Dragonyhm review — Scaling up while scaling back

Every GameBoy has most likely been graced by the presence of a Legend of Zelda game. Whether or not it was actually a game from the esteemed franchise, the popularity of this style resulted in plenty of clones. The Legend of Zelda is still inspiring games today, and for good reason; those developers still have the magic we’ve come to expect. In my time playing Dragonyhm, LoZ is clearly a muse. What it borrows from other series, like Pokemon, makes for an interesting package for better and worse.

Dragonyhm opens to you as a boy named Kris, who wakes up to find his father missing. Your father, Kurtis, has been protecting the land of Archend and his disappearance had led to the emergence of old foes: dragons. Given Kurtis’ importance, you set out to find him, hoping to survive the obstacles along the way. Also of note, the cinematic that plays at the start is fantastic, laying the groundwork for the background lore and the wars that took place.

This is, by all accounts, a well-told coming-of-age story. Even with the limited capabilities of a GameBoy compared to today’s tech, just like the Zelda games of old, I felt engrossed in this world, and it’s a strong suit of Dragonyhm. In general, the lore is well thought out. This is a testament to the developers in regards to both world-building and storytelling. Kris is an enjoyable character to follow, and even though there aren't any additional party members, plenty of other side characters make for some fun dialogue along the way.

Although the questing can be a bit fetchy, I've enjoyed how organic it is. For example, a fisherman wanted me to take something to his brother in the opening stages. I didn't intentionally go looking for him, but my path forward eventually put me in his area. Dragonyhm does a good job of keeping you from missing things with just enough exploration to prevent confusing you.

There is a good amount to explore as well, with a lot of regions and dungeons to traverse. I'm not sure that it's on the same scale as the GameBoy Zelda titles, but it feels perfect for what it is. There's a lot of variety here too, from dark forests to rocky mines to the outstanding raft mechanic that takes you through the surrounding waters. The amount of spice injected adds flavor without overpowering your experience, something a good RPG invests in.

Visually, Dragonyhm is stunning. While mimicking the likes of Pokemon and Zelda, it still manages to feel wholly its own. From the places you'll visit, to the enemy character models in battle, SpaceBot Interactive has nailed the theme they're going for in this fantasy RPG. Similarly, although simple, I love the chiptune soundtrack. I’d like a little bit of extra oomph behind it, but that's just being nitpicky.

The puzzle elements of Dragonyhm are equally impressive. One of the first instances you'll see it in play is the arrow mechanics in the mine. It's nothing too fancy (arrows tiles on the floor that fling you in the direction they're pointing), but this is just the beginning of extremely well-chosen gameplay mechanics. The mix-ups they throw in each dungeon work beautifully, making Dragonhym intriguing as you work your way through it.

While the above sounds great, I'm not fond of the combat. It takes on the classic, turn-based RPG feel, reminiscent of Pokemon in practice. Choose your attack, item, or special move to use, wait for the enemy to make their choice, then rinse and repeat. It can drag on, especially in the early stages. Once you raise your level, gain new magic and special moves, and gain additional armor and weapons, things vary up, but the grindy nature of Dragonyhm can wear on you over the duration of the game.

Once you make it into the later game, it does improve. You learn a lot about enemy types – again like Pokemon with certain attacks doing critical damage. You'll also learn the meta game of using the many items you find for buffs in different categories, along with what status effects are best from the magic you acquire. There's also more you'll find in the armor and weapons category, with some fun cosmetic changes as well. It just stinks that it takes so long to really get going.