Dragon Quest 7's Big Brain Remake: Can Square Enix Actually Fix a Flawed Masterpiece?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Dragon Quest 7 is getting a 'Reimagined' remake, and producer Takeshi Ichikawa (who admittedly never finished the original) is tackling its notorious pacing issues head-on with visual overhauls, scenario restructuring, and battle system refinements. It's a bold attempt to fix a beloved but flawed classic, aiming for a true 'Masterpiece' version.
Alright, so imagine you've got this ancient, powerful spell book, right? It's full of absolute bangers, earth-shattering enchantments, but for some reason, the first twenty pages are just… an instruction manual on how to butter toast, written in Elvish. That, mate, is a bit like the original Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. A genuine masterpiece at its core, but one that famously tested the patience of even the most dedicated pixel-wizards amongst us.
Now, word on the street, courtesy of Alex Donaldson over at Eurogamer, is that Square Enix is giving this behemoth a proper, no-holds-barred 'Reimagined' treatment. And the bloke leading the charge? Takeshi Ichikawa, the producer, who's not only shepherding this ambitious project but openly admits he *also* dropped out of DQ7 halfway through as a kid because of its notoriously slow start. How’s that for a human story, eh? It’s like hiring a chef who once choked on his own food to fix the recipe – a bit chaotic, but you know he *gets* it.
Ichikawa’s personal journey with DQ7, from primary school player to remake producer, gives us a glimmer of hope. He’s not some corporate suit disconnected from the player experience; he *is* the player who struggled. After being assigned the project, he even played the Nintendo 3DS version to truly get up to speed. That's dedication, or perhaps a masochistic ritual to understand the game's intrinsic challenges before he could conquer them. Either way, it means the team isn't just throwing darts at a board; they're approaching this with a surgeon's precision, or as Ichikawa puts it, aiming for the 'Masterpiece' version.
**The Glacial Pace Problem: A Dragon Quest Saga**
DQ7's core strength, and simultaneously its biggest weakness, has always been its sprawling, episodic narrative. You're not just saving the world; you're sailing to dozens of disconnected islands, solving their mini-dramas, and then *eventually* seeing how they weave into the grand tapestry. It's got that Chrono Trigger vibe of visiting distinct eras and peoples, though, let's be fair, it doesn't quite tie up with the same satisfying bow. The problem? The sheer, unadulterated length, coupled with a pacing that makes a snail look like a cheetah on a caffeine rush.
Ichikawa and his team are tackling this head-on, focusing on three key areas: **visual representation, scenario, and battles.** It’s not just a coat of paint, it’s a full structural re-engineering. And honestly, that’s where my ears perked up. We've all seen remakes that just polish the visuals and call it a day, but this sounds like they're actually trying to fix the *game*.
**Doll-like Dreams: A Visual Spell Gone Right?**
First up, the visuals. The new doll-like art style, with its adorable, 'chibi' proportions, is apparently a deliberate callback to the late, great Akira Toriyama's original character designs for DQ7, which were already shorter and cuter. But here's where it gets proper wild: the team actually created real-life puppets of the characters, scanned them into development, and then worked through the glitches. Bloody hell, talk about commitment! Most studios would just bang out some concept art and call it a day. The idea of physical models adding texture and realism to digital characters? That's the kind of experimental wizardry I absolutely love. It’s a bold choice, but if it works, it could give the game a truly unique, timeless aesthetic that stands out from the usual pixel-perfect remasters.
**Rewriting Reality: A Scalpel to the Scenario**
Now, the big one: the scenario. Ichikawa reveals they've reordered some episodes, made others optional, and even added completely new scenarios and backstory. This is where the 'scalpel, not hatchet' approach comes in. They're cutting some islands and storylines (which, fair warning, will undoubtedly ruffle some feathers amongst the purists) but they’re rebalancing the entire game around these changes. Working closely with series creator Yuji Horii on every story beat suggests a deep respect for the original vision, even as they attempt to make it more digestible. It’s a risky move, messing with a classic’s narrative flow, but if it truly makes the experience denser and more engaging, it could be the magic potion DQ7 desperately needs.
**Battle Rhythms: Picking Up the Pace**
Finally, battles. Oh, the battles. The original’s random encounters contributed significantly to the glacial pace. The 'Reimagined' version retains visible enemies (first seen in the 3DS version), giving players choice. Want to focus on the story? Skip 'em. Need to grind? Seek 'em out. This alone is a game-changer for player agency and pace.
But they've gone further. Adjustable battle speeds (thank the heavens!), auto-battle, and the ability to just *cut down weak monsters on the field map* without entering a battle screen. This is respecting the player's time, fair dinkum! For boss battles, they’re adding 'Burst' super attacks and new tactical depth with 'moonlighting' job combinations. It’s a shrewd balance: quick minor encounters, deep boss fights. It sounds like they've genuinely thought about how players *play* modern RPGs, rather than just clinging to archaic traditions.
**The Verdict Awaits**
So, can they pull it off? Can they truly make a classic – one that many loved but few actually finished – into the 'Masterpiece' version Ichikawa envisions? Tinkering with a beloved, albeit flawed, game is always a high-stakes gamble. Too often, attempts to 'fix' things just make them worse. But the genuine self-awareness from the producer, the thoughtful changes to pacing, the innovative visual approach, and the obvious dedication to the game’s roots give me a healthy dose of cautious optimism. It's like watching a fellow wizard trying to transmute lead into gold; there’s a real chance it could blow up in their face, but the potential for something truly magical is absolutely electrifying.
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is set to drop on February 5th, 2026, across Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Soon enough, we’ll all be able to see if Square Enix has cast the perfect remedial spell. And hey, maybe this time, I’ll actually finish it. Original scoop courtesy of Alex Donaldson over at Eurogamer.
Tags: DragonQuest, RPG, Remake, SquareEnix, GameDevelopment
Original article: Eurogamer