KING OF DRAGON PASS
Smarter than the average duck
It is recommended that you listen to the soundtrack while reading this review.
INTRODUCTION
Some of you may be asking yourselves "Why are you reviewing a game way back from 1999? Why even bother reviewing it since was such a commercial flop that it was only really popular in Finland? How can I take a game seriously when it has freaking duck people?!?"
Rabbit season motherers
Because it is in my opinion one of the forgotten jems of the past decade (Yes I know its it was more than a decade ago, but it doesn't feel that way to me damn it!) ; with a unique art style, a rich immersive background, and a unique blend of RPG and strategy to boot.
THE SETTING
King of Dragon Pass is set in Glorantha. Glorantha, as most of do not know, is a fantasy world where the Gods influence much of the aspects of life, where Humans, Ducks, Uz (trolls), Dragonnewts, all live with together in an almost Tolkienist setting.
(Not without its own unique differences)
The dragons are actually gypsies
The game itself actually takes place in Dragon Pass, a hard, dangerous place teeming with all manor of beast and dragonkin, not to mention the other clans.
Your people are that of the Orlanthi, a early iron age people named so after Orlanth the Storm God, chased out of your former home in the Heortland by the Pharaoh, a conquering warlord. The Orlanthi are a hardy folk with a barbarian-like quality who measure their wealth in cattle, and have 2 sacred laws, 1: No one can make you do anything, and 2:There is always another way. Their pantheon closely resembles that of the vikings and other polytheistic faiths, with such memorable gods as Euramel the trickster, Vinga the adventuress, and Uralda the Cow Mother.
"Pull my finger."
-Yousmeltit, god of overused jokes
Gameplay
Gameplay is a strange combination of strategy, rpg, and even Civ-like elements. You play not as one single character but as a whole clan, which is customize based on a series of decisions your people made long before they ever arrived at Dragon Pass, like who was your clans primary enemy, and whether not your clan was friendly with the Dragonnewts.
I told you we shouldn't invite them over for dinner, but noooo.
Be sure to act according to how your clan has done things in the past, because doing so may give you bonuses to your magic, while going against your ancestors will cost you. At the beginning of each year you are given a certain amount of magic points to either to be spent on blessing your crops, cattle, and other things,
or to be used to help aid in performing quests or conducting raids.
Damn it Gorden! I keep telling you, those weren't magic mushrooms, and you aren't a tree!
Most of your time will be spent on the clan management screens,
where you manage (Go figure!) inter-tribal relations, organize raids, reorganize your clan-ring, conduct trade, perform sacrifices to the gods, go on quests, explore the pass, and handle food production. This is where the game starts to show some cracks in an otherwise seamless shell, because it is a bit of a chore and doesn't really let up unless you are really prospering
Putting the "fun" in horticulture
But this is not where the main fun of the game comes from, as at the end of almost every turn a random event occurs, from one off events to chains that can lead to drastic changes in not only your clan but the all of Dragon pass! One unique aspect to this is that your clan ring, the leaders of your clan, can give advice on all decisions you have to make, from how much cropland you have to what to do when the ducks rise up and attack!
No, not that kind
THE GOAL
The goal depends entirely on how long a game you have chosen. For the short campaign you have to unite some of the clans into a tribe, with your clan leading it for 20 years (No easy task by itself.) The goal of the long campaign is not only to unite a tribe but to unite all the tribes under one king!
Gee, its not like its the title of the game or nothin
Should I get this game?
While the gameplay is fun at times, it is not the primary draw of the game. The artwork, all painstakingly hand painted,
is alone worth the price of admission, the soundtrack (as you may realize if you had listened to my advice) is just superb,
and the you can find yourself lost in just reading the many myths, legends, and history this world. Plus there are Ducks!
FREAKING DUCKS,
MAN
Author's Note
First off i want to say this is my first review, so please feel free to comment on what you think could make them better in the future, secondly it took me abit longer than i had planned to write this so now im a bit behind on my homework (whoops), and thirdly thank you for taking the time to read this, i hope i can do more in the future. Until then, here some more of my favorite pictures from the game.