Dragon Is Dead Review

Dragon Is Dead was made by the indie studio TeamSuneat and is published by PM Studios Inc. Inspired by industry heavyweights like Dead Cells, Salt and Sanctuary, and Dark Souls, this pixel-art action roguelite boldly wears the armor of a side-scrolling genre debut. Fast-paced platforming, brutal boss battles, and RPG-style character development are all combined in this game.  

Dragon Is Dead deliberately tries to establish its own identity through a grim visual, severe difficulty, and crisp, responsive combat systems, even if it heavily draws from these genre mainstays. Although it doesn't attempt to rewrite the genre's template, its ambition is clear from away, and the wounds you sustain along the journey serve as evidence of that ambition. 

Dragon Is Dead descends you into a gloomy and dim universe. In the first scene, you find yourself in a town destroyed by demonic forces—dreadful demons that Guian, the frightful and divine leader of the black dragons, has let loose.  

As the chosen heir and dragon slayer, it is your responsibility to end Guian's reign of terror because the land is on the verge of extinction. Although the idea foreshadows something significant, the story sadly never progresses past this short setup. 

The majority of the story is told through short dialogue clips that are less like precise lore and more like placeholder text. Dragon Is Dead lacks an engaging plot despite its dramatic settings and spectacular visual tone. There isn't much character development, little worldbuilding, and not much of an emotional pull. With little background information or purpose other than to "kill the big bad dragon god," you are thrown into this dim environment. 

A character selection panel in the center of the game area greets you as soon as you start playing. The Spellblade and the Berserker are the two playable classes from which you can pick. The Spellblade is a hybrid class that specializes in crowd control using magic, screen-clearing ultimates, and ranged elemental attacks.  

In contrast, the Berserker is a raw melee powerhouse with tremendous damage who thrives in close-quarters combat and stacks bleed damage. However, his limited range leaves him vulnerable to quick attacks and overwhelming opposing numbers. Although some weapons and class-specific talents are still unique, the majority of the gear is shared by both characters, which lessens the grind between runs. 

You enter a number of enemy-infested stages after selecting your character. Platforming sections, ambushes, environmental dangers, and increasing rival difficulty are all present in each one. You begin with a double leap, a dash that includes short invincibility frames, and a simple melee strike.  

The basis for your mobility and survival is these tools. You can level up and gain skill points by killing enemies, which gives you experience points. You can select or enhance skills like flame, frost, and lightning-based attacks with these points.  

A hotbar at the bottom of your screen, which highlights mana requirements and cooldowns, is assigned to the selected spells. You can use the mana you gain from your basic melee assaults to cast strong spells that can lead to multiple battles. 

Throughout each level, you'll encounter various interactive elements such as chests, shops, and rest areas. Rest spots function as checkpoints where you can heal, upgrade weapons, and purchase items like potions or buffs. Some offer you a choice between two different perks—but you may only pick one, forcing you to strategize based on your current build. 

Common swords and rare legendary weapons, many of which can only be obtained by slaying bosses, are among the random gear drops. While treasures give more intricate increases that compliment your playstyle, gems offer flat bonuses to key metrics like attack or defense. Runes can significantly affect your long-term progress and serve as permanent unlocks obtained during key boss encounters. 

Dragon Is Dead really attempts to impress in combat. You cannot advance until all of your enemies have been defeated, and each stage shows how many enemies are remaining to overcome. With their obvious wind-up motions that hint at their assaults, early opponents are simple to read. But the game's difficulty quickly increases. As others die, later enemies start to appear on top of you and launch brutally effective attacks. 

While some teleport or suddenly rush at you, others fire projectiles with lethal tracking. It becomes a clever combination of horizontal positioning, dash cancels, double jumps, and spell usage to avoid harm. Real-time fighting, combined with platforming, necessitates continual awareness and quick reflexes. Repositioning, dodging, and spacing are all necessary for survival. 

Dragon Is Dead tests your limits during boss fights. Massive rivals who use environmental hazards, summon minions in the middle of a combat or flood the screen with projectiles are common in these encounters.  

Some bosses act in an almost unjust manner, hitting you before you have a chance to respond. You may enter these battles with one or no potions, depending on RNG and your item management, which makes surviving even more difficult. You will die a lot. Additionally, you'll be dealing with the same boss repeatedly unless you're incredibly exact and patient. 

The actual battle mechanics are quite good. Spell effects are aesthetically pleasing, dashing is responsive and feels fluid, and jumping has just the appropriate amount of float. Using elemental affinities and skill points to develop a functional character gives depth and encourages various builds on various runs. However, there is a lack of variety in rivals. You'll find that the boss gameplay and enemy kinds become repetitive after a few hours. 

You're constantly battling through the same obstacle course because of the linear level design, which lacks side regions and different routes. The game becomes boring due to this repetition, particularly when you encounter a boss wall and have to go through full stages again in order to get ready for another shot. Death is a form of punishment.  

All of your jewels, artifacts, skill points, and experience are lost. Your guns, equipment, goods, and money are all that you keep. Thankfully, you can upgrade your flask for more potion charges or purchase better equipment with your money. You will still have to farm the previous stages for little improvements if you are stuck. Yes, it's boring, but there's a captivating rhythm for people who like the cycle of difficulty and reward. 

You can access Nightmare Mode once you've finished the game. Enemies in this extremely challenging difficulty have 300% more HP and deal 500% more damage. The game makes up for the difficulties by providing better loot drops and higher-quality gear, which basically encourages you to grind for the best setups before taking it seriously. 

Dragon Is Dead is a very stunning game. Particularly in character motions and opponent design, the pixel art is crisp and intricate. Spell effects are vibrant bursts of chaos and light, and each assault, leap, and dash feels visually unique. The setting has a horrifying flair that complements the game's gloomy tone, thanks to the hideous appearance of the enemies and monsters. However, there is little diversity in the settings and backgrounds. 

A lot of stages have similar styles and rely too much on generic ruins, crumbling castles, or dark woodlands. The user interface is also a little disorganized. The bottom of the screen is occupied by a sizable HUD bar that shows skills, mana, and health. A minimap is positioned at the side, and a number of cooldowns take up important screen real estate. This occasionally takes away from the intense fighting and muddled opponent strikes. 

One of Dragon's Dead's most dependable features is its sound design. The gloomy, melancholy string compositions that dominate the game's music mirror the unpleasant environment and looming death threat. Boss fights are made more intense by the swell of music.  

Every sword swing, spell explosion, opponent scream, and treasure chest clink lands with pleasing clarity thanks to the heavy and satisfying sound effects. Even the background sounds, such as wings fluttering or distant moans, contribute to drawing you into this nightmare world. However, later phases with more musical variance would lessen the feeling of repetition during extended sessions. 

The ruthless, difficult roguelite Dragon Is Dead unashamedly displays its influences. For players who like to master difficult mechanics, the game offers comprehensive character customization, tight, gratifying combat, and a rewarding gaming loop. Although it struggles with level diversity, narrative depth, and sometimes annoying difficulty spikes, it's a promising and heartfelt game. 

Modern pixel visualization, expressive sound design, and fluid controls all work together to produce an entertaining—yet punishing—roguelite experience. This game is an engaging, if slightly uneven, challenge for fans of Dead Cells or Dark Souls who like slow growth and hard-earned victory. Although it might not be revolutionary, it is a strong starting point that, with more work, could become something extraordinary.