Drakkhen

About

Drakkhen is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Infogrames and was released on February 8, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

The prophecy has been fulfilled. The world shall be ruled by the dragons. On an island far away, their lords prepare for the conquest of the lands. There is only one hope for mankind. The emperor sends out four heroes -- warriors and magicians -- to solve the puzzle of tears and prevent the invasion of the Drakkhen. Drakkhen is a role-playing game with a visual presentation that combines 3D l…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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55%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

atmosphere3 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

Drakkhen is a historically significant and innovative RPG that introduced continuous 3D overworld exploration, real-time combat, and open-world design ahead of its time.
The game offers a unique eerie and mysterious atmosphere with a distinctive art style and minimal but effective sound design that enhances immersion.
Fans of retro and old-school RPGs will find the challenging gameplay, puzzles, and exploration rewarding and nostalgic.

The game has a steep learning curve with no included manual or in-game instructions, making it very difficult to understand and navigate for new players.
Controls and user interface are unintuitive and clunky, especially in the DOS version, with frustrating menus and poor mapping/navigation tools.
Combat and difficulty balance are harsh; enemies can be overpowering even early on, requiring excessive grinding and making the experience sometimes frustrating rather than fun.

gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Drakkhen's gameplay is notable for its pioneering, tactical combat system and ambitious design, offering a challenging and rewarding RPG experience that showcases late-1980s creativity. However, its mechanics feel clunky and user-unfriendly by modern standards, with minimal guidance provided, which may limit accessibility for some players. Despite this, dedicated fans of classic RPGs will find extensive gameplay hours and historical significance in its experimental approach.
- “Drakkhen, developed by Infogrames and published by Atari, is a landmark RPG that pushed the boundaries of role-playing games in the late 1980s with its ambitious design and experimental mechanics.”
- “The combat system, which allows active control of each party member, was groundbreaking for its time, blending tactical decision-making with the immediacy of action-oriented gameplay.”
- “For enthusiasts of RPG history and those interested in the evolution of immersive, experimental gameplay, Drakkhen offers a fascinating and rewarding experience, showcasing the ambition and creativity of late-1980s game design.”
- “The Steam version stays true to the original, with no explanation of any game mechanics.”
- “It has some interesting game mechanics, but it is so clunky and user-hostile that it can't really compare to modern games.”
- “The gameplay of Drakkhen is both its strength and weakness.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The graphics are considered dated and awkward by modern standards, with a strange color palette that hasn't aged well. However, the unique art style and 3D overworld visuals contribute significantly to the game's distinctive atmosphere, reinforcing its sense of exploration and giving it a memorable identity.
- “Part of this comes from its unique 3D overworld graphics.”
- “That said, this weird aesthetic gives the game its own identity.”
- “Before we insisted on distinguishing between JRPGs and WRPGs, a bunch of Japanese programmers ported this game while asking important questions like 'what if the controls and visuals made more sense?' and 'hey, what if this mess was actually playable?' They later built a whole sequel out of that logic.”
- “But let’s be honest: the visuals haven’t aged well, and the color palette is strange, even jarring at times.”
- “Although the graphics may appear dated by modern standards, the art style contributes to the game’s distinctive atmosphere and reinforces the sense of exploration and discovery that defines the experience.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The music in early versions was minimal but effective, enhancing the game's mysterious atmosphere, while later ports like the SNES release featured expanded, more atmospheric soundtracks that significantly improved the mood and tension. Fans appreciate the blend of ambient sounds with visuals, though some feel the DOS version's music is below average compared to others. There is a desire for a modern release combining the best audio and visual elements from different versions.
- “The combination of ambient sound and music works in concert with the visual design to create a compelling sensory experience despite the technological limitations of the time.”
- “The music and sound effects are minimal but effective, adding to the overall sense of mystery.”
- “The music is better, the systems are simplified, and it doesn't have the stupid runic magic writing that requires a guidebook no one has ever owned in order to understand what the spells do.”
- “They should have taken the soundtrack from the SNES version and melded it with the Amiga version of the game, enhanced the palette and sprite work, and released it as a proper modern PC port.”
- “While early versions had limited musical accompaniment, ports such as the SNES release expanded the soundtrack, offering more atmospheric and varied compositions that enhance the tension and mood of exploration.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is more action-focused and less deep or memorable compared to its predecessor, with minimal backstory and a steep difficulty curve that can feel aimless at times. Players coming from the SNES version may need to refer to external manuals for clarity, as the game offers little explanation or guidance upfront.
- “It's meant to be a sequel to the classic hardcore RPG Drakkhen (Dragon View's name in Japan being 'Super Drakkhen') with a focus on a story that's a lot more action-oriented than the original RPG.”
- “Loved the story; so when I found out that the SNES story was lost in translation to the original, I wanted to pick this up.”
- “If your experience with this game is the SNES version, then I highly recommend looking up the manual of the DOS version because unlike the SNES version, this game straight out throws you into the action right away, no backstory or controls explanation (and it's not simplified at all).”
- “If your experience with this game is the SNES version, then I highly recommend looking up the manual of the DOS version because unlike the SNES version, this game throws you into the action right away with no backstory or controls explanation (and it's not simplified at all).”
- “Get ready to write important quest info down and memorize hotkeys for spells!”
- “I'm only in the second dungeon in the story and every enemy I encounter kills me even though all my characters are level 6 or 7.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's distinctive atmosphere is shaped by its unique art style, which evokes a strong sense of exploration and discovery despite dated graphics. Enhanced soundtracks in later ports further enrich the mood and tension, complementing the blend of traditional RPG elements and unusual design choices.
- “Although the graphics may appear dated by modern standards, the art style contributes to the game’s distinctive atmosphere and reinforces the sense of exploration and discovery that defines the experience.”
- “While early versions had limited musical accompaniment, ports such as the SNES release expanded the soundtrack, offering more atmospheric and varied compositions that enhance the tension and mood of exploration.”
- “Originally released in 1989, this game stands out for its unique atmosphere and its mix of traditional RPG elements with some really odd design choices.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is extensive and time-consuming, requiring significant effort to level up further. Additionally, limited saving options and slow healing mechanics outside palaces make prolonged grinding sessions challenging and tedious.
- “To level up much further would take an immense amount of grinding, and I've already done quite a bit.”
- “You can't save inside of the palaces and you only heal over time outside, so you better find a nearby building to stand at the entrance of for a couple of days to heal up before doing a lot of grinding to make progress even walking around.”