Dragon Quest is arguably the creator of JRPGs. Sure, you've got Final Fantasy and Persona titles, but the very image of the genre, right down to the spiky-haired heroes and adorable slimes, is from Dragon Quest. The original Dragon Quest trilogy is still among the most popular parts of the franchise, and Dragon Quest III tends to be considered the best of the lot. It's been remade multiple times before, but Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake is aiming to create the most complete version of it to date, with upgraded skills and modern-yet-retro graphics. We had a chance to play through the earlier parts of the game, and what we encountered left us impressed.

In Dragon Quest III, you play as the son or daughter of the great hero Ortega. Alas, Ortega perished in battle while attempting to defeat the great fiend, Baramos. Years have passed since then, and your plucky young hero is tasked with taking up the sword and defeat Baramos in their father's place. It's a game from a time when grabbing a sword and heading off on an adventure wasn't yet a cliché. The title is still charming, like most Dragon Quest offerings.

On the surface, HD-2D Remake has a lot in common with the previous versions of the game. This is a remake that feels more in line with the SNES-era remake than something like Romancing SaGa 2's recent remake. The structure, plot, and basic gameplay are all extremely similar, and it's genuinely a game you can go into with knowledge of the original and know exactly what to do.

The bulk of the more obvious changes to the game are fairly simple UI stuff. HD-2D Remake has optional guide markers to show you the exact path to the next major plot point, so there's little risk of getting lost. There's an easily accessible map with clearly marked towns and the ability to use Zoom directly via the map to teleport between locations. Most things that might have required players to "Use" items are now done automatically, assuming you have the right item and are in the right place. There are changes, but they are relatively minor. There's been some reshuffling of item locations, such as Mini-Medals no longer being in the exact same place as they were before. There are also new Secret Spots and item caches on the overworld to grant bonus items.

The biggest change to the combat in HD-2D Remake is the addition of abilities, which  function similarly to spells but are separated from them. Every class will learn abilities. Some of the abilities are the skills that a character would learn normally in the original Dragon Quest 3 while others are new and exclusive. For example, the Thief class now learns a series of powerful (and useful) status effect moves that can cause paralysis, sleep or even instant death. The Merchant class can get a useful hit-all Rock Throw move or the ability to charge up before their next attack. Even the intentionally weak Gadabout will get abilities that can give another reason to use them besides just unlocking Sage. These abilities are carried over when you swap jobs, so it offers a lot more potential for character building.

New to the HD-2D version of the game is the Monster Wrangler class. It can be accessed from the start of the game and gains a series of monster-themed attacks, such as summoning wolf packs to attack enemies or the ability to heal allies. They have a more physical stat line, making them fill an interesting niche between mages and physical fighters. To power them up, you'll have to find and recruit friendly monsters hidden in the environments. Not only do they power up your Wrangler, but they can also be used in a new special battle arena.

Obviously, the biggest changes come to the graphics. The entire game has been remade in a delightfully charming HD-2D style. Environments are larger and more complex, and they contain more detail and flair. Cut scenes have seen a big upgrade; character models now have more complex animations. Combat animations are still primarily first-person visual effects, but there's some really adorable sprite work for the monsters, and the lightning effects add some extra personality.

The sections of Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake that we played feel like an extremely faithful remake of a classic title. It doesn't reinvent the wheel in any way but offers a shinier and more user-friendly version of an older game. There's obviously potential for bigger twists down the line, but I suspect it'll be exactly what it says on the cover. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long for the full adventure, as it releases on Nov. 14 for all consoles and PC.