I still can’t quite believe just how well Path of Exile 2 has done. Hundreds of thousands of players log on each day to grind the action RPG, despite it being in early access. Well, if 2024 was Path of Exile 2’s year, maybe 2025 will be the year of Dragonkin The Banished, an upcoming ARPG similar to PoE 2 that’s hitting early access in just a couple of months’ time.
Now I’m of course not immediately tipping Dragonkin The Banished to go on and take Steam by storm exactly like Path of Exile 2 did – it’s also got Titan Quest 2 to contend with, and another Diablo 4 expansion will likely arrive at some point this year, so it’s gonna be tough out there. However, this fantasy RPG does look pretty promising, and if you’re a fan of dragons, it’s probably your 2025 Game of the Year already.
The mythical beasts are everywhere in Dragonkin, as the name suggests. Your world has been ravaged by them, and it’s your job to go dragon slaying. Instead of a highly fluid class system, there are instead three set characters (and a fourth arriving post-launch) which each represent different playstyles and elements.
Lothair de Montdragon (cool fucking name, mate) is a fire-wielding knight who has “been preparing from an early age to free humanity from draconic influence.” His main weapon of choice is a lance bursting with fiery energy, so expect everything to go up in flames.
Rurik Haraldson is a mighty warrior that underwent a “barbaric ritual” in his homelands involving an ice dragon, so now he is a dragon-blood – a human that can channel draconic energy. He’s got superhuman strength and looks like a tanky, charge-into-everything type character that, thanks to his ritual, also has icy abilities.
Rounding off the trio is Electrane, an oracle that is also dragon-blood and dreams of a world where humans and dragons coexist peacefully side by side. As her name suggests, she harnesses electrical power from an ancient dragon. On aesthetics alone, she also looks like the coolest character of the bunch.
There are a few little twists that Dragonkin brings as well to help it stand out somewhat against its genre rivals. Alongside you as you explore and battle will be a Dragonet – essentially, a miniature dragon that acts as your companion. The Dragonet also possesses unique abilities that can help you in combat, and has been trained to attack its own kind and, unlike all the other dragons you’ll meet, not eat you.
Dragonkin also has a pretty interesting approach to skills and its skill tree, the Ancestral Grid. Instead of carving a desired path through a preset tree with points, skills are actually earned like individual items of loot, just as you would weapons or armor pieces. These are then socketed into the Ancestral Grid, which has a limited amount of spaces, so your skills in prioritization and inventory management will come in handy there. However, to maximize the effects of the skills you have, you can place them near modifiers that will enhance the benefits they give you.
Dragonkin also weaves in some very light city builder elements with its central hub area – a settlement safe from the gaze of the dragons where the remnants of humanity have converged. This sanctuary will evolve as your journey progresses, and you can choose which buildings to upgrade so that you can get access to new services and just generally create a thriving city to fall back to.
If that’s enough to grab your attention, then you’ll be pleased to know you won’t have all that long to wait until you can play the game yourself.
The early access release date for Dragonkin The Banished has been set for Thursday, March 6. You can find out more about it and pop it on your wishlist right here.
There are plenty more similar experiences in our best games like Diablo guide, should you be looking to squeeze even more ARPG grinding into your schedule. Alternatively, here are the best fantasy games around if you’re really into your knights, dragons, and ancient cities.
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