Product Description
-------------------
Known as Drag-On Dragoon in Japan, Drakengard is a dragon-themed
action game with roleplaying elements. Drakengard tells the story
of the soldier C as he fights to save his kipped sister
from the clutches of the evil Empire. He cannot do it alone,
however, so he joins his soul with that of a dragon to combine
powers and set out on their way to defeat the enemy and solve the
mysteries of the dragon. Mixing gameplay from such titles as
Panzer Dragoon Saga, Dynasty Warriors, and Final Fantasy, the
game allows its players to fight on the ground and in the air --
with full range of movement and over 60 weapons and attacks to
exploit.
Review
------
It's good to see RPG master Square Enix take a risk on a
completely different type of game, and it's even better to see
that its new title is – sort of – a success. Drakengard has been
(with good cause) called "Dynasty Warriors with dragons," and
that basic concept has yielded interesting, yet flawed, results.
Drakengard is the story of C (Kyme in the Japanese version), a
Union soldier at war with the evil Empire (which fortunately has
no Death Star or Sith Lords). In an effort to save his sister,
the Goddess of the Seals, he is ally wounded and must make a
pact with a dragon to survive. As both C and the Dragon, the
player takes on the nearly endless soldiers of the Empire.
The quest features three different types of gameplay, which
switch at fairly regular intervals. The first is melee combat, in
which C slashes his way through simple, bloody ground combat.
These stages are quite familiar to anyone who has played Koei's
Dynasty Warrior games, and are incredibly simplistic. Combat
solely involves one button, as does magic. This is hack n' slash
gameplay at its most basic. It's fun, but lacks any semblance of
depth.
The remaining two modes feature the dragon as the central figure.
The first is aerial combat, in which the player flies around,
breathing fire at anything that moves. These stages are short and
simple, but get progressively harder as the story continues. The
final, and most dynamic, mode is strafing, in which the dragon
flies low over ground troops, raining flaming death down upon
them. At any time, C can jump down off the dragon to engage in
melee combat, which is often necessary to complete the stage.
Certain enemies are immune to dragon fire, while others are hard
to hit, thanks to the dragon's lack of agility.
All three of the gameplay styles feature fairly detailed
graphics, and the cutscenes are of classic Square quality. There
could have been a few more enemy types, but the endless hordes of
troops still look great. The pop up is pretty terrible, but
considering the a of figures onscreen at most times, it's
more or less excusable. The framerate is also mostly constant,
slowing during only a few instances of particularly frenzied air
combat.
Between the three modes, Drakengard stays fairly fresh, as the
action always switches at the right moment. However, none of the
three are really that new or exciting on its own. But combined
with some sharp graphics and some rudimentary RPG elements, the
gameplay offers up enough to recommend this title to fantasy
buffs or Square Enix devotees. Yes, it's simple and not terribly
original, but it does provide plenty of fast-paced action and
some solid visuals. As action games go, you could do much worse.
Concept:
Bust some medieval heads as both a fierce warrior and an even
fiercer dragon
Graphics:
Easily the high point of the title, everything is detailed and
sharp, although sparse
Sound:
Prepare to be annoyed – there are only a few background tunes
and the voice-acting is straight out of a renaissance festival
Playability:
Can you push the square button? Then you can play this
Entertainment:
The combination of flying, strafing, and melee modes still
results in a somewhat stale dish
Replay:
Moderately Low
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss
Issue: March 2004
2nd Opinion:
Drakengard is Square Enix's answer to Koei's Dynasty Warriors
series. Whether by blade or by your dragon's fiery breath, the
blood of hundreds (perhaps thousands) will stain your hands in
each mission that you enter. While I did find the hack n' slash
element to be satisfactory, this is by no means a solid-playing
game. The mission objectives are annoying at best, and the dragon
flying mechanics are horribly designed. If you thought Dynasty
Warriors had a lot of pop-up, believe me when I say that you
haven't seen anything yet. Even with sparsely detailed
environments, enemy troops seemingly appear out of nowhere.
Square usually excels in the graphical department, but
Drakengard's visuals look like big, stinky dragon butt. I'm a
sucker for leveling up and gaining new powers, yet even with a
y dose of these elements, I wanted nothing more than to
permanently shelve this game.
Rated: 6 out of 10
Editor: Andrew Reiner
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Review
- fight on the ground and in the air.
- with full range of movement.
- over 60 weapons and attacks to exploit.