Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard (Windows)

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Description

For a thousand years a powerful secret has rested safely in the world of Eberron. It is the Heart of Siberys, a source of limitless power. Three factions now are to decide its fate: The Order of the Flame, The Umbragen and the Lizardfolk.

A Dungeon & Dragons logo on the box cover often means there's an advanced RPG inside. Not this time, however. The game is a real-time strategy game mixed with a lot of roleplaying elements.

The RTS part is streamlined in a way that makes this game quite different to play from other such games. The city building part is a simplified; the player doesn't have to build worker units or manage the layout of a city. The resource gathering is taken care of by normal units or even the player's hero. The game has a surface level and an underground level. Above ground units are commanded as in any other RTS, but below ground it's more like a hack-'n'-slash dungeon-crawler. The D&D rules apply, and many of the artifacts and spells will be familiar to D&D fans.

In the single player campaign the player chooses from four heroes before each map, each one with different qualities, and they can be equipped with various items before each mission. During the campaign the hero completes quests and side quests in traditional RPG style. Once they are solved, the player gains experience points that can be spent on upgrading units.

The game also contains multiplayer support and a map editor.

Screenshots

Promo Images

Alternate Titles

• "龙晶" -- Chinese spelling (simplified)
• "Dragonshard: Кристалл Всевластья" -- Russian spelling

Part of the Following Groups

• Covermount: PC Action
• Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Setting: Eberron
• Dungeons & Dragons (D&D / AD&D) licensees
• Physics Engine: PhysX
• Theme: Steampunk

User Reviews

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Critic Reviews

Game Chronicles	Nov 11, 2005	8.8 out of 10	88
GameSpot (Belgium/Netherlands)	Nov 07, 2005	87 out of 100	87
Gameplay (Benelux)	Oct 29, 2005	86 out of 100	86
Game Informer Magazine	Nov, 2005	8.25 out of 10	82
UOL Jogos	Oct 12, 2005		80
Game Informer Magazine	Nov, 2005	8 out of 10	80
PC Powerplay	Oct, 2005	80 out of 100	80
4Players.de	Nov 21, 2005	74 out of 100	74
GameSpy	Oct 03, 2005		70
1UP	Nov 02, 2005	7 out of 10	70

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Trivia

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Among the game's other features, Atari claimed that this was "The First DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Real-Time Strategy Experience". Not quite true... Blood & Magic came earlier, released in 1996, as did Fantasy Empires in '93 and even Shadow Sorcerer in '91.

Awards

• Computer Games Magazine
  • March 2006 - #6 Game of the Year 2005

Information also contributed by PCGamer77

Related Web Sites

• Dragonshard (Atari's Dragonshard website)
• Dragonshard Enclave (fan site dedicated to the game with news, information, downloads and a forum)
• Dragonshard Game Guide (on Game Pressure)
• Wikipedia - Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard (article in the open encyclopedia)