Drakengard 3, known in Japan as is a 2013 action role-playing video game developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix exclusively for PlayStation 3. It is the third main game in the Drakengard series and a prequel to the original game. The game, like the rest of the series, features a mixture of ground-based hack-and-slash combat and aerial battles. The story focuses on Zero, a woman who can manipulate magic through song. Partnering with a dragon named Mikhail, Zero set out to kill her five sisters, who rule the world's regions. As she travels, the player discovers the true reason behind Zero's rampage.
The game, created to cater for hardcore role-playing game audiences, was developed by the same team who created the original Drakengard and series spin-off Nier, including producer Takamasa Shiba, director Yoko Taro and writer Sawako Natori. The music was composed by Keiichi Okabe, who also scored Nier. Unlike previous titles in the series, the team developed the game at Access Games, due to the company's experience at developing action titles and the team's wish to address criticisms laid at the gameplay of previous Drakengard games. Drakengard 3 received mixed to positive reviews and sales in Japan and mixed reviews in the west. The ground-based gameplay and story were generally praised, while common criticisms included the dragon gameplay, graphics and multiple technical issues.
Gameplay
Drakengard 3 features hack-and-slash gameplay and aerial combat on a dragon, as with previous entries in the series. The player controls the main protagonist Zero during the entire campaign and for most levels is accompanied by up to two AI-controlled companions. In ground-based combat, Zero performs multiple attacks on various enemies. These can be combined into combos, which fill up Zero's Tension Gauge. When the gauge is filled to any degree, Zero can temporarily enter Intoner Mode, a hyperactive state which enables her to move quickly and deal high damage to enemies while also making her immune to attack. As Zero levels up, weapons grow more powerful and Zero gains access to multiple weapon types as the game progresses. Each weapon type produces a different set of attacking moves. Unlike previous titles in the series, the player does not have to pause the games to switch weapons, instead being able to do it at any time without pausing.
Zero can switch between four weapon types: swords, spears, combat bracers and chakrams. Each weapon has a four-level cap and can be leveled up either through combat or by spending money acquired during levels. Each weapon has different effects depending on enemy-type and combat situation, with spears being useful against heavily armored or shielded enemies and swords being a default weapon. While exploring levels, Zero can collect items from chests and fallen enemies which earn money for buying potions, as well as buying and leveling weapons. Zero can also complete sidequests as the player progresses through the game: these sidequests place within areas of normal levels and limitations on the player's abilities. The player's performance during them earns special items and the number of items you earn increases with the number of enemies killed.
For aerial combat, Zero mounts her dragon Mikhail. The two main types of aerial combat are rail shooter-style missions and free-roaming combat which enables both aerial and ground-based combat. Mikhail has multiple attack types at his disposal: while on the ground, after Zero has mounted, the dragon can perform a sweeping attack using his wings and snap at them. During combat in the air, Mikhail can breathe fire down onto the ground and at airborne enemies. Mikhail is fully controllable while in the air, flying through the environment and being able to evade enemy fire. Mikhail's main attack, breathing fire, features a lock-on feature which can take in multiple enemies. Mikhail can also enter Intoner Mode while Zero is mounted, which magnifies the amount of damage he can deal. During ground-based missions, Zero can also call in Mikhail to deal damage to enemy units.
Story Setting and characters
Drakengard 3 takes place roughly one hundred years before the events of the first Drakengard game, acting as a prequel to the first two games in the series. Despite being a prequel, Drakengard 3 mostly follows separate timelines unrelated to the events of Drakengard. In earlier times, the land was ravaged by conflict between warlords. At the height of the carnage, five mysterious figures called Intoners appeared and using their ability to utilize magic through song, defeated the warlords and ended the conflict.Narrator: Long ago, in an age tarnished by endless conflict, five beautiful goddesses descended upon the land. The goddesses sang mystical songs that restored peace and harmony to our broken world. The people began to worship these holy songstresses and came to refer to them as Intoners. (Opening) Due to this, they become worshiped as deities and became rulers of various regions of the land. An unspecified time later, in the game's present, the strongest Intoner, One, wishes to unite the five once again and bring stability to the land. The source of the Intoners' power is an evil magical flower. , the main protagonist and antihero, was saved from death to be used as an instrument for mankind's destruction. Zero wishes to destroy all those affected by its power, namely herself and her "sisters" who were spawned by the flower after Zero attempted suicide to ensure the safety of the world.Zero: The first time I saw this flower... was the day I died. Now I'm just a corpse being kept alive by the flower's magic. [...] This flower is a calamity that threatens the entire world. It's growing, feeding off me. Eventually it's going to consume me entirely, and once that happens? Once it's fully grown? It's going to destroy everything. [...] When I realized that I was infected with a flower that was going to end the world, I tried to kill myself. Well, technically I was already dead, but, yeah. Anyway, I tried to rip the damn thing out. But, in the end, I just made things worse. The flower freaked out. Started sprouting these... children. Five little girls, one after another. They burst out of me and ran off before I could blink. [...] Anyway, I made my choice. I decided to kill my sisters, and then destroy the flower. (Branch D, Verse 7)
The player controls Zero, who is now considered a traitor by the Intoners and their followers because of her mission to kill them. Aiding her on her quest is the dragon , who is her mount in aerial battle. The other five Intoners are: , the current ruler of the Intoners; , the more cheerful member of the group and ruler of the Country of Sand; , ruler of the Country of Forest and an obsessive over dolls; , ruler of the Country of Mountain and the only virgin of the group; and , ruler of the Country of Sea and a woman consumed by greed for everything. Traveling with Zero on her quest are the disciples, a group who formerly served the Intoners and accompany Zero after their original mistresses are killed. They include: , a dumb and overconfident man, as well as the lover of the Intoner Two; , an old and cunning man obsessed with sex; a gentlemanly warrior with a masochistic streak; and , a sadistic young man. Each of the disciples helps the Intoner summon angels and daemons into battle. The game is narrated to the player by , an android created by the "old world" to monitor and document all timelines.Zero: What the hell are you, anyway? / Accord: We're Recorders. [...] It's our job to record world events from the ancient past to the distant future. You know the Old World you people are always going on about? Well, I was sent by folks from there. (Branch B, Chapter 2, Lost Verse 2)
Plot Zero and her dragon Michael slaughter their way into the Cathedral City, the center of power for the Intoners. Zero's attempt to kill them directly ends disastrously: she and Michael are gravely wounded by One's own dragon, Gabriel. A year later, Zero and her dragon, now a childlike reincarnation named Mikhail, set off to try killing the Intoners again. They first travel to the Land of Seas to face Five: during the fight, Five is killed by her disciple Dito, whom Zero takes into her service. The group then journey to the Land of Mountains and face Four: after Four's death, Zero recruits Decadus. They then proceed to the Land of Forests. There, Three's disciple Octa attempts to betray his mistress, but she forces him to help her fight Zero. She is killed by Mikhail, who is then attacked and captured by daemons summoned by Two and Cent. Zero pursues them to the Land of Sand, freeing Mikhail from captivity and facing the two. Mikhail kills Two and Cent joins Zero. The group then fight their way into the Cathedral City, where Zero transforms the Disciples into their true dove forms, freeing them from their service to her.Zero: It's unavoidable. Disciples can't remain in human form without an Intoner's power. Sooner or later, you'll disappear. So before that happens... I'm giving you your old forms back. (Branch A, Chapter 5, Verse 3) During her battle with One, Mikhail dies wounding Gabriel, allowing a distraught Zero to finish off Gabriel and One. Zero is then killed by a male clone of One, who decides to create a new religious order in memory of his "sister."One: I see... If there are no Intoners left to protect the world... Then I'll just protect it myself! We'll form a new religion. A religion that worships my sister One. (Branch A, Chapter 5, Ending A)