Dragon 39;s Crown Pro Best Dwarf Build

[Tiana Dubree]

Andif that's not enough, completing each of the game's myriad side quests unlocks one piece of gorgeous artwork after another from a variety of artists. I'm rarely motivated by these sort of in-game perks, but this game has proven an exception to that rule.

It's fun, fast-paced, and charming, with a rich suite of characters and a wonderful sense of humor. I chuckled audibly many times, both in story portions and during combat. Lots of little pop culture references are sprinkled ever-so-subtly throughout the game (and remarkably, these are never in your face or irritating.)

When I wasn't laughing at the game's humor, I was either soaking in its beauty or fighting like a mad man, trying desperately to stay alive---especially after the game's opening act, which is basically just a warm-up for what comes next. The difficulty certainly spikes---and for a game built on a leveling mechanic, this is very welcome indeed.

Each class has its own basic move set and gear and can upgrade powers either from the "Common" pool or from the class-specific deck. For instance, the Amazon can get a sweet double-jump slam or tap into her Amazonian rage. The spell-casters can upgrade their suite of magic. The Dwarf can toss his enemies. The Elf can fight up close (and even get a back-stab bonus) or use her bow.

Gear is also a huge part of the game, and how you build your load-out can vary wildly depending on what skills, armor, accessories, and expendables you choose to take with you on an adventure. You pick these before heading out, and later you can buy extra bags and create multiple load-outs for longer adventures.

One of the best parts about all of this is that your character will change in appearance as you customize their gear. Your pole-arm won't look the same as your scythe, for instance, which is a nice touch.

But I have tried each class and beaten each stage, and admit to preferring the melee choices over the spell-casters as a general rule of thumb. This is simply a preference, however. I tend to always go for melee rather than any other class, whether that's here or in an MMO or in Dark Souls.

The Fighter is a damage soaker and probably the easiest class to play. The Dwarf isn't quite as tough but has some great moves, like his signature flying belly flop. The Amazon may be my very favorite---she deals out enormous damage, though she can't take as many hits (naturally, since she's only wearing a bikini) and all her moves look and feel amazing.

The Elf is fun, giving you a variety of ways to approach each situation (melee, ranged, etc.) and provides a nice balance between the pure melee and pure magic classes. The other two---Sorceress and Wizard---have their share of neat powers and abilities, but never feel as visceral or fun to play as the other classes.

The game includes temporary mounts---giant sibertooth panthers, fire-breathing drakes---which you fight and then master. These creatures are a huge boon once you're astride them, dealing out massive levels of damage. Of course, they never live for very long.

There's also a simple but difficult to remember system of rune combinations that can either open secret doors, create magic flying carpets, or give buffs to your party's offensive and defensive stats (among other things.)

Enemies are pretty smart, and combat gets ramped up as you go from stage to stage. It's a deceptively simple system that starts you out with really basic moves and then layers on other choices and possibilities as you progress. There are no super-long button combos, but you won't get by button-mashing either.

Once you've completed the first stages and go into this section of the game you'll find everything more challenging. Even just being able to pick which level you'd like to play costs gold, helping to quickly dwindle your resources (though random stages are still free.)

You can also stay out on your adventure between stages, though your resources will have dwindled and your items degraded, so it's a risk. Now, in between stages, you'll set up camp where you can cook food and restore health and gain other perks.

Back at town you have a number of choices as well. You can visit the Adventurer's Guild where side quests appear after level completion, offering nice pots of gold and stat points should you complete them (and unlocking the aforementioned artwork.)

You can go to the magic item shop or the Wizard Lucain's tower. At the shop you can sell items and buy expendables or get your equipment repaired. There's an interesting system of appraisal that follows each level as well. None of your items' stats are visible until you appraise them, and this costs a lot of money. In fact, you'll often spend more on the appraisal than on selling the item, though until it's appraised an item is worth next to nothing.

At every turn, Vanillaware is doing its best to keep you from getting rich. This includes resurrecting your character or an NPC in a level after their "Life Points" (basically "extra lives") are depleted. Resurrection costs gold and each time you do it, it costs a little bit more.

NPCs are interesting in and of themselves. You find stacks of bones in levels where other players have expired and can either bury them for free or resurrect them back in the town's temple which, of course, costs a pretty penny. Once you've done that they can accompany you on your journey. You can also play local co-op with up to four players.

Dragon's Crown is both a PS3 and PS Vita game, and it looks equally gorgeous on both systems. Unfortunately, the game isn't cross-buy, meaning you'll need to either buy it for both or pick one over the other.

The Vita looks fantastic, but the smaller screen size can be a bit of a problem when you have all four players on screen, plus your thief (Rannie, who opens chests and doors and helps gather loot) and the fairy, Tiki, and a dozen monsters. There's so much motion and color and people and items flying about and flames licking across the floor and...well, it's a chaotic game and the Vita can feel a bit cramped when it gets too crazy.

Then again, it can be a little cluttered on your HDTV as well. Even in the PS3 version it can be a bit troublesome to keep track of your player, especially if your character and another players' character are the same. (In fact, you could have all four players playing the Fighter, for instance, making it really tough to tell who's who.)

On the other hand, the Vita has a really handy touchscreen. The game has lots of little hidden treasures that you have to touch on the Vita to reveal. On the PS3 you use the right thumbstick, and it's a lot clunkier. The rune system is similarly better on Vita thanks to the touchscreen.

One of the major controversies dogging this release has been the perceived sexualization of the game's female characters. And it's not entirely without merit. The Sorceress is so well endowed it's a wonder she can walk. The Amazon has the body of a female body builder and yet maintains a generous bosom.

But honestly, especially after playing the actual game, I find the controversy to be vastly overblown. The female characters in the game (who comprise half your playable heroes) are simply awesome to play, for one thing. The Amazon is a whirlwind of death. The Sorceress is just as powerful as the Wizard.

Rather, the art style of Dragon's Crown is a celebration of all things fantastical, including ridiculous breasts and pectoral muscles, impossibly proportioned dwarfs and equally impossible Amazon warriors in their chainmail bikinis.

Like other Vanillaware titles, the important thing here is that the game gives women characters equal opportunity to kick ass and take names. I can't think of many games that do this, and fewer still that give female leads the sort of awesome fighting prowess the women of Dragon's Crown have.

Which, I suppose, means that "sexualization" is simply more than one's physical appearance and that sexiness doesn't disqualify a video game character from also being awesome. If the girls in this game were all just props, all just in-game booth babes, that would be one thing, but they're so much more than that.

Between the game's charming story and narration, its colorful and outsized cast of heroes and villains, and its brilliant combat and even more brilliant boss fights, Dragon's Crown is one of the best games I've played this year.

While I think the rune system is clever, it's also annoying to have to remember so many combinations and particularly annoying to have to use the PS3's thumbstick to activate runes (and various other tasks set aside for the thumbstick.) But this is mostly a minor complaint, and nothing game-breaking by any means.

For Vita owners looking to bolster their catalog, you can't go wrong here. For PS3 owners thirsting for a really great coop game they can play with friends or spouses on the couch, look no further. Ultimately, the game's biggest disappointment is that you have to choose. In a just universe, this would be cross-buy. There's no way anyone should have to spend $90 to get this on Vita and PS3, which may very well put a dent in Vita sales that never had to be there.

Still, hours of gameplay replete with a deep upgrade and combat system and a delightful story make this title a hands-down Buy on my Buy/Hold/Sell meter. It's the best brawling I've had since...well, since I played Muramasa Rebirth a couple weeks ago.

So.. What classes would thematicaly fit a dwarf? I know they can be any class, But ones would fit thematicaly based on lore and such? I kind of wanna be a dwarf at some point as I like dwarves, But I have no idea what class to make him..

Defend your Clan!Brawler

* Fight with your fists. Fight with beer bottles. Fight with ale mugs. Fight with just about anything, and do it well.

* Extra dwarfiness: Mutagenic Mauler. You are a dwarven brewmaster whose ale is so strong that it makes you stronger, tougher, and dumber.

Ranger

* You hate orcs? Now you don't just hate orcs, you are an expert in killing them.

* Extra Dwarfiness: You can replace your hatred with other bonuses. Have a grudge against the undead? You can make an undead hunting dwarf extraordinaire. Hate dragons? You can be the absolute best at hurting them. The ranger is for the dwarf with a grudge.

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