Rise of the Dragon
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Products | Rise of the Dragon |
Rise of the Dragon, launched in 1990 by Dynamix, marks the studio's venture into the cyberpunk genre, a departure from its usual focus on action and flight simulation titles. This graphic adventure game unfolds in a dystopian Los Angeles set in 2053, centering on detective William 'Blade' Hunter as he probes the death of the mayor's daughter, which is tied to a novel drug named MTZ. The gameplay combines investigative elements, strategic decision-making, and action sequences, with puzzles that affect both the narrative direction and character interactions, who recall previous player decisions. Action segments can be bypassed automatically after repeated failures.
Originally developed for DOS, Rise of the Dragon was subsequently adapted for Mac OS, Amiga, and Sega CD. The Sega CD edition introduced voice acting and modifications to content to meet an MA-17 rating. Critics praised the game for its rich cyberpunk setting, detailed visuals, and flexible puzzle-solving approach. While it received accolades for artistic merit, some reviewers noted issues with its control mechanics and interface design.
Gameplay
The gameplay style of Rise of the Dragon is reminiscent of Dynamix’s early 1990s adventure games such as The Adventures of Willy Beamish and Heart of China. Players view scenes from Blade’s point of view within various rooms. Navigation is controlled by a cursor that toggles between an arrow for moving between locations and a magnifying glass used to examine specific elements within each scene.
An in-game clock monitors elapsed time, with every player action consuming time units. Certain events are time-dependent, necessitating careful planning to prevent antagonists from advancing their schemes. Traveling between different areas also uses considerable time, adding complexity to time management.
Multiple puzzles offer alternative solutions, and Blade’s decisions directly impact the storyline. Non-player characters remember his previous conduct; choosing incorrect dialogue options can result in losing their support, which may render progression impossible.
The title features two action-oriented sequences plus an aiming and shooting segment; however, these are optional. If players fail these challenges repeatedly, the game provides an option to automatically complete them.
Plot
Set in 2053, William 'Blade' Hunter is a former officer of the Los Angeles Police Department who now works as a private investigator. After Chandra, the mayor’s daughter, dies due to a new designer drug called MTZ, Blade begins his inquiry. He contacts "the Jake," a street-savvy acquaintance of Chandra’s, who identifies Chen Lu as the drug supplier. Blade later finds Lu dead from an MTZ overdose, eliminated as punishment for drawing unwanted attention.
Blade teams up with his girlfriend Karyn from the Crime Records Bureau to identify Lu’s associates and investigate the mutagenic properties of MTZ. The drug distribution is controlled by Deng Hwang, a Chinese Mafia leader with ambitions of global domination. Blade also meets a fortune teller who connects the current year with a prophecy about the dragon Bahumat.
Blade disrupts MTZ manufacturing by destroying a drug facility but is detected by Hwang’s henchmen. After freeing the Jake from captivity, Blade thwarts plans to contaminate Hollywood’s water supply with MTZ. In response, Hwang kidnaps Karyn and threatens her life.
Blade infiltrates Hwang’s stronghold; how events unfold depends on player choices regarding Karyn’s rescue. He confronts Hwang, who transforms into Bahumat. In the climactic battle, Blade defeats Bahumat. Following this confrontation, Blade confronts the mayor angrily over being manipulated before departing either with or without Karyn based on her survival.
Ports
Created by Game Arts, the Sega CD and MS-DOS editions of Rise of the Dragon exhibit significant differences. The Sega CD version includes additional voice performances, featuring Cam Clarke as William 'Blade' Hunter. In terms of visuals, the Sega CD displays 64 colors simultaneously on-screen, compared to 256 colors on the computer version, which leads to a noticeable greenish hue.
The Sega CD release was assigned a MA-17 rating by the Videogame Rating Council due to mature themes, including strong language, fictional drug usage, cross-dressing, prostitution, and partial nudity of female characters. Notably, a scene suggesting sexual activity was omitted from this edition.
Reception
Rise of the Dragon achieved commercial success; Craig Ritchie of Retro Gamer referred to it as "very successful." The title was widely praised for its engaging cyberpunk setting, compelling narrative, and pioneering user interface. Computer Gaming World commended its innovative non-text parser system, sound design, and optional arcade-style sequences, describing it as "an outstanding product" and a benchmark for future graphic adventure games.
The game received a perfect 5-star rating from Dragon. The One awarded the Amiga port a 92% score, emphasizing its intricate artwork, Blade Runner-inspired aesthetic, captivating story twists, multiple possible endings, and intellectually stimulating puzzles that required creative problem-solving. The DOS version earned an 89% rating with similar accolades but faced some criticism regarding its controls and user interface.
Jim Trunzo from White Wolf gave it a 4 out of 5 rating, highlighting its engrossing storyline. In 1991, Computer Gaming World honored the game with a Special Award for Artistic Achievement. By 1996, the same publication ranked it as the 83rd greatest game ever made for innovations such as rotoscoping and cinematic cutscenes and placed it 12th among the most inventive computer games for introducing a dynamic hot-spotted map travel system. Additionally, PC Format included it in their list of the top 50 computer games in 1991.
Regarding the Sega CD adaptation, Electronic Gaming Monthly described it as "an almost perfect translation" of the PC original, awarding it a score of 7.6 out of 10. While noting limited replayability, they praised its gritty atmosphere and evocative graphics.
A retrospective review published in 2000 by Computer Games Strategy Plus labeled Rise of the Dragon as "an underrated classic [...] far ahead of its time."