Roguelite games are a popular genre, and many have developed their own sub genres, such as Hades and Dead Cells. The latter has produced a few notable games, such as The Rogue Prince of Persia ( made by the Dead Cells developers) and the subject of today’s review: Dragon is Dead. A dark fantasy action RPG roguelite, Dragon is Dead is a game I enjoyed on PC and now that it has come to consoles., it is great to play again and devote more time to.
The best way to describe Dragon Is Dead, is that it is a mix of the aforementioned Dead Cells, and the Diablo games. This is not just due to Dragon is Dead using an inventory system reminiscent of the recent Diablo games, but just due to how the loot system works. While this is a roguelite, you still gain experience and level up and retain the level on subsequent runs, which affects your loot. The higher your level, the better your loot and defeating powerful enemies will get you higher ranked loot.
You also have access to a skill tree, but it resets each run, while there are some permanent upgrades to unlock as well, to improve your runs. Dragon Is Dead is a heavy and gritty game that sees you go from area to area, defeating monsters and claiming your choice of reward from the giant chests that spawn. This all seems simple enough, but the choices soon end up having more impact on your run the further in you go.
There is a town where you can buy items before each run, as well as upgrade various permanent enhancements, while you will also find ways to spend your money in the levels as well, such as through vendors and more. As with all roguelites, death will reset you back to the start and you will need to begin your progress all over, except when it comes to the aforementioned loot, which can be carried over between runs. This makes Dragon is Dead feel different from other roguelites, by letting you carry over a surprising amount between runs.
Combat is one of the best aspects of the game, and is extremely varied, changing when you upgrade your skill trees each run to change up your fighting style. Weapons have different elements that affect enemies differently and have different ability ranges, and the right build picked each run, matched with the right weapons and artifacts you select will mean you can create something truly unique. Of course, this is before you get into the different classes, which are unlocked as you play.
While weapons and skill tree choices will affect your run with your class, the various classes themselves all feel unique from each other and stand out in a good way. You may come to enjoy one of the latter classes more, and find you want to switch up your style completely, and since leveling is carried over, that is not as big of a problem as you may think. In that way, Dragon is Dead is a game that understands that roguelites are all about variation and gives you much to work with when building your character and taking on enemies.
I need to note that Dragon is Dead has a good story, and that the bosses present a good challenge that makes you want to keep going after getting defeated. A good roguelite is a game that manages to hook you in and make you want to replay over and over again in an addictive loop, and Dragon is Dead definitely has that down pat. It helps that the bosses and levels all feel unique and fully realized, and there is definitely a good horror fantasy feel to Dragon is Dead that makes the game unique.
Part of this is thanks to the art style which definitely calls back to the later 2D Castlevania games, and goes all out with visual effects. This is especially the case when multiple enemies are on screen, and you can appreciate how far the developers pushed things with Dragon is Dead.. This is without mentioning the music, which has a haunting feeling to it that perfectly suits the game and creates the perfect soundtrack for the experience.
Dragon is Dead may not have the attention that Dead Cells has, but honestly it should. This is a fantastic evolution of that gameplay formula, with more emphasis on RPG and combat elements, and shows off what truly can be done in the genre. I hope even more in the future, because Dragon is Dead is something truly special.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided