Scalebound is an upcoming action role-playing game by developer PlatinumGames, in which players take control of protagonist Drew and his dragon Thuban. And now during Gamescom 2016, new details have been revealed about some of the in-game mechanics.
The customization system present in the game is called Dragon DNA, and it deals with morphing, parts and armor, each of which will allow players to create a dragon that is completely unique from others.
The three core types of dragons present in the game are the Rex, Tank and Wyvern, but with the aid of the morphing mechanic, players can use gems at a dragon shrine to combine the different physical and visual attributes of these types into a completely different hybrid dragon.
The second mechanic is the parts. Dragon parts are buffs that not only alter the physical appearance of your dragon, but also boost it’s elemental characteristics. These buffs are permanent and according to the official post, “you can imagine these parts as organic and animalistic extensions of Thuban’s body”.
Armour is the third mechanic which, unlike parts, can be bought using currency, obtained by completing quests or by finding them in the game world. Armour boosts your dragon’s defenses but is also destructible, so it must be properly maintained.
And finally we come to the newly announced Dragon Link feature. Dragon Link is a way for characters to directly assume control of their dragon through Drew’s point of view, turning your predominantly AI dragon into a playable character. Using this mode, players will be able to seamlessly switch between the two characters in order to exploit enemy weaknesses.
Scalebound is expected to release some time in 2017 for the Xbox One and the PC.
