Video summary
The announcement of *Dragon Quest VII: Definitive Edition*, now titled *Reimagined*, marks a significant and somewhat surprising moment for the franchise, as this title is often considered one of the most challenging entries to adapt. Unlike previous remakes that utilized standard 3D models, this version introduces a unique visual style called "diarama," which employs scanned handcrafted dolls to create a warm, stop-motion aesthetic reminiscent of classic Christmas specials. This artistic choice successfully captures the game's nostalgic tone and addresses its original awkward transition from 2D to 3D graphics, resulting in visuals that feel more like an animated film than a typical video game. While the graphical overhaul is impressive, the remake extends far beyond mere visual updates by implementing substantial changes to the gameplay mechanics designed to modernize the experience for contemporary audiences.
To streamline what was originally a notoriously lengthy and grind-heavy adventure, the developers have introduced several new features that alter how players interact with the world. The overworld now allows players to attack roaming monsters directly without entering a formal battle menu, effectively removing tedious encounters with weak enemies. Additionally, the job system has been refined to allow simultaneous training of two classes at once, and spells now display type weaknesses for the first time in the series. New additions include an auto-battle feature for convenience, a special arena mode to fight super bosses like the main villains from the *Urg* trilogy, and unlockable costumes based on previous spin-offs. These improvements aim to make the game more accessible while preserving its core identity as an epic, episodic time-travel story that feels more like a long-running television series than a traditional movie-like structure.
However, these enhancements come with significant concerns regarding content removal, particularly the elimination of the original game's extensive monster class system and a large portion of its time-travel subplots. The iconic feature that allowed players to acquire abilities from captured monsters is being replaced entirely by the new moonlighting mechanic, which removes dozens of unique classes and their special skills. Furthermore, the number of stone tablets—each containing a distinct scenario and story fragment—has been cut nearly in half, with developers stating that subplots deemed irrelevant to the main narrative are being excised. This raises questions about whether the team is sacrificing the game's unparalleled sense of discovery and mystery in its quest to create a better-paced, more approachable experience for modern players who might otherwise get lost in the original's sprawling, open-ended design.
Ultimately, the decision to remake *Dragon Quest VII* suggests that the floodgates are opening for the entire series, potentially leading to remakes of other major titles like *Dragon Quest VIII* and *IX*. While the removal of certain content is disappointing for purists who cherish the original's ambitious scope and identity, the inclusion of new story elements, such as an older version of the character Kefir, offers hope that the narrative has been expanded rather than simply trimmed. The project represents a delicate balance between honoring the legacy of a true epic tale that made players feel like globe-trotting adventurers and adapting it for a wider audience. As fans await the final release, the consensus is one of cautious excitement, trusting the development team to deliver an experience that respects the game's history while successfully reimagining it for a new generation without losing its soul.
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[Music]
I did not expect that. Dragon Quest 7 is
being remade again as Dragon Quest 7
reimagined and this is just the most
random thing ever. I can't believe they
announced this. I mean, DQ7 of all
games. That is a choice for sure. Now,
there is already a lot to unpack here.
This remake is looking like a very
different game than the previous
versions we've seen. There's a lot of
great additions and improvements we see
here alongside some very, let's say,
concerning changes as well. My feelings
on the game are a bit conflicted given
some of the things I've heard, and I
think some longtime Dragon Quest fans
might feel the same way. So, today I'm
going over Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined,
and why you might be both excited and a
little worried. So, this is the second
time Dragon Quest 7 is being remade in
full 3D. We already got a remake way
back on the 3DS, but what's different
this time is that they're opting for a
brand new look dubbed the diarama style,
which uses actual handcrafted dolls
scanned into the game to give it this
unique style. And I actually think the
game looks really nice. It's different.
It reminds me of those stopotion
Christmas specials you would see on TV
as a kid. This is just a very nostalgic
art style, which I think is perfect for
a remake of a classic game like this.
The visuals give off this kind of warm
feeling that fits the tone of this game
specifically. DQ7 was always very
unique, representing the sort of awkward
transition from 2D to 3D. So, I can kind
of see why they went with this. It
almost feels like this was what they
were trying to go for back on the PS1
with those FMV cut scenes that just look
absolutely awful. The execution is
obviously a lot better here, looking
closer to an animated film, and I really
have no complaints. But this remake
isn't just a graphical overhaul. The
gameplay is also getting some new
additions. On the overworld, we have
roaming monsters on the field that you
can battle, just like the 3DS version.
However, what's different now is that
you can actually attack them and do
damage on the field, being able to
dispatch weaker monsters without
actually having to go into battle. And
this is a really great feature that cuts
down on the tedium of running into
weaker enemies. There's also a new
moonlighting feature that let you train
two jobs at once. You see, the original
game had this really crazy job system
with tons of possibilities, but it was
very grindy and you could only train one
job at a time. So, it really seems like
the team is putting a lot of care into
streamlining the experience with these
new gameplay features. Other additions
include jobs having these unique perks
that can be activated in battle. The
game now displays type weaknesses,
showing how effective your spells are
against the enemies, which is a first
for the series. And there's a more
efficient auto battling feature that
doesn't require any player input at all
for us extra lazy adventurers. There's
also this new arena feature that lets
you fight super bosses. And it's already
confirmed that we'll be able to fight
the main villains of the Urg trilogy,
the Dragon Lord, Malroth, and Zoma. And
these arena challenges even come with
special rewards like Erdri Sword, which
never appeared in this game before.
There's even unlockable costumes based
on Dragon Quest Heroes from previous
games. And that isn't even mentioning
the collector's edition this time
around, which actually looks really
nice. It comes with this huge ship in a
bottle, and it's just way cooler than
the one they did for Dragon Quest 3.
There's honestly a lot to appreciate
here. It really lives up to this being a
reimagining rather than a simple remake.
And it really is a shame because it
seems that in the dev team's quest to
cut down on the original game's tedium,
they also seem to be removing content to
streamline the game even further. For
starters, the original game's monster
classes that let players get monster
abilities are now being completely
removed in favor of the moonlighting
feature, which means they are removing
dozens of unique classes with special
abilities. I can't believe they are
doing this. That was one of the original
games coolest features. You could get
any monstrous abilities, so there were
endless possibilities. And now they're
just removing this from the game. And
that's not even the only thing they're
cutting. You see, Dragon Quest 7 has
these stone tablets that let you go back
in time. And they each contain an entire
scenario and a story. The whole game is
structured around finding fragments of
the tablets hidden across time and
piecing together the past. There's a
bunch of tablets to discover, like close
to 20. And from what we've seen of the
new remake, it looks like they're
cutting that number almost in half. It
is confirmed that the dev team is
cutting entire subplots that they feel
aren't relevant to the main story. It
looks like just about half of the
pedestals from the original game are
missing in the new remake from what
we've seen. So, you might be thinking,
why on earth are they doing this? Why
cut content in a remake? Well, if you
don't know, Dragon Quest 7 is a weird
game. It's well known for being the
longest game in the entire series, with
the original version on PS1 taking over
a 100 hours just to finish the main
story. DQ7 is an absolute behemoth of a
game, a true testament to the ambition
that this team had back in the '90s.
It's an episodic time travel adventure
where you use clues and hints to piece
together a larger story. They were
really trying something wildly different
with this one. And yes, it is a bit of a
slow burn. The game really takes its
time to establish and develop the world
you're in, especially in the opening
hours, which was roughly 2 hours of
investigating and solving puzzles all
without a single enemy encounter. It's
the type of game you're supposed to play
over the course of a long period of
time. Rather than being structured like
a movie, it's more like a longunning TV
series, almost feeling like it never
ends. By the time you finish it, it
feels like you lived an entire life in
this world, and there just aren't a lot
of games that give you that feeling.
This is a true epic tale in video game
form, and I really appreciate what
Dragon Quest 7 brought to the table. But
clearly, not everyone feels the same
way. This is a divisive game, and the
developers know it. When announcing the
game, the creators have stated that
they're reworking the story for modern
audiences to enjoy, and that the
narrative will be better paced, making
the game much more approachable and
accessible to play. See, even they know
how notorious the original game was. And
I'll admit, it wasn't a perfect game. If
you played the original DQ7 and took a
break for a few weeks, when coming back
to the game, you could legitimately have
no idea what you were doing or where to
go next. There were glaring issues for
sure, but at the same time, the game's
sense of discovery was unparalleled
because of how it kind of let players
loose and allowed you to figure things
out for yourself, solving puzzles and
using the time travel mechanic to
uncover secrets. The game made you feel
like a globe trotting, timetraveling
adventurer, and it's because it didn't
hold your hand. If they could figure out
some middle ground between the original
game sense of mystery and investigation
while also not making things too
confusing, it could be a good thing for
the game. I just hope they don't
sacrifice the original game's identity
for the sake of appeasing a wider
audience. So, yeah, it does suck that
they're removing content, but it also
seems like they're adding new story
elements as well. So, they may be trying
to balance things out by introducing new
plot points. And it does seem like
they're expanding the story in this
remake. As at the end of the trailer, we
can see a mysterious hooded man who
never appeared in the original game. and
I immediately knew who this is. I would
recognize that giant chin anywhere. That
has to be an older version of Kefir,
something fans have wanted to see since
the original game, and it might be
finally happening. So, even though
they're removing some things from the
story, they may be adding something even
better. So, there's a lot to unfold
here, but the truly exciting part of
this announcement lies in its
implications for the future of the
series. I never expected this game to
get a remake. If you asked me before
which Dragon Quest game was least likely
to get remade, I would have absolutely
said Dragon Quest 7. This is the least
beginner-friendly game. It's the most
obtuse game in the series and it has a
massive script they have to work with.
Overall, this has to be the toughest
game for them to remake. So, now the
floodgates are open. If they're remaking
this, they're remaking the whole series.
They have to be. I wouldn't be surprised
if we saw remakes of the Zenithian
trilogy eight, maybe even nine in the
future. It's obvious now that they want
every mainline game on Modern
Storefronts. And this game essentially
marks the beginning of a golden age for
Dragon Quest releases. So, overall, the
announcement is both exciting and a
little bit concerning. But for now, I'm
trusting the Dragon Quest team to
deliver an experience worthy of DQ7's
legacy, and I can't wait to see what
they add to the remake. If you enjoyed
this look at Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined,
you should check out this video, too. I
think you'll definitely enjoy it. I'll
see you there.