Over the years, gaming studios have tried to recapture the magic of tabletop classics like D&D and Pathfinder to varying levels of success, with titles like Baldur’s Gate II and Chrono Trigger among some of the best. However, it’s been a while since a game came along that showed as much promise as SGRA Studios’ upcoming sandbox RPG adventure, Dragonheir: Silent Gods.
Dragonheir is an online, multiplayer role-playing game set in Adenthia, an enchanting land filled with dwarves, orcs, Death Knights, dark elves, sorcerers, and more. A battle of the dragon gods has left Adenthia in shambles, and the three-headed Dragon Queen seems determined to finish plunging the world further into darkness. That is unless the Chosen One can stop her.
Before we get to your journey as the Chosen One, let’s talk about how beautiful this game looks. Snowy mountain passes, sprawling forests, and dark dungeons all come to life with rich visuals that look like real-life mini models most tabletop RPG fans only dream of. SGRA Studios have created a beautiful world to explore with a breathtaking real-world feel. Even before its release, Dragonheir is already among the best-looking entries in the fantasy RPG category. Unity 3D technology and PBR (physical-based rendering) lighting effects give Adenthia a tangible, unlike other games in the genre.
Dragonheir isn’t just pretty but rich with world-building. Within the sandbox is a multiverse of different planes to visit. Besides the Material Plane, places like Chaos Universum are an introduction to the game’s mechanics and a gateway to the other realms within the game. Each realm is filled with NPCs and characters with their own lives, stories, and sometimes quests for you to go on.
The game is designed as a sandbox RPG that allows you to write your story through non-linear missions and side quests. You’re free to explore and play in this sandbox as you please and set up camp, take on various map missions, or develop one of your character’s special skills. Treasure hunting, puzzle solving, joining in a drinking contest, fishing, cooking, mining for materials, and completing tasks for NPCs are all a part of the adventure.
You begin your adventure by creating your unique character. Will you use strength and combat prowess to complete your mission? Will you sneak and steal your way to victory? Or will you use your natural charm to influence others and convince NPCs to join your cause? There are multiple paths to success. The character creator is rich without feeling overly cumbersome, allowing you to design a character that fits your preferred playstyle without spending hours on every little detail. You can choose from four classes: a soldier, thief, entertainer, or sage, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.
Six categories will help further define your character: strength, intelligence, dexterity (reaction time, lock picking, ability to sneak up and ambush enemies), constitution (tough & durable), charisma (charming & perceptive), and wisdom (problem-solving & investigative skills). Each of the four character classes has specific strengths in one or more of these six categories.
On top of that, over 200 different heroes with different backstories, origins, and species and more than a million build options can join you on your mission. As the Chosen One, your unique strengths will also impact trying to recruit legendary NPCs to join your party. The variety of options and possible companions seems like Dragonheir will have a high replayability value and offer a different experience from playthrough to playthrough.
The battle system is a mixture of chess-like strategy and chance. Combat feels fast-paced while not sacrificing the level of strategy found in traditionally slower, turn-based combat systems. Proper placement on the chessboard battlefield can be the critical difference between victory and defeat. Adding to the levels of strategy in battle are unique terrains that certain characters can exploit as an advantage. Your character’s class, strengths, and progression also impact your chance of success in battle.
Dragonheir: Silent Gods is scheduled for release in the first half of 2023, with a closed beta test scheduled for December 8th of this year through January 7th. You can sign up for a chance to participate in the PC testing phase via Dragonheir’s official site. SGRA has also stated there will be different seasons and additional content in the works after release to keep players coming back with more to see, do and explore. If the attention to detail in the footage we’ve seen so far is any indication, this could be a genre standout that quickly becomes a fan favorite when it drops early next year.
jon Burgess
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