The graphics in Drakan: The Ancient Gates are lovely. Whether you are in dank catacombs, the murky swamps of Shadowmire or the bustling community of Surdana, little touches of quality shine through. Each area is rendered quite appropriately and it all just feels right. Rynn is modeled beautifully and slightly resembles Ms. Lara Croft, although that's where the resemblence ends. Don't be fooled into thinking Drakan is another Tomb Raider clone, because it isn't. More on this in Gameplay, though. Although the characters you encounter tend to look somewhat similar, there is plenty enough diversity to keep things fresh. The alchemist. What a weirdo! ((shudder))

Ambient background music is very fitting and is something I never grew tired of. Lilting medieval tunes play as you traverse the countryside and they keep things lively, and of course, change according to your situation.

Sound effects also work quite well. Swords clang, arrows go whizzing through the air, dragons screech and monsters roar just as they should. The voice acting is top notch and I could swear that Rynn sounds like Lara Croft from the original Tomb Raider, which is a good thing. Definitely high marks in the graphics and sound department.

And the Gameplay section is no slouch either. Drakan reminds me of the adventuring games of old. Games where you'd wander around for hours just looking for all the neat little things you could unearth and discover. This is what Drakan: The Ancient Gates is all about. First off, I must admit I never played the PC version - but it was not for lack of wanting. I just am not a PC gamer, personally. But I loved the idea of the game and couldn't wait for the PS2 sequel to come out. Now that it has, it's everything I could have wanted and more.

Drakan: The Ancient Gates places you in the role of the lovely warrior Rynn, along with her trusty dragon sidekick, Arohk. Together, they set out to defeat the evil Desert Lords and make things right for the land of Drakan by awakening the Spirit Dragons. Ok, ok, suffice it to say that there's a compelling storyline here which I won't give away, but it's plenty enough to keep you going.

Rynn is able to do all the things she should be able to do such as jump, flip, roll and swim, etc, but she also has a bevy of weapons at her disposal (should she have the cash to buy them) and many spells as well. She'll be able to purchase many of these things and then, through combat, she can raise her experience in either archery, melee or magic. This is a very nice way to handle things as the gamer can choose whether to keep things more on the combat side or more on the magic-using side. A nice combination and you don't seem to be penalized either way. Rynn can also hop on Arohk to cover greater distances in less time and she can use Arohk's breath attacks and target lock to wipe out enemies faster as well.

What I loved most about Drakan: The Ancient Gates was the sheer number of side quests available. You didn't get penalized by not accepting them, but if you did, there were extra weapons to acquire, plenty of money to be had and just far more outright exploring to do. This gives you your money's worth right here, aside from the fact that Drakan is a stellar game. Drakan can best be described as an action/adventure with a healthy dose of RPG elements. If any of these type games appeal to you, you'd do best to pick up Drakan as soon as possible, because there is more fun and adventure packed into this one little disk than you can possibly imagine.

Hmm. You won't waltz through Drakan: The Ancient Gates quickly, that's for sure. But it's certainly not so difficult that it becomes frustrating. There is a perfect balance of difficulty and fun here. If you are certain to explore as much as you can, you'll find all those little side quests I was telling you about and this will help to build up your skills and more importantly, your money. Then, you'll be far more prepared when the really tough missions come along.

The control scheme works quite well for this type of game. Sure, it might seem a bit tough at first as every button is used, but it will soon become second nature. There's a wonderful map that you can refer to and also Rynn's Journal that easily references all of your primary tasks and your side quests, so these make things much more organized and easier to see where you are headed and what you need to do. I did find the interface for the weapons and spells a little on the heavy side - much scrolling will take place. However, I honestly don't see how this could have been stream-lined considering the sheer number of weapons, spells and bits of information that needed to be stored here for 'easy' access. It was just a little clunky, so take that as a side note. The loading times were certainly acceptable and considering the lush landscape, quite in order.

All in all, Drakan: The Ancient Gates is one of those games that grabs on to you and doesn't let go. Beautiful scenery, a good storyline and a really fun game are what you can expect from this one. Go pick this one up right now. It's definitely not one to miss.