Common Sense Media Review
By Paul Semel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Entertaining combat match-3 puzzles for franchise's fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
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DreamWorks Dragons: Titan Uprising
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In DREAMWORKS DRAGONS: TITAN UPRISING, you have to train a bunch of dragons and then lead them into combat against some wild dragons who have been riled up and threaten to destroy your village. Inspired by the How to Train Your Dragon movies and the DreamWorks Dragons TV show -- with an eye on promoting How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World -- this combative puzzle game features many of your favorite characters from both the show and the movies. Similar to many match-3 games, you align a gem to match with other like colored objects, which causes dragons to attack your opponents. Match enough gems, and you'll defeat your opponent.
Is It Any Good?
By pairing simple combat puzzle mechanics with elements from the titular franchise, the people behind this game have made something that's fun for fans of both. In DreamWorks Dragons: Titan Uprising -- which is connected to both the How to Train Your Dragon movies and the DreamWorks Dragons cartoon -- you have to move a gem so it lines up with two or more of the same kind of gem. This causes your dragon of that color to attack whatever enemy dragon happens to be positioned above the rows where you made the connection. This also fills your dragon's attack meters, giving you occasional access to their special attacks. Though unlike most match-3 puzzle games, rounds end when you defeat all your enemies, instead of fulfilling some condition or obligation.
This also has you training and leveling up your dragons so they can defeat stronger enemies, as well as managing your roster like you're the coach of a sports team...if all the players were flying lizards. Granted, the game's depth does make this a little complicated at first, when you're learning all the mechanics, but it also does a decent job of explaining itself. In the end, by combining those deep mechanics with the characters and lore from the films and movies, DreamWorks Dragons: Titan Uprising ends up being as fun for fans of the franchise as it is for those into combative match-3 puzzle games.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about advertising. Dreamworks Dragons: Titan Uprising includes the trailer for a movie, as well as an exclusive clip if you reach a certain level, but does it bother you that the game is designed to promote a movie, and isn't just for fun?
Given that you can earn the game's currency by playing, does it make any sense to spend money on this game?
App Details
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