Tell me if I'm wrong, but I've always felt that portable gaming was the perfect home for turn-based RPGs. Whether you're on the bus on the way to work, taking a long trip and in need of a pastime while travelling, or any number of other permutations, being able to play a game that doesn't rely on split-second reactions while on the move has always seemed ideal to me.
Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake is the latest effort from Square Enix to keep remaking its classic games in patented "HD-2D" style, keeping their visual identity consistent while still hugely upgrading their overall presentation. Following on the heels of the remade version of Dragon Quest 3 (which precedes these two games chronologically), this twin-pack updates the first two Dragon Quest games, titles old enough that plenty of people like myself might have never played them.
The games continue the story of Erdrick's lineage, so the reality is that you really don't need to have played DQ3 to get a pretty quick grasp on what's going on. In fact, I wouldn't say this is the JRPG to rewrite any storytelling rules – rather, it's a great way to get a truly classic experience with modern touches.
I've been pretty much in love with the 2D-HD aesthetic ever since it first debuted, whether Square Enix has deployed it on remakes or original new series, and this release is no exception. It's a glorious showcase of how pixel art can still thrive even in an era of ray-tracing and realism, and the depth offered up by environments in this game really can be special.
The classic battle systems on show have also had some welcome tweaks to make them more user-friendly. That means it's easier to navigate their menus, but also gives you control over the speed of encounters, to make the inevitable spates of grinding way less punishing than in the originals. It's still not quite my favourite battle system out there, I'll admit, but the changes help it to feel far less onerous.
I'm having fun with the remakes here, but it's also worth saying that I'm only partway through the first game right now – this is a fairly mountainous pile of content for those who want a big set of stories and quests to get through. Whether it can hold my attention at a super busy time for releases is anyone's guess, but I'm going to keep going for now.
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