It's really more of an interactive story than a fully-fledged adventure game, but it's so expertly told with characters cut so accurately from the McCaffrey cloth, that fans of the series won't mind one bit. For example, certain characters will only give him required information if he's of good reputation, so he has to complete various subquests to raise himself in their eyes. As D'kor completes his tasks, he gains in one of three attributes - strength, knowledge and reputation - which unlock his ability to progress with the story. It's standard adventure-game fare, as you explore new areas, talk to the inhabitants and locals, and uncover the storyline, however, there's a hefty slice of role-playing style character building in there too. If you're expecting fast-paced action, stop right here, because as with the books, DragonRiderstakes its own time. As D'kor travels over the land, he gets caught up in a web of deceit and intrigue as a plague spreads across the land, and it's up to you to find a cure! The Weyrwoman, or female leader of the Weyr, has just died and your wing of dragons has been appointed to find a successor by visiting the various holds and forts over Pern. Your hero is D'kor, a fledgling dragonrider living in Fort Weyr - the largest collection of dragonriders on Pern. From the very start there isn't a shadow of a doubt that you're within the fabric of McCaffrey's world, from the environment to the characters, you'll soon feel at home. DragonRiders is utterly painstaking in its recreation. It'll only matter to fans of the books, but given that they're the target market, that's hardly a concern. The most apparent facet of DragonRiders is that the world of Pern has been captured with breathtaking detail. Previous efforts at titles based on the franchise have been horrific, so the pressure is on for Ubi Studios UK to deliver something to appease the fans without vilifying those who might be unfamiliar with the world.
Okay, so with the basic background out of the way, the more important question arises: why should you care? Well, the DragonRiders books now span a massive 19 volumes, with more on the way, and McCaffrey herself has been acknowledged as one of the most prolific and high-quality fantasy/science fiction authors of all time. They genetically modified Pern's native 'fire lizards', creating the fire breathing dragons, saving the day and creating the 'Weyrs' in which the DragonRiders live. The inhabitants of the planet are ex-colonists from Terra who were reduced to the Spartan non-technological lifestyle by the first incursion of the airborne invader. This mindless parasite arrives every 200 years thanks to the close passing of a red star, and destroys whatever it touches before dying itself. For the uninformed, the books are set on the world of Pern, where a select group of citizens ride fire-breathing dragons to shoot a parasitic extra-terrestrial invader known as 'Thread' from the skies.
If you've never read an Anne McCaffrey DragonRiders of Pern book, chances are that you either a) hate fantasy literature, or b) have been living under a rock for the last 30 years.
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