Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Jagex, long known for the legendary MMORPG RuneScape, has stepped into new territory with RuneScape: Dragonwilds, a survival sandbox RPG developed and published in-house. Currently in Early Access and available on PC via Steam, Dragonwilds is set in a completely different world than RuneScape, with an entirely different gameplay genre, mechanical structure, and design philosophy. That being said, it still carries recognizable DNA—item names, skill progression systems, visual style, and even fragments of the classic RuneScape soundtrack make an appearance.
But let’s be clear from the start: RuneScape: Dragonwilds is not RuneScape. This is a survival sandbox with strong elements of base-building, crafting, and combat-focused RPG progression. And after putting in over 16 hours, leveling most skills to around 50, testing a melee build, and beating the first few bosses, I’ve gathered enough to share my initial impressions.
Gameplay Mechanics – Familiar Skills, Fresh Application
One of the most immediate things that stands out is the core gameplay loop. Dragonwilds emphasizes survival and exploration. You’re gathering, building, fighting, leveling—just not in the way you would in traditional RuneScape.
The game starts you off slowly. Combat is functional and mostly enjoyable, especially for a melee build. There are limited weapon combos early on, but the spell system completely changes the dynamic. Spells aren’t just for fighting—they’re critical to skilling. At higher levels, you unlock magic-based actions like cutting down multiple trees at once, crushing stone piles with a spell, or mining entire ore veins in one hit. These spell-skill integrations are one of the more impressive and strategic parts of the game so far.
Combat also uses spell enhancements to buff weapons or manipulate enemy behaviors, and that’s where it feels a bit more complex. While ranged and magic combat trees aren’t available yet (you can use bows, but not level them), what’s there feels solid enough to build from. The mob AI is basic for now; bosses I’ve encountered haven’t pushed me hard, but I’m expecting more as the game opens up further.
What really caught me off guard was the building system. This is where Dragonwilds shines the brightest so far. The sandbox construction tools give you freedom to build creatively with a wide range of materials, environmental assets, and interior design options. From architecture to layout, you can already do a lot with what’s here, and it looks good while doing it.
Visual Style and Graphics – RuneScape, but Upgraded
Visually, RuneScape: Dragonwilds feels like a stylized cousin of Old School RuneScape—but updated. The graphics quality is well-tuned for a modern sandbox experience. The shading and lighting engine does a lot of heavy lifting, with dynamic weather, time of day, and environmental shifts adding a lot of variety and mood.
Textures are sharp enough, UI elements are visually distinct, and the whole visual package does enough to feel immersive without aiming for hyperrealism. Character animations could use some polish, particularly during combat and spellcasting, but it’s Early Access, and nothing felt broken.
Sound Design and Classic RuneScape Music Touches
If you’ve got years of RuneScape in your blood like I do, you’ll notice it right away—snippets of Old School RuneScape music make their way into the experience. These aren’t always front and center, but when they hit, it’s a pleasant connection.
Sound effects across skills, combat, and exploration are clean and clear. The soundtrack overall complements the game world well without being intrusive. Spell sounds, in particular, stand out as satisfying. Voiceovers are absent (at least so far), but it doesn’t feel like a gap. Immersion comes more from the environment than from scripted audio content.
Multiplayer and Storytelling – Co-op and a Growing Narrative Layer
RuneScape: Dragonwilds does feature online co-op multiplayer for up to four players. While I haven’t tested it yet myself, the support is there from early on, allowing players to team up for exploration, building, and combat. Whether it’s better experienced solo or with others is something I’ll figure out later, but the infrastructure is already in place for shared sessions.
On the storytelling side, the game doesn’t skip it. There are main quests, side quests, and journal entries scattered throughout the world that help piece together lore. You’re not just grinding skills—there’s actual content here for players who want to dig into the world. The narrative isn’t aggressively front-loaded, but it builds as you explore, with readable items, environmental clues, and structured objectives giving it more depth than you might expect from a sandbox game at this stage.
User Interface and Controls – Clean, Mostly Functional
Menus are generally clear. The user interface for inventory, skilling, building, and combat is functional, with some room for improvement. I didn’t feel lost navigating between actions, and there’s decent tool-tip support. Keybinds are straightforward, and menus don’t feel overloaded.
Skill progression tracking is visualized nicely, especially with spell unlock trees. Construction tools are fairly intuitive, though building at scale can get fiddly with item placement. Expect to hit a few hiccups, but nothing game-breaking.
Accessibility-wise, I didn’t spot much beyond basic font scaling and control remapping yet, but that might come later.
Technical Performance – Smooth for Early Access
Performance has been solid so far. I haven’t run into any major bugs, crashes, or noticeable framerate drops—even during extended combat sequences or large-scale building. A few minor animation hitches show up now and then, but nothing that breaks the experience.
Loading times are quick, biome transitions are seamless, and weather and spell effects run cleanly without visual artifacts or delay. I tested the game with an Xbox controller, and while it works fine once configured, it didn’t run out of the box. I had to tweak it through Steam settings and enable the Steam overlay before it started responding properly. After that, controls were responsive, and the layout felt natural enough for a controller-based playstyle.
Interesting Details – Spells Make the Grind Worthwhile
One of the things I didn’t expect was how central magic spells are to nearly every activity. Want to chop faster? Use the woodcutting spell. Is mining taking too long? Break boulders with arcane power. That design choice makes magic progression feel essential, not optional, and adds a layer of planning to every build.
Also worth noting is how modular the construction system feels. You’re not just slapping walls together—you can build storage systems, farming zones, decorative elements, and functional rooms that have their own purpose. It’s more than cosmetic.
Early Verdict
So far, RuneScape: Dragonwilds is proving to be more than a nostalgia project—it’s a solid survival sandbox RPG with recognizable skin but its own mechanical soul. Spell-based skilling, flexible building systems, and a visually consistent world give it a strong base. It’s Early Access, and it feels like it, but in a good way. There’s enough already to sink time into, and a lot of potential to evolve into something deeper. For more reviews and news, stay tuned to our website.
About RuneScape: Dragonwild
Title: RuneScape: Dragonwilds
Type of Game: Survival Sandbox RPG
Developer: Jagex
Publisher: Jagex
Release Date: Early Access Available Now (Full release date TBA)
Platforms: PC (Steam)
Where to Purchase:
PC: Steam – RuneScape: Dragonwilds
PlayStation: Not available at this time
Xbox: Not available at this time
Other Platforms: No announcements yet
Note: Early Access version. Content subject to changes and additions. No special editions have been announced.
