So, Drakengard 3. Thoughts?

[woodaba]

Drakengard 3's been out in the west for a day or so, so I thought I'd see what people thought of it.

Personally, I'm..actually quite liking it. It definitely feels very different from Drakengard 1 and Nier, being more of a parody than the bleak stories of the latter two. I appreciate the difference in tone, and I think the combat is a lot better than the original Drakengard and a little better than Nier, though it still isn't great. Very visceral though, and satisfying in short bursts.

The voice acting is pretty good, and the writing is too, for the most part. Zero is an entertaining main character, all the psychoticness of Caim, but actually talking! Yay! However, the story isn't really getting me just yet, purely because I have absolutely no idea what's going on. So, there's Zero, who's an intoner which is...a Goddess or something? And her sisters are trying to end the world, I think, but it's been a year since they supposedly started and the world looks pretty much the same. The chief Intoner looks like an older Manah from the first game, but I have no idea when Drakengard 3 takes place in relation to the first one. Zero wants to kill her sisters because she wants her power, but who knows why she wants that. I get the feeling this will eventually be at least somewhat explained, but it still feels like a rather mishandled use of En Medias Res.

My main problems are technical ones. The game does not look great, yet it still manages to chug pretty badly once the Dragon fights start happening.

Still though, I'm enjoying it. What do the rest of you think?

 

[Zhukov]

*Youtube's "Drakengard 3*

...

Yeesh. If you consider that to be pretty good voice acting, I shudder to think what you would consider bad voice acting.

 

[woodaba]

*Youtube's "Drakengard 3*

...

Yeesh. If you consider that to be pretty good voice acting, I shudder to think what you would consider bad voice acting.

I haven't watched any of the trailers, but considering the standard of "acting" that we get with most budget japanese imports, I stand by my assertion of the voice acting being good. All the awkwardness that plagues a lot of this kind of game is absent so far, and the actors are able to sell the jokes pretty well. The only acting I would consider bad is the ones spoken by the foot soldiers, and you usually murder then quick enough so that doesn't really matter.

 

[Ushiromiya Battler]

If I remember correctly it's supposed to be a prequel to the first one.

So, how does it hold up to the first one?
Is it as bat shit crazy?

 

[woodaba]

If I remember correctly it's supposed to be a prequel to the first one.

So, how does it hold up to the first one?
Is it as bat shit crazy?

Well, no cannibals, pedophiles, or demonic giant babies from beyond the veil of time and space just yet, but the main character is a nymphomaniac who carries around a troupe of men purely to have sex with them, and apparently gets her powers by literally bathing in the blood of her enemies. So, we're getting there.

 

[Eve Charm]

I'm at chapter 5, The Demonic giant baby dolls do show up. Loving the game tho but god damn I almost put it down after reading orta's bio >.<

If anything you have one of the first female characters that is the sexual aggressor to men even pretty much implying she's going to rape the one when she kill's his intoner. But ya she isn't to sexy, showing to much even acting motherly in the off shoot way with the dragon.

For a bit more in the world, Intoners are pretty much considered goddesses and have a male main disciple usually that helps in the summoning with their song.

I do wonder what the "no good female characters ever exist" crowd will harp on with her tho.

 

[sc1arr1]

I look forward to playing a Drakengard game again. A friend of mine got 3 and has only had good things to say about it.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

It doesn't sound that good to me, combat is "a little better than Nier". Nier's combat was so simple and basic. After playing Nier due to hearing how awesome the story was supposed to be and being rather disappointed (and I did all the playthroughs), I think I'm done with the series. The writing was nothing special and on the level of decent anime.

 

[Tanis]

Question to those who have played it:
How does it compare to Nier and the first two games?

For me the ranks would be:
DG2
Nier
DG1

Where you you put it?

 

[woodaba]

Question to those who have played it:
How does it compare to Nier and the first two games?

For me the ranks would be:
DG2
Nier
DG1

Where you you put it?

I haven't played Drakengard 2 (a friend told me it wasn't anywhere near as good as Nier and DG1), but based on what I've seen so far, I would personally put it below Nier, and above DG1. It almost seems unfair to compare the two, because Drakengard and Nier were very grimdark affairs, and Drakengard 3 is much more like a dark comedy so far.

It doesn't sound that good to me, combat is "a little better than Nier". Nier's combat was so simple and basic. After playing Nier due to hearing how awesome the story was supposed to be and being rather disappointed (and I did all the playthroughs), I think I'm done with the series. The writing was nothing special and on the level of decent anime.

Having played a little more, I'd have to say that the combat is actually much improved. Each of the different weapon styles can be switched between on the fly without interrupting a combo, and while it never does the Devil May Cry: Devil May Cry annoying thing of forcing you to use certain weapons on certain enemies, certain weapon types are more effective than others against certain enemies. It's the first game in the series I found to be genuinely fun to play.

 

[Veldel]

I enjoy it and its fucked up sexual stuff.


Im currently trying to get enough money to buy all the weapons for one of the other endings its annoying

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Having played a little more, I'd have to say that the combat is actually much improved. Each of the different weapon styles can be switched between on the fly without interrupting a combo, and while it never does the Devil May Cry: Devil May Cry annoying thing of forcing you to use certain weapons on certain enemies, certain weapon types are more effective than others against certain enemies. It's the first game in the series I found to be genuinely fun to play.

That's cool. I very much doubt I would ever get to playing Drakengard 3 though, I have so many other games I need to play before I would even get around to it.

 

[asdfen]

I am not liking it too much because the combat doesnt feel good enough compare to many other games I can play instead. My favorite beeing Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes.

 

[Dandark]

I had never heard of the series until I saw someone mention it in another thread the other day, but after looking it up it actually looks pretty interesting and I think i'll go ahead and buy it.

The story/setting/characters look pretty interesting anyway, the main character especially looks like she's going to be much more fun than the average boring protagonist. I've been meaning to try some JRPG since it's pretty much what I got a PS3 for, glad to finally find one that looks like it's going to interest me.

 

[Candidus]

*Googles: Drakenguard 3 dual audio?*
*Finds that it isn't dual audio*
*Declines to purchase*
*Checks a youtube video of the English VAs for a laugh*

Aaah, hideous garbage as always.

You're asking for thoughts eh? Well it looks interesting. And I think there's a lot of very cool artwork of the protagonist, both official and unofficial.. and ehrm.. very unofficial.


I'll probably watch it played by an importer at some point on Twitch. As far as JRPGs go unless it's dual audio I don't touch it. Been that way since the earliest days. American anime/JP vidya circuit voice actors are fucking disastrous. Without. A. Single. Exception.

 

[woodaba]

*Googles: Drakenguard 3 dual audio?*
*Finds that it isn't dual audio*
*Declines to purchase*
*Checks a youtube video of the English VAs for a laugh*

Aaah, hideous garbage as always.

You're asking for thoughts eh? Well it looks interesting. And I think there's a lot of very cool artwork of the protagonist, both official and unofficial.. and ehrm.. very unofficial.


I'll probably watch it played by an importer at some point on Twitch. As far as JRPGs go unless it's dual audio I don't touch it. Been that way since the earliest days. American anime/JP vidya circuit voice actors are fucking disastrous. Without. A. Single. Exception.

There is dual audio.

 

[Candidus]

*Googles: Drakenguard 3 dual audio?*
*Finds that it isn't dual audio*
*Declines to purchase*
*Checks a youtube video of the English VAs for a laugh*

Aaah, hideous garbage as always.

You're asking for thoughts eh? Well it looks interesting. And I think there's a lot of very cool artwork of the protagonist, both official and unofficial.. and ehrm.. very unofficial.


I'll probably watch it played by an importer at some point on Twitch. As far as JRPGs go unless it's dual audio I don't touch it. Been that way since the earliest days. American anime/JP vidya circuit voice actors are fucking disastrous. Without. A. Single. Exception.

There is dual audio.

Not according to this post from an Enix spokesperson on blog.eu.playstation

"Lee Williams 10 October, 2013 @ 11:50 am 42.1

Unfortunately there will not be a physical or digital version of Drakengard 3 with Japanese audio and English subtitles. Only English and Japanese versions of the game will be available on release, and the English language version will include French subtitles."

But if he's wrong and plans were changed, then I'll buy it!

 

[woodaba]

*Googles: Drakenguard 3 dual audio?*
*Finds that it isn't dual audio*
*Declines to purchase*
*Checks a youtube video of the English VAs for a laugh*

Aaah, hideous garbage as always.

You're asking for thoughts eh? Well it looks interesting. And I think there's a lot of very cool artwork of the protagonist, both official and unofficial.. and ehrm.. very unofficial.


I'll probably watch it played by an importer at some point on Twitch. As far as JRPGs go unless it's dual audio I don't touch it. Been that way since the earliest days. American anime/JP vidya circuit voice actors are fucking disastrous. Without. A. Single. Exception.

There is dual audio.

Not according to this post from an Enix spokesperson on blog.eu.playstation

"Lee Williams 10 October, 2013 @ 11:50 am 42.1

Unfortunately there will not be a physical or digital version of Drakengard 3 with Japanese audio and English subtitles. Only English and Japanese versions of the game will be available on release, and the English language version will include French subtitles."

But if he's wrong and plans were changed, then I'll buy it!

Well, I'm playing with the Japanese audio, so I've either finally gone completely insane or they have changed policy. Bear in mind though, the Japanese audio is a pretty hefty download.

 

[Candidus]

Well, I'm playing with the Japanese audio, so I've either finally gone completely insane or they have changed policy. Bear in mind though, the Japanese audio is a pretty hefty download.

That's awesome... Thanks for the heads-up then!

I'm impressed on many levels. The quote I lifted was from a thread that was full of disappointment from people who wanted dual audio and a physical release (neither of which were planned). Could it be that they actually listened?! Holy shit.

Will buy.

Edit: Euuuugh, scratch that. I have to double and triple check that it wasn't censored in any way for the western release, as a review has given me the impression that it might have been.

If anything at all has been adjusted, I'll just watch the JP edition played as per the original plan...

Edit 2: False alarm! It's an intentional in-game joke that was also present in the JP version. Phew.

 

[Eve Charm]

Now really what do people consider good voice acting if they are calling this trash? SE didn't actually cheap out and good a lot of good VA's that have been doing a bunch of games for this.

Anyway kinda losing it at the different endings for the game ;p They seem to half ass the "this isn't a real ending ending."