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good graphics

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

if you like role playing and have read pern, you will love this. the problems:
1. tough downloading
2. slow loading
3. stops and skips while playing like there is a hitch somewhere
good things:
1. really good graphics
2. realistic
3. easy to understand
4. can be played from keyboard, joystick, or game controller

Concider it An Alternate Universe Pern

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I was initially disapointed with the fact that we were following D'kor, a new character rather then an old favorite from the books. But then I thought, why use an old storyline when you can surprise your readers with a whole new one they get to discover on their own?
I was disapointed that the keyboard controls weren't easier to use - I had a heck of a time picking the pocket of the gambling cheat in Chapter 4 - mouse or game pad driven probably would have been easier.
I know that people have complained greatly about graphics and about the dragon's use and appearance. I don't believe that most fans of the book just now trying the game realize just what a difficult time UbiSoft had getting that damned dragon to work. There was absoultely no way they could have on the limited budget they were given to work with gotten a dragon that could have stepped off one of Michael Whellan's covers for Anne's books. As for the thread fighting - personally I'm glad that was omited, as the game was hard enough as it was working with the keyboard controls, I can't imagine what dodging and flaming thread would have been like.
As a first attempt I think this was great - and while tricky, not too hard for someone who's never gamed in their life. Hopefully, there will be a second game with some further intrique of D'kor's life on Pern. By the time a sequal hits the shelves, the technology should be there to give everyone what they were hoping for.

Major problems

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: August 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was really looking forward to this game and sadly I am extremely disappointed, and thats putting it mildly. Problem 1: Installing is a nightmare, tried on two machines, wouldn't run on a Pentium II, 300 mhz, finally got it to run on Pentium 4, 1.3 mgz but you can't load from desktop(it has a lock problem). Prob 2: Video and sound are are from the early 90's,very choppy (walk into walls and can't move sort of thing.) Prob 3: I am now at the point where game won't run (1 hour into it)so basically I wait for UBI to come up with patch or toss it. (I am in cave and video just freezes.) Game is linear, story line is OK, lots of those meaningless quests that have you running up and down. UBI should be ashamed, Anne McCaffrey should be totally ticked off and you shouldn't buy. Wish I hadn't. Do you ever get to ride a dragon?

Could/Should Be SO Much Better

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: October 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game was very fun in the offset, because everything is textured and colored wonderfully, and every new area is eye dazzeling. However, the game-play itself leaves MUCH to be desired. It's as if Ubi Soft released this game half done. It's extremely buggy, some parts of the story line completely disapear never to be explained, the character's voices will cut in and out during dialog, and my biggest complaint is getting stuck in the middle of the game due to a BUG!!! Also, the fighting system is a basic point and click. Click short for small attack, click longer for larger attack. Boring! This game could be so much fun if it had been finished by it's creator. Even with all of the un-fun bugs, this game still has potential if you're a huge Dragonrider fan like myself. Despite everything, I have stuck with this game for the love of Anne McCaffrey and the amazing world of the Dragonriders that she's created. It's like playing through a book in the series. However, there are lots of discrepancies here too. If you are a fan, you'll be disapointed by what appears to be the lack of the programmer's knowledge of Pern, it's culture, and it's social-political structure. Over all, I liked playing through a video novel, but the patience required may be too much to ask from some players. If you're a fan, go for it! If you're not, don't bother. :)

A (somewhat disappointing) must-have for Pern fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: October 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Like many others, I was absolutely wild to get my hands on this game when I first heard about it, as I`ve been a Pern fan for many many years. I think the developers did a good job considering their limitations, but of course, there was absolutely no way this game could have lived up to my hopes, dreams, and expectations to be totally honest! The controls were a bit difficult, and there were some noticeable bugs, but for a die-hard Pern fan there is no way you could pass up the opportunity to be in the game. It didn`t take too long to beat, but my first time through I wasn`t able to get to all the secrets, so the opportunity to replay and re-enjoy is there. For the Pern enthusiast, this is a must-have. For the gaming enthusiast, I would rate this a `pass`.

More Dragonriders Please.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The graphics and audio are excellent. I found two drawbacks:(1)controls are keyboard driven...no mouse;(2)plus having zilch capability to scan the immediate environment(panoramic camera)proved frustrating at times.
However, if you are a Dragonrider's fan, this game is well worth the extra time and effort it takes to play it.

Not up to Pernese standards...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I have to admit I think this game could have been better. Though it's a keeper for me simply for being anything about Pern, I have to say I was a bit dissapointed with this game, and surprised it was approved. As far as adventure games go it was okay, but as far as being associated to the Dragonriders of Pern series it was not up to snuff. It is all about a quest and never once was I able to fly my dragon to fight thread, which is what Pern is based on. I would like to have had the ability to do things from dragonback, and use my firelizard for sending messages and other things. There is so much potential for a great Dragonriders of Pern game, but sadly it was not grasped here.

Dont waste your money

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: January 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game plays terrible! This game has fixed cameras so it is very easy to walk off camera. Then you have to guess which way to turn or walk to get back into camera site. At first I could not get this game to play on my computer but after ONLY 2 weeks of e-mails to their tec department and a new sound card I got it to play. Funny thing, My sound card worked fine on ALL of my other games.

At last!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 14
Date: July 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

After a four year development cycle, the long awaited Dragonriders game is at last on its way. This is a third person view, character driven adventure game set on the world of Pern, a distant future feudal planetary settlement, with long forgotten roots to Earth dating back some three thousand years.

Search Amazon for Pern and McCaffrey for further information on the novels upon which this game is based.

very very good game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Ok i beat the game i about a week but i did not complete every thing. like getting all of the fire lizards. I cant find the brown. I have been introrested in anne mcCaffreys books for only 4 months but i have only read 4 of them. back to the game i loved the game . good for pern fans. the only thing is that it needs thread fighting. it would be so much better if you could fight thread. anyway its a very very good game.

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