Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm

Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm
Developer(s)	Treyarch
Publisher(s)	Crave Entertainment
Platform(s)	Dreamcast
Release date(s)	NA February 28, 2000 EU June 30, 2000
Genre(s)	Hack and slash
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen)
Media/distribution	1 GD-ROM

Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm is a hack and slash game developed by Treyarch and published by Crave Entertainment for Dreamcast game console.^[1] Draconus, or Dragon Blood as it was named in Europe, is considered as a spiritual sequel to Treyarch's swordfighting PC game Die by the Sword.

Story

A catastrophic event called the Backlash threw the world into chaos many years ago. Vile creatures roam throughout the lands, summoned by the evil shaman Rakka who is in pursuit of powerful ancient artifacts. Amidst this backdrop a new mystery reveals itself in the form of a new race, the Draconus. The player is presented with the task of uniting all races and defeating the forces of evil.

Characters

Player can choose between two playable characters, male warrior Cynric and female sorceress Aeowin. Cynric is proficient with wide range of melee weapons and has tough defense, but lacks in magic. On the other side, Aeowin is skilled magic user, but uses sword and shield only as a last resort. Although each class provides unique gameplay, character choice doesn't affect the storyline.

Gameplay

Draconus is a classic third person hack and slash with a few innovations. Since the defense is more important part of the gameplay than the attack, developers changed usual behavior of constant blocking, and changed that block is neutralized after successful enemy hit. This way player has to pay more attention to their character and their blocking, and overall, makes fights more interesting.

Both characters can use magic, though the sorceress possesses a natural advantage in this area. Like in many RPG games, warrior is easier to play early on, while the sorceress proves its usefulness in later stages of the game. The warrior, also, lacks healing spells, which makes the ending of the game quite difficult.

After every stage the player is taken to the character upgrade screen, where earned points can be spent on new abilities. Character is awarded fix number of points regardless of enemies killed and side quests solved, but additional points can be obtained by finding hidden blessings.

World, stages and enemies

Draconus is set in a medieval fantasy world. World is divided into fifteen separate stages, and each level takes around one hour to complete. Accession through the stages is linear, although player is presented with a choice, in certain moments, which of two next levels will he complete first. This choice doesn't affect the storyline in any way, but can be refreshing in next playthroughs. Some of the stages are protected by the boss.

Stages

List of stages and bosses:

• Stage 1 : Celenarin
• Stage 2 : The Lake
  • Boss to fight: Alana
• Stage 3 : Castle of Lomyn
  • Boss to fight: Superior Minotaur
• Stage 4 : Asengath
• Stage 5 : Zephyron
  • Boss to fight: Rakka
• Stage 6 : Ryves' Abbaye
• Stage 7 : The Graveyard
• Stage 8 : Magu's tower
  • Boss to fight: Gavrik
• Stage 9 : Falfar city
  • Boss to fight: Mr. Big
• Stage 10 : Queen's nest
  • Boss to fight: Insect queen
• Stage 11 : Fort Herfet's mine
  • Boss to fight: The Champion and efreets
• Stage 12 : The Cannon of Fort Herfet
  • Boss to fight: Strong Pic Chief and dwarf
• Stage 13 : Zeson Observatory
• Stage 14 : Castle Draco
• Stage 15 : X'Calith's sanctuary
  • Boss to fight: X'Calith

Enemies

World of Draconus is populated with various kinds of creatures, most of them are hostile towards the hero.

• Elves: Allies in the battle against the evil.
• Krujens: Hog-like bipods.
• Goblins: Skilled fighters, but with lack of HP.
• Minotaurs: Very tough Warriors.
• Skeletons: Hostile creatures and very hard to kill.
• Trolls: Powerful, but very stupid.
• Ogres: More powerful than Trolls, but slower.
• Spiders, Hybrids, Scorpions and Giant Lizards: Creatures that populate the swamp.
• Draconus: Mysterious race of dragon men.
• Hell hounds: Fiery, demonic dogs.

Reception

The game's critical response was mixed. GameSpot awarded it 82%, while it scored only 67% on IGN. Its average score on GameRankings is 74%.

External links

• Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm on Gamerankings

References

1. ^ "Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm". IGN. 2000-06-21. http://dreamcast.ign.com/articles/161/161935p1.html. Retrieved 2008-08-03.