The Dragon Quest games have remained true to tradition over the past four decades. Series creator Yuji Horii, inspired by Ultimate And Witchcraftaimed to make role-playing games accessible to the general public with simplicity and a smile. This same philosophy is applied to Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakea fresh take on the 1988 original that retains the game’s classic turn-based battles and random encounters, but softens its old-school edges and gives it a prettier coat of paint than ever.

Square Enix’s latest game in the HD-2D family doesn’t care about the simplicity and accessibility of Dragon Quest. However, it makes the game easier than ever and gives longtime fans a few new things to do. Dragon Quest 3 has, after all, been repackaged and re-released multiple times across console generations. This version ranks among the best.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake tells much of the same story as its inspiration: players take on the role of a hero, the offspring of a long-lost warrior named Ortega, tasked by the king to eliminate an evil, world-conquering entity known as Baramos. The hero rallies a team of allies, each with their own calling and personality, and embarks on a classic hero’s journey with at least one fun twist.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is comforting in that way. I knew what to expect throughout the experience: I would fight a long list of monsters designed by Akira Toriyama in random encounters, I would level up my hero and his party, I would earn gold and experience, and I would always grow stronger in my quest to avenge my father.

Square Enix and developer Artdink help modernize this old-school experience with a few concessions. There are three difficulty options from the start, and battles can be sped up to “ultra-fast” speed so that they only take a few seconds. Thank goodness, because you meet by chance SO many monsters. Traveling around the world is also fast; I feel like I’m controlling a fast forward button at all times.

The battles are relatively simplistic by modern RPG standards, but they offer a certain level of tactical control. By default, I can command my character however I want – casting spells, fighting with weapons, defending myself, etc. – and let my party members attack automatically. Additionally, there are a handful of behavior settings for party members; I can ask them to attack aggressively, conserve mana, focus on healing, or play defensively. Or I can take full control of each of my party members, taking turns choosing which specific tactics I want to focus on to win a battle.

There is surprising depth in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakewhich is full of weapons, spells, vocations and personalities. Party members can be swapped at Patty’s Party Planning Place in town, so it’s easy to create a party suited to the task at hand. (It’s also guilt-free, as you have little personal attachment to your crew. It’s all about the hero.)

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake gives the original game a huge graphical overhaul in the HD-2D style, which combines 16-bit pixelated characters with lavishly rendered 3D backgrounds. The HD-2D version Dragon Quest 3 deviates from the appearance seen in previous entries. Instead of the dark vignetting of Octopath Traveler or the graphically varied and voluminous Experience a live, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is joyfully bright and sweet. The developers have gone too far in this regard, however: the stylistic gap between pixelated characters and full 3D backgrounds is too pronounced. I would have preferred a look that retained a certain level of pixelation of the game environments.

However, I have no complaints about the pixel work of the game. Toriyama’s monsters are magnificent Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakethanks to the rich detail of their attacks and their death animations in turn-based combat. Every time an enemy Slime moves on screen, I have to smile. The same goes for the classic Dragon Quest themes and sound effects in this remake, which are as gloriously vintage as the gameplay.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake introduces compelling new additions to the original and its remakes. This includes Monster Arena, an automatic monster battle tournament lightly inspired by Pokémon. This mechanic is paired with a new vocation, Monster Wrangler – a hybrid attack/healing class that helps you collect the rare friendly monsters you encounter. You can send your friendly monsters into the battle arena, which provides a nice, light-hearted tactical diversion from the adventure. Additionally, the more friendly monsters you collect, the stronger your Wrangler class becomes, making this vocation an incredibly well-designed addition.

For those curious about Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake offers a new way to access the venerable RPG franchise. It’s a solid starting point, thanks to its relative simplicity and ease of play. It’s also the very first Dragon Quest game chronologically, setting up the story for next year’s game. Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake. So if you’ve ever been charmed by the Slimes of Dragon Quest but don’t know where to start your adventure, strangely enough, this is the glossy remake of the franchise’s third installment.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake will be released on November 14 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X. The game was tested on PS5 using a preliminary download code provided by Square Enix. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.