RuneScape: Dragonwilds

In melding the mechanics of popular survival games with classic RPG elements from the MMO that inspired it, RuneScape: Dragonwilds crafts a solid experience that honours the spirit of its namesake. It is vast, mechanically rich, and often unforgiving, to an extent that might ward off more casual players. But just like the intimidating dragons you're pitted against, it's a challenge that can be conquered provided you're willing to slow down, spend the requisite time learning its ins and outs, and slowly build your arsenal.Or you can just spend all your time building a nice, cosy shack in the starting area - your choice. If you've got a few hundred hours to kill, Dragonwilds is a good candidate for your next virtual home-away-from-home. Let's just hope Jagex makes good on those promises of graphical improvements on Switch 2 sooner rather than later.

RuneScape: Dragonwilds is a decent survival game, but it's weighed down by too much busy work. After the first tech level everything requires so many resources that you'll feel more annoyed at having to gather them than excited by the prospect of getting stronger. If you've got a bunch of friends to play with regularly these issues aren't insurmountable and you'll probably have a good time, but if you're playing solo will want want to lower some of the settings, abandoning your trophies, and you'll still have to do all the busywork yourself.

Dragonwilds has been a fun experience. A very beautiful atmospheric game where the way you experience it is really your choice.

RuneScape Dragonwilds is a genuinely enjoyable survival crafting RPG that has grown significantly from the game I first previewed, and it now feels like a proper new pillar of the RuneScape universe rather than an experiment.

However you choose to play Runescape: Dragonwilds, it’s clear that Jagex is assembling another forever-game.

RuneScape: Dragonwilds is a ton of fun. Survival games usually aren’t my thing, but Dragonwilds manages to feel familiar while also being simple enough for someone like me who isn’t overly familiar with the genre. Being able to create a world for you and your friends is great, while the option to join other players online and carry your character progression between worlds makes everything feel much less restrictive.

Dragonwilds is a slow and steady grind that while can be rewarding, still feels a bit rough around the edges, making me wonder if more time in Early Access could have refine certain parts of the whole experience. Still, if you've been itching for a survival game that isn't built around more realistic visuals, or you are fan of RuneScape, Dragonwilds does offer a compelling and fairly faithful conversion to the survival genre, just make sure you play with friends, and watch out for those blasted hunters.

RuneScape: Dragonwilds delivers a well-executed survival game featuring robust gameplay, extensive build and construction options, and challenging dragon battles—all while allowing you to share the experience with up to four players across different platforms. However, the world lacks activity variety: dungeons are repetitive, and enemies quickly become monotonous.

Adapting the Runescape's universe into a modern action format is a solid achievement for Jagex. It blends the spirit of RuneScape with a compelling loop of exploration, survival, and cooperation; indeed, the quality of this loop—along with the care put into the lore and sound design—is what keeps the score firmly above average. Excessive solo grinding and frame-rate drops during chaotic battles remain the most obvious drawbacks, weighing enough to prevent the game from approaching excellence, yet they do not negate the overall quality of a title capable of pleasantly surprising players.

RuneScape: Dragonwilds certainly has some flaws, like building restrictions, excessive grind, repetitive combat, which can sometimes deter you from playing more. But if you get through the more challenging initial section, you will find a delightful, cozy survival experience with a beautiful story, one that you’ll want to replay at least once.