14 DAY TRIAL // 
Dragons and Titans is a new addition to the MOBA genre, a fast-paced free-to-play game that also offers some single-player content, apart from the now classical team versus team lane-based clashes.
Developer Wyrmbyte's debut title sets out to offer a slightly different experience than the established competition. Players take on the role of dragon riders, each one choosing a fearsome steed and the right tool for the job out of a large assortment of weaponry before heading into battle.
Although using the same basic patterns of symmetrical battlefields with equivalent minions spawning on either side of the map, the game does not place players in the comfort of an initial laning phase.
Instead, they are thrown straight into the fray, without having to first farm in order to level up and get some gear before they can even attempt to take down towers or other players.
That is mainly because the dragons start out pretty strong, and the effects of progression, although significant, are not as dramatic as in similar games.
It's a lot to take in at first, as there are 30 dragons, 30 weapons, runes that boost various stats, with upgrades to both dragons and weapons, and a lot other stuff, such as purchasable items. Fortunately, the game mechanics are very easy to master, there are no item builds that you have to get used to in order to be proficient, and knowing each and every dragon's abilities isn't as much a game-changer as it is in other such multiplayer games.
That is also partly because the dragons themselves seem pretty generic and, apart from a couple of different abilities, they all play pretty much the same, not to mention that they are not exactly balanced, as there are some that are clearly better suited for battle than others, and playing a support dragon with support spells will make you useless in many encounters.
Spells are usually spammed a lot, with many on short cooldowns and usually involving some type of area of effect or projectile damaging attack, with some a bit more creative such as a sort of blink and setting your wing on fire and then having to spin near your enemies to maximize damage.
There are no ultimates or silver bullets that can drastically alter the outcome of an engagement, and you'll generally spam everything you have until you run out of mana.
There are a couple of nice touches, such as gold being left behind by dying enemies, with each dragon being able to carry a limited amount, which you lose on death. Gold can be unloaded at a few strategic sites that also offer HP and mana regen, offering a boost in XP and going toward summoning a super minion once the team has gathered enough loot.
The actual gameplay is much more relaxed than in other MOBAs, in no small amount due to the fact that the controls don't allow for the same type of cutthroat and skill-testing battles that other games offer.
You move by holding the right mouse button down instead of clicking on the ground, and you fire your main attack by pressing the left one, and you can also backpedal by pressing space. There is no strafing, and the sloppy controls prevent what could have been a dynamic and rewarding experience.
There are many good ideas, such as a trade-off between power, rate of fire, having abilities that are skill shots and others that acquire their own target, some that have more devastating effect but that also require a certain casting time before going off or a balance between aiming and timing, but the limited amount of control sabotages their smart use.
There are some other balance issues, such as the possibility to use a limited amount of potions during battles, potions which can only be acquired from the game's store and which offer full healing and other such absurd effects that can break the multiplayer balance.
The single-player part of the game is also a bit imbalanced. You can get almost everything, from dragons to weapons and upgrades, without having to shell out any real money, but it's going to be quite the grind. There is a large number of missions that can be completed several times over in order to gain various resources or direct access to some dragons, and playing multiplayer matches also nets you some, but it's a slow process.
It's also a necessary process if you want to get more weapons and dragons, as you can purchase random bundles of three for either in-game currency or real cash, but they are quite pricey.
The visual presentation of the game is not something that will knock you off your feet, but it's not bad by any account either, at least during the actual matches. It just seems pretty generic and outdated, but that's also because the game's minimum system requirements will make it accessible to a much wider audience than other, more demanding MOBAs.
There are, however, some problems when it comes to the menu interface, as some dialogs appear sub-par and have a much more evident low-quality feel than the actual game, making it look similar to a browser game from a decade ago and granting it a cheap feel.
Add this to the fact that you hit the pay-wall pretty fast and that you'll be constantly reminded that you can buy something to make your life easier, and a game that shows decent potential at its core will lose its appeal even more.
Conclusion
Flying around on dragons and taking down enemies while careful not to die and lose your gold is fun, especially since the game is much more laid back than other more competitive titles that require your full attention. But there are several aspects that have to be improved before the game is able to secure a devoted fanbase.
Dragons and Titans has an overall unpolished feel, and some areas of production show a leap in quality from others, making the game look as if it would feel more at home on a mobile device or in a browser.
From the lack of direction and individuality in its gameplay to the apparent lack of cohesive design, Dragons and Titans has many imbalances that drag down its core premise, which could actually turn out to be quite fun with a few tweaks.
