Interestingly, Square Enix also points out that the game performed better than originally expected. Net sales totalled up to ¥60 billion, leading to an operating profit of ¥4.6 billion. For reference, the previous financial year had sales of ¥66.8 billion and an operating profit of ¥2.7 billion. While the net sales have dropped, the operating profit has increased by ¥1.9 billion year-over-year.

Some of the titles released in the previous financial year that contributed to these figures include SaGa Emerald Beyond, the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Visions of Mana, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Fantasian: Neo Dimension, and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.

The last time we heard about Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake was back in December, when the company announced that it had sold more than 2 million copies since its November 2024 release. Square Enix will be hoping to recapture this success with its planned Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review for more details.

While next year looks even more jam-packed with incredible adventures, what are some of the best role-playing games from 2024 that deserve your attention? Join us as we sift through the dozens of choices and present the 20 best RPGs of the year that must be experienced.

Path of Exile 2

For all the complaints against its rewards, end-game, map layouts, etc., Path of Exile 2 is still an incredible action RPG, even in early access. Each class and their Ascendancies presented multiple new options; the Skills are impressive while combat feels visceral; and the bosses present some of the best encounters in the genre. The fact that such a sizable end-game is available right now, complete with pinnacle bosses, is also incredible. Yes, there are plenty of things to improve, but Path of Exile 2 is proving just as addictive as its predecessor and will receive double the amount of content before early access ends.

FINAL FANTASY 7 REBIRTH

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth went full open world, and boy did it do so in the most thorough manner possible. Across this epic odyssey, you travel to a vast number of locations throughout the Planet, which means there are several large open world maps to explore, each completely different from the other in their biomes, design, and more. A barrage of optional activities and side quests, unique traversal mechanics to each area, and more allow each area to feel yet more distinct, with all of it coming together in what’s easily one of the most massive (and impressive) games of 2024.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYL

In the lead-up to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s launch, GSC Game World promised one of the biggest open worlds ever made, and boy does the game deliver. At over 60 square kilometers, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s Exclusion Zone is a gargantuan play space, and brimming with things to see. There are over 20 distinct areas comprising the map, featuring a healthy mix of new locations and locations that will be familiar to fans of past instalments (many of which have been expanded or overhauled). “Huge” doesn’t begin to do it justice.

DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD

BioWare failed to nail the open world formula with Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda, as a result of which the developer reverted to a semi-linear mission-based structure with Dragon Age: The Veilguard this year- but that doesn’t mean this game is small in scale by any means. Though story missions are decidedly linear, between such missions, the game lets you explore a number of semi-open world maps that are not only sufficiently large, but also hide no shortage of optional content and hidden secrets. Even though The Veilguard isn’t open world, this is still the largest Thedas has ever felt in a game.

ONCE HUMAN

Post-apocalyptic survival game Once Human’s open world design is different from some of the games we’ve spoken of so far, primarily thanks to the fact that this is a multiplayer-centric game. Regardless, in terms of size, it’s definitely one of the largest games of the year. Once Human’s map is 16 kilometers by 16 kilometers, all of which is split into four separate zones, each of which brings its own unique biome. Whether it’s size you’re looking for or variety, Once Human’s world doesn’t disappoint.

ELDEN RING: SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE

Elden Ring delivered a mind-bogglingly huge world when it launched in 2022, and though the new map in its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion wasn’t quite as large, it was still a much bigger map than most had expected from an expansion. Exploring the Land of Shadow fully and seeing everything it has to offer is not something you’re going to be able to do if you don’t have plenty of time on your hands. More importantly, the incredible level design exhibited throughout the map ensures you’ll never have a dull moment as you explore every nook and cranny.

LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH

Like a Dragon games never fail to deliver dozens upon dozens of hours of content, but they generally tend to do that through density rather than size. The same is true for Infinite Wealth. The eighth mainline entry in the series takes players to Hawaii, and though the map is definitely a large one (certainly much larger than anything else we’ve seen from the series in the past), it’s not nearly on the same level as some of the other open worlds we’ve discussed here thus far. Still, the game does a great job of encouraging you to explore every inch, not only because of the immaculate vibes, but also the abundant content on offer (most of which is a heck of a lot of fun).

STAR WARS OUTLAWS

There’s plenty that Star Wars Outlaws gets wrong, but even many of its critics will tell you that as far as its open world is concerned, it’s one of Ubisoft’s best productions in years. Star Wars Outlaws avoids the pitfalls of open world bloat, which we’ve grown more familiar with over the years than we’d like to admit, by ensuring that none of its maps ever feel too large, and that exploration always feels organic. It’s a compelling open world experience, and one that makes great use of its impressive scope.

BLACK MYTH: WUKONG

Here’s another example of a game that manages to achieve a sense of scale in spite of being a non-open world level-based game. No, it’s nowhere near as big as most other games on this list, but with a mix of linear levels and larger, more open-ended areas, it does manage to craft a sizeable world nonetheless. This is a game you can easily spend over 50 hours in (depending on how extensively you’re engaging with the optional content), which tells you that there’s plenty to explore for players.

SONS OF THE FOREST

After spending a year in early access, Endnight Games’ highly anticipated open world survival game Sons of the Forest celebrated its 1.0 launch this February, and it didn’t take long for players to fall in love with it- which didn’t come as a surprise, after the game’s early access period. There’s a lot to love in Sons of the Forest’s horrific world, of course, and its sizeable map is high on that list. Not only is it significantly larger and much more detailed than the map in its predecessor, its also a constant thrill to explore, with the game doing a remarkable job of making exploration feel consistently terrifying and yet rewarding.

SATISFACTORY

After five and a half long years in early access, Satisfactory launched in full this September, and though a a large map isn’t necessarily something you’d expect from a factory management simulation game, not only does Satisfactory deliver it, it also uses it to great effect. Exploring its vast and hostile world always remains one of the experience’s highlights, and contributes significantly to the game’s engaging core loop.

DRAGON’S DOGMA 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a wholly unique game, delivering a kind of emergent open world experience that you can’t find anywhere else. A lot of that is down the game’s complete refusal to hold your hand and its systems-driven sandbox nature, but the size of its world is also a big part of the game’s success. Exploring the massive fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is always a blast, whether you’re exploring the lush landscapes in Vermund or the harsh desert landscapes of Battahl. Though more environmental diversity would have been appreciated, at least there’s plenty to explore, and consistently enjoyable, dynamic combat shenanigans to get into.

DRAGON QUEST 3 HD-2D REMAKE

Dragon Quest 2 HD-2D Remake is obviously a very different kind of experience from most other games in this feature, given the fact that it is deliberately designed as a throwback experience that harkens back to classic RPGs with its overworld exploration, town-hopping fantasy odyssey, dungeon crawling, and what have you. And though it is ultimately an old game made new, it’s also a sufficiently large experience- large enough, in fact, that there’s plenty to whet the appetite of all intrepid explorers out there. Its world isn’t colossal, but it feels large enough nonetheless, and exploration always remains gratifying.

RISE OF THE RONIN

Yes, we’ve mentioned a few rough-around-the-edges games here, but Rise of the Ronin certainly does deserve its place here. Team Ninja’s first crack at an open world game, though it suffered from formulaic design and cookie cutter open world content, it also wasn’t without its strengths. For starters, the game deserves credit for bringing its 19th century setting to life, at least from a visual perspective (even if the locations can feel a bit too lifeless at times). More prominent, however, are the traversal mechanics, with the mix of horseback riding, gliding, and running around making for a fun loop that keeps exploration enjoyable.

LIGHTYEAR FRONTIER

Since its early access launch in March, Lightyear Frontier has been praised by most who have played it, and its tranquil open world map  in particular is something that many have shined a light on. Calm exploration and zen traversal are the name of the game in Lightyear Frontier, owing to its very nature, which is a perfect fit for the pleasant, beautiful environments that you tend to find yourself in as you explore its world.

MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2024

Recreating literally the entire planet Earth, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 follows in the footsteps of its 2020 predecessor in going above and beyond with its open world map. That is, however, an important part of the experience here, just as it was in 2020, and once again, there’s no shortage of things to see, and even more things to do. The world sports a much greater level of detail and boasts an even greater level of authenticity, which makes Flight Sim 2024 a great experience for all the virtual tourists out there.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Sony’s “Remastered” trend hasn’t received the warmest reception over the years, but Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered more than earns its flowers. It revamps and improves its environments with more foliage, better lighting and shadows, and over 10 hours of new motion capture animation. Character models are pretty much carried over from Forbidden West and look fantastic. For just $50 ($10 if you own the original), it’s a pretty good deal.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

One day, Nintendo woke up, looked back on how underwhelming Super Princess Peach was, and decided to do something about it. The result is Princess Peach: Showtime!, with Peach harnessing multiple forms across various plays to stop the sorceress Grape and her Sour Bunch. With a fun story, enjoyable gameplay, and solid level design, there’s much to love, even if the performance would have been better.

Square Enix has announced that Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has sold over 2 million units. The turn-based remake launched halfway through November, so clearly it has enjoyed solid momentum where early sales are concerned. Upon launch, the game had sold a whopping 820,000 physical units in Japan alone, to give you an idea of how it has started off.

In our review of the remake, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is a prime example of enhancing a classic without taking away the things that made it so endearing. It’s a must-play experience and well worth diving into for fans of the original.” Read the full review through here.

Next year will see Square Enix releasing Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake, which it will likely be hoping to see similar sales for. Meanwhile, the company has also shared updated sales figures for Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. 

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Some other recent releases continue to chart in the top 10 as well, with Super Mario Party Jamboree coming in at No. 2 with over 34,000 units sold, and Mario and Luigi: Brothership taking the No. 4 spot, selling over 9,000 units. Stray comes in at No. 7 as a fresh release for the Nintendo Switch, having sold over 7,000 units.

On the hardware side of things, the Nintendo Switch leads the pack once more, selling over 69,000 units, which is slightly up from what it managed the previous week. Meanwhile, PS5 has also seen a small increase in sales with over 25,000 units sold over the course of the week.

You can check out the full hardware and physical software sales charts for Japan for the week ending November 24 below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):

1. [NSW] Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake – 70,993 (712,188)
2. [NSW] Super Mario Party Jamboree – 34,014 (476,607)
3. [PS5] Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake – 20,369 (200,944)
4. [NSW] Mario and Luigi: Brothership – 9,920 (88,529)
5. [NSW] Disney Music Parade: Encore – 9,260 (New)
6. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 9,001 (6,064,932)
7. [NSW] Stray – 7,779 (New)
8. [NSW] Momotaro Dentetsu World: Chikyuu wa Kibou de Mawatteru! – 7,482 (1,161,525)
9. [NSW] Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics – 5,749 (New)
10. [NSW] Minecraft – 5,706 (3,682,045)

Hardware sales:

• Nintendo Switch – 69,135 (62,158)
• PS5 – 25,573 (23,672)
• Xbox Series X/S – 2,657 (3,070)

Specifically, its Nintendo Switch version takes the top spot with over 641,000 units sold, while the PS5 version follows in second place with over 180,000 units sold. Collectively, the game has sold over 821,000 physical units at launch, making it the biggest game launch in Japan since last year’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and also instantly making it the bestselling game of the year in Japan. As always, these charts don’t account for digital sales, so it’s likely that Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake’s sales may have breached a million units in Japan instantly upon release.

On the hardware side of things, the Nintendo Switch has returned to being the highest selling console of the week for the region, having moved over 62,000 units. The PS5 sees a stop decline in sales from last week, having sold over 23,000 units (as opposed to over 88,000 units last week).

You can check out the full hardware and physical software sales charts for Japan for the week ending November 17 below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):

1. [NSW] Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake – 641,195 (New)
2. [PS5] Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake – 180,575 (New)
3. [NSW] Super Mario Party Jamboree – 32,762 (442,593)
4. [NSW] Mario and Luigi: Brothership – 15,168 (78,609)
5. [NSW] Beyblade X: XONE – 9,507 (New)
6. [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 5,784 (7,954,332)
7. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 5,647 (6,055,931)
8. [NSW] Minecraft – 4,771 (3,676,339)
9. [NSW] Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven – 4,551 (96,293)
10. [NSW] Luigi’s Mansion 3 – 4,445 (1,051,401)

Hardware sales:

• Nintendo Switch – 62,158 (64,012)
• PS5 – 23,672 (88,160)
• Xbox Series X/S – 3,070 (2,405)

As per SteamDB, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has now seen a peak of 37,273 concurrent players on Steam. For context, that’s a higher peak than the likes of Persona 5 Royal (35,474), Persona 4 Golden (29,984), Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (34,995), Final Fantasy 15 (29,498), and Final Fantasy 16 (27,508).

With the weekend coming up, there’s a good chance that Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake continues to see its numbers climb over the coming days. Whether its PC performance is indicative of how it’s doing in other platforms remains to be seen, though one would presume it’ll be selling primarily on the Nintendo Switch, especially in Japan, which is historically Dragon Quest’s biggest market.

In our review of the game, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is a prime example of enhancing a classic without taking away the things that made it so endearing. It’s a must-play experience and well worth diving into for fans of the original.” Read the full review through here.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

As per SteamDB, the game saw a peak of 14,282 concurrent players on Steam today. That’s the highest concurrent users peak ever for a Dragon Quest game- though the game was always likely to accomplish that, given that it is the first major Dragon Quest title to be getting a day and date Steam release.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake’s concurrent users peak on Steam is slightly under (but roughly in the same region) as the last HD-2D release by Square Enix, Octopath Traveler 2, which peaked at over 17,000 players on Steam upon its launch last year. Meanwhile, Star Ocean: The Second Story R, another retro RPG remake by Square Enix, had a peak of over 8,000 players upon its release last November. How well Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake does on Steam over the coming days remains to be seen, especially with the weekend coming up.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Read our review of the game through here.