The long-awaited remake of Dragon Quest 3 finally released last week to largely positive reviews, with the bulk of the praise going to the beautifully redrawn pixel art that Square Enix popularized with Octopath Traveler and which is now the studio's go-to style when making sprite-based games.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the latest in a string of HD-2D RPGs that bring a modern, high-resolution twist to nostalgic pixel-art graphics. Fans have long thought Final Fantasy VI, the last game in the venerated series before it switched to polygons,

Generally speaking, a lot of new players are quickly discovering that Dragon Quest 3 has some nasty difficulty spikes — and many of them are still present in the remake. The Dragon Quest Reddit is flush with posts about being obliterated in tougher battles, having eased through the adventure up until then.

To unpack that, the Dragon Quest 3 remake will be followed by an HD-2D glow-up for the first two games. That may seem odd at a glance, but the third game is a prequel to Dragon Quest 1 and 2, so it's logical enough.

It not only stays incredibly faithful to the original in all the ways that matter, but somehow managed to improve the aspects of the game that simply no longer made sense in the modern gaming era. With the long list of improvements to the game,

Speaking to Inverse recently about Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, the game's producer Masaaki Hayasaka said he would "love" to see Final Fantasy VI make a return, as it was actually a reference point while developing Octopath Traveler (Square's first HD-2D title).

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is more than just a graphical overhaul. It retains the original's gameplay and adds many welcome quality of life features.

Answer: Dragon Quest 3 Remake is a full remake of the original game, with considerable enhancements and upgrades to both the game world and the gameplay experience. Square Enix regularly points to the recent HD-2D worlds of Octopath Traveler I & II as an example of the type of visual changes made to Dragon Quest 3.

The early game of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has a few good options for players to accessorize their party with. Here's what to equip.

I was worried that Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake might feel like an uninspired and overpriced cash-in on 1990s RPG nostalgia. Instead, it’s the latest in a string of excellent Square Enix tributes to past classics.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake producer Masaaki Hayasaka would love to see a similar remake for Final Fantasy 6, though there are no "concrete plans". Speaking to Inverse, Hayasaka discussed the popularity of the HD-2D visual style and whether he'd like to see any other games be remade in this way.