Dragonkin: The Banished from Eko Software and NACON is an action RPG hack and slash set in a medieval fantasy world devastated by an ancient draconic power. Check out our Dragonkin: The Banished review!
Dragonkin: The Banished from Eko Software and NACON is an action RPG hack and slash set in a medieval fantasy world devastated by an ancient draconic power. The world was once at peace, but its balance was completely destroyed after the return of the Dragon Lords, who were more than ready to destroy everything and everyone on their path, burning everything down into ashes. This is why the Dragon Hunters have decided to fight for all of humanity to try and put a stop to the chaos before it’s too late. Each one of them has access to the powers of their Ancestral Dragon. You’ll need to make the most of the resources you collect as you work from the City of Montescail, which will serve as your hub.
The game was released into Steam Early Access last year, and it’s now making the jump to PlayStation 5 with all previous updates to the game included in this 1.0 release. This means you’ll be able to choose from one of four different Dragon Hunters as you try to free humanity from the draconic forces that have invaded the lands of the world. Up to four players can join the cause either locally or thanks to the game’s online co-op. Do know that the online side of things will require that you have a valid PlayStation Plus subscription, be that of the Essential, Extra, or Premium variety.
This particular developer and publisher combo previously gave us Welcome to ParadiZe on PlayStation 5, a different type of survival game in which you’ll have a zombie companion, which was released in 2024. I got a chance to work on a Welcome to ParadiZe review back then and had fun with the game. I also took Warhammer: Chaosbane for a spin on PlayStation 4 back in 2019, and The_nmac did a review for the expanded PlayStation 5 version Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition, which included the base game, as well as all DLC, along with some boost packs and emotes pack for customization.
You’ll be able to choose from one of the four aforementioned Dragon Hunters, with each one offering a different class for you to play as. Your options are the Knight, the Barbarian, the Oracle, and the Tracker. As expected, the Knight has been trained in combat, wielding a fire lance that can deal considerable damage to enemies as he uses his faith in the Eternal to drive forward the cause, which is why he’s impervious to the dragon corruption.
The Barbarian is dragon-blooded, making him half-man, half-monster. This allows him to draw from a pool of supernatural strength as well as magical ice powers that can easily turn the tide of battle. Next up is the Oracle, who has been changed due to the blood from the blue dragon. This is why she can draw electric powers from the transformation, which can deal a ton of damage to enemies with each swift attack. The last one is the Tracker, who happens to be the best hunter in her clan. This is why she excels at tracking down and destroying her prey from a safe distance, while also preparing a series of traps that can even poison your opponents.
You’ll be taking control of your character by using the left analog stick as you use the right analog stick to dodge in one direction. You can also press the Circle button to use your dodge. The skills that you’ll gain access to can be equipped to the X, Square, Triangle, R1, and R2 buttons as needed. The innate skill for the Oracle and the Tracker will be mapped to the L2 button. Press the L1 button to use a healing potion and restore some of your lost health. This potion will automatically replenish over time.
Each of the four Dragon Hunters can also tame and evolve one of four different baby dragon types: fire, ice, poison, and lightning. You can think of them as a subclass for your character, which will reward you with passive bonuses as well as active skills that you can certainly put to good use.
You’ll also need to make the most of the Ancestral Grid, a powerful tool you can use to mold your character to better reflect and complement your playing style. Each of the four Dragon Hunters will have their own grid for you to consider. You’ll be placing Fragments as if they were puzzle pieces in order to activate passive and active skills to help you. You’ll be acquiring Fragments as loot from your many, many battles, and optimize each space to maximize the outcome.
Remember the City of Montescail? Along with serving as your base, you’ll also be able to work on improving and expanding it, so that you can, in return, receive access to new pieces of equipment and services that will allow you to welcome new residents, upgrade your buildings, and protect everyone from the deadly dragons. The City of Montescail is basically the last bastion of humanity, so you should definitely work on turning it into the best version possible.
Trophy-wise, this release features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy for you to work on. The list is split into 32 Bronze trophies, 7 Silver trophies, and 4 Gold trophies for you to work on. What are some of the objectives to complete so that you can add that shiny Platinum trophy to your collection? Along with defeating each of the game’s bosses, you’ll also need to reach max level as each of the four Dragon Hunters, successfully complete your first hunt from the hunting board, fill up 30 slots on the Ancestral Grid, eliminate 1,000 enemies, defeat 10 semi-bosses or champions, defeat 100 different enemy types, obtain a Draconic Item, sell 100 items to the Dark Merchant, create or improve 100 items in the city, loot 500 pieces of equipment, open 50 chests, and loot 100,000 gold, to name some examples.
Dragonkin: The Banished is an action RPG hack and slash set in a medieval fantasy world devastated by an ancient draconic power. The world was once at peace, but its balance was completely destroyed after the return of the Dragon Lords, who were more than ready to destroy everything and everyone on their path, burning everything down into ashes. This is why the Dragon Hunters have decided to fight for all of humanity to try and put a stop to the chaos before it’s too late. Each one of them has access to the powers of their Ancestral Dragon. You’ll need to make the most of the resources you collect as you work from the City of Montescail, which will serve as your hub.
It’s a game that follows in part the formula for the beloved Diablo series, so you’ll be defeating thousands of enemies as you collect the loot they drop. You’ll need to always pay attention to the stat boost provided by each new piece of equipment, so that you can keep up with the enemies that grow in power as you progress further in the game.
You can pick between two different camera options based on your overall preference: Action or Classic. The Action camera is the default one, moving it closer to the action. If you pick the Classic camera, then the view will pull back further from you. You can also pick between Quality and performance for TSR. The first one will favor the overall resolution, while the second one will prioritize framerate. Dragonkin: The Banished launches on PlayStation 5 on March 19 with a $39.99 price tag. You can also get the Dragonkin: The Banished Bloodscales Edition for $49.99, which, along with the base game, also includes the following:
– 40 armor pieces for the Knight, Oracle, Barbarian, and Tracker
– 5 cosmetic packs for customizing the City of Montescail
– 17 visual effects for your hero and portals (total)
– 4 visual effects for your pet
– 72 hours of early access at launch
Disclaimer
This Dragonkin: The Banished review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by NACON.
