Off the Shelf Media

I didn’t really know what to expect from RuneScape: Dragonwilds. As an avid fan of Old School RuneScape and many survival crafting games like Valheim, it seemed right in my wheelhouse. I was a bit confused about how on earth they could merge the two, but was happily surprised with the outcome. Dragonwilds is truly a fantastic game and one of the better releases this year, and is well worth your time and money. 

Gameplay: 2 

At the end of the day, this is a survival crafting game. The core gameplay loop is similar to games like Valheim. Enter a new zone, collect resources, level up gear, defeat the boss, advance to the next zone, and rinse and repeat. It also has many familiar mechanics such as farming, fishing, and cooking to keep your health and thirst meters from depleting too far. While much of this is commonplace in the genre, I think it really excels at folding the world of RuneScape into this puzzle. 

The skills are broken into a few groups: Combat, Gathering, Artisan, and Support. At this time, Agility is the only support one, but more are on the roadmap for the next year or so. Gathering is where I will start, as everyone knows the first thing you do in a survival crafting game is get wood and rocks to start making basic tools. Where this game changes this up is in the leveling system and the unlocks you get. For example, early levels are a bit tricky to cut down trees, but as you progress, you unlock magical spells like a spectral axe that can cut down a whole row of trees, and a splinter spell that automatically turns them into wood without needing to chop them down. 

This happens for each of the skills and really helps you feel the benefits of leveling them up even if they aren’t the focus for you in this game. Farming is a skill in games like this that many people detest because it seems like a chore, and having to water each plant is a time suck. As you level the skill, you gain access to spells like Humidify, which sends a massive rain cloud over your crop fields to water them for you. These spells not only speed things up, but they also connect you to the world of runecraft and how its magic works. 

Speaking of magic, none of this is possible without Runes. In order to cast any spells, there are required runes that you need, and there are several ways to get them. Many enemies drop them; there are astral vents you can find around the world, and there is its own dedicated skill, Runecrafting. There’s a special connection of creating these magical runes at your base, and then using them to cast a spell like Superheat, which increases how fast your fire-based crafting stations work. At its core, the thing I love about Old School RuneScape is how all these different skills feel connected and flow flawlessly together, and they managed to migrate that perfectly into this survival crafting world, which is remarkable. 

The last piece of gameplay I’ll speak to is the combat, which is pretty great. You have three main styles: Archery, Magic, and Melee. Each has its own variations such as crossbows versus longbows, wands versus staffs, or countless melee types to choose from. The one thing the game does really well is not lock you into one class or play style. You may think that you only want to be an archer, or just use your sword and shield, but it does a great job of incentivizing multiple attack styles and merging them together into a hybrid build based on your playstyle.

The combat itself is pretty well balanced as well. As you learn each skill, your basic day-to-day enemies become a bit more trivial, until you advance to the next zone and start over again. Where the combat really shines is the boss battles. Without spoiling anything, there are many major and minor bosses to defeat in Dragonwilds, and they are a great blend of difficulty. Sure, this game is not Elden Ring, where it feels impossibly challenging, but it’s also not something you can just walk your way through. It gets progressively more challenging and requires more and more preparation and tactics as you continue on. 

Overall, I would say the gameplay is the core piece of the game they really nailed. It is just a fun time to play, and I should note I have only played it single-player. The game currently does support up to four people in the same server with plans to expand even further down the line. The game seems perfectly built for co-op as well, and something a group can definitely enjoy together. 

Story: 1 

The main quest line is fairly interesting, and the game does have some interesting side characters you interact with in your time throughout the game. For a survival crafting game, you don’t expect this to be an extremely narrative-driven game, but the overarching story is pretty solid. This strange land you come to is filled with lore books and detailed side quests that flesh out each of the areas you are in, and give you more detail on the main storyline. 

As you progress, each region has new plot twists, and a lot of dragons to contend with. In no stretch would I say that the story in this game is bad, but for me at least, it seemed to be there just to advance you to the next region or boss fight. I’m sure there are some who enjoyed it way more than me, but it never really hooked me in. 

Atmosphere: 2

The world-building in this game is beautiful. Each region is uniquely designed and feels that way versus the randomly generated worlds we see in many games today. Every region has secrets and hidden side objectives that reward you with pretty good gear, and really incentivize you to explore and see all the world has to offer before moving on. 

The art design is phenomenal, and I often times found myself just pausing whatever I was doing to just enjoy the view of the world. Each region has its own themes and vibes that feel completely new when you enter them, and really change up how the game feels as you progress. 

The sound design is top-notch as well. From all of the combat to the iconic music tracks that have been redone from its original inspiration, Old School RuneScape. It flows well as you enter a darker area and spookier music comes on, or the calming, relaxing songs from the soundtrack kicking in when you are relaxing at your base. 

Value: 2

This game just left Alpha and did something that is rare in the gaming landscape today. It kept the price exactly the same. They didn’t feel the need to jack up the price now that they hit 1.0, and it’s clear that they are not done adding to the game. They have a clear roadmap of updates and changes, and have proven to be active listeners to the community and adjusted many things throughout the Alpha. 

At a price tag of just $29.99, I think this game is a steal. It’s an incredibly fun and beautiful-looking game that can be enjoyed solo or with a group of friends. There is a lot of game to be had here, and a lot of replayability. Anytime you can find a great game for less than $60, it’s a good deal, and in this case it’s half that. 

Duration: 2

The listed average I found online to beat this game is roughly 20-25 hours. However, I would be shocked to find anyone who only plays the game that long. The interesting side quests, objectives like reaching 99 in a skill, and agility courses, to name a few, give players lots of fun things to do as they progress through the story. I haven’t even discussed the base building much yet, and that is another area you can spend tons of time. 

There are lots of options to build really unique and cozy-looking homes for you to return to after your adventures around the world. In my own server, I built a nice house with rooms for cooking, crafting, storage, and a basic farm. However, if you go online, some people have built really intricate bases, including a remake of Lumbridge Castle from Old School RuneScape.

There is so much you can do and spend your time on that I feel it will be many more than 20-25 hours in this game for me. I’ve already put in about that many, and still haven’t even unlocked the final two zones of the map yet, so there is plenty of game to be had, especially at this price point. 

Total Score: 9/10

This is a tremendous game and a great leap into a crowded genre. They take a lot of things that work great from other games and put their own spin on it in the world of RuneScape that works flawlessly. Where I am really excited about this game is the future, as they have plans for 2027 and beyond to continue to add regions, quests, and bosses. I would strongly recommend picking this one up, especially if you have a group of three friends who want to explore the Dragonwilds together.