While the wait for Dragon Quest XII continues, Square Enix has kept the fires burning for the Dragon Quest series by remaking some of the earlier entries. First, the legendary Dragon Quest III was given the HD-2D treatment while largely retaining its original structure. Next, Dragon Quest I & II underwent a similar process while also dramatically expanding on the sparser bones of those pioneering RPGs. While one might have expected Dragon Quest IV to be the next game to be reissued, Square Enix decided to hop ahead to the PlayStation Dragon Quest game, Dragon Quest VII. We’ve had plenty of time to spend with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined to see what its new take has to offer players both returning and new.
At the time Dragon Quest VII first released on the original PlayStation back in 2000, its five-year development time seemed quite lengthy. In Japan, expectations and anticipation ran equally high. The game met and exceeded that hype by most measures, going on to become the highest-selling PlayStation game in the region. When the game arrived in North America just over a year later, it was facing a very different situation. With Enix’s original American offices having closed early in the 16-bit era, the mainline series hadn’t seen a localized release since 1992. Dubbed Dragon Warrior VII for the West, the game struggled with being a humble-looking PlayStation RPG in a post-PlayStation 2 world.
Those who tackled the game came away with varying thoughts on it. Dragon Quest VII is a lengthy game relative to other RPGs of its era, with a slow initial build-up and lots of ways to get hopelessly far off-track. Its focus on a series of smaller vignettes over a strong over-arching plot ran against the popular grain of the genre at the time, and its systems could be rather complex. Some people loved these aspects, while others found themselves bouncing off of the game. When Square Enix made its first attempt at remaking the game via Dragon Quest VII for Nintendo 3DS, it attempted to address some of these issues. While preserving virtually all of the same events and most of the systems from the original, it was a brisker affair due to various additions and tweaks.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined goes further, and it’s a very different game from the source material. It subtracts almost as much as it adds, and at times it feels like the opposite of what we saw with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. It’s a take that wants you to get lost less often and get to the exciting bits faster. Instead of the humble look of the original or using a throwback style, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined opts for a more modern presentation with diorama-like visuals. Its glasses are off, its hair has been styled up, and it’s in the best threads it could find. Can it finally be the star of the prom?
It’s a smoother experience than the previous versions of Dragon Quest VII. Many rough edges have been significantly sanded off, and a strong effort was made to reduce friction as much as possible. Getting lost is nearly impossible, as the game will always point you to where you need to go next. Important items will be marked on your map. You’ll have your first battle much sooner. The job system is functioning right from the start of the game, though it still takes a little while before you can fully play around with it. Chunks of the world and the scenarios that go with them have been omitted. As an exchange, some things have been added to the story too. This is a version of Dragon Quest VII trying its hardest to please the crowd.
Stepping back from my own personal feelings, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is without question a good RPG. It’s very smooth to play, and I think its snappier pace makes for a more immediately appealing adventure. Yet I can’t help but feel it has sacrificed a lot of its original identity to achieve all of this. Newcomers will likely enjoy what they find here, and the fact that it’s so different from the previous versions means that returning players have a reason to play it as well. It’s an abridged take on the game, for better or worse, but it’s certainly a well-made one.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will come to Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC via Steam on February 5, 2026, 2026.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined smooths out a lot of rough edges, but it loses some of the flavor of the original in the process. A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PC.