Divinity: Dragon Commander

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 263 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 149 out of 263
  2. Mixed: 61 out of 263
  3. Negative: 53 out of 263

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  1. kotep
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    This is not an RTS. Or rather, it's as much an RTS as Skyrim is a game about crafting weapons. It's a game that's hard to judge, because it's three very different things, an RPG, a TBS, and an RTS, all wrapped up with a card game on top and a garnish of action gameplay.

    The amazing thing is that in all of it, what comes out is a fantastic game. The graphics are beautiful, the    This is not an RTS. Or rather, it's as much an RTS as Skyrim is a game about crafting weapons. It's a game that's hard to judge, because it's three very different things, an RPG, a TBS, and an RTS, all wrapped up with a card game on top and a garnish of action gameplay.

    The amazing thing is that in all of it, what comes out is a fantastic game. The graphics are beautiful, the characters are well-realized, and the disparate parts feel like separate parts of a whole experience. Yes, the strategy is a little shallow--but that's because it's not the whole game. The game as a whole is about being, fittingly, a dragon commander. And it's great.    … Expand
  2. Timeraider
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    I am usually not a big fan of RTS games, but this one just instantly attracted me. After playing the beta and now release im sold. This is an amazing unique game.
    It has elements of tactical RTS gameplay that mostly rely on finding the right unit counters and using the right abilities (If you think its about zerging.. lower the gamespeed please..). aside from that you havethe first-person    I am usually not a big fan of RTS games, but this one just instantly attracted me. After playing the beta and now release im sold. This is an amazing unique game.
    It has elements of tactical RTS gameplay that mostly rely on finding the right unit counters and using the right abilities (If you think its about zerging.. lower the gamespeed please..). aside from that you havethe first-person dragon fighting which is just awesom the amount of roles yo can adjust your dragon and units to is great and realy makes it as if you are constantly thinking every single skill you choose to have big impact ad then you have the political system/cardsystem cards are a great addition and allow for small buffs/units for 1 battle or 1 turn. The political system is quite interesting.. choices impact moneyincome, happiness, attunement to different races, cardgain and what cards you gain etc. etc.

    In my opinion this game is a bit of everything.. BUT it is simply great at everything. Its a jack of all trades that mastered all :D    … Expand
  3. Schuback
    Feb 26, 2016
    6
    The combat is lame and boring. You control a dragon flying around with a jetpack (cool idea) and spam flame at the enemy troops while your troops attack and control the enemy forts. After an hour you'll probably just use the auto-battle option. But the politics is freaking hilarious!!

    Very interesting (though stereotypical) advisers/diplomats each representing a faction and it's up to    The combat is lame and boring. You control a dragon flying around with a jetpack (cool idea) and spam flame at the enemy troops while your troops attack and control the enemy forts. After an hour you'll probably just use the auto-battle option. But the politics is freaking hilarious!!

    Very interesting (though stereotypical) advisers/diplomats each representing a faction and it's up to you to keep them loyal to your cause. Every month a new issue will pop up, and each advisers will give you their opinion. Your decisions will please some of them while disappointing others as you manage the relationship with these diplomats. Some of the topics can be quite sensitive but the fact is there are no trolls among the diplomats as they always have some point in their stance. Whether you agree with it is separate matter.

    Overall, not to be taken too seriously. Recommended if you play for the laughs in conversations with npcs, not the gameplay. Game's kinda short though, around 10 hours long. But hey, it's cheap.    … Expand
  4. Deschain89
    Aug 24, 2013
    6
    It is odd to see the likes of this game emerge in modern gaming, it is odd and welcome. In these times of modern military/shooter, fantasy/RPG, and other safe bets, to see a game that challenges it and goes straight for a strategy title that focuses on decision making is a welcome change of pace.

    However, one can't simply deny that it's great weakness stops ducking under cover once all    It is odd to see the likes of this game emerge in modern gaming, it is odd and welcome. In these times of modern military/shooter, fantasy/RPG, and other safe bets, to see a game that challenges it and goes straight for a strategy title that focuses on decision making is a welcome change of pace.

    However, one can't simply deny that it's great weakness stops ducking under cover once all the talking is done, and it is time to face the strategy portions of the game. These ones lack any excitement and depth, and honestly, are quite boring at times. I found myself just building a bulk of an army and steamrolling all opposition with one of my generals instead of commanding the troops myself. Albeit, being a dragon and burning everything to ashes is interesting, the novelty wears quickly off.

    The game shines when it comes to the wife and council managing, however. As the emperor, you have to decide in issues and regulations that are en-par with current ones, shaping your empire as you would shape the Federal government. It's a pity to see, nonetheless, that decisions the player character makes do not impact the gameplay in a more substantial manner; you get some flavor text detailing how much of a jerk or a saint you are when deciding on a pressing issue, a headline on the local paper, and some changes in your income or morale.

    All in all, this game is good, it just needs more polish when it comes to the thick of it's real time strategy sections, and a little bit more impact in the decision making. When I started playing I expected so much more, and it fell a bit short, still, it is refreshing to see these kind of more sophisticated games getting green-lighted. I would definitely give it a chance once the price drops.    … Expand
  5. RMDsilva
    Oct 26, 2014
    6
    main problems:
    RTS is.. meh. alright. I could rarely beat the AI directly because of all the micromanagement with the different game changing abilities (charm!!!) but then it was dumb enough to allow defensive tactics to grind his resources down.
    Worst of all though... the dragon just feels useless. and annoying. it would be cool to be supporting the troops, but since they're much more    main problems:
    RTS is.. meh. alright. I could rarely beat the AI directly because of all the micromanagement with the different game changing abilities (charm!!!) but then it was dumb enough to allow defensive tactics to grind his resources down.
    Worst of all though... the dragon just feels useless. and annoying. it would be cool to be supporting the troops, but since they're much more effective when micromanaged, then it becomes irrelevant. And I was always being charged by 100s of troops. If they had any anti air capabilities, dragon is dead in seconds. Hurray.

    About the strategy in itself.. well, forcing yourself to pick a battle to NOT auto-resolve is not particularly fun. Why would you force players to be more effective in one front?
    Paying for generals just felt silly, especially in the end. (yay, one auto resolve per turn where you get more luck).
    The cards were interesting but.. felt unbalanced.
    So another meh.

    The RPG component was cool. The characters and the story are entertaining, shame it doesn't affect much of the actual game (if one faction really hates you, get less support in some regions.. ). but it's always cool to mix up a bunch of politics with a weird set of races.    … Expand
  6. Dhelio
    Oct 29, 2014
    3
    So much potetianl left untapped!

    Dragon Commander is an hybrid of RTS, card and board games of ambiutious proportions but lacking quality. On paper, the promised experience is astounding: you, the player, as a jetpacked dragon must rally an army to take the throne that's rightfully yours, in a steampunk-ish fantasy world, all the while managing your generals and counselors, all with    So much potetianl left untapped!

    Dragon Commander is an hybrid of RTS, card and board games of ambiutious proportions but lacking quality. On paper, the promised experience is astounding: you, the player, as a jetpacked dragon must rally an army to take the throne that's rightfully yours, in a steampunk-ish fantasy world, all the while managing your generals and counselors, all with their agenda and personality. The battles are fought in real time, the general army and empire management on a map a-la Total War, and the politics are handled in first person on your castleship. Sounds awesome, right? On paper, at least.

    Gameplay wise, the game's a mess! The RTS battles reward an aggressive tactic above all else, thus encouraging zerg rushes and win by starvation. There is no incentive in playing defensively, and whoever estabilishes a forward base first, wins. There is no reason in building a varied army but the two basic infantry units (Anti-infantry and anti-air), so most of the units are never used.
    On the Total War map, everything gets resolved in a blitzkrieg: ammass a moderate army, smash the first line of defense, and rapidly occupy all the territories but the capital. Don't worry about resistance: there isn't any. Sometimes, if the CPU is in good mood, enemies will send one or two troops at you. Specifically, at your TWENTY-SOMETHING army, with a 0% -ZERO- chances of victory (btw, that is not said by me. The game says it. On the battle screen.). What's the point?

    Luckily battles can be auto-resolved. But why am I playing if the computer plays itself?

    Even the politics have a good start. You're posed with great questions. Allowing gay marriages or not? Do you allow females in your army or not? Do you allow cigarettes or not? You're posed with great questions, that would make anyone think. But fear not, dear player, because this important questions are resolved with the stupidest system yet: a binary morality system!! BINARY! Either you're good or bad, no middle ground, no ethics, no nothing!

    But even if the politics system weren't so flawed, it would still be useless. Your counsellors decide by majority if you decide not to act. And, if you choose to act, you still have to abide to the majority, to not cause discontempt among the population. So why am I posed these problems if they resolve themselves? Am I even needed in this game?

    You have to get a bride in the game too, and that's a little interesting, but always dealed with a binary morality choice. So you don't have to choose.

    There's even the possibility to make a pact with a demon to make you and your armies stronger, but that's a lot of wasted effort for such an easy game.

    This game was a 5 for me, but after reading all I wrote, this becomes a 3. There are just too many dumb choices for a game that required more serousness by developers and players alike.    … Expand
  7. MrZero
    Oct 28, 2013
    6
    Dammit, I wanted to like this game so much more, and I wanted to give it a higher rating, but this is as good as it deserves.

    First of, this game has balls. It tries to take so many different genres on: a card-based game, real-time strategy, first person shooter, a Risk-map game. It initially appears to do all of these things good but then the cracks start showing. The platform    Dammit, I wanted to like this game so much more, and I wanted to give it a higher rating, but this is as good as it deserves.

    First of, this game has balls. It tries to take so many different genres on: a card-based game, real-time strategy, first person shooter, a Risk-map game. It initially appears to do all of these things good but then the cracks start showing.

    The platform for all of these different elements within this game are there; they're solid at first but, then they never seem to fully materialize. Examples:

    1. You will never, ever use the Dragon mode, where you morph into a dragon and enter a first-person shooter, during the mini-skirmish real-time strategy moments on the game. It wastes time, money, much needed attention, and the dragon dies almost instantly. A cool idea; however, completely useless. The dragon mode should have been used as a global command, i.e., reign down fire on units, and it would have been just a cool and way more effective.

    2. Mini-skirmish games involving the real-time strat moments are just that. Min-skirmishes which recycle the same three maps and same 6 or 7 units over and over in a capture the flag style match. The AI is horrible, even on the hardest setting, and even on a 0% chance to win prediction you easy win as you let the rush your base turrets and then zerg-counter with the cheapest units.

    3. The Risk-map portion of the game is lackluster. The AI will suicide bomb you ever chance it gets, only to die repeatedly, making itself weaker and easier to beat.

    4. The card portion of the game is fun and interesting as far as turning the tide of battle; however, only a handful of card are actually useful and greatly overpowered.

    5. The political portion of the game, such as dealing with the generals wants and needs and/or dealing with different faction leaders is pretty much yes or no. The problems dealt with in the game range from genocide to gay marriage, including a part where one of your generals actually declares themselves, in private to you, as being gay. I can say that I was never bored when listening to these problems and it was a breath of fresh air to see a game handling these issues, but man, your responses to them are watered-down and the outcomes are glossed over.

    These are certainly only a few of the games problems, but with that said, I can say the music and voice-acting is top-quality, the graphics are usually pretty good, the humor is hysterical, the story is generic on purpose and makes fun of itself in the process.

    I really hope that this game is just a first in the series, and that the devs are able to tighten up gameplay on the second round. But as it stands now, this game deserves to have the public take a look at it, if only for possibility of what it could have been.

    I myself beat the game in about 8 hours on the hardest settings, and while I smile the entire time, I gave a sigh when the game was finished, knowing that I'd never go back and play it again. I want to, but not until these problems are addressed.    … Expand
  8. ERB
    Aug 8, 2013
    7
    Epic game!Dragon Commander is a fine a game and also very fun.Graphics are cool but except for the story but still this game deserves a high score because it addicting and very fun at the same time.
  9. Sjalka
    Sep 7, 2013
    4
    this game is very nice in between the battles if you ignore the cheesy humor every now and then. the main part however the RTS part is its weakest point. checkpoint rushes is kind of the tactic that worked for me all the time.

    from the concept it reminds me on the latest Blizzard RTS title with its story choices between battles. but SC has much better RTS parts. on the other hand    this game is very nice in between the battles if you ignore the cheesy humor every now and then. the main part however the RTS part is its weakest point. checkpoint rushes is kind of the tactic that worked for me all the time.

    from the concept it reminds me on the latest Blizzard RTS title with its story choices between battles. but SC has much better RTS parts. on the other hand it was similar to Rise of Legends with the larger strategic map and the tactical battles, sometimes skirmish, sometimes fixed.

    but both these games do a much better job on the RTS part. however being immersed by "being" the dragon is something the other games do not offer. it does not quite distract from the poor strategy though.

    my result a VERY ambitious attempt that falls short where it counts.    … Expand
  10. AbyssionGaming
    Aug 7, 2013
    7
    You know how people say that things like religion and politics are best left out of conversations with friends? Divinity: Dragon Commander puts these concerns front and center, and places you in the hot seat to make all the tough calls, delivering a real-time strategy experience that, though lacking refinement in some areas, makes your decisions in the throne room as important as the onesYou know how people say that things like religion and politics are best left out of conversations with friends? Divinity: Dragon Commander puts these concerns front and center, and places you in the hot seat to make all the tough calls, delivering a real-time strategy experience that, though lacking refinement in some areas, makes your decisions in the throne room as important as the ones on the battlefield. Jumping into an AI skirmish to get a feel for the mechanics first, I was initially unnerved by what I saw. The lack of any fog of war, combined with the wide-open tech tree, made combat feel spineless and unstructured compared to the precise builds and attack timings of StarCraft 2. The art direction is similarly without organization, with pastel and base colors fighting a little war of their own while I tried to reconcile the steampunk unit designs with their arboreal, fantasy surroundings. After being all but slapped in the face with a generic looking “VICTORY!” screen, and being spat back out to the main menu, I anticipated a long, bumpy road ahead of me.
    Split into three different game phases a point-and-click exploration of your ship and its inhabitants, a risk-style world map around involves strategically placing units in turn-based gameplay, and sprawling battlefields where forward-thinking is crucial Divinity: Dragon Commander is clearly trying to appeal to gamers of widely varying preferences and sensibilities. Though the three separate gameplay phases are tied together and balanced quite well, the RPG elements of Divinity: Dragon Commander are significantly more understated than the RTS game mechanics. The player character’s background, for example, is fixed: you are the bastard son of the recently deceased Emperor Sigurd I and a beautiful woman called Aurora, who was a dragon in disguise. When the old emperor is betrayed and murdered by your more legitimate siblings, you are tasked with defending the kingdom from their squabbles and drives towards expansion.
    Character customization is quite limited to picking one of three dragon types, and the remainder of the role-playing is relegated to making decisions about political and social policies, such as whether or not to legalize doctor-prescribed narcotics, or to start taxing the region’s rich and powerful church. Of course, the player’s actual approach to battles and choosing skills to invest in also allow for a greater sense of connectedness with the character (will you research the best machinery available and command from a distance, or dive in headfirst and start flinging fireballs?) but since going to one extreme or the other is a surefire way to make things extremely difficult for yourself, most players would end up taking a middle-ground approach.

    The AI isn't exactly genius level, but it doesn't have to be in order to meet you in the middle of the map for an all-out slugfest, which is what you'll inevitably be doing. Huge deathballs of units (reminiscent of Total Annihilation) collide amusingly while you assume direct control of your dragon, whose customizable ability bar allows him to act as something of a hero unit. Laying waste to armies as a dragon doesn't quite elicit immediate thrills though, owing mostly to how cumbersome it can be to order your legions about whilst in dragon mode. A heavy reliance on awkward hotkey combinations keeps things from ever feeling truly fluid, but once I got used to it, commanding the many unique and powerful units while swooping about and raining death on my foes proved to be a unique sort of fun. As a stand-alone RTS experience, its focus on going wherever your enemy is and getting bloody with them might have rung a bit hollow, but as one cog in a much bigger, more intricate machine, it works quite well.
    Divinity: Dragon Commander definitely shouldn’t be missed for fans of real-time strategy, excelling at the art of tense and exciting battles where planning and in-depth knowledge of available resources is essential. If you were only really interested in the story and RPG elements then the game will most likely leave you feeling a little dissatisfied, but you can always blow up some zeppelins and then fly away into the sunset to cheer yourself up.    … Expand
  11. Ansatsu83
    Aug 7, 2013
    7
    It is actually a good game. Gotta love Dragons with Jetpacks, flying around destroying everything in their paths.

    To the game play, it is not a traditional RTS, you can switch between dragon mode and command your troops via keyboard shortcuts or stay in rts mode. Preferably both to support your units. I find the different units to be quite decent, but there is still a lack of variation,    It is actually a good game. Gotta love Dragons with Jetpacks, flying around destroying everything in their paths.

    To the game play, it is not a traditional RTS, you can switch between dragon mode and command your troops via keyboard shortcuts or stay in rts mode. Preferably both to support your units. I find the different units to be quite decent, but there is still a lack of variation, imo. Once you get a unit unlocked and upgraded you feel 'complete.' By the end of chapter 2 I had all units unlocked, with all upgrades, and all dragon upgrades.

    There is a bridge system, akin to Starcraft 2, which allows you to research unit upgrades, as well as talk to "staff members" to get more of the story. Each staff member you choose to side with has a positive and negative impact on faction standings within your empire.

    Empires have 5 factions, Dwarves, Elves, Lizards, Imps, Undead. Each one has a balance of power. Keep the power 50% or above to receive extra gold and chances to have autoresolved outcomes as a success.

    You can only attack with your dragon ONCE A TURN, after that you must auto resolve. This is not as bad as one might think, except your generals can help you resolve battles with a higher chance of winning, but you can only use one general a turn, on TOP OF YOUR DRAGON!!! This creates a few issues and gripes.

    The game is quite long but it lacks an rapid fire toggle in the game menu. I find myself having to simply wear my mouse down to simply fire fast enough to destroy most of the enemy bases/units. A toggle to fire in full auto, would be better, especially since there is a cooldown bar for the primary attack.

    I am not a huge fan of the "Steam punk Genre," more of a cyberpunk guy, but this integrated steam pumk quite well. Plus... Dragons who have jetpacks...

    Now, to the games faults, where it lacks in ways it should not. First of all, the graphics, the dragons are very well textures/modeled/etc. Highest quality in the game... The other units and world, however, are closer to the same graphics they used in C&C3, which clashes with the superb dragon models.

    Some of the characters I absolutely HATE!!!! Half of the npcs are pompous/drunken the other half are feminists with a massive attitude issue. The only npc I could seem to find to be... interesting, subtle, and not a complete twit, would be the lesbian general.

    This having been said, I recommend this game if you like the thought of commanding a small army and conquering a game world as a DRAGON!!! flying around destroying stuff.    … Expand
  12. Cytokinesis
    Aug 9, 2013
    4
    I really wanted to like this but it just felt unfinished and unpolished and extremely shallow. The RTS component is abyssmal and is about as in-depth as a flash game. The turn-based strategy is somehow less complex than a boardgame like RISK. The RPG (dialogue and diplomacy) elements feel completely out of place in that they are the best part of the game but it really isn't built aroundI really wanted to like this but it just felt unfinished and unpolished and extremely shallow. The RTS component is abyssmal and is about as in-depth as a flash game. The turn-based strategy is somehow less complex than a boardgame like RISK. The RPG (dialogue and diplomacy) elements feel completely out of place in that they are the best part of the game but it really isn't built around it. It's a really weird feeling. Overall it has been some of the least entertainment I've had while playing a game. The game would be fantastic if there was more too it but it's just so convoluted in design yet simplistic in execution that it falls flat on it's face. The only way I played past the first hour was auto-resolving every single RTS battle because it was that bad and strategy games are my favorite genre. It's cool that it is unique and tried something new but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.… Expand
  13. Designdoc
    Aug 8, 2013
    10
    The RTS is nice and deep regardless of the rubbish some people claim, it literally takes quite some micro and fantastic cross unit and dragon skill combinations to destroy your enemy. However the dragon is limited at the start of the battles to ensure a steady buildup. This was an awesome experience, the game is an absolute charm and reflects a lot of love for the seperate genres. Buy thisThe RTS is nice and deep regardless of the rubbish some people claim, it literally takes quite some micro and fantastic cross unit and dragon skill combinations to destroy your enemy. However the dragon is limited at the start of the battles to ensure a steady buildup. This was an awesome experience, the game is an absolute charm and reflects a lot of love for the seperate genres. Buy this game if you are a gamer looking for a fresh game and above all an experience covering more than one specific genre.… Expand
  14. Fireball22
    Aug 13, 2013
    2
    Game is trying to be 2 or 3 different games and succeeding at none of them.

    Boring story with no unique elements but rather just cliched characters and plot devices. The RTS had pretty poor graphics and no real tutorial as to how to play. Sloppy looking and sloppy feeling version of an overhead RTS that you've seen done better almost anywhere else. The roleplaying elements were    Game is trying to be 2 or 3 different games and succeeding at none of them.

    Boring story with no unique elements but rather just cliched characters and plot devices.

    The RTS had pretty poor graphics and no real tutorial as to how to play. Sloppy looking and sloppy feeling version of an overhead RTS that you've seen done better almost anywhere else.

    The roleplaying elements were pretty cheap as well. Linear and irrelevant.

    The game is large and overwhelming to begin and it doesn't appear to pay off.

    The one thing I will say positive is that the game is smooth. The multiple screens and HUDs and interfaces transition quickly and without issue. They build the game well, the game was just poorly designed.    … Expand
  15. SchnitzelPoof
    Aug 14, 2013
    3
    At this point, I have little to add about the gameplay itself, but I'd like to say that Dragon Commander's flirtation with 'current affairs' is equally mediocre and shallow as the rest of its parts.
    Certain reviewers seem to be ecstatic about the sort of terms thrown around (like "gay marriage", and "universal healthcare"), but the way they are presented, (not) discussed, and how their    At this point, I have little to add about the gameplay itself, but I'd like to say that Dragon Commander's flirtation with 'current affairs' is equally mediocre and shallow as the rest of its parts.
    Certain reviewers seem to be ecstatic about the sort of terms thrown around (like "gay marriage", and "universal healthcare"), but the way they are presented, (not) discussed, and how their opponents are demonized (literally, the undead creatures without flesh are against women voting, for some unseen reason; and a fat capitalist pig (TM) talks against elven homsexuals, because 'obviously' successful industrialists are only attracted to one gender), all reeks of writing level that is beneath high-school. The flat voice acting only made me cringe further, upon hearing some of the lines.
    If this is an attempt at satire, it fails even at grasping the meaning of the word, and instead comes off as simplistic political conformism, which tries to make the game appeal to young audiences.
    In that, it is an insult to one's intelligence, but I guess that the bad writing fits in perfectly with the overall shallowness and mediocrity of every other component of the game.
    In short, do NOT buy if you're old enough to correctly spell your own name.    … Expand
  16. Gamer_1
    Aug 8, 2013
    9
    Good game. A lot of meaningful units, skills, system maps, three dragons, you can use different combat tactics, combine the skills and the map depending on the situation, as a strategy game a great and highly addictive. I would like to have more variety, but the fact that there will be enough for me personally many hours playing.
  17. evild4ve
    Dec 18, 2013
    3
    It's a basically ill-conceived, badly implemented game in a shiny package. Starting with the positive, the (spoof) high-fantasy setting, voice acting, and artwork are extremely good by any standards and manage to stand out in an extremely crowded market for this sort of stuff. In particular, the Undead as a civilian race along with skeletal council-representative are splendid. TheIt's a basically ill-conceived, badly implemented game in a shiny package. Starting with the positive, the (spoof) high-fantasy setting, voice acting, and artwork are extremely good by any standards and manage to stand out in an extremely crowded market for this sort of stuff. In particular, the Undead as a civilian race along with skeletal council-representative are splendid. The political decision-making is "lite" but entertaining e.g. you can support or veto an Elfish motion to make all the war-machines out of renewable materials, with predictable and meaningful effects on production costs and public opinion (which influences the economy and also battles).

    After making a great start with things that fantasy strategy games get wrong more often than not, they somehow botched almost everything else in the game, starting with the game. It's a "lite" RTS bolted unceremoniously onto a "lite" strategy boardgame, and in the RTS you can basically cheat by destroying all enemy units with an infinitely fast, indestructable, regenerating dragon.

    The strategy boardgame has at least two flaws I'd consider fatal: firstly the units' relative importance here doesn't carry over into the RTS. A basic "Trooper" might take the full production resources of a country for a turn to produce at the strategic level, or about 10 seconds at the RTS level. However at the RTS level they are worthless cannon fodder, but at the strategic level when combats are auto-resolved they get a "fair" chance of destroying enemy units. The second fatal flaw is that the resources carry over between maps so once you complete one map, you can start the next with an unstoppable army.

    The problems with the RTS are more subtle and could be solved in different ways. Personally, I would:-
    remove the fixed population cap, nerf the perfectly accurate anti-aircraft defences, make the dragon constantly consume resources, slow down the units or make the maps bigger, make the units carried in from the strategic level irreplaceable and more powerful than the RTS-level equivalents, and replace the whole "control point" system with something less clunky.

    It's virtually impossible to lose, unit special abilities can't be used quickly enough, the computer can churn out units (by clicking!) so quickly and so soon that the dragon is needed to mop them up, (at which point you just win), but if you get hold of 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4 recruitment "control points", the producing units impossibly quickly advantage goes from the computer to you pretty quickly.

    It's just a mess, and it feels like it resulted from a complete lack of thought followed by a policy of obstinately ignoring playtesters who would have picked up on these problems. The dragon could have been introduced into a bog-standard C&C clone and worked better without all the stuff they did to the RTS formula to try and balance the dragon.

    Three more problems: using the dragon makes strategic unit production and delivering commands temporarily impossible; the dragon cannot even be summoned in sea battles (due to there being no "recruitment centres"); and there is no option to auto-resolve with dragon.

    If you could auto-resolve with dragon so as to completely ditch the RTS segment, and had an option to dump unwanted gold, it would be possible to have a passable boardgame a bit like Risk without the strategic depth.    … Expand
  18. Afroman22
    Aug 17, 2013
    6
    A very unique game made for advanced RTS players. The dragon hero unit concept is truly unique adding genres together into the game that make for a unique experience. Characters in the single player campaign are a definite treat each brimming with personality.

    Story is garbage. Bad guys are attacking! Fly and save the day! Despite the Raven having multiple choices with policies and your    A very unique game made for advanced RTS players. The dragon hero unit concept is truly unique adding genres together into the game that make for a unique experience. Characters in the single player campaign are a definite treat each brimming with personality.

    Story is garbage. Bad guys are attacking! Fly and save the day! Despite the Raven having multiple choices with policies and your wife they don't change the game one bit except for in the difficulty department. The more favor you have with a race the more population is willing to draft in to the war so certain selected areas are going to benefit a tad more than others.

    Characters in the game were fantastic. I loved the voice actors and how each character had their own personalities. This really made up for where the game was lacking in some departments but it's only story campaign so after that then... yeah.

    Graphics and visuals aboard the Raven in the campaign are A+ Material. The in-game graphics are not something eye popping or amazing and the maps are frequently recycled making for boring gameplay as you go further.

    Controls were AWFUL. Holy crap I couldn't get use to the camera at all and trying to navigate your units is a chore too. You get use to it somewhat but switching back and forward between dragon and buildings and units makes this for a more advanced RTS player. Casuals and people new or not very good at RTS multitasking on a high scale are not going to be able to adapt to this. You have way too many skills to cycle through and you're trying to use your dragon and focus on the battle while tabbing through all your unit types that are in the battle to use their skills while using the skills of the other units and using your dragons skills and building units from the barracks all at once. If you stop building units you're gonna die. Period. I'm a Starcraft 2 frequent player and am very skilled and I couldn't get use to the controls no matter how long I played. It's hard. That's it.

    Difficulty in the game is hit or miss. I defiantly could not play on Normal or Hard against the Zerg rush AI. Easy was ok. Casual was way way way too easy. The AI will barrage you in non stop attacks making you rush around and with the poor controls as I said above makes this game overly frustrating and during the campaign the AI will be unrelentingly beating you into submission. Never did I ever catch a break because you're not vs 1 AI but 3. 3!!! So I constantly was defending my base and could hardly ever win any battles and... wow. Just wow. I had to stick it on Casual difficulty or I'd have gone mad.

    Would I recommend this game? Are you a masochist? Do you enjoy challenge because of faulty controls and way too much to control all in one go? The game is unique I'll give them credit for that but... yeah. So if you don't mind the things I said above go for it. If not yeah no.    … Expand
  19. TheFadeForever
    Aug 6, 2013
    9
    This is a very unique game blending RTS, TBS, and the ability to play a dragon on the battle this is quite a different step from the previous Divinity game.
  20. crabhooves
    Aug 9, 2013
    10
    This is the one we've been waiting for! I've wanted a game like this since I was 14 and it's finally here. I've never written a review before but this game is just so good it has to be known. It's been tried so many times over the years, to bring rpgs and rts' together and it's never been done well (in my opinion).

    Dragon Commander does this AND adds Grand Strategy and a bit of    This is the one we've been waiting for! I've wanted a game like this since I was 14 and it's finally here. I've never written a review before but this game is just so good it has to be known. It's been tried so many times over the years, to bring rpgs and rts' together and it's never been done well (in my opinion).

    Dragon Commander does this AND adds Grand Strategy and a bit of political simulation into the mix as well! It's absolutely terrific. The political parts could have a bit more depth and I'm not a fan of the cards, but everything else is done so well. It's a pure joy to fly over your armies and watch them obliterate the enemy. It's got land, sea and air and everything is pulled off so well. It's strategic, it's funny, it's interesting and very very addictive.

    I haven't been much of a gamer lately, nothing has caught my interest for a while the night I started playing was the first time in years that I stayed up late for a game and the morning after was the first morning in even longer when I thought about a game as soon as I woke up.

    GET THIS!    … Expand
  21. Drakensangs
    Aug 11, 2013
    10
    Divinity Dragon Commander is a very interesting and unique blend of RTS, TBS and RPG gameplay. While the RTS aspect isn't as deep and complex as other games it offers loads of fun (which is the entire point of a game).
    Dragon Commander stands out from the crowd with its excellent writing and charming characters. Who wouldn't want to befriend a bunch of maniacal religious undead zealots or    Divinity Dragon Commander is a very interesting and unique blend of RTS, TBS and RPG gameplay. While the RTS aspect isn't as deep and complex as other games it offers loads of fun (which is the entire point of a game).
    Dragon Commander stands out from the crowd with its excellent writing and charming characters. Who wouldn't want to befriend a bunch of maniacal religious undead zealots or racist lizard people?
    The soundtrack, as always from Larian Studios games, is well done and fits the game perfectly, Kirill Pokrovsky does a wonderful job yet again.
    Graphically the game looks good, animations are fluid and facial animations are superb.    … Expand
  22. Regnox
    Aug 6, 2013
    9
    I have already played around 70 hours (~60 in the beta) and all I can say is that I love the game. I found myself laughing at all the jokes and humour at least a dozen times and was left begging for more. the single player part of the game is quite short but replaying it is worth it even though the final outcome is always the same simply to listen to every possible reactions you'll getI have already played around 70 hours (~60 in the beta) and all I can say is that I love the game. I found myself laughing at all the jokes and humour at least a dozen times and was left begging for more. the single player part of the game is quite short but replaying it is worth it even though the final outcome is always the same simply to listen to every possible reactions you'll get from the NPCs. The main story line is mediocre at best, the writing is superb and the voice acting amazing. the RTS part is really fun especially against friends and the same can be said about the multiplayer campaigns. oh and did I mention that you are a dragon that wears a FREAKING JETPACK? ^

    I can only recommend this game to anyone who likes to listen to tons of humour and destroy every friendship they have    … Expand
  23. basadd
    Aug 10, 2013
    8
    Those who are giving this game very low marks are not being rational. This is by no means a perfect game, and still has a few bugs and other kinks to work out but I am impressed by the originality and cohesiveness-of-purpose its disparate elements nonetheless end up equating to. To not recognize the clear effort that went into this makes a mockery of the idea of User Scores. I'm sure theydThose who are giving this game very low marks are not being rational. This is by no means a perfect game, and still has a few bugs and other kinks to work out but I am impressed by the originality and cohesiveness-of-purpose its disparate elements nonetheless end up equating to. To not recognize the clear effort that went into this makes a mockery of the idea of User Scores. I'm sure theyd be happier with the latest major studio AAA me-too feature checklist and DLC moneygrab… Expand
  24. fanest
    Aug 9, 2013
    9
    8.7/10
    Its very enjoyable game a great mix of RTS and RPG. I really like political choices u have to make and how they affect gameplay. Im not big fan of RTS but in this game im enjoying it very much. The dragon form in RTS battles is very clever invention and handy in dire situations. Story is predictable but still good enough to keep u interested.
  25. Awesumo
    Aug 9, 2013
    2
    The game has a tonne of character... but it fails on its fundementals. Once you get over the fact that you can turn into a dragon you find you are left with a bad RTS.
    The RTS part of the game is just flat out BAD. Very bad. Just click and zerg your units towards the enemy, no subtlety involved.
    Early game consists of charging to the undefended capture points. Run fast enough and you    The game has a tonne of character... but it fails on its fundementals. Once you get over the fact that you can turn into a dragon you find you are left with a bad RTS.
    The RTS part of the game is just flat out BAD. Very bad. Just click and zerg your units towards the enemy, no subtlety involved.
    Early game consists of charging to the undefended capture points. Run fast enough and you get to carry on with the level fail to capture them and the level is lost 1 minute in.
    Mid game consists of throwing waves of units at enemy bases to capture them while supporting with your dragon. No variation or subtlety.
    End game is reached when the map runs out of resources. It consists of waiting while making sure the enemies resource counter runs down marginally faster than yours. Often in the end game attacking is foolish as you'll use up more resources than you destroy which puts you closer to defeat. In effect this means that when the game begins to stalemate, you're encouraged to turtle up.    … Expand
  26. Willowbean
    Aug 6, 2013
    5
    At a first look seems like a really nice game with all those fantasy nations and their generalas. When i reached the global chart, i thought: "well, not bad, looks like a game from Total War series" But getting into RTS mode crosses all the expectations. Ugly units together with poor environment and out-of-date gameplay mechanics completely turns me against this game. And even the abilityAt a first look seems like a really nice game with all those fantasy nations and their generalas. When i reached the global chart, i thought: "well, not bad, looks like a game from Total War series" But getting into RTS mode crosses all the expectations. Ugly units together with poor environment and out-of-date gameplay mechanics completely turns me against this game. And even the ability to ride the dragon does not make it any better.… Expand
  27. AcidCasualty
    Aug 16, 2013
    8
    I love this unusual game. Not one to be pigeonholed into an easy-to-swallow genre fit for a soundbite, Divinity: Dragon Commander is a turn based strategy like RISK, a steampunk RTS, a dragon piloting action game, and dash of adventure and RPG, and more. What's so surprising is that the parts blend seamlessly, with almost poetic grace; I haven't seen a genre mashup this well constructedI love this unusual game. Not one to be pigeonholed into an easy-to-swallow genre fit for a soundbite, Divinity: Dragon Commander is a turn based strategy like RISK, a steampunk RTS, a dragon piloting action game, and dash of adventure and RPG, and more. What's so surprising is that the parts blend seamlessly, with almost poetic grace; I haven't seen a genre mashup this well constructed since Battlezone combined RTS stylings with sci-fi vehicle combat with stunning results.

    You play a half-dragon/half-human who has to unite a medieval, steampunk-laced land split into factions by race (the usual dwarfs, elves, and such), and at the beginning of the game not even your generals want anything to do with you; one calls you a bastard right to your face. (I'd have his head removed, or transform into a dragon and eat him right then and there, but those weren't options.)

    I wouldn't put D:DC on a pedestal quite as high as, say, Skyrim or the aforementioned Battlezone, but but it's definitely higher and more creative entertainment than the typical COD/Battlefield/whatever copycat garbage that trickles out of developers run by profit-driven corporations. Take a chance on this creative game and we just might see more development risks in the future. Otherwise, it's a future of indistinguishable military FPS clones.    … Expand
  28. AuldWolf
    Aug 21, 2013
    0
    I'll preface this with how I plan to end it: It's a con. If you're buying this game for the dragon, or for the promises that Larian originally made, don't. Please don't. Even if you don't trust me, I implore you to wait for a demo so that you can see for yourself.

    This game, to me, was a massive disappointment. Early on it was described as a dragon air-combat game with elements of    I'll preface this with how I plan to end it: It's a con. If you're buying this game for the dragon, or for the promises that Larian originally made, don't. Please don't. Even if you don't trust me, I implore you to wait for a demo so that you can see for yourself.

    This game, to me, was a massive disappointment.

    Early on it was described as a dragon air-combat game with elements of political intrigue. What it is is avery poorly realised traditional RTS (traditional in the sense that it's similar to ancient RTS games like Dune, which just aren't great when compared to modern RTS standards); an unimaginative, watered down, and strategy-challenged take on Risk; some buffs and debuffs optimistically described as a 'card game;' and 'RPG elements' which are the precise equivalent of those simplistic Choose Your Own Adventure books from the '80s.

    Even the most redeeming point, the Choose Your Own Adventure elements, are ruined by the fact that your most important choices are made for you you cannot choose to not have a partner, you cannot choose the gender of your partner, and you have no agency or control over how the game ends (there's one ending, and it's not exactly what you'll have been looking for as the closing moments of your supposedly epic struggle). Infuriatingly, the game even builds up this fellow named The Architect as the big bad, then you never meet him. That would be like removing Sovereign from the end of Mass Effect.

    The RTS element is just nauseatingly phoned in. It's obvious that the so-called RTS section was originally designed as a MOBA, until they ran out of resources to create new unit types and just slapped a clumsy RTS interface over the top of it instead. The clumsy RTS interface doesn't hide that the AI is blobby and follows pre-defined paths (like a MOBA AI would), nor does it hide the problems with the dragon. The dragon feels like it was designed for a MOBA game (versus other hero dragons) and it would have agency and use there, but with the half-hearted switch to RTS the dragon becomes an afterthought rather than a focal element. There's fun to be had in the MOBA it could have been, had they finished it.

    The game was originally painted as having the dragon play an important role combating air fortreses of various sorts, with enemy dragons, and even with your own generals having their own dragon forms. You can see evidence of all I'm talking about in the screenshots and even the concept art, but a bait & switch was pulled by scrapping that. I wish they'd warned me so I could have requested a refund from my pre-purchase. If you were buying this game for the dragon... just don't. It's a con.

    I'd love to have received the game that Larian promised rather than what I got, because certain elements aren't terrible. The plot and the writing up until Act III, where it all goes to rot (demonic corruption a la WoW), and the characters are compelling even if your interactions with them are limited. I can see how Dragon Commander could be a good game, but the truth is is that it's an awful game.    … Expand
  29. Galaad97
    Aug 11, 2013
    9
    Dragon Commander is a hard beast to give a note to. To evaluate it fairly, one really needs to look at the whole picture. Each of the parts of the game (RTS, Strategic, RPG, Card Game etc) are pretty alright on their own, but unlike many other games, the sum of them is what make this product outstanding.

    Rarely will you see a game where the sum of its parts ends up being far more than    Dragon Commander is a hard beast to give a note to. To evaluate it fairly, one really needs to look at the whole picture. Each of the parts of the game (RTS, Strategic, RPG, Card Game etc) are pretty alright on their own, but unlike many other games, the sum of them is what make this product outstanding.

    Rarely will you see a game where the sum of its parts ends up being far more than the individual parts. Yet in this case, Larian managed to do such a magic trick. Dragon Commander is a unique, yet fun and addictive game if you give it a try.    … Expand
  30. Allions
    Aug 20, 2013
    4
    I can't understand people who gave 10 to this game. The game play is a normal RTS with some new ideas players can control the dragon in the battle..), however nothing very special. The graphics are average... for a 2013 PC only game i expect a lot better.
    The campaign is short, not well written and with strange events, for example: at the beginning of the game i had only 2 commanders,    I can't understand people who gave 10 to this game. The game play is a normal RTS with some new ideas players can control the dragon in the battle..), however nothing very special. The graphics are average... for a 2013 PC only game i expect a lot better.
    The campaign is short, not well written and with strange events, for example: at the beginning of the game i had only 2 commanders, they were "hating" my character... then in the first turn i got a neutral territory, i came back to the story menu... suddenly 2 new commanders in addition to the first two are arrived. The old ones now don't hate my character and they said "great battle commander, you're a true warrior"... what battle!?!? I just moved my troops in neutral territory!!!
    This is an unpolished, unfinished, under average game. Not worth 10$. Dunno how they sold it at 40$!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 37
  3. Negative: 1 out of 37
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Sep 25, 2013
    80
    Inventive, funny and a whole lot of fun. An excellent way to break up the over-serious grind of most strategy titles. [Oct 2013, p.82]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 9, 2013
    100
    Complicated, difficult, different. A true strategy game for the gamers with classical tastes, who have time and will. It's also a pleasant blast from the past, when a genre template was not an option. [Issue#233]
  3. Eurogamer Italy
    Sep 5, 2013
    70
    A weird but interesting hybrid that mixes RTS, RPG, board game and trading card game mechanics in one delightful experience. Unfortunately, even if the mix works, the singular gameplay components aren’t deep enough and the game itself is mined by many minor issues.
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