Being a fan of chill, relaxing simulators and competitive PvP experiences, I can confirm that the title actually works well for both camps.

Without a doubt, the dragon breeding system is the true centerpiece of the game. So many combinations are possible that it almost forces you into a 'just one more' cycle of experimentation as you attempt to find the rare, limited supply dragons. Each dragon has a character befitting of its retro pixel art style that brings rewarding collectible value. There are thousands of dragons to choose from and the developers keep adding more so completionists have their work cut out for months.

To my surprise, it turned out to be a lot of fun to build and customize my dragon village. The sight of dragons grazing and roaming between habitats, gathering around campfires is strangely soothing. Feeding and petting your dragons, the bonding mechanics lend an emotional layer that takes this past a standard collection game.

What really amazed me about Dragon Village 3 was their strategy PvP arena. Despite the fact this looks like a simple collection game it's really quite tactical. Champions appear in real-time battles against global players, so everything here matters: type matchups are just as important as skill combos and formation strategy. Beyond just collecting rare dragons, having the competitive ladder really gives your team some meaningful motivation to be perfected.

Excellent aspect to this are also the cooperative boss raids. Cohesively pairing with fellow guild members to destroy the Dragon Slayer boss provides gratifying cooperative gameplay and excellent rewards. The social aspect here gives an integrated feel instead of feeling tacked on.

My biggest complaint is that the game can be a bit overwhelming for newcomers, given how many systems and content there are to keep track of. Also thrown in there with the free-to-play model we all know and begrudge so much are energy timers as well as premium currency that influences your gameplay.

Still, as a whole Dragon Village 3 takes the successful dragon collection genre that it started and improves upon its "easy to collect deep in strategy" philosophy. This one is an easy recommend for fans of creature collection, village builders or strategic PvP games.

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