Dota Dragon’s Blood Diaries – Strap in, this ride ain’t stopping anytime soon (Episode 2)
Welcome to part two of a Dota fan’s ramblings on Dota Dragon’s Blood. You can find my first impressions on the pilot here: Dota Dragon’s Blood Diaries – Diving Straight In
As before there will be unmarked spoilers for Episode 2, so turn back now, if you haven’t watched it. We are going straight into Episode 2 – Princess of Nothing.
The Worldbuilding,
After we went almost entirely full-throttle for the pilot Studio Mir slows down a bit to do some proper worldbuilding, while keeping tension high as the mysteries and questions mount up. While Davion is still trying to figure out, what actually happened in the cave below ground he stumbles from one problem to the next, giving us plenty of insights into daily life in the Dota 2 world.
Be it the widespread organised crime he runs into trouble with, legendary other characters like Kaden, ace of the Dragon Knights or a black market emporium. Dragon’s Blood showcases the rugged nature that makes out the Dota 2 world and gives it its unique charm.
As Davion struggles to deal with the fallout of his encounter with bandits we also get some nice insights into the habits of the general populace in Dota. Be it getting absolutely drunk or gambling away money.
The Smackdowns,
Of course Studio Mir did not let up on the action scenes for the second episode. This time featuring Marci, Mirana’s mute companion, as she pummels down the human traffickers in Hauptstadt’s black market and Davion’s clash with the bandits. The animation in the fighting scenes was impressively fluid again, and I really hope Marci makes it into the game in some kind of fashion.
The other big fighting scene also deserves a mention as another place where Dragon’s Blood really earns its mature rating. The show does not shy away at all from the gore as a half-transformed Davion eviscerates the bandits with Slyrak’s power.
The Shopkeeper,
But the biggest highlight as Dota fan was Mirana’s meeting with the shopkeeper. For the casual viewer that is new to the game it might not seem much, but for the fans that short scene was a gold mine in references. Not only the familiar character design of the shopkeeper but also all the items you could recognize in the background as Mirana walked into the shop.
I spotted Healing Salves and a pair of Tranquil Boots, but I am sure there are more items hidden in plain sight. The scene with the shopkeeper itself also formed a nice connection between series and game as the shopkeeper gave Mirana a Gem of True Sight to reveal the hidden home of Invoker.
…And the Bad
While Dragon’s Blood has been a pleasant experience so far, there were some moments that made me question the animation quality. Most glaring were the series of still shots as our band made their way to Hauptstadt, which really could have been nicer. But also some artistic choices like Davion’s half-transformed form. While it did look menacing enough, it did not really feel draconic. Instead it looked more like an extra angry version of the Hellbear Smashers we find in Dota 2’s jungle.
But all in all episode two was a fun ride that gives us just enough mysteries and questions to keep us going. We get introduced to Davion’s struggle to keep control as well as Mirana’s quest in searching for the stolen Lotuses. Finally the thief of said artifact reveals herself so it seems like the plot is about to speed up again for episode 3.
Guess I better strap in for the ride. With the weekend coming up, there is plenty of time for binging.
You can read the final part of our Dota Dragon’s Blood Diaries here:
Dota Dragon’s Blood – That’s a Wrap (Episodes 3-8)
More Dota 2:
- Everything you need to know about Dragon’s Blood – Trailer, Release & more
- Is following proper quarantine protocols that hard? – A Singapore Major rant
- Singapore Major update: NaVi pulls out, Team Aster’s BoBoKa to miss event after being arrested
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