Dragon’s Crown has been making quite a few waves as of late, as its release in Japan showed that the beat em’ up genre was not quite as dead as people thought. The gameplay and character customization have been noted to be quite enjoyable, but it’s been the art of Vanillaware’s president George Kamitani that has really been the talk of the town. Either considered very beautiful and colorful, or too cartoony and exaggerated, Dragon’s Crown‘s art direction is definitely unique in the least. Yet, Dragon’s Crown was not always as you see it, as the newly released art book shows the fascinating history that this title has.
Dragon’s Crown was initially planned for the Sega Dreamcast, but it was not going to use the 2D sprite work that it is known for today. Originally, art director George Kamitani was going to have Dragon’s Crown use 3D models, which is understandable, as the 3D craze was going strong during that time period.
As shown above, we see the elements that would become the current Sorceress and Wizard of Dragon’s Crown, as well as the enemy Orcs. The female warrior model would go on to become a base class for Fantasy Earth Zero, a Square Enix PC game that Kamitani also worked on as the art director.
Dragon’s Crown is available for PS3 and PS Vita in Japan, with an August 6th release for North America. Those who were fortunate to have pre-ordered Dragon’s Crown, will be receiving the limited edition art book.
