First Gameplay Details Revealed for Nintendo’s Next Mobile Game, Dragalia Lost | Gaming News

By Adam Bankhurst

Nintendo's next mobile game, Dragalia Lost, had a Direct tonight that revealed the first gameplay details and what to expect from this action-RPG when it launches on September 27, 2018, for iOS and Android.

Dragalia Lost takes place in the Kingdom of Alberia, where humans and Dragons once lived together in peace, and you play as the “Seventh Royal Prince.” It's up to you to save the kingdom when the Sacred Shard, which kept the monsters at bay, starts to lose its power.

However, you won't be alone as you have the blood of the Dragon in your veins and you must reestablish a binding “pactbound” between human and Dragon, an alliance that hasn't been formed for centuries. The prince must bond with the Windwyrm known as Midgardsormr, the Dragon who once held a pact with the founder of Alberia, to help save the kingdom.

Besides Dragons, you will build a party with up to three other allies who can be one of four different unit types – Attack, Defense, Support, or Healing. In addition, each unit has a specific element – Flame, Water, Wind, Light, or Shadow – with strengths and weaknesses that need to be taken into consideration when building out your team.

The battles take place in real time and combine tapping and swiping to defeat enemies. You slide to move and tap to attack, and must dodge out of the way of enemy attacks, which are clearly visible by a red marker.

In battle, you are able to use skills and abilities, swap between your party members, and, when you've filled the necessary gauge with crystals gained by destroying foes, shapeshift into a Dragon. You and your team members will gain the ability to shapeshift, and there are many Dragons to unlock, each with unique abilities.

As with most games, there will be boss battles, and these stronger enemies have an Overdrive meter that slowly fills as you attack. Once in Overdrive, the boss becomes much stronger, and the more you attack, the faster you then deplete the gauge and put the boss into a break phase, allowing you to deal extra damage.

You can strengthen your party in four different ways – leveling up, equipping and upgrading stronger weapons, spending resources on an attribute tree called the Mana Circle, and building up your base/holy castle, the Halidom, with mines, altars and more.

As with many mobile games, Dragalia Lost is free-to-start with optional in-app purchases. These purchases help you unlock characters, Dragons, and Wyrmprints in “the magical art of Summoning.”

Characters and Dragons can appear with a three, four, or five-star power level. If you get a duplicate, you will recieve Eldwater which allows you to power up exisiting characters and Dragons.

Wyrmprints “embody memories of the world” and are to be thought of as talismans or amulets and can enhance and power up your party.

Summoning can occur by spending either Wyrmite, which is recieved as “login bonuses, event rewards, and more,” or by purchasing and spending Diamantium, Dragalia Lost's real-money currency.

Lastly, Dragalia Lost supports up to four-player co-op on all quests. Additionally, there will be multiplayer events that appear to be Dragalia Lost's version of raids where many players combine to take down a massive foe.

Dragalia Lost, co-developed by Cygames, will be released on iOS and Android on September 27, 2018 in the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Pre-registration is now live and if 500,000 player pre-register, all players will receive 1,500 Wyrmite as an in-game gift.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for Tech and hopes the in-app purchases don't get in the way of Dragalia Lost, as it looks like a very promising mobile game. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.