Dragon’s Crown Pro – Review
PS4
M
When Dragon’s Crown first came out in 2013 it brought back nostalgic memories of action RPG beat ‘em up titles from days of old. Five years later with the release of the enhanced port for Playstation 4, Dragon’s Crown Pro brings that sweet nostalgia back once more.
As a kid, my first game console was the Amiga, and I have so many memories of playing various co-op games with my younger brother. As kids, anything where we had to compete with each other often ended with joysticks or controllers being hurled at each other’s heads, which is why games like Golden Axe were so great. For my brother and I, it meant we got to enjoy a gaming experience without wanting to belt each other in the face, and for my parents, it meant a few hours of blissful peace and quiet before the chaos resumed once again.
It is with these fond memories that I go into Dragon’s Crown Pro on the PS4. Having never played it on PS3 or Vita when it was released in 2013, I wasn’t really sure what to expect (other than women with giant boobs- this message got relayed to me on more than one occasion). I went into this game a blank canvas, ready for it to paint me however it saw fit, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw.
The game has six different characters you can play as, depending on what sort of play style you prefer. There’s your classic ‘bash their butts’ characters such as the Dwarf and the Amazon, and then more in-depth ones such as the Sorceress and the Elf. I, of course, chose the Sorceress, because even though her INCREDIBLE HEAVING CHEST made my own boobs ache in sympathy, who can really pass up setting shit on fire?
The core of the game is simple yet incredibly fun; as an adventurer, your role is to join the Adventurer’s Guild and deal with the recent influx of quests that have been pouring in since more seasoned adventurers are out searching for the Dragon’s Crown. There’s a range of side quests you can take at any point in the game to supplement your levels, loot and skill points whilst you work through the story as well- which is awesome since combat is obviously the highlight of the whole experience.
As you explore the many different dungeons, each with varying surroundings, ambience and aesthetics (which are all beautifully drawn and look frickin fantastic might I add), you’ll happen upon the bones of other adventurers which you can then resurrect and have them join your team. A nice option if you don’t have any friends to play the game with- which would be disappointing because the multiplayer in this is incredibly enjoyable.
Combat wise, Dragon’s Crown is your standard side-scrolling beat ‘em up action RPG. You make your way through the levels by travelling one way and basically annihilating anything that stands in your path. As the game goes on, the dungeons become more elaborate, the enemies become tougher and the boss battles really take some strategy to beat. You won’t be able to button mash your way through everything! This is really where those resurrected buddies are going to come in handy (or your friends, if you have that option). Not only will they come in great use when things get difficult, but its another person to blame when you inevitably die. Because let’s be real, your deaths are always going to be someone else’s fault.
My one gripe with the multiplayer is that everybody has to repair and equip their gear, level up, accept quests and manage their inventory separately. A split screen inventory and levelling system might help here, but as it stands you’re going to spend a bit of time waiting for your mates to finish their inventory management until you can do your own and then head off on your merry way adventuring once again. This system really slowed down what is a game that flows very well in every other aspect, so it was kind of disappointing. However it is a good opportunity to check Reddit for the latest gifs of kids falling down, which is all I do in my spare time, so, ya know, silver linings.
Other than the combat system and the unbelievably epic boss battles, one of my favourite things in this game is the item appraisal system. At the end of a dungeon, you’re given a list of items you’ve picked up along the way and have the choice to appraise them (to find out what they are), keep them or sell them. Appraising items costs gold, but it’s the only way to find out what it is. Because gold is a shared resource amongst your characters, sitting down and deciding what to appraise, sell and keep can be an interesting experience when you’re playing with friends, and one I enjoyed greatly… probably because that sense of mystery is almost like gambling, and gambling in video games is my version of crack. But enough about that.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this game. I honestly thought the way women are depicted might throw me right off, but you soon realise that all characters in this game are obscenely exaggerated, and once you find the humour in it, running a chick with enormous breasts around a dungeon becomes kind of hilarious. Though nostalgia was, admittedly, a big part of my enjoyment, the rest of it comes from Dragon’s Crown actually being a ripper of a title.
If you liked the original, you’ll like this game.
If you never played the original, but like good games, you’ll like this game.
If you enjoy fun, you’ll like this game.
If you’re a bit of a perv and just wanna see some incredible jiggle physics, you’ll like this game.
Really there’s something here for everybody, I don’t know how I can make that clearer. Grab some mates, pick it up and dungeon crawl ‘til your eyes bleed- you won’t regret it*
*Bleeding from the eyes may cause some regret. Player 2 is not responsible for eye injuries resulting from this review.
