Product Info

Platform

Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC

Publisher

Square Enix

Developer

Square Enix

Series

Dragon Quest

Genre

RPG

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

4.9 GB

Release Date (NA)

Feb 5, 2026

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a complete rework of the original PlayStation game that was released in 2000. The original game received a remake for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, and with Reimagined, it is the second time the game has received a new look. Its new features and artistic visuals make it feel like a new adventure for veterans, while also providing user-friendly mechanics for newcomers to enjoy.

Story of the Seas

Dragon Quest VII‘s story remains true to its original core. You play as a boy, the protagonist of the game, from Pilchard Bay, a fishing village on Estard Island. As the fisherman’s son, he hangs around with Kiefer, the prince of Estard, and Maribel, the daughter of Pilchard Bay’s mayor. Wondering if there is more to the world outside their island, the three uncover secrets about the world within their island. Secrets of a mysterious shrine and strange fragments of ancient tablets. Using these tablets, the team travels between the past and present to uncover secrets of what caused these islands outside Estard to be forgotten.

As you travel further, you’ll uncover more and the evil that awaits them. New characters will join your team, such as Ruff, a boy who is accompanied by a wolf, Aishe, a young Roamer woman who is skilled in swordsmanship and has a natural talent for dancing, and Sir Mervyn, a member of the Holy Order who once fought against the Demon Lord. All characters carry a unique personality that balances quite well. The protagonist does not have any dialogue to speak. All other characters have dedicated voice actors to give more depth in their personality.

It’s a unique adventure where you’re island-hopping in two different worlds with dark tones and some emotional rides. It’s fun to visit past islands in the hero’s present world as many of these villagers have documented your team’s efforts and their descendants who will help your team in the upcoming battles. Kiefer’s additional story is placed in smoothly and the game’s pacing feels tighter, making it a more complete and satisfying story.

With the rework of the game’s length, players will be doing fewer side quests, less island jumping, and sticking to the exploration that affects the game’s story. This makes it less draining on the player as in previous versions, you had more to explore before completing the story. For example, in the original PlayStation version, you had to go through many obstacles before collecting fragments. In the Nintendo 3DS version, it’s quicker but you still had to find four objects in a specific area on the other side of the island just to open the door to start collecting fragments. In the Reimagined version, it feels quicker as players will need to find three fragments to pass the trial to begin your quest, speeding up the game’s story. It’s like trimming the fat off to make it less hassle for players to enjoy.

Regarding the islands that are not required to complete the game, players can still visit these islands that are not tied to the game’s main storyline and can do so anytime before or after completing the game when they receive all missing fragments. Whichever way you choose, you can’t go wrong in how you want to adventure.

The landscape and exploration are more aligned with the original PlayStation than the Nintendo 3DS version. For example, there aren’t as many locations on Estard when compared to the 3DS version. Players can expect to complete the main story in just under fifty hours thanks to adjusting the amount of islands to explore and the faster-paced battles.

New Ways to Explore

Reimagined sticks to its original roots with its turn-based mechanics. Initiate commands manually or set tactics for quicker actions to take down enemies in front of your team. You can have up to four playable characters, and guest characters can join as well. You don’t need to worry about the guest characters’ health; you solely look after your team. The combat can be sped up for quicker battles, but the battles themselves proceed without pausing in-between turns, making battles feel more fluid and quick. Hopefully, future Dragon Quest games will incorporate these features. Players can set auto battles to where you don’t have to input any commands and the game drives itself in battle. Expect the game to use powerful spells constantly but for how quick the game goes itself, you’ll hardly use the auto battle feature.

Vocations give each member of your party a job class such as Sailor, Pirate, Sage, and Hero, to learn unique skills. Some of these skills are unique to the job, such as Body Slam for Sailor or the Priest’s all-team healing abilities, but they also require leveling up these classes to learn the skills. These skills don’t stay with you when you swap jobs, but Reimagined added a new feature where you can set another vocation called Moonlighting. Now players can have two job classes at once to learn and master.

Some of these skills make battles a little too easy based on playing the game through its standard difficulty. For example, the Sailor class has some abilities that make battles quite easy with its Body Slam and Lightning skill. Equip this job to several of your party members, and you’ll have an easier time going through battles.

A character can “let loose” their vocation perk in the middle of battle, a feature similar to Final Fantasy VII’s Limit Break. Characters receive this perk after receiving a certain amount of damage or a number of turns made in battle. These perks are aligned to both your vocations and can provide powerful offensive power or support the party. The Hero class’s perk is powerful with its two sword skills that can make boss fights easier.

Unlike previous Dragon Quest titles, all items are in one inventory that anyone on your team can access. The Zoom spell is automatically given at the beginning of the game so players can fast-travel to areas they have already explored. With this, chimaera wing items are now only to be used to flee battles.

Knowing Your Surrounds

When exploring, you can see enemies roaming on the map, except for when traveling through water on a raft or boat. It’s a top-level view, and players can rotate the camera smoothly to view their surroundings. You can enter battle by either touching enemies or attacking with your weapon to initiate the battle. If you are strong enough, weaker enemies are defeated right there and then, without having to go into a battle scene. This makes battle pacing move at a quicker speed. Additionally, you can gain money and experience points for your character’s level and job class more quickly. Overall, turn-based games have become faster and less frustrating for players.

A new feature added while exploring these islands are vicious monsters. These monsters lie in wait for adventurers to challenge them. They stand out with a colored glow effect and are more powerful than the ones you’ve faced before. By defeating them, you are rewarded with their “hearts” that can be equipped as accessories, giving you a boost in battle, such as nullifying attacks once every three turns. Once you defeat them, they do not respawn, so don’t expect to farm these monsters.

Dungeons have been upgraded to feature mini puzzles that give your brain a workout, not just battles on the player’s mind. One puzzle involves using a light beam to destroy a couple of spheres, which can be complicated if you go in without thinking, but the rest are easy enough to handle. Dungeon puzzles are not overloaded to overstay their welcome and disrupt the player’s pacing.

Destinations have become easier for players, with an indication icon and a description of the next goal on the game’s map screen. Before, you had to interact with many non-playable characters or go to specific areas to progress the game. It is now less of a headache for the players.

Mini Medals are now easier to track with a checklist of what you have and what you are still missing. Additionally, the game lets you know in the menu what prize is next and how many medals you need to collect. With these clean user interface and quality-of-life improvements, Reimagined feels more pleasing and understandable.

Reimagined Visuals

One of the biggest upgrades to Reimagined is the visuals. The main characters are based on real dolls that were incorporated into the game. While enemies and non-playable characters don’t have the same level of incorporation, they still look refined and visually pleasing with updated details and textures. Slimes look smooth and bouncy when entering the battlefield or attacking. Visual effects pop when spells are cast upon enemies.

Each island and world inside, such as towns, a volcano, or exploring under the sea, looks beautiful. It’s as if they were each individually handcrafted with their resemblance of diorama-like designs and many details that blend well with the character designs. 

Overall, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is one of the best-looking games this year. It is also the most visually appealing Dragon Quest game with its hand-crafted style mixed with CGI. Hats off to the team for pulling in the artistic work into a playable title. 

The game’s soundtrack plays a large role in making Dragon Quest VII Reimagined stand out. Its symphonic tracks add emotion to the worlds you explore. The upbeat and pleasant sound when exploring a town or the intense volume of the final battle. Each battle theme never gets old. Classic tunes such as winning a battle or entering a room give that nostalgic feeling of a Dragon Quest title. Keeping the roots not only in its gameplay mechanics but also in its sound to fit in today’s modern gaming world.

The Final Voyage

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a beautifully crafted game with enhanced quality-of-life improvements. Its engaging turn-based combat makes it welcoming for newcomers and rewarding for longtime fans. Paired with stunning handcrafted visuals and a sweeping symphonic soundtrack, it stands as one of the most appealing and polished Dragon Quest experiences yet.

A PlayStation 5 review code provided for this review. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is available on February 5, 2026 for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Fans can visit the game’s official website for purchasing options.