Square Enix’s upcoming HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III has been one of our highly anticipated releases of the year. However, the conversation around the game and changes from the original has been what fans are mostly discussing.
During a special program titled “Game Creators Talk Special With Yubo & Mashirito’s KosoKoso Broadcast,” series creator Yuji Horii shared his thoughts on these alterations, including the shift from “Male/Female” to “Look A/B” for character selection and modifications to the female warrior’s costume.
In the original Dragon Quest III, players could choose their protagonist’s gender explicitly labeled as “Male” or “Female.” This choice impacted character interactions and certain in-game events. However, in the HD-2D remake, this selection has been changed to “Look A/B,” a move that mirrors options in other entries like Dragon Quest X, where characters are categorized by type rather than gender.
Additionally, the female warrior’s costume has been redesigned to include more fabric in previously exposed areas, reducing the amount of visible skin. While adjustments to character designs are not uncommon in remakes, these specific changes have sparked discussions about censorship and creative expression in modern gaming.
Yuji Horii’s Comments
During the broadcast, Yuji Horii addressed these topics, expressing his confusion over the necessity of such changes. He touched upon the impact of contemporary regulations on game development and questioned who might be opposed to the traditional “Male/Female” labels.
Transcript from the Video
(Note: Some parts have been slightly edited for readability.)
Naz Chris (Host): “One of the big topics of discussion has been the costume changes.”
Yuji Horii: “Well, you know, there are various regulations these days. Things like ‘you can’t show too much skin.'”
Naz Chris: “But it’s fine. I mean, it’s fiction, right? The player enters the game as the protagonist and goes on an adventure. Isn’t that enough? Or is it different now?”
Yuji Horii: “I don’t know, honestly. I’m not really sure about this.”
Naz Chris: “But it’s just a game. It’s fiction, but it’s also a non-fictional experience within a virtual world. I feel like it should just be about having fun.”
Yuji Horii: “Yeah, but if there’s too much exposure, it bumps up the age rating, and it can no longer be classified for all ages.”
Naz Chris: “I didn’t think about stuff like that back in the day.”
Kazuhiko Torishima (Former editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Jump): “There’s this ‘absolute god’ called compliance. It’s like a kind of evil that borrows the name of good. There’s no way everyone won’t feel some form of discomfort. People’s views on beauty, cleanliness, and morality are subjective. Of course, there are certain things you should absolutely not do, but as long as you avoid those, isn’t everything else fine? But that’s not how it works. The concepts of sex education influenced by religious ideas coming from the West, particularly America, are very narrow. When publishing comics over there, they have to be age-restricted. Even Shonen Jump manga, for example, can’t be published unless it’s for those 13 and up. Everything has to be retaken. You need insurance to guard against lawsuits. It’s really a hassle. Japan is influenced by all of this and doing the same.”
Yuji Horii: “You know, even though you can choose between male and female protagonists, you’re not allowed to call them ‘male’ or ‘female’ anymore. Now it’s ‘Type 1’ or ‘Type 2.’ I really wonder, who would complain if we just called it male and female? I don’t get it.”
Community Reactions
Fans have expressed mixed feelings about these developments. Some appreciate the efforts to modernize the game and make it more inclusive or don’t care (which is valid). In contrast, others feel that it alters the essence of the original experience. The shift to “Look A/B” has mainly raised questions, as it removes the explicit gender identification that was present in the original release.
Looking Ahead
While the full extent of the changes to text and job-class designs will remain unclear until the game’s release, we are seeing another modern release torn apart by the series fans for changes made to appease a wider range of players. Balancing respect for the original material with modern sensibilities is a challenge that many developers face today.
Yuji Horii’s candid remarks highlight the ongoing conversation about creative freedom and regulatory compliance in the gaming industry.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on November 14, 2024.
14 Comments
there’s no “discussion” being “sparked” here, just people getting angry about inclusion and calling it censorship. there is something to be said about western religious puritanism, but this is very different from, say, the recent moves from evangelical groups to pressure porn sites into removing their content; you’re still allowed to make and market a version of the game with more revealing clothing, and you should be able to if you want; it would just have a higher age rating.
and the “you’re not even allowed to call them Male/Female anymore” comment is nonsensical. you quite literally are. go to bed, old man
You are stupid and wrong, there is a discussion being sparked, stop being an due and realize that it is censorship. You aren’t allowed to call them male/female anymore.
Just put the fries in the bag lil bro
people like you continue to twist the meaning of words, 99% of people are male & female, there’s nothing inclusive about leaving out 99% of the population
I had to create an account just so I could say how much I disagree with you. Just by the way you are throwing every single issue away and sweeping it under the rug without an OUNCE of critical thinking is what’s wrong with the world. There is absolutely a huge discussion about these things. It’s absolutely censorship and when it’s not, it’s FEAR of people like you who will attack them over nonsense. Look how mad you got just because he spoke up? “Go to bed old man”. You are talking to LEGENDS. And instead of listening to what he’s saying, you get defensive and attack him. He is literally telling you that the corporate overlords above high are the ones forcing them to strip Male and female out of games and put Body type a and b. HES TELLING YOU THIS! That’s NOT INCLUSION, it’s forced and its the very definition of exclusion. You are excluding the thousands upon thousands of people that prefer the male and female choices… Ughhhh I feel like I’m taking crazy pills 😳
Body type 1/2 is not inclusive. It excludes people who identify as male or female.
Barely anyone in RL is nonbinary, why should everyone else be forced to not be represented just because less than 2% of the population doesn’t want to see gender. That’s evil honestly.
You’re just a garbage person who think they are fighting for good but you are not. You are fighting for control. You told him to go to bed for saying what A LOT of people are also saying. You’re blaming his age as if younger people don’t also agree. You’re not a good person.
The work of several artists was basically defaced, called obscene and painted over…even as one of the artists just died…
By people who claim to love Dragon Quest but imply it was offensive to certain people until they painted over a legend’s art and told the creator of the game what gender his protagonists are allowed to be.
Sure they’re saying the quiet part out loud. However that still doesn’t tell the whole story. Why aren’t they patching the changes people dislike? Why are they not changing the game based on the platform or region like gacha games do? I bet this isn’t enforced on Steam and Switch if we got by modern trends. Something isn’t being said for why they “have” to do this.
Because it costs more to market multiple versions m
In the day of digital media, having multiple versions of a game is a non-issue. Decensor patches have existed for decades. Physical media has avoided censorship by having a SEA version which you can find on PlayAsia. Again, SE doesn’t have to censor and just because they said what everyone is thinking doesn’t mean they still need to do it. They can call the west demonic all they want but they still bow to them when they don’t have to. They still have a useless ethics department for example.
Thank you legends for speaking out. We need more to speak out. But I am extremely grateful it was someone from Square Enix who has been one of the worst companies when it comes to censorship and adding western nonsense..
I mean, he said clearly they’d have to change the age rating according to the current standards, which means less players would be able to access it. I’m not at all certain about the other bits, though expanding beyond a binary understanding usually isn’t a problem…
I don’t know where this idea of “oh less people would be able to access it” is coming from. I played every GTA since I was 13. So did many others, it’s gotten even worse in the digital era because be it PSN or Steam, just lie about your age. That’s what kids are doing. Y’know how many 8 year olds I’ve heard screaming in GTA 5 lobbies? Too many. Age ratings on games mean nothing. If anything, it’s unlikely the younger audience would be interested in Dragon Quest remakes to begin with, so why fear an age rating?
They aren’t “expanding”. They are creating limitations. Pointless ones at that as body type 1 and 2 is still a binary. People angry over words like male and female yet still being okay with binaries are just weird online kids. Because that’s some heavily inconsistent and controlling thinking.