Hunting for Glory
The Action RPG genre often feels like how the games themselves play: a pile of loot to root through, as you decide what to keep, what is best, and what works for you. Dragonkin: The Banished is the newest contender, hacking and slashing its way through the chaff on its way to glory. Does it have the build of a contender to the throne, or will it falter amidst the horde of other games.
Dragonkin: The Banished is an action RPG Hack ’n’ Slash developed by industry veterans Eko Software and published by NACON, where you are dropped into a fantasy world in peril. You can tackle this world solo or with friends as you select from your classic selection of classes (Barbarian, Knight, Archer and Mage) to carve your way through draconic enemies to save the world from the Dragons that threaten it.
Using a variety of skills that you can mix and match, you will destroy countless monsters that stand between you and your goal, then moving on only to repeat this across six large locations following the single story plotline.
The Heart of a Dragon
The story of Dragonkin: The Banished is good, with enough twists to justify following along while staying interesting over its 20+ hour playtime. It doesn’t shuck any fantasy norms as there is still the big bad and the chosen hero, but effort has clearly been put into making it worthwhile for those interested in more than the gameplay.
What is the most interesting are the details. Eko Software has created a world and narrative which is interesting enough to take the time to learn about the world and the variety of characters who assist and assault you. However, while the story may be just good, what helps sell it is the excellent presentation. The environments are vast and varied across the locations and filled with fitting enemies. The enemies in particular are designed with plenty of detail, making each one not only visually distinctive but changing how they attack the player. Likewise, each ally, whether they actively assist with the player or simply interact, have their own style and are well voice-acted.
While not cutscene-heavy, the game does have enough to showcase the big moments. These cutscenes are all in-game which helps to keep the player immersed. However they do tend to be the roughest part, as there were often some frame stutters as well as noticeable pop-in particularly in the first area and questline. Afterwards though, the pop-in and stuttering became much less prevalent. Luckily these were the only technical difficulties and the rest of the game ran smoothly in both cutscenes and gameplay.
This is great because once you beat the story, that’s it. While there is a post-game, it is more about challenge and maximising builds with loot chances rather than story as you engage in hunts for bosses or champion enemies with a variety of modifiers and difficulties. While not particularly varied, the story and post-game act as a vehicle for the gameplay, which is where Dragonkin: The Banished really shines.
Streamlined Stat Stacking
Destroying hordes of foes feels incredible in Dragonkin: The Banished. As does hoarding the plot they drop. Eko Software has nailed both the crunch of a swirling axe through a dozen enemies and the chime of loot hitting the floor in their wake. The loot comes in a variety of rarities, with the best only available amongst the highest difficulties. Each piece carries its own stat that is specific to it, and random modifiers for a handful of other stats for your character. This makes it all the sweeter when you finally find that perfect armour or weapons that complements your build.
One of the most important pieces of loot, ancestor fragments, tie into one of Dragonkin: The Banished’s most unique and interesting systems: the ancestral grid. The fragments are your abilities, including even basic attacks, as well as modifiers. However, each one is a hex and often they are attached in various shapes which you must fit on the grid. Furthermore, by connecting various modifiers you can stack boosts and thus level up your abilities. This provides a high level of customisation and ability to make the most of it without creating an overwhelming skill tree.
These stats, of course, add onto your character’s. You gain experience points per level up across four linear skill paths which provide different bonuses depending where you commit them. This allows for more specialisation and the ability to freely refund your points means you are never punished for experimenting.
Wyrmlings and Evolution
Your character isn’t the only upgradable aspect of the game though. Early on you receive a wyrmling, essentially a tiny dragon, which follows you around. Like the characters, you have a choice of four options which again have their own upgrade trees and their own ancestral fragments for the ancestral grid.
But that isn’t the last upgradable aspect of the game. You can also level up and upgrade the city of Montescail which acts as your home base. By finding panoramas, relics, and defeating new creatures, you earn experience which levels up the city. Each new level unlocks new parts of it which in turn either enhance what that building offers, or ups your characters’ stats.
Despite all these systems, one of the most impressive parts of Dragonkin: The Banished is how player friendly it is, particularly for new players. Even though you have three different venues for improvement and leveling on top of the quantities and loot you have to sort through, everything is explained clearly. There is also a long list of difficulties so you can scale up to the hardest ones or try to race through on the easiest ones depending on your preference. All-in-all, it’s a very welcoming entry point that removes a lot of confusing barriers without sacrificing depth.
A Welcoming Entry Point for Veteran and Newbie Alike
While it doesn’t completely innovate or elevate the genre, Dragonkin: the Banished tries enough new things, while executing the basics at a high enough level, to stand amongst the best of the genre. While it lacks the breadth of some of its contemporaries, this focus generally is more of a boon than a curse as the game never trips over itself with sub-plots.
Coupled with the ease of understanding the stats and progression systems, Dragonkin: The Banished is a great addition for both veteran players and newbies looking to get into the genre.
Important Links
Dragonkin: The Banished Unleashes A New Slaying Adventure On Xbox, PlayStation And PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/dragonkin-the-banished-unleashes-a-new-slaying-adventure-on-xbox-playstation-and-pc/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/dragonkin-the-banished/9NKW738FL3ZN/0010
Buy the Blood Scales edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/dragonkin-blood-scales-edition/9PK9DB08BKL1/0010
