The gameplay in Dragon Force is divided into two categories;  

Map Mode - From the world map you will be able to advance the generals of your kingdom to different locations on the map. Your goal is too organize your armies to conquer castles. If there is a small castle nearby that you would like to expand your territory to, deploy a group of generals to it to take it over. However it would be wise to check the castle you plan on ransacking, see what enemy generals are currently reside in it and what kind of soldiers they use to attack or it could be a quick fight. Enemies range from cavalry,monks,zombies,dragons and samurai just to name a few.There are a total of 10 different solider types. Each solider type has strengths or weaknesses against one another and choosing where and when to deploy your troops is some of the Dragon Forces best gameplay.

You issue commands to your army through your general. Melee,defend and advance were the commands I used most. If your army falls your general will be the only one left to finish the fight. He/she may even take out the rest of the enemy soldiers with some of their special moves (which are only given to generals),but victory will not be likely as he/she will face the enemy leader in a duel, without many hit points’s left. If victorious in your fight you will be able to take that general captive and try to persuade him to join your team in administrative mode. If your general should be beaten,they will be on the disabled list for 2 weeks. As you army builds you will gain more and more confidence to take on just about any castle on the world map, and you certainly will try.

Checking a castles status isn’t a problem , just guide the pointed finger (your cursor on the map) over a castle on the world map and press the action button for information on the castle. You will learn the castle name , owner,level(how many soldiers the castle can hold or how many are in it), ruler of the castle and captives. Map mode is where all the action takes place , there is a small hour glass in the top right corner of the screen which represents a full week in game time. When the week is over you will then be asked to take care of your armies in the games second mode, the domestic also called Administration Mode.

Admin mode is pretty deep. You can fortify castles that you have generals residing in which will up the number of soldiers the castle can hold. Searching a castle you have a general in can score you some fine items. Some of the item’s you will find will give generals the option to add a class they may have not had to begin to game or boost their capabilities in duels and special moves. Talking to your generals or seeking an audience with them is a smart thing to do as some have really bad attitude’s if you ignore them. Some may even leave you! As I stated before,in admin mode you can attempt to get the enemy generals you captured to your side.Some will be harder to get to join your side then others. Some will join instantly, and some will join only if you’ve captured their respected leader.Just keep trying to persuade them each week and eventually they will come around.

Dragon Force graphics are simply awesome. The Saturn handles the game’s maximum of 202 fighters on screen at a single time beautifully as you would expect. Zero slowdown as your 100 soldiers scream “charge!” on their way mowing down a group of 100 unlucky mage’s. Characters are drawn short and squatty but it fits the game perfectly. Each general has their own character animations.Each type of solider has the same character animation which is not a big deal, they will be thrown into battle soon enough! Dragon Force also has brief anime cinematic sequences to help tell the story and some perfect mood setting battle music.