Drakensang is a fantasy-RPG based on a German Paper & Pencil (PnP) game called DSA (Das Schwarze Auge or The Dark Eye, typically. Drakensang: The Dark Eye for PC game reviews & Metacritic score: In the legendary continent of heroes, adventure and mysteries, something is on the move. And it’s an event which role players have been eagerly awaiting ever.
Finally, a Reason to Keep Europe AroundThey just don’t make ’em like they used to, or so it would seem. On the surface, seems to be an ode to simpler times, when the western PC RPG reigned supreme and all you needed was a five man party, a pause button and a Girdle of Sex Change to have a magical evening. German developer Radon Labs has attempted to recreate the magic of the Black Isle games and succeeded on many accounts. Sadly, certain elements of the game feel geared towards a very specific audience, while others simply feel alien and uninspired. That said, there is still a lot to love and the $29.99 price tag certainly makes for an appealing entry into the now desolate land of PC RPGs.The first aspect of Drakensang that becomes immediately apparent is the incredible depth. Based on The Dark Eye tabletop system, nearly every aspect of your characters can be modified to your liking. As soon as you begin the game, you are presented with an extremely full-featured character creation system.
After choosing an archetype, essentially the character’s class, you choose what combat, social, and crafting skills and abilities you want to concentrate on. While there are certainly builds that seem to excel above others throughout the game, it’s apparent that Radon Labs attempted to make each and every skill a valuable asset to the player. Party members that join along the course of the adventure can be trained in much the same way, allowing the player to have a full repertoire to choose from at any given time. Seconds before the Poultrygeist.Drakensang succeeds in creating an interesting environment. The art style, while simple, is polished and attractive. The musical score is quite fitting, and while you probably won’t be humming the world theme to Aventuria while you’re away from your PC, it is quite fitting and remarkably well crafted given Radon Labs’ relatively small budget. English voice acting is surprisingly well done considering its German roots, although a majority of the dialogue in the game is portrayed as text.Drakensang is ultimately a rich and polished experience, and fans of the old party-based PC RPG design will find the same virtues and flaws that come with this type of game.
With an English demo readily available, there is really no reason for anyone interested in an old-school RPG to not give it a try. It makes no attempt to be casual or even readily accessible to the mainstream, however, and would-be players should approach it expecting to feel overwhelmed the moment they start the game. For those able to overcome its flaws, Drakensang: The Dark Eye will deliver a long and fulfilling experience at a very reasonable price.