DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders

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

I didn't expect this game to be such a tear-jerker. It definitely has a soul and charm of the "How to Train your Dragon" trilogy.

My main critic would have to be that this is a rather short game. I completed it within a 12 hour time span and given the amount of time I spent just looking around and smashing things, I probably could have done it quite a bit faster. There really isn't much replayability, so once you are done, that's pretty much it. It's also a relatively easy game.

A cromulent game.
Got it during 2020 Summer Sale for $9, and enjoyed it. Its short and could have used some extra polish and tweaks, but for what's here and what it is (Legend of Zelda lite fare), its a fine little game. I love the How to Train Your Dragon movies, and it scratches that itch nicely for a game. And honestly, tweak what's here and it probably could be a larger game. Still, for a modern licensed game, I'd be happy to see more like this.