Developer: Game Arts
Publisher: Dynamix
Rated: MA-17
Released: 1993
Completed: January 24, 2020
I've made no bones about my love for all things Sierra On-line over the years, and that includes games developed and released under the Dynamix subsidiary. In fact, one could argue that Dynamix was responsible for some of the best games Sierra published on the PC, including the iconic flight simulator Red Baron, the groundbreaking RPG Betrayal at Krondor, and unique, mature adventures like Heart of China and Rise of the Dragon.
The latter was always a particular favorite of mine, in no small part due to its obviously Blade-Runner-inspired cyberpunk sci-fi world. This was years before Westwood released their excellent Blade Runner licensed adventure, so at the time Rise of the Dragon was about as close as you got. Your character was even named William "Blade" Hunter, and he wears a brown trenchcoat, for Pete's sake.
Rise of the Dragon made its way over to the Sega CD courtesy of Game Arts, in a pretty cracking port that improves upon the original DOS version in some ways. No matter which platform you play it on, Rise of the Dragon is far from perfect, but the Sega CD iteration is arguably the best way to play it if you're so inclined.
Rise of the Dragon is a fairly standard point-and-click adventure game, though unlike many of Sierra's own titles, it's mostly played from a first person perspective. You'll click around static screens, collecting items, solving puzzles, and engaging in conversations while you try to solve the mystery of a dangerous new drug that not only kills the user, but mutates them in the process. Like a lot of adventure games, it's very easy to slip up and die, so the old Sierra adage of "save early, save often" is definitely applicable here, but I don't believe you can encounter any of the infamous unwinnable situations that plagued early Sierra adventures like King's Quest.
The game switches to third-person for two side-scrolling action sequences late in the adventure, which are stiff and clunky but also short and pretty easy with the right equipment. There's also a single point-and-shoot arcade sequence, not unlike the arcade lightgun hit Lethal Enforcers. None of these sequences are particularly hard or exciting, but I guess they're an interesting addition to an otherwise by the numbers point-and-click adventure.
What sets the Sega CD version apart from its DOS counterpart is the addition of full voice acting and a CD audio soundtrack. None other than Leonardo himself, Cam Clarke, provides the voice of Blade Hunter. I was unable to confirm this, but I'm 99.9% certain that Peter Renaday, the voice of Splinter in the original TMNT cartoon, also provides several voices. Incidentally, Renaday also appeared in another Sega CD game - Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin.
For its age, the voice acting is not half bad. This was well before games were pulling in A-list actors like Patrick Stewart (well, sort of... Patrick Stewart was one of the first major actors to lend his talents to video games in the 90s with games like Lands of Lore), Gary Oldman, and Kevin Spacey (yes, I know, but at the time, he was a major star). It's not going to win any awards or anything, but it's far better than a lot of games released over the course of the 32-bit generation, including legendary titles like Resident Evil.
The soundtrack is also excellent. The tracks are basically the same as the original diskette version, but they're more fleshed out. They really enhance the mood of certain environments, particularly Blade's apartment, where you'll spend a significant amount of time, and the Em-Way terminals - the game's method of transportation.
The other major difference is the visuals. Due to its limited color palette, the Sega CD version only displays 64 colors on screen at a time - a far cry from the DOS version's 256-color VGA mode. This means the game is noticeably more drab and grainy with an obvious heavy green tint that, honestly, I think suits it better. Comparing the DOS version side-by-side, the former often looks too bright and colorful. The Sega CD version's technical limitations made the game appear more bleak and dystopian, which is a good thing for this type of game.
Like so many adventure games, Rise of the Dragon's biggest pitfall is its lack of replayability. The first time you play the game will likely take you several hours, as you try different things, die, and reload your last save over and over. After that, it can be beaten in just a shade over an hour - and some of that time is due to listening to the dialogue. Unless, like me, you just want to experience the story again, there's really no reason to come back to it.
It's worth pointing out that the Sega CD version also omits an implied sex scene that is present in the DOS version, and does not allow you to skip the arcade sequences after multiple unsuccessful attempts. All but the worst of players will have no trouble with them anyway, but it was a nice option in the PC original because they're very clunky and unresponsive, not to mention really ugly in an otherwise beautifully drawn game.
Comparisons to the Sega CD's other big cyberpunk adventure, Snatcher, are practically inevitable. Make no mistake, Snatcher is the better game, but Rise of the Dragon is still a fun little romp through dystopian Los Angeles. What makes it worthwhile is the excellent story, that manages to incorporate mature thematic elements without resorting to a barrage of swear words. It's also significantly cheaper than Snatcher (by several hundred dollars), so it's worth a look, even if it's not on the same level.
Rise of the Dragon was completed on a real Sega CD with no cheats.