Dragon Commander coming in early 2013 - here are five insane things you should know about it

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My impression of the Larian team after our E3 meeting is that they're absolutely in love with what they do. I was so wrapped up in the constant smiles, passionate board game discussion, and Belgian beer that I nearly missed the opportunity to see one of the craziest games at E3: Dragon Commander. Lead Designer Farhang Namdar isn't showing a lot of new stuff (don't worry, we've got a bigger preview coming soon), though he did tell me that they plan to release the game in the first quarter of next year.

Nevertheless, I walked away with too many thoughts to not organize them into something with words. Here are five reasons Dragon Commander is one of the most interesting and strangely compelling games I saw at E3 this year.

1

You control a dragon. He wears a jetpack and can slow down time.

This has been one of the most talked-about features since the game was announced, but it deserves reiteration. When you're not setting waypoints and attack orders for your units, you're fighting alongside them as a giant dragon with a three-nozzled jetpack.

The philosophy that putting one improbable thing on another improbable thing makes an infinitely awesome thing can sometimes dull the impact of everything. Sticking a cliché on a cliché isn't usually very funny or crazy. This however, looks right, because the dragons have a good reason to shoot flames out of their backs. They're not being poked at by spears and arrows -- they've got to blow through Roman formations of airships and ravage bases while dodging turret fire.

They're Supermarine Spitfires piloted by Max Payne, and they spit fire. I can't pretend I'm not charmed by that, and it's not even the craziest thing -- hit the next slide in the gallery for more.

Tyler Wilde
Executive Editor

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.