At their largest and most costly, video games tend to share visual similarities. This often boils down to straightforward economics: increased resources lead to higher expenses that require recovery, with publishers historically opting for a notably cautious approach. Thus, the prevalence of semi-realistic barren landscapes resembling death metal album artwork where everyone embodies a sort of Wild West fantasy, or the hero shooters that resemble animated features but are incredibly muscular, prepared for fan artists to explore uncharted creative realms.
Yet, occasionally, fresh visual territory is claimed. Octopath Traveler 0 exemplifies this shift. The third installment in the Octopath franchise serves several roles — it’s a friendly prelude for newcomers, a redesigned version of a mobile game, and a solid JRPG — but it’s also the culmination of a 2025 victory lap for the artistic direction termed “HD-2D” by publisher Square Enix. This courageous experiment has secured a permanent spot on the release calendar — and is notably distinctive in terms of its narrative communication. An HD-2D title from Square Enix stands as a declaration of which classic games they deem worth re-exploring and which contemporary titles should similarly be acknowledged.
“The inception of the HD-2D style stemmed from the concept: ‘What if we revived the games from the Super Famicom era, the pinnacle of pixel art, utilizing modern advancements?’” Masaaki Hayasaka, producer of this year’s Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, communicated to The Verge via email. Initially showcased in 2018’s Octopath Traveler, the visual style aims to capture the pixelated texture and essence reminiscent of 16-bit role-playing titles like Final Fantasy VI, but augmented with the richness and intricacy afforded by today’s 3D technology. The creative teams at Square and Octopath co-developer Acquire ingeniously accomplished this through Unreal Engine, enabling them to render — and, significantly, light — Octopath akin to any contemporary game, integrating 2D characters derived from CRT visuals into a world tailored for high-definition screens. The aspiration was that, as a new role-playing series launching on the recently debuted Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler would be perceived as entirely modern in design while simultaneously evoking nostalgia for seasoned gamers.
It proved effective. Following the commercial success of Octopath Traveler, Square Enix secured the “HD-2D” trademark (yet not the aesthetic itself), signaling their commitment to this new visual paradigm. Subsequently, an interesting occurrence unfolded: the following two HD-2D titles from Square were not sequels to Octopath, but rather the tactical RPG Triangle Strategy and a remake of 1994’s Live a Live, a highly regarded Super Famicom RPG that never saw an official English release. Both launched in 2022, marking a transition where HD-2D evolves from a curious novelty into a more foundational design philosophy for the publisher. An HD-2D title either aspires to be the quintessential homage via original creations like Octopath, condensing an era’s worth of classics into a fresh format, or serves as a heartfelt reimagining of a game deserving renewed attention.
The trend is clear: Octopath and its sequels remain the sole original HD-2D works in the SNES-era JRPG style, while Triangle Strategy represents the tactics genre, and next year’s The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales aims to fill the gap for Zelda-like action RPGs. As for remakes, Square Enix’s launch of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake was marked with great fanfare, following the previous year’s rendition of Dragon Quest III. (The chronological release order signifies the sequence Square prefers players to experience them in.)
In both scenarios, HD-2D has found significant acclaim with critics — particularly among those inclined to engage with the games they tenderly reference. “It’s a stunning style that transcends a mere retro aesthetic, crafting something everlasting,” declares Polygon’s Oli Welsh in commendation of Live a Live’s application of the style, “an extension of a classic ’90s video game aesthetic into the current era, enriching and enhancing it while remaining true to its original character.” Numerous reviews of Octopath Traveler and its successor label the titles “gorgeous” or “stunning.” Square Enix’s declared objective of pioneering a visual narrative that adeptly balances nostalgia with contemporary appeal appears to be a substantial triumph.
“Some players might perceive games with pixel art as outdated,” remarked Octopath Traveler 0 producer Hirohito Suzuki, who also communicated with The Verge via email. “Yet, this offers an opportunity to harness imagination, which is an inherent feature of pixel art — with no bounds on one’s creativity.”
Nevertheless, there’s a clever little trick highlighted by the Octopath developers when conveying insights into the creation process for a 2019 Unreal Engine promotional video. The HD-2D aesthetic owes as much to PlayStation-era games like Xenogears and Grandia as it does to Super Nintendo classics, rendering the style a broader amalgamation (and perhaps less groundbreaking) than it’s often portrayed. However, this doesn’t diminish its value — Square continually exhibits remarkable diversity with its HD-2D projects. Hayasaka emphasizes the importance of recognizing the flexibility the HD-2D method allows for its successful realization.
“The concept of HD-2D is quite straightforward; if you create characters and monsters as pixel art and position them against a 3D backdrop, that alone technically qualifies,” Hayasaka explained. “However, this alone wouldn’t encapsulate the essence of HD-2D, so from there, you’d have to manage everything from the color scheme, effects, and camera angles to cultivate that ‘atmosphere that feels just right.’ This is critically significant and is the essence of HD-2D titles. Consequently, I believe the key to any HD-2D venture lies in having an art director who comprehends that sentiment and sensibility.”
The initial HD-2D projects, such as Octopath and Triangle Strategy, ironically possess the most limited visual breadth, adhering closely to similar muted palettes and diorama-like settings. Color choices can determine the success of these games, as relying heavily on any single hue could risk flattening the layers and undermining the sense of depth. Such limitations are counterbalanced by breathtaking visual high points where lighting dramatically enhances a scene in ways that feel genuinely impossible. The remakes feature a wider array of colors. The Dragon Quest entries are exuberantly maximalist, prioritizing the “HD” aspect of “HD-2D” while showcasing the striking character and creature designs by Akira Toriyama. They provide a lavish backdrop for the simplicity of a master cartoonist’s creations, resulting in visuals that are equally memorable, if not more so.
“Despite the umbrella of HD-2D, none of the five titles released thus far appear identical,” Hayasaka stated. “There are numerous avenues to enhance the distinctions made among them, from the color palette to how prominently you showcase the pixels’ grainy quality. That’s why I believe it’s an expressive technique that still has ample potential for development.
“Timeless” is another term frequently associated with HD-2D, indicative of its effectiveness and thoughtfully considered application. The style was crafted out of uncertainty — the Acquire developers initially aimed to create a classic 2D pixel-art game, harboring concerns it might be perceived as outdated. This tension underscores a central conflict in gaming, the dynamic struggle between artistic creativity and technological advancement. Art embodies a moment captured in history, reflective of its era while also aspiring to transcend it.
Games, however, remain closely linked to their technological eras, and technology can often present challenges. Pixel art can appear flawed on 4K displays, dialogue might seem simplistic due to memory constraints, and music designed for limited audio chips awkwardly fills modern surround sound systems. Unlike most other forms of art, game creators must deliberate: Should limitations remain intact, or be disregarded? Are compromises made for the sake of technology lasting artistic decisions, or transitory solutions?
The captivating illusion of HD-2D lies in the belief that one might envision a flawless rendition of a game that withstands the test of time. A method of producing a game that reveres the past without being embarrassing for the future. Appealing to gaming history while also aligning with our contemporary tastes, which value convenience and ample “quality-of-life” features. Nonetheless, these inquiries are inescapable. We, along with technology and our relationships with it, will evolve. It is beautiful to attempt to transcend this, as it is to inevitably fail, as most of us will. Video games may all appear similar until they diverge.
