Square Enix has completely remastered and re-released many of its standout RPGs in recent years. In addition to Final Fantasy, the developer has also paid a lot of attention to the Dragon Quest series, and the next game on board is a remake for the PlayStation 1. Dragon Quest VII. Widely regarded by fans as one of the most challenging and time-consuming games in the series, the developers build Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined – the second remake of the game following its 2013 3DS launch – is aiming for an overhaul DQVII with a striking new visual style and a refocused adventure.
Recently I was able to spend a few hours with it Dragon Quest VII: Reimaginedfeatures the reinvention of the classic JRPG from the 21st century and some of the biggest updates to the combat. The remake makes some interesting decisions so far, aiming to not only give better direction to the expansive time travel narrative, but also to simplify some of the deeper and more difficult parts of the original.
the original Dragon Quest VII It carried the familiar idea from the previous chapters, focusing on a group of imaginative adventurers who embark on an epic adventure full of dungeons to explore and powerful monsters to fight. But DQVII deviated from the traditional Dragon Quest story and focused on the group’s adventures over time. As the hero and his friends discover the lost history of their world, they travel back in time to explore kingdoms and continents from the past that uncover a larger conspiracy in the present. Friendships are gradually formed that last over time.
Reinvented does a great job of capturing the sense of adventure that the series does so well. Although the series has evolved with new entries, it still finds a balance between old-school turn-based JRPG gameplay and modern storytelling style. What’s new with the remake? Dragon Quest VII is their sharpest and most visually expressive 3D art style. The new 3D visuals use diorama models and live puppet versions of the group as reference material for the look of the game, capturing the whimsical and emotional style of the late Akira Toriyama’s signature art that gave the series its unique look. But with the transition to a new 3D style, Reinvented It differs from previous games in that it is more like an animated adventure film.
In addition to the visual style, the developers also focused on revamping the episodes and the overall story. DQVII to provide a more satisfying experience. According to the game’s producer, Takeshi Ichikawa, this is one of the main goals of the remake. Dragon Quest VII The goal was to improve the flow of the game, ultimately leading to a more satisfying sense of adventure.
“The reworked parts of the story indicate improvements to the game’s overall environment, creating a much deeper and more immersive experience,” Ichikawa said. “In an effort to streamline the overall story progression and provide a more compelling narrative, we decided to remove subplots that have little or no direct bearing on the main plot. While some content has been removed, brand new stories have also been introduced. Our goal was to build on the strengths of the original game, while striving to provide modern players with a deeper and more engaging experience.”
In my spare time I was able to explore two different parts of the game. These focused on the Emberdale dungeon at the beginning of the game, where the inhabitants participated in a volcanic ritual to appease a fire demon within. The second part focused on Wetlock’s story, where the group had to deal with a mysterious sorcerer who had kidnapped the inhabitants of a mysterious tower in a flooded area.
Playing it brought back memories of the original and the 3DS remake. Reinventedmaking it easier to return to the progressive flow of the dungeon. Similar to the original, Reinvented It stays true to traditional turn-based combat, and the new visual style really helps emphasize the sense of impact and combat tactics more than other games in the series. I especially liked the uniqueness of each character, especially the wolf-riding bandit Ruff, who is fun to use in battle.
During the Wetlock section, I found the challenge to be generally decent, and I also found a good level of combat against the Golems and Metal Slimes that occasionally appeared. But when you’re faced with elite opponents and the final boss of the quest line, things can easily get out of hand. In order to survive, I had to think carefully about the skills available and use a variety of offensive and defensive skills. The remake isn’t so much intended to remove the original’s sense of challenge, but rather to retain it and provide more options to aid in combat.
One of the greatest innovations. Reinvented Combat is the Moonlighting system that allows each party member to practice two professions at once. In the original game, each character was only allowed one profession at a time, and changing class resets the level. This required a lot of work in the original game, and with this new two-class approach, the work is significantly reduced and you feel more powerful. But on a more strategic level, it also adds much more utility and variety to each character’s charge. It is also a good idea to welcome a group with more diverse skills, which will make the group much more attractive.
Much attention has been paid to completely overhauling the original game. Dragon Quest VII: Reimaginedand I found the changes to be a very fascinating and personal approach to redesign. Back in 2000, the original game was a very ambitious version of the series. It’s not just about the first 3D chapter, but how many different locations and characters are used in more meaningful ways throughout the extended story. The original is still an excellent chapter in the series, but it seems a bit difficult to reread. The developer’s intention to simplify and refocus everything seems perfectly fitting to me and I was quite impressed with the changes I saw in my spare time.
So far, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined It tries to retain the ambition and scope of the original, but refine it into a more focused and satisfying JRPG. This adds a truly stunning visual style that brings it to life. According to the remake’s producer, Reimagined and their new take on Dragon Quest aims to inject new energy into the series, and so far, that’s exactly what they’ve done.
“We believe that existing fans will find the game satisfying. At the same time, since this game has been redesigned from the ground up into a modern version, we are excited that many new players will enjoy it as their first Dragon Quest experience,” said Ichikawa.
Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined will be released on February 5, 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.