Over the past few years, Square Enix has been releasing a slew of HD-2D games, and the producer behind the Dragon Quest 3 remake is concerned that fans might start feeling a bit “bored” with them.
Square Enix first introduced the HD-2D style with Octopath Traveler, which was generally well-received by fans. They’ve since applied this aesthetic to several other titles, including the Live A Live remake and the upcoming Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. Additionally, there’s news that Dragon Quest 1 and 2 are also slated to get the same treatment. Masaaki Hayasaka, the producer of the JRPG remake, mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg that while he’s eager to consider more remakes from the series, the decision hinges on the success of this current project.
Hayasaka touched on a delicate balance in game releases, pointing out that releasing too many games back-to-back could lead to audience fatigue. Conversely, a lengthy gap between launches might make the series feel less dynamic and engaging. He admitted, “It’s a sensitive topic. Even my supervisors constantly debate this issue.”
Given Square Enix’s current challenges, I can understand the apprehension, especially since there are still gamers who aren’t fond of the retro look. However, for now, the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is doing pretty well. Just yesterday, it reached over 45,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB, which is impressive for a single-player RPG remake.
Whether this success will extend to the upcoming remakes of the first and second games remains to be seen. For now, though, there seems to be room for more HD-2D remakes on the horizon.
