Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: All main quests/objectives list
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake doesn’t have main quests, but there are objectives and story beats that must be hit to defeat Archfiend Baramos. However, there are also many optional secrets and items that you can and should collect. In this article, we focus solely on the main quest objectives, with one or two minor optional dungeons that should be tackled. This is also not a complete walkthrough, but a brief glance at what you’ll be doing.
One of the great things about Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is that you’ll occasionally have some agency in the order in which you do things, such as the Six Orbs. That’s part of what makes an RPG masterpiece like this one so enjoyable.
Note: This article contains major spoilers for locations/objectives in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.
All main story objectives and quests for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is a classic RPG, so instead of main quests, you have to meet objectives. This isn’t like World of Warcraft, where all your quests are neatly lined up, or Final Fantasy 14, where you can see the next quest on your list in the UI. However, it’s not challenging to figure out where to go next most times.
That said, below is a complete list of all the main quest objectives in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D. We’ve kept it as spoiler-free as we could, outside of location names – some of which do reveal late-game bosses. While most of these are to be completed in order, a few are flexible. This is the order in which I tackled the game for the purposes of my preview and review of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D.
- Aliahan through the Path of Promise: Starting the game, picking a party, and going to Dreamer’s Tower (Thief’s Key). Path of Promise leads to Romaria.
- Romaria through Skyfell Tower (optional: Underground Lake): Romaria gets you the quest to defeat Robbin’ Ood, at Skyfell Tower. Underground Lake is a great level grind spot and will help you awaken the sleeping city to the north.
- Asham through the Pyramid (Magic Key): Heading to Asham, and then Ibis, you will go through the lengthy Pyramid, fight a brand-new boss, and secure the Magic Key.
- Portoga through acquiring the Ship (Black Pepper): Speaking to the King of Portoga will get you the quest for Black Pepper, and a writ. Use it to get through the mountain tunnel. This leads to Baharata, and the Kidnapper’s Cave to the northeast. Defeat Robbin’ Ood again and bring the couple back to progress towards Black Pepper. Bring it to Portoga for the Ship.
- Acquire Ultimate Key, Theddon, Lanson/Gaia’s Navel, Jipang (Orbs): Ultimate Key is hidden in the Shoal Shrine - need to complete the Boulder Puzzle in Edina. Theddon has one of the Orbs, as does Lanson - but you have to get it with just the Hero. Make a merchant and head to ??? to make your town. Jipang’s Cave leads to another Orb after besting Orochi twice. Stop into Merchanttown.
- Manoza, Fifer’s Spire, and the Phantom Ship: Reach Manoza and find Ra’s Mirror in Manoza Cave. Use it on Manoza King to fight Boss Troll. Trade Mod Rod for Boatsman's Bone. Stop into Pirate’s Den for another Orb under the statue. Clear Phantom Ship for Lovers' Locket. Stop into Merchanttown again. Speak to people here at night, stay the night, and come back again. This should unlock Yellow Orb.
- Olivia’s Promontory, Shrine of Shackles, Maw of the Necrogond: Reaching the Shrine of Shackles will grant you Mountaincleaver for later. Use Lovers' Locket at Promontory to access this. Take to Mt. Necrogond, fight the new boss, and throw Mountaincleaver into the volcano. Clear Maw of the Necrogond, stop into Shrine, get the final Orb. Bring it to Shrine of the Everbird and claim flying bird.
- Baramos’s Lair: Fight your way through Baramos’s Lair, defeat the boss, and return to Aliahan. Learn of Zoma.
- Castle of the Dragon Queen through arriving at Tantegel Castle: Fly to no-longer misty area on the map, meet Dragon Queen, and get Sphere of Light. Head to Pit of Giaga, jump in and get to Tantegel. Get Sunstone in Tantegel upstairs, near Kitchen.
- Assemble the Rainbow Drop (Damdara, Rimuldar, Tower of Rubiss, Shrine of Spirit, Sanctum): Get the Staff of Rain from Shrine of Spirit, Sacred Amulet from Tower of Rubiss - must fight Soul of Baramos. Bring everything to Sanctum for the Rainbow Tear.
- Zoma’s Citadel: Fight through Zoma’s Citadel, including the boss gauntlet. Vanquish the boss and roll the credits.
- Post-Game: Castle of Dragon Queen leads to Heavens, and a post-game dungeon. This leads to Cloudsgate Citadel and Citadel Tower, where Xenlong awaits. If you select the invisible final option, he’ll unlock the Temple of Trials, the ultimate final trial.
It’s important to note that for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D, you can get the orbs in any order you please. Some of them require powerful boss encounters that are new to this version of the game. The Yellow Orb – unlocked in your created town – will only be available behind the throne after certain checks have been completed.
You need to defeat Orochi in Jipang and Boss Troll at Manoza, and then come back to speak to the people plotting a rebellion. Once the Merchant has been jailed, you should be able to talk to him and claim the orb for that part of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.
The rest of the main quests in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D are more or less set in order. Once you reach the step to secure the Black Powder, you can head northeast of Baharata to journey to Alltrades Abbey and then the Tower of Transcendence, which helps unlock the Sage class and is a great place to level up.