'Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined' Producer Takeshi Ichikawa Details 'Reimagining' the Classic RPG, the Decision to Remake It, and More

It's been 26 years since the original Dragon Quest 7 was released, and next week, the built-from-the-ground-up remake, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, will be released. Ahead of its release, Men's Journal caught up with producer Takeshi Ichikawa, who spoke about the game's new combat camera perspective, how the team went about making the game more accessible, and more.

MJ: What led to the decision to remake Dragon Quest 7 in particular? And why now?

Ichikawa: Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past originally released in 2000 - so this year is its 26th Anniversary! Because of this, we felt it was the perfect time to bring its storytelling and unique atmosphere to a wider audience - especially now, in today’s world. Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined not only “reimagines” the story and emotional portrayal of its characters, but also makes the game significantly more approachable and accessible. We believe this game will be enjoyable for both previous Dragon Quest 7 players and newcomers alike!

MJ: This remake was "built from the ground up." In doing so, what was the biggest challenge in bringing this classic game to modern standards and platforms?

Ichikawa: The massive scope of Dragon Quest 7 meant that even a single adjustment could affect many different parts of the game, so we held numerous discussions to determine what should be rebuilt.

MJ: Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined has been streamlined in some ways, particularly narratively. How did the team decide where to make cuts and improve the pacing for this version over the original game and its previous Nintendo 3DS remake?

Ichikawa: The “reimagined” elements of the narrative allude to improvements in the game’s overall framework, which offers a much deeper and more compelling experience. In our effort to streamline the overall story progression and provide a more engaging narrative, we decided to cut subplots that have little or no direct relevance to the main scenario. While some content has been removed, entirely new scenarios have also been introduced.

Ichikawa: Our goal was to build upon the strengths of the original game while striving to deliver a deeper, more immersive story experience for modern players.

MJ: In recent years, we've seen turn-based RPGs flourish, but they often have new action-based, real-time mechanics, either directly in combat or leading into combat. Was anything like that ever on the table to be in this remake? Or did the team want to preserve the original combat style as much as possible?

Ichikawa: As this title is a remake, we've reimagined the game while preserving its turn-based battle system. Building on that foundation, we took this basic approach to battle: “quick and streamlined for standard encounters, deliberate and strategic for boss battles.” This design allows players to enjoy smooth level grinding while encouraging careful consideration of vocation combinations and in-battle strategies during boss encounters.

MJ: Unlike the original game (and many other entries in the DQ series), combat is now shown from a third-person camera instead of first-person, similar to Dragon Quest 11. What led to this decision, and what do you believe it adds to this remake?

Ichikawa: We knew that the ability to control characters with a hand-crafted look would make for more immersive and dynamic battles, which is why we implemented this particular camera angle.

MJ: 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of Dragon Quest. That is a huge milestone that very few franchises achieve. Why do you think Dragon Quest has appealed to fans for so long?

Ichikawa: This is purely my personal opinion, but I feel that even within such an epic story, this game’s warm and relatable dialogue is one of its greatest charms.

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined releases on February 5 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.