(Photo courtesy of SteamDB. “Dragon Quest VII Reimagined excels at being an archetypical JRPG.”)
Rick Dalton
Connector Staff
It took 26 years, but classic JRPG “Dragon Quest VII” is finally available on PC and all major consoles. “Dragon Quest VII Reimagined” launched on February 5, 2026, modernizing a game released in 2000 on PlayStation and 2013 on Nintendo 3DS. This version streamlines the storyline, trades in 2D sprites for 3D models, and modernizes the gameplay mechanics. After 10 hours in game, it is already clear why the game is considered a classic. This is a lovingly crafted JRPG that is sure to satisfy fans of the genre.
“Dragon Quest” games follow a silent protagonist known as Hero on a quest to save a fantastical world from destruction. In “Reimagined”, Hero is the son of a fisherman on the small island of Estard, which is the only known landmass in a vast ocean. Hero’s childhood friends are Kiefer, prince of Estard, and Maribel, the mayor’s daughter. The trio believe there must be more to the world than their small island. After discovering the Shrine of Mysteries and its many broken stone tablets, the party is transported across time to an unfamiliar land that has been invaded by monsters. Hero and friends learn that liberating these lands and repairing stone tablets causes islands to emerge from the ocean in their own timeline, thus beginning a seafaring, time warping journey of wonder and discovery.
While the plot is mostly an excuse for a grand adventure in various locales, the writing is rather fun. Many scenes are fully voiced, with the English language audio featuring a hefty dose of British charm. Hero is of course silent, but Kiefer is lovably goofy and Maribel is delightfully snarky. Each new land they discover is a mini adventure, with the party helping characters out of different dilemmas. One early area features a mysterious festival for a fire god. Another sees the locals transformed into barnyard animals. Frequently solving mysteries and engaging with new characters helps keep things interesting.
Visually, “Reimagined” opts for a different style than other recent remakes in the series, such as last year’s “Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake”. The original character designs, created by Akira Toriyama of “Dragon Ball” fame, have been transformed from 2D sprites into 3D models with a doll-like appearance. The result faithfully transforms a traditional looking JRPG into something more like a modern 3D film during cutscenes, with a sharper look during regular gameplay. The environment is quite similar to the 2013 3DS version of the game, but with much finer visual detail. Additionally, the musical score has been re-recorded with an orchestra, which gives the score a much more grandiose feeling than previous installments. These details help give “Reimagined” a much more impressive atmosphere than previous entries.
Gameplay is split between exploration and combat. Exploration involves talking to lots of NPCs to find the path forward and sometimes solving simple environmental puzzles. Each new land has at least one town and dungeon to navigate. The UI is very accessible, featuring mini maps with exclamation points to highlight points of interest. It is basically impossible to get lost. Party members advise Hero while exploring, frequently suggesting how to progress to the next fight.
Combat is typical of an old school JRPG. Enemies are visible on the overworld map and throughout caves and dungeons. They can be sneakily attacked before the encounter to win the first turn but can also seize the first turn for themselves if the player is slow to react. Once engaged, combat is strictly turn-based with no live action components. Characters have basic melee attacks, along with offensive and support magic. There are many combat synergies to discover, such as applying a weakness to an enemy with one character so that another can do extra damage. After several turns, characters can get “Worked Up” and “Let Loose!” This results in temporary boons such protective shields, boosts to critical hit rates, and more magic damage. Combat comes with three difficulty settings and is also highly customizable, allowing the player to alter damage levels and experience points to make combat as easy or difficult as they like. There is also an auto-battle feature that is great for mowing down common enemies. More dangerous foes require careful planning, anticipation, and frequent healing during battles than can last several minutes. Overall, combat is fun, snappy, and intuitive, although it will be very familiar to fans of the genre.
“Dragon Quest VII Reimagined” is a great option for anyone looking to scratch a JRPG itch. It also works well for anyone new to “Dragon Quest” or the JRPG genre. It features lovable characters, epic quests, and deceptively deep combat. While certainly not revolutionary, it is hard not to smile while playing the game.
Grade: B
