Drakengard 3 Initial Gameplay (2014, Access Games/Square Enix)
1Drakengard 3 is an action role-playing game developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in December 2013 in Japan and in May 2014 in North America and Europe. It is the third 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 Taro Yoko 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.
Drakengard 3 takes place roughly one hundred years before the events of Drakengard, 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[Note 2] appeared and using their ability to utilize magic through song, defeated the warlords and ended the conflict. 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 flower that saved Zero from death to use her as an instrument for mankind's destruction. Zero was its original host and she now wishes to destroy all those affected by its power, herself and 'sisters' spawned when Zero attempted suicide and ensure the safety of the world.
The player controls Zero (ゼロ Zero?), the main protagonist and antihero, considered a traitor by the Intoners and their followers because of her mission to kill them. Aiding her on her quest is the dragon Mikhail (ミハイル Mihairu?), who aids her and is her mount in aerial battle. The other five Intoners are: One (ワン Wan), the current ruler of the Intoners; Two (トウ Tou), the more cheerful member of the group and ruler of the Country of Sand; Three (スリイ Surii), ruler of the Country of Forest and an obsessive over dolls; Four (フォウ Fou), ruler of the Country of Mountain and the only virgin of the group; and Five (ファイブ Faibu), 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 formally served the Intoners and accompany Zero after their original mistresses are killed.