During the final day of PAX West, I had the chance to try the indie Zelda-like game Draco and the Seven Scales. The game is a retro-style throwback to the black and white Game Boy era, with classic chiptune music, and nostalgic sprites; but beneath the gorgeous aesthetics to this game are some modern gameplay mechanics that make this one a must-play for Zelda fans and for those who enjoy the action-adventure RPG’s of yesterday.
The 8-10 hour indie title was made by Ice Goat Games, a four-person developer team, mostly based in Seattle, with the music composer from Utah and the artist residing in Brazil. When asked about the inspiration for the game, the team specifically mentioned Star Tropics, Final Fantasy, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Draco and the Seven Scales definitely gives off similar vibes as these forebears and is full of charm.
During the demo, I got a chance to play a sequence that showed off the game’s inside-outside mechanic, which is used to create fun puzzles that are quite satisfying to solve. I controlled a pirate ship that was trapped in a bay of water; in order to escape, I had to dock at several ports and fight my way through forts to unlock the gates preventing my ship from progressing. During these land missions, I also rescued my imprisoned crew and was thus able to “man the cannons” on my ship. The overworld / dungeon puzzle scheme caused me to consider more than my immediate surroundings in order to solve puzzles and progress further into the demo. To be honest, it was simply a blast to play, as I bobbed my head to the catchy chiptune music.
I asked the dev team why they chose the 8-bit Game Boy aesthetics rather than a modern look. I found their answer revealing: “With more constraints comes more creativity.” This definitely reflects the vibe and feel of the game—very creative.
The demo ended with a boss fight against a giant Kraken, which required me to fight both from the sea and the land. After landing blows from my cannons, I had to quickly dock and fight my way to the internal vulnerabilities of the beast and slash away. It reminded me of some of the boss fights in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. As the demo came to an end, I left feeling that this game will be a day one purchase for me once it becomes available.
You can add Draco And The Seven Scales to your Steam Wishlist here.
Tell us what you think! Will you be trying Draco and the Seven Scales? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
Featured Image: Ice Goat Games
Leave a Reply