The highly anticipated Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is nearly upon us, and we recently got to talk with producer Masaaki Hayasaka to ask his thoughts about the upcoming remake, the challenges faced, and the work he did to ensure that the upcoming title will be enjoyed by newcomers and fans.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Remaking For Modern Audiences

Media: With Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake was actually designed for modern audiences, it’s interesting to see that the choice is to opt for the 2D approach rather the full 3D overhaul. What inspired this design choice and the faithfulness to the source material come into play?

Hayasaka: The HD 2D graphic style really shines the more retro the original game is. We felt that out of the many different graphic expressions that exist today, and with the title that was released over 30 years ago, we thought about the best and most suitable way to express it would be to go HD 2D rather than the full 3D.

As far as staying faithful to the original version, our general direction for this title was to try to keep the charm of the original intact as much as possible. The new elements were mostly modernized elements for playability and accessibility reasons. As far as the original content goes, we wanted to stay as faithful as possible with the original version.

Media: Music has always been an important element for the Dragon Quest series. How did you update the new game soundtrack for Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake and what do you think about the role the music plays to enhance the game experience as a whole?

Hayasaka: I was the assistant producer and sound director on Octopath Traveler, and that’s when I realized that for the HD 2D style, orchestral sound really suits and heightens the atmosphere. The orchestral sound is so expansive that it enhances the visuals of the game. They really go hand-in-hand very well. The two options that we were considering were the original music of the game when it came out and orchestral sound. For the reasons explained earlier, we decided to go with the orchestral sound.

Media: What learnings from developing other HD 2D games like Octopath Traveler did you apply that helped you develop Dragon Quest III HD 2.5 Remake?

Hayasaka: Octopath Traveler was actually the only HD 2D title that I’ve been involved in, but because it was the first title where we really implemented the HD 2D style, I really was there from the foundations of it. I saw it from the beginning until the end: how it was made, how the audience reacted to it and I’m really aware of the building blocks of what makes HD 2D great, and really the essence of it.

I was able to fully utilize what I’ve learned in the development of Dragon Quest III, and I touched upon the sound earlier, but it’s the very important for building the atmosphere of an HD 2D graphic game. However, that doesn’t only limit itself to the actual soundtrack. It kind of goes into environmental sounds as well as the sound effects.

I oversaw everything down to every single sound within the game to really build up that atmosphere. And of course, I spoke with Horii-san and got his guidance to see what was the most suitable for HD 2D. So I really feel like I was able to bring everything that I learned and all my experience into the development of Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake.

Media: You mentioned earlier that you wanted to stay faithful to the original game as much as possible. At any point in development, did the team ever think that they were modernizing the game too much and had to scale back to be more faithful to the original?

Hayasaka: There are a lot of remakes out in the world today and there are many different directions you can take. Some people choose to really change the original with brand new elements, or there are remakes that stay completely faithful to the original game. With Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake, our initial philosophy was to remain faithful to the original title.

Since that was our guiding principle, there wasn’t really a point at which we felt that we’ve gone too far and we need to scale back. There were minor adjustments that were made where certain decisions, after putting some thought into it, we felt like fans of the original would think that it might be too much a change. But nothing really major that we had to start from scratch.

Media: Was there any changes made to the narrative to make it suitable for modern audiences?

Hayasaka: As far as the pacing goes in terms of story and gameplay, we wanted to really stay true to the original game and the original title actually had very good pacing and flow to it. We felt that as long as we stick to that original formula then it would translate seamlessly for modern gamers, and they will be able to jump into the game right away. There were some changes that were made in terms of the battle speed, so it makes it even more accessible, but overall, staying true to the original really felt like a good way to go about this.

Media: As the original game was released thirty years ago, what is the hardest part of developing the remake to maintain the original feeling of the game?

Hayasaka: One of the most challenging elements was to bring the original map from the game to its current visuals. If you take a look at the map shape, you’ll be able to see this in the guidebook that will be released later. The shape of the map is pretty much the same as the original version, and the composition, like where the buildings are located and the paths of the dungeons, were kept intact.

However, with the original, it was a top down view of everything in the map, whereas in the HD 2D version, everything has become more 3D, so there’s a different view of the entire scenery. So it was a challenge to maintain the essence of the original, to keep the composition intact while giving it this new kind of 3D visual. The team worked very hard to realize this and spent the first one or two years to get this part right.

Media: What have you decided to shoot, add, or cut from the game to appeal to modern audiences?

Hayasaka: Our overall guiding principle was to meet the expectation of the fans. All our decisions have been made with this in mind. If we were to cut certain parts, this might upset the fans of the original version. If we added something new, fans and modern gamers might find it appealing.

Each decision we had to make, we really though about how to meet the expectations of both long time fans and newcomers. We were intentional about that, down to very small details, so I think that helped us decide the overall direction of what to keep and what to cut out.

Media: What factors have contributed to the Dragon Quest series to captivate Japanese audiences even after its initial release thirty years ago?

Hayasaka: When there’s a remake like this, the internal team especially the key personnel such as the producer, director and art director are always constantly changing. These changes are reflected in the game itself. Games can change a lot depending on the team behind it. With Dragon Quest, we have Horii-san as well as Toriyama-sensei, and Sugiyama-sensei, those who unfortunately passed. But these three individuals are really the compass for the Dragon Quest series.

In a really good way, we thank these three for the guidance and direction they provided. We’ve been able to maintain a reliable sense of security with the Dragon Quest series, and it is quite difficult to maintain this sort of familiarity for so many years because the internal team of the game can really go through a lot of changes.

So I feel like fans really are drawn to this sense of coming home, knowing that they have certain expectations for the Dragon Quest series and the feelings that they get from the title. That’s something we really feel like we’re able to maintain, this sense of reliability.

Dragon Quest III For The Fans

Media: The original Dragon Quest III was beloved for its narrative and storyline. This remake would introduce never before seen episodes starring Ortega. How did the team balance this expanded characterization with the original pacing?

Hayasaka: As we mentioned earlier, our initial guiding principle was to stay faithful to the pacing of the original and just add extra elements to make little enhancements to it as far as the story goes. We really feel like as long as we stick to that philosophy, we couldn’t do wrong.

In the Famicom version, we thought what the original team wanted to express with Ortega’s story. Due to past limitations and capacity of Famicom’s hardware, we couldn’t quite fit everything in. So, we looked at things from that perspective as well as in the original, there wasn’t too much that was said about Ortega, and we feel that fans wanted to know more about him and the story behind him. We obviously discussed this with Horii-san, and he was there the entire time, providing input and guidance, and that’s how we crafted the additional elements of Ortega’s story.

Media: Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake provided the player with a lot of freedom. Is there a reason that you’ve allowed the player unprecedented amount of freedom?

Hayasaka: I feel like the original Dragon Quest III did allow that option, we’re very careful about maintaining that freedom and bringing it over to this remake. This was the standard of the times of when the original was released, but Dragon Quest 3 can almost be considered an open world of that age.

Even in Dragon Quest I there was already a lot of freedom to players and I really feel like that’s what made the world of Dragon Quest unique and exciting for the players. All we really did was try to maintain this sense of freedom and introduce players of the modern day on what an open world was back in the day and give that experience to players of today.

Media: What are you most proud of the Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake now that it’s about to be released.

Hayasaka: That’s a different question to answer, but just the very fact that I was personally involved in a legendary title such as Dragon Quest III is something that I’m really proud of to begin with. Also the fact that I was able to work with Horii-san who was the creator of the Dragon Quest series.

I myself have been a Dragon Quest fan and I played the game before I came into the industry, so just to be able to work with him on one of the most legendary and beloved titles in the series and bring that game to the modern age is really a highlight of my career as a game developer, and it’s a true honor.

Media: Dragon Quest III is an important part of the original trilogy because it was the first game in the timeline. Did you or the team feel any particular pressure to get this right? How much level of involvement did Horii-san have in the development of this game?

Hayasaka: This is a legendary title, so if I mess this up, I might have to leave this industry. (laughs) All jokes aside, that pressure functioned in a good way for me, I wasn’t necessarily burdened by it. I didn’t actually play the original Dragon Quest III in real time when it was originally released, I haven’t experienced the level of passion that the original fans had for it. I feel like having that distance from the original game took a little pressure off my shoulders, and I can look at it with a little bit of fresh perspective. It actually helped to motivate me in the end.

Horii-san usually is involved in Dragon Quest as the general director, but for this title, he was involved as part of Game Design and Scenario, so he was heavily involved in overseeing the title, in the development of it. more so than other titles in the series. He was there the entire way.

So as a kind of episode, he was giving feedback on the game balance and battle balance. There’s been new abilities and new attackes that have been incorporated. He was actually involved in deciding what would be enjoyable and entertaining players.

Media: Will new game plus content be availble?

Hayasaka: Yes, we definitely included these post-game elements that will become available once you have cleared the main game, so please look forward to new feature information about this.

Media: Do you have any message to fans across the world waiting for this remake?

Hayasaka: I really feel like those who have played original, there were parts when they were in towns or having conversations with different characters where they were filling gaps visually with their minds. So when they were imagining how it would look like fully fleshed out and the small conversations taking place, what the atmosphere would be… I think we were able to visualize what they’ve been imagining in their minds and incorporate them in this remake. I really love for our original fans to look forward to seeing their imagination brought to life.

For new fans who are new to the Dragon Quest series or who have never played Dragon Quest III before, this is a legendary title that is beloved in the series and we’re really excited for new players to experience them, and Horii-san he said that this is the perfect entry point who are new to the series as it is accessible. When the original was released, it was like a social phenomenon, it was huge in Japan.

After the release of 1 and 2, and then when 3 came out, the system really felt complete. Even when it transitioned to modern day standards, it really holds up well. So we really want newcomers to want and enjoy what’s so great about Dragon Quest III from there move on to play other titles in the series.

Lastly, Hayakawa-san shared a parting message.

Dragon Quest is really beloved in Japan, and also Asian territories as well compared to Western outlets. Outside of Japan, there’s so much room for growth, and there’s so many people that haven’t experience this series yet, and I mentioned that Dragon Quest 3 is the perfect entry point to get into the series. I really love for players to be able to jump into this title and see how fun and exciting the world of Dragon Quest is and to continue playing more games in the series.

Special thanks to Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Masaaki Hayakawa for this opportunity.

Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D Remake is scheduled to launch on November 14, 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC. The Steam Version is launching on November 15, 2024.