5 Reasons Not to Let Dragon’s Crown Pro Pass You By

5) Enhanced Visuals and Newly-Recorded Soundtrack

 Reasons Not to Let Dragon’s Crown Pro Pass You By

If you first caught Dragon’s Crown when it released back on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita in 2013, you already know how great it looked and sounded even back then. Five years later, Dragon’s Crown Pro has augmented its graphical presentation and soundtrack in a big way. This time around, the port features high definition graphics with 4K resolution support and a newly-recorded soundtrack performed by a live orchestra.

If you like dual-language support, the game has you covered there, too. While the English voiceover cast did a fantastic job, Dragon’s Crown Pro lets you swap between English and Japanese audio so you can appreciate the original actors’ work as well.

Vanillaware is known for its ornate visuals usually drawn in an attractive storybook style, and Dragon’s Crown Pro takes this to the next level, with gorgeous characters, lush environments, and crisp illustrations that help bring every scene to life. These upgrades are instantly noticeable in the various detailed animations, lighting effects, and tweaks to creator George Kamitani’s designs. There’s a lot to be excited for if you’re interested in the aesthetics department, that’s for sure.

4) Online Cross-Play and Cross-Save Compatibility

 Reasons Not to Let Dragon’s Crown Pro Pass You By

The original Dragon’s Crown was available on both PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, and it allowed cross play between devices. Cross-platform gaming and saving are features that often tend to be overlooked these days, so the fact that Dragon’s Crown Pro has updated the game to support cross play is a boon. Cross-platform saves and multiplayer between PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita versions will all be supported, which means no one has to be left out of the fun, even if you don’t want to upgrade to the new version.

This will mean the game will be open to more players (including your friends who don’t like buying games twice) so you can relax and get your multiplayer on together. And if you don’t want to play with others and just want to bring your saves to the new version, you can do that as well. It’s a lot more accessible this time around, so no one has to sit things out or buy anything new to get back in on the fun. That’s reason enough to celebrate the release, to be honest.

3) Unique Storybook Adventure

 Reasons Not to Let Dragon’s Crown Pro Pass You By

If you’re into Western high fantasy stories, Dragon’s Crown Pro has plenty to offer, weaving a richly-detailed yarn that takes place in the Kingdom of Hydeland. It’s the same universe, incidentally, as the other Vanillaware titles GrimGrimoire and Odin Sphere, though it’s all taking place at a different time and in a different location than those games. A cast of various characters are tasked with retrieving a legendary relic known as the Dragon’s Crown, and you jump into the shoes of one of six different adventurers to steal it away from those who would use it for nefarious purposes.

In an age where dismal sci-fi landscapes and unimaginative dirt-encrusted visions of war prevail, an injection of fantasy narrative (with an extensive color palette) is a sight for sore eyes, and that’s exactly what you get with Dragon’s Crown Pro in terms of narrative and visuals. It’s just like playing through an interactive storybook, whether you’re exploring alone or with friends, and there’s nothing else that looks or feels quite like it out there right now.

2) Local Couch Co-op and Online Multiplayer

 Reasons Not to Let Dragon’s Crown Pro Pass You By

Dragon’s Crown Pro offers one of the things players clamor for with nearly every new multiplayer release out there: local and online multiplayer and co-op play, and it does it very well. Cooperative play is absolutely where the game excels, and as such you’ll need to try it at least once or twice to feel as though you’re getting your money’s worth. Formulating battle plans with friends to tackle more difficult sections on harder modes is satisfying and exhilarating, and it’s never felt so natural, especially in a modern release.

If you’re someone who appreciates the ability to play with others, whether in your living room or halfway across the world, Dragon’s Crown Pro offers that, and you can add it to your growing list of party games or titles perfect to bond with others over. Working together to tackle difficult tasks is always perfect for game nights.

1) Signature Vanillaware Gameplay and Style

 Reasons Not to Let Dragon’s Crown Pro Pass You By

Dragon’s Crown Pro is built from tried-and-true methods handed down from game after game generation: the beat-’em-up, but it also has Vanillaware’s signature style to lean on here. It’s your goal to reach point B from point A, moving left to right as needed. As monstrosities and other unsavory individuals jump out in your way, you tear into them, leaving behind a trail of bloodied enemy carcasses in your wake. Mechanically speaking, it’s kid’s stuff.

Fortunately, Vanillaware ups the ante by altering the landscape of typically interchangeable character classes and imparting elements it has incorporated in some of its previous games, such as Odin Sphere. Rather than relegating players to samey warriors and plodding barbarians and the like, the game offers a plethora of avatars, each with their own unique play style, and they’re a dream to play as. The game boasts an impressive range of abilities for each class. Not only do they feel great to execute, but they’re also visually arresting.

As soon as you boot the game up, you know you’re in for something good, and it shows. There’s a certain level of polish that gamers have come to expect from Vanillaware’s cadre of titles, and you certainly get it in droves here with Dragon’s Crown Pro.