Dragon's Crown Pro (Review)

By: TheJewphinDragon's Crown was a 2D action roleplaying game produced by Atlus that was originally released on the PS3 in 2013. Dragon's Crown pro is a re-release of the same game on the PS4 with improved graphics and audio. While the additions to the original Dragon's Crown don't justify a repurchase of the game, for those who did not originally get into Dragon's Crown, Dragon's Crown Pro is an excellent way to dive in.The plot of Dragon's Crown is fairly straightforward. There is a magical MacGuffin that needs to get got and you and your band of warriors, thieves, and mages are just the band of people to get it. It's a tale as old as RPG time and there really isn't any interesting diversion or nuance from the standard fare. The plot just acts as connective tissue to the side-scrolling beat-em-up action.The gameplay, visual design, and sound design are where Dragon's Crown really shines. The upgraded graphics highlight the visual polish of the game while the re-recorded music using a live orchestra adds a beautiful feel to the different areas you explore.Gameplay-wise, Dragon's Crown differentiates itself from other side-scrolling beat-em-ups by making each class feel very distinct in its gameplay. For instance, the fighter is a melee class that specializes in defense, but can also throw his sword for extra-ranged damage (though he has to pick up his sword again to be effective). The sorceress, on the other hand, excels at dealing massive damage, but must recharge her MP mid-battle to be able to cast more spells.Graphically, Dragon's Crown does not strive to be the most detailed or visually realistic game. Yet the artwork of Dragon's Crown more than makes up for the lack of realism in the graphics. Dragon's Crown employs an almost Baroque art style, focusing bright contrasts that visually highlight the exceptionally proportioned people in the game.And when I say exceptionally proportioned, I do not mean accurate or even attractive. The proportions of people in this game, as with a lot of Baroque art, are, to use scientific terms, way out of whack. The men in the game tend to have torsos with more muscles than exist in the human body while the women sport breasts that are easily larger than their head. The features of each character are disproportioned almost to the level of parody. In fact, the sizes and shapes of each character are so absurd that they do not even feel sexual. Yet the ridiculous appearance of the characters only strengthens the fun of the game, highlighting that this is a ridiculous action/adventure and nothing more.Dragon's Crown was a great game on the PS3, and Dragon's Crown Pro gives people who missed out the opportunity to play the game with friends across platforms. If you liked Castle Crashers and other beat-em-up games or are just looking for a fun multiplayer game to play with your friends, I highly recommend Dragon's Crown.You can pick up Dragon's Crown here![arve url="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thegeeklygrin-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B0794Y8FLW&asins=B0794Y8FLW&linkId=82d8a674a9ff3cec7bfacd0a5eefe07b&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" /]