Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake interview: how the classic RPG was revamped for its PS5 debut
The launch of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is fast approaching on November 14. We had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with the game’s producer, Masaaki Hayasaka, to chat about this stunning remake that brings back the iconic masterpiece in HD-2D.
Masaaki Hayasaka
Producer, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
PlayStation Blog: HD-2D has become much more popular since games like Octopath Traveler. What are some of the unique characteristics of this visual style?
In a nutshell, HD-2D is a visual style that combines pixelated characters with 3D backgrounds. Personally, I think this style works better in retro titles. When the original game first came out, players roamed the world while picturing how beautiful the landscapes must be. HD-2D actually brings that world to life.
Even though the game adopts HD-2D, it is still immediately recognizable as Dragon Quest III. What do you think are the most important aspects needed to achieve the iconic Dragon Quest-style?
The most obvious is the color palette. Dragon Quest games are characterized by rich, vivid colors, so we aimed to fully embrace that in the remake as well. If you compare the original game and the HD-2D remake side-by-side, the graphics will look completely different. Even so, the color palettes are similar so it shouldn’t feel far off from what OG players remember.
What sort of discussions did you have with Yuji Horii (creator of the Dragon Quest franchise), during development?
We connected regularly from the early phases of planning till the very end of development. We exchanged a lot of details. We discussed everything from new features like the Monster Arena and additional narrative episodes, to the game balance of battles, and even the size of the character pixels.
Did you make any changes based on Yuji Horii’s recommendations?
He made a comment around the blurring of the game background, and I find that particularly memorable. Background blur in games is usually referred to as depth of field,
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