Square Enix Shares How Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined Was Made

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Square Enix recently released a video detailing the development of Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined. The role-playing game launched on February 5th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and has been well-received, currently holding an 83 score on Metacritic. Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is a remake of the original Dragon Quest 7, which first appeared on PlayStation in 2000 and came to North America in 2001.

This isn’t the first remake of Dragon Quest 7. A version was previously released on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in 2013, and then in other regions in 2016. This Reimagined version updates the story and combat, and features completely new graphics. The plot has been made more concise, and battles now take place in a third-person perspective, a change from the original game’s first-person view.

1. Square Enix Provides a Deeper Look Into Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined’s Development

A new “making-of” video from Square Enix on YouTube, called “How Dragon Quest 7 was Reimagined,” features interviews with three key developers: Producer Takeshi Ichikawa, Director Masato Yagi, and Lead Scenario Writer Sayaka Takagi. Ichikawa explained that revisiting the game for its 25th anniversary felt right, especially since its themes still resonate today. Yagi discussed the challenge of maintaining the game’s serious tone while staying true to the Dragon Quest series’ unique art style. Takagi shared how the team balanced the game’s sadder moments with elements of hope and humor.

The video explains how this new version differs from the original game and how the developers simplified the gameplay. They focused on making the game accessible to everyone, ensuring players could enjoy the story without getting stuck on overly difficult fights. To help with this, the game features three difficulty levels, and players can further customize things like damage output, experience gain, and whether health automatically refills after battles. The video also covers changes to the job system in Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined compared to the original.

A ten-minute video can’t fully cover the complex development of a game like Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, but it does showcase the team’s enthusiasm. The behind-the-scenes feature offers insights into the developers’ creative process and their feelings about remaking the game. It also includes thoughtful moments where they reflect on how things have evolved over the past 25 years since the original Dragon Quest 7 came out on PlayStation.

Square Enix has updated Dragon Quest 7 with a reimagined version designed to appeal to both new players and longtime fans. While some dedicated fans might prefer the original game or a closer remake, these changes help modernize Dragon Quest 7 and could attract players unfamiliar with older RPGs. Ideally, remakes should coexist with the original games on current platforms, offering players a choice.

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2026-05-26 16:06