Dinolords: When History Meets Jurassic Park (And Why You Should Actually Care)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Medieval strategy meets Jurassic chaos in Dinolords, a 'hack-n-strat' hybrid entering Closed Alpha this Halloween—I'm cautiously optimistic that this Viking-dino mashup has the tactical depth to back up its wild premise.
I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? Like you were aiming for a simple levitation charm but accidentally launched your cat into low earth orbit? That’s the vibe I’m getting from *Dinolords*. It’s a premise that sounds like it was dreamt up by a six-year-old with a sugar rush and a history textbook, but looking closer, there’s some serious wizardry happening under the hood.
First spotted over at *Rock Paper Shotgun*, Mark Warren has been digging into a premise that honestly gets my blood pumping. We’re talking medieval strategy. We’re talking Action RPG. And we’re talking—I kid you not—rideable T-Rexes charging into the fray during a war between the Danes and the English. It’s the kind of glorious nonsense that makes me love this industry, and it’s about to enter its Closed Alpha phase on October 31st. Yes, Halloween. How fitting for a game that brings extinct monsters back to haunt the 11th century.
Now, let’s pause for a second. My inner skeptic—the one that’s seen a thousand 'revolutionary' trailers that turned out to be nothing but smoke and mirrors—wants to ask: Is this just a gimmick? Is it just *Age of Empires* with a lizard skin pack? Well, according to the fine folks at Northplay (and the eagle-eyed James at Gamescom), there’s a bit more 'strat' in this 'hack-n-strat' than you might expect.
In the original report by Mark Warren for *Rock Paper Shotgun*, he notes his own genetic ties to the Scandinavian invaders who once roamed northern Europe. While he (sadly) isn’t part T-Rex, the excitement is palpable. The game isn’t just about clicking a dinosaur and watching it go 'nom nom' on a peasant. It’s about siege tactics. The Danes have apparently bred T-Rexes specifically for smashing through static defenses. Imagine trying to hold a wooden gatehouse when a three-ton apex predator decides it’s actually a toothpick. Meanwhile, raptors aren’t just fast cavalry; they can scale walls to munch on your archers. It’s a tactical ecosystem that forces you to rethink everything you know about medieval warfare.
For those lucky enough to get into the Alpha, Northplay is serving up a three-part tutorial to teach us how to handle this 'funky mix' of genres. You’ll get four maps and two game modes, which is a fair dinkum amount of content for a closed test. You’ll be setting up strongholds, managing unit control, and trying to prove that your 'hack-n-strat' skills are up to snuff before the early access release next year.
I reckon the most interesting bit here isn't just the dinosaurs, though. It’s the publisher: Ghost Ship Publishing. These are the legends behind *Deep Rock Galactic*, a game that basically wrote the book on how to treat a community right and build a game with soul. If they’re putting their weight behind *Dinolords*, it suggests there’s genuine substance behind the spectacle. They aren't just selling us a dinosaur hat; they’re selling us a new way to play strategy games.
Northplay boss Michael Flarup seems genuinely keen on the feedback loop, too. They’re looking for players to fill out questionnaires to help shape the game. In a world where corporate PR usually feels like being yelled at through a megaphone, it’s refreshing to see a dev team saying, 'Look, we think this is cool, but tell us how to make it better.' It’s that community-driven spirit that often marks the difference between a flash-in-the-pan meme and a game that we’re still playing three years from now.
But let’s be real for a moment—because I promised you some gentle skepticism. Building a game that balances Action RPG combat with high-level RTS strategy is like trying to balance a plate of bangers and mash on the head of a galloping horse. If the 'Lord' character is too powerful, the strategy units become irrelevant (the 'Diablo-tier godkiller' problem, as James noted at Gamescom). If the strategy is too complex, the action feels like a distraction. It’s a tightrope walk, and while the trailer looks bloody brilliant, the real test will be how it feels when you’re actually in the saddle of a Rex, trying to manage a flank while dodging English arrows.
Is there a Web3 angle here? Not explicitly, at least not in the 'buy a digital dinosaur' sense. But the *ethos* is there. The focus on early access, community feedback, and transparent development is exactly what the Web3 gaming space has been screaming for. It’s about building a world *with* the players, not just *for* them. If *Dinolords* sticks the landing, it’ll prove that weird, experimental genre-mashes are exactly what the doctor ordered to shake up a stagnant industry.
So, what’s the verdict? I’m cautiously optimistic. No, scratch that—I’m authentically enthusiastic but I’m keeping my shield up. If you want to see if you can survive the Viking-Dino-Apocalypse, sign-ups for the Closed Alpha are live as of October 8th on their Steam page. It’s a bold move, launching on Halloween, but if you’re going to unleash a T-Rex on the English countryside, you might as well do it with style.
I’ll be watching this one closely, like a wizard reading digital tea leaves (which, let’s be honest, is mostly just me staring at Discord servers and patch notes). If it works, it’s going to be legendary. If it doesn’t... well, at least we got to see a Viking riding a dinosaur, and that’s worth something, isn't it?
Tags: Dinolords, Indie Games, Strategy RPG, PC Gaming, Alpha Test
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun