Dragon Quest’s HD-2D efforts set a new standard for 2D RPG remakes, and Final Fantasy should start heading in the same direction.
Heading deeper into the ninth generation of game consoles, Square Enix’s leading RPG franchises are both flourishing. Final Fantasy still reigns supreme in many parts of the world, having put out the last of Final Fantasy 16’s DLC, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Final Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail expansion over the course of 2024. Meanwhile, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is finally releasing in November, with similar remakes of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 following in 2025. With talk of a Final Fantasy 9 remake and Dragon Quest 12 announcements looming, the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises should keep their momentum strong.
Apart from what’s been announced and rumored, the distant future for Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest is less clear than their present. Both will inevitably produce their next numbered entries with a variety of side games along the way, but the frequency of these releases is still in question. Square Enix may have to ramp up the number of smaller FF and DQ spin-offs it pumps out to compensate for the increasing time their mainline outings are taking, and fortunately, Dragon Quest has already started work on an idea that Final Fantasy could make great use of.
