Drancia Saga review
Originally released as the web-browser game ‘Drancia Survival’ in 2008 and then to smartphone in late 2014 as simply ‘Drancia’, ‘Drancia Saga’ launched on the Japanese 3DS eShop directly after the 1 September Nintendo Direct courtesy of Flyhigh Works, Skipmore and Urara-Works. What is Drancia Saga? The pixel-art graphics and chiptune soundtrack obviously give the game a retro flavour but gameplay-wise it is perhaps best described as Fairune meets Pang.
Playing as one from over fifty characters (including from Fairune, The Legend of Dark Witch, Gunman Clive, Harvest December, Geki Yaba Runner, Brunch Panic, Urban Trial: Freestyle, Witch & Hero and more) with each area taking place over a single screen where you walk into enemies Fairune style in order to defeat them. Each character has different statistics such as in Super Smash Bros. with enemies armed with different attacking strengths and abilities.
Once a screen clears, a boss appears, each with a weak point such as in Gradius. Dish out combos such as in Street Fighter II and earn more coins enabling you to level up giving the game an added depth much like Gotta Protectors. You can level up your weapon, defence, speed, vitality, magic (special move) or restore HP. Levelling up takes place on the bottom screen (an improvement over the smartphone version) but unfortunately you lose all levels once you dies.
When it’s game over you earn gems that can be used to buy more warriors from the Bar or for in-game items from the Shop such as the Hourglass (more chance of securing combos), the Ring (improved defence), Scroll (increases speed), Feather Charm (higher jump), Talisman (replenish more HP through coins) and Elixir (one x revival). Again, just like levelling up, all items (other than your fighters) are lost after each death. Up to three items can be used during any one game.
Graphically Drancia Saga doesn’t push the 3DS in anyway but it does ooze charm, the soundtrack is even more excellent. Gameplay-wise is where it matters most and Drancia Saga provides plenty of short-term fun. It does have some drawbacks – Gunman Clive doesn’t shoot, Dramos cannot fly, your character is always moving and it’s all over after a few hours, but for just ¥500, Drancia Saga is easily one of the better eShop games of the year and a perfect fit on Nintendo 3DS.
7/10
Buy ¥1,000 digital eShop voucher
