Although it streamlines many of its most challenging elements to be more welcoming than the PlayStation original, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined can still be a massive undertaking for newcomers that may have some trouble getting into the game and enjoying it right from the beginning.
To maximize your understanding of the early game, and thus its enjoyment, we have put together a list of beginners' tips that are sure to help you enjoy Dragon Quest VII Reimagined more, especially if this is your first time putting the fragments of the forgotten past back together again.
Table of contents
Always Talk to Everyone and Search Everywhere!
Although the experience has been tweaked to be more welcoming, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is still a Dragon Quest game through and through, which puts the same emphasis on exploration as it does on turn-based combat. As such, every time you reach a new island or discover a new village, make absolutely sure to talk to every NPC, search every closet and drawer, and smash every urn and barrel before you do anything else.
This isn't just to discover more gear and items that can make you save some gold and Mini Medals (which can be exchanged for rewards in Estard Castle), but this is also a tip to enhance your enjoyment of the story.
The true beauty of this game lies in the small details and the connection between the past and the present of an island, which the main story often glosses over, giving you a much deeper connection to the world you are working so hard to restore.
Optimize Combat Pacing with "Fight Wisely"
Although Dragon Quest VII Reimagined addresses the high random encounter rate of older games by making enemies visible on the field, you will still be fighting many enemies during your adventure. To make random battles snappier and considerably faster, consider using the "Fight Wisely" Tactics option for all your characters, which you can assign at the start of every battle by pressing the Triangle / Y / X buttons.
This auto-combat option is based on the principle of taking down enemies as efficiently as possible. With "Fight Wisely" on, characters will also heal when needed using either magic or items, making it a much more reliable option than "Show No Mercy." During regular combat encounters, however, make sure to turn off the When Worked Up, Use Let Loose Immediately option by pressing Triangle / Y / X in the Tactics menu to avoid needlessly wasting the powerful Let Loose skills.
If you wish to speed up battles further, also consider changing the battle speed to Fast or Ultra Fast. While combat animations are great to look at, over the dozens of hours it takes to complete the game, they will grow old, believe me.
Hunt for Gold Sparkles and Vicious Enemies
If you're a player who's more inclined towards quick story progression, you may want to reduce your exploration endeavors to just hunting down two specific things: Gold Sparkles and elite "Vicious" enemies.
- Gold Sparkles: As opposed to regular sparkles, these found on the world map hide special items and won't respawn. Hidden in them are rare items such as Seeds that can be used to boost your characters' stats permanently.
- Elite "Vicious" Enemies: These can be recognized by their red glow and the fact that they don't move around. These more powerful variants can be challenging, but they drop Monster Hearts, which can be equipped to customize your characters with very useful passive abilities.
Thoroughly Explore the "Present Day"
It is a common mistake for players to assume that the "Past" versions of islands are the only places where progress happens. However, you should make it a priority to explore everything in the Present Day as soon as an island has been restored. Many vital Fragments are tucked away in the modern versions of towns and dungeons.
Additionally, you can find useful gear and learn more about an island's history by speaking with NPCs when you revisit a location. In my first playthrough, I found that if I ever felt stuck or unable to progress at the Shrine of Mystery, the solution was almost always a missed fragment hidden in the most recently restored "Present" island.
Prioritize Defensive Gear Over Offense
When visiting a new shop in any of the game's villages and towns, you might be inclined to spend all your gold on the weapon with the highest attack stat. However, I highly recommend that you prioritize purchasing defensive gear first. In Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, especially at high difficulty, survivability is far more valuable than raw power.
The reason for this is simple: every now and then, you will encounter powerful enemies and bosses that can act twice per turn. A character with a high-damage sword but weak armor can be wiped out in a single turn before your healer even has a chance to react. By focusing on shields, helmets, and armor first, you ensure your party can weather these difficulty spikes. This strategy is crucial for maintaining the game’s pacing and preventing lost progress.
This concludes the guide. For more help, visit our Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Complete Walkthrough and Guides Hub.
NOTE: Guide based on a 50+ hours playthrough in the 1.0 Steam version. Screenshots captured from the same version.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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