Drakan: The Ancients' Gates

a.k.a. Drakan 2

published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2002-01-30, developed by Surreal Software, running on PlayStation 2
type: action/reflex, adventure, role-play
genre: Fantasy, Action-Adventure
series: Drakan
perspective: 3rd person 1st person
player options: single player
game engine: Riot
languages: eng
4.4/5

Personal review

Unlike its predecessor, "Drakan 2" had actual role-playing elements thrown in, though only limited to gaining experience and selecting which of the three skills (melee, ranged or magic) you increased with time. This was refreshing, since you couldn't max her out on everything (not even two of 'em), so it paid to pick out one as your strongest skill and the others as nice backup plans :)

The game felt annoyingly claustrophobic to me compared to the previous game which had vast-ish locales with plenty of room to walk in any direction. With Drakan 2 this was changed for tighter areas that seemed to stop too soon in any direction for my liking. Even when flying with Arokh the areas were awfully tight and you had to contend with the other dragons for space in your aerial battles. Only in few places did you have sufficient room, compared to the previous game where you pretty much always had plenty of room (except maybe when you were flying in the tunnels, but that's a given). In Drakan 2 you're flying over "vast" deserts and whatnot, yet you have almost as much space as you had in some subterranean caverns in the previous game.

The joy of seeing, and playing as, Rynn and Arokh again were enough for me when I first played this game (actually years after it was quietly released), but the game is sadly not particularly outstanding despite being the successor of the best dragonriding game I've ever played (yet).


# 2007-07-30 15:13:26

Official descriptions (2)

In the ancient, decaying world of Drakan, the immortal Spirit Dragons are being held captive. Rynn, a brave female warrior, and Arohk, a fearless dragon, are called upon to save these spiritual leaders, as well as the last remnants of mankind. Embarking on an enchanted journey through eight vast, foreign environments, Rynn and Arohk use magical spells, resourcefulness, and more than 50 powerful weapons in their quest to save civilization. With an immersive story line, stunning graphics, and intense battles, Drakan: The Ancients' Gates places you within a world of magical creatures, mysterious lands, and courageous conquests.

# 2013-09-26 19:04:48 - official description
In the ancient, decaying world of Drakan, the immortal Spirit Dragons are held captive, as a fearsome alien race called the Desert Lords overrun the land. Rynn and Arokh return in this sequel to critially acclaimed Drakan: Order of the Flame to awaken the ancient Dragons of The Order and free the land from its oppressors.

Embarking on an enchanted journey through eight vast, foreign environments, Rynn and Arokh utilize magic spells, resourcefulness and more that 50 powerful weapons in their quest to save civilization. With an immersive storyline, stunning graphics and intense battles, Drakan: The Ancients' Gates places you within a world of magical creatures, mysterious lands and courageous conquests!

Surreal - # 2007-07-30 14:58:00 - official description - source

Comments (2)

missing images: title and actual in-game screens (both on foot, riding arokh, possibly when fighting with bow and magic)

Sanguine # 2008-11-07 15:47:58
GTIN: 711719342229

Product ID: SCES-50006

Sanguine # 2008-08-15 11:50:13

Technical specs

software: Riot,
display: textured polygons

External reviews (3) - average: 83.3% - median: 81%

review sourceissuedatescore
Consoles + (1-155)fr1222002-0391/10091%
IGN2002*8.1/1081%
Metacritic2002*78/10078%
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