DragonSword: Awakening

DragonSword: Awakening is an anime-style open-world action RPG for PC developed and published by Hound13 Inc.

Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game follows Lute, a young traveller whose journey to the kingdom of Orbis connects him with a lively mercenary group and an ancient threat.



A Dragon that nearly destroyed the continent has returned after 60 years.

Players must explore Orbis, locate the legendary heroes who defeated the creature previously, and uncover the secrets behind their victory.

The adventure combines story-driven exploration, real-time combat, character switching, dungeon crawling, cooking, side quests and optional online cooperative play.

Unlike many character-collecting RPGs, it uses a conventional purchase model without random character draws. Its 19 playable heroes are obtained through the story or normal progression.



The FileHorse gaming team recommends DragonSword: Awakening to players who enjoy colourful anime adventures, responsive team combat and large fantasy environments without traditional gacha mechanics.

Features

• Anime Open World: Explore meadows, coastal areas, villages, underwater locations, caves and hidden dungeons.
• Nineteen Playable Heroes: Build teams from characters with different weapons, abilities and combat roles.
• Tag-Team Combat: Switch heroes during battle to extend combos and react to enemy weaknesses.
• Status Ailment System: Apply effects with active abilities before triggering powerful Signal Skills.
• Story Campaign: Follow Lute and his companions as they investigate the Dragon’s return.
• Character Relationships: Discover personal stories, factions and additional background information through quests.
• Familiars: Collect helpful creatures that accompany the party and support exploration.
• Cooking System: Gather ingredients and prepare meals that provide useful effects.
• Online Co-op: Complete supported activities with other players.
• No Character Gacha: Heroes are earned through gameplay rather than random paid draws.

User Interface

The interface presents health, abilities, active heroes, objectives and combat prompts clearly during ordinary gameplay.



Character switching and Signal Skill indicators are positioned for fast reactions.

However, progression menus contain numerous upgrades, notifications, currencies and collectible systems.

This can make the interface feel busy, particularly during the opening hours. Some menu structures also retain the appearance of a game originally designed around mobile-style progression.

Installation and Setup

1. Open Steam on your Windows PC and sign in.
2. Search for DragonSword: Awakening.
3. Select the preferred edition and complete the purchase.
4. Choose an SSD as the installation location.
5. Download approximately 25 GB of game files.
6. Launch the game and adjust graphics, resolution and controls.
7. Start a new adventure and complete the introductory tutorial.

An SSD is strongly recommended because an HDD may cause longer loading, texture pop-in, frame-rate drops or crashes.

How to Play

• Follow the opening quests to meet Lute’s first companions.
• Learn basic attacks, dodging and active abilities.
• Apply status effects to enemies using character skills.
• Activate Signal Skills when the corresponding prompt appears.
• Switch between heroes to continue tag-team combinations.
• Explore marked locations and search for hidden treasure.
• Complete quests to unlock heroes, equipment and new regions.
• Upgrade characters and organise a balanced three-hero team.
• Enter dungeons and hunts for additional progression materials.
• Use cooking, Familiars and cooperative activities when needed.

FAQs

Is DragonSword: Awakening a free game?
No. It is a premium game purchased through a one-time payment.

Does it contain character gacha mechanics?
No. Playable heroes are unlocked through story progress and gameplay systems rather than random paid character pulls.

Can it be played alone?
Yes. The main adventure supports single-player gameplay, while selected content offers optional online co-op.

How many playable heroes are included?
The game includes 19 heroes with individual status abilities, skills and combat styles.

Is English voice acting available?
No. Korean is currently the only supported full-audio language, although English interface text and subtitles are available.

Alternatives

Genshin Impact - A free open-world anime RPG with elemental combat and character gacha systems.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink - A polished action RPG featuring party-based battles and spectacular boss encounters.

Tales of Arise - A story-focused anime RPG with real-time combat and memorable party members.

Ys X: Nordics - A fast action RPG centred on exploration, character switching and responsive combat.

Pricing

Standard Edition: $29.99 – Includes the complete base game.

Deluxe Edition: $44.99 – Includes the base game, Brave Baby Dragon Familiar, Digital Artbook and 31-track Original Soundtrack.

Deluxe Pack: $19.99 – Optional upgrade for Standard Edition owners.

Individual Costume or Familiar DLC: Generally $3.99 each.

Abyssal Direwolf Familiar: Free DLC.

System Requirements

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit.
• Processor: Intel Core i5-9400F.
• Memory: 8 GB RAM.
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660.
• DirectX: Version 12.
• Storage: 25 GB available space.
• Additional Requirement: SSD strongly recommended.

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 11.
• Processor: Intel Core i7-9700F.
• Memory: 16 GB RAM.
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060.
• DirectX: Version 12.
• Storage: 25 GB available space.

PROS

• Beautiful anime-inspired environments.
• Responsive tag-team combat.
• No random character gacha.
• Nineteen playable heroes.
• Enjoyable story and characters.
• Large selection of dungeons and activities.
• Strong value for the base price.

CONS

• Several systems retain a mobile-game feel.
• Opening hours develop slowly.
• Korean-only voice acting.
• Occasional performance and texture issues.
• Optional cosmetic and Familiar DLC may feel excessive.

Conclusion

DragonSword: Awakening offers an attractive open world, entertaining characters and satisfying tag-team battles without relying on random hero purchases.

Its crowded menus, repetitive material farming and remaining mobile-style systems prevent it from feeling completely streamlined, but anime RPG fans can still find dozens of hours of enjoyable exploration and combat.