Hidden Dragon Legend (PS4)

Potential. Unrealized potential. That's what I think of when I think of, "Hidden Dragon Legend". It had all the hallmarks of a proper action platforming experience, and even borrowed some alternative genre mechanics for combat to a somewhat impressive effect, but failed miserably at storytelling and character building. It gave the player the most basic of plots, albeit a bit choppy and rushed. A plot which held little weight in comparison to the actual in-game platforming, and puzzle solving. That, and the overall visual presentation which was definitely more than indie. What ended up being most frustrating out of all that though was the fact that the combat which was a key feature of the game wasn't as refined as it should have been for a final product. Combos from the makeshift fighting game setup often times did not reflect the required button presses shown in the games training mode. Extra button presses were often required to meet combo requirements, and even in in-game battles the additional skill features would sometimes fail to activate even though the meter for them to be used was filled. It's things like this that make me feel Oasis Games could have spent more time making a more complete, and flawless experience worth buying. Sadly, they did not though ...

What you get with "Hidden Dragon Legend" is the most basic of basic plots done up in a decently impressive visual presentation. At least in the platforming perspective. It's a fumbled mixture of half-baked accomplishments, and noteworthy 'Triple A' graphics engine usage. Through the poorly edited cutscenes, and accompanying voice acting that is truly horrible you'll bare witness to events that skip forward days, and bypass seemingly significant events as the hero of the story earns his place as a legend. You'll ultimately find that you are playing as a nameless monk-like warrior with a mysterious past who awakens in Luoyang prison alongside several dead bodies who were each subjected to some sort of testing in captivity compliments of an evil organization known as Trigram. You'll also encounter many different people of interest knowledgeable of said organization along the way whom you must eventually fight, or fight for via a boss battle. It's the main bad guys, and gals, specifically who hint at a meaning regarding your mysterious condition, and at the same time remain enigmatic even after you have encountered them. It's kind of like Alice chasing the white rabbit down the rabbit hole, and seeing all of crazy things with little explanation between the dreamlike sequences of chaos and madness. The only difference being that this is set in pseudo-Chinese lore with a sinister Resident Evil twist. As you continue playing through the levels which adhere to a traditional Metroidvania formula, and the sequential fights therein you'll make use of a seemingly complex skills, Sutras, weapons, and a combo system that seems quite overblown for something a developer didn't put enough effort into to properly flesh out.

The combat which usually has you facing small groups of lesser enemies, and greater enemies as well as a combination of the two will require some basic combo, and weapon knowledge. That as well as the understanding of how to use the evade mechanic to dodge attacking enemies. Like a fighting game you can perform basic combos in aerial, and grounded form through a mixture of light (SQUARE), and heavy (TRIANGLE) attacks. Using the (Left Thumbstick) for movement, the jump button (X) for jumping, and (??) for evade/dash you can dodge attacks, and follow-up with punishing weapon damage that will either deplete a boss's health bar, or turn a lesser foe into an ashen corpse. Accompanying these mechanics are skills that can be assigned to, and used via SQUARE, TRIANGLE, or CIRCLE with an added pressing of R2, respectively. These unlocked skills give you brief perks such as defense buffs, and powerful attacks among other things.

Going back to the dash, or evade which can be performed on the ground or in the air you'll find that you can only use this mechanic as long as you have stamina meter to do so with. Stamina depletes as you perform the evade to keep you from dodging indefinitely. Also to note is that certain other tools come into play as you progress, and find them. The grappling claw, for example will help you swing, and climb to higher heights via a DMC (Devil May Cry) style hooks. There's also a secondary throwing weapon in the form of a dagger for ranged attacks as well. Both items use a combination of specific shoulder buttons, and a face button to execute. In regards to the throwing weapon it can actually be aimed straightforward, or high depending on where your left thumbstick is tilted

The Sutra perks which come in a passive form also play a role in surviving the fight at hand. They can be upgraded in the "OPTIONS" menu using the collected soul stone currency. Sutras add buffs to point, and soul stone earnings among other things. They are added passive abilities which help you to upgrade your character's capabilities along the way. To unlock the Sutras you must first find their fragments from special chests hidden in the chapter based levels. Leveling them up afterwards costs soul stones which also come from basic chests, and fallen enemies. Soul stones, as they were are the currency used to upgrade Sutras, and buy Lotus potions which can refill health. The Lotus potions, which are vital to long term survival come at a rising price, but can be bought straight from the menu when not in a fight. The more you buy them though the more expensive they will get to purchase, so use them sparingly. Pressing "DOWN" on the DPad will use a Lotus potion in a fight.

Beyond the fighting game mechanics, Sutras, and skills you'll find a hidden backstory in the option menu. It is here where encountered character info is held, and light is shed on both the Trigram organization as well as our amnesia plagued hero in relation to them. There's also a designated listing that shows off collected key items that are relative to the cinematic story that is shown. A sort of behind-the-scenes look at the game's deeper lore. Sadly, this info was not depicted in any of the cutscenes. At least not in full detail. For those of you looking for bonus items to earn there are four character outfits you can unlock, and equip during your playthrough at the title screen. These seem to be chapter specific, and are no doubt earned upon a chapter's completion. Speaking of chapters you'll find that each chapter including the prologue begins with a still art panel that has a paragraph underneath it explaining in slight detail what that chapter entails. Again it's something in the way of plot, but not reflective of most story driven gaming experiences.

The Verdict ...

I was disappointed with this game. As I said, it had so much potential that it did not live up to. The level designs were beautiful, and the combat complimentary though less than perfect. The added fact that the cutscenes harbored some poorly crafted character acting, and voice-overs only hurt the game's quality further. I really hated the story being as rushed, and choppy as it was. Even the chapter playthroughs felt a little short. I think given more time, and resources Oasis Games could have had a platforming masterpiece on their hands. Unfortunately, in the state this game is in it falls short of being such a gem. I hope the developer doesn't give up, but strives to perfect their game development. I could see them going far. My final verdict is, regretfully a "Skip".