Much has been said about the return of Dragon Quest 7 thanks to Reimagined — the full remake that's releasing in February — with some onlookers questioning Square Enix's decision to "streamline" the game's massive story.
But producer Takeshi Ichikawa thinks that the narrative might actually resonate a lot better with a modern audience, despite the adjustments.
In an interview with Japanese outlet Game*Spark (as translated by Automaton), Ichikawa suggests that the original plot may have been a little too morbid for its time — but that could end up being its strength in 2026.
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"We decided to launch the project for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined because we felt that the game’s unique atmosphere and tone would resonate especially well with players today," he begins.
"Back when it first came out, VII was often said to have more dark and sorrowful episodes compared to other entries in the series. But nowadays, players are much more accustomed to games with darker stories," Ichikawa explains.
"I believe that, through this new version, modern players will be able to feel VII’s story and the emotions of the characters even more deeply.”
Indeed, Dragon Quest 7 has often been described as a bit of an outlier. Compared to the games that came before it, there's an emphasis on tragic storytelling and characters who suffer from the trauma of past events.
In a way, we suppose it's a more 'mature' Dragon Quest, so we see what Ichikawa's getting at. More mature narratives obviously became much more prevalent in mainstream gaming over the decades following Dragon Quest 7's initial release.
What do you make of this? Do you think Dragon Quest 7 will go down even better with a modern audience? Leave your cosy fishing village and journey into the comments section below.