After 8 Years, There’s One JRPG Trend That Should Stick Around

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Many JRPG games share common elements, like a team of four characters, turn-based battles, and similar ways to improve your characters. While it’s great when a JRPG offers a fresh take on these familiar features, it’s often harder to move away from the typical look and feel of the genre. Luckily, a distinctive art style can be a fantastic way to create truly immersive and captivating game worlds.

Looking ahead to 2026, many of the upcoming Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) are either updated versions of beloved classics or entirely new stories. These games are visually diverse, ranging from modern 3D graphics with an anime style to retro 2D pixel art reminiscent of the original Final Fantasy games. Lately, developers have been successfully combining these styles, creating a great balance between the old and the new.

Octopath Traveler Created A Trend Through Its Use Of Seamless 2D & 3D Art In 2018

Released in 2018 by Square Enix, Octopath Traveler is a JRPG designed to appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers. It combines classic JRPG elements with innovative ideas, like letting players build a team of four characters from a roster of eight, chosen at the start of the game. While this character selection was a unique addition, many players remember the game most for its beautiful art style, which seamlessly blends 2D and 3D graphics.

Both Octopath Traveler games feature characters rendered in detailed pixel art with 2D animations, reminiscent of classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy 6. However, the worlds they explore are fully 3D, boasting beautifully detailed environments like landscapes and cities.

The game’s art style, known as “HD-2D,” isn’t entirely groundbreaking – it logically combines classic JRPG sprites with modern visual effects like improved lighting and fog. However, this blend of old and new works surprisingly well. The technical aspects beautifully complement the artwork, creating a visually appealing and enjoyable experience.

Dragon Quest Remakes Have Continued This Fantastic Formula With Stellar JRPGs

The game Octopath Traveler popularized the HD-2D art style, but it’s also been used to beautifully remake older JRPGs. The Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake kept the original pixel art for characters, preserving a nostalgic feel, while significantly upgrading the environments. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake followed suit, delivering a remake that’s both true to the original and visually modern.

Future remakes of Dragon Quest games will likely continue to use the HD-2D art style, which is a great fit given the original games’ technical limitations. These remasters have successfully added expanded stories, new features, and improved combat while staying true to the spirit of the originals. The HD-2D approach has actually enhanced the experience, appealing to both longtime fans and newcomers.

Enhanced 3D Visuals That Elevate Nostalgic 2D Pixel Art Should Be Applied To Future JRPG Remasters

The art style used in games like Triangle Strategy – often called HD-2D – is becoming a benchmark for how to remake classic JRPGs. We’ve seen successful remasters like Live A Live use these visuals to beautifully update the original games, making them appealing to a new generation of players. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions also benefited from a similar visual overhaul, improving upon an already great game and delivering a strong remake.

HD-2D isn’t a perfect fit for all games, but it’s great at capturing the charm of classic titles by keeping the original pixel art that fans love. Instead of completely redesigning the characters and environments, developers make subtle improvements to the existing artwork, allowing them to focus on building richer and more immersive game worlds with enhanced atmosphere.

It’s easy to disappoint fans with bad remakes or remasters, so a ‘2.5D’ style – combining classic and modern visuals – often hits the sweet spot. Longtime JRPG fans appreciate seeing familiar art styles, while new players enjoy the updated 3D graphics that are as good as those in completely new games.

I’m really curious what everyone thinks about this whole HD-2D look that’s becoming popular in JRPGs! It’s so cool, but I want to know if others are enjoying it as much as I am. Let’s chat about it – either leave a comment here or head over to the ComicBook Forum to discuss!

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2026-02-07 20:14