Earlier this year, not long after it was announced that Dragon Quest 7 was getting its second (!) remake in time for its 25th anniversary, there was considerable skepticism over the developers' decision to chop up the game's main story in order to “streamline” a very long game – even by Dragon Quest standards. Reaction has been mixed, with some pointing out that the original and its slightly-shorter 3DS remake were too long, and others (myself included) bemoaning the omission.
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined's head writer recently explained the choice, but has raised concerns among those who have always appreciated the title's more vignette-style, episodic, slow-burn approach to storytelling. While today's batch of hands-on previews at multiple media outlets won't do a ton to alleviate that specific concern, there's still cause for celebration among Astard-lovers and newcomers around the world: The reception from those lucky enough to experience a few hours with Reimagined has been largely positive.
Good news for island-hoppin' crews
We'll start with RPGFan, where Scctt Clay supports Square Enix and HEXADRIVE Inc. Highlights the fact that it contains New Narrative content. While it's not necessarily designed to replace what's missing, it's still more than welcome. “Three islands are cut from the main story, and four are optional side quests,” Clay reiterates past revelations. “But most importantly, they've added brand new stories to Reimagined that haven't appeared in the PS1 or 3DS versions. These stories will build on the characters' relationships and flesh them out more than ever before.”
As for Clay's actual preview experience, things are looking good:
“Battles are faster and faster, and the animations for characters, enemies and bosses are all different, rich and fun to watch.” -Scott Clay, RPGFan
On the RPG site – full disclosure, I write there once in a very blue moon – James Gallizio is particularly giddy for the Dragon Quest 7 reimagining:
“While not to the same extreme degree as fantasy, the use of digitized physical assets gives the game a hint of that diorama feel to its various locations; it feels like looking down into a toy box, and I mean that as a compliment.” -James Galizio, RPG Site
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined changes the profession system (read: job classes) of the original with a Moonlighting mechanic. It lets characters take on secondary professions, which opens up the gameplay in major ways. Galizio is big on it, too, so far. “You can even choose a job where you are moonlighting [during fights]So at any given time you'll have access to two different options during combat.” This will likely make regular encounters more engaging, as Galizio notes, “Especially attacks that let you know how effective they will be on specific groups.”
GamingBIBLE's James Lynch isn't just as enthusiastic overall; The author cautiously embraces the notion. “We'll have to get our hands on the full game to see how ruthless the developers are in cutting less compelling content, but it's a very encouraging overall direction for the release.” More to the point, though, Lynch is happy as punch with the big picture:
“At this early stage, there's a lot to like about Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, and if the full release can capture the gameplay experience in those two preview hours, Square Enix is onto an absolute winner.” -James Lynch, GamingBible
One thing is certain. Looks like the visuals are the winner. George Yang joins Restart.run's chorus:
“Additionally, when exploring, the camera is set at a top-down angle like in the older Dragon Quest games, rather than the over-the-shoulder view of the newer entries. Ichikawa explains that the diorama-style area with the top-down view complemented the butterfly motif of the characters. Additionally, it made the environment more compact and collaborative.” -George Yang, Restart.run
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined launches on February 5, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. I'm feeling better about the remake now, and I was already looking forward to it, even though all that story-noxing is really terrible. That feeling hasn't gone away in light of these previews, but has it been… comforting?
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
- issued
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February 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Humorous pranks, fantasy violence, mild gore, mild language, mild suggestive themes, use of alcohol
- Number of players
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single player
