Upcoming RPG Dragon Sword’s dragon riding mechanic is inspired by the Zelda series’ freedom of movement
South Korean developer HOUND13 is currently working on Dragon Sword, a semi open world action RPG slated for a global release on PC and mobile platforms. In a recent interview at the G Star 2024 game exhibition, HOUND13 CEO Jung Sic Park and Dragon Sword’s director No-Chang Kwak gave insight into the game’s influences and what players can expect (Source: 4Gamer).
Dragon Sword will incorporate action elements from HOUND 13’s Hundred Soul, however Park explains that “The worldview and story are new, so we would be pleased if people perceive it as a new game that combines our past technologies with new challenges.” Dragon Sword will have a single player mode in which players can enjoy the epic story and explore the fantasy world, as well as an online multiplayer mode that focuses on PvE play. “Our goal is to design the game so that you can cycle between playing single player and multiplayer.” The director explains.
The director likens the plot to that of a Japanese shounen manga. Players will step into the shoes of protagonist Lute, with the tone starting off as casual and comical as you get to know Lute’s allies, with the story switching to a more serious tone as it progresses. Unsurprisingly, considering the title, dragons will play a pivotal role in the large-scale story. “Dragons are the most important and vicious beings in the world,” Kwak explains. “The main focus of the story is the conflict between humans and dragons, however dragons are not merely beasts – some possess ‘an intelligence on par with humans,’ and you will gradually discover the truth behind these beings.”
As shown in the trailers (the most recent trailer above was released two weeks ago), riding dragons and other creatures will be a big part of the gameplay. These familiars will be indispensable for exploring the world, with some areas only reachable by mount. These creatures, which include plants, beasts, birds and insects among others, will follow your party around in cute miniature form when you are wandering around on foot, increasing in size when you decide to ride. “You will definitely become attached to them.” says Kwak. Each character in your party starts out with a mount, and you will be able to acquire more as you progress through the game.
The idea of exploring the world on dragonback and while riding other creatures came from one of Nintendo’s big franchises. Park explains “I love Japan’s Legend of Zelda series and have always been interested in the freedom of movement that you find in those games. If we were going to introduce such movement in our game, we wanted to also increase it in terms of action and scale. So, in Dragon Sword, you can not only fly while mounted but also travel in various other ways.”
The game’s title Dragon Sword uses two words that are often used in video game titles (Dragon Quest, Dragon’s Dogma, and Broken Sword, to name a few). HOUND13 reveals that they wanted something simple and memorable. The naming style seems to have been inspired in part by the title of the film Top Gun. “Even though the name doesn’t directly refer to fighter planes nor pilots, everyone knows it’s a movie about fighter planes (partly due to the name being so recognized). The ‘Gun’ part (…) implies that the characters are ace pilots who are as fast as bullets.” Park explains. “I like this style of naming very much. The title of Dragon Sword reflects the story in which Lute and the other main characters are like ‘a sword against the dragons’.”
Although Dragon Sword doesn’t have a release date yet, Park reveals that they are aiming to launch a Beta test sometime in 2025. The full game will eventually be released worldwide, however, its launch will be staggered between regions.
Dragon Sword will be published on PC and mobile platforms by Webzen. The release date is TBA.
