REVIEW – Square Enix is modernizing older Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games in the form of pixel remasters and remakes. Part 7, which was not released in Europe at the time and only came out on PS1 in North America in November 2001, received a particularly faithful remake. We can rightly call it a good remake.

The game simplifies the story a bit while enhancing it with quality-of-life features, resulting in a decent game.

From Pilchard Bay to Saving the World

A young boy from a fishing village. His father returns home with a mysterious stone. This sets off a great adventure. Instead of dumping a ton of information on us at the beginning, the game takes a relaxed approach. We are joined by the extremely laid-back Prince Kiefer, the mayor’s daughter Maribel, and Aishe, Sir Mervyn, and Ruff. The team mistakenly believes that Estard Island is the only continent in the world. However, as the map comes together, more mysteries arise, and they must work together to solve them. Meanwhile, Estard continues to develop, showing our success. This works well because the narrative draws us in more and more, and something small at the beginning develops into something big. The story isn’t forced on us; rather, we see the twists and turns often used in the franchise from a different perspective. Thanks to the well-developed world, the focus on the characters keeps things from getting tiresome. Compared to the original, the DQ7R has strengthened this aspect, as the team members have become more profound.

Maribel used to be superficial, but now she has her own reasons for staying with us. Meanwhile, Kiefer strikes a good balance between his princely and team obligations. The main element of the gameplay is the profession system. As we progress, more professions open up, providing unique abilities as we level up. We must deal with this to build a strong, dynamic team, which can vary depending on our play style. Once we find what we need, DQ7R is not difficult. It can be made even easier for those who are only interested in the story. For example, we can set our character to heal and prevent monsters from attacking automatically. However, if you are familiar with JRPGs or the PS1 (or 3DS) version, it is highly recommended that you turn these features off. Beyond these features, the art style will catch your eye. Akira Toriyama’s style is excellent, and the characters are even more beautiful than before thanks to their level of detail. The 3D art style is very pleasing to the eye. You might even mistake it for a painting. In this regard, DQ7R is impressive…

Beyond the Diorama and the Experience

DQ7R effectively distinguishes between different locations, making the world feel like a diorama. Everything is handmade and feels alive! This is in stark contrast to the first three parts of the Dragon Quest HD-2D remasters. Returning to the diorama, as we progress through the game, the world expands. It seems lavish. However, something is still missing. Square Enix simplified the story, omitting certain storylines from DQ7R. Nevertheless, it remains a substantial JRPG. Does the simplification of the story detract from the game’s rating? The answer is no. The story has become more fluid. A few minor locations and elements are missing, but the momentum feels better than in the original.

The soundtrack has never been a problem, so there are no complaints in that regard either. DQ7R doesn’t fall short in this area either. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that the franchise has never had a seriously weak soundtrack since its inception. This is the kind of remake that Final Fantasy VII should have been. However, that game was released three years earlier than Dragon Quest VII. What do we mean by this? This game didn’t require three parts or seven to eight years for everything to be released. It’s a complete, honestly crafted whole. Everyone should think about that.

Is This a New Benchmark Among Remakes?

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined gets a 9/10. We’ll say it bluntly: this is a remake that successfully revamps the gameplay and visuals while retaining the charm of the original. This remake successfully revamps the gameplay and visuals while retaining the original’s charm, offering something new even to veteran fans of the franchise. We can’t think of anything that could be considered a weak point. Perhaps only that the story has been simplified slightly. In that case, it really deserves a high score. If Square Enix does the same with Dragon Quest VIII on PS2, it will be huge because the original was also a great game.

-V-

Developer: HexaDrive
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: February 5, 2026
Genre: JRPG