Developer: Inti Creates
Publisher: Nighthawk Interactive
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Action, RPG
Price: $49.99
Dragon Marked for Death is a nice surprise in the gaming landscape of 2019. While more and more games are trying to impress you with their stunning graphics, more often than not obscuring their bland and linear gameplay, Dragon Marked for Death is a pixelated powerhouse that is challenging alone, but so much better with a group of friends.
Look, I’m over 30, so when I see a video game using those classic pixels it already has my attention. I’m also a fan of the use of color in video games, especially in an industry that seems to love games of various shades of brown. So right off the bat, Dragon Marked for Death ticks off the boxes to get me invested. But once you dive past the pretty pixels, just what can one expect.
First thing to note is that the game isn’t new to Switch, only that this version is the physical release to the digital edition that launched in January with the extra DLC. Usually studios don’t release a physical version if they first went the digital, so that means that people must have loved this one enough to warrant such a move. And if I’m being honest –they were right. Inti Creates knows what they are doing in this 2D space with such games under their belt as Blaster Master Zero (it’s been on my “want” list for ages now), Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (loved it on Xbox One) and the Mega Man Zero series back on the GBA.
I mentioned Mega Man Zero not because I really liked those games (I totally did), but because Dragon Marked for Death feels, in a lot of ways, like a continuation of that series only with RPG elements for added depth. If that combo sounds like fun, you are probably going to want to give this game a chance. But the big feature here isn’t the action or RPG elements, but it’s the co-op focus the game thrives on.
Gameplay is where it’s at, but only because the story is pretty boring and stock. Your village is razed to the ground and you want some bloody revenge. Along the way you help out a bunch of people who don’t like you until you accomplish your goal. It’s fine. It gets the job done, but you aren’t going to be remembering the story after you’ve finished playing. Let’s be honest, you probably aren’t playing this for the story in the first place. Hell, I can’t remember the details and I just finished the game prior to kicking off this review.
The fun comes from your choice of character and how you like to play. You have a handful of characters to choose from, each that acts like a different character in an MMO or MOBA style game. I played mostly as the well-rounded dragon lady because she was super cute, but each has their own unique styles and gifts that can make the game easier or more challenging. It’s a nice way to not only mix up the game, but it gets you to come back more than once because playing as another character is quite a different experience.
The combat basics stay essentially the same across the heroes as you’ll be mashing attack buttons and building up your special meter. You can then unleash you super when things get tough or when surrounded by a bunch of enemy fodder. Yes, it’s all pretty simplistic, but you are working in a 2D space, so I can cut it some slack in that regard. Still, because of the basic layout of combat, Dragon Marked for Death isn’t going to be the sort of title that you’ll grind away at four hours at a time.
And the basic nature of combat also carries over to the mission layout as well. There is a basic hub section that you can explore, but it’s pretty bland and tedious, only serving to slightly extend your playtime. The bulk of the action is done at the bar where you pick up missions. It’s all a bit confusing at first because the game makes it look like there is a lot too do around the hub area. I would have rather had a more linear progression like a classic 2D game, but this is fine. Dragon Marked for Death is fine, which is becoming the through-line in this review, and sometimes that can be worse than being bad, because at least bad can be funny.
You take missions, kill some wickedly cool enemies, find items in chests, score loot and then face off with a huge boss at the end. The levels you jump into are well-designed and allow for a good bit of freedom for what essentially is a 2D sidescroller. The bosses are the stars of the show in my opinion, as you’ll have to learn how each plays until you lock in their patterns. It’s a lot of fun and you aren’t punished too heavily when you die as you’ll get a few continues from right where you left off. You are still going to die a bunch, but Dragon Marked for Death never feels cheap or like it’s simply out to get you.
But outside of the bosses and learning their patterns, the combat is pretty uninteresting. Again, it’s fine. You’ll just wish you had more options in dealing with enemies. Combos are limited and defense is left to you jumping away from and attack. It’s fine. You’re just going to wish it was a deeper system. I figured it would become that because of the RPG system, learning new combos and moves, or abilities, but it just doesn’t really happen. In that regard, Dragon Marked for Death is a very classic 2D affair with you mashing buttons to win most engagements.
What isn’t fine is the strange reliance on the timer system. I can’t call to mind any other game, outside of fighting games, that use a timer for something like this. Stages are pretty big and you get an alloted time to complete them. It’s old-school to a fault here as the timer only serves to take away the fun. I had the timer clock out on me during boss fights because I was trying to take my time and learn the boss. It also means that exploring a stage is a hassle because you have to worry about the time. You’ll have to think about how much time you might waste figuring out how to snag a chest you see, and that’s no fun at all.
And chests and killing enemies is important because each drop items and crafting bits. But the worst thing is the items themselves. Maybe it’s just me, but when I pick up an item I expect it to be in my inventory after I pick it up. So, if I pick up a health regen I should be able to open my bag and use it right away. That isn’t the case here and takes a lot of getting used to. You have to finish the level and then go to your home and move the items you want for the next mission. So many times I died even though I picked up a health regen that I couldn’t use, or I was poisoned to death even if the last enemy just dropped a poison heal item. But then sometimes there are instant use items that you can pickup and use automatically. It’s just really annoying. I get the idea of you prepping for each mission, but this isn’t classic Rainbow Six we’re playinh.
In single player these issues only become highlighted to the point of frustration. The game says you can play solo, and you technically can, but it doesn’t feel designed for this to be the case. This means the difficulty in the missions ramp up to almost insane levels very quickly, especially going back to old missions on high difficulty, something you’ll have to do because drops are random like in an MMO game. In this regard, Dragon Marked for Death is not very newbie friendly. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend this game if you are someone that likes playing their games solo.
I don’t hate the overall experience, I just don’t love it. It’s fine. The music and audio are decent, but won’t stick with you; the game is fun, but things aren’t made clear and little explanation on what to do is given to the player. But where the game really shines is in the co-op mode. This is where the game makes up a few points in its favor. With four players, each understanding the role of their character, the game takes on a new appeal. Item drops are more plentiful and tackling larger enemies and bosses becomes a lot more fun. If you have a crew that plays to their strengths you’ll be in co-op heaven in Dragon Marked for Death. Your enjoyment will vary though if you just search for a random group, not to mention the matchmaking issues that hopefully have been ironed out by this writing.
The game sort of ends up balancing itself out at the end of the day. Single-player is probably going to be too hard for most, but the multiplayer is great fun; the 2D style limits your combat options, but getting that choice drop feels amazing. Dragon Marked for Death is tough to recommend wholeheartedly. For everything that I really liked, there was something that held it back. Still, if the good points here caught your attention then you’ll probably be able to forgive it’s shortcomings. For me, Dragon Marked for Death, even in single-player is perfect for on-the-go gameplay on the Nintendo Switch. When I have a a little time to kill it’s fun to come back to and run a mission or two on the train or bus.
Pros:
Gorgeous pixel style
Great co-op experience
Lots of customization options
Cons:
Single-player difficulty
Grind intensive
Limiting combat mechanics
“Dragon Marked for Death is a pixelated powerhouse that is fun alone, but so much better with friends.”
Final Score:
3/5
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