Technologies

Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined Review: A Nostalgic JRPG That Balances Charm and Modernization

Square Enix revisits another Dragon Quest game with a remake that improves graphics, quickens the pace and adds plenty of quality-of-life upgrades.

There has been a resurgence of interest in lengthy, character-driven Japanese RPGs. Square Enix, the originator of the subgenre, has leaned fully into that momentum through remakes of the franchise that helped define it, Dragon Quest. After remakes of the first three entries from the series’ classic NES era, the company has turned its attention to a fan favorite originally released for the PlayStation in 2000, Dragon Quest 7.

Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined is Square Enix’s latest remake of the Dragon Quest series, following 2024’s Dragon Quest 3 remake and last year’s Dragon Quest 1-2 remake. If you’re wondering why the publisher skipped ahead to the seventh game, it could be because DQ7 was remade back in 2016 for the 3DS, possibly making it an easier lift following the success of the earlier remakes.

DQ7 marks an interesting time for the franchise, as the first six games are split between two different story arc trilogies. With the seventh game, developer Enix (before it merged with Square) took a different approach by making a game that would stand on its own. Since then, the franchise entries that followed have had no narrative ties to the others. For that reason, DQ7 is often viewed as being more in the middle of the pack when ranking the Dragon Quest games. Still, it’s one of the better entries in a legendary JRPG franchise.

This quest is not dragging on and on

Right off the bat, what I and others who played the original version of DQ7 when it launched in 2000 will want to know is: Does it take three hours to reach the first battle in Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined?

The answer is no. When DQ7 first came out, many players were turned off by the game’s sheer audacity of clicking through so much storyline before they really got to do anything other than talk to someone. This time around, you’re looking at about an hour of prologue before you’ll first swing your sword, which is an improvement over the Nintendo DS version released in the U.S. in 2016, where it took closer to two hours. Keep in mind, waiting a whole hour before the first fight is still a long time for any game, but there is a lot of story and character setup to get through.

This reduction in time before the first battle is one of many quality-of-life upgrades that have become standard for the Dragon Quest remakes. Other improvements include the ability to quickly defeat enemies without starting a battle if your party is at a higher level than they are, teleporting to previous locations directly from the map and quest markers that clearly indicate where to go. These are welcome additions for newcomers and players with less time to spend grinding, though some DQ7 diehard fans may take issue with how streamlined the game has become.

Like the other Dragon Quest remakes, the visuals have improved significantly. The character designs remain faithful to the original PSX version and the 3DS remake. Square Enix took the 3D models from the 3DS remake and added much more detail. The areas have also been improved to give a more open-world feel. Characters are fully animated and display a wider range of emotions during cutscenes. While the cinematics will not make your jaw drop, they are still effective in delivering the Dragon Quest charm the series is known for. Add the melodies that date back to the first game released in 1986, and you have a treat for both the eyes and ears.

Imagining more of a story

If there is a downside to the streamlining, it’s that it makes the game’s lack of a strong story more apparent.

DQ7, like others in the franchise, follows the JRPG trope of a hero who starts from humble beginnings and eventually rises to defeat a god. In this case, the protagonist is the son of a fisherman. He is joined by Maribel, the mayor’s daughter, and Kiefer, the prince of the Kingdom of Estard.

The group discovers a Shrine of Mysteries that transports them back in time to islands that no longer exist. Each island has its own dilemma, usually leading to a battle with a boss monster. Once resolved, the island reappears in the present, with townfolk recounting past horrors while living seemingly carefree lives. Each island also contains fragments from both past and present that must be collected to unlock a new island.

Once all the islands are discovered, an evil power reemerges and the group of young people who only recently learned to fight must defeat it to save the world.

In a way, DQ7’s story isn’t that dissimilar to previous games, where every time a hero visits a new town, trouble arises that must be dealt with. Here, it’s islands instead of towns. Because these islands are small and the dilemmas are confined, DQ7 lacks a grand narrative buildup. Instead, it presents smaller side stories, some more dramatic than others. One early island has players investigating a strange tradition surrounding a volcano, leading to a fight with a Fire Spirit. Another island features townfolk transformed into animals, and vice versa, due to a monster’s curse.

The story serves the game, but it isn’t particularly compelling. Still, there’s charm in a game where the son of a fisherman is destined to kill a god.

Get a job, hero

One of the most interesting aspects of DQ7 is the vocations system, its version of the franchise’s class mechanics. Every character starts with a job, and as they progress, they can change jobs. Each job has its own stats, abilities and a «Let Loose!» move, a special ability that charges after a certain number of attacks or damage received. For example, the hero’s special move at the start of the game creates a barrier to protect the party from a single attack.

There are more than 20 vocations, each divided into tiers. Beyond the starting job, there are beginner, intermediate and advanced classes. Beginner examples include Martial Artist, Mage and Warrior. As you level up a class, more abilities unlock, and once it maxes out, it’s time to pick another.

If you max out two beginner jobs, like Thief and Sailor, you unlock the intermediate class Pirate. Mastering two or three intermediate vocations then unlocks advanced jobs, such as Hero and Champion.

If that sounds like a lot, it is. Fortunately, a new feature called Moonlighting lets a character start a new job while keeping skills from another. Considering that the game can take about 40 hours to finish, the ability to switch classes frequently and reward players for building up their characters is a smart move by Square Enix.

And yes, you read that right — the game only takes around 40 hours to complete. Square Enix trimmed areas and dungeons, making this both an easier version to finish and one that isn’t as faithful to the original, which could take more than 80 hours to finish. Fans of the original may grumble at these changes, but it cuts down on some of the more monotonous parts of the game.

Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined is easily recommended for JRPG fans, though everyone else may want to approach with caution. The drawn-out storyline keeps you playing but doesn’t quite convince you of the game’s greatness, which could be a turnoff for gamers who aren’t happy grinding their way through side stories.

Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined is available now on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S consoles for $60.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 7, #972

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 7 #972

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is super-tricky. You’ll need to know your symbols to match them up accordingly. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Roll those bones.

Green group hint: Math time.

Blue group hint: A comma is one.

Purple group hint: Not uppercase.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Pips on a die.

Green group: Symbols used in arithmetic.

Blue group: Punctuation marks.

Purple group: Lowercase letters.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

First, here’s that grid full of symbols again.

And here are the answers, sorted into groups.

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is pips on a die. The four answers are five, four, three and two.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is symbols used in arithmetic. The four answers are divided by, equals, minus and plus.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is punctuation marks. The four answers are colon, ellipsis, period and quotation mark.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is lowercase letters. The four answers are I, L, T and X.

Technologies

Black Ops 7 Double XP Weekend and Free Trial Are Live Now

Whether you already own Black Ops 7 or you’re taking advantage of the free weekend, level up your account twice as fast during this double XP weekend.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 developer Treyarch is letting new players try the game for free this weekend with a new multiplayer free trial. Even if you haven’t bought Black Ops 7, you can try out the game’s Zombies and Multiplayer modes during this time. If you’re already knee-deep in the latest Call of Duty game, there’s still something to get excited over — a double XP weekend is running in tandem with the free weekend, letting you level up twice as fast as you cut down new and returning players.

The latest double XP weekend is live now, featuring a sole double account level XP boost this time around. This double XP weekend runs from Thursday, Feb. 5, to Monday, Feb. 9. Anyone playing Black Ops 7 during the event period has a universal double account XP earn rate applied to their account. If you log in now, you can hop into battle and reap the rewards of this double XP weekend right away.

Unlike other double XP weekends, this event doesn’t feature the Quad Feed boost. That means players won’t be able to benefit from all four customary double XP weekend boosts at the same time. Your double XP tokens will also be locked for the duration of the event.

Here’s everything you need to know about this double XP weekend. If you’re looking for something else to play, see our recommendations for the best game subscription services.

When does the double XP weekend start in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7?

This double XP weekend kicked off Thursday at 1 p.m. ET and is live now.

Not sure when the double XP weekend went live for you? Here’s when the event started in your time zone:

ET: Feb. 5 at 1 p.m.
CT: Feb. 5 at noon.
MT: Feb. 5 at 11 a.m.
PT: Feb. 5 at 10 a.m.

It’s always worth starting your game before your gaming session, if possible. As with every Black Ops 7 patch, the update will require you to download new content and restart the application.

When does the double XP weekend end in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7?

Some double XP «weekends» are much longer events, lasting five to seven days. The current double XP weekend isn’t nearly that long. This double XP weekend will end on Monday. Your double XP tokens will once again unlock after this time.

Here’s when the double XP weekend will end in your time zone:

ET: Feb. 9 at 1 p.m.
CT: Feb. 9 at noon.
MT: Feb. 9 at 11 a.m.
PT: Feb. 9 at 10 a.m.

Does Call of Duty Warzone have double XP this weekend?

Call of Duty Warzone has a double XP weekend running in tandem with Black Ops 7. That means Warzone players will also be able to benefit from this boost by leveling up their accounts, weapons and battle passes at twice the normal speed.

New players have a chance to level up the weapons they unlock from the new and improved Warzone Armory, and returning players can continue unlocking new attachments for the suite of Black Ops 7 weaponry added to Warzone.

Black Ops 7 double XP FAQ

Technologies

Trump Phone Looks Different, Costs More and Won’t Be Made in the US, Report Shows

The T1 looks different (again), and its specs and pricing have changed, according to a model handset shown in a video call to The Verge.

Trump Mobile executives have shown off a handset they say is a near-production model of the T1 phone to The Verge, according to a report Friday afternoon. Among other appearance changes, the smartphone appears to have a completely different camera array design than the one still shown on the T1 purchase page.

The Verge says it spoke with two Trump Mobile executives over a video call, where they held up the phone so it could be seen. The interview follows doubts about whether the phone will ever be released, after its second advertised launch date of the end of 2025 came and went without any status updates.

As of Feb. 6, the phone’s webpage still lists it as being released «later this year,» which is the same thing it said last year.

Trump Mobile launched in June last year with a $47.45-a-month mobile phone plan, and currently sells refurbished Apple and Samsung phones ranging from $369 to $629 while the wait for the T1 phone continues.

The Trump phone, initially announced to be made in the US, was supposed to launch in August 2025. But when it became clear that domestic large-scale smartphone manufacturing would not be possible, Trump Mobile dropped the «made in the US» claim.

Now, the site simply calls the phone «Proudly American» without specifying what that means for a device manufactured overseas.

The site is still accepting $100 deposits on the phone. The website claims it will have a 6.25-inch punch-hole AMOLED screen, a 50MP main rear camera with two 2MP lenses, a 16MP front-facing camera, a 5,000-mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor, face unlock and 256GB of expandable storage.

According to the model that The Verge saw on its video call this week, however, the screen looks a little larger and has a waterfall display with curved edges, as well as a vertical camera array. That one will reportedly run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7-series processor, feature 512GB of storage, and include a 50MP front-facing camera. According to the report, the T1 logo will also disappear before launch, though the phone will keep the American flag imagery.

It’ll also now cost more, according to the report. Those who have already put down a $100 deposit are locked into the $499 total price, but everyone else who wants this golden Trump phone will pay an unknown amount more. It will be under $1,000, the report says.

According to the executives speaking to The Verge, the phone has been delayed because the company decided to take its time and «skip our first initial entry-level phone that we were going to kind of introduce and be quick to the market.» They told The Verge it’s being made in a «favored nation» with «final assembly» in Florida. It’s unclear what qualifies another nation as «favored» to handle most of the assembly of the T1 phone.

There’s no word yet on the T1 phone’s launch date, but its sellers are reportedly eyeing a March release window.

You can read the full report on The Verge, including photos of the phone as it currently looks. Trump Mobile did not immediately respond to a request for comment.