DreamWorks has created some incredible movies. Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train a Dragon are, but to name a few. My children adore the colourful animation and the funny plots. However, as an adult, I appreciate the sneaky jokes and the hilarious one-liners. Consequently, when I was given DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms to review, I wasn’t disappointed. I knew there was a chance it would be a poor rip-off of the How to Train a Dragon franchise, but I was willing to take a chance. Fortunately, I wasn’t left disappointed.
Developed by AHEARTFULOFGAMES and published by leading children’s game publisher, Outright Games, this is an adventure title. It is a simple affair that is aimed at the 7+ market. However, younger family members may cope with the early stages and less demanding moments. Yet, to get the most out of it, I would let older siblings tackle the action. It uses the key protagonists from the How to Train a Dragon series, but no prior knowledge is needed. Thankfully, everything is well explained and nothing is left to chance. Accordingly, you can focus on the story and the straightforward gameplay.
DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is nicely balanced.
Outright Games have published a vast range of children’s games and they get unnecessary stick. People say their games are too easy or unnecessarily simple. However, I disagree. Many gamers misunderstand the market they are aimed at and make many poor judgements. Yet, those same people will hopefully look at this title and realise it is more rounded and nicely balanced. The developers behind DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms have used a gradual difficulty curve to suck you in and keep you playing.
The action focuses on the story of Thunder and the quest to find the missing Night Lights. By exploring 5 unique realms, and tackling many wild dragons, Thunder and his 3 friends will defeat the enormous bosses and save Thunder’s family. This may sound pretty basic, but the gameplay mechanics and loop have some nice variety that keeps you hooked. Each of the 4 heroes has special powers that overcome each opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. What’s more, a progression tree, challenge mode, and 2 special paths must be completed on each level. Subsequently, there is plenty to do and lots of things to find en route.
Crystals and special attacks.
Each dragon’s progress is dependent on you finding and collecting 4 coloured crystals. These are then spent on improving strength and health, and unlocking new skills and attacks. This is important, as the dragons become increasingly stronger in the latter stages. Furthermore, if you wish to complete the challenge mode, you’ll need the strongest team possible.
Once you understand this basic concept, the gameplay flows in a semi-linear fashion as you remove obstacles, defeat waves of foes, and finish at a coloured crystal. The main path leads to a white cluster of crystals, whereas a secondary hidden route ends in an orange cluster of crystals. Once the secondary option is found, you unlock the challenge mode. This option comprises an array of special challenges, such as double damage, constant health drain, and so forth.
The core combat mechanics rely upon an arena-based approach where a set number of dragons must be defeated. At first, this will not challenge you, but as the game wears on, your foes are stronger, tougher, and more varied. Consequently, you’ll have to use different teammates to overcome them, and the risk of failure is a lot higher. This challenge makes the gameplay loop much more enjoyable and will test younger family members to their limits.
DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms looks great.
Many children’s games offer moderate graphics and this disappoints many players. Fortunately, DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms looks great. Its interesting stage design and varied character models are fantastic to look at. What’s more, the attack animation is nice, and varied landscapes keep things fresh. On top of this, I enjoyed exploring each level, as the paths are well laid out and easy to follow.
Mostly, I can say the same for the audio. The music is enjoyable and hits the right notes. Moreover, it adds drama and danger at the right moments. Furthermore, the sound effects are good and rarely do they become tiresome. Sadly, though, the narration is a little dull and repetitive, which was disappointing. Consequently, the use of the same soundbites didn’t help to reduce the tedium or monotony.
Excellent controls.
This genre is usually so dumbed down that the controls can be clumsy and frankly awful. Luckily, I experienced none of these issues. The excellent UI and responsive controls made everything flow nicely. The combat had distinct elements of hack ‘n slash, and changing between dragons was easy to achieve. What’s more, the flying element was great and the occasional QTE or boss battle was enjoyable. In short, the developers have done a great job with their controls and my kids found it easy to play.
Thanks to the challenge mode and progression tree, there are plenty of reasons to return. If you wish to see every element of the game, you’ll need to invest plenty of time and effort. However, if you simply want to get to the finishing line, around 5 hours should be enough to see the end credits.
DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is a great family title.
I love this genre and will always review anything from Outright Games. For me, their titles rarely disappoint and my kids love every moment. Yes, occasionally as an adult they miss the mark, but for children, their games are phenomenal. DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms continues this fine approach and I can’t fault it. For this reason, I recommend you buy it here! Can you and Thunder’s friends save the day? Defeat each dragon, unlock each realm, and save the Night Lights.
