Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake devs want players to have the "same feeling" exploring the JRPG's open world as they'd have in Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Sep. 4, 2024



The remake devs took inspiration from “a lot of modern games”

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Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is shaping up to be a gorgeous revival for the classic 1988 JRPG, but its devs actually took inspiration from “a lot of modern games,” includingThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, to bring it to life over 35 years later.

“As you’re traversing the open world in Breath of the Wild, you can see a building in the distance and be like, ‘I want to go there,’ and then it makes you want to go there and travel,” he continues. “We wanted to capture that same feeling with the world map here. So if you see something sparkling in the distance, you’re like, ‘I wanna go there.'”

That world that the team has recreated is also housing new secrets to find, so even those who’ve played the original beginning to end multiple times will be able to find some fresh surprises. On this, series creator Yuji Horii says: “We’ve made this vast world, and it’s really beautiful, so we thought it’d be fun if you could explore it and find lots of different things. We just wanted to capture that sort of sense of joy.”

There’s only a couple more months to go until Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake’s launch on November 14, and from what I played during myhands-on preview session at Gamescom, it definitely feels like it could be the cherry on top of a fantastic year for JRPG fans. WithHD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest 1 and 2also on the way next year, it seems like that trend could be set to continue, too.

Be sure to check out our list of thebest JRPGsfor more to play ahead of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake’s release.

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I’m one of GamesRadar+’s news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield’s student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming’s news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you’re sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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