We began by selecting to play the game in challenge mode, intended for players familiar with action games. The alternate mode allows players with less hack-and-slash experience to play through the story on a lesser difficulty setting. The story begins by introducing a world where a great draconic evil has been locked away by an order of templars known as the Knights of the Seal. Nowe is the newest member of the Knights, and the introductory tutorial introduces you to the basics of hand to hand combat, including attacks, blocks, sidesteps and aerial recoveries. Chain combos are a key element to the action, as keeping an uninterrupted chain going will result in a bonus to the experience you earn. You can also release stored magical energy in combat, usually resulting in an area-effect type of blast best suited to clearing large amounts of enemies. This introduction culminates in a duel with one of the current leaders of the order, who does a poor job of showing his disdain for Nowe, the destined savior of the people. Things get worse when Nowe encounters the oppressed populace, who have unkind things to say about the Knights and the horrible treatment received under their protection. You can see where this is going.
After trouncing the other Knights, you are introduced to Legna, the blue dragon who raised Nowe after his father's untimely death. The bond between rider and dragon is a central part of the storyline, in the same vein as the story of Eragon, from Christopher Paolini's excellent series of novels. Legna serves a dual role, of course, as both terrifyingly deadly mount, and wise advisor. From a purely combat perspective, Legna is capable of shooting down enemies in a variety of ways. Your dragon can shoot single, powerful fireballs that deal considerable splash damage to nearby foes, and when used against aerial foes can cause a power up to drop that replenishes his magical reserves. Legna can also lock onto up to four enemies at once, or get multiple target locks onto a single foe, after which a volley of fire-and-forget bursts of flame can be released. As dragons and their riders have been known to do, Nowe and Legna can combine their magical energies into particularly devastating attacks.
