DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders

PROS
- Dragons: you don't get to play as canon characters, but the main chars of the game are good
- Beautiful: impressive art style, everything from tilesets to loading backgrounds is gorgeous
- Cute: main dragon character causes cuteness overload
- Story: simple, but touching
- Gameplay: nothing revolutionary, but solid; puzzles, combat, bosses - everything is fun
- The one and only HTTYD game which isn't cheap low-quality cash-grab without any soul
CONS
- Short: I managed to play for 9 hours, most players will probably finish sooner
- Desire for more: seriously, the game feels like it's designed for more content
I'd say the game is mandatory for How to Train Your Dragon fans. Developers who put heart and soul into a game instead of inserting a popular franchise into a microtransaction-ridden mobile garbage must be supported. If you think 10 hours aren't worth whatever price you see, get it during sale. But please, don't skip it. I want more games like this.

Pros
-A variety of powers for Patch (your dragon) and weapons+armor for Scribbler. Ability to upgrade weapons gives them elemental damage that's pretty fun to mix and match during combat.
- Gaining the ability to fly with Patch opens up the world map that lets you explore different island to find resources and upgrade materials.
- A good mixture of combat against humans and dragons that can become challenging as you progress through the game if you don't upgrade your weapons and armors properly.
-Fun level design for the variety of islands you explore. The main islands (story progress ones) are really neat because they're long and offer a variety of exploration options. Finding the dungeons on these islands offers a really fun experience because the dungeons offer cool puzzles and exploration that are enjoyable.
-The story, while not revolutionary is neat. It's a mature tale of loss, revenge, and acceptance that both young and old gamers will enjoy. I have no prior experience with HTTYD but I'm definitely curious with exploring the franchise after playing through this game.
Cons
-The combat is mostly repetitive. As I stated above, you do fight humans and dragons but after a while it's the same exact thing each time so if you aren't in a gated arena you just run past everyone (I did anyway..)
-The music was okay. While I didn't expect soaring symphonies I was hoping for a bit more oomph during the dungeons and boss fights but it just wasn't there so that was unfortunate.
-The price point is far too high for this game considering the gameplay isn't compelling. While I did have fun, I'd only be willing to pay $20 for the game. I bought it for $9 during the Steam Summer Sale and I'm satisfied with that, but I can't agree with the original price.
Final Verdict
Dawn of the New Riders is fun. I beat it in about 6 hours, and that was only because I had to do a bit of grinding for some resources for the final upgrades I needed to obtain. Overall, if you don't decide to collect the chests on each island (the only collectibles in the game) the game will definitely be a lot shorter. You'd be able to beat it between 4-5hrs. Having said all that, take your time and enjoy the game because it's a pleasant experience. You won't be blown away by the story, or gameplay, but you won't be disappointed either if you can pick the game up on sale! 3 out of 5

a good puzzle game

As a fan of the franchise I just had to get this game. It's no How to Train your Dragon movie, but it certainly captures a sweet bit of the world with the different climate areas and the dragons we already know and love.
Get it on Sale though, because I for instance have needed 10 hours for one playthrough, which is all it takes to explore the entire game really and by going with the 1 hours = 1 Euro it definitely doesn't add up.
However as the music is fitting and according to the usual style in the franchise, the graphics are nice and cute as well as the drawings that appear once in a while are nicely done.
As many have criticized already, the combat system is a little off, but it doesn't pose much of a problem, you can still beat your enemies well-enough even with one or another shot or hit missing.
The story is a nice addition to the world and foreshadows the third movie of the trilogy a bit. The enemy of it at least. It can be played by itself without knowing anything else of the fanchise, but it is certainly of benefit to know a little since characters of the movies (aka the main cast) appear in it, be it in person or through Terror Mail aka letters reflective of their characters. I also cried during the ending a little when it seemed like that one character would actually die.
Overall, if your a fan of the franchise it's definitely worth it, if you aren't it's still nice enough, but won't get to you as much as to a HTTYD fan.