To this day, alongside many action-packed role-playing games, there are also turn-based genre representatives. Despite the classic combat system, the genre has evolved significantly. A gigantic influence on this was a game that originally released in 1988.
Which game is it? In 1988, Dragon Quest 3 was released. The JRPG series may not be as popular here as Final Fantasy, but the situation is quite different in Japan. There, Dragon Quest is one of the most beloved series of all time.
The series had a significant influence on the RPG genre and even beyond. In an interview, the producer of the latest Dragon Quest remake explained that especially the third part became a social phenomenon
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You can find a trailer for the remake of Dragon Quest 3 here:
It established the status of JRPGs
What does the producer of the game say about Dragon Quest 3? Jeuxvideo spoke with Masaaki Hayasaka, the producer of the team, about the current remake of Dragon Quest 3. He also worked on Bravely Second and Octopath Traveler as an Assistant Producer. He was asked why Dragon Quest 3 is so popular:
Dragon Quest 3 was so good that it became a social phenomenon upon its release in Japan and established the status of JRPGs – I would say that is why it was so popular. It’s almost unbelievable considering that the job system, the underworld, and the surprising ending were conceived 36 years ago. I’m sure that people who played the game at its original release found it even more incredible! I believe the reason it is still so popular today is that people still have fond memories of it.
Masaaki Hayasaka on the legendary status of Dragon Quest 3
It should be noted that Dragon Quest 3 didn’t invent all of this, of course. However, it popularized much of it and thus ensured that other JRPGs utilized these mechanics. For example, Final Fantasy 3 was released in 1990 and is known for its job system.
Is Dragon Quest still such a popular series? In Japan, Dragon Quest has never completely lost its popularity. As Jeuxvideo reports, the Dragon Quest 3 Remake sold 1.161 million copies in Japan. This makes it the second best-selling game in physical form in Japan in 2024, after Super Mario Party Jamboree.
Titles like Dragon Quest 11 were also incredibly popular worldwide. Unlike Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest never tries to radically reinvent itself. At its core, it always remains a classic JRPG with familiar mechanics.
If you want to see what Dragon Quest 3 is all about today, you can do so on all major platforms with the new remake. Another role-playing game by a Final Fantasy legend also relies on old virtues: The creator of Final Fantasy has invented a new game after 34 years, and for 2 reasons, I fell in love with it immediately
