During today’s Nintendo Direct, we were shown a trailer for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, a 3D “reimagining” of the PlayStation 1 original brought over to Nintendo 3DS. Reimagined looks like a complete 3D remake of the original Dragon Quest VII with updated character designs, and a LOT of overhauls. Let’s take a look at what’s new in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.
Originally released on the PlayStation 1 and receiving an updated version on the Nintendo 3DS, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past or Warriors of Eden depending on where you’re from, received a lot of positive attention on release. However, fans often consider it the longest and most tedious of the series, with Main Story times clocking in at over 75 hours on aggregate game length site howlongtobeat.com.
When Dragon Quest VII received an update on the Nintendo 3DS, it released to critical reception and sales, with sales topping out at over a million units shipped in Japan, according to vg247. My personal favorite of the series, Dragon Quest VII sees the player and his party visiting multiple islands and timelines and unlocking the full story of the world piece-by-piece. So what’s new in Reimagined?
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Key Features
- Hand-Crafted Aesthetic – The character designs, originally crafted by world-renowned manga artist Akira Toriyama, have been reimagined into a charming 3D art style using dolls actually created in the real world. Environments and dungeons are also brought to life with a unique hand-crafted, diorama-style aesthetic that vividly illustrates the beloved world of the Dragon Quest series.
- Enhanced Story – While remaining faithful to the original story, the narrative of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined has been enhanced to provide a more streamlined story experience. Alongside the main adventure, players can enjoy optional side quests, stories and minigames.
- Thrilling Battle System – The turn-based battle system has been overhauled with significant changes to offer more dynamic and thrilling battles, including an updated vocation system that features a “Moonlighting” mechanic, allowing players to use two vocations at one, a “Let Loose” ability that can be activated when a character gets worked up, and a new “Monster Master” vocation that introduces the “Positive Reinforcement” vocational perk that summons powerful monsters to assault any enemy.
- Memorable Characters – Journey alongside characters like Keifer, the prince of Estard, and Maribel, the daughter of a mayor, as well as many other allies and enemies.
- Sprawling Exploration – Unlock, expand and explore different worlds by collecting fragments and completing tablets. The varied worlds feature bustling towns to visit, challenging dungeons to conquer, quests to partake on and so much more.
- Quality-of-Life Improvements – A host of quality-of-life improvements have been implemented in the game for a smooth experience, including a redesigned UI that will allow for easier access to information.
A more ‘streamlined’ story experience is an interesting takeaway but I imagine its an attempt to crush the hullabaloo surrounding the game’s length. Two vocations at once, is definitely very exciting. Square-Enix also announced that Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will receive a collector’s edition for all available platforms.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Collector’s Edition
Along with a physical copy of the game, the collector’s edition comes with a digital deluxe upgrade, and some DLC. Alongside the standard stuff, it also comes with a steelbook case, a ship in a bottle figure featuring the cast, and a medium Smile Slime plushie.
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Standard Edition physical game
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Digital Deluxe Upgrade
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined “Additional DLC Sets”
- Additional DLC – The Road of Regal Wretches
- Additional DLC – Luminary’s Livery
- Additional DLC – Jam-Packed Swag Bag
- White Wolf Costume (Appearance changing costume for Ruff)
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined “Additional DLC Sets”
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Early Bird Bonus DLC
- Trodain Togs (appearance changing costume for your Hero)
- Seed of Proficiency x3
- Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush – Medium Slime DQVIIR version
- Item Size: H 14cm x W 15cm x H 13cm
- Material: Polyester
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Ship in a Bottle Figure
- Please note: The Ship-in-a-Bottle figure requires no assembly—it comes fully finished and ready to display straight out of the box.
- Item Size: Approx. W 28.5cm x H 14.5cm x D 12.5cm
- Material: Figure – PVC, ABS, PC / Stand – ABS, EVA
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Steelbook (R) Case
- Playstation/Xbox version – W 13.5cm x H 17cm x D 1.5cm
- Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2 version – W 10.5cm x H 17cm x D 1cm
In addition to the base game and Collector’s Edition, a Digital Deluxe Edition featuring 48 hours of early access, a unique costume for playable character Ruff and three paid DLC packs will be available at launch. Those who purchase any edition of the game early will also receive the Early Bird Bonus, which will give players a unique Dragon Quest VIII costume for the Hero and three Seeds of Proficiency, in-game items to help improve character stats. Finally, players who purchase the game digitally will receive a Slime Shield unique to each platform.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will launch on February 5th, 2026 for the Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Windows Store. Stay tuned to MonsterVine for ongoing coverage of Nintendo Directs, Remasters and Remakes, and Dragon Quest.
