THE FUSE

I spent several hours over the past weeks trying to think of a single remake that’s comparable to Dragon Quest I&II HD-2D Remake, and I couldn’t. I thought about 2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake, which changes the controls, the tone, and even the content of 2005’s Resident Evil 4. However, I could still use my knowledge of the original game to progress through the remake, which for the most part I can’t with Dragon Quest I&II HD-2D. I thought about Final Fantasy VII Remake, which dramatically overhauls the core systems of Final Fantasy VII and changes the narrative in ways that deliberately play with fan expectations. Dragon Quest I&II HD-2D, however, clearly does want to be recognized as the first two Dragon Quest games, not as a riff or commentary on them, as it primarily adds to each game’s overarching story rather than changing it outright.