Dragonkin: The Banished recently came to PC as an Early Access game. The action RPG features some rather unique takes on the genre. Along with building up their characters, players will also get to upgrade a town to gain new passive bonuses. Along with this, there is also plenty of emphasis placed on build experimentation.
We got to have a chat with production director Jean-Georges Levieux about various aspects of the game, as well as the studio’s thoughts on new technologies like the PS5 Pro.
To what extent can we expect Dragonkin: The Banished to be complete at its Early Access launch?
The Early Access launch is really just the beginning. The core mechanics are already there – the city, the ancestral grid, the gameplay – but we will be adding a lot of content during Early Access. Most importantly, we want to take advantage of player feedback to improve the game in the right direction.
What are some of the ideas for additions to Dragonkin: The Banished along its Early Access journey?
When you develop a game for years, it can sometimes be difficult to step back and see the bigger picture. You create tons of mechanics, graphics, sounds, story elements… and there’s a moment when everything starts to come together – right at the end of the project. Playtests, betas, or Early Access help gain that perspective.
We want to use Early Access to listen to our players and adjust development if needed. The demo’s release has already taught us a lot, and we are already working on integrating player feedback.
That being said, we already have things in production and a roadmap that we’ve shared with our players. This includes new game modes, additional city features, a new playable character, new zones, multiplayer, and more.
“When you develop a game for years, it can sometimes be difficult to step back and see the bigger picture.”
How many hours worth of content will be available in Dragonkin: The Banished in Early Access? How will this compare to the full release?
At launch, you will be able to play Act 1 (out of 5 total), which should take around 4 to 6
hours to complete.
After that, you’ll reach the End Game, particularly what we call the Hunting Board. Completing this board should take around 15 to 20 hours.
Once the Hunt Board is completed, you can continue playing and create your own custom Hunts with all the unlocked settings. At that point, it will be up to you to decide how much time you want to invest in the game.
Are there any plans to add multiplayer to the game?
Yes, it’s one of our major updates planned during Early Access.
How will build experimentation be encouraged?
A lot!
We have removed any costs for changing attribute points, passives, or even your hatchling (which can be seen as your character’s specialization). We’re also working on adding the Arsenal, which will allow you to save entire builds and test new ones without losing existing ones.
Of course, to perfect your builds, you’ll need to find the right equipment, the right fragments for your grid, and craft wisely.
How big of a role will the city-building mechanics play in Dragonkin: The Banished overall?
The city is your hub, and once multiplayer is added, it can be your friends’ hub as well if you choose. You will be able to develop it together – every activity (story, endgame hunts) will earn prosperity points that you can spend on your city.
You’ll be able to unlock services, merchants, artisans, bonuses for your characters, and various improvements for theorycrafting.
“Of course, to perfect your builds, you’ll need to find the right equipment, the right fragments for your grid, and craft wisely.”
Are there already plans for endgame high-difficulty content?
We have designed a very broad difficulty system. From the start of Early Access, there will be 11 difficulty levels. Some thresholds will unlock access to certain types of rewards, allowing you to further enhance your character.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to enjoy the story on an easier setting or an expert in the genre, you’ll be able to experience the game however you like.
When are you expecting to be done with the Early Access period?
An Early Access period is determined based on player feedback. So, it’s still a bit too early to answer this question.
As a developer, what are your thoughts on the PS5 Pro? How does boost in GPU help in developing your game compared to the base PS5?
We are currently focusing on the PC version with the game’s release in Early Access. However, we have already run the game on consoles, particularly on the PS5, but not yet on the Pro.
The PS5 is a very important platform, and we will make every effort to ensure the game runs properly on it. As for the PS5 Pro, which comes with great improvements, we will take advantage of them to boost FPS and resolution.
What are your thoughts on PSSR? What kind of opportunities will this open for the game?
Almost all modern games use upscalers. On PC, depending on your GPU, we have several available.
On consoles, with Unreal Engine 5, we primarily use TSR, which is the engine’s native solution.
On PS5 Pro, we would definitely like to add support for PSSR. It should help us achieve better FPS while maintaining higher image quality.
“The PS5 is a very important platform, and we will make every effort to ensure the game runs properly on it.”
What resolution and frame rates will the game target on PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PS5 Pro?
As I mentioned, we are focusing on the PC version for Early Access. The game will only be
released on consoles once it’s fully finished.
That being said, we have been and continue to be mindful of performance to ensure the game runs well on consoles.
At this stage of development, I wouldn’t commit to specific numbers for consoles. Ideally, we will offer different rendering modes to prioritize either FPS or image quality.
Do you have plans to launch the game on Nintendo Switch 2?
Not for the moment.
