Dragon's Crown (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a 2D
fantasy
action RPG
video game currently being developed by Vanillaware
and localized and published
by Ignition Entertainment
. The game will be released on PlayStation 3
and PlayStation Vita during the first half of 2012. Like Odin Sphere
and Muramasa: The Demon Blade
, it is a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown
and takes some concepts from Norse mythology
.
structured like a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up
where players move their characters across the screen into the background or foreground attacking enemies. Players may choose between one of six characters--Fighter, Amazon, Elf, Sorceress, Wizard, and Dwarf--who must travel though a number of environments using standard attacks as well as magic spells to defeat enemies. Each character has their own specific strengths and weaknesses such as attack power, movement speed, special attacks, and selection of magic, with the characters' growth throughout the game also being customizable by the player. During gameplay, players may come across items which can be used to aid characters, as well as equipment and weapons which can increase a character's statistics and battle strength. The title features branching paths in every level which are traveled based on the player's decisions during gameplay, such as choosing to steal an item from a boss character, running instead of engaging an enemy, or searching for secrets, which will lead to alternate areas. Quests may also be undertaken by players which hold specific objectives for each dungeon, which all come with their own rewards.
The game features an online mode over Sony's PlayStation Network which allows up to four players to experience the game simultaneously. When a player's character runs out of lives during online player, another player may gather their bones to trade into special merchant characters who can bring that character back as an AI
-controlled partner. Players may also communicate using an in-game pop-up system which can quickly convey simple messages such as "thank you" to another person.
The Playstation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game were designed to be identical and compatible with the same save data, which can be freely transferred between both systems. In addition, the PlayStation Vita version uses its touchscreen for item management in place of the PlayStation 3's Dualshock
analog stick.
world where vast labyrinths and catacombs lie beneath civilization. Magic-users seeking a legendary treasure know as the "Dragon's Crown" have used their sorcery to link each of the ruins together in order to search for it, which they plan to use for a sinister purpose. Players must take up the role of one of six adventurers to keep the crown out of their hands, as well as search for treasure of their own.
by representatives of Ignition Entertainment, who revealed that they would also be localizing the English-language version of the title. The game, developed for the PlayStation 3, represents the first HD
video game developed by Vanillaware, previously known for their work on standard-definition titles such as Odin Sphere
for the PlayStation 2
and Muramasa: The Demon Blade
for the Nintendo Wii. It was also produced simultaneously for the PlayStation Vita handheld system, which Ignition claimed would not be a "scaled-down version" and would contain the "same fluid hand-drawn animation, blazing special effects, and haunting soundtrack" as the PlayStation 3 release.
Art Director George Kamitani first had the idea for Dragon's Crown thirteen years before its release, immediately after production of Princess Crown
for the Sega Saturn
in 1997, but claimed that he was unable to find a publisher willing to support the project, which at the time was intended for the Sega Dreamcast
. Kamitani, who had previously worked with Capcom
on Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
, said that he always wanted to develop a game that would "advance the genre" of similar titles such as Golden Axe
and The King of Dragons
while still keeping it 2D. Kashow Oda, publishing producer of Ignition Entertainment stated that the company signed on with the project because they "respect[ed] Kamitani’s artwork and unique style" as well as being intrigued by its online mode. A separate version for the PlayStation Vita was developed due to the success Capcom's Monster Hunter
series had on PlayStation Portable
, with its connectivity to the PlayStation 3 version added because "we wanted our game to have a feature where people can get together and play."
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
action RPG
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
video game currently being developed by Vanillaware
Vanillaware
is a Japanese video game company development studio. Previously, they were known as Puraguru from 2002 until 2004, when they renamed as Vanillaware. The studio's past projects have specialized in 2D, or sprite-based, game design. They have garnered positive attention from fans and game media alike...
and localized and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment Ltd. is a British video game publisher formed in April 2002. It was created from a selection of smaller developers and publishers, such as Archer MacLean's Awesome Studios.-History:...
. The game will be released on PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation Vita during the first half of 2012. Like Odin Sphere
Odin Sphere
is a 2D fantasy action RPG video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, it tells the interlocking stories of five different protagonists. Odin Sphere is considered a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown and takes some...
and Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Muramasa: The Demon Blade, known in Japan as is an action role playing game developed by Vanillaware and published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Rising Star Games in Europe, and Ignition Entertainment in North America for the Wii...
, it is a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown
Princess Crown
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Atlus for the Sega Saturn video game console exclusively in Japan in 1997. Some of the team members involved in the project would later form the game development company Vanillaware....
and takes some concepts from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
.
Gameplay
Dragon's Crown is an action role-playing gameAction role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
structured like a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
where players move their characters across the screen into the background or foreground attacking enemies. Players may choose between one of six characters--Fighter, Amazon, Elf, Sorceress, Wizard, and Dwarf--who must travel though a number of environments using standard attacks as well as magic spells to defeat enemies. Each character has their own specific strengths and weaknesses such as attack power, movement speed, special attacks, and selection of magic, with the characters' growth throughout the game also being customizable by the player. During gameplay, players may come across items which can be used to aid characters, as well as equipment and weapons which can increase a character's statistics and battle strength. The title features branching paths in every level which are traveled based on the player's decisions during gameplay, such as choosing to steal an item from a boss character, running instead of engaging an enemy, or searching for secrets, which will lead to alternate areas. Quests may also be undertaken by players which hold specific objectives for each dungeon, which all come with their own rewards.
The game features an online mode over Sony's PlayStation Network which allows up to four players to experience the game simultaneously. When a player's character runs out of lives during online player, another player may gather their bones to trade into special merchant characters who can bring that character back as an AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
-controlled partner. Players may also communicate using an in-game pop-up system which can quickly convey simple messages such as "thank you" to another person.
The Playstation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game were designed to be identical and compatible with the same save data, which can be freely transferred between both systems. In addition, the PlayStation Vita version uses its touchscreen for item management in place of the PlayStation 3's Dualshock
DualShock
The DualShock is a line of vibration-feedback gamepads by Sony for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The DualShock was introduced in Japan in late 1997, and launched in the North American market in May 1998...
analog stick.
Plot
The game takes place in a fantasyFantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
world where vast labyrinths and catacombs lie beneath civilization. Magic-users seeking a legendary treasure know as the "Dragon's Crown" have used their sorcery to link each of the ruins together in order to search for it, which they plan to use for a sinister purpose. Players must take up the role of one of six adventurers to keep the crown out of their hands, as well as search for treasure of their own.
Development
Dragon's Crown was first announced at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by representatives of Ignition Entertainment, who revealed that they would also be localizing the English-language version of the title. The game, developed for the PlayStation 3, represents the first HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
video game developed by Vanillaware, previously known for their work on standard-definition titles such as Odin Sphere
Odin Sphere
is a 2D fantasy action RPG video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, it tells the interlocking stories of five different protagonists. Odin Sphere is considered a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown and takes some...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Muramasa: The Demon Blade, known in Japan as is an action role playing game developed by Vanillaware and published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Rising Star Games in Europe, and Ignition Entertainment in North America for the Wii...
for the Nintendo Wii. It was also produced simultaneously for the PlayStation Vita handheld system, which Ignition claimed would not be a "scaled-down version" and would contain the "same fluid hand-drawn animation, blazing special effects, and haunting soundtrack" as the PlayStation 3 release.
Art Director George Kamitani first had the idea for Dragon's Crown thirteen years before its release, immediately after production of Princess Crown
Princess Crown
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Atlus for the Sega Saturn video game console exclusively in Japan in 1997. Some of the team members involved in the project would later form the game development company Vanillaware....
for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
in 1997, but claimed that he was unable to find a publisher willing to support the project, which at the time was intended for the Sega Dreamcast
Sega Dreamcast
The is a 128-bit video game console which was released by Sega in late 1998 in Japan and from September 1999 in other territories. It was the first entry in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube.Dreamcast sales were...
. Kamitani, who had previously worked with Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
on Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom is the first of two arcade games created by Capcom and based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The game was also released on the Sega Saturn, packaged with its sequel, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara, under the title Dungeons & Dragons...
, said that he always wanted to develop a game that would "advance the genre" of similar titles such as Golden Axe
Golden Axe
Golden Axe is a side-scrolling beat 'em up and hack & slash arcade video game released in 1989 by Sega for the System 16-B arcade hardware. It is the first game in the Golden Axe series....
and The King of Dragons
The King of Dragons
is a 1991 side-scrolling hack and slash arcade game by Capcom that allows players to choose from five characters in order to travel through the kingdom of Malus and defeat the monsters that have taken over, as well as their leader, the red dragon Gildiss...
while still keeping it 2D. Kashow Oda, publishing producer of Ignition Entertainment stated that the company signed on with the project because they "respect[ed] Kamitani’s artwork and unique style" as well as being intrigued by its online mode. A separate version for the PlayStation Vita was developed due to the success Capcom's Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is an action game for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed and published by Capcom. Monster Hunter was released in North America on September 21, 2004...
series had on PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, with its connectivity to the PlayStation 3 version added because "we wanted our game to have a feature where people can get together and play."