DreamWorks Dragons Dawn of New Riders
- February 15, 2019
- Climax Studios Ltd.
- 3h median play time
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreDreamWorks Dragons Dawn of New Riders is an action-adventure game set in the world of How to Train Your Dragon. Players control Scribbler, a new hero with the ability to swap between different dragons, as they explore islands, battle enemies, and solve puzzles. The game features a unique art style and voice acting from the original film cast, making it a must-play for fans of the franchise.
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Windows
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Reviews
- The game features a cute art style and engaging soundtrack that fits well within the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.
- Gameplay includes a mix of fun puzzles and combat, with the ability to switch between characters adding variety to the experience.
- Many players found the game enjoyable, especially as a nostalgic return to the world of dragons, making it a good fit for fans of the franchise.
- The game is criticized for its short length, with many players completing it in around 4-7 hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
- Controls are often described as janky or clunky, making some puzzles and combat encounters frustrating.
- The saving system has been reported as problematic, with autosaves not functioning as expected, leading to potential loss of progress.
- story66 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story is generally considered decent and engaging, with a cute and simple narrative that ties into the broader franchise, though some find the writing forced and the ending nonsensical. While it offers a nice addition to the game world and foreshadows future content, many reviewers note that the overall experience is short, with a total playtime of around 7 hours, leading to hopes for potential DLC or a sequel to expand the storyline. Overall, it serves as a charming introduction to the genre, particularly for younger audiences, despite its brevity and lack of depth.
“It's a really amazing game with a really good plot line; it's a perfect balance between being like the original 'How to Train Your Dragon' and being its own thing.”
“This game has a well thought out story line that makes sense; it also has very good gameplay with a combination of fighting and solving puzzles.”
“The story is a nice addition to the world and foreshadows the third movie of the trilogy a bit.”
“In addition, don’t expect any voice-overs or extensive cutscenes, so like often for lower-budget movie games, the story is more or less told through static sequences with only text and short sounds.”
“There are three missions, all of which follow the same theme: you land on an island, go through tedious tasks to get to some ruins, and then you get to fight a boss. This only takes a few hours to beat all three, and there's nothing particularly special about the main islands you visit.”
“I hope maybe they will release a story DLC because, as said by others, it is a little short.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and colorful cartoonish art style, which many players find reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda. The visuals are described as beautiful and impressive, enhancing the overall experience, especially for fans of the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise. While some minor glitches were noted, the charming graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The art style is beautiful, everything from tilesets to loading backgrounds is gorgeous.”
“Very good and chill game with a very nice and colorful cartoonish art style.”
“Overall the art style is adorable and I had a lot of fun.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable, featuring a mix of puzzles and combat that is accessible and suitable for younger players, though it can become repetitive and occasionally frustrating, particularly with certain boss mechanics. While the mechanics are solid and easy to learn, some players feel the experience lacks depth and innovation, leading to concerns about the game's value at its price point. Overall, it offers a fun, if not groundbreaking, action-adventure experience.
“The gameplay is fun; I'm enjoying the puzzles and the combat, despite being somewhat tricky, particularly with trying to make sure your partner isn't dying while you're playing as the other character.”
“- gameplay: nothing revolutionary, but solid; puzzles, combat, bosses - everything is fun.”
“The graphics are cute, the mechanics aren't hard to learn, and the story is decent.”
“The price point is far too high for this game considering the gameplay isn't compelling.”
“I paid $26 for 3 hours of gameplay when I thought it was just an introduction.”
“The mechanics for the first boss didn't make sense and the fight was frustrating overall.”
- music12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many reviewers noting that it fits the style of the How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD) franchise and enhances the overall experience. While some describe the soundtrack as "excellent" and "nice," others find it merely "okay," indicating a mix of opinions. Overall, the music complements the cute art style and adds to the enjoyment of flying dragons and solving puzzles.
“The soundtrack is excellent, and the story is decent.”
“New music that fits the httyd series.”
“The music was okay.”
“The music is fitting and according to the usual style of the franchise.”
“New music that fits the HTTYD series.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, as it often involves completing similar missions across three islands to gather resources for upgrades. The gameplay is criticized for its lack of variety and poor aiming mechanics, which detracts from the overall experience and makes battles feel frustrating. Overall, the grinding is seen as a necessary but unenjoyable part of progressing through the game.
“I beat it in about 6 hours, and that was only because I had to do a bit of grinding for some resources for the final upgrades I needed to obtain.”
“There are three missions, all of which follow the same theme: you land on an island, go through tedious tasks to get to some ruins, and then you get to fight a boss. This only takes a few hours to beat all three. Also, there's nothing particularly special about all three main islands you visit; just the environment, like it's snowy, and that's about it.”
“Patch has 3 attacks, all of which rarely hit an enemy because the aiming system is awful. This makes him only useful for the tedious puzzles in the game. Most of the time, you'll find yourself playing Scribbler to fight enemies unless you switch to Patch to freeze an enemy, then switch back to do damage with Scribbler. Even then, some enemies are immune and sometimes aren't even hurt by attacks.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, delivering great performance that keeps players engaged, even among adult audiences.
“Great performance and genuinely engaging even for an adult.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with many users noting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again.
“There really isn't much replayability, so once you are done, that's pretty much it.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a simple yet touching story that resonates with players, evoking a strong emotional response despite its straightforward narrative.
“The story is simple, but touching.”
“The story is simple, but touching.”
