This $30 Genshin Impact-like RPG ditches the gacha and is off to a strong start on Steam

DragonSword: Awakening has launched to glowing reviews on Steam. The newly released open-world action RPG currently sits at a "Very Positive" rating, with 85% of its first 475 user reviews. Developed by South Korean studio Hound13, the game takes place in the anime-inspired open world of Orbis. The Unreal Engine 5 title features 19 playable characters, with combat built around switching between party members and chaining attacks together.

Applying status ailments can trigger Signal Skills, allowing another character to enter the fight and extend a combo. All 19 playable characters can be obtained through normal gameplay. Hound13 says playable heroes and core content are obtainable in-game, although the developer is selling optional costumes and select Familiars as DLC.

Outside combat, players can explore the world, complete quests and dungeons, gather resources, cook, open chests and collect Familiars. There is also optional online co-op for some activities, although DragonSword: Awakening is primarily designed as a single-player RPG. The combat, colourful open world, character designs and lack of monetisation have received plenty of praise. The latter appears to be an especially important part of the game's appeal because of its origins as a gacha game.

Reviews, both professional and otherwise, have drawn the obvious Genshin Impact comparison, with GamingTrend describing DragonSword: Awakening as essentially taking that formula and stripping away the gacha-driven monetisation. Some players, on the other hand, are annoyed spongy enemies, frequent character switching, and other mobile-style mechanics that carried over from the game's original version.

DragonSword: Awakening isn't particularly demanding on paper, either. Hound13 lists a Core i5-9400F, 8 GB of RAM and GeForce GTX 1660 as the minimum, while a Core i7-9700F, 16 GB of RAM and GeForce RTX 3060 are recommended. The game requires 25 GB of SSD storage, with the developer specifically warning against running it from a hard drive.

Steam Deck performance also appears surprisingly solid for an Unreal Engine 5 open-world game. SteamDeckHQ reports that a 30 FPS lock is achievable with some settings tweaks after more than 20 hours of testing, with less demanding areas occasionally approaching 60 FPS, although larger fights and bosses can cause dips. Early player reports are similarly encouraging, with some users reporting smooth performance out of the box, though a locked 30 FPS currently appears to be the safest bet.

It is still far too early to tell whether DragonSword: Awakening can maintain its initial momentum. For now, however, Hound13 appears to have pulled off an unusual resurrection: turning a short-lived Korean free-to-play game into the $30, mostly single-player Genshin Impact alternative that some players seemingly wanted in the first place.