It is present-day London when a construction crew, led by the mother of young Quinn Abercromby (played by Christian Bale in the film), unwittingly unleashes a dragon that's been hibernating for centuries. Within a quarter of a century, dragons have multiplied and replaced humans as the dominant species on Earth. The game's story picks back up in Britain, c.2024. Quinn has grown up to be a "resistance fighter" for a small community hiding in an old castle in the burnt-out English countryside. His people have been reduced to living in near-medieval conditions. There's a pair of dragons prowling the vicinity, attacking the few remaining villages, destroying crops, and generally making life hell for the humans. The fire brigades risk their lives to put out the awful firestorms caused by the dragon attacks as they rescue the trapped or wounded survivors.