Square Enix recently had a special broadcast for the 35th anniversary of theDragon Questseries, as it revealed a number of upcoming games and remakes. One of the biggest announcements was thatDragon Quest 3would be getting a modernized remake in the style ofOctopath Traveler. Often regarded as one of the best entries in the series, the remake will be titledDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeand will be developed in the same engine asOctopath Traveler.
With the announcement ofDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake,fans are undoubtedly excited about the potential of other classic RPGs being remade in the same style. While the 16-bit art styles have aged well, the HD-2D style modernizes the visuals while retaining the balance with the games' initial appeal. There’s also a massive catalog of old-school RPGs that have never received a proper remake or remaster that could benefit from the updated high-quality sprites with the 3D visual depth. Here are a few other games that would make great use of the modernized visuals that retain the charm of the pixel art style.
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Final Fantasy 6
It’s a little surprising to see thatFinal Fantasy 6hasn’t received a remakefrom Square Enix given its popularity and influence on the RPG genre as a whole. While there have been a few ports and remakes, fans weren’t pleased with the art style change and the PC version has often been criticized.
However, this problem could be easily resolved with theOctopath Traveleraesthetic to combine the SNES-era sprites together with updated environments. Maintaining the original sprites helps retainFinal Fantasy 6’scharm but giving it a visual overhaul would be a fantastic way to introduce this classic to a new audience. In fact,Octopath Travelerwas originally created as an evolution ofFinal Fantasy 6’smechanics and feels like a natural extension of how a modernizedFinal Fantasy 6would play.
Chrono Trigger
Much likeFinal Fantasy 6,Chrono Triggeris another old-school Square Enix RPG that deserves a proper high-definition remake.Chrono Triggerwas influential for its time travel mechanics, multiple endings, and coining the term “New Game Plus”. While it has also received numerous ports and resolution upgrades over the years, none of them manage to modernize the retro graphics effectively.
Chrono Triggerhas aged gracefully over the years, so it doesn’t necessarily need a remake, but it remains one of the essential SNES-era RPGs, and an HD-2D remake would be an incredible way to modernize the game. While it might be risky for Square Enix to attempt aChrono Triggerremake, there’s a lot of potential in bridging the retro visuals with the modernOctopath Travelerengine.
Golden Sun
AlthoughGolden Sunisn’t quite as old as the other NES/SNES-era JRPGson the list, its 20th anniversary is coming up and it remains one of the most beloved RPGs from the Gameboy Advance. With an intricate class system that revolves around collecting and equipping Djinns on characters,Golden Sunoffers an interesting twist on the traditional RPG formula.
Furthermore, puzzles are often included in the environmental design and require players to make use of Psynergy, the game’s magic spells in order to solve them. A high-definition remake ofGolden Sunwould benefit greatly from the added depth of the world as players explore and discover the game’s puzzles.
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Earthbound
Earthboundhas received critical acclaim for its subversion of RPG traditionsthrough its use of a real-world setting, eccentric humor, and surreal battle sequences. Over the years, fans have lobbied for a remake of the game as theMotherseries has been neglected by Nintendo in North America. Although some fans have wanted to seeEarthboundin full 3D, it might fare better with a HD-2D upgrade likeDragon Quest 3.
Earthbound’sappeal stems from its kooky yet charming 2D world design and having a modernized graphical overhaul that retains its 2D environments would help breathe new life into the game without removing its original allure. While such a remake is improbable since Nintendo clearly thinks it wouldn’t attract a large enough audience,Earthbound’sunique art style could do a lot with an HD upgrade.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War,often simply titled asFire Emblem 4,is a classic in the tactical RPG genre and is an obvious choice to receive a graphical update. The most popularFire Emblementry in Japan,Fire Emblem 4refined a number of mechanics that would appear in later games such as the Weapons Triangle, an explorable base, and Support conversations between party members. With the success ofFire Emblem: Three Houses,aFire Emblem 4remake would feel like a natural extension of that experienceand the game’s lush environments would look incredible rendered in high-definition.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Of course, just because theOctopath Travelerart style is called HD-2D doesn’t mean it’s limited to 2D games. There’s plenty of potential in taking games likeFinal Fantasy Tacticswith isometric 3D environments and applying a visual upgrade to the bitmap sprites while enhancing the fidelity of the world design.
Final Fantasy Tacticsis a cult classic and has become one of themost beloved entries in theFinal Fantasyseries for its unique spin on the tactical RPG genre. Although there have been a few re-releases and an updated PSP version, these versions are still a far cry from a potential high-definition remake in the style ofOctopath Traveler.
Terranigma
Terranigmawas one of the greatest and most ambitious RPGs conceived for the SNES, but it never made it to North American shores. The top-down perspective with the action-based real-time combat makes it a perfect candidate to get an HD-2D revival. One of the best aspects ofTerranigmawas its mysterious allure in its narrative.
Players were given hints on how to progress the story but the big picture was always obscured and players were left to discover the world on their own. With the exploration of new lands, meeting new people, and effectively changing the world itself,Terranigmawas an experience like no other and its vast world design would benefit greatly from a HD-2D modernization.
