Dragonyhm
New cabinet and PCs make the theory for heroic , realistic roleplaying game wider than ever , but there ’s still something special about cramming an ambitious phantasy adventure into an 8 - bit handheld . Dragonyhm , develop by Spacebot Interactive and published by ModRetro , opts for the latter . release as a strong-arm magazine compatible with thenew ModRetro Chromaticor any old Game Boy Color , Dragonyhmfeels every bit as well-situated on the hardware of yesteryear asLink ’s AwakeningorFinal Fantasy Adventuredoes .
The level ofDragonyhmstarts with a handful of familiar factor . As a male child named Kris slumbers , a pixelated tapestry lays out a history of conflicts with flying dragon that climax in the slaying of one and the waterproofing of another . Upon waking , Kris finds out that his Padre , a legendary dragon - slayer , has go bad missing , and Kris predictably sets out on a pursuance to find him and lay aside the land .
Dragonyhm’s Combat Gets The Job Done
A Turn-Based System That Takes A While To Get Going
Just as predictably , the path to Kris ’s father is littered with complications , both in the form of militant foes and challenging environmental mystifier . For the former , Dragonyhmsticks to turn - based scrap but deploy it in a path that highlights a logical sense of danger . received enemy are n’t much less muscular than bosses , and Kris has no company to back him up . Early on , this can necessitate liberal enjoyment of healing items or frequent recurrence to save degree .
The very effective games for the Game Boy Color showcased what the handheld could do thanks to their impressive aspiration and polished execution .
After the initial hump , there ’s no real need to drudge , butcombat only becomes interesting once Kris ’s list of abilities starts to get . Buffing and nerfing offensive and defensive stats are a central part of the try , as are often mysterious primary weaknesses . The most unequalled look is a dismantle scheme that assigns stats based on what Kris uses in any brush that triggers a storey - up . It ’s light to start maxing magic ahead of time , as magical spell are the quickest root to the early game , but bumping up justificative stats by consuming protective balms in engagement call for more calculated effort .
Puzzles Are Often — But Not Always — Great
The Best Brain-Teasers Make It Worthwhile
Aside from one optional keep that focus on fights , the puzzles are whatDragonyhmtends to place front and mall . Many of these are genuinely gravid , and clear my way through one icy keep felt particularly rewarding . Whether give up command through a fantasy script or crafting challenge that spread across multiple room , Dragonyhmdoesn’t lather too much about the possibility that a participant will get stuck , and its willingness to take that peril importantly boosts its previous - schooling legitimacy .
As is often the case , the intellectual challenge does come with a few hiccups . I was making steady onward motion most of the time , buteach of the few place where I get stuck was more frustrative than the last . My first roadblock was just work out out some of the game ’s linguistic rule of fundamental interaction early on , but the second happen halfway through , when unlock the third and fourth chief dungeons command Kris to recover the rest of the game ’s collectable dragon scale . Some of these are fun , but one is more about not drop a couple of pixels than solve anything .
AlthoughDragonyhmisn’t always keen to deliver speck ( which is largely refreshing ) , it leave a map pivot system and some space for tone in the strong-arm manual of arms to assist in maintain raceway of thing .
The challenge that I actively dislike appeared in the piss dungeon – which , despite thebad rap that water dungeons get , is otherwise excellent . One room bank on a fleck of wily platforming , but as far as I can tell , the automobile mechanic behind it are exceptionally arbitraryand inconsistent , and I would have been much happy running through the entireness ofCelesteorSuper Meat Boyat the dungeon ’s behest . My first instinct was to take over that I was missing the existent answer , but even after solving it , I ’m having fuss convincing myself that the timing was working as intended .
Final Thoughts & Review Score
Screen Rant Gives Dragonyhm A 7/10
I ’m fain to forgive the more arbitrary puzzles , partly because of how right the others are , but more because ofDragonyhm ’s ability to systematically win me over with its charm . The chief level does its task nicely , throwing in just enough traditional knowledge and complexity to spice up the simple premiss , and the ice dungeon ’s approach to its tale proves in particular stiff . It ’s in the more menial tasks , however , that its personality flourishes , and several of my preferred line of negotiation only appear when popping into NPC homes in the garb of the villainous faction .
Dragonyhmdoesn’t operate at its peak quite as systematically as some of its inspirations , and even disregard the possible rocky patches , it takes a while for the gameplay to hit its step . With rattling artistic production , engaging dialogue , and frequently interesting challenge , however , Dragonyhmis an easy recommendation for anyone who misses the day of switching off a handheld to let a teaser percolate .
Reviewed On ModRetro Chromatic .
Screen Rantreceived a ModRetro Chromatic unit and a copy ofDragonyhmfor the role of this review .
rootage : ModRetro / YouTube
