Dragon Takers Review: RPG Missteps Hold Back Switch Release

Dragon Takers for Nintendo Switch: An RPG Review Focused on Missed Opportunities Since its emergence as a publisher of accessible, bite-sized JRPGs on the Nintendo eShop, KEMCO has earned a reputation among dedicated Nintendo Switch players as a reliable publisher for fans of the genre.

Their latest partnership with Vanguard presents Dragon Takers, a turn-based RPG available on Nintendo Switch.

With a promising premise and core mechanics, Dragon Takers arrives with expectations to stand alongside KEMCO’s steadily growing RPG portfolio.

Does it deliver on these expectations, or does it falter? A Unique Mechanic Lacks Impact Dragon Takers introduces a distinct gameplay hook: the protagonist’s ability to acquire and equip skills absorbed from enemy monsters.

Battles unfold in a first-person perspective, and players can select which monster abilities to utilize as their characters level up.

While the idea shows creative potential, the actual implementation leaves much to be desired.

The heavy focus on combat makes these shortcomings more pronounced, as the system never quite achieves the depth or engagement seen in more celebrated JRPGs on the Switch. Fundamental RPG Features Absent A key criticism of Dragon Takers is its decision to exclude an option to escape from battles.

As confirmed in official game materials, the feature is simply not present: players have no means to avoid accidental or undesired encounters.

In a random encounter system where enemies aren’t visible on the map, this makes battles feel more tedious than tactical, removing a fundamental choice traditionally valued in turn-based RPGs.

Further diminishing the challenge, the game displays enemy weak points on the battle UI by default—even on normal difficulty—combined with frequent autosaves.

These choices together strip away any significant threat or strategy, resulting in unsatisfying encounters that lack consequence. Visual and Audio Presentation Despite gameplay shortcomings, Dragon Takers does showcase a competent presentation.

Its soundtrack blends atmospheric elements that successfully convey a sense of both eeriness and calm, while character animations, such as idle motions and flowing hair, inject a welcome element of liveliness.

However, these visual flourishes do little to compensate for characters’ unchanging expressions, leaving narrative moments emotionally flat. A Story That Fails to Engage Dragon Takers’ narrative is undermined by elongated bouts of clichéd dialogue and a linear world structure with little room for exploration.

NPCs in towns offer some charm, but most progression is accomplished through repetitive conversations and strictly linear dungeons.

Item acquisition bypasses traditional shops: players collect items during battles or find them in dungeons, leaving towns feeling less interactive and alive than one might expect from an RPG. Conclusion: Room for Growth Dragon Takers, developed by Vanguard and published by KEMCO, is now available via the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch.

Despite some appealing presentation choices, its lack of fundamental genre features and repetitive gameplay loop hold it firmly back from becoming a recommended RPG experience—especially on a platform renowned for its diverse selection of standout RPGs.

As KEMCO continues to collaborate with smaller studios, there is hope that future titles will steer development in more innovative and player-friendly directions.

Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch KEMCO Vanguard developer Dragon Takers Nintendo eShop