When Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend was announced, initial reactions were a mixed bag of optimism with hints of concern among the players. As with many mobile games these days, many feared it would be another cash grab or another low-effort release that would simply take advantage of nostalgia.

The launch didn’t help its case, as early complaints about server issues, crashes, and monetization concerns only fanned the flames. Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend is far from its former self, but various improvements can bring the game back to its glory days.

Is Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend Really Worth Revisiting?

The moment you make your way into the land of Alteria, Nostalgia immediately hits. From the art style, the character models, and the environments, everything about the game feels cozy and familiar. The vivid and cartoony world is teeming with fantasy and color, giving players an “I’ve been here before” vibe, rekindling fond and enjoyable memories of accomplishing quests and leveling up.

The controls feel smooth, with responsive movement and combat mechanics that meet modern standards. The combo-based attacks and fluid dodging mechanics return, giving combat a dynamic feel. However, mobile controls aren’t the easiest to master- juggling a screen full of buttons and skills could take getting used to, and picking up one loot at a time feels rather clumsy. A few monster encounters and quests down the line, the control scheme starts to click, and you’ll be performing acrobatic skills and combos in no time.

For new players, there are a ton of rewards to claim that will make leveling up easier than expected. From login bonuses to first-time rewards and other goodies from the development team, there’s almost zero friction with playing the early levels, and you can simply enjoy the game without too much stress and difficulty. The game even gives resources by just playing for a few minutes!

That said, proceeding quickly may also prove detrimental, as many systems, like upgrading, are taught in the early levels, which is overwhelming if you choose to breeze through. Still, it’s nice to see Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend providing players with abundant resources in the early game.

Quests are easy to accomplish, and even easier because players just have to click on the quest window to bring them to the relevant NPC. This makes it effortless to level up and gain rewards, along with opening up some beginner features like trading, upgrading, and mounts. Quests and other tasks unlock at a natural pace, and it feels good for the player to keep getting new features after a few minutes of playing, making the opening hours fast-paced.

Another thing that Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend also does well is handhold new players through the entire process. During the early stages, the game will automatically recommend gear to equip without having to go inside the character screen, and within a few icon clicks, you can go into various menus that will provide either more information or rewards. If players choose to open all menu options, the screen may be cluttered, but players can also hide them to see and enjoy more of the action.

Once the combat clicks, players have a ton of upgrade and forging opportunities. Learning new skills and continuously upgrading them are key to going far in Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend, while forging new weapons with great stats and attributes is integral to finishing the harder content that the game has to offer.

There is no lack of activities in Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend. As you level up and unlock more features, daily dungeons will open up, allowing players to collect valuable materials to strengthen their characters further. 

There is also an arena for players to test their skills against others, dungeons for high-level characters that will pit them against a boss for great rewards, and even harder activities called Nests that offer epic equipment and loot. These activities are usually tough to take on alone, and will require a group to challenge, and the in-game matchmaking system can certainly help with that.

Throughout the early hours of Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend, gameplay flowed smoothly despite occasional server instability and crashes. It bears pointing out that there are hardly any busy servers, which could result from the early player complaints. When the game first launched, many players voiced problems with viewing and joining servers, adding headaches that may have discouraged players from continuing. This may be the cause of the low player count even during weekends.

Another player complaint is the monetization issues, which pressure them to purchase for an easier experience. There’s a battle pass, draw tickets that award players with rare items, and even a VIP system that gives extra privileges and gifts to those subscribed. Of course, spending money is always a choice, and while the most competitive players will likely feel the need to invest to stay at the top of the rankings, most will be satisfied with simply playing through the game at a natural pace.

Despite this, Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend is a decent effort once players move past the skepticism. The combat system is engaging, especially spread across the various classes with distinct playstyles. While most players would gravitate to the warrior or mage, the archer was quite fun, dealing damage while staying at range to keep themselves safe from immediate threat. Full teams are fun, especially when dealing with the tougher challenges ahead, and it emphasizes the benefits of playing with others.

It’s fair to approach Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend with doubt, especially with the many complaints about persistent technical issues. However, given a chance and pushing past the initial frustrations, combat is a highlight, and reliving the enjoyable memories of the past is something to consider. 

During our limited time with it, the game was updated twice within a short period, leading us to believe that the developers are committed to addressing the complaints and improving the game. With these frequent updates aimed at continuously resolving player concerns, now could be the time to rediscover, or discover for the first time, what made Dragon Nest so memorable.

Are you willing to give Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend a try?

Download the game from HERE and use the code SDN888 in the game to claim Resurrection Book ×5, High-Concentration Attack Elixir ×10, and High-Concentration Defense Elixir ×10!