Customer Reviews

Drakan: Order of the Flame

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Drakan is one of my favorite games this year so far, and I have bought more than ten so far. First of all, the graphics are very nice (9/10). Although textures seem a bit blocky, they are still very well put together. Next, the music, sounds effects, and vocals are some of the best I have experienced (10/10). Also, the game have a very high fun factor (9/10), and tends to make you wonder where the hours go. Another great aspect is the replayability (9/10). This is one game that has many possibilities, and I can imagine playing it through many times before giving it up. My first real complaint is the difficulty (7/10). I am a very experienced gamer, but I found that after the first level or so, saving had to be done so frequently that it took away from the overall gameplay. Some parts were so hard, that I was tempted to save after every room or even after every jump even in easy difficulty! The other major flaw is the multiplayer (6/10). Normally, I get most of my gameplay time from multiplayer either because single player is easy or because single player gets old fast. In Drakan, it is the opposite; single player provides days on end of fun, and multiplayer is shallow and repetitive. In conclusion, Drakan is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a great game. Overall, it is one of the best buys out.

Despite what some of the media hacks might have to say about Drakan: Order of the Flame, it is neither a Tomb Raider knock off or wannabe, because Tomb Raider simply does not have the level of atmosphere or sense of scale. This may be due to the fact that Tomb Raider is playing with a game and graphics engine that is nearly five years old, with only minor nips, tucks and improvements in its history while Drakan hit the ground running, (flying!), with a brand new game engine.

In Drakan you take on the role of Rynn, a wasp-wasted redhead with much less attitude than Lara Croft, (Why is it that most male's concept of what it means to be a strong female character means they have to be snotty, arrogant, and pushy?), and is instead embarking on an adventure to rescue her kid brother. However, this doesn't last because she soon learns of plans to unleash a dark god who once menaced the world of Drakan a millennia ago. And in so doing, Rynn must awaken Aroch, a mighty fire breathing red dragon from his centuries long slumber, (players of AD&D might kvetch over a good-aligned red dragon, but this isn't really AD&D, though it certainly draws a great deal from the game).

The levels vary from ground bound puzzle solving through eerie grimstone mines to aerial dogfights with other dragons while avoiding Greek-fire equipped ballista. At her disposal Rynn can find a never ending supply of weapons from mundane swords, maces, hammers and bows to enchanted weapons like flametongue & frotsbrand swords, magical bows and arrows, and her ultimate goal, the Runeblade, an artifact level great sword used in the last great war. And while the weapons have a finite life span, meaning they can only be used so many times before they break, the supply of weapons is vast and one needn't worry about running out of powerful magic weapons.

Graphics are second-to-none in quality, and go far beyond simply colored lighting. Surreal's graphics engine incorporates some of the nicer elements such as flowing waterfalls, fish, positional shadows based on light sources; especially in instances where Rynn is carrying a flaming sword. Parents wishing to purchase this game for younger players will be well advised that this game is excessively violent in sword combat. The game allows you to remove limbs, heads and parts of heads with frightening regularity, complete with gushing spurts of blood and squishy sound effects. It is also possible to lock out the excessive amounts of gore and password protect it.

The game suffers from a minor bugs, mostly inherent to on-line multi-player games, of which there are at least two patches available that solve most of these. There are some clipping issues, and I recall once getting trapped in a tower approaching the succubus lair and having to restart from my last save game position. I ran it at 640x480 & 800x600 on my P200 with a Creative Labs Video Blaster Voodoo 2 PCI card w/8 mb ram), with little slow down and should be fine on 233's and higher. Unlike Tomb Raider, Drakan doesn't suffer from nearly as many clipping or poor camera angle issues.

What I think I really enjoyed most about Drakan is that it provides the player with a solid and immersive world in which to play. There is a tremendous sense of freedom for movement, both on and off the dragon. I would have preferred FMV cut scenes or even live action cut scenes using the stunning model they used for Rynn in press gatherings, but the video engine scenes are satisfactory and good enough to move the story along. Drakan is a solid game and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes their fantasy light with a side order of red dragon.

Drakan is, simply put, an outstanding game. Although the story is somewhat simple -- the beautiful girl is out to rescue her brother, hooks up with the dragon, and realizes it's up to her to save the world -- the game is great fun to play.

The graphics, first of all, are amazingly smooth, and the game runs well even on a lower end system like mine. All of the characters are reasonably well modeled, and the physics engine and gore are pretty fun, although it is awkward the big chunks of hacked meat bounce around like beachballs.

The flames continue to burn on impact, and there is a whole variety of weapons, moves, and stuff to do or use. Many of the characters or levels are challenging, but not too difficult, and the enemy AI is so so. But the game has a few flaws as well.

For example a plothole -- what is Rynn doing wearing so few clothes in the middle of winter? And on the more serious side -- levels lead into each other, so you can go back and forth between, say, the end of level 2 and the beginning of level 3. I did this by accident. I went back to 2, leaving Aroch in 3, and when I returned, he wasn't anywhere, so I had to start level 2 essentially over from my save-game. It's glitches like that that are very frustrating in a game.

Still, this is an extremely smooth, enjoyable action game that should satisfy the vast majority of gamers. I recommend it.

This game is really fun. The graphics are outstanding. I recommend trying the demo of the first level before buying it This game was excellent, it had very good graphics, and beautiful scenery, like Rynn. Also the game play was really addicting, and a lot of fun. Normally, I get most of my gameplay time from multiplayer either because single player is easy or because single player gets old fast. In conclusion, Drakan is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a great game.

This game has incredible graphics, fantastic sound and awesome single player gameplay. The world of Drakan is one of the most in depth beautiful worlds I have ever seen on a computer. This is easily one of the best single player games of all time. Get this game if you have ever wanted to fly a dragon.

MP is not your typical corridor shooter and with the recent patches is very stable. There are tons of user mods and rumors of a total conversion.

The single player aspect of the game is excellent, by far the best since Half Life. However the multiplayer aspects are plain horrible.

If you're new to this game then you should know it's a combination of Tomb Raider and a flight simulator game. The flight portion is aboard a beautifully constructed dragon. You almost expect Sean Connery's accented voice. What you get is some pretty decent voicework.

The levels near the beginning are amazing (I'm still trying to finish the game). Flying the dragon thru mountain ranges complete with flowing waterfalls and detailed buildings and trees down below must be experienced to be appreciated. Let loose of some firey breath and watch those trees burn!

The flight model of the dragon is very realistic. I wonder if game makers have a real dragon hidden somewhere because they really get it right! Truth is all the flying creatures in the game will make you take a few unnecessary shots as you attempt to sightsee! Less interesting is walking thru narrow caverns on top of the dragon. It's more fun to lead the striking female player character - named Rynn - around. Judging by the looks of it she is definately into aerobics (check those buns gentlemen)! I was amazed at her detail. The fact is that everything looks superb! Show this to your console-loving friends! It's something of a graphics showpiece. My PC is nothing special (AMD 350, RAGE128, 64 megs) and Drakan ran beautifully most of the time. The movement can be jerky because of some faulty movement mechanics. Nothing major, just a little irritating when jumping on slopes.

As for the multiplayer, I couldn't find any places to try it out. Perhaps that should be a warning that the MP is lacking. That's a shame. I've dreamed of a double play style game such as this. First person shooter/flight simulator. Drakan fits the single player bill. Perhaps Drakan II will fix the MP and give us what we want! Are you listening Psygnosis?!

This game is very addictive. I probably played the demo more than I have played my full version of Half Life. The game features a nice soundtrack along with astounding enviornments and modeling. The gameplay is pretty decent. The combat is great, however the puzzles and mazes are really annoying. I suggest that you get the demo... before buying it. Overall, I must say I simply wish I found this game sooner. Drakan is really a great choice.

Drakan Order of the Flame is the best game I have ever played on my PC. It has excellent music, superb graphics and a gripping storyline. The characters are very accurately modelled and there are a number of interesting enemies, from little goblins to 40ft tall giants and huge dragons. Definately recommended.

If you want high flying action on a killer dragon then this is the game to buy! I love the game! The characters are amazing and the action is never ending. What more can you want in a game?!? Actually I am stuck in a bad position in the game. I have barely any health left in my health meter and at least 7-10 dragons and 3 mosquitoes are surrounding me!