Twenty-five years after its original PlayStation debut, Dragon Quest VII is getting a comprehensive remake that addresses its notorious reputation as a slog. After hands-on time with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, it’s clear that Square Enix hasn’t just polished an old classic—they’ve completely transformed one of the franchise’s most divisive entries into what may be its definitive form.
Table of Contents
What’s New in Dragon Quest VII: Key Features at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 5, 2026 |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, PS5, Xbox Series X |
| Art Style | Hand-crafted doll aesthetic with diorama environments |
| Combat System | Enhanced turn-based with “Let Loose” limit breaks |
| Moonlighting System | Dual vocation/job classes simultaneously |
| Story Changes | Streamlined pacing with new content added |
| Early Access | 48 hours early (Digital Deluxe Edition) |
A Unique Visual Identity: Physical Dolls Meet Digital Magic
Square Enix constructed physical dolls for each major party member to establish the revised look, creating an immediately recognizable art style that pays homage to Akira Toriyama’s original character designs. Producer Takeshi Ichikawa explained the doll-like art style was an homage to the late Akira Toriyama, noting his DQ7 designs had a more “cutesy, adorable aesthetic” with squat designs that differed from his usual art.
The main cast were hand-crafted as real-life dolls, then scanned into the game to bring the world to life, with every detail down to portal animations reworked to breathe new energy into Reimagined. The result? A stunning storybook aesthetic saturated with color, striking visuals and a fully reworked soundtrack that has never sounded better.
For more Dragon Quest coverage and JRPG news, visit TechnoSports.
Fixing the “Painful Slog”: Streamlined for Modern Audiences
The original Dragon Quest VII was notoriously long and slow-paced. Square Enix is doing something about that by giving its older titles new life, with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined providing exactly what the original needed: a graphical, UI, and modernized update.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
Instead of small, unwieldy menus from previous releases, Reimagined provides easy-to-read menus with enough information to know exactly what you’re doing. Before, attacks would simply cast without context; now the UI shows target information and effectiveness.
Players can switch vocations instantly in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, with the game removing the busywork of traveling to Alltrades Abbey and allowing characters to use two vocations at once. This seemingly minor change saves considerable time otherwise spent on tedious travel.
Revolutionary Moonlighting System
The biggest gameplay change is the Moonlighting system which allows choosing a secondary job as a subclass, offering benefits of an additional job tied to the battle system’s new mechanic similar to Limit Breaks.
When characters get “worked up” during combat, they can “Let Loose” with abilities specific to their job—and you can choose from either your primary or moonlighting job. Ichikawa noted the battles are reworked based on the assumption that the Moonlighting system will be implemented, ensuring it won’t be too easy for players.
Stay updated with gaming previews and RPG guides at TechnoSports.
Dark Stories Meet Cozy Aesthetics
Despite the cozy appearance, the story in Dragon Quest VII is remarkably dark for the series, and that contrast was one major motivation in remaking the game for modern audiences.
Dragon Quest gets your guard down with goofy enemies like the ‘Meowgician’ or mouse/wasp hybrid ‘Mouseflap’ and then hits you with tense and emotional moments when you least expect it. This tonal whiplash is enhanced by the charming doll aesthetic, creating memorable contrasts.
Enhanced Combat System
The battle system and graphics from Echoes of an Elusive Age are here in full effect, with the Hero and company having full combat animations, auras surrounding characters when buff skills are used, and buffs appearing under each name.
Vocations have been reworked to allow each character to dual-wield two vocations at once, greatly increasing the variety and types of spells and abilities available, instantly allowing for countless variations.
New Content for Veterans
The remake features streamlined story for better pacing and deeper character development, with brand-new storylines ensuring even die-hard Dragon Quest VII fans will have something new to look forward to.
The game’s vignette structure—where each island has its own self-contained story leading to dungeons and boss fights—has been enhanced while maintaining the core time-traveling narrative about restoring sealed-away lands.
Pre-Order Bonuses and Collector’s Edition
Early Bird Bonus (All Editions):
- Trodain Togs costume (Dragon Quest VIII tribute)
- 3x Seeds of Proficiency
Digital Deluxe Edition:
- 48 hours early access
- White Wolf costume for Ruff
- Three additional DLC packs
Physical Collector’s Edition: Available exclusively through Square Enix Store with the standard game plus all DLC packs.
The Verdict So Far
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is exactly what many would expect from another Dragon Quest remake, and that’s completely fine because the original game is of such excellent quality that a graphical, UI, and modernized update is all it needed to become relevant again.
Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined appears to be truly reimagined by borrowing the core concepts and philosophies that drove the original game and modernizing them for today, being reverent but not overly precious—which might be exactly the right approach for this lauded but divisive chapter in Dragon Quest history.
FAQs
Q: When does Dragon Quest VII Reimagined release and on which platforms?
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on February 5, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Microsoft Store on Windows. Players who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition get 48 hours of early access, allowing them to start playing on February 3, 2026.
Q: How does the Moonlighting system work in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined?
The Moonlighting system allows each character to equip two vocations (job classes) simultaneously—a primary vocation and a secondary one. This grants access to skills and abilities from both classes, vastly increasing customization options. Additionally, when characters become “worked up” in battle, they can use special “Let Loose” abilities from either their primary or moonlighting vocation, similar to Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy or Pep Powers in Dragon Quest XI.
