DragonStrike

DragonStrike is a fantasy combat simulation originally developed by Westwood Associates and Strategic Simulations, with its modern digital release brought back by SNEG. Set within the legendary Dragonlance universe, the game offers an unusual blend of fantasy storytelling and flight simulation mechanics that remains distinctive even decades after its original release. Instead of controlling aircraft in military scenarios, players ride powerful dragons into large-scale aerial warfare, creating an experience that feels remarkably ambitious for its era and still memorable today because of how boldly it combines genres. The game takes place in Krynn during the War of the Lance, a defining conflict within Dragonlance lore where powerful dragon armies threaten to consume the world. Players assume the role of a Solamnic Knight gradually rising through military ranks while participating in dangerous missions that place them directly in the center of a massive war. Rather than approaching fantasy through dungeon exploration or traditional role-playing systems, DragonStrike builds its entire identity around dragon-mounted combat and large-scale battles fought high above castles, mountains, and war-torn landscapes. One of the most impressive aspects of DragonStrike comes from its concept itself. Fantasy games involving dragons are common today, but few titles from its original era attempted to create a true flight combat experience built entirely around mounted dragon warfare. The game treats dragons as far more than transportation. They become weapons, strategic tools, and extensions of the player’s combat abilities. Gameplay revolves around completing combat missions against hostile dragon forces and other dangerous enemies spread across large battlefield environments. Players attack using claws, breath weapons, magical abilities, and specialized equipment earned through progression. Combat rewards careful positioning and battlefield awareness rather than reckless aggression. Understanding movement and learning how to approach different threats becomes essential for long-term success. The flight mechanics create much of the game’s appeal. Managing movement while engaging airborne enemies creates encounters that feel dramatically different from traditional fantasy combat systems. Battles unfold across open skies rather than confined environments, reinforcing the larger scale of warfare taking place throughout the campaign. The first-person perspective strengthens immersion by placing players directly onto the dragon rather than presenting combat from a detached viewpoint. Mission variety also helps maintain progression momentum. Objectives evolve over time while enemy threats become increasingly demanding. Larger targets such as castles and military installations introduce additional strategic considerations beyond simple aerial combat. Advancing through military ranks and gaining access to stronger dragons creates satisfying progression that rewards successful performance across multiple missions. Dragon selection further strengthens replay value. Different dragons bring unique capabilities into battle, influencing combat effectiveness and overall strategy. The system encourages experimentation while helping encounters remain engaging over longer play sessions. Small differences in dragon performance create meaningful adjustments in how players approach different challenges. One of DragonStrike’s greatest achievements lies in atmosphere. Despite obvious technological limitations associated with its original release period, the game captures the feeling of participating in fantasy warfare remarkably well. Flying across large landscapes while dragons clash overhead still carries a sense of scale and adventure that remains effective today. The world feels larger than many fantasy games of its time attempted to create. Visually, the game naturally reflects its historical origins. Players entering from modern action games will qu…

I played this game when it first came out in 1990. At the time it was groundbreaking. Tried it out again 35 years later and obviously it's pretty primitive by today's standards, but still fun. There's a total of 20 campaign missions plus a free for all mode where you can design your own encounter. Each mission takes 1-5 minutes to complete, so in theory you could finish the whole game in 2 hours if you did everything perfectly. That will never happen though as much of the game is trying over and over to beat a mission. I think it took me about 9 hours to beat the game. FYI, if you stick to the Knight of Crown or Knight of the Sword path, you will not be able to get to the final missions. Instead it just narrates you doing them in the epilogue. You may also want to redo missions in which you or your dragon are badly injured as the amount of healing potions you get in game is fairly small and damage carries over.

You're gonna take one look at this game and go no. No way. Pass. A dragon flight simulator made in 1990? Eww its probably way too hard, controls like crap and i have better things to do with my time. If you're thinking that you would be wrong about Dragonstrike. The game still holds today. Yes it has its issues, its quiet, the controls take some getting used to and the enemies get a little repetitive but I mean come on, its 1990, you must have already known that. I think the big question is, is it beatable today or is it one of those games that's an absolutely pain in the ass to suffer through. I guess the answer to that question is both depending on what kind of gamer you are. If you are an impatient gamer and do not want to waste time to learn the mechanics of the game then immediately pass on this one. It ain't for you. But if you a gamer that perseveres or like me, a completionist, here is what you need to know. To beat Dragonstrike its all about messing with the settings and making sure your controls are as comfortable as possible. Make sure you set the dragons from pixel to polygon, much easier to hit them that way. Remove the lance and use a cursor instead. Change the environment settings to slow the dragon movement down. Last but not least, set your controls to be as comfortable as possible flying around. I use WASD for movement and the diagonal keys for the lance movement and it worked wonders. Once you get all that down, hop in there and lose, and be okay with losing and trying again. I promise eventually you will get used to it. The difficulty spikes here and there but you already knew that would be likely. Otherwise to be honest the only thing that I hated is the gear you get, outside of that feather that stops you from falling to fast, is just absolutely useless and having to micromanage your health cause you don't heal in between missions sucks. That said, Dragonstrike is great and very beatable for the average gamer. You just have to be someone who takes the time to do it.