I'll be the first to admit that I am, essentially, a sucker for Square Enix's HD-2D treatments. The striking mix of pixel art 2D and 3D environments and lighting never fails to spark joy, regardless of the game. The Octopath Traveler franchise, Live A Live, and even Triangle Strategy make my heart soar a bit by simply existing, which is partly why Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake has immediately felt like the definitive way to play each game.
To be clear, there will always be value in the original games as originally presented, and anyone arguing otherwise just looks foolish, but I just don't necessarily think that's always and forever the best way to experience something. This admittedly comes from a place of ignorance in this case – I've never played the original Dragon Quest games – but that only strengthens my resolve.
