Highlights

  • Square Enix's RPG franchises are thriving with Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest announcements and remakes on the horizon.
  • Dragon Quest's HD-2D Remakes are a natural evolution for the franchise, offering modern enhancements to classic gameplay.
  • Final Fantasy could benefit from following in Dragon Quest's footsteps with HD-2D remakes, providing fans with enhanced retro experiences.

Heading deeper into the ninth generation of game consoles, Square Enix's leading RPG franchises are both flourishing. Final Fantasy still reigns supreme in many parts of the world, having put out the last of Final Fantasy 16's DLC, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Final Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail expansion over the course of 2024. Meanwhile, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is finally releasing in November, with similar remakes of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 following in 2025. With talk of a Final Fantasy 9 remake and Dragon Quest 12 announcements looming, the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises should keep their momentum strong.

Apart from what's been announced and rumored, the distant future for Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest is less clear than their present. Both will inevitably produce their next numbered entries with a variety of side games along the way, but the frequency of these releases is still in question. Square Enix may have to ramp up the number of smaller FF and DQ spin-offs it pumps out to compensate for the increasing time their mainline outings are taking, and fortunately, Dragon Quest has already started work on an idea that Final Fantasy could make great use of.

Dragon Quest’s New Remake's Are a Head Scratcher
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Dragon Quest’s New Remakes Are a Head Scratcher

The announcement of more Dragon Quest remakes was met with excitement, but the way their releases were spaced out has been puzzling.

HD-2D Is A Natural Evolution Of A Dragon Quest Trend

By now, every numbered Dragon Quest title, apart from Dragon Quest 9, has been re-released, and the majority have changed in significant ways. Whether that means a few new Easter eggs like in the first few mainline Dragon Quest games’ oldest ports, a significant reduction in filler by the Dragon Quest 7 DS remake, or a full remake with new mechanics like Dragon Quest 10 Offline, this franchise has been making remakes long before Final Fantasy joined in. The HD-2D Remake titles are simply their latest form, but their upgrades may be the most meaningful.

Why HD-2D Remakes Work

HD-2D is an approach defined by maintaining a 2D sprite-based art style, but augmenting it with modern 3D, post-processing, and otherwise special effects, to create the best presentation possible. Square Enix has led the charge toward HD-2D games, and its approach has served new projects just as well as classics like Live A Live. These games don't stop at just looking good, either; completely remade soundtracks, voice acting, and even additional story and gameplay elements in HD-2D remakes all ensure that the result is as good as it could be. It's a wonder, then, why Final Fantasy has yet to jump on the trend.

Final Fantasy Should Make Its Own HD-2D Remakes

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection is the closest this historically presentation-obsessed franchise has come to HD-2D, and it still has a long way to go. Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster’s extra changes, especially the new Opera House voice acting and 3D environments, get closer than the rest, but the wholesale approach of Dragon Quest HD-2D just isn't there. The faithful sprites of the Pixel Remasters would need to give way to ones rebuilt for even more altered 3D backdrops, and plenty of other aspects would be given more room to change and expand than before.

Dragon Quest Shows How Final Fantasy Can Nail Its Retro Remakes

Fortunately, the existence of the Pixel Remaster Collection means fans will have modern versions to fall back on, so future remakes of classic Final Fantasy titles can freely include the bonus content their PlayStation and Game Boy Advance ports introduced. Motivating these FF HD-2D remakes is the opportunity to have them serve as side games between larger releases, like the original Dragon Quest trilogy is currently doing. HD-2D’s inherent ambition means these projects would be treated as larger releases, but that just raises them to the bar of other Final Fantasy spin-offs. Following Dragon Quest’s example, top-of-the-line remakes of its oldest entries will make the wait for the next numbered Final Fantasy easier.