Dragon is Dead

Dragon is Dead has evolved significantly since its Early Access debut. TeamSuneat has delivered on much of its promise, delivering a more polished action roguelite packed with content and engaging combat. The inclusion of a new playable character, UI improvements, and a challenging endgame have made the experience even more rewarding for players who enjoy pushing their limits.

Overall, I really enjoyed the 15 hours it took to finish Dragon Is Dead. With more chapters, characters, equipment, and difficulties promised with V1.0 and beyond, I’m looking forward to continuing my adventure. If they can just sort the writing out, then this game could rival the great Roguelikes of Hades and Dead Cells thanks to such an addictive gameplay loop. If you feel like you're going to bounce off of the game in the first couple of hours, I beg you to keep going. It should all click eventually, and the extra effort is worth it.

It’s a gorgeous pixel-art game that liberally borrows from Diablo in all the right ways, and as a big fan of both ARPGs and roguelikes, Dragon is Dead was a refreshing mash-up of both that ends up being greater than the sum of its parts. It doesn't quite hold up into the end game, but by that point I’d had so much fun cosplaying as a certain Norse deity that I found it hard to complain.

Dragon is Dead is a solid hack-and-slash roguelite elevated by the attractive pixel-art presentation and a plethora of options for customization. Players willing to invest in its dearth of systems will be rewarded with a hero all their own.

Once I started playing Dragon is Dead, I got hooked. The game has a very satisfying gameplay loop, and it comes with an extraordinary visual style. In addition, they added a ton of loot, and you can easily swap between weapons at your own pace. The ability system is not very complex, yet it manages to deliver great depth and it’s just a joy to experiment with. When it comes to controls, I think it’s much better to play this title with a controller. That being said, even keyboard controls are fine, although the layout takes some getting used to. Games like Dragon is Dead don’t come by that often. This combination of platformers and roguelikes, with Diablo-like looting and inventory is rare, but it works extremely well. Granted, the game has its shortcomings, yet that didn’t deter me from trying out multiple runs, experimenting with loot and creating a very powerful build. It’s up there when it comes to great roguelikes, although it will need a tad more polishing and better music.

Dragon is Dead blends brutal, combo-driven combat with atmospheric artistry inspired by Dead Cells, Castlevania, and Blasphemous, delivering a punishing yet rewarding roguelite experience. Although its level design and storytelling intermittently falter, the depth of the game’s character builds and loot should hook determined players.

Dragon is Dead is a solid, challenging, and technically well-crafted action roguelite. The combat system is responsive and rewarding, with wide room for customization thanks to an articulate skill tree and elemental builds that reward experimentation. Persistent progression between runs encourages you to improve, while well-characterized bosses offer intense challenges. However, those hoping for complex levels or deep exploration may be disappointed: maps are simple, repetitive, and structured as arenas, more functional interludes than true worlds to discover.

Dragon is Dead stands out with its dark pixel art and satisfying combat, though its slow progression may test less patient players.

Dragon is Dead doesn’t exactly revolutionise the side-scrolling platformer, but between the vast skill trees, plethora of items and their effects, and different player classes, every run feels unique. Even different styles of the same character can feel like playing a completely different game, and the roguelite structure ensures players can pour countless hours into honing a playstyle they really like—or throw caution to the wind and let the RNG give them whatever it wants. A few visual bugs mar an otherwise beautiful game, and the core level design could stand to be less formulaic, but players will likely be too addicted to the gameplay loop to notice.

For all the gorgeous visuals, and flashy, beautiful effects that spark and burn from abilities, there’s nothing offering any real bite. There’s no hook, and if a roguelike needs one thing, it’s a hook; give me an excuse to stay up until 2am figuring out new builds and synergies to slay your, admittedly, brilliant, bullet hell enemies. And so, I walked away from Dragon is Dead, which is a very odd title, by the way, feeling underwhelmed.

Dragon is Dead has quite a bit of potential now that it has left its early access period. Its novel approach to character building, loot management, and skill trees makes for a complex and satisfying roguelike experience. On the other hand, some of its endgame combat may prove too frustrating, especially when compounded by the traditional difficulty curve that comes with the roguelike gameplay loop. Its pixel art is gorgeous, though.

Dragon Is Dead has a great sense of style and a lot of good ideas, but its execution of mechanics makes it feel a bit confused about what it wants to be.

I won’t say that Dragon is Dead isn’t sometimes a good time. Its system of upgrades and progression mechanics can lead to powerful characters. At the same time, rarely are repetitive runs through the same areas memorable. I think ultimately Dragon is Dead would have been a more enjoyable game framed as a traditional hack-and-slash Souslike ARPG, where its combat and character building could shine. In its present form, the roguelite elements, repetitive runs, generic setting and dull writing overshadow the genuinely enjoyable elements.

This action-packed, 2D, hack-and-slash game featuring permanent death is aimed at hardcore gamers and roguelike enthusiasts who won't be put off by failure. Although the game itself is relatively short, it takes a lot of tries to reach the finale.