What We Know About Drakengard 3

The action hack-and-slash JRPG infamous for its dark, bizarro and insane storytelling makes a comeback to the PlayStation 3 with its third installment entitled Drakengard 3 (Drag-on Dragoon 3 for the Japanese title.)

Watch the trailer first before we begin:

Considered a prequel to the original Drakengard, the story starts with our anti-hero named Zero, who is out to kill her five younger sisters. If this was based on your typical JRPG formula, it would be because she needs to kill them to save the world, right? In a world where incest and eating children is normal, with the final scene being a dragon fight with a pregnant woman the size of a skyscraper while the protagonists are shot down and killed as the ending credits roll (Drakengard 2), the answer is no. The premise is that:

In earlier times, the land was ravaged by conflict. At the height of the carnage, five mysterious figures called Utautai descended from the heavens and, using their ability to utilize magic through song, ended the war. They were worshiped by the people and became rulers of various regions of the land, with the group becoming known as the “Intoners.” An unspecified time later, the strongest Intoner, One, wishes to unite the five once again and bring a lasting peace to the land; but a sixth Utautai, named Zero, appears on the scene, determined to kill the other five Utautai.

There you have it. Our protagonist wants to kill her sisters who want peace and harmony in the world.

With the last release of its title last 2005, and a series spin-off titled Nier last 2010, producer Takamasa Shiba told Polygon that similar to its previous installments, the game is aimed directly to mature JRPG players- ”Casual games were becoming more popular, and we saw another problem: the JRPG market was shrinking, and we realized we just needed to make more.” I like it. Casual games usually end up being too mundane and stereotypical, just something to pass time with- no character depth, well-developed plot, whatsoever. A true RPG gets you immersed in the game and embarks you in a memorable journey.

Kotaku actually stated that Drakengard 3 will be one of the weirdest JRPGs we’ll see next year-

Some of us like video games that we might call “insane.” We mean this in the best of possible ways. Video games can be weird—fever-dream weird, something’s-not-quite-right-with-the-people-who-made-it weird—and when we see one, we want to play it. Sometimes the ordinary-looking action we can play goes hand-in-hand with a bit of madness that makes a potentially indistinct game a must-play.

So what makes this game ‘insane’? For starters, both protagonists and antagonists all seem have a screw loose based from the character descriptions I read, with the most intriguing:

Traveling with Zero on her quest are the Apostles, a group who accompany Zero to satisfy her sexual wants, and have various motivations and quirks that are explored in the story. Dito is a boy who likes to watch others die; Cent is a middle-aged overconfident man who is in mutual love with Two; Octo is an old pervert; and Decad is a masochist ashamed of his hobby. Also aiding her on her quest is the young dragon Mikhail, a pacifist who sometimes clashes with Zero’s agenda, but still aids her and is her mount in aerial battle.

Her companions are there to satisfy her sexual wants? Never have I seen that in a game before, at least for the main protagonist. And quite frankly, besides that part of the story being fucked up, all her companions are also fucked up and dysfunctional in their own special way- I love it!

Left to right, top to bottom: sisters Zero to Five

Here’s a brief description of her five sisters she wants to kill:

The other five Utautai are: One, the most compassionate of the six and the second most powerful Utautai; Two, the more cheerful member of the group and ruler of the Country of Sand; Three, ruler of the Country of Forest and an obsessive who helped Zero rise to her current position; Four, ruler of the Country of Mountain and the only virgin of the group; and Five, ruler of the Country of Sea and a woman consumed by greed for everything.

Apparently, all sisters are bat-shit crazy for sex, save for number Four. I wonder how that will play out?

So what happens when we mix all these characters together who appear to be inside (and outside?) the blurred grey lines of good and evil? I can’t really tell. But what I do know is that it will be awesome. The dark tone pretty much resembled Nier’s main plot- no one was actually good or bad, they were all just fighting for what they believed in. I guess that’s it for now. Gah, I can’t wait for more content to be teased!

Other good news: Keiichi Okabe, music composer for Nier, will be returning to do Drakengard 3′s soundtrack! Shiba also stated that if the game is successful, they might push through a new Valkyrie Profile game!

Anyway, this game is slated in the NA this 2014. Will keep you guys updated!

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