Rise of the Dragon

(This is based on my fond memories of the Sega CD version) Rise of the Dragon is not a friendly game. You can die easily, and often. Even by doing something as simple(and stupid) as walking out of your apartment without getting dressed. (You had that one coming.) But it's rich in cyberpunk, choice and consequence, and awesome dialogue trees. If the PC version is half as good as the classic Sega CD version(and I'm sure it is), you're in for a treat. It's not as good as Snatcher, of course, but it's a damn fine effort.

This is the game that brought me to GOG. I never would have signed up if it wasn't for this game. I've been trying to find it since I lost the floppy disk. The artwork is incredible. The story is captivating. You suffer from real life choices. Save often and in multiple forms. Because you never know when a single choice may lead you down a horrible road later on in the game. I really hope to find more games like this on GOG. Maybe have a nostalgia section for old games like this?

As others have mentioned, nostalgia is the primary reason to play Rise of the Dragon—either nostalgia for this game specifically, or for early-90s point-and-click games generally. On these terms, Rise of the Dragon delivers a fairly decent experience. You play as a hardboiled rogue cop/private detective who must save a cyberpunk version of LA from a supervillain (your character actually seems to hate the city, but I suppose that is par for the course). The story is hokey, predictable, and stocked with cliches, but it is not without interest, and it even contains a sprinkling of self-improvement (basically, you need to be decent to your girlfriend to have a shot at beating the game). Gameplay consists of moving through locations in the city, interacting with characters, and picking up and using items, mostly so you can find new locations closer to the final showdown. Some elements of gameplay are clunky or finicky (or both) and the arcade sequences are totally derivative and forgettable, but the game does have a certain atmosphere to it—the individual locations are well designed, and there is a comic book motif that adds to the ambience. True to the genre and time period, Rise of the Dragon also contains some creative game-ending moments; I half expected my character to die from drinking the rusty water from his own taps. Overall, it’s worth a look, if you have an interest in games from this period.

Of the three Dynamix adventure games, I have the vaguest memory of ‘Rise of the Dragon’. I remember playing it, but I don’t recall much about its story or characters. Having just replayed it, I can understand why it didn’t leave a very strong impression on me. First, I must state that ‘RotD’ is a great looking game. It captures the cyberpunk aesthetics very well, and the art reminds me of some science fiction comics curated by Heavy Metal magazine. Even visual artifacts that came from scanning the hand-drawn art using early generations of scanners didn’t take away its beauty. ‘RotD’ is also a fine adventure game. While you do race against time, it’s not punishing, for small missteps don’t mean immediate failure. Yet, if you know what you’re doing, ‘RotD’ can be a very short game with moments of waiting for time-triggered events. It has a mature story with multiple possible endings, but it’s rather formulaic. If it weren’t for the art, I’d have forgot about ‘RotD’ all together. The game is also problematic in other areas. These include the annoying action sequences, which can thankfully be skipped upon 5 failed attempts; a frustrating puzzle that requires exact placement of items down to the pixel; and portrayal of Chinese as either wise oracles or evil gangsters that’s borderline offensive even back in the day. ‘RotD’ is a product of its time. Yet, some clichés that are less cool nowadays can be a bit charming when viewed through a nostalgic lens. It’s amusing that the hero is named William “Blade” Hunter, when the game’s aesthetics is clearly inspired by ‘Blade Runner’, the movie. Even his girlfriend calls him “Blade” instead of “Bill” or “Will”, likely because anything but will make him seem less masculine! ‘RotD’ is a game held back by its triteness and short length, but elevated by its aesthetics. While its flaws become more apparent with time, it’s still a fun adventure. It’s worth checking out as part of exploring Dynamix’s adventure game library.