Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Review

    After three stellar Dragon Quest remakes, Hexadrive and Square Enix have lucky sevens in their eyes with the release of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.

    We recently got a chance to play through Dragon Quest VII Reimagined ahead of release – see whether players should venture forth with our review…

    Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Review

    Starting players out in a tiny fishing village on an island, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined has players taking the mantle of one of the area’s fishermen.

    One’s life for as long as they can remember, neighbors say that there’s simply nothing else out there – just fish and water.

    However, you and your friends think differently.

    Between routine chores and island exploration, your group has been fixing up a boat to set out and find new lands.

    During one of your adventures, players will go into some ancient ruins and find map fragments that prove there is more land out there.

    Dragon quest 7 game honest review

    Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s main quest will task players with finding these map fragments, thereby unlocking additional islands in the area.

    Each time players fill out a new map, they’ll warp to an island in the past and undertake a mission there. After clearing said mission, the island then appears in one’s timeline and players can explore the area with their ship.

    By doing this, an adventurer’s dream becomes a reality, all while also restoring the world to its former glory.

    Assuming you can beat all the bosses in the past, that is.

    Like most Dragon Quest games, combat in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is turn-based and tactical.

    Very simple at first, players will start Dragon Quest VII Reimagined with basic attacks and one or two skills to choose from. However, as players progress, they’ll be able to power up and get new spells and abilities that provide more fight options.

    I wouldn’t call Dragon Quest VII Reimagined hard, but those that skip enemies and avoid grinding might run into trouble.

    Thankfully, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined also features an auto-battle system that makes the grinding sessions more enjoyable.

    Dragon quest 7 honest review

    Later in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, players can switch the classes of all main characters and really customize their fighting style.

    Basic classes like Warrior and Mage are present and accounted for, but Dragon Quest VII Reimagined also features more unique classes like Shepherd or Sailor.

    All classes in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined have a use in combat, so mixing and matching provides the best results.

    On top of the base classes, those that power up and level up classes like the Warrior and Mage class enough can unlock new, more powerful classes.

    It is worth taking the extra time to level these up and become an absolute powerhouse.

    Outside of combat, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will have players doing a lot of exploration throughout its overworld alongside its dungeons and caves.

    There isn’t much to do regarding side quests, but each island unlocked has its own story. It’s almost like each new place is a chapter in and of itself.

    Upon completion, players can then explore it again in your own time period.

    This can be a bit annoying when you need to go through a dungeon once more, but the treasure generally makes it worth the effort.

    Originally released on the PlayStation 1, dungeons in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined aren’t that big and are pretty basic overall – expect a lot of winding corridors and circular and square rooms.

    There were a couple areas in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined I got turned around in later in the game, though this was largely in part due to the sheer number of floors.

    That being said, those that get too lost can thankfully warp out of most places and go back to the world map – a nice touch.

    Dragon Quest VII Reimagined also features a number of towns and castles to visit.

    While leveling up classes grants better stats, the real upgrades come from new weapons and armor.

    The economy in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is well-balanced. While it costs a ton when you get a new weapon, the upgrade is usually substantial.

    As with the other Dragon Quest remakes, however, players can only sell one item at a time – which is very tedious. Players will either need to stay on top of one’s loot, or sell each thing one by one until it’s all gone.

    It got to a point where I just stopped selling items, and just went off to grind more enemies instead.

    While Dragon Quest VII Reimagined graphics aren’t for everyone, its aesthetics fit this game like a glove.

    The monsters look the best we’ve ever seen, and the music is naturally on point.

    Another home run for the series, fans of old-school JRPGs will absolutely love Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.

    Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Review

    Reviewed On: PlayStation 5 (A digital code was provided)
    Release Date: February 5, 2026
    Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
    Developer: Hexadrive
    Publisher: Square Enix

    Aggregate Scores: Metacritic / OpenCritic / CriticDB

    Review Policy | Scoring Policy | Meet the Reviewer