S&S Indie Review: Dragon Fantasy Book 1
Format: PS3, PS Vita
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: Muteki Corporation
Developer: Muteki Corporation
Price: $9.99
ESRB Rating: E
Dragon Fantasy Book 1 is an old school RPG, that was originally an iOS game, and has since then been ported over to Sony's two platform. What you get is a solid RPG that you can spend a lot of time in.
Dragon Fantasy Book 1 doesn't just feature one narrative, in fact, it covers four different chapters will four different main characters. The four chapters are broken up nicely, giving you different characters and personalities with each chapter. The game doesn't take itself seriously at all, the overall narrative ditches the grand adventures for a more humorous journey. For example, you start off as an aged hero, you once defeated a powerful dragon. The dragon burned off the top of his hair, and it hasn't grown back since. Now the hero, Odgen, has to come out of retirement to save the world from evil. The game isn't entirely unique, but the game's tongue and cheek humor makes the story feel fresh. The game's visual style is a definite call back to classic JRPG's, like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and maybe even The Adventure of Link.
The game even gives you the option to switch between 8 bit and 16 bit graphics, just in case you truly want to go back in time. The character sprites are well-drawn, and the environments are bright and colorful. Towns can get a bit repetitive at times, with most of the houses using the same assets from the previous town you visited. The monsters are the standout in the game, with some of the most outrageous designs and names I've seen in a while. The developers really did a good job at creating some cool creatures. The music is great as well, with some infectious battle themes that'll nest in your ears. There's a good mix of tunes, some blissful and some that's a little more upbeat, definitely a good mix of music.
The gameplay is what you would expect in a game like this, lots of random battles, and a ton of grinding. The game doesn't take that long to open up the world for you to explore, but it is apparent that you will need to grind a lot in order to stay alive. If you want to venture of the beaten path you can, but you won't last very long. You would think that because the game is so grind-heavy, it would get a little monotonous, but that wasn't the case. The combat is so fast paced, you'll be entering in and out of battles in a matter of minutes. There are a lot of dungeons to explore with bosses at the end, and finally being able to slay the boss is extremely satisfying after grinding for so long.
If you're a big fan of old school RPG's, then you'll be able to find a lot of enjoyment in Dragon Fantasy Book 1. Muteki's retro title is a lengthy one, and it can last you quite a while to get through it. Given that, this makes the game the perfect Vita title. It has cross buy functionality, so if you get one, you can get the other version free of charge.
S&S Rating: 7.5/10
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