| Developer: | Compile Heart |
| Publisher: | Idea Factory |
| Platforms: | PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch |
| Genre: | Role-playing |
| Director: | Makoto Kitano[1] |
| Producer: | Norihisa Kochiwa |
| Released: | PlayStation 4WindowsNintendo Switch |
| Modes: | Single-player |
Dragon Star Varnir is a 2018 role-playing video game developed by Compile Heart and published by Idea Factory. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in October 2018 and worldwide in June 2019, for Windows in October 2019, and for Nintendo Switch in 2021.[2] The game follows a knight named Zephy who is tasked to fight witches and dragons, but is turned into a witch by his enemies in order to save him from death by the hands of a dragon. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised its battle system as an improvement from past Compile Heart games but criticized other aspects of its presentation.
Dragon Star Varnir received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. Matt Sainsbury of Digitally Downloaded rated the game 90/100, saying the game "ratchets things up" from the developer's "budget, fanservicey JRPGs" with a "rich bit of storytelling", and saying that "battles [...] never become rote".[3] Zach Wilkerson of RPGFan rated it 79/100, calling the battle system where the game "truly shines", though criticizing the story as "never reach[ing] the potential of its engaging premise", and saying that "too much happens at the beginning", with every major character introduced in the first half hour, hurting their character development.[4] Brian Santana of IGN Spain rated it 65/100, criticizing the plot as simplistic with "flat characters", but praising the battle system and its tactical components.[5]