Drakengard 3: A game of two extremes!

Just finished Drakengard 3 on the PS3 along with 3 of the 4 ending and one word describes this game: MindClusterFuck! This is a REALLY hard game to judge!

The game play is really generic, nothing we haven't seen before, done MUCH better in other games. Its basically a hack and slash action RPG like the previous Drakengard games. Loads of different sort of weapons to unlock, buy and upgrade. Killing masses of very generic enemies and even bosses and going from point A to point B in episodic manner. So while the game play was fun its not really that interesting.

The graphics are just really REALLY crap except the main characters models which have loads of amazing details and an insane art style. The enemies and background are really bad with bouts of crippling frame rates. The game looks like a bad looking PS2 games but the development team of Access Games put a lot of effort in the characters. Donning amazing colors with intricate designs, emotive expressions and outstanding style are the feature of the characters designs.

It seems that the director Taro Yoko loves to put a lot of emphasis on thematic concepts in his games as like Nier and Drakengard games of the past the plot and characters are what set this weird game apart. The story is really depressing with hateful characters which centers around the main character Zero who is on a quest of killing off her sisters one by one. The determination and hate Zero exhibits during the whole game is quite stark. You have this deranged character who only think of butchering people as a means to an end which killing of her sisters. In this day an age finding such a game quite rare. From Software's Souls series is such a game where bringing despair to the player either through game play or story is what drives the whole game. The different branches of the story takes a different look into the story from different dimensions and timelines. The endings of 3 of the 4 ones i got were quite spectacular in the sense that developers had the balls to pull them off. Square Enix should be applauded that they took a risk like this by backing this project.

Zero is a real  bitch who has a dirty mind, insane bad language and openly talks about sex where she uses her disciples to quench her lust and boasts about it. Yes it was REALLY is quite weird. For all the talk of feminism and sexism in the gaming industry this game comes WAY out of left field and takes pride in it!

The other characters constantly moan and whine about life yet embody some of the Seven Sins in some ways. You have this character who likes to inflict pain, another who is into S&M and this old guy who ONLY talks about sex or another other who is vain and shallow! 

And a word of caution: the game has quite a lot of blood and gore on show. Some cut scenes were shocking in their level of violence many of them tying into the story.

And like Nier the audio was quite bewilderingly incredible and it'll be a shame if no one talks about it. Keiichi Okabe who did a stellar job in Nier outdoes himself once again with what he composed for Drakengard 3 . The English VA was quite good with talents of long time voice acting greats like Yuri Lowenthal, Liam O' Brien, Tara Platt and Megan Hollingshead coming to the fore. But was the wild and raw performance of Tara Platt that was outstanding as Zero using high and low octaves! And boy does the lady curse like a drunken sailor or what!!

So in the end I wont be doing the last ending as I have run out of patience and i have to jump through a lot of hoops before even attempting it. Will be YouTubei-ng the last ending

My reviews score is in two fold. The game play is really generic and repetitive, the visual are mixed bag so here I will give it a 6 out 10

but as for story, characters, the endings, the OST and the disturbing vibe it gave off i give it a 10/10

I wont give a final score to this game.

My most anticipated RPGs of 2011: Day 5

White Knight Chronicles 2 - PS3 - 8th June (EU), 2nd August (NA):

Level 5 has quite a track record since it came into being in 1998. From the Dark Cloud series or the modern Dragon Quest games to the charming Professor Layton games, Level 5 has been untouchable. Their penchant of making quality RPGs rivals that of SqaureEnix (and that is saying a lot in my opinion). So when Level 5 announced their new IP, White Knight Chronicles for the PS3, the whole RPG fraternity held their breath in anticipation. When the game did come out it was not up to the lofty standard Level 5 had set themselves, and while the game was well received by the gamers, the critics weren't all that forgiving and the game collected mixed reviews. I am one of those gamers for which reviews scores mean a lot, so I proceeded in avoiding the game altogether.

Last year Level 5 announced that a sequel was in the works and everything in the game had been tweaked, and now with an English release just days away, I am hoping that the improvements makes for a better game (and get better reviews).

White Knight Chronicles 2 will start from where it left off, so I will need to read up on the events of the original. PS3 is in need of an epic JRPG, and White Knight Chronicle 2 may just be the game. The original game had a neat looking battle system and those mechanics seem to have been tweaked a bit in the sequel (in videos), while graphics have been given a little touch up as well. So although I may still end up feeling disappointed in this game, but I as a fan of Level 5, I am willing to bet that White Knight Chronicles 2 might just become a surprise RPG of 2011.

Join me tomorrow for another game in my list.