From a traditional perspective, Drakengard 3 is not what you would normally consider a good game. It's severely visually outclassed, it has myriad bugs and issues, and the gameplay is fair at best and tedious at worst. The original game, released a decade ago on the PlayStation 2, was much the same way. But what made that game memorable was its distinctly dark and twisted story in a world filled with horrible happenings and broken, deplorable characters. It was a train wreck, horrifying to look at and experience, but it kept you playing to see just how much more awful things could get. Nothing ended well for anyone involved, including the player, but it was fascinating regardless.
And that's precisely what Drakengard 3 is: utterly fascinating.
The game takes place in a miserable fantasy world where goddess-like beings called "intoners" rule the land and keep the masses appeased with their otherworldly songs. That peace is transformed into a bloody mess when the oldest of the intoners, Zero, decides that her five sisters (all named after numbers) need to die for reasons initially unclear. Zero's attack on her sisters ends in abject failure and the death of her dragon companion, but a year and a reconstructed body later, she is ready and rarin' to kill her estranged siblings again. To aid her this time around, she has Mikhail, the reincarnation of her previous dragon, by her side. Unfortunately, a wise old elder dragon this creature is definitely not; Mikhail is an inept pacifist who calls for nonviolent resolution as he whines about his bodily functions like a first grader.
Drakengard 3 is a hack-and-slash action game. Zero runs through mostly linear fields, defeating foes with combos and special moves derived from four different weapon types (swords, spears, chakrams, and combat bracers). She can guard, dodge, and cancel her skills into defensive maneuvers as necessary. As she defeats foes, a flower-shaped blood meter fills up, and once it reaches a certain threshold, Zero can enter the incredibly powerful and near invincible intoner mode for a very limited time. Unlike in other games of this sort, the blood meter doesn't have to be full in order for you to enter intoner mode, though its level does limit the amount of time intoner mode lasts. This adds a bit of strategy to fighting--should you use intoner mode for short bursts of carnage, or save it for bigger, powerful foes?--but overall, nothing about combat is particularly noteworthy. It's certainly functional, and there's definitely a satisfaction to be had when going to town on a bunch of dimwitted soldiers and their giant monster companions, but it's a far cry from the likes of Bayonetta.
Every so often, however, Zero mounts her lovably stupid steed and uses Mikhail for combat. Mikhail's sequences are either Panzer Dragoon-style rail shooter sequences (though not nearly as well made as in that franchise) or free-roaming sequences where Mikhail can fight foes both in the air and on land. The controls in this mode take some getting used to, and many of these stages and arenas aren't ideal for large, bumbling winged reptiles to be battling in. Still, it's a welcome, if not always particularly well-designed, break from stabbing troops directly.
In fact, "well-designed" doesn't apply to most of Drakengard 3. The game is developed by Access Games, the studio behind the cult hit Deadly Premonition, and shades of that game's distinct clumsiness abound in Drakengard 3. Enemy models are frequently recycled, and, in some cases, they don't stand on uneven ground properly, leaving one, two, or even more feet just floating in midair. Textures are frequently so low-res that the game looks like a poor HD upscale of a PS2 version that never existed. Enemies and AI partners frequently get stuck trying to run past walls or off ledges. The combat camera appears to hate you and everything you stand for, going into bizarre angles and focusing on barriers to the action out of spite. The frame rate fluctuates constantly, sinking to single-digit levels if a bunch of projectile-hurling enemies are in the area. I encountered at least two occasions when the game forgot to reverse Zero's controls after shifting the camera 180 degrees.
Yes, Drakengard 3 is a technical mess. But, in a weird way, that's part of its charm. If you're familiar with the previous games of creator Yoko Taro--the original Drakengard and Nier--then you're probably coming in expecting messy gameplay. You're not here to kill a thousand grunts; you're here for a weird, fascinating, and much bigger experience. And, to that end, Drakengard 3 is amazing.
The driving force for everything in Drakengard 3 is the main character, Zero. Zero is a nasty, nasty woman, mocking everyone within sight and berating Mikhail for his childish naivete at every opportunity. Yet, in a strange way, she becomes incredibly sympathetic. Her voiced reactions to the ridiculous plot twists, outlandish characters, and irritating gaming cliches frequently mirrored my own. It felt as though I were reacting through her involuntarily to the horrifying happenings of this sick, sad world. I actually felt like I related to her as the game progressed, which is not something I typically feel for antihero characters.
Part of the reason Zero's anger didn't turn me off right away, though, was that every human in Drakengard 3 is a horrible person. Zero's sisters are selfish and domineering, with personality traits that are immediately off-putting. Their disciples, whom Zero can recruit as non-player character helpers after defeating them, aren't much better, individually representing the traits of sadism, masochism, sexual hedonism, and narcissism. Their dialogue with Zero throughout the levels, and their interactions with her, are frequently amusing and well written, even if the same jokes get recycled too often. (I commend the localization team for its ability to come up with numerous entertaining penis euphemisms.)
The first playthrough of the game feels like a distinctly black parody of game story and design tropes, filled with awkward character interactions, bizarre non sequiturs, and a general disdain for everything Zero is forced to go through when all she really wants to do is kill her sisters and be done with it. There are odd little digs at things like Japanese character design, media censorship, and otaku culture. It concludes with a bizarre twist that seems disappointing at first, but shifts the story in an entirely different direction.
Much like Drakengard and Nier, this is a game where the multiple endings are a near essential part of the whole experience. The humor is played down as the game steers you along its alternate paths. On the way, it comments on game structure and the role of the player as both active participant and passive observer, and goes deeper into individual character backgrounds and relationships. It never stops feeling oppressive and unpleasant, but that's part of what makes it so interesting--so much so that when the game asks you to grind to get every weapon to open the path to the final ending (though, thankfully, not the downloadable weapons--that's too cruel even for Drakengard), you feel not just obligated to do it; you want to do it. It's laborious and unpleasant, and somehow Drakengard transforms it into something you willingly want to do all while knowing it probably won't be enjoyable in a typical gaming sense.
Drakengard 3 is subversive in that way. I love how it has made me think about violence and what exactly makes characters sympathetic even when they're terrible. I love that the game portrays its female characters as assertive beings that desire and need sex on their own terms, instead of as sexual material doled out in-game as "rewards" for player performance. (In fact, the only time Zero discusses sex with her disciples is to either tell them to shut up with their innuendo or berate them for their poor performance in the sack.) I love how the only voice of human sanity is a nonhuman. I love how I can step away and think about how the concepts introduced in the alternate ending paths symbolize abstract concepts of gaming. I love Drakengard 3, warts and all. In fact, I think the warts might be part of what makes the game so appealing. It's a heavily flawed game, set in an ugly world and filled with despicable people. And yet, somehow it's beautiful.
Discussion
As someone that has never played a game of this series, I find this review so confusing: it sounds like a bad game. And yet it is clearly beloved. I think the "intangibles" that make it great are not well articulated (as intangibles tend to be) - something about the story and characters, I gather, but the descriptions of those things that are given doesn't really make it clear what about them is the saving grace...
"Zero is a nasty, nasty woman, mocking everyone within sight... ...Her voiced reactions to the ridiculous plot twists, outlandish characters, and irritating gaming cliches frequently mirrored my own. It felt as though I were reacting through her involuntarily to the horrifying happenings of this sick, sad world."
Anyway, it sounds like it's hard to convey what makes this game good, but I appreciate that sometimes the classical criteria (graphics, controls, etc) don't quite make (or in this case break) a game
Gamespot sure has many funny reviews recent. And this game is one grand example for a Japanese culture's game, not good, not bug-free and certainly not unique but very addictive.
This guy GETS IT! Great review!!!
I had actually forgotten this game was still coming out. I really should give it a chance since I was looking forward to it, but I guess I'm still not sure about it since I've moved on to the next gen a little. I don't think I could pay full price for Drakengard 3 though, maybe if I wait it out there will be a sale?
"It's severely visually outclassed, it has myriad bugs and issues, and the gameplay is fair at best and tedious at worst."
There are far too many good games to spend time and money on anything with this description, especially the bugs.
I loved Nier with an absolute passion. This review has convinced me that I need this game. Very rarely does that happen.
people try to understand that this game just localized now after it was released in Japan 2 years ago
It's the worst awesome game I've played, really filled with bugs, poor (or null) optimization and inconveniences to the player. But the story is REALLY worth it.
If it had a stable FPS, and we europeans were deemed worthy of the damn patch enabling the japanese voice DLC (a CE I can't use, yay Squeenix!), it'd have a 8,5/cult
my hands are itching to download this game and also Bound by Flame, but my subscription of ffxiv still has like 28 days left to expire. I might wait for a price since this game or BBF weren't massive hits and games like those tend to drop in prices fast just like Theif. It was released at $60 then dropped to $40 the next month. I might get Wolfstein though and Mario kart ofcourse
Definitely getting this. Loved the first two despite the glaring flaws and this one seems to be made of the same stuff. Couldn't be happier.
Speaking of buggy messes, has anyone played Two Worlds 1or 2? Those games were pretty fun, and the bugs were part of the charm in my opinion. Especially trying to use a boat in the second one. I'll give this game a try.
Amen
"Often hilarious-looking graphical bugs" I wouldn't absolutely call this a bad thing, but even quirky and hilarious bugs get old after a while, so it's not something that adds to the experience either.
Wow iv read reviews of the game only to be severely dissapointed in the ability of reviewers to not apperiaciate or understand this unique title....i came here half expecting a 3 and some social debate on female depiction but i have to say i assumed wrongly and this reviewer has nailed it.....
This is the kind of review this game deserves and I kinda wish Heidi Kemps here reviewed other underated titles like Killer is Dead and Japanese games in general.
Drakengard 3 is like a wierd band which only caters and exists for the very few people who understand and like it. Its also extremely f*cked up nasty and unapologetic about it. Im glad wierd titles like this still manage to exist in an industry which wants to be more and inclusive nowadays.
Good game. Great review.
Finally a decent review of this game. Too many reviews focus on all of the Drakenard games' flaws, without trying to see their virtues.
I mean, don't get me wrong, it is a sloppily designed game, but that's kind of the point. It's like Dynasty Warriors. You're not playing for the tightest, smoothest action gameplay. You're playing for an engaging, Japanese-Kitsch storyline and ridiculous characters. It's like the videogame equivalent of a John Waters film.
Very good review! I also like how you described the first Drakengard as "distinctly dark and twisted story in a world filled with horrible happenings and broken, deplorable characters" :)
"Awful dated visuals"
Yeah I did think there was something a little harsh about those screenshots. Just woke up and thought it might have been the eye sh!t or something.
In cases like this it would be better to lower the resolution than to make the graphics suffer this way.
But I'm glad games like this exist. There needs to be someone pushing out creatively and taking risks in places other than the indie scene.
Describes my feelings exactly, except I like the combat a lot and I'd give the game at least an 8.
Great review! i dont know why i like so much the graphics in games like this one and Deadly Premonition.
Isn't the Drakengard games tied to the story of Nier in some kind of way? If so, I wouldn't mind playing this if I ever pick up a PS3 because Nier was one of my absolute favorite JRPGs of the 7th console generation along with Lost Odyssey.
Love your review. Haven't beat the game yet but bought it because of my love for Nier and it's incredible soundtrack. Soundtrack not touching Nier but it is fun and I love multiple endings after playing Nier.
I forgot to mention one thing that wasn't mentioned here in this review: The quality of the soundtrack which, IMO, it's just spectacular.
This sounds like a gaming equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome. It's so bad and horrible and hates you, but you grow to love it? I remember playing the original Drakengard for a while back when it was new, and I would not immediately think of its issues as "charming". Perhaps I missed out, but then again in this day and age I suppose I can just watch the story on Youtube or something instead of suffering through long, tedious hours of bad gameplay.
At last a good review! The reviewer managed to look away from the obvious technical issues flooding the game and focus on the actual selling point of this title. Of course, those technical issues lower the overall score and have an impact on the game, but that doesn't necessarily means that this is a bad game, like most of the press and gaming sites are trying to make everyone believe.
Personally, I don't have any issues with the "dated" graphics. Yes, I've seen better, saying that I have not would be hiding the sun with my finger. My only problem with the game it's the terrible frame rate. Like the reviewer said, it gets bad when canons are firing at you and explosions get the frame rate to power-point presentation levels.
But that's it, I'm enjoying this game very much for mostly the same reasons the reviewer explained in her review.
What a truly apt description of the original Drakengard; gameplay was a mechanical and uninspired grind-fest, but its bleak and unusual story made the game nigh impossible to put aside.
I've been waiting for the third game in this series for a while. Thank you for the review!I usually like the games Heidi likes even sometimes they aren't that good, so I'm gonna give a chance to Drakegard 3.
@youre_a_sheep Yet some people love it anyway :D
@foxhound_fox - me too. me too
@fgjnfgh you from 2015?
@fgjnfgh It was released in november last year
@BarkingSpider81 Jesus, the boats in Two Worlds 2... Slowest transportation ever. You could run faster on land than the boat on water.
@Hurvl i expect any game to have a bug. discovered a terrible bug in strider on ps4 the first day of its release. i clung into a wall then jumped into endless hell
@ichirei Honestly, there is no other way to describe that world, it's like my work on hangover day :S
@naryanrobinson game was released in Japan 2 years ago
@enuo9 then people would complain that gamespot only gives out 8s :P
@mbraconnot It adds a strange personality to the games I guess :)
@Penguinlord1 The story of NIER comes from Drakengard's ending E. I would not say the story is "tied" but there are tenuous similarities and the back story feels really... the same in a curious way. You'll notice a lot of familiar stuff on Drakengard 3 even though this is prequel to the original Drakengard game, you'll feel at home immediately during the prologue, specially if you liked NIER. All 3 games mentioned had the same director, unlike Drakengard 2.
@jharring If you're not in a hurry, I would recommend getting it on a sale. It's not the same playing it and just watching the story on YT. Also, you'll miss out on an amazing soundtrack.
@vault2049 Im leaving my Ps4 copy of watch_dogs on the shelf until im done with Drakengard 3. Sometimes personality and story beat whatever the hell Watch_Dogs' selling point is.
@vault2049 As i haven't played so dedicatedly the saga, isn't the relation just extremely circumstancial?
@Karlinel @vault2049 I'm on the same boat. Difference is, I've got Watch_Dogs on my PS3 as well.
@Karlinel @vault2049 Yeah. I played NIER first and loved it, then went back and played both, Drakengard 1 and Drakengard 2. You definitely see the relation between both games after you watch Ending E on Drakengard and off some some back-story used on NIER, but it feels just like a possibility out of many that might have happened and nothing vital or anything, a side story, an alternate route.
You can play Drakengard 3 first and you will not notice there were games before it (and, like I said, it is a prequel to the first game). You'll probably feel much 'at home' when playing the previous games, but that's it.