Famitsu has shared a 30-minute gameplay video (below) of the highly anticipated Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. The video features a full tour of the opening island, starting in the iconic town of Aliahan, vividly reimagined in living, breathing detail. A party of four adventurers explores a sprawling town, replete with ambling townsfolk, full-scale buildings, and myriad nooks and crannies. In daytime the world is lightly shadowed by the lazily shifting clouds above, while at night candles flicker, glowing warmly from the windows. Idyllic, serene, and magical are all words I could use to describe these scenes; altogether a spectacular and seemingly respectful revision of a beloved classic.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake‘s Sound and Vision
Adding to the serenity and atmosphere are two key features: a splendidly reorchestrated soundtrack, and, perhaps more subtly, rich and dynamic lighting. The late Koichi Sugiyama’s original soundtrack is lifted to new heights by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, drawing the player into the world by aural immersion. The lighting is in my opinion even more impressive; every light source seems so finely tuned creating an unexpected realism in a world so consciously cartoonish, and yet it is not at odds with this aesthetic.
Compare this to last year’s Star Ocean: Second Story R, and I think you will understand what I mean. It is an excellent remaster in its own right, however, I always felt slightly assaulted by the saturated, sharp lighting which in my opinion gave everything a plastic feel, failing to sufficiently meld the 2D sprites with the glossy 3D rendered world. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, as it appears in this video, does not give me that same jarring impression; the whole world appears somehow natural and fantastical at the same time.
This gameplay video has likely left many long-time fans and curious newcomers very excited. My impressions are very much third-hand, so I highly recommend reading or watching (video below) Zach Wilkerson’s brilliant first impressions after he got to experience Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake in person at Summer Game Fest’s Play Days.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake releases on November 14th for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Source: Famitsu
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