Dragonsphere – Final Rating

Written by Vetinari

Our friend Douglas Kaufman put forth some very strong words in the design notes for Dragonsphere, saying that “we've got the best product” and “we like to think we have the competition beat in every category”.

“And I stand by what I said!” – Doug Kaufman, probably.

I cannot deny that this game is much better than the two previous MPS Labs adventures, but will it be enough for a high PISSED rating? Let's see with the breakdown categories below.

Dragonsphere – Won!

Written by Vetinari

Buckle up for the last part of this Dragonsphere playthrough, where we are going back into the castle of Gran Callahach to return to King Callash his soul.

As soon as we arrive, we are greeted by the captain of the Queen Mother's guards, who tries to arrest us under her boss's orders. Here we have another one of this game dialogue navigation puzzles, where we have to avoid answers which will anger the captain and instead try to sway her to our side.

Yeah, tell me about it.

The actual winner here is to offer something to her, because that turns out not to actually be a bribe, you know. In fact, the captain says cryptically “the only thing in the world I truly want, you cannot give me”.

Dragonsphere – Space Oddity

Written by Vetinari

First thing as I leave the Hightower mountains, I decide to travel to Slathan ni Pathan to get my shifter ring back. It's not such a good idea, because the two imbeciles who guard the access to the swampland have decided that since the new developments any shifter is fair play to be run through with their halberds.

Callahach's finest.

I try everything, telling them that I am a shifter that just wants to go home, that I am NOT a shifter, that I don't know anything at all, this exchange always ends with me getting shish-kebabbed by these two dumbasses.

Dragonsphere – Changes

Written by Vetinari

Welcome back to Dragonsphere! After a plot twist that my teenage self would have absolutely adored (and one year before The Usual Suspects as well), the game let us take back control of our now-unnamed protagonist in Sanwe's empty study, after the explosive defeat of the sorcerer.

He was more of a technomancer, anyway.

I scavenge among the debris and find many useful things inside Sanwe's former inner sanctum. I get a large black sphere from the ground, the only remains of the powerful circle of spheres which powered the sorcerer's magical abilities.

Dragonsphere - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

Written by Vetinari

Here we are, at the final leg of our quest: inside Tyre nak Branwe, the Dragon's Tears, Sanwe's tower where he was imprisoned oh so many years ago. I will just start exploring the place and...

Oops.

That evil (literally) eye there on the right wall just threw a bolt of lightning at me, killing me instantly. Not to worry, though, because I have the very inventory item that can be used in this kind of circumstances.

Dragonsphere – Beauty and the Beast

 Written by Vetinari

Before getting to the Hightower Mountains, the game subjects me to another cutscene.

Gee, calm down girl!

Lak-Hella reminds Fiona that “before he vanished” Ner-Tom said that the sorcerer would emerge when the dragonsphere had burst apart, and that is not even close to happening. Then suggests that Fiona go to the courtyard and play at javelins to calm her nerves. (Play at javelins? How do you play at javelins exactly? And isn't that an unseemly activity for a lady?)

Dragonsphere - Quicksand

Written by Vetinari

Before travelling to the desert, I take stock of my inventory and notice something very interesting.

This is the description of the bird figurine I just got from the Butterfly King...

...and this is one special action command from the sword.

I try to carve up the figurine, and, as expected, I manage to construct a crude flute.

Dragonsphere - Oh! You Pretty Things

Written by Vetinari

Last time in this Dragonsphere playthrough we were just about to embark in a voyage across the Kingdom of Callahach starting from our own castle of Gran Callahach. When exiting the castle waystation, the game takes you to the map of the Kingdom, with the various realms that you can visit: Soptus Ecliptus, Brynn-Fann, Slathan ni Patan and Tyre nak Branwe, Sanwe's tower.

I decide to visit the Slathans first, because they seem to be the underdogs of this fantasy world. It is cool that, while the realms that you haven't visited yet appear on the map as just icons, when you go to them they change to a real 3D version of the place.

Before...

...and after.

Dragonsphere - Heroes

Written by Vetinari

Welcome back to Dragon Ball – I mean Dragonsphere.

The two plots have some passing similarities, i.e. very few dragons.

We start the game proper with former Prince now King Callash in his chambers, being woken up by his wife Fiona (who is now the Queen, I guess?) saying that the dragonsphere is stirring more forcefully with every passing moment.

I just love that one of the possible answers to this dialogue is just “Let me sleep. We'll destroy the sorcerer another day.” We've all been there, right?

Anyway, Fiona and the Queen Mother (that is, Callash's mom) will await our hero in the council chamber before his departure. Callash makes his morning ablutions and then changes clothes, saying that, as per his teacher of etiquette, you must “do nothing in the clothes in which you sleep, except sleep”. Callash thinks that this is very sound advice even if he found some exceptions to the rule as he grew older. Okay, let's keep it PG-13, game.

Game 159: Dragonsphere - Introduction (1994)

Written by Vetinari

Welcome to the first game of 1994 which will be reviewed for The Adventurers Guild!

What do you mean “there are other games from 1993 that haven't been played yet”? Hey buddy, I don't make the rules, I just follow them! They told me I could start with the first game from 1994 in the Master List, and since this game came out in January 1994, it is as good a candidate for this as any other. So, do me a favour, random internet stranger which I just made up for the purposes of starting this introduction post, and slink back into the shadows from whence you came. Really, the nerves of some people...

Where was I? Oh yes, Dragonsphere.

Why have I chosen to play and review Dragonsphere? Because of two factors: 1) it is commonly regarded as the best of the three adventure games which came out from Microprose, and 2) dragons. Everything is better with dragons.