Jagex have announced RuneScape: Dragonwilds, a new open world co-operative survival game set in the same fantasy realm as their ancient MMO. It runs on Unreal Engine 5, looks a bit like Valheim and Enshrouded, and will launch into early access this spring. Dragonwilds takes place on the continent of Ashenfall, a wilderness abundant in winged lizards, and your overall goal is to “slay the Dragon Queen”.
I’m going to make the obvious prediction here: you will spend much more time in Ashenfall chopping down trees and composing their delicious, grainy innards into barn doors than chopping down any dragons, regal or otherwise. It’s a survival game, after all. The ratio of dragons to logging and carpentry in the first screenshots is a nail-biting 1:1 – if it weren’t for that subtitle, I might have assumed this to be a game about woodlands management with optional Smaug-bashing QTEs.
Rather than dragon-felling cantrips, the announcement release gives prominent mention to a spell for summoning spectral axes to chop trees down for you, which feels a bit like a car salesman leading with the option to just buy a train ticket instead. Still, let’s not be entirely miserable before we’ve even played the game. Here’s the announcement trailer.
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The game is said to blend “high fantasy with light RPG elements and iconic RuneScape lore.” You will “reshape your experience” by means of a magical power called Anima. “Summon spectral axes to fell trees in an instant or channel nature’s energy to repair broken armour,” the press release explains. Got you: automatable tasks and an equipment degradation system.
There’s a progression system with new spells, crafting recipes and abilities to obtain. You’ll be able to gad about in groups of four, fighting creatures you might recognise from regular ole RuneScape. And also, massacring the vegetation. Have at you, timber!
Read more on Steam. I’ve never played the original RuneScape or its more recent free-to-play version, which yet graces our list of the best MMOs and MMORPGs. As such, I’m not really equipped to comment on whether Dragonwilds is a blasphemy unto RuneScaping or a promising fresh start fuelled by a finely calibrated mix of nostalgia and approachability. But I do know that it takes a lot to get me enthusiastic about a fantasy survival game right now. Still, I like the colourfulness of this, and I strongly relate to the expression of unholy joy on the face of the character in the picture there, as she unleashes the full force of the occult upon an unsuspecting sycamore.
