Dragons appear in numerous role-playing games with fictional settings as bosses, final bosses, and enemies, as well as player characters, companions, and supporting characters.
This is a list of Dragons in Role-Playing Video Games. If there are many dragons then only the most notable are mentioned. This particular blog lists the games alphabetically by Video Game Title O - S. Click here to see other game titles.
Format below:
Video Game Title
Name of Dragon (if many, then the most notable is mentioned)
Game Platform
Hindel, Belial, Wagner, Leventhan
Playstation 2 / PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
An action role-playing game published by Atlus (Japan and North America) in 2007, and by Square Enix (Europe) in 2008. A remake, titled Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, was released in 2016
Gameplay - Using a two-dimensional side-scrolling perspective, gameplay focuses on a beat em up-style fighting system while incorporating role-playing elements — Leifthrasir expands upon and refines these elements. The story, shared between both versions, follows five characters on the fantasy continent of Erion during a war between the nations of Ragnanival and Ringford over a weapon called the Crystallization Cauldron, and their roles in the Armageddon, a catastrophe which will destroy Erion.
Rather than the typical experience point-driven character growth of most role-playing games, each characters' abilities is linked to their Psyphers (skills tied to each character's magical weapon), and the amount of damage characters can inflict depends upon the strength of their Psypher.
Various
EZweb, Game Boy Advance, iMode, Microsoft Windows, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portable, Sega Saturn, Super NES
Sometimes referred to as Ogre Battle Saga, is a series of five tactical role-playing and real-time strategy video games developed by Quest Corporation. There are five original games in the series, one of which has received a remake and a subsequent remaster.
The first video game in the series, Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, was released in 1993 for the Super NES in Japan, and two years later in North America. The title was a real-time strategy role playing game, set in a medieval fantasy world. The second game in the series, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, was released in 1995 in Japan. It was a turn-based tactical role-playing game making use of isometric graphics. Two subsequent games in the Ogre Battle series – Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber and Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia – follow the real-time strategy gameplay of the original title in the franchise, while Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis follows the turn-based tactical role-playing gameplay elements of the second game in the series. The Knight of Lodis, released in 2001, is the last original release in the franchise. In 2010, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together was remade for the PlayStation Portable as Tactics Ogre: Wheel of Fortune, but the characters, story and setting are identical to the 1995 release.
Water Vellumental
Nintendo Switch
A 2020 action-adventure role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It is the sixth game in the Paper Mario series, which is part of the larger Mario franchise. The story follows Mario and his friends as he sets out on a journey to prevent the Mushroom Kingdom from being transformed into origami. To do so, Mario must free Princess Peach's castle from five decorative streamers that extend across the kingdom.
Gameplay - a cross-genre video game, containing elements from action-adventure, RPG, and puzzle games. The player controls a two-dimensional paper version of Mario and explores a linear open world designed to look like paper and cardboard. The player's goal is to destroy five decorative origami streamers created by King Olly, the game's main antagonist. Throughout the game, the player sets out to follow each of five streamers, which occupy wide open areas for exploration. These areas contain puzzles the player will need to complete to proceed.
Bonetail, Gloomtail, Hooktail
GameCube
A 2004 role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. The Thousand-Year Door is the second game in the Paper Mario series following Paper Mario, and is part of the larger Mario franchise. In the game, when Mario and Princess Peach get involved in the search for a mystic portal that holds great fortune, Peach is kidnapped by an alien group called the X-Nauts; Mario sets out to find the treasure and save the princess.
The Thousand-Year Door borrows many gameplay elements from its predecessor, such as a drawing-based art style, and a turn-based battle system with an emphasis on timing moves correctly. For the majority of the game the player controls Mario, although Bowser and Princess Peach are playable at certain points.
Gameplay - The player controls a two-dimensional version of Mario and explores a variety of worlds designed to look like paper. In these locales, he is tasked with retrieving seven Crystal Stars which involves Mario completing puzzles and defeating enemies to proceed.
When Mario comes into contact with an enemy in the overworld, the game transitions to a battle screen, taking place on a stage. Jumping or hammering an enemy before entering combat mode will cause "First Strike." This allows Mario to damage the enemy before the regular combat starts. Likewise, some enemies can strike first and damage Mario before the regular combat starts. The player controls both Mario and his currently selected partner, and chooses actions for each of them, which include attacking an enemy, using an item, or swapping the partner with another. Attacking and defending can be enhanced by executing timed button presses.
Various
Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
A series of video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company under the Pokémon media franchise. It was created by Satoshi Tajiri with assistance from Ken Sugimori, the first games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, later released outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue. The main series of role-playing video games (RPGs), referred as the "core series" by their developers, have continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. The most recently released core series game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, was released on January 2022, for the Nintendo Switch. It is a prequel to the 2006 Nintendo DS games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
The core games are released in generations, each with different Pokémon, storylines, and characters. Remakes of the games are usually released around a decade after the original versions for the latest console at the time. While the main series consists of RPGs developed by Game Freak, many spin-off games based on the series have been developed by various companies, encompassing other genres such as action role-playing, puzzle, fighting, and digital pet games.
Pokémon is estimated to be the largest media franchise, with successful anime series, movies, and merchandise, with spin-off game Pokémon Go. This makes Pokémon the third best-selling video game franchise, behind Nintendo's own Mario franchise, and Tetris.
Gaba, Sania
PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Network, Nintendo 3DS
A manga series by Yohsuke Tamori that was later adapted into five role-playing video games and two anime series. Its title, pronounced (PO-po-lo-croyce), is a combination of words from two languages: the Italian word "Popolo (people)" and the French "croisé (crossing)", which together mean "crossing of people". The general theme of the series is love and compassion, that the race to which one belongs isn't important and the importance of friendship.
Gameplay - While random and turn-based, battles take on a form very similar to console strategy RPGs (such as Final Fantasy Tactics). When a character's turn begins, they can move along a small grid and attack enemies from four cardinal directions, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, an attack to the enemy's back will deal more damage, as will skipping a turn to focus on the next turn.
Various
PlayStation 2
An action packed role-playing game that places great emphasis on its persistent world and non-player characters (NPCs) each with their own lives, lifestyles, jobs, personalities, homes, dialogues and schedules, which are controlled by the game's Day/Night system.
The game provides the novel ability to kick almost anything. Kicking furniture and other inanimate objects will occasionally turn up items or dagols (the local currency). Kicking NPCs several times will cause them to fight Jack, or summon guards to fight for or with them. Jack gains experience, money, and possibly items when he wins these duels, but will not lose the game if he is defeated. Jack may only win a duel against each character once each day.
Hades
WonderSwan Color, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable
A role-playing video game originally produced in 2002 by Sting Entertainment for WonderSwan Color as the first episode of the Dept. Heaven series of games. The game was later introduced to Nintendo's Game Boy Advance in 2004, which Atlus USA released in North America in 2005. An enhanced remake was released for the PlayStation Portable in November 2006, and was released in July 2007 in North America by Atlus USA.
The player takes the role of Ein, a Grim Angel, who must battle against demons as well as antagonistic Grim Angels to seal away the four fountainheads of evil known as the Accursed. He is accompanied by four heroines—Fia, Lina, Serene and Cierra—as well as his cat-like familiar Rose. Riviera also contains dating sim elements, as the hero can achieve multiple endings with the supporting characters through decisions made throughout the game.
Various
Microsoft Windows, Linux
A 2004 action role-playing game developed by the German company Ascaron and published by Take 2 Interactive. It is set on the magical continent of Ancaria, with characters of various races (dark elf, vampiress, dwarf, etc.) each with their own missions. Two expansion packs were released for the game in 2004 and 2005. It spawned the Sacred video game franchise, and was followed by the sequels Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, Sacred Citadel, and Sacred 3.
Gameplay - Upon beginning the game, players are given a choice to start with one of six different character types: Gladiator, Dark Elf, Wood Elf, Vampiress, Battle-Mage and Seraphim. The Daemon and Dwarf were additional characters added in the expansion Sacred Underworld and included in Sacred Gold. Each character begins in a different part of the area around a town in Ancaria (the continent that Sacred takes place within), and with a different starting quest. For example, the Gladiator starts in a colosseum, enslaved by his master, while the Seraphim starts in a church. The Dark Elf starts on a cliff with a Wood Elf companion. Throughout the game, the characters all receive different sub-quests.
Flammie
Super NES, FOMA 903i/703i, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
Originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2, is a 1993 action role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sequel to the 1991 game Seiken Densetsu, released in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure and in Europe as Mystic Quest, and it was the first Seiken Densetsu title to be marketed as part of the Mana series rather than the Final Fantasy series. Set in a high fantasy universe, the game follows three heroes as they attempt to prevent an empire from conquering the world with the power of an ancient flying fortress.
Gameplay - Like many other role-playing games of the 16-bit era, Secret of Mana displays a top-down perspective, in which the player characters navigate the terrain and fight off hostile creatures. The game features three such characters: the hero, the girl, and the sprite, named Randi, Primm, and Popoi outside the initial North American and European releases. The player can choose to control each of the characters at any time; whichever character is currently selected, the other two companions are controlled via artificial intelligence. The game may be played simultaneously by up to three players, made possible by the Super Multitap accessory for the Super NES console.
Flammie
PlayStation 2
A 2006 action-adventure game for the PlayStation 2. It was developed and published by Square Enix. It is the eighth game of the Mana series and the third entry in the World of Mana subseries, following the release of Children of Mana nine months prior and Friends of Mana two months prior. Set in a high fantasy universe, Dawn of Mana follows a young hero, Keldric, as he journeys to close a portal to a land of darkness that has been opened in the base of the Tree of Mana and is corrupting the world.
While it contains some small role-playing elements, Dawn of Mana diverges from the prior two-dimensional action role-playing game titles of the series to focus directly on action-adventure gameplay in a full 3D world. Incorporating the Havok physics engine, the gameplay focuses on the player grabbing and throwing objects and monsters in order to startle enemies before attacking them with a sword and magic. Keldric grows more powerful as the player journeys through an area, only to reset to his base abilities with each new zone unless difficult extra challenges are met. Unlike many of its predecessors, the game does not feature any cooperative multiplayer component.
Various
Android, FM-7, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, iOS, Microsoft Windows, MSX, NES, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PC-8801, PC-9801, PC Engine, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Sharp X1, SNES, Virtual Boy, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Megami Tensei, marketed internationally as Shin Megami Tensei (formerly Revelations), is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. The franchise consists of multiple subseries and covers multiple role-playing genres including tactical role-playing, action role-playing, and massively multiplayer online role-playing.
The series was originally based on Digital Devil Story, a science fiction novel series by Aya Nishitani. The series takes its name from the first book's subtitle. Most Megami Tensei titles are stand-alone entries with their own stories and characters. Recurring elements include plot themes, a story shaped by the player's choices, and the ability to fight using and often recruit creatures (demons, Personas) to aid the player in battle. Elements of philosophy, religion, occultism, and science fiction have all been incorporated into the series at different times.
The first installment in the franchise, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, was released on September 11, 1987. The following entries have nearly always been unrelated to each other except in carrying over thematic and gameplay elements. The Megami Tensei games, and the later Shin Megami Tensei titles form the core of the series, while other subseries such as Persona, Devil Children, and Devil Summoner are spin-offs marketed as part of the franchise. There are also stand-alone spin-off titles.
Despite most games in the series taking place in different continuities, they do share certain elements. One of its defining traits is it being set in a contemporary urban environment, specifically modern-day Tokyo. Post-apocalyptic elements are a recurring feature in settings and narratives. This choice was originally made to set the game apart from other fantasy-based gaming franchises of the time, as modern day Tokyo was rarely seen in games as opposed to versions of it from the past. The Persona series takes place exclusively within this setting, spanning a single continuity and mostly focusing on the exploits of a group of young people.
Bleu
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance (remake), Wii (Virtual Console), iOS
Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention ("Shining Force: The Legacy of the Gods") is a 1992 turn-based tactical role-playing game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. While primarily a traditional fantasy-themed game, it contains some science fiction elements.
The game has been repeatedly re-released: in Sega Smash Pack Volume 1 for the Dreamcast and Sega Smash Pack 2 for Microsoft Windows, in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3,[4] and as a standalone game for the Wii Virtual Console and Microsoft Windows via Steam. Additionally, in 2004 a remake was released for the Game Boy Advance under the title Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon and in 2010 the game was released for iOS but was discontinued in 2015. It was re-released again on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service in 2021.
Gameplay - Battles take place in square grids, and each unit occupies one square. Each unit can move up to a fixed amount of squares along the battlefield, determined by its Move statistic. Depending on its location relative to enemies and to allies, a unit can also perform one action: attack, cast a spell, use an item, or search the area. Some commands, such as equipping or dropping items, do not count as actions. The order of turns is determined by the unit's agility score and a random seed. As is most common for the RPG genre, units become stronger by fighting enemies or by performing other actions in battle, such as healing allies. These actions give the units experience points (EXP), which allow them to gain levels.
Dragonutes
PlayStation 2
An action role-playing game co-developed by Nextech and Amusement Vision and published by Sega in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 as a part of the Shining video game series. It tells the story of a mysterious boy named Xion.
Gameplay - In each stage, the player advances by killing all the enemies before advancing to the next area. The enemy side wins if they kill the player character, Xion, or if the player chooses to escape. As with other Shining games, players can grind for levels and items by repeatedly escaping from a mission and restarting it, killing enemies and collecting items each time. Xion is supported by a partner character. The partner character is largely AI-controlled, but at any time the player can take control of the partner character's movement using the second analog stick, lock them into place, or execute certain simple commands such as link skills. Shining Tears also allows a second player to control the partner character for cooperative multiplayer, but only when replaying previously completed stages.
As traditional for role-playing video games, experience points are awarded after an enemy is defeated, ultimately increasing the character's abilities with a level up. With each level up a character gains Status Points and Skill Points. Status Points increase a character's attributes. Skill Points can unlock new skills or level up previously obtained skills. Rather than obtaining new weapons, each character's starting weapon is modified and improved using materials that are awarded at the end of missions, found in chests, hidden around maps, and randomly dropped from monsters.
Crosell
PlayStation 2
An action role-playing game, the third main game in the Star Ocean series. Till the End of Time takes place four hundred years after the events of Star Ocean: The Second Story.
Gameplay - While having many similarities to its predecessor, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time includes many elements that make it unique among the majority of role-playing video games. Instead of menu-driven combat, Star Ocean 3 offers real-time interactive combat, similar to the .hack and Tales series. Battles occur when running into enemies on the main travel field or when certain pre-scripted events occur. In battle, the player directly controls one character, while the other two characters are controlled by AI. The player can, however, choose the tactics used by AI characters or switch which character they are directly controlling.
Various
PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Windows, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
A role-playing video game series created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel Water Margin. Each individual game in the series centers on relative themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical crystals known as True Runes and the "108 Stars of Destiny"—the 108 protagonists who are loosely interpreted from the source material. Though the Suikoden games follow an irregular chronological sequence of events, the entire series (except for Tierkreis and Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki) takes place within the same world among continuing and overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear in multiple installments.
The Suikoden franchise has been developing games since 1995 and has developed various video game titles bearing the same name. The development team of the Suikoden series started developing games using 2D or two-dimensional graphics primarily used in the first and second games, while they only incorporated 3D graphics on environments and visual effects. Suikoden III however, marked the series' complete shift from 2D to 3D as the game jumps platforms; from PlayStation to PlayStation 2.
Czar Dragon, Zombone, Bahamutt
Super NES
A role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1996. It was the final Mario game published for the SNES.
Super Mario RPG's story focuses on Mario and his friends as they seek to defeat Smithy, who has crashed into their world and stolen the seven star pieces of Star Road. Super Mario RPG is the first RPG in the Mario franchise, drawing from major elements of Square's RPG franchises such as Final Fantasy. The main form of fighting enemies is turn-based combat with a party of up to three characters. It is also the first game in the Mario franchise to have gameplay within an isometric 3D environment, allowing for a new variety of the exploration and platforming elements reminiscent of the Super Mario series.
Gameplay - Super Mario RPG contains token similarities to other Square-developed video games, such as the Final Fantasy series, along with a story and gameplay based on the Super Mario Bros. series of platform games. Like most traditional JRPGs, the two main sections of the game are adventuring and turn-based battle sequences. Much of Super Mario RPG's gameplay is outside monster battles and plays like an isometric 3D platformer, in which traditional Mario elements such as punching floating question blocks from below are prominent. There are no random encounters and as such enemies are visible in the field; a battle ensues only if Mario comes in contact with one. This allows the player to evade unnecessary battles.
Bonechill, Fracktail, Wracktail
Wii
A 2007 action role-playing game (RPG) developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the Paper Mario series and the first Mario game to be released on the Wii. The game follows Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Luigi as they attempt to collect Pure Hearts and stop Count Bleck and his minions from destroying the universe. Whereas preceding Paper Mario games are turn-based, Super Paper Mario has elements from RPGs and side-scrolling platformers; some critics described it as a hybrid of the two genres. The game's main feature is Mario's ability to flip between 2D and 3D perspectives. Most of the game is played in a 2D perspective, with the 3D perspective being used to solve puzzles and access previously unreachable areas. Peach, Bowser, and Luigi also have unique abilities, and additional abilities can be gained through acquiring partner characters known as Pixls.
Information pulled from Wikipedia: List of dragon in games
Comments