Dragon Quest’s long, storied history has often been defined by its relation to other JRPG franchises. Despite being one of the genre’s forerunners, it has often felt like it takes a back seat to Final Fantasy and even Persona. It tends to get pigeonholed as one that relies on tradition without attempting to move forward.
While that may be true in some regards, Dragon Quest has a unique place in JRPGs in that its tradition is its innovation. So many JRPG franchises are reliant on genre-busting shifts and radical reinventions, but Dragon Quest’s most honest, endearing strength is that it keeps the torch alive for what JRPGs used to be.
That is especially true in regard to Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, a remarkably faithful remake of the 2000 PS1 classic, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, which was known in Japan as Warriors of Eden.
In many ways, this new version of the iconic PS1 game feels like a celebration of both Dragon Quest and the JRPG genre as a whole. It feels altogether fresh and traditional, a feat that only this marvelous franchise has been able to accomplish for over three decades.
Making the Old Things Feel New Again
Dragon Quest’s greatest accomplishment over the decades has consistently been its ability to make the old-school traditions of JRPG feel like they never went out of style. It’s been that way for a long time, but most recently, it has stood out in a crowd of games attempting to reinvent the wheel by reminding us why this genre is so beloved to begin with.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is among the latest in the franchise to do that. Having watched its development rather closelyand going into it with the original version of DQ7 being one of my favorite JRPGs of all time, I was rather intrigued by what this game would turn out to be.
It’s one of the first big JRPGs of 2026, and while there’s a long way to go, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is poised to be a strong contender for one of the best the genre will have on offer this year. There are a lot of JRPGs coming out this year, and they will all have to follow an absolutely exceptional opening salvo.
From the moment the game starts, you can genuinely feel the love and admiration this dev team has not only for Dragon Quest, but the genre as a whole. It helps that it’s remaking an already established title, but considering how the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy has approached things in such a radical manner, it would have been easy for Square to follow suit here.
I personally love the Final Fantasy 7 remake project so far, but I’m so glad that Square kept to tradition here. It just wouldn’t feel right if Dragon Quest suddenly started going in that direction, and this is a game that is supremely respectful of the lineage and what made this game so cherished.
From the moment the game starts, you can genuinely feel the love and admiration this dev team has not only for Dragon Quest, but the genre as a whole.
Wandering its world, encountering its delightful cast of characters and just getting lost in the unique, yet instantly recognizable, almost candy coated lands that Dragon Quest is known for, is just so endearing.
As you wander this beautiful world, it’s also quite difficult to not get lost in the unparalleled beauty that it creates. It has a lovely, almost dollhouse-like quality to it. The characters and environments have a textured, tangible feel to them, and the way they all unfold, like you are witnessing a diorama come to life, just looks absolutely brilliant in action.
Fight Night
As this is a JRPG, one of the most common things you will be doing is fighting. And fight you shall, but exploring the combat system means talking about one of the biggest changes from the PS1 version. Thankfully, it’s a change that I agree with wholeheartedly.
The PS1 version of Dragon Quest VII used random encounters via unseen enemies on the field. And if you know anything about Dragon Quest, you know it has a reputation for fairly high encounter rates. That was no different in the PS1 game.
The remake has improved that immensely, utilizing roaming enemies on the map that you can choose to engage with or not. This element of combat was also utilized in the 3DS update of the game from 2013, and the success of this approach will determine how well you enjoy the encounters. I personally prefer that approach to random off-screen enemies, but as always, your mileage may vary.
When it comes to the actual combat, however, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined ranks among the genre’s best. It remains quintessentially Dragon Quest, retaining the franchise’s pristine, laser-focused minute-to-minute action that just feels so fantastic.
It’s not going to reinvent the wheel or make you think about JRPGs in a brand-new way, but what is here feels great and has all the elements of classic Dragon Quest you would expect. The party is one of the best the genre has ever seen, and each one has a unique sense of flavor and feeling to them.
It remains quintessentially Dragon Quest, retaining the franchise’s pristine, laser-focused minute-to-minute action that just feels so fantastic.
What really makes DQ7’s combat sing is its flow, and how letting monsters roam lets you choose your level of danger. It’s perfectly reasonable to spend time in a JRPG grinding, but letting you choose and modulate your level of danger in any combat zone is what really works out in the game’s favor.
Wandering around a combat area, spotting Slimes, Frightcrawlers, and Babygoyles, and deciding which enemy to engage can really let you fine-tune your approach. That level of threat management isn’t unique to this game or even this entry in the Dragon Quest series, but its presence here makes the combat all the more enjoyable.
The Sound of Silence
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a rather long game, as all games in this franchise tend to be. To that end, it’s not unexpected that the game would have quite a bit of dialogue and voices. Which ordinarily is a great thing, but the one key weakness that the Dragon Quest games have always had in my view has been those exact elements.
The writing itself is fairly standard, with serviceable dialogue and a cast of lovable heroes and villains. Nothing terribly noteworthy in that regard, but when it comes to the execution of the voices and the way you interact with them, there’s less to be excited about.
Voices range from decent to pretty uninteresting. That on its own wouldn’t be so bad, but it’s the amount of time that each line reading unfolds at that is a bit of an issue. In a world where games like Death Stranding and other cinematic adventures, including some of Square’s own projects, have created a smooth, efficient scope of storytelling, this sort of long-winded, uncomfortable voice work feels a bit dated in 2026.
While it’s great that Dragon Quest often stays well within the realms of tradition, it wouldn’t be so bad to leave some things in the past. If it were just text, it would be fine as you move at as brisk a pace as you’d like. As it stands, however, the game almost flows better with the voices muted, as sad as that is to say.
On the flip side, not enough can be said about the music. The late Koichi Sugiyama, and longtime Dragon Quest composer, passed away in 2021. His signature sound has defined Dragon Quest since its inception, and his work on the PS1 original resulted in one of the best soundtracks of that era.
Fast forward twenty-six years later, and nothing has changed. The soundtrack has been lovingly reorchestrated but remains faithful to Sugiyama’s original work. There’s not a lot new here, which is both good and bad. In a way, it almost feels like Dragon Quest’s inability to create new music without relying on the same standard cues is the one area where the series could stretch its wings a bit.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a brilliant, majestic recreation of one of the PS1-era's most beloved JRPGs. Armed with an effortlessly charming diorama art style, impeccable music and an incredible combat system, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is simply breathtaking. There is a bit of a misfire in terms of the voices and how oddly long some of the line deliveries are, but this is a JRPG of such immense quality and care, that skipping it would not be advised. You simply can't miss out on this loving tribute to Dragon Quest's historic past.
The Good
- Beautiful art direction and charming diorama vibe
- Gorgeously reorchestrated soundtrack
- Wonderfully joyful story and writing
- Immensely enjoyable combat and upgrade systems
The Bad
- Voice acting is a bit off
- Line deliveries are rather drawn out, leading to a feeling of bloat
