I’ve been waiting to tell you this for a while, dear readers: I’ve played Dragon’s Crown . I’ve played it extensively, in fact, and have been left both thoroughly impressed and exceptionally excited to jump into the final product this summer. Dragon’s Crown is shaping up to be every bit the game Vita and PS3 gamers hope it is, and there’s every reason in the world to put this game at the very top of your personal “Most Anticipated Vita Game” list (and PS3, too).

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“ ...Dragon’s Crown is all about playing the game exactly how you want to play it.

Getting Started

“ Dragon’s Crown is no leisurely walk through the park.

Time to Battle

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“ Making matters more complicated is the fact that enemies scale with you...

Dragon’s Crown is a side-scrolling action-RPG by way of Vanillaware, a Japanese developer with a decidedly old-school-style pedigree. Their newest romp takes inspiration from a lot of corners – perhaps most notably from Golden Axe – but it’s also very much a Vanillaware game, what with its absolutely gorgeous graphics, solid gameplay, and deep mechanics that fans of their previous offerings, such as Odin Sphere or Muramasa, will very much appreciate.When you begin the tale – which is meant to be replayed and re-experienced, mind you – you’re greeted with one of the most clever character-select screens you’ll probably ever see. Seated at a circular table in a bustling medieval tavern are our six characters, clearly familiar with one another and feasting on some good food and ale as they figure out their next move. They’re all chasing the same goal, hence the cooperative nature of the game that allows up to four adventurers to play at one time.Once you select your hero, you’re met with a wonderfully voice-acted intro, and you can then move out into the town itself, one ripped out of the likes of Zelda II and Faxanadu, but with staggeringly gorgeous graphics replacing the 8-bit look those games took advantage of. You can speak with the townsfolk, though most won’t have much to say at the outset, and you can even mess with them, punching a basket of apples out of a merchant’s hands or some jugs of water out of a townsperson’s grasp. Naturally, there’s much to see in the town, not only in terms of locales to visit – shops, guilds and the like – but in terms of gorgeous vistas in the background and other aesthetical sights to behold.Seriously: Dragon’s Crown looks amazing.Dragon’s Crown plays much like the many videos that have been released suggest: with a heavy emphasis on action, and a field of depth, too, requiring tactics beyond merely button-mashing, jumping, and the like. In fact, Dragon’s Crown is pretty tough, especially if you’re trying to hone a high score or simply get through a stage quickly to net some fresh loot. Without using a hodgepodge of techniques and weapons, the AI will make quick work of you. Making matters more complicated is the fact that enemies scale with you – much like the Lunar RPGs from the ‘90s – so no amount of grinding will make the game inherently easier for you to deal with. Bad guys will have more health as you get stronger, and will grow in number the more powerful you get, too. With each level ending with a powerful (and beautifully-drawn) boss, this very fact will give you pause the further you get into the game.While I experimented with virtually every class – the Fighter uses brute force and the Sorceress relies on spells and the ability to replenish her own lost MP -- I spent a majority of my time on both PS3 and Vita with the Elf, a character with moderate melee strength and exceptional skill with a bow. The thing about the Elf, however, is that you have to be careful with how you use her bow, as her quill only holds a finite amount of arrows. With no guarantees that you’ll find ammo replenishment on your journey, the best way to use her is with quick kicks, juggling your foes mercilessly before following-up with aerial arrow strikes to lay the killing blow. If you run out of arrows, you’ll be out of luck to launch missiles from afar, so balance is truly the key with the Elf. With only melee strikes to guide her and supplement her specialty, you’ll quickly leave yourself at a severe disadvantage.