Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake announced with a planned worldwide release

During today's Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Special livestream event, Square Enix announced a surprising new Dragon Quest III remake aptly titled Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.

As detailed in the title itself, this upcoming reimagining appears to utilize the same engine and artstyle as Octopath Traveler and the upcoming Project Triangle Strategy. It arguably became the surprise of the show, despite being sandwiched between the expected light tease of Dragon Quest XII and the resurfacing of the newly titled Dragon Quest Treasures.

Dragon Quest III originally released back in 1988 for the Famicom in Japan, and later arrived in North America as Dragon Warrior III on the NES. It would eventually end up on mobile devices worldwide in 2014 as Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation. While no concrete details involving platforms or a release window for the remake were given, it is planned to see a simultaneous worldwide release.

During the stream, Dragon Quest boss Yuji Horii make joking candid comments about a possible re-release of Dragon Quest 1 and Dragon Quest 2 in a similar style, but those have not actually been officially announced.

People have been clamouring for remakes in the vein of Octopath's graphical styling ever since its release in 2018, though it maybe seemed like a safer bet that we'd see an early Final Fantasy title or perhaps a reimagining of Chrono Trigger first. As someone who hasn't had a chance to experience Dragon Quest III yet, this new remake is immediately on my radar.