Dragonkin: The Banished Reviews
Dragonkin: The Banished is a surprise for me. While it's not going to blow the titans of the Diablo style action RPG out of the water, I had fun tinkering with the skills system, and it's got some refreshing ideas that are worth experience for yourself.
Priced at just $24.99, there’s no doubt that Dragonkin: The Banished delivers a lot of interesting ideas and a fun hack-and-slash experience.
Gamers who have already invested hundreds of hours in another hack-and-slash RPG might not be tempted to make a lateral move to Dragonkin: The Banished. Then again, its depth of systems and generally excellent combat might be a satisfying alternative.
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Dragonkin: The Banished is a dungeon crawling power trip that serves deep dynamic systems and class building to fans and newcomers of the genre alike.
Within a formulaic genre, Dragonkin manages to carve out enough depth and variety to keep its claws in you.
Dragonkin makes a mild attempt to walk among giants. With moments of great potential and elements of great design but poor implementation and lacklustre performances, this game only manages to be 'okay'
With its terrible voice acting and some minor gameplay issues, Dragonkin: The Banished isn't a faultless experience. As far as action RPGs in the vein of Diablo go though, it's one of the best there is, with a fantastic skill system and enjoyable city development.
Fun action RPG hack and slash set in a medieval fantasy world devastated by an ancient draconic power
A decent enough story and great visuals with solid combat unfortunately isn't enough to overcome the myriad bland systems and mechanics that make up the rest of the action. If this was the first ARPG that someone gets into, I can imagine they’d have a blast for a few hours, but when you’ve played a fair few in the genre, you may end up feeling like there are too many facets of the game that lack charisma and subtlety to make this a recommended purchase, and in a game such as this, that can really be make or break.
Dragonkin: The Banished had potential. I saw that during the Early Access period. Especially the Ancestral Grid system is an interesting idea, the Wyrmlings are a nice addition and the different classes are fortunately provided with the necessary variety. Unfortunately, these potential points are overshadowed by the negativity that prevails over this game. Technical problems, mainly frame drops of which cause this game to be unplayable. It doesn't reach the level it seemed to strive for. What could once have been a rough diamond now feels more like a stone that has completely lost its shine along the way. I'm not sure if they understand the Early Access system. Normally you should make the game better with the feedback you get, but for some strange reason this has a counterproductive effect for me.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Dragonkin: The Banished is no Path of Exile or Grim Dawn, and it doesn’t need to be. Instead, it stands as a clear improvement over the studio’s previous effort. The combat feels solid, and there’s a substantial amount of content to dive into for its $24.99 price point. With the foundation in place, Eko Software seems poised to only improve further from here.
Dragonkin: The Banished is an action RPG that is genuinely enjoyable, for a time. Slaying countless dragons whilst constantly upgrading your gear is a satisfying gameplay loop. A less-than-engaging narrative and lack of customisation do dampen the experience somewhat, but this won’t be the next game you’ll be spending months playing. As it stands, Dragonkin is a title I would recommend, but perhaps wait for a sale. However, if you have a readily available co-op partner, then this is a fun fantasy romp that is infinitely more enjoyable with a friend. A Thumb Culture Silver Award is handed to Dragonkin: The Banished.
Dragonkin: The Banished is a solid title. With satisfying combat, solid visuals, and intriguing ways to optimize your builds, it provides hours of enjoyment. It’s not flawless, yet it unquestionably deserves more recognition than it has received so far.
Dragonkin: The Banished is a solid and well-crafted surprise, an ARPG that holds its own against the genre's most famous heroes thanks to a deep customization system (perhaps a little too deep for some tastes) and a setting brimming with dark charm. If you're looking for a game that will keep you glued to the screen for weeks, collecting loot and slaying dragons, this is an experience that absolutely deserves a place in your digital library.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Technically, the game runs great. The animations are a bit stiff, the UI is a little clunky, and there are some small polish issues, but nothing game-breaking. But “not broken” isn’t a high enough bar in 2026. If you’re looking for a casual weekend distraction, Dragonkin The Banished is totally fine. You’ll have fun for 15 hours. But if you’re looking for your next 1,000-hour obsession—the kind of game that you think about while you’re at work—this isn’t it. It’s got the look, it’s got the bones, but it’s missing the heart.
Dragonkin: The Banished is a thrilling, system-heavy action RPG with standout combat and smart buildcraft, held back by generic storytelling and bloated design. Delivers enough spectacle and progression to satisfy, even when its ambition occasionally outruns its discipline.
Dragonkin is an above-average game within its genre, but one that just lacks the polish of the two big names. It won't challenge Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4, but it will certainly offer fans of the genre a nice alternative. The combat lacks some substance, the quests are standard, the story is unremarkable, and the absence of character customization is really a shame. However, on the other hand, there is a skill system that is genuinely fun to play with and offers much more freedom than in most ARPGs. If you are looking for an ARPG that is just a little different, where building and puzzling over your build take center stage, then Dragonkin: The Baished is definitely recommended.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Dragonkin’s narrative isn’t its strongest element, despite some compelling sequel bait. Still, it has the right amount of power fantasy and thrilling combat to keep you and some friends occupied throughout its roughly 25-hour campaign. It may not be the next big action RPG, but it is more than satisfying enough to excel in the genre.