Much like in the original game, this remake shines through its gameplay more than in its storytelling.

DQ3 Remake Can Sometimes Feel Too Much Like The Original

A New Art Style & Qualty-Of-Life Improvements Don't Always Help

The new HD-2D art style and QoL improvements are all welcome, but the main story of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake sometimes feels like it's not offering anything new. There are enough changes to keep previous players on their toes, but the new content may not be enough to sell people on buying the game if they've already played DQ3 before. Comparatively, it feels like more new content was added to Dragon Quest 11's Definitive Edition from its vanilla version than what's been added here, although that's just a personal estimation.

That's a minor complaint, though. The ostensible point of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is to introduce a new generation to one of the best RPGs of all time. If that's the mission, then this game succeeds. This remake does the original justice and is every bit as good as you DQ3 being. While more additional content would've been nice, what's included in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is excellent and feels well-worth its full price tag.

A Simple Story Saved By Excellent Vocations & Gameplay

DQ3 Is Still One Of The Best Dragon Quest Games

The original DQ3's story never reached the heights of its immediate successors, DQ4 and DQ5, but it has remained one of the most fun entries in the franchise thanks in large part to its gameplay. Thankfully, that's all still intact for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. Vocations, the game's job system, are varied, which means no two playthroughs will feel the same, especially when factoring in personalities and class-specific weapon/armor variety that are part of DQ3's character creation.

The largest portion of DQ3 is open-world, and it involves searching for six orbs. DQ3 HD-2D Remake will circle spots on the map, which can streamline exploration and playtime, but it can be disabled for those who just want to explore and read NPC hints (and utilize the Recall feature). This collect-athon structure has been mimicked countless times since the original game launched (both within the Dragon Quest series and in other RPGs), but there's still something nostalgic and enjoyable about it.

At times, the story's darker edges start to show - but this is offset by Dragon Quest's trademark sense of humor, which often involves using puns. Just like in the original, there are parts of Dragon Quest HD-2D Remake that drag (the Cave of Necrogond comes to mind here) but saving the world is a surprisingly relaxing affair. There's never a rush to barrel through the towns, and the game encourages going off the beaten path and looking for secret areas, mini-medals, and stray monsters.

DQ3 Remake Is Perfect For Newcomers & Longtime Fans

This Upgrade Of The Classic RPG Is Worth Checking Out

Depending on how many versions of DQ3 you've played, you may be on the fence about this latest iteration. But, as someone who's played these others, I believe Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is the best version of the game.

In of this specific remake, the encounter rate sometimes felt higher than usual and the balance sometimes felt off. For reference, I played in the normal "Dragon Quest" mode and thought it started way too easy. It then became much more difficult at a seemingly random time in the story that, while not as steep as DQ2's infamous difficulty curve, did catch me off guard a bit.

There's enough in here to keep longtime fans happy, and it's an excellent starting point for those who want to experience one of Dragon Quest's older entries. Despite the new art style and QoL improvements, the game still shows its age at times - mostly in its story structure and exploration. The original DQ3 is often hailed as an RPG masterpiece, and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has breathed fresh air into it. One might even say it's a new classic of an old classic.

A game code for PS5 was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.