Let's Join The Hunt!note .
Dragon Project is a free-to-play MMORPG for Android and iOS, developed by Colopl (a child company of Sega), and published by Go-Game for the Global release. The gameplay is similar to Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise, as players team up with a group of four to take on giant monsters called Behemoths. The Global Anniversary trailer can be seen here to see what the game looks like.
A long time ago, the kingdom of Heiland was a peaceful land to live, until the massive crimson dragon, Tiamat, unleashes the horrific Hex of Tiamat, turning once normal animals into the massive and hostile Behemoths. All hope seems lost until a brave spear-wielding hunter named Altair steps in to fight the demonic dragon. Altair successfully defeats the dragon and is hailed as a hero. However, Behemoths are still on the rise, posing a threat to the Kingdom of Heiland, and possibly the world. To combat the threat, the Kingdom of Heiland opens up a guild of hunters to battle the Behemoths, and you are one of them.
Sadly, the game's Japanese servers shut down in June 27 2019, while the game's global servers shut down in September 30 2020, rendering this game unplayable. Thankfully, a fan-made book containing stories of the game's chapters and events is released in September 18 2020, so not all of the stories are gone forever (if you can read Japanese at least).
The Troper summons these Tropes with 250 Gems:
- Allegedly Free Game: Technically, you can play this game for free without paying a single cent and breeze through the content with a decent build, assuming that Random Number Generator is kind enough to give you good magi and the behemoth that you want. However, the game's nature encourages players to spend money on more gems to get a better chance at getting more gear. This is why it's best to save up your gems and summoning tickets for a banner that you actually need, or if you're a new player, then pick a banner with the easiest learning curve available (according to veteran players of the game).
- An Adventurer Is You: You and your friends are Hunters sent out to take down massive Behemoths, whether as a job, or to save the world.
- Artificial Stupidity: If you think the bots from Freedom Wars are useless, at least the bots from that game actually deal damage and use their abilities; plus, you can command them too. As for the bots in this game, they take the concept of uselessness to a whole new level, as they barely deal (if any) damage to the Behemoth, don't use magis (if they have them in the first place), occasionally ignore you while you need a revive, and if they do revive you while wielding a sword and shield, they never guard while reviving. Oh, and they have the durability of a cardboard box, so expect them to die A LOT. To twist the knife further, unlike Freedom Wars' bots, you can't command the game's bots.
- BFG: The water attack magi, Gattling Torrent, which summons a magical minigun that freezes most Behemoths at the final shot. Burst Greatsword combines both this trope and BFS.
- BFS: The Great Sword class.
- Big Bad: Lord Guruge serves as one for Chapter 1, being a Mad Scientist who experiments countless humans and monsters to achieve Godhood. The Leader of the Dragoons, Mia, Llishua's elder sister, serves as one for Chapter 2 until her role was usurped by her right-hand man, Azelda, who turns out to be an Omnicidal Maniac who thirsts for revenge against the atrocities done to his kind.
- Big Good: The legendary Altair of course, as he defeated Tiamat and kept Heiland safe, at least from her wrath until it's revealed that Altair didn't truly killed Tiamat. Instead, he sealed her inside of a large volcano, and Mia successfully frees Tiamat to trigger the 2nd Hex of Tiamat. It's revealed that Altair is revived as Linton the baby dragon, and he's been guiding the player to stop Tiamat from rising again.
- Bows Versus Crossbows: The Bow class; Heat Bow vs Burst Bow respectively. Soul Bow falls under Energy Bow instead.
- Damager, Healer, Tank: Almost every weapon in the game has one kind of magi slot each: Attack Magi (red star), Recovery Magi (green heart), and Support Magi (blue diamond).
- Difficult, but Awesome: Some weapons may require some time to get used too, but once you got them right, you can make behemoth fights much easier for you and your team. Examples include:
- Heat Bow, as it needs lots of Lockdown Charge Time (a minimum of at least -50%), and very good aiming skills to the point of Improbable Aiming Skills. However, if you got an optimal build and good aiming skills, then Heat Bow offers excellent control over the most annoying behemoths.
- Burst Sword and Shield has a slow attack and guard speed, and it demands perfect guard timing for the parry effect to work. But if you manage to have excellent guard timing, along with a decent amount of Parry judge time, then Burst Sword and Shield offers great control over the behemoth while keeping yourself and your friends alive.
- Cycle of Hurting: Unless you have a magi or buff that nullifies stagger, prepare to take a ton of punishment by getting stunlocked and ragdolled to death.
- Dual Wielding: The Dual Blades Class.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: The hunter successfully stops the awakening of Tiamat and kills Azelda, Saving the World and its peace for now. Llishua and Mia reconcile with each other despite their past, and Linton (aka Altair) doesn't have to die to permanently defeat Tiamat, thanks to Pamela successfully convincing the hunter to spare him, giving the legendary hero another chance for a peaceful life.
- Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: Fire beats Earth, which beats Lightning, which beats Water, which beats Fire. Light and Dark are equally strong against each other.
- Ice Magic Is Water: Water and Ice are considered to be the same element, so in this game, Ice is strong against Fire yet weak against Lightning.
- Grim Reaper: The first SS Spear Behemoth, Leider Reaper, takes the role of this trope, aesthetic-wise at least, because the Behemoth can be taken down like any other Behemoth.
- Katanas Are Just Better: If the Soul Great Sword looks like a katana, then it is a katana. Subverted with the better part, as Soul Great Sword suffers from Power Creep, as future behemoths can take a lot more punishment, and move too fast for a quick blow. If that wasn't enough, Soul Great Sword pales in comparison to Burst Great Sword and Oracle Great Sword, especially in the damage department.
- Luck-Based Mission: THE GAME! All of your important and vital gear come from the Gacha banners note , and the best tip for free-to-players is to save up your resources for a banner that you need to have at least one decent set for each element and weapon class.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Aside from Soul or Oracle Sword and "Shield", all of the Sword and Shield types have, well, a shield for the wielder to protect themselves with. Exaggerated with the mighty Burst Sword and Shield, as it is so tanky that the shield not only reduces damage by 70%, the Burst Sword and Shield can parry behemoth attacks and make them stagger with the shield, allowing you to interrupt almost every ultimate attack. If that wasn't enough, Burst Sword and Shield makes you immune to all status effects, even death itself!
- Morality Kitchen Sink: This game likes to zigzag between White-and-Grey Morality and Black-and-White Morality, depending on the event. However, there are rare dark times where the game could edge on Gray-and-Grey Morality, or worse, Black-and-Grey Morality. In other words, 30% WAGM, 45% BAWM, 20% GAGM, and 5% BAGM.
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Nintendo Hard: As if the Gacha luck wasn't bad enough, future Behemoths are becoming increasingly faster, deadlier, and tougher to emphasize the Power Creep. Hopefully RNG is on your side for getting good gear and a good party for tough missions! - Our Monsters Are Different: This game probably has the most diverse monsters out of any other Monster Hunter clone, including Monster Hunter itself:
- All Trolls Are Different: Elgordan, and his light-elemented spinoff, Dinoun.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Predika, Vemerphose, Grinning Ayame, Grinning Yurami, Wasuwasu, and Gupgup make you want to use a giant fly-swatter, preferably with the matching element. Blighted Ozmia and Coruscated Zaxna might count too.
- Mechanical Monster: Deus Machina, Ulkatron, Magnomus, Gordmagia, Matchless Musashi, Riotous Magna, Meteoric Vulcan, Hacked PYR0-10, and Rapid R4Y-10.
- Kraken and Leviathan: Dark Leviathan, and its water counterpart, Mighty Mercurius, are Sea Serpents who fit the Leviathan part. Akra Platium, Striking Gabbis, and Hazardous Neptos are Tentacled Terrors who fit the Kraken part.
- Our Angels Are Different: Alabaster Ciel and Void Necroth. They're four-winged angels that personify light and dark respectively rather than being traditional angels that serve a higher being.
- Our Centaurs Are Different: Wizaro and Keiros. Rather than being humans from the waist up, the former is an ice wolf centaur while the latter is a fire bull centuar.
- Our Demons Are Different: Infinaruva, along with its earth spinoff, Terafina, resemble succubusses. Reckless Vizov is a four-armed Behemoth with petrification powers, and Slayer Librosa and Cursed Furamouda are book demons.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Pretty much every dragon in this game. The word "Dragon" is in the game's title after all. Anyways, you have Lightning Abaia, which is basically a dragon that's part balloon, part whale, and part toaster. Wretched Azdaja and Fiery Gorynych are large dinosaur-looking dragons with wings. The afformentioned Mighty Mercurius and Dark Leviathan are majestic Sea Serpents. Night Rivenda and Lucent Geneas are a pair of heavily-armored dragons with powers over dark and light respectively. And that's just the icing on the cake! Averted with Deus Felnarog, as it's the most traditional dragon the game can offer.
- Our Fairies Are Different: Blighted Ozmia is a witch-like dark fairy and Coruscated Zaxna is a small light fairy trapped in a cage with butterfly-like wings. Ozmia also overlaps with The Fair Folk for trapping Zaxna and other fairies to drain them of their powers for herself.
- Our Gargoyles Rock: Galdrux is a lightning-elemented gargoyle wielding a spear and a shield. Despite his small size, he summons countless paralyzing orbs like a Bullet Hell game and can wipe an entire party by summoning massive fists that punch down the players.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Light Airgetlam and Dark Gauvain are a pair of ghostly knights. Queen Nura and Lord Lich are a royal undead skull couple.
- Our Giants Are Bigger: Great Gargantus and Primus Maximus. For a Halloween-spin on this trope, we have Wild Mesainox and Raging Belgoul, a pair of death giants.
- Our Gryphons Are Different: Kingly Chrytos and Crowned Harpia.
- Our Liches Are Different: Lord Lich has this trope in his name! Instead of the typical humanoid lich, Lord Lich appears as a floating crowned skull with claws and an insect-like abdomen.
- Our Mermaids Are Different: Baroque Stora, and possibly Avant Retra. Aside from their lack of a mermaid tail, both Behemoths invoke the mermaid and siren image (especially Stora, thanks to her affinity for water and having a tail-like dress) by using music singing to fight.
- Our Monsters Are Weird: Just look at Blaze Carniva◊ and Trumpa Gumba◊, and ask me when is the last time where you fought a pair of giant disembodied monstrous clown heads with snakes as arms and a tail, topped with a pirate hat? The afformentioned Akra Platium◊ is also pretty weird on its own, as it's a 6-armed octopus with shark heads at each end of its arms. As for PYR0-10◊ and R4Y-10◊? They look vaguely humanoid, but they have a pretty surreal geometric design.
- Our Ogres Are Different: Ogre, although he looks more like a Cyclops instead. Cranky Grich is a Frankenstein's Monster version of this trope.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Almighty Gryllen◊, the Halloween-themed vampire who sucks your blood and steals your HP with a syringe at the end of his tail.
- Our Zombies Are Different: Queen Nura, Lord Lich, Wild Mesainox, and Raging Belgoul as mentioned before, along with Ewig Venoma/Mephitus, Savern, and Elgardo, since they're undead dragons.
- Tsuchigumo and Jorogumo: Two Jorogumo-inspired Behemoths in the form of Grinning Ayame and Grinning Yurami as the Fire Soul Sword and Shield and Earth Soul Great Sword Behemoths respectively. Both eyeless spider Geishas carry a parasol that nullifies damage above, and in Yurami's case, she casts a shadowy mist that nullifies all damage until it's removed, preferably with a fast hitting fire weapon/magi.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Galdrux is one of the smallest SS-Rank Behemoths in the game, yet he can still put up a fight and wipe out your party by summoning giant fists that paralyze you with a single punch, unless you got yourself an OP Earth set.
- Ange's revolver is much smaller than your weapons but it packs one Heiland of a punch, in cutscenes at least.
- Power Creep: Since this is a gacha game, expect this trope to take a toll on old builds, especially Heat and Soul weapons. The only weapons from those classes that (somewhat) survive this trope are Heat Bow, Soul Bow, Heat Spear, and Soul Sword and Shield.
- Revive Kills Zombie: Undead behemoths, such as Ewig Venoma, Mephitus, Queen Nura, Lord Lich, Diabolical Savern, Diabolical Elgardo, Raging Belgoul, and Wild Mesainox, receive damage from Area of Effect Recovery Magi. In fact, AOE Recovery Magis also interrupt the ultimate attacks from Ewig Venoma, Mephitus, and Lord Lich.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter:
- Linton, the adorable friendly orange baby dragon, serves as the mascot for both the Kingdom of Heiland and the game.
- The Mufu family note too, although they're just as threatening as other behemoths if you're not careful, especially Rabbot. Killer Rabbit indeed...
- Ange's Head Pet, a white fluffy squirrel thing, is also pretty adorable.
- The Kraken Story Event introduces the squishy and cuddly Nebbi, as they are so docile that they never attack you.
- Shout-Out: Oh boy, where do we start with?
- This game has a good amount of Panzer Dragoon references, as not only are both games themed after dragons; they are also (technically) Sega games.
- Soul Bow's lock-on mechanic took clear inspiration from the series, especially since the wielder has to lock onto the markers that are peppered on the Behemoth's body, just like how the respective Dragon Riders' Dragons lock onto their enemies' bodies.
- The mounted wyvern species (Tzaran, Zylant, Merdolf, and Wycana) have a human(oid figure) riding on their backs, invoking the series' theme of Dragon Riders. Even the dragon-riding army from Llishua's village are referred as dragoons.
- The PYR0 and R4Y units bear a resemblance to the aesthetic designs of the Ancient's technology, and both of those Behemoths are also ancient technology themselves.
- To emphasize the game's inspiration from the Monster Hunter series, the S Rank fire wyvern called Winvlum strikingly looks similar to Rathalos.
- The Burst Dual Blades function like the Insect Glaive, thanks to the fact that they're polearms (or rather, the former becoming polearms) that deal quick deadly attacks. In fact, both weapons also attack in mid-air to emphasize their agility.
- Thanks to its virtue of being an ethereal rope with a claw at the end instead of a shield, Soul Sword and Shield's grappling and dragging playstyle heavily resemble the Ibara Hookshot and the Demon Hand.
- One of the hybrid attack magis, Pollux and Castor, resemble the bits in both appearance and function from R-Type.
- Pandemonium's armor set◊ bears a striking resemblance to the outfits worn by YoRHa 2B and 9S.
- This game has a good amount of Panzer Dragoon references, as not only are both games themed after dragons; they are also (technically) Sega games.
- Status Effects: Thanks to the game's Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic, this game offers these status effects against the player:
- Fire inflicts Burn, which is damage over time that can end instantly by rolling three times.
- Earth inflicts Poison, which is like burn except worse, as you can't roll out of the damage over time, so you have to either wait for it until it's gone, or use a heal magi that cures status effects.
- Lightning inflicts Paralysis, interrupting your actions and keeping you from doing anything for a couple of seconds.
- Water inflicts Freeze, which is basically paralysis meets burn and poison, except you can break out of the ice by tapping on the screen repeatedly.
- Light inflicts Bane, preventing you from healing for a set amount of time, unless you have a heal magi that cures status effects.
- Dark inflicts two status effects: Blind and Petrify. Unlike the other status effects, which don't kill you directly, Petrify can kill you instantly if nobody revives you within 30 seconds.
- Like Petrify above, Bleed can kill you directly as well, but it can be cured instantly with healing, which isn't too bad of a deal, but Altair help you if your weapon lacks a heal slot.
- Thankfully, behemoths also suffer from those status effects as well, aside from Petrify, Bleed, and Blind. However, be warned about Rage Behemoths, as they're highly resistent against all status effects EXCEPT for certain guaranteed status effects, like Burn on Earth Behemoths.
- Stripperific/Chainmail Bikini: Needless to say, this game is quite guilty of both tropes. There's a generous amount of revealing armor, but the Papillon note , Envoy note , Seraph note , Barbarian note , and Khong sets take the cake. Then again, the sets are quite revealing on guys too.
- Averted to Hell and back with the Enyo set note , as the set is sensible enough to cover you from head to toe, regardless of gender. The set looks durable enough to survive two running trains without a scratch.
