Summary

  • RuneScape: DragonWilds delivers an impressive survival experience with standout building mechanics and quality-of-life magical abilities. 
  • Perfectly balances accessibility for newcomers with nostalgic touches for RuneScape veterans even in its Early Access state.
  • The DragonWilds is a worthy addition to both the RuneScape franchise and the survival crafting genre.

Jagex made an entry to the MMORPG franchise with its surprise Early Access release of the survival crafting game, Runescape: DragonWilds. It’ll have dragons soaring over your head alongside its poisonous breath attacks and building system. Dive into this game with this Runescape: DragonWilds review. 

A Survival Experience with RuneScape DNA

This new Runescape: DragonWilds will have players gathering resources, building shelter, and surviving in Ashenfall. One of the greatest challenges that they’ll encounter here is the intimidating Dragon Queen. This game follows the familiar skills and progression systems in previous Runescape titles. 

What’s new in Runescape: DragonWilds is the addition of survival mechanics like thirst, hunger, and rest management. This is unique compared to other survival games due to its magic system. Players can cast spells like Eye of Oculus allowing players to build remotely by leaving their avatar’s body. With this, players can better manage complex construction projects. 

Moreover, they can use the Axtral Projection to efficiently gather resources by having multiple trees fall at once. There are also combat spells that allow players to deal with the threats. Runescape: DragonWilds perfectly blends in the nostalgic mechanics and systems with its new contents. Even newcomers can jump right into it without prior Runescape experience. 

A Building System That Rivals Valheim

Perhaps, the building mechanics for Runescape: DragonWilds stand as its most impressive feature. It offers an intuitive snapping system allowing pieces to rotate freely around vertical axes, more than cardinal directions. They can also raise and lower building components with precision. If you want to loosely create based on your creativity, you can turn off the snap.

This goes beyond expected for an Early Access release. There are also extensive structural pieces you can unlock in the crafting table. It includes half walls, double doors, and multiple roof pitches. While these details may appear minor for combat-focused players, these features are impressive for base builders. 

It seems to be reminiscent of Valheim where there is another layer of complexity to the building process. Moreover, it follows realistic structural guides by providing visual warnings for unstable buildings. Using the spells for remote building allows players to have creative, free control of their buildings.

Danger in the Skies and Survival on the Ground

Runescape: DragonWilds features threatening dragons to challenge every combat experience. They have poisonous breath that can penetrate improperly built shelters. So, players really need to build their base for survival and not based on aesthetics.

Other than dragons, players will also face goblins and other threats while managing their basic needs. There are plenty of food and water resources in the game world you can discover through exploration. Although drinking unboiled water can risk and make your character sick. You also need to rest properly in the shelter you build in the game.

There is a bedroll system provided to respawn after death. With this, your progress isn’t completely lost despite losing against dragon fire or other hands. It helps players to keep their momentum even after challenging encounters. 

Early Access Roadmap and Future Potential

In its Early Access phase, Runescape: DragonWilds continues to grow its community. Jagex already released the first roadmap consisting of new content additions such as biomes, dragon fights, and more skills. The current version already stands out for having fewer bugs and more features upon launch. 

Due to this, Runescape: DragonWilds immediately gained significant traction on Steam which dethroned other popular top-selling titles. It seems the game’s on the right track with its healthy player base and support from developers. 

Is It Worth Your Time?

It’ll definitely be worth the time playing Runescape: DragonWilds for players who like survival crafting. Unlike other titles, it is unique with its exceptional building tools paired with a magic system that enhances the gameplay experience. Also, it is extremely beginner-friendly despite being part of a game franchise. You can freely explore your creative side in Jagex’s new dragon MMORPG.