Dragonkin: The Banished reviewed well for a mid-budget action RPG: an OpenCritic Top Critic Average of 74 with 71 percent of critics recommending it across 24 reviews, Mostly Positive on Steam and 4.34 out of 5 on the PlayStation Store. Reviewers praise its combat, its Ancestral Grid skill system and the city you build between hunts; the common complaints are a generic feel, a forgettable story and an inventory that fills with junk. As of November 2026, after three free content updates including a fifth hero, it is an easy recommendation for ARPG fans, especially anyone with a co-op partner.
We compiled this from OpenCritic, the PS5 reviews at Finger Guns and Gamesfreezer, the Steam and PlayStation Store pages and Eko Software's update history on Steam, checked on 13 November 2026.
The Scores at a Glance
Unlike many games in the genre, Dragonkin's scores cluster tightly. Most outlets landed between 7 and 8, with Impulsegamer's 3 out of 5 the main outlier. Players are a little warmer than critics: Steam shows Mostly Positive (77 percent of 1,202 reviews) overall and Very Positive (81 percent) for recent reviews, and the PlayStation Store average sits at 4.34 stars from 1,264 ratings.
| Outlet | Score | In a line |
|---|---|---|
| Finger Guns (PS5) | 8/10 | "It bottles that compelling ARPG addictive lightning perfectly." |
| PlayStation LifeStyle | 8/10 | "a lot of interesting ideas and a fun hack-and-slash experience" |
| GameSpew | 8/10 | "a fantastic skill system and enjoyable city development" |
| ZTGD | 8/10 | Recommended on OpenCritic |
| COGconnected | 78/100 | "generally excellent combat" |
| TheSixthAxis | 7/10 | "I had fun tinkering with the skills system" |
| CGMagazine | 7/10 | "a dungeon crawling power trip" |
| Gamesfreezer (PS5) | 7/10 | "A Solid, If Generic ARPG That Runs Fantastically" |
| Impulsegamer | 3/5 | "poor implementation and lacklustre performances" |
What Reviewers Praised
The Ancestral Grid is the feature almost every review singles out. Instead of a fixed skill tree, you loot skill fragments in battle and place them on a hexagonal grid next to modifiers, and connecting enough of them to a skill puts it in Symbiosis with your Wyrmling for bonus damage and a new element. TheSixthAxis enjoyed "tinkering with the skills system", GameSpew called it "a fantastic skill system", and Finger Guns credits it with deep build customization across the classes and Wyrmlings.
Combat is the other consistent strength. COGconnected describes it as "generally excellent", CGMagazine as "a dungeon crawling power trip", and Finger Guns highlights large-scale battles, varied enemies and spectacular boss fights against the Banished Lords. Gamesfreezer, the least enthusiastic of the PS5 reviews, still says the game runs smoothly and that abilities are fun to use.
- City development: GameSpew calls it enjoyable, and the City of Montescail ties every character's progress together; our Dragonkin city upgrade guide explains how it works.
- Completeness: Finger Guns notes that it launched feature-complete on consoles, with endgame hunts adding replay value.
- Co-op: Gamesfreezer found it more enjoyable with other players.
What Reviewers Criticized
The most common criticism is that Dragonkin rarely takes risks. Gamesfreezer calls it "solid, if generic", says many systems feel bland, and finds the story "decent enough" but delivered by a protagonist with little personality. Jump Dash Roll's verdict, quoted on OpenCritic, credits enough depth and variety to keep players engaged within "a formulaic genre". Impulsegamer's lower score points at "poor implementation and lacklustre performances".
Loot and resources come up repeatedly. Gamesfreezer describes "the endless loot, most of which seems junk-ish and far below your current level in practicality", and Finger Guns found crafting resources stingy enough to create bottlenecks. Finger Guns also notes that rebuilding the Ancestral Grid can pull you out of play for ten minutes or more, that targeting can drift toward off-screen enemies, and that the PS5 frame rate "can just about keep up" with the largest enemy counts.
Two smaller complaints are worth knowing. Both PS5 reviews felt the city's upgrades were less exciting or less player-driven than advertised, and Gamesfreezer wanted more personality from the Wyrmling companion, which it described as feeling like "a floating orb".
Some of these points have since been softened by updates. The July patch let the loot filter be used while another menu is open and unlocked transmogs for items you donate to the Grand Benedictor or convert through the filter, which takes some sting out of the junk loot. The November update raised fragment storage from 72 to 110 slots per tab and made unlocked cosmetics shared across characters of the same class. The generic feel and the thin story, on the other hand, are design choices that patches have not changed.
What You Actually Do in Dragonkin
For anyone deciding from reviews alone, it helps to know the shape of a typical session. The story runs through a prologue and four acts across dragon-corrupted regions that the PlayStation Store lists as jungles, swamps, glaciers and volcanoes, and each act builds toward a fight with one of the Banished Lords. Between missions you return to Montescail to craft, sell, upgrade services and rearrange your Ancestral Grid around the fragments you looted.
After the story, the loop moves to the Hunting Maps. Eko reworked endgame hunts in February 2026 to be shorter, with regular hunts taking 10 to 15 minutes and final hunts 20 to 25, and each one ends with a semi-boss or champion. Layered on top are Chaos Hunts, Dungeon Purifications, the Test of Will ladder and, since July, the timed Purgatory islands. Past level 50, every hunt also feeds the Ancestors system, so a short session still moves something forward.
That rhythm, short hunts punctuated by build tinkering, is exactly what the positive reviews responded to, and the "rebuilding the grid takes ten minutes" complaint is its flip side. If you enjoy theorycrafting between fights, the downtime is part of the fun.
How It Plays Next to Other ARPGs
Searches like "is Dragonkin like Diablo" are common, and Finger Guns' own headline called it Diablo's kindred spirit. The isometric camera, loot and boss structure will feel familiar to anyone who has played the genre's big names. The differences are in the systems around the combat, and Eko has been explicit about them.
- No seasons or live service: Eko said in April 2026 that Dragonkin is not becoming a live-service game and will grow through free updates and optional DLC instead.
- Fully offline: the whole game, multiplayer aside, can be played without a connection.
- Friends, not markets: there is no global trade; items move through a city's shared chest or by dropping them for friends.
- Grid instead of a tree: skills are loot you place and connect, and damage adapts to your strongest element rather than locking a class into one.
If those design choices appeal to you, the genre comparison works in Dragonkin's favor. If you want a deep seasonal economy, it is not trying to be that game. Our guide to all five Dragonkin classes shows how different the heroes play.
What Has Changed Since Launch
Most reviews were written in March and April 2026 about the 1.0 release, and a lot has been added since. A post-launch stability patch arrived on 1 April, city transfers between online and offline play followed in the spring, and the free Crossplay Update on 27 July brought full crossplay, the Dracomundus Purgatory endgame mode, the first unique Ravenous Weapons and Apocalypse difficulty ranks I to V. The Harrower Update on 12 November added a fifth playable hero, a permadeath Survival mode, more Ravenous Weapons, new modifiers and quality-of-life changes such as a bigger fragments stash and class-wide cosmetic unlocks.
Paid content so far has been cosmetic: the War Ancestors Pack in July and the Harrower Cosmetics Pack in November. There is also a free cosmetic DLC, Light of the First Praise, claimed through the official Discord.
The business side is worth one sentence of context. In March 2026, Game*Spark reported that several studios under publisher Nacon had filed for insolvency proceedings, though the reports did not name Eko Software, and Nacon said announced titles were unaffected. Eko has since shipped two major free updates, which is the clearest evidence of ongoing support.
Is Dragonkin Worth It in November 2026?
For most ARPG players, yes. The story takes around 24 hours according to HowLongToBeat, and the endgame and alternate heroes stretch that past 85; our Dragonkin length and platinum guide breaks down the numbers. On PS5 it comes in a Standard Edition and a Blood Scales Edition with extra cosmetics. Online co-op on PS5 needs PS Plus, while couch co-op for two players on one console and solo play do not, and the store listing supports Remote Play.
- Buy it if you like build-crafting, want an ARPG you can play offline, or have a partner for couch co-op or friends on other platforms for online co-op; see our Dragonkin multiplayer and crossplay guide.
- Wait for a sale if you mostly care about story and characters, which reviewers found the weakest element.
- Skip it if you want a seasonal, trade-driven endgame.
Trophy hunters should know the platinum is long: only about 8 percent of tracked PS5 players have it. Our explainer on PS5 trophy levels and points shows what a 1,350-point list adds to your profile.
Already Playing? Skip the Grind
If the review that fits you is "great systems, slow resources", the Dragonkin: The Banished page on our store lists a PS5 Mega Modded Save with all four original heroes and the city at Level 50, every attribute at 1,000, six modded Heroic Legend gear pieces, both currencies at 999,999,999 and crafting materials at 999,999, plus a PS5 platinum trophy service. Both are PS5 only. If you are weighing the trophy option, our honest look at whether a PlayStation trophy service is worth it covers the trade-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dragonkin: The Banished good?
Reviews are positive overall. Critics average 74 on OpenCritic, and players rate it Mostly Positive on Steam and 4.34 out of 5 on the PlayStation Store.
Is Dragonkin like Diablo?
The camera, loot and combat will feel familiar, but Dragonkin uses a skill grid instead of a tree, has no seasons or global trade, and is fully playable offline.
Is Dragonkin good on PS5?
PS5 reviews were positive. Gamesfreezer said it runs smoothly, while Finger Guns noted the frame rate only just keeps up with the biggest fights.
Is Dragonkin a live-service game?
No. Eko says it will expand through free updates and optional DLC rather than seasons.
Is Dragonkin still getting updates?
Yes. The Crossplay Update arrived in July 2026 and the Harrower Update, with a new playable hero, on 12 November 2026.
Is Dragonkin worth it solo?
Yes. The whole game works offline, and most reviewers played solo. Co-op adds to it but is not required.