Gameplay
Most of the gameplay in Dragon View takes place through a side-view Action RPG hybrid system. Action occurs on a widescreen display, with a large panel displaying character and enemy information taking up the lower part of the screen. A decorative bar at the top of the screen provides a buffer and helps to present the game in a cinematic light.
Gameplay in this mode is reminiscent of Zelda II for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The character navigates various areas, exploring and fighting monsters in the traditional sense; an x plane (left and right motion) and y plane (jumping) control system. Movement through depth via z coordinates is also an important part of gameplay as it useful for evasion. While side-scrolling Action games in the past have used similar systems of movement (such as Final Fight), Dragon View is unique amongst them for blending this style in a medieval setting and with RPG elements.
Dragon View does not limit the player to moving in any one direction through the game; the player is allowed (and is sometimes required) to backtrack through any area or dungeon, all the way back to the game's starting point. It is this structure that often teases players with upgrades to equipment and special items that they cannot reach until later in the game, after they have unlocked certain capabilities, at which point they may return and claim the upgrade at their leisure.
Also present are the more traditional RPG growth elements. The character grows numerically stronger by gaining levels, as preset amounts of experience points are reached. The reward for a level gain is an increase in the offensive and defensive character stats, allowing the player to safely survive in more dangerous areas. Other stats, such as HP and MP are increased when the player finds special items, often hidden inside areas of dungeons or the world map.
Many different types of such special items and upgrades are hidden throughout the world of Dragon View. Included are:
- Heart containers that increase maximum Hit points
- MP stars that increase maximum Magic points
- Upgrades for the player's sword
- Upgrades for the player's armor
- A boomerang-type weapon called the Hauza and its upgrades
- A bow
- Three elemental magic rings with two upgrades for each
- Advanced techniques for the sword and Hauza
- A special bag that allows extra carrying capacity
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