| Hi everyone. Today we’ve got a new-school remake of an old-school role-playing game, but first... This week’s top gaming news: On Feb. 10, 1988, the role-playing game Dragon Quest III was released in Japan. It sold an astonishing 1.1 million copies in just one day and drove so many kids to skip school that hundreds were arrested for truancy, according to news reports at the time. Later, the developers would make a special arrangement with Nintendo Co. to release new Dragon Quest games on Saturdays rather than Thursdays to avoid disrupting daily life in Japan. Today, the Dragon Quest franchise has dozens of sequels and spinoffs and has sold a whopping 91 million units worldwide. Although it never became a cultural phenomenon in western countries the way it did in Japan, where you can find slime merchandise on practically every corner, it has built up a decent-sized US and European audience in recent years thanks to hits like Dragon Quest XI. But those early games are antiquated (here’s a fun throwback) and could use a modern touch, which is why publisher Square Enix Holdings Co. decided to remake the first three entries in the Dragon Quest series, starting with the third game, which came out this week. Dragon Quest III is out first because chronologically it is a prequel to the first two games, which will follow next year. It is also a seminal title in the history of role-playing games, with a robust class system and an expansive open world — features that might feel standard today but were revelatory in 1988. When discussing the rich legacy of Japanese-style role-playing games, it’s a title you can’t leave out, Masaaki Hayasaka, the game’s producer, said in a recent interview. “I’d love for old-time fans to pick up the game, but I also want many new users to also pick up this game,” he said. Hayasaka said the project started back in 2018 after Square Enix released the role-playing game Octopath Traveler. The title pioneered a distinct graphical style that Square Enix calls “HD-2D,” blending two-dimensional sprites with vivid 3D backgrounds. It proved apt not just for brand new games but also for remakes of old titles that were due for a fresh coat of paint. Following the success of Octopath Traveler, decision-makers at the Japanese game giant decided to remake the original Dragon Quest trilogy. They tapped Hayasaka, an assistant producer on Octopath Traveler, to run the project. In 2021, they announced the game, although Hayasaka said they had “only actually done a visual test at that time.” The Dragon Quest III remake was then re-revealed three years later with some aesthetic changes and came out this week to strong reviews.  Masaaki Hayasaka, producer of the Dragon Quest III remake, was born after the release of the original game Photographer: Square Enix Hayasaka was born in 1990, two years after Dragon Quest III originally released, which undoubtedly made some of his colleagues feel ancient but also gave him a fresh perspective on the game. He played through it all for the first time after the remake was greenlit, taking notes on aspects of the original game that frustrated him, such as the clunky interface for equipping armor. “I had to lean heavily on the more veteran staff members within the company to get a sense of what elements were the parts that resonated with users at the time,” Hayasaka said. “I feel the perspective I was able to provide was really asking, ‘What can be done to make this game appealing today?’” In addition to spruced-up graphics, this Dragon Quest III remake is full of new features, such as an unlimited item bag (the original was far more restrictive) and objective markers that tell the player where to go next. “Modern games, especially triple-A, have very complex mechanics,” Hayasaka said. “Dragon Quest is sort of the polar opposite of that, where it really aims to be simple, easy, intuitive to understand. I do feel like that’s the reason it’s been so beloved over the years by so many people.” Remakes of the first two games will follow next year, and fans hope that the other entries will follow. Hayasaka said remakes of other Dragon Quest games are “something I’d love to consider” and will depend on the reactions to this one. But he’s cognizant of over-saturating the market with HD-2D games. “If we were to release too many games in succession, that would lead to people being bored of those games,” he said. “On the flipside, if there’s too much of a span between launches, that can also lead to the series not seeming as vibrant and robust anymore. It’s a sensitive topic. It’s something that even my supervisors are constantly unsure and mulling over.” For now, Hayasaka and his team are happy with this remake, and the results are impressive. You’ve got two good options, both of which came out this week. There’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which is a beautiful, soothing experience. You’ll need to have the patience for old-school sensibilities — namely, invisible random encounters — but it’s the perfect game for playing on your Switch or Steam Deck while watching TV. And then there’s The Rise of the Golden Idol, which we spotlighted last week and is now available. If you’re in the mood for a cerebral detective game, you can’t do much better. | 
