There has been a resurgence of interest in lengthy, character-driven Japanese RPGs. Square Enix, the originator of the subgenre, has leaned fully into that momentum through remakes of the franchise that helped define it, Dragon Quest. After remakes of the first three entries from the series' classic NES era, the company has turned its attention to a fan favorite originally released for the PlayStation in 2000, Dragon Quest 7.
Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined is Square Enix's latest remake of the Dragon Quest series, following 2024's Dragon Quest 3 remake and last year's Dragon Quest 1-2 remake. If you're wondering why the publisher skipped ahead to the seventh game, it could be because DQ7 was remade back in 2016 for the 3DS, possibly making it an easier lift following the success of the earlier remakes.
DQ7 marks an interesting time for the franchise, as the first six games are split between two different story arc trilogies. With the seventh game, developer Enix (before it merged with Square) took a different approach by making a game that would stand on its own. Since then, the franchise entries that followed have had no narrative ties to the others. For that reason, DQ7 is often viewed as being more in the middle of the pack when ranking the Dragon Quest games. Still, it's one of the better entries in a legendary JRPG franchise.
This quest is not dragging on and on
Right off the bat, what I and others who played the original version of DQ7 when it launched in 2000 will want to know is: Does it take three hours to reach the first battle in Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined?
The answer is no. When DQ7 first came out, many players were turned off by the game's sheer audacity of clicking through so much storyline before they really got to do anything other than talk to someone. This time around, you're looking at about an hour of prologue before you'll first swing your sword, which is an improvement over the Nintendo DS version released in the U.S. in 2016, where it took closer to two hours. Keep in mind, waiting a whole hour before the first fight is still a long time for any game, but there is a lot of story and character setup to get through.
This reduction in time before the first battle is one of many quality-of-life upgrades that have become standard for the Dragon Quest remakes. Other improvements include the ability to quickly defeat enemies without starting a battle if your party is at a higher level than they are, teleporting to previous locations directly from the map and quest markers that clearly indicate where to go. These are welcome additions for newcomers and players with less time to spend grinding, though some DQ7 diehard fans may take issue with how streamlined the game has become.
Like the other Dragon Quest remakes, the visuals have improved significantly. The character designs remain faithful to the original PSX version and the 3DS remake. Square Enix took the 3D models from the 3DS remake and added much more detail. The areas have also been improved to give a more open-world feel. Characters are fully animated and display a wider range of emotions during cutscenes. While the cinematics will not make your jaw drop, they are still effective in delivering the Dragon Quest charm the series is known for. Add the melodies that date back to the first game released in 1986, and you have a treat for both the eyes and ears.
Imagining more of a story
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