- Drakan The Ancients Gates Download
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- Order Of The Flame
Drakan: Order of the Flame is best described by one word: Breathtaking. Upon hearing of the concept for Drakan, I couldn't wait to try it. When the demo was released, I downloaded it immediately and awaited the full release. Drakan: The Ancients' Gates is an action-adventure PlayStation 2 game with RPG elements by Surreal Software It is the sequel to the 1999 PC game Drakan: Order of the Flame. The gameplay of Drakan: The Ancients' Gates is fairly identical to its predecessor. It consists of two parts - in the air and on the ground.
Overview
Once, hundreds of years ago, dragons and humans had an alliance, but that alliance was destroyed in a great and terrible war that drove the dragons into a long slumber and put Drakan into a time of chaos and decay. The Spirit Dragons, protectors of the empire, are trapped within a series of gates and a race of evil beings called the Desert Lords are working to enslave humankind. With the aid of the Spirit Dragons, the Desert Lords could be defeated, but only a dragon can open the gates and there is only one of the Elder Breed of dragons awake in this dark time. This one is Arokh, the very dragon you, Rynn, are bonded to. Together you could save Drakan, or guarantee its ruin.
Gameplay, Controls, Interface
Initially all games have a learning curve and Drakan: The Ancient's Gates is no exception, but right up front, the game provides you with the option to practice the skills you are going to need immediately and offering tips on how to do things across the top of the screen the first time you do them. Rynn, a female warrior, is easy enough to maneuver and the real time combat is superb. Hand to hand combat is both varied and challenging. You fight enemy warriors and monsters up close, from a distance, and in the air. Some opponent's approach in the normal fashion, others drop down from the ceiling and still others fly in from above. I have had enemies run or cower down after a potent magical attack and, when shooting with my bow, have had them step behind objects and even laugh at me. Often they will run for or call out their companions when they see you coming and many of them will give chase if you run.
Magical spells are invoked with a unique set of hand movements that must be remembered for each spell, making magic what it should be, a learned skill for the character and the player. Both magic and bow range attacks are made a bit easier with the targeting feature, however, in some cases when you cannot seem to target with the bow, there is a zoom feature that comes in handy for getting enemies in challenging spots. Targeting is also a handy feature when fighting hand to hand as it allows you to dodge attacks without loosing track of your opponent. On the down side, you have to release your targeting in order to run away from an opponent, which can be frustrating in the heat of battle, at least until you get the hang of it.
Drakan also offers a unique aspect that few games, other than its PC based predecessor Drakan: Order of the Flame, can boast at this time. In Drakan you can ride your companion Arokh, a magnificent dragon of the Elder Breed. From his back you can fly through the skies and battle enemies. His movement is a bit more challenging to master, but well worth the effort. This ability to soar through the sky on a dragon's back is more than most Fantasy Adventure and RPG gamers can resist and is almost worth the investment by itself.
Another great feature worth mentioning is their unique way of dealing with limited inventory space. As you adventure through dungeons and pick up treasure, most of the unusable items, such as gems, that you would have to sell anyway are automatically converted to gold. This allows for variety in treasure without the hassle of selling it all later. Definitely, a nice touch that most RPG players can appreciate after all the game time spent deciding what inventory item you want to drop so you can pick up something else.
Unfortunately, the game looses some of its interaction when dealing with NPCs. When you engage in conversation with someone, the game takes over and you sit back to watch. There are no answer choices. The NPC talks, Rynn responds, you are essentially an unnecessary bystander. Additionally, if you rescue an NPC, by opening a prison door for instance, they will thank you for their freedom, but apparently were not overly excited about it as, if you pass by again some time later, they are still standing there.
Also on the down side, Rynn or an enemy she is fighting will periodically become stuck in some invisible barriers that should, by all appearances, be navigable areas. This can also be frustrating if you go to hide in one of these apparently open areas and get killed when you discover too late that it is not so open. I had one monster, upon his death, become suspended mid-fall, although some parts of his body did appear on the ground below him.
Multiplayer support
n/a
Graphics
This is the one area where Drakan falls a bit short, but ultimately, you won't be playing this game for the graphics. The scenery is nice, though the graphics tend to be a bit angular and not overly refined. One of the places you are continuously reminded of this is with the poor design and movement of Arokh's jaw when he speaks.
Low level NPCs tend to all look generally alike. It feels a bit repetitive when you rescue one man's daughter in a dungeon and she looks identical to another man's wife whom you rescue a short time later. Perhaps it is just a small town, but a bit more variety in the appearance of people you will be interacting with would be welcome. On the other hand, the more critical NPCs tend to have more original, detailed appearances, and make up, to some degree, for the lack in the others.
Audio
All around the audio does not really stand out, which is fine with me. The mood is enhanced by subdued music that is almost inaudible in some dungeons, therefore, not annoying or distracting. When Rynn is moving around, the sound of her footsteps changes with the terrain. The general sounds of background details such as fire and water are nicely done and add good atmosphere to the game. Over all most of the voice acting is convincing, especially on the more key characters.
Room for Improvement
Drakan is a great game with an interesting storyline and many wonderful features that will captivate you for hours of gameplay. However, this game suffers from several unnecessary flaws. With a little more time focused on graphic details and the prevention of issues such as getting stuck in the scenery, the game could have truly excelled. On a lesser note and mentionable only for the lack of creativity it denotes, the main character, Rynn, bears a striking resemblance in appearance, attitude and voice to the renowned Laura Croft of the extremely popular Tomb Raider series.
Originality/Cool Features
There are two areas of this game that are worth mentioning again. The first of these is the delightful ability to ride and control Arokh in flight. The second of these is an excellent real time combat system enhanced even more by a notably cunning AI.
Bottom Line
All told, Drakan is a game that bridges the gap between Fantasy Adventure and RPG in such a way that fans of both genres will be able to enjoy. I strongly recommend this for fantasy fans of any genre and feel it is safe to say that the positives far outweigh the negatives in this wonderful and genuinely absorbing game. Take the time to play this game and stretch your dragon's wings.
Overall rating: 8
Platforms: | PC |
Publisher: | Psygnosis |
Developer: | Surreal Software |
Genres: | Adventure / Action Adventure |
Release Date: | August, 1999 |
Game Modes: | Singleplayer / Multiplayer |
Drakan The Ancients Gates Download
Action adventure games of the Tomb Raider ilk have followed a simple formula of third-person perspective, simple attempts at character development and plot, and detailed locations and puzzles. Drakan certainly fits the bill, with the emphasis on attempting character and plot development, rather than actually succeeding. The storyline – rescuing your brother from a great evil – quickly falls by the wayside. By the time you reach the tragically impotent ending (which, after some 30-plus hours of adventuring, offers little payoff), your brother Delon’s existence has been forgotten.
But it doesn’t take long to realize what makes the game tick, and why you’ll probably stick through most of it – that reason is Arokh, the dragon. Your partner in crime through much of the game, Arokh is controllable whenever Rynn (your female alter-ego) climbs on top of him. He’s not just a handy way of getting through the huge levels, but also a dangerous weapon. He looks incredibly cool, flies amazingly well, uses virtually the same control method as when you’re on the ground, and has some bad-ass flame breath. Throughout your journey you’ll be able to upgrade your dragon’s fire breath to more potent poison, ice and lighting attacks by finding magical crystals.
After proving adept with a sword, slashing and sashaying all in the same move, it’s a delight to find Arokh and get to the real good bits. The beastly Wartoks that had caused problems when fighting on foot now flee like the polygonal scum they are from the mere sight of the mighty red dragon. When you’re confronted by another dragon, the enemy AI exhibits some very adroit maneuvering, which sadly can’t be said for the ground-based enemies. Any appearance of actions resembling AI are generally scripted moments that occasionally manage some comic flair – such as the ill-timing of the rock fall trap that takes the hapless Wartok with it, falling to a deep-valley death.
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The puzzles are strictly average but effective, being mostly of the lever-pulling and key-hunting variety. Many of Drakan’s 11 levels are vast, but an excellent map function supplies a basic idea of where you’re supposed to be heading, with the objectives scrawled on and crossed out as they’re completed. The well-structured level design constantly points you in the right direction. Exploration is rewarded with caches of armor, weapons, or health potions in hidden coves. There’s a lightweight RPG element to all of this – items and weapons can be stored in your Diablo-esque inventory panel, swords wear out and eventually break, health potions are scattered everywhere and you’ll ocasionally find side-quests to complete.
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Even after you locate Arokh and take to the skies, the game will still be a blend of airborne combat and hack and slash. You’ll have to traverse through large, gaping cliffs using Arokh, then jump off and proceed on foot through smaller areas that are too big for your dragon. Fighting on foot with hand-to-hand weaponry is probably where the game is at it’s weakest. Even on the lowest difficulty, Drakan is not an easy game, and you’ll often have to time your moves perfectly to bring down enemies without taking damage yourself.
By the end, the tricky battles, intense puzzling, and terrific textures had me look past the game’s bugs and only halfheartedly responsive character controls (on foot, at least). Drakan has its problems, sure, but it’s still a worthier action-adventure than many other Tomb Raider wannabes, and has that extra edge to make it stick out of the crowd.
Drakan The Ancients Gates Pc
System Requirements: Pentium 100 MHz, 32 MB RAM, 4 MB Video, Win95
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