Dragon Quest VII Reimagined GBAtemp review
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Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): February 5, 2026
- Release Date (EU): February 5, 2026
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Developer: Square Enix, HEXADRIVE Inc.
- Genres: JRPG
- Also For: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
In Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (DQ7R), you’ll find yourself playing as the teenage son of a fisherman from the peaceful Estard Island, a small land mass surrounded by the ocean as far as the eye can see. As far as the islanders know, their birthplace is the only place in the whole world.
However, our adventurous protagonist and his childhood friends are convinced that there’s more to the world than their native island and the waters around it. One day, they discover the magical abilities of mysterious slabs. These, when pieced together at the Shrine of Mysteries, serve as portals to other islands ripe for adventure and making new acquaintances. This premise soon sets the intrepid youths on a slab-seeking spree across the ocean (and time).
Dragon Quest 7 and the joys of discovery
DQ7R is the latest in a line of a series of Dragon Quest remakes that Square Enix has been releasing in recent years. As expected with such new takes on classic games, this one comes with a range of audiovisual upgrades.
While I thought that the art style of the recent HD-2D remakes of DQ3 and DQ 1&2 somewhat diluted Akira Toriyama's unique art direction, DQ7R feels more faithful to the legendary artist’s vision. It's closer to the 3DS remake of DQ7 (yes, this isn’t this game’s first rodeo with the remake treatment), but in higher-res.
The game is also littered with humorous interactions with NPCs. This element encourages striking up a conversation with them, even if they're mostly inconsequential. The top-down diorama-inspired perspective and lively landscapes give it a near-Zelda look, which I found charming.
The presentation is complemented by professional voice acting during major dialogues and cutscenes. The remade orchestral soundtrack will be familiar to Dragon Quest fans but packs a contemporary hi-fi quality.
Despite the noticeable effort in the audiovisual upgrades of this remake, there are some points of contention. The kid-friendly look is also representative of the overall tone of the game. DQ7 plays it safe with familiar and sometimes predictable stories, which are really a collection of short stories contained within each island, with a weaker overarching plot around the need to save the world. It’s not a wrong approach per se, and it can serve as a good contrast or chilled game after one of the darker, more mature titles that aren’t missing in the video games market. That said, there are some gloomy short stories (even early on), and the main plot also has some dark undertones, but this only really comes to light much later in the game.
Then there are the same-looking NPCs. This can get tiring across the game’s several dozens of hours of playtime. Some added variety to the NPC models would be welcome here, especially as you are exploring different lands in different time periods.
Despite some of its presentation downsides, I thought that DQ7R captures the exploration spirit well, even if the slow-burn plot isn't that convincing. You'll get to venture across varying lands with unique stories, from a gloomy Ballymolloy where everyone seems keen on tearing down their own houses to L’Arca, a town with animals roaming the streets and suspiciously silent humans. Each island is its own contained story, and it's an interesting plot progression device.
A streamlined JRPG with modern conveniences
Square Enix’s and HEXADRIVE’s effort to remake DQ7 isn't only evident in the visuals but also in the gameplay. It addresses the bloated aspect of the original game, making for a more streamlined take with noticeably more accessibility options.
There are tailored difficulty levels, hints to find tablets, fast travel options, an auto save feature, and there aren't random encounters in the overworld and dungeons. This remake also introduces a handy option to get a reminder of the story when you load a saved game file. I personally think this should be a staple for every game from now on to help players get back to speed on a game they haven't played in a while. These welcome quality of life enhancements make the gameplay a more contemporary one.
Combat has added depth to it. The backbone is still the turn-based system you'd expect, and the remake introduces a few new mechanics. For example, your party members can build up Let Loose points to unleash character-specific skills in combat. There are also Monster Heart accessories that provide new character buffs. The Moonlighting mechanic now lets you equip two vocations at the same time.
I quite appreciated the level design in this title. The small-sized islands lend themselves well to bite-sized gameplay sessions. Towns and islands are never too big to feel overwhelming to explore.
These additions and more make DQ7 a much more streamlined and accessible experience, possibly a move to attract new fans to this long-standing series. However, this approach risks alienating returning fans or those looking for more challenge.
In particular, DQ7 would require you to determine which specific character spell would be more effective against certain enemy types. This remake now takes away much of the mental workout with explicit thumbs-up and down icons to guide your choice of spells. To address the notorious pacing issues of the original game, some areas and dungeons have been left out or reduced in size.
In this new version, you won't lack opportunities to refill your HP and MP with the availability of save statues that replenish these gauges. HP is also replenished upon levelling up. The save statues are also generously positioned at the start of dungeons as well as close to boss fights. While making combat a less daunting prospect for newcomers, those looking to test their mettle will find this sanitised DQ experience as stripping down the trade-offs of combat. Should you save your MPs and focus on regular attacks until the boss fight? Are you levelled up enough to overcome this dungeon even if a few of your party members have bit the dust mid-way? Such considerations have been defining aspects of DQ games but are quasi-devoid in this remake.
The new accessibility and streamlined changes make encounters and dungeons less daunting and progression less reliant on grinding. This effectively addresses the bloated and intimidating nature of the original game. While doing away with the frustrations of the original, it inadvertently introduces new ones. This is because combat is rendered less strategic and less challenging. It's somewhat surprising that a lot of the new gameplay elements (such as the frequency of save statues and HP refills on levelling up) aren't customisable, as the game has a customisable difficulty setting. As such, there is the opportunity for future updates to address this potential downside to cater to those looking for a more involved combat system.
While this remake does away with random encounters, respawning monsters is quite grating. Even within the same area, having bested some enemies earlier might see them reappear shortly afterwards. “Random” encounters still persist when you venture out at sea, but are less of an issue as you have visible enemies elsewhere.
Even if this remake addresses the pacing issues of the original, there is a persistent slow-burning nature to both the story and gameplay. It takes the better part of the first half hour to engage in your first combat. One of its main mechanics, the vocation system, only reveals itself after about a dozen hours or so in. Side quests are accessible through grey slabs, and these also take a handful of hours to make themselves accessible to the player.
Dragon Quest 7 reimagined for a new era
For better or worse, DQ7R feels like it has been reworked for a modern audience. This reimagination turns a dense PS1 classic into a more accessible modern experience that can definitely be recommended to newcomers to the DQ series. The quality-of-life and streamlined elements feel like deliberate design choices to cater to a new audience.
However, the changes that this remake brings about might alienate returning fans or JRPG players looking for a more challenging experience. That said, this version successfully addresses the pacing and bloated nature of the original Dragon Quest 7, which earns it a decent recommendation if you’re curious about this title.
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined Launch Trailer
Verdict
- Charming presentation
- Bite-sized adventures
- Welcome quaiity-of-life upgrades
- Slow-burn nature of plot and access to key mechanics
- Accessibility and streamlined aspects can be divisive
- Repetitive NPC models
