Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD Remakes Shake Up Combat with Learnable Scrolls, Sigils — Princess Joins the Party

Square Enix has shared more concrete details about the HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II, including how combat will work, a new item for learning abilities, and a new playable character in the second game.

• Turn-based combat remains, plus a new scroll item to teach spells and skills.
• Dragon Quest II gains the Princess of Cannock as a playable party member.
• Sigils from DQ2 return and are being added to DQ1; examples include the Sun Sigil.
• Release: October 30 on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. A digital Erdrick Trilogy Collection costs $99.99.

Combat and the new scroll item

The remakes keep the original turn-based combat, but add a new item type called a scroll. Scrolls are found while adventuring — for example, in treasure chests — and teach a specific ability to a specific character when used.

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For instance, in Dragon Quest I the Hero can learn Dragon Slash via a scroll, which is described as dealing high damage to dragon enemies. The UI screenshots show how learned skills appear in battle menus and the new ability labels.

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Dragon Quest II: a playable Princess and expanded abilities

In the HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest II, the Princess of Cannock — previously an NPC — joins the party as a playable character. According to the details, she uses Frizz-type and Crack-type spells in battle.

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Visuals released by Square Enix also show multiple named abilities and skill menus for DQ2, such as Giga Slash, Knuckle Sandwich, Hustle Dance, Kaboom, and grouped “Ultimate Skills.”

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Sigils and cross-game features

Sigils — a combat mechanic in the DQ2 remakes — are confirmed to return, and Square Enix is adding them into Dragon Quest I as well. Sigils grant combat advantages; for example, the Sun Sigil can make some special abilities land critical damage.

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Release details and editions

The two remakes are slated for release on October 30. Platforms listed are Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.

Square Enix will offer a digital-only Dragon Quest HD-2D Erdrick Trilogy Collection that collects all three remade Dragon Quest games for $99.99.

Final note

Finally, Square Enix noted these remakes while fans continue to wait for more news on Dragon Quest XII, which was originally revealed in 2021 and has had limited public updates since.

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