Dragonriders: Chronicles Of Pern - Dreamcast

Video games based upon best-selling novels are rare, and seldom do any of these games become hugely successful. But there are exceptions, one of which is the release of Dragonriders of Pern on Dreamcast. Based upon Anne McCaffrey’s best selling series, the first computer incarnation of the chronicles will cover and document the entire history of 16-book series.

As a young Dragon Rider, you embark upon a mission with other Riders to seek a new leader after the death of your existing one. But in natural role-playing style, the game plot takes a turn for the worse, as a deadly disease spreads across the land. It is at this point that you discover you are the only person standing preventing the destruction of Pern.

While the 3D visuals of the Dreamcast version of the game maybe a little less polished than those seen for the PC, Dragonriders still looks stunning. The playing environments are lush, vast and varied. Also, a real-time environment complete with night and daytime cycles improves the realism of this game considerably. Within these playing arenas you will come across numerous non-playable characters, each with their own unique personalities. You must use the clues given to you by these people to solve the mysteries in the land of Pern. There is plenty of combat on the way, yes, but much of Dragonriders is a game of intelligence and wits. After all, all the combat in the world will not help you overcome a locked door or gate.

Dragonriders of Pern maybe one of the Dreamcast’s dying releases, but it doesn’t disappoint. It’s an enthralling, challenging game that will have you losing your sense of time in the real world. Highly immersive. more