Super Nintendo Look - Dragon View

In the minutes leading up to this review, I brainstormed and discarded a half-dozen introductions. Among the refuse was a brief history of Kemco, a once-held belief that a belt-scrolling Action RPG would be the coolest thing ever, and existential crisis #2,194. Ultimately, I settled for what I believe best summarizes Dragon View's place in history. It's a derivative product designed in a lab to massage the brains of those who spent a few too many years enamored with sword-wielding boys. If you close your eyes right now; you'll envision this game's entire story. A young warrior with a grand destiny must stop an evil wizard and rescue his girlfriend. Keep those eyes closed a few seconds longer and you'll likely point out that the evil wizard has a tragic backstory (that doesn't even begin to justify his heinous actions). As much as we plead with ourselves to seek out the new and inventive, there is something within us that exists solely to reminisce over and consume the reheated remnants of happier times. I can't hate Kemco, at least not more than any other business. Selling people video games that they've already played is how the industry works. 

It's a criticism faux pas, but I can't help but treat Dragon View as a chimera formed from the DNA of other games. Imagine Link to the Past, Zelda II, and a little Sword of Vermilion getting mushed together. Alex is the young idealistic warrior who must rescue a world plagued by random encounters. The first-person view and 3D graphics lend overworld exploration a unique feel. Important landmarks are connected by roads, but secrets tend to be buried in obscure locations. You'll know you're making story progress when somebody hands you a map to the next region. Upon entering a town, a battle, or a dungeon; the perspective switches to a side-view. In order to defeat the monsters accosting him, Alex can use his sword, the boomerang-like hauza, or spells. Dungeons are much more than rooms full of monsters. Some get really devious by using one-way doors or platforming challenges to frustrate heroes.

In short, there isn't anything here you haven't seen before. While the belt-scroller look is different, dungeons still play out exactly like Zelda. They're just a series of rooms with maze-like qualities and a gimmick suitable to the region. The shift in perspective doesn't add anything to the combat either. There isn't an extra layer of depth like in Golden Axe or King of Dragons. Most attacks are avoided simply by moving along the Y-axis. To their credit, enemies can hit awfully hard. Getting through the first few dungeons is a challenge due to pitiable health and resources. By the mid-game, however, players are liable to be over-equipped and over-leveled. This is when the doldrums set in.

Last year, I must've played through forty games about sword-boys doing sword-boy things. For the most part, I had a really good time. Unfortunately, Dragon View carries itself with a certain mundanity that's hard for me to stomach. The familiar is just too familiar and nothing unexpected ever happens. After trekking through a fire cave and then a region covered in snow, I really would've liked to see some place new. Maybe there could've been a mutated forest or the ruins of an advanced civilization. It didn't have to be original! I'd take anything besides a swamp or desert! Running through the exact same places as in every other action-adventure is just exhausting.

The worst part is that the overworld is just a chore to navigate. I know the game is sometimes referred to as Drakkhen II or Super Drakkhen, so there's no getting around the 3D overworld. It's just, if I'm doing exactly what I would've done in any other Zelda-like, then allow me some joy in exploration. Zelda II places important upgrades in obtuse locations, but its map is easy to move around in. Running through Landstalker's similar-looking forests doesn't get tiring because there's always movement and combat to engage in. Dragon View has a novelty that wears off in less than 15 minutes. Trudging through a featureless world at a single-digit framerate seriously had me wishing the game was more derivative. 

Although a commendable effort was made to provide players with helpful (if sometimes cryptic) NPCs, there isn't a good reason to ever go without a guide. Players are practically expected to find every HP container and equipment upgrade. An alternative exists, but it sucks. Let's say you reach the final boss at level 38. He's going to be an absolute tank at such a "low" level. If you haven't already found the secret hauza technique that deals decent damage to the big bad, then you'll either have to make the long trek back to its location or kill a couple thousand imps. I can't imagine why anyone would want a miserable end-game grind straight out of Ys, but maybe Kemco has data proving otherwise. They surveyed a bunch of gamers who collectively agreed that replaying the parts they hated from the Action-RPGs they loved would still be pretty cool. Yes, I know it sounds insane, but I can't just say "It was the style at the time." to describe every poor decision.

Ultimately, my issue with Dragon View is that it doesn't make me want to feel anything. Snore-inducing overworld aside, no part of the game dips below adequate. I just can't stand its uninspired world and empty characters. Everything is so... generic. The one word I seriously never wanted to use here is generic. I - I'm sorry. You can't see me right now, but I'm doing a my hands are tied gesture. This game could've had an isometric toilet-cam perspective. It'd still never be anything more than a tired replica. Like I said though, I can't hate Kemco. They manufactured my Playstation 2 memory card, and it never let me down.