Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! There's been a lot of buzz both negative and positive about Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined's diorama-style art and doll character designs since they were revealed, especially since the recent Dragon Quest 1-3 HD remakes opted for a more traditional pixel art aesthetic. Whether you're a fan of the doll vibes or not, one thing's for certain: the art style stays very faithful to the original designs drawn up by the late Japanese mangaka and Dragon Quest series artist Akira Toriyama. We recently caught up with Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined producer Takeshi Ichikawa via email, and we couldn't help but ask him what it was like adapting Toriyama's iconic character designs in such a distinctive style. "The original Dragon Quest 7 was defined by Akira Toriyama's designs, featuring charming, stylized characters," said Ichikawa. "We considered how to convey that cuteness while still capturing the game's unique atmosphere." Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined "isn't meant to supplement or improve upon" previous versions of the classic JRPG After just an hour playing Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, I'm charmed and unsettled in equal measure – this JRPG remake has surprisingly ambitious storytelling goals Bless him, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii says "warmth" and "accessibility" are key to the almost-40-year-old JRPG series' enduring success For my money, they nailed this aspect of the game. My overall feelings on Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined (too easy) aside, I absolutely love the way the remake manages to modernize Toriyama's designs without compromising whatever it is that makes them so uniquely Toriyama. In terms of what drove Square Enix to go with the doll-like look to begin with, Ichikawa said Square Enix had seen a similar visual style in successful movies and games and simply wanted to try it out. "At the same time, we discovered that movies and games featuring doll motifs were well-received globally, which inspired us to combine this concept with Dragon Quest 7's character designs," he said. "We felt this approach would create a visually appealing style, leading to our decision to move forward with the hand-crafted aesthetic." Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined "isn't meant to supplement or improve upon" previous versions of the classic JRPG, but simply to "represent" the game "for today"