What's The Deal With: Dragon Quest

February 5, 2026·1 hr 9 min·4 clips

Jason Schreier explains how Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is so streamlined it plays itself — no strategy required.

Dragon Quest starts as fast food. The cold open treats the series as reliable comfort food, slime included, before the panel gets to Dragon Quest VII Reimagined and why this series still works for people. First comes the housekeeping. The Maximum Fun membership pitch takes up early room, and February gets a tired little laugh as the hosts joke that the year already feels nearly done. That loose pace fits the conversation. Nobody rushes toward a verdict. The remake's look gets genuine affection. Kirk responds to Square Enix's HD 2D style: old-fashioned worlds, modern lighting, depth of field, and the feeling that an older game can look newly inviting without turning into something else. The catch is the backlog. Playing Dragon Quest VII Reimagined makes him think about all the other classic-style JRPGs waiting around, especially Octopath Traveler 2, which grabbed him more. There are plenty of beautiful turn-based games now, with strong music, good Switch performance, and second-screen friendliness, so every new remake has to compete with a private queue that already feels too long. Maddie asks why Dragon Quest VII should be the one to come back. Jason points to affection for it. The game has fans, and its island-by-island stories can play like short arcs that turn sad as the larger story darkens. The panel stays lightly skeptical. The game sounds cute and polished, but the conversation keeps landing on priority. A late aside about half-hour comedies and How I Met Your Mother closes the sample in true Triple Click fashion, after the Dragon Quest take has already done its work.

As heard by us

A warm Dragon Quest conversation about remake craft, familiar formulas, and the quiet pressure of an endless JRPG backlog.

Triple Click uses Dragon Quest VII Reimagined as an excuse to ask why Dragon Quest remains so stubbornly itself: turn-based battles, familiar pleasures, bright craft, strong music, and, yes, slime.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A breezy Dragon Quest check-in that weighs nostalgia against your endless JRPG backlog.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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