{{Short description|1994 video game}} {{Infobox video game | title = Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins | image = Dragon Lore cover.jpg | caption = European MS-DOS cover art | developer = Cryo Interactive | publisher = Mindscape | director = Fabrice Bernard | producer = | designer = Fabrice Bernard<br>François Marcela Froideval<br>Johan K. Robson | programmer = Fabrice Bernard | artist = | writer = | composer = Stéphane Picq | released = '''MS-DOS'''{{vgrelease|EU|1994|NA|December 1994}}'''3DO'''{{vgrelease|EU|1995|NA|1995}} | genre = Adventure game | modes = Single-player | platforms = MS-DOS, 3DO | series = ''Dragon Lore'' }}

'''''Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins''''' ({{langx|fr|Dragon Lore: La légende commence}}), is a point-and-click adventure game released in 1994 by Cryo Interactive for MS-DOS, and ported to the 3DO video game console.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins (1994)|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-07|website=MobyGames|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050403164733/http://www.mobygames.com:80/game/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins |archive-date=2005-04-03 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins|url=https://www.igdb.com/g/3cm|access-date=2021-08-07|website=IGDB.com|language=en}}</ref> The game was a commercial success, with sales of 300,000 units by 1997.<ref name="ichbiah">{{cite book|author=Ichbiah, Daniel|url=https://archive.org/details/lasagadesjeuxvid00dani|title=La saga des jeux vidéo|date=1997|publisher=Pocket|isbn=2-266-08763-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/lasagadesjeuxvid00dani/page/n161 324]|author-link=Daniel Ichbiah|url-access=limited}}</ref>

An emulated version was released for Windows and macOS in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins|url=https://www.gog.com/game/dragon_lore_the_legend_begins|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-07|website=GOG.com|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117030837/http://www.gog.com:80/game/dragon_lore_the_legend_begins |archive-date=2013-11-17 }}</ref>

== Gameplay == ''Dragon Lore'' is a point and click adventure game seen from the first person perspective. The player character must interact with various characters in a fantasy atmosphere, solve puzzles, and fight enemies. Fighting with enemies depends largely on equipment found and some enemies are not defeated in face to face confrontation, but by solving puzzles.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins (Game)|url=https://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins/3030-12917/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-07|website=Giant Bomb|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603032144/https://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins/3030-12917/ |archive-date=2020-06-03 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins - Review|url=http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/49|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-07|website=adventureclassicgaming.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060313075553/http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com:80/index.php/site/reviews/49/ |archive-date=2006-03-13 }}</ref>

==Plot== Werner Von Wallenrod, a farm boy uncovers that he is the orphaned son of Axel von Wallenrod, a "Dragon Knight." Werner sets out to uncover his past and reclaim his heritage. Werner's ultimate goal is to earn the favor of enough of the current Dragon Knights so as to be voted into their order. He also has to deal with his rival, Haagen Von Diakkonov.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Lore – Hardcore Gaming 101|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragon-lore/|access-date=2021-08-07|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Release == The game was bundled with multimedia kits such as the Reveal kit that featured a SC400 sound card, speakers, and a large bundle of multimedia software, including games and educational titles. Besides ''Dragon Lore'', this kit featured another Cryo Interactive game, ''MegaRace''. At the time, many personal computers were not equipped with CD-ROMs and sound cards out of the box, and users wanting these features may have chosen their kit based on the pack-in software.

In Spain, it was originally marketed in an edition with Spanish texts and English voices. In 1996 it was re-released by Planeta DeAgostini as part of the ''Juegos CD-ROM'' collection together with ''Cyclemania'', in a new Spanish dubbed edition.{{CN|date=May 2023}}

GOG.com released an emulated version for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 14, 2013|title=Release: Dragon Lore: The Legend Begins|url=https://www.gog.com/news/release_dragon_lore_the_legend_begins|website=GOG.com|publisher=CD Projekt|access-date=March 7, 2020}}</ref>

===Technical issues === The PC version had relatively high memory requirements, which made the game difficult to run unless the user first edited the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files and/or created a boot disk.

==Reception== {{Video game reviews | PCGUS = 82%<ref name=pcgus>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991112212242/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1335.html | url=http://www.pcgamer.com:80/reviews/1335.html | title=''Dragon Lore'' | date=May 1995 | author=Ward, Trent | work=PC Gamer US | archive-date=November 12, 1999 | url-status=dead | access-date=July 29, 2019 }}</ref> | CGW = 3/5 (DOS)<ref name="CWG-DragLore">{{cite journal |date=January 1995 |title=Computer Gaming World - Issue 126 |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_126.pdf |author=Peter Olafson |issue=126 |page=150 |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref> | NGen = 3/5 (DOS)<ref name="NGen6"/> }}

''Dragon Lore'' was a commercial success, with sales of 300,000 units by 1997.<ref name="ichbiah" />

A reviewer for Next Generation applauded the game for its fast-moving rendered graphics, captivating plot, and gratifyingly difficult puzzles in its later sections. He added that the inclusion of fighting segments, in addition to being satisfying of themselves, serve to break up the monotony that puzzle adventure games sometimes suffer from.<ref name="NGen6">{{cite journal|title=Dragon Lore |journal=Next Generation|issue=6|publisher=Imagine Media|date=June 1995|page=107}}</ref>

Computer Gaming World praised the game for its "tremendous graphics" and "meaningful game options" but criticized how the game world appeared "too empty and non-interactive"<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Olafson|first=Peter|date=1995-01-01|title=When Men Were Men And Dragons Were Dragons|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_126.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-08|magazine=Computer Gaming World|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512042550/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_126.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-12 }}</ref>

GamePro{{'}}s brief review of the 3DO version stated, "Smooth, rendered 3D animation and voice clips accompany the great mythological storyline to make up a well-rounded game. RPG fans will enjoy the attention to detail as well as the intuitive motions and menus ... slow access time is one of the few setbacks."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Quick Hits: Dragon Lore |magazine=GamePro |issue=92 |publisher=IDG|date=May 1996|page=72}}</ref>

== Legacy == {{Main|Dragon Lore II: The Heart of the Dragon Man}}

== See also ==

* List of Cryo Interactive video games

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *''[https://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins/3030-12917/ Dragon Lore]'' at Giant Bomb *{{moby game|id=/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins}} *''[https://www.igdb.com/games/dragon-lore-the-legend-begins Dragon Lore]'' at IGDB.com

{{Cryo adventures}} {{Authority control}}

Category:1994 video games Category:3DO games Category:Adventure games Category:Cancelled Sega CD games Category:Cryo Interactive games Category:DOS games Category:Fantasy video games Category:Games commercially released with DOSBox Category:Single-player video games Category:Video games developed in France Category:Video games scored by Stéphane Picq Category:Video games with pre-rendered 3D graphics Category:Mindscape games