Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Switch 2 Review

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Seven seems to be the lucky number over at Square Enix, with the seventh entry in a series often getting a huge amount of love. We’ve seen this happen with the incredible Final Fantasy VII Remake, and now, it’s Dragon Quest’s turn with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. I’ll admit, I’m a little late to the Dragon Quest party with this one. But after becoming a big fan through the Dragon Quest 2D-HD remakes, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Thoughtfully rebuilt from the ground up, does this version live up to the legacy of the original? What’s it like? Gather your party, sneak out of the castle, and set sail as we review Dragon Quest VII Reimagined for Nintendo Switch 2.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined starts on the peaceful island of Estard. You play the son of a fisherman, who is good friends with the young Prince Kiefer, and the strong-willed Maribel, who joins you on adventures somewhat reluctantly. In this particular adventure, you discover the Shrine of Mysteries and are suddenly taken on a whirlwind journey through time, fixing things in the past to restore the present. The story in Dragon Quest VII is streamlined compared to older versions, letting you get into the gameplay much faster. While a lot of the fluff has been trimmed, the reimagined version actually includes new story elements, like fleshing out characters and giving you a bit more control over the pacing of the story. For me, these changes were noticeable as the action starts fairly quickly, and within the first hour or two of the game, a lot of mechanics open up and set you on your way. This is also helped by other elements that assist with gameplay, which we’ll cover later in the review.

And I’m so glad the gameplay opens up so quickly, because Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is such a delight to play. Despite having many of the usual JRPG tropes, this game managed to draw me in almost right from the start. Your task begin simple enough by collecting tablet fragments to open rifts to new islands, which take you to key moments in the past, and eventually evolves into a full-blown adventure across both past and present after the first few hours. This time-travelling mechanic adds intrigue, and it’s great to see how your actions in the past influence islands in the present. The puzzle mechanics are engaging without being overwhelming, and exploration is rewarding thanks to the mini-medal side quest we’ve seen in previous Dragon Quest games. Combat follows the traditional turn-based format, with both visible and random encounters depending on the situation, and the unique vocation system evolves the further you progress, unlocking better spells and abilities that can completely change how battles play out depending on your playstyle.

There are also streamlined gameplay mechanics designed to reduce grinding or let you experience the game in a more old-school way. These include features like instantly defeating enemies on the overworld while still reaping the rewards, which you can disable if you prefer to fight them normally. You can also auto-battle, tweak gameplay settings to heal and restore MP automatically, earn more XP for faster levelling in a story-focused playthrough, or turn off all assists and make the game as punishing as you like. For me, I tweaked the game for a cozy experience, letting me enjoy the world of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined without worrying too much about grinding or optimising gear. Some battles I let play themselves so I could move on to the next story section, and others I took my time with to explore new spells and abilities. The ability to customise the experience on a game of this scale reminded me of how No Man’s Sky lets you tailor your adventure, and I hope more games adopt this approach in the future.

All these refined mechanics are complemented by the gorgeous reimagined art style that’s bright and colourful, and really brings the world of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined to life. The characters ooze charm and personality, especially when seen up close during in-game rendered story cutscenes. The world is just as detailed, with each island’s towns brimming with characters going about their business. It still feels familiar to the 2D-HD games, thanks to sharing a lot of traditional Dragon Quest elements, but the reimagined engine is simply fantastic. From exploring islands in the overworld, walking through towns in both past and present, and even sailing the sparkling seas, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined looks amazing. The wonderful characters are further brought to life with major story beats being fully voice-acted, and the cast really seems to be having fun and getting into their roles here. This is all backed by an outstanding orchestral score, featuring modern takes on the original soundtrack that elevate the experience. All of this runs at a smooth framerate targeting 60fps, and it never really seems to falter.

For my fledgling fishermen looking into accessibility, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined has plenty of options to make your time in the game more comfortable. These range from a variety of controller options, the ability to change the camera to a closer view, adding colour vision filters, and even adjusting the strength of those filters. You can also isolate specific audio sources, which I found useful as the music occasionally overpowered some of the voice acting. There’s also a range of difficulty enhancements, including stopping enemies from chasing you on the overworld map, allowing you to take your time and explore at your own pace. There’s even a small bonus for players who have experienced the 2D-HD games. It’s really great to see such a wide range of customisation options in a game of this scale. As always, I recommend doing a bit more research to see if Dragon Quest VII Reimagined suits your needs. Thankfully, there’s a demo available on both the Switch and Switch 2 eShop, and your progress carries over, so you can try it out before committing.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined may not look as flashy as Final Fantasy VII Remake, but the same amount of care and polish has gone into recreating this classic Dragon Quest entry. There’s about 40 hours of gameplay here if you rush through the game as I did, and plenty more for those who want to up the stakes using the many modifiers to tweak the experience to their liking. It’s almost like comfort food, and I found my time with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined to be a wonderfully engaging and somewhat cozy experience. If you’re looking for an RPG that lets you play your way, then Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is an essential addition to your Switch 2 library.

So, What’s it Like? Dragon Quest VII reimagined is like a traditional JRPG rebuild from the ground up with modern flourishes.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a What’s It Like Certified Exceptional game.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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