By the general standards of video game technologies, Square Enix’s HD-2D doesn’t sound like much of a game-changer – it’s no Unreal Engine 5. But in practice, as demonstrated in the excellent Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (released for the best games consoles), it proves more than deserving of our attention.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake paves the way
Essentially, this game developer tech offers a means of endowing the most ancient of retro games with visuals that, while they still generally operate from an isometric rather than first or third-person perspective, at least past muster in the 21st century, featuring 3D backgrounds yet retaining a pixel art feel. It is, if you like, a zombie technology, in that it breathes new life into what were previously the deadest of games.
Its colour palette absolutely pops, sometimes crossing the line from vibrant to lurid
Its most recent application is in the just-released Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. When I played that I was, frankly, amazed. Seminal though the original game was – it was a key player in establishing the general blueprint for RPGs as we now know them – you wouldn’t describe it as a looker. It was released in 1988 for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (read more about this hardware in our best retro consoles guide). But the HD-2D Remake has an air of solidity to its visuals, with textures readily discernible as, say, sand, stone or even water. And its colour palette absolutely pops, sometimes crossing the line from vibrant to lurid.
A masterclass in pixel art revival
Underneath the visuals, Dragon Quest III is a surprisingly meaty and deep RPG – astonishingly so, given its age. The turn-based combat seems risibly easy at first, but soon develops some tactical complexity – you can see a line from it all the way to the glorious Metaphor: ReFantazio. It contains well over 20 hours of amiably-vibed joy.
With its HD-2D technology, Square Enix has hit on a brilliant means of updating ancient games so that a new audience can discover their charms. Without, one presumes, throwing hundreds of millions of development dollars at those games (as it has done, albeit brilliantly, with the Final Fantasy VII remakes).
A Pandora’s Box
But it might have opened a Pandora’s Box, since a clamour is already growing for Square Enix to give more of its back-catalogue the HD-2D treatment – and maybe, dare I suggest, licence out its tech to other publishers. The first game to use HD-2D technology wasn’t a retro classic but 2018’s Octopath Traveller.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake’s producer Masaaki Hayasaka told our sister site Games Radar, the game he would most like to see reanimated via HD-2D is 1994’s Final Fantasy VI: “Octopath Traveler – the first HD-2D title – was developed while referencing FFVI, as it had the highest quality pixel art.”
Conclusion
Square Enix’s HD-2D technology has breathed new life into retro games, making them visually appealing and accessible to a new audience. Its application to Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a masterclass in pixel art revival. The technology has opened up new possibilities for updating ancient games, and it’s exciting to think about the potential for future HD-2D remakes of classic games.
FAQs
Q: What is HD-2D technology?
A: HD-2D technology is a game developer tech that updates ancient retro games with modern visuals, while retaining their original pixel art feel.
Q: How does HD-2D technology work?
A: HD-2D technology endows retro games with 3D backgrounds, making them visually appealing and accessible to a new audience.
Q: Which games have been updated using HD-2D technology?
A: Dragon Quest III, Octopath Traveller, and Live A Live are some of the games that have been updated using HD-2D technology.
Q: Will more games be updated using HD-2D technology?
A: Yes, there is a clamour for Square Enix to give more of its back-catalogue the HD-2D treatment, and possibly licence out its tech to other publishers.
