Square Enix doesn’t want to overdo it with HD-2D games

Square Enix gave birth to the HD-2D “genre” with the Switch, and it’s been incredibly successful. HD-2D games take a very interesting approach to visuals, giving us games with polygonal backgrounds and old-school character sprites. It’s been an absolutely striking graphical style, and one that fans seem to really enjoy with each release.

Depending on how you look at things, there have been up to 7 HD-2D titles since 2018. (That includes Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent on mobile and Star Ocean: The Second Story R, which wasn’t called HD-2D but very clearly uses the style.) The most recent HD-2D title is Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, and we know that Dragon Quest I & II HD Remake is coming as well. In other words, Square Enix is far from done with the visual style.

H2-2D has been a big hit for Square Enix, but the company is also very well aware of the potential for oversaturation. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake producer Masaaki Hayasaka spoke on this topic with Bloomberg, saying that the company is currently trying to find the sweet spot of just enough HD-2D games without leaving fans looking for more, or inundating them with the approach.

“If we were to release too many games in succession, that would lead to people being bored of those games. On the flipside, if there’s too much of a span between launches, that can also lead to the series not seeming as vibrant and robust anymore. It’s a sensitive topic. It’s something that even my supervisors are constantly unsure and mulling over.” – Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake producer Masaaki Hayasaka