Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: How to level up fast

A major part of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is the level-up grind. Despite this version of the game feeling a little easier than previous editions, there are definitely some important new bosses that ramp up the difficulty when you least expect it to. Thankfully, there are plenty of amazing spots to level up at throughout the game. However, I’m going to highlight the ones I used during my time with the game.

Two of these spots were ones I used not only in Dragon Warrior 3, but the Dragon Quest 3 Super Famicom remake. They are still just as potent here in the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. The third spot was new for me — I was never lucky in the Cave of Jipang. I’m also including a few late-game spots, including one for the post-game, which was a fun addition to this RPG Remake.

Note: This article includes minor spoilers for late-game locations in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.

Best places to level up in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake

While you can level up anywhere in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, the best places include Metal Slimes/Liquid Metal Slimes. They give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to leveling up. Enemies that spawn allies are also great secondary picks — so anytime you see Goopy Hands, and you want to level up, kill them very slowly, so they have time to summon more and more friends.

If you want to level up fast, hopefully, you'll get as lucky as I did with Metal Slime packs (Image via Square Enix)

You won’t really see your first Metal Slime farm until roughly level 20 or so. This one’s location is within the Tower of Transcendence — where you go to seek out the first copy of Words of Wisdom to become a Sage. This location also has at least one Mini Medal and Friendly Monster to find, so it’s worth visiting anyway in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D if you want to level up fast.

You cannot get here until you’re on the quest to acquire the boat from the King of Portoga. He’ll give you a pass that will get you through the mountains, and put you on the other side.

If you want to try your luck as soon as you get there, follow the path south, and over the bridge next to Baharata. From there, head north, stopping at Alltrades Abbey so you can Zoom there later. Finally, head into the Tower of Transcendence to the north.

This type of fight is both a blessing and a curse — it's so sad to watch them flee (Image via Square Enix)

While Metal Slimes can appear here anywhere, they are most commonly found on the upper floors. The enemy packs here are worth fighting no matter what, giving you anywhere from 750-1,000 exp on average.

When you encounter Metal Slimes, you will want to be able to hit repeatedly (Call of the Wild, Monster Pile-On), strike first (Mercurial Thrust), or be able to instantly kill them (Poison Needle). They tend to run away pretty fast, so it’s also a matter of luck. Just be persistent. Later in the game, when you have access to Falcon Slash/Falcon Sword, those will help too.

While this is the first place you can level up fast in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, it’s far from the only one. Below, we’ve included a list of other places for much later in the game that you’ll can take advantage of.

Another area was recently found, that I completely missed during my review period. Despite landing on the bird-only access spot I didn't take the time to do battle here. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake features Slime Hill, which was named by fans in DQ9.

As soon as you have the Everbird, you can use this Slime Hill - one of the best places to level up in the game (Image via Square Enix)

It's a small location where only slime enemies appear, including full parties of Metal/Liquid Metal Slimes. You can find it east of Aliahan. Go to the far side of the island, and look for the top of the hill that only the Everbird can reach, in the screenshot above.

Tower of Transcendence: North of Alltrades Abbey, home to Metal Slimes.
Forest west of Persistence: Requires the boat, home to Metal Slimes.
Cave of Jipang: First floor appears to have more Metal Slime packs in my experience.
Baramos’s Castle: Liquid Metal Slimes can start appearing here.
Zoma’s Citadel: Liquid Metal Slimes can appear here as well.
Citadel Tower: Liquid Metal Slimes can appear here.
Slime Hill: All slime-type enemies show up here, including Metal/Liquid Metal

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is home to many amazing enemy groups, but Metal Enemies are always worth the most. It’s going to take patience to find and farm these — it’s always a matter of luck. As long as you’re constantly fighting the other groups, you’ll level up in no time.