Dragon Star Varnir Reviews

Dragon Star Varnir is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7.5 / 10.0
Jun 3, 2019

If you want an enjoyable RPG to add to your collection or are a fan of Idea Factory/Compile Heart or dragons and buxom magic users, by all means, add this one to your collection and devour all the fun and engagement it offers.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 5, 2019

It's anime based characters appearance, and the game's overall look, are par for the course when it comes to games by Compile Heart and Idea Factory. Scratch the surface, however, and you'll find a gem of a game that's both enjoyable in terms of story and gameplay.

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3.6 / 5.0
Jun 6, 2019

While I could see this review of Dragon Star Varnir coming off as overly critical, I'd say it's more safe than anything else. There is nothing wrong with following a commonly used story, sticking to what you've done in the past and trying your best to make each experience a little different. I don't know if I'd say Dragon Star Varnir will stand out besides the lovely character designs, but it's a game that, if nothing else, fans of their previous work will likely enjoy.

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8.1 / 10.0
Jun 6, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir does what few JRPGs do as it features in-depth party customization as well as a delightful cast of characters.

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79%
Jun 6, 2019

While it still maintains some of the annoying quirks of past Compile Heart titles, Dragon Star Varnir is worth playing for its fantastic battle system and likeable characters.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 6, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir isn’t perfect. The narrative starts out pretty rough and the environs can also look dated at times. Despite those shortcomings, the storytelling also has powerful moments and forces you to mull over some tough choices. The witch designs are also neat and its dragon-devouring mechanic also has a bit of a Pokemon vibe to it that will make you want to catch ‘em all. Dragon Star Varnir may not provide the best of first impressions. Give it some time, however, and you might find a game that pleasantly surprises you in the end.

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Jun 7, 2019

There is fan service in there, and some people will look at that and the anime trappings and not be able to move past it, but underneath this exterior lies a heart that is in many ways the precise opposite of what you might be expecting. It's almost - dare I say it - feminist in the critique it provides over the way that women are treated in this fairy tale world.

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Jun 8, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir is a JRPG through and through, with all the JRPG tropes you can shake a stick at. Being a Compile Heart game, it has the fan service to boot. Along with the fan service, there is a relationship building a decent story and feeding young kids raw meat (don’t try that at home).

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Fextralife
PrimeraEspada91
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jun 11, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir is a dark tragic fated RPG that covers the struggle of the Witches of Varneria as they search for a way to break their fate. The character designs are alluring along with their fitting outfits. Players can easily find one or more that resonates with them. If you're in the mood for a dark game with enthralling girls, you might like this title.

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Jun 11, 2019

Compile Heart has become increasingly proficient at producing titles with dark premises and Dragon Star Varnir is proof of that. And fortunately, unlike other Galapagos RPG titles, the focus on narrative doesn't leave the actual gameplay hanging by the wayside.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 13, 2019

It’s not going to be remembered as a classic, but Dragon Star Varnir is one of the better JRPGs available on PS4.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jun 14, 2019

If you love these small, niche JRPGs and can snag a copy of Dragon Star Varnir at a discount, I'd say pick it up. The $60 price point for recycled assets and a game that has more reading than voice over just seems a little too steep for me. But hey, that's just one girl's opinion.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 15, 2019

A unique approach to combat as well as its character growth system combined with a solid storyline with a great cast of characters make Dragon Star Varnir a strong RPG that brings enough to the table to stand out.

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75 / 100
Jun 18, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir shows that Compile Heart/Idea Factory have developers with great ideas, but lack the resources to fully elaborate them. It's a good game, but it gives the impression that it could have been much more if it reached its full potential.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Jun 18, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir could use some polishing in a few areas, but the combat, setting, and story make for a dark and compelling RPG nonetheless.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jul 2, 2019

There are things that are easy to point out as flaws, such as the unnecessary and weird flying battle system, but the root of Dragon Star Varnir is solid.

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oprainfall
William Haderlie
Jul 3, 2019

What I would love to see is a similar situation to Fairy Fencer F. That game also felt rather incomplete when it came out, but Advent Dark Force definitively cleaned up all those issues for me and ended up being a truly great game. Dragon Star Varnir isn’t a bad game, but it does need some more time in the oven to make it a lot better. Even the story itself felt perfunctory at times, and the game was pretty short for a JRPG, even if you aren’t rushing through in order to prevent Little Sister deaths. It only took me 40 hours my first time, with a severe Madness Ending (I was pretty much 100% Mad by Chapter 9 out of 11), and about 20 hours to get the Normal Ending. That is pretty standard for a AAA game in other genres, and justifies its $59.99 price tag, but for a JRPG that is pushing the limits of size. But overall the combat and characters do make up for a lot of the shortcomings, and more than likely another reviewer might have enjoyed it more if they like brutal and dark stories. So, not exactly what I was looking for, but I don’t regret playing it either.

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IGN Spain
Brian Santana
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Jul 5, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir knows its limitations and only tries to hide them in the first hours. The combat system is the only positive thing to defend in this video game. The rest, however, seems a little bit disappointing beyond the design of main characters.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Spaziogames
Top Critic
7.4 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir is another step in the right direction by the people at Compile Heart, with a mature storyline and a solid combat system. To achieve higher goals, better graphics and smoother gameplay are needed, but JRPG fans will undoubtedly enjoy it.

Review in Italian | Read full review

6 / 10
Jul 24, 2019

Dragon Star Varnir's dark world of witches and warfare is unlike anything else Compile Heart and Idea Factory have put out. Unfortunately, the experience is brought down by less than stellar visuals and doesn't make the most of its main gameplay innovations.. There's an interesting story to unfold here, but actually playing the game to get to it might be a challenge best left unmet.

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