PlayStation 2

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates

All in all, Drakan: The Ancient Gates is one of those games that grabs on to you and doesn't let go. Beautiful scenery, a good storyline and a really fun game are what you can expect from this one. Go pick this one up right now. It's definitely not one to miss.

The plot isn’t terribly original, but kept me motivated to see what would happen next. That said, the real draw of Drakan lies in the quest to build up your character’s attributes and buy new weapons, spells, and items. This game hasn’t received a lot of publicity, and I suspect many will look at the screenshots and write it off as another Portal Runner. This would be a mistake. Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates is a fine feat of programming, one that dares to incorporate a great degree of variety and depth into a finely wrought third-person adventure.

Drakan: The Ancient's Gates has a devoted Order of the Flame following who should be thoroughly pleased with the end result of this PS2 sequel. Gamers who enjoy the action-adventure genre, a genre sometimes all to frequently neglected in the gaming world, should give this game a shot if they haven't already. Drakan: The Ancient's Gates continues in the tradition of it's origins; providing a quick to get into and unique game with plenty of monster slaying, an ultra-cool heroine, a feisty but noble dragon, open character development, and plenty of foot and aerial combat to indulge in.

Overall Drakan: The Ancients' Gates is a very solid game, and certainly a lot more engrossing then I thought it would be. It's certainly lengthy enough, the graphics - despite some frame rate problems - are acceptable, the sound good but most importantly the game is fun and will have you hooked for longer periods then you intend. Those looking for a good action RPG need look no further as this Surreal Software developed game will keep you entertained.

I was very pleasantly surprised by Drakan and I think that true adventure fans will really enjoy this game. If you�re not an adventure fan, I would still give Drakan a shot as it has a lot to offer. Cheers to Drakan for being a well-rounded, well done game.

Do I recommend this game? Wholeheartedly, Drakan 2 is among the top echelon of Playstation 2 games. It will keep you playing late into the night to complete that next mission, or achieve that next level. The game is fun, and that is what games are supposed to be. As for the ending, much better this time around.

There are not many games in the industry that are truly innovative, and Drakan is no exception. The game utilizes a great deal of traditional techniques, but it uses them well. Overall, Drakan is a solid title that easily warrants a rental, and makes a strong argument for a permanent place in your PS2 library. It does have its share of drawbacks and often times seems to aim for the middle, but it manages to end up as a worthy title. While it may not be the most hyped game of the year, or the most technically dazzling, it offers a worthwhile escape for fans of the action RPG genre. Drakan: The Ancients' Gates might be just the title that gamers are looking for to pass the time until the next installment of The Legend of Zelda, and any game that can do that, and do it well, is a game worth playing.

This is an excellent action RPG. If you like Tomb Raider you can probably get along pretty well with Drakan. If you like RPG’s and are looking for something with a little more bite to it, this will be right up your alley. The graphics are great and quite detailed and the music and other sound effects are enough to keep you interested (the scrape of metal on metal is enough to make you cringe-oh my poor maul!). You might even laugh a few times.

Un jeu d'action et d'aventure qui devrait en séduire plus d'un. A la fois classique et efficace Drakan propose un gameplay varié et une aventure passionnante pour les amateurs et dont ils auront du mal à démordre...

Throughout the journey, you'll get to control Rynn as well as taking to the skies as Arokh. Gaining experience points as you progress, they allow you to use more sophisticated weapons and spells. Once you've chosen your plan of attack, it's not a matter of sitting back while the CPU takes over. Rather, you are placed in the thick of the action, forced to slash your way out of danger. The graphics leave nothing wanting in their representation of the landscapes and multitude of enemies met along the way. For those familiar with the first Drakan game for the PC, this version boasts game play three times the size of its predecessor.

Even though there may be a few technical issues where Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates overwhelm us, it ends up being a worthy game for any PS2 owner on the surface. With elements that can become rather addicting and plenty of side quests to keep busy, the fun will last you quite a while. The large environments and amount of detail put into the graphics are almost incomparable on PlayStation 2, not to mention the chance to ride Arokh. Adventures titles like Drakan have been needed on the system, and with its arrival, you can’t go wrong.

The creatures' gibbering and grunting sounds add some menace to the otherwise repetitive combat encounters. Rich ambient sounds like hooting owls or wind and thunder add a sense of realism to the game's environments. Voiceovers are more than adequate but not stellar, and so too is the music. Drakan isn't very subtle or sophisticated or polished. It's not incredibly original, either, with a big debt to Diablo-style gameplay, for instance. Then again, it has some great things that the Diablo games don't, like huge 3D environments and a fire-breathing dragon you can ride.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates takes some time to get going, but unlike somewhat similar games, like Azurik: Rise of Perathia, it at least starts decently before getting good, rather than starting badly before getting decent. Even though it has its share of drawbacks (enemy AI weaknesses, occasional pop-up, and a lackluster ending), its positive aspects (variety of gameplay, numerous side quests, and nice graphics) outweigh the negatives.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates is a good game peppered with numerous little annoying bits. Still, the item acquisition, terrific fighting and solid graphics offer good adventure fun, and you could do a lot worse.

The game looks nice with some crazy/beautiful aerial dragon battles, and the sounds of combat nicely bring you into the scene. The Fun Factor improves any time Arokh is onscreen, but that doesn?t excuse the endless trudging through similar dungeon after similar dungeon; you can expect many a side quest to go unfinished. Toss in little failures like idiotic.

Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates isn’t a terrible game. In fact, 35% of it is quite good. It’s just that other 65% that is disappointingly lackluster. The moments where you’re soaring through the countryside burninating trolls and stuff are great but the bland dungeons are far too prevalent. Proceed with caution if you plan on giving Drakan a ride.