REVIEW: ‘DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined’ Refreshes A Classic Adventure

The Dragon Quest series has been going strong for 40 years, giving us some of the greatest role-playing games of all time in the process. DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is the latest in a recent string of remakes, taking the original release from 2000 and modernizing it for a new generation. DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined keeps the same heart of the iconic story with quality of life improvements and a more streamlined story to make it all more approachable.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined focuses on the adventure of the Protagonist (named by the players), a young boy from the fishing village of Pilchard Bay. His father returns from a fishing voyage with a mysterious stone fragment, setting off an adventure that spans multiple eras and continents. The set-up is very well done, easing players into the grander parts of the journey without overwhelming them with too much exposition from the start.

Alongside the main character are his intrepid friends Kiefer, a young prince who throws caution to the wind, and the Mayor’s daughter Maribel, who refuses to be left behind. Other party members include Ruff, Aishe, and Sir Mervyn. These adventurers don’t share the same history with the main protagonist as Keifer and Maribel do, but they seamlessly fit into the narrative and become beloved parts of the story in their own right. 

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined’s core gameplay looks straightforward but is always engaging.

The core gameplay loop of DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is relatively straightforward. The crew believes that Estard Island is the only continent in the world, but by finding new map fragments, they are transported to new islands where they uncover new mysteries and must work together to overcome the obstacles in their way. Once completed, they return to Estard to see the world evolving and growing. 

That simple loop allows DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined to slowly build up a more engaging narrative as the story progresses. Everything starts off small, just helping defeat a few monsters to help a village, but it all grows into a more complex and intimidating adventure over time. By taking the time to let the story breathe, it makes the rising stakes feel more realistic and gives players a reason to invest. 

While the story does start to feel familiar to anyone who has played a Dragon Quest game, that is not a bad thing. DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined uses familiar tropes in new ways that make the approach refreshing while still retaining that core Dragon Quest feel that fans have come to expect.

Even with familiar story beats, Square Enix makes sure the story never feels stale by expanding on its characters.

Even the most familiar story beats feel different thanks to how fleshed out the world and its characters are. The introduction of an evil villain trying to foil the plans of the hero is not inherently unique, but the way DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined introduces this is specific to the developing story and never feels as tropey as one might 

One of the biggest highlights in DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is how it breathes more life into these party members. Maribel, in particular, is significantly more fleshed out than she was in the original release.

Maribel is not just a one-dimensional character; now she has her own motivations that make her a key part of the group. Kiefer is another standout, as he balances his duties as Prince with his desire to explore and help those he comes across. Seeing these characters grow alongside the main character as the story unfolds is deeply enjoyable and, at times, emotionally powerful. 

The story in DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is enhanced by its excellent combat, creating exhilarating moments throughout the campaign. The mechanics can get surprisingly deep thanks to the vocation system. Each character can use specific vocations that are unlocked during the game, and those vocations grant unique skills as they are levelled up.

Taking the time to map out which vocations and skills you want to unlock is crucial if you want to create the most powerful team combo. I really enjoyed mixing and matching, trying out new skills to figure out what worked best for my playstyle.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is not a particularly difficult game once you get the hang of things, but there are togglable option that make the experience easier for players just looking to enjoy the story. Things like automatically healing when a character levels up or preventing monsters from attacking automatically make the game more approachable.

Having options is never a bad thing, and the adventure is equally enjoyable with or without using them. You can choose to ignore these to create a more difficult experience, or make the path much easier to traverse by adjusting them accordingly. 

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined’s combat is a standout experience.

The story and combat are great, but the surprising standout component of DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is the visual approach. The late Akira Toriyama’s iconic character designs are back and better than ever, thanks to newly detailed visuals that bring the world to life. The 3D artstyle makes the characters feel like real-life figurines, and I can easily picture them sitting on my shelf as I play through this. 

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined uses a diorama-like approach to its settings, making each new location feel distinct. Instead of using the HD-2D approach from other recent Dragon Quest remakes, everything in DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is hand-crafted to make the locales feel as life-like as possible, thanks to the 3D diorama style.

It is a truly magnificent visual style that makes players feel like an active part of the world, and watching it grow as the story progresses is breathtaking. Both graphic approaches have their merits, but there is something to be said about the charm of the 3D style of DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined. 

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined’s diarama-style art is unmatched.

Despite cutting down on some extraneous story beats, DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is still a beefy RPG. There was legitimate concern that cutting down on content from the original game would take away from the experience, but it does the exact opposite.

Instead of spending hours grinding through, all of the time is spent going between moments that flow naturally while still taking the time they need to properly unfold. Fans of the original might notice a few small bits and pieces missing, but nothing that takes away from the core of the game. There is still so much to explore and enjoy.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined uses modern visual and gameplay improvements to breathe new life into a classic game. It is a prime example of how to approach a remake, and there is so much to enjoy for both new and old Dragon Quest players.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined releases February 5th on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.