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Drakkhen is a 1989 RPG developed by Infogrames, first launched on MS-DOS, Amiga and Atari ST, later ported to SNES and other platforms. It stood out among RPGs of its era for its innovative 3D first-person perspective and free-roaming open world. Set in a world where magic has vanished and human society is in chaos, the game tasks players with creating a four-person party of warrior, scout, mage and cleric. Players explore a mysterious island ruled by eight dragon princes, defeat them and collect treasures to revive the slain great dragon and restore the world's magical order. Players freely explore the vast island from a 3D first-person view. The island features eight castles, shops, temples, inns, houses and portals, with a day-night cycle. Upon entering castles, the view switches to 2D side-scrolling. Players can control each character individually to fight monsters, collect items and solve simple puzzles. The combat system uses real-time auto-battle. After issuing attack commands, players mainly influence battles by adjusting the mage's and cleric's spellcasting. The game is quite difficult, with many traps that can instantly kill a character or the entire party. With only one save slot and no ability to save inside castles, players must proceed carefully to avoid frustration. The game has unique graphics, blending detailed pixel art with various styles, such as 3D polygonal soldiers and character silhouettes under a rotating camera. Its interface is also praiseworthy: Drakkhen was one of the earliest RPGs allowing players to control each party member in real time, with relatively simple and intuitive controls. It also features bizarre enemies, like giant dog heads, 3D polygons, and silhouettes of women dancing while shouting "I love you". Though it offers an open world, quests must be completed in a specific order and way, clues are not always clear, and dialogue does not provide enough help. Drakkhen's ending teases a sequel, but Infogrames never made one. Japanese firm Kemco, which handled the SNES port, released the loosely related side-scrolling game Super Drakkhen in 1994. Overall, Drakkhen is a technical and creative masterpiece, an experimental work ahead of its time. While original and unique, it also has challenging and frustrating elements. Either way, this game is definitely worth trying.