A world where candy is a precious commodity to be mined and sold. A prison where the bars aren't always so obvious. A beast that slumbers beneath the ocean, dreaming of a brighter world. And now? Gregory Weir wants you to choose your own path in How to Raise a Dragon, an interactive story with more than one outcome. A lot more.
This game is about you. Well, actually, it's about a newly hatched dragon, but the narrative that unfolds as you progress does a surprisingly good job about drawing you into the role. You'll begin the game breaking out of your egg, all alone in the middle of the forest. Well, except for all these intriguing plants and bugs to eat. But it won't stay that idyllic for long. Use the [arrow] keys to move right and left around the screen, and [X] to eat certain things. While early on tapping [Z] or [Y] will only make you jump, as you progress you'll be able to tap it twice to leap even higher, or multiple times to fly. And of course, once you get old enough, you can use [C] to breathe fire. Or maybe something... else?
The story unfolds over four chapters, each with different things to see and do. While you can barrel through the game in under five minutes if you really try, you'll be missing a lot. The second chapter is where your decisions start to have real importance, so take your time, explore, and consider your options. Do you want vengeance? Do you want to forgive? Or do you just want to be left alone?
Once you complete the story, the game allows you to return to any chapter you like and play from there on. It's a nice touch that lets you really explore everything the story has to offer, without necessarily replaying the entire thing. Although, why you wouldn't want to, we can't imagine. Unless you were a robot with a heart of circuitry and gears for imagination. You're not a robot, are you?
Analysis: While it doesn't have quite the emotional impact of The Majesty of Colors, How to Raise a Dragon is still pretty impressive. Being able to reach an end more ambivalent than either laying waste to everything you see or being the sort of dewy-eyed protector fourteen-year-old girls doodle in their notebooks was refreshing. I just wish it were longer; I felt like the bulk of the outcome was riding solely on that second chapter, and it would have been nice to have more than one or two decisions determine my destiny.
But what the story lacks in length it makes up for in charm. The pages from the fictional book the story mimics appear before and after major decisions, and do a great job of gently guiding you to your objectives without making you feel like the game is yelling, "HEY STUPID. WHY DONTCHA FLAP ON OVER HERE?" A more direct approach, or telling you exactly which items did what, would have both made the player feel hectored and taken away the great sense of wonder the game has.
While this story unfortunately isn't dragon-bite-sized, it remains a solidly enjoyable treat. It doesn't break any molds the way Gregory Weir's previous games have, but it does tell one heck of a story. And with so many potential outcomes, why not take a different path next time and see what the future holds?
Update: Gregory Weir has made an update that incporates several fixes, a new behaviour, and the ability to use the [Y] key as an alternative jump key.
Walkthrough Guide
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How to raise a dragon Walkthrough
Hatchling Phase
During this phase your only goal is to eat some food to pick your color. Has no effect on later parts of the game.
Adolescent Phase
In this phase there are four different outcomes.
Fire - to get the fire breath you need to eat four things that have fire. There is a fireplace on the , a candle, a fire potion, and a torch. The fireplace is at the bottom of the tower you start in, the candle is in the second tower, the fire potion in the third, and the torch is in the well. You can leave either through the well or by burning the hay in the bottom of the third tower.
Healing - For healing there are 3 potions and some mushrooms you will need to eat. The mushrooms are in the well, One of the potions is in the far right tower, and the other two are in the middle tower. You can use your new breath power on the wizard to heal him.
Plant - For the plant breath you need to eat the four plants. One is located in the second tower, one is in between the first and second towers, one on top of the first tower, and one in the fountain to the left of the first tower. Use your plant breath on the tree to the left to climb over the wall.
No power - To exit with no power simple escape through the bottom of the well without eating anything.
Behaviors
Fertile - Use plant breath on the crops
Fiery - Set buildings/plants/people on fire.
Necormatic - Kill and raise some humans to make zombies.
Rampaging - Stomp on/eat a bunch of humans
Reclusive - Don't interact with the humans
Wild - Use plant breath on everything.
Healer - Heal the dead people animals, but not the ones that died in war. There can be no zombies.
Titles
Guardian - Have a good behavior and reside in the town.
Tyrant - Have an oppressive behavior and reside in the town.
Watcher - Have a good behavior and reside on the cliff
Scourge - Have an oppressive behavior and reside on the cliff.
Heroes
There are 5 hero endings. One for killing the Dragon, one for being killed by the Dragon, one for befriending a good Dragon, another for befriending a bad dragon, and one for killing the dragon and being killed by the dragon at the same time.
[Walkthrough updated 07/03 due to game update. ~Kero]
Posted by: Kero | June 25, 2009 10:17 PM