Still, I was glad to see it sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be played. I never gave it much of a chance before, mainly because side-scroller combat games were normally good for just a weekend jaunt or two. I hate repetition, generally, and sometimes the combat in these kinds of games can be boring at best. I was pretty surprised, though, once I gave the game a chance and learned some of my moves. It grew on me really, really fast. Also, it ran like a dream and was adorable to the point of nosebleed, which always helps.
Still, there's more. Click past the cut and find out!
If the game is done right -- and Dragonica is -- you do not even notice that you are exisiting in a pretty flat, left-to-right world. Your character does move up and down in the environment, but it is limited. Really the only difference is that camera control is generally locked. One of the advantages of this has got to be low system requirements and consistency. If the game is rendered the same for everyone, the developer can aim for an easier range of PC strength.
 "Despite the fact that you are spending your time mainly moving back and forth, you feel as you would in any other game."  |
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Combat is repetitive, but luckily the combo system is easy and fluid enough to allow players to really smash some heads. As I leveled and opened up new abilities, I became better at destroying my enemies in more and more spectacular ways. If I had the ability to swipe five or six enemies into the air and then spin them in a tornado of death -- at only level 10 -- then just think how amazing the combos must be at higher levels! The skill trees are standard stuff, and the abilities seem relatively basic, but when you combine them together, the game really shows you how fun combat can be.
As many would expect, there is a certain element of grind to the game. In fact, every mission I received instructed me to go out and kill a certain number of baddies, but the game is set up to run more like an action-filled Mario Brothers with a fun story attached. Throw in the social element and you have yourself the ability to grind through dozens of mobs without breaking a sweat. The game is designed to play like a grind, to allow the combat to shine through. It's balanced with visits by voice-acted NPCs and a cute main story, though.
Perhaps at later levels the game becomes more in-depth. The housing system looks to be very good, but I got no experience with it. Dare I say it -- players could even roleplay in a game like Dragonica. Why not?
gPotato's attached cash-shop is, as could be expected, a little pricey. I have found that the publisher generally has some of the higher-priced items in cash-shop games, but it's also true that the items you get are some of the highest quality. Furniture items, for example, are really nice in Dragonica, and the cash shop is laid out perfectly. gPotato might have its issues with getting prices right, but at least you get what you pay for. I could see myself plunking down 20 bucks for a house full of furniture, but only because the product was made right in the first place.
Next week, I will be looking at another side-scroller, this time Ghost X. The game is so cool-looking and so stylish that I had to jump back in for an updated look. Join me in game to smash some head! My name is Beauhind, so my nano and I will be waiting for you!
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Each week, Rise and Shiny asks you to download and try a different free-to-play, indie or unusual game, chosen by me, Beau Hindman. I welcome any suggestions for games -- drop me a note in the comments or email! You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Raptr!
