Dragonkin: The Banished (PS5) Review: Affordable Hack and Slash RPG

While Diablo is the gold standard for hack-and-slash action RPGs, it’s far from the only offering. PlayStation gamers were recently treated to a unique budget-priced one in Dragonkin: The Banished, which is well worth checking out for fans of the genre. While it might not have the production value of some of its competitors, there are plenty of interesting ideas in Eko Software’s latest game.

Dragonkin doesn’t reinvent the hack-and-slash genre, which means there is little learning curve when you start. An optional tutorial will let you check out all four of the game’s classes, ranging from melee-focused Knight and Barbarian warriors to a magic-based Oracle and a range-fighting Archer, but you can get right into the action if you already know your preferred play style. You’re quickly destroying swaths of enemies and hunting down dragons, whose blood has corrupted the world you explore, and it feels great. The studio has experience in the genre with games like Warhammer: Chaosbane, and that experience shows here as it has a really satisfying combat loop.

One of the early things you’ll notice is that the presentation can suffer a bit compared to the genre’s behemoths. The voice acting is really bad, the story is convoluted and needed to be edited, and some of the finer gameplay systems aren’t explained well. The downsides are basically all things you’d expect from a budget-priced adventure, although the game’s art style and breadth of content far outpunch its paltry price tag, and there are some really impressive aspects if you stick with it.

Dragonkin: The Banished - Launch Trailer | PS5 Games

Dragonkin: The Banished’s most distinct mechanic is also its strongest reason to check it out. Called the Ancestral Grid, this unique skill system allows you to place abilities on the grid and then modify them with various fragments (ranging from damage boosts to those that trigger other skills from your animal sidekick). You really get to customize your build in such a unique way that your character truly feels like your character, and those who like to try different builds will have a wild time experimenting with it. While you can only have five main abilities, it is such a brilliant system and one I’d love to see expanded upon in the future.

The game also has a fun city development system, which allows you to choose upgrades for your hub as you make your way through the game. From different shops to being able to unlock various enchantments, it helps you really feel like you’re accomplishing something. Whether you’re building your city solo or working with friends on a co-op adventure, Dragonkin: The Banished does a good job of rewarding the player as it goes on and making its main gameplay loop a satisfying one. It’s just a well-designed game at its core.

Dragonkin: The Banished (PS5) Review: Final Verdict

Priced at just $24.99, there’s no doubt that Dragonkin: The Banished delivers a lot of interesting ideas and a fun hack-and-slash experience. While there are some presentation issues and the plot isn’t easy to follow, those who dive in will be rewarded with its unique skill system and city development. Hopefully, this isn’t the last time we get to visit this fantasy world, as Eko Software could do something special with a sequel.