Sisters one through five plus an extra chapter for Zero

Along with yesterday's PSN update came a host of DLC for Drakengard 3, serving as prologue chapters for Zero's sisters -- the antagonists of the game. During e??ach chapter you'll play as one of her sisters in their own story, and if you buy one DLC you'll get a special in-game weapon

You can opt to buy each?? add-on for $5.99 or spring for the whole bundle for $29.99. There?'s five for Zero's sisters and one for Zero herself, so buying the pass will get you one free DLC.

PlayStation Store Update [PlayStation Blog]

The post Drakengard 3 prologue DLC rolls out on PSN appeared first on Destructoid.

The interview is exactly what it sounds like

Guys, Taro Yoko is adorable. At least, I think he is. I know he's not actually a cute little puppet, but this interview regarding Drakengard 3 is adorable and informative. This may be one of my favori?te interviews yet, simply because Taro is so earnest and straightforward with his answers.

Taro details his decision to implement mainly female characters, his personal thoughts related to the series after working on it for a decade, and even a mention of Nier (excellent game, go play it) and its fundamental narrative philosophy. In short, you should check it out if you're a fan of Taro's work, and not just because he's speaking as a cute little sock puppet. And go read our review. Chris enjoyed himself. 

The post Watch Taro Yoko discuss Drakengard 3? as a sock puppet appeared first on Destructoid.

A bloody good time

The Drakengard ser?ies doesn't often see the light of day. I had the good fortune of playing the first two games nearly a decade ago, and although they always stay in the back of my mind, it never really comes up in the conversation of games I'd like to see brought back to life.

But here we are nearly 10 years later with Drakengard 3, and I have to s?ay, I love what ?Access Games has done with the formula.

Drakengard 3 (PS3)
Developer: Access Games
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: May 20, 2014
MSRP: $59.99

Drakengard 3 has a very odd visual motif -- it's both extremely violent, and daringly graceful in the same breath. The story is told through anime-like cutscenes with lone characters killing hundreds of minions with super-powered lightning quick moves, but like Nier, it often tugs at you?r heart strings ??and delivers real-world issues and problems in the very next scene.

It's not just that the game looks different than everything else out there -- it's also stylish as hell, much like the Devil May Cry ?series. Characters stand out from one another in an instant, and the artwork and locales are absolutely beautiful to look at. The only hang-up is said visuals can cause dips in the frame rate, and it can get particularly bad with lots of enemies on-screen at a time. Thankfully, it's always playable?, despite the nuisance.

Drakengard 3 is a prequel to the first two games, and stars Zero -- a being known as an "Intoner," who descended from the heavens with incredible power. The game wastes no time getting into the thick of things, as the opening narrative informs the audience that Zero is out to murder her sisters. It's here in the prologue that you'll learn the basics of movement and combat, as you march towards your glorious victory against your familial?? rivals.

The only prob?lem is -- things end horribly for Zero. She loses her arm, is nearly killed, and her dragon companion Michael is slain. After resting for a year and completing her work on an artificial arm, she sets off with her new dragon Mikhail for revenge. Despite this simple premise, the story adds new mysteries with every turn.

The true nature of the Intoners, the personalities and histories of the sisters, and why Zero wants blood so badly are all explored, and I felt compelled to truck forward and figure it all out for myself. Mikhail also presents an interesting contrast fr??om a narrative standpoint, as his calm, childish demeanor is often juxtaposed against Zero's constant anger.

There's lots of dialog here, most of it fully voiced, and it borders on drama and comedy at the drop of a hat. Most of the comedic efforts are pretty dirty, ranging from dragon urina??tion jokes to lots of swearing or sexual innuendo. It's not laugh out loud funny all the time, but I found myself smiling and chuckling consistently throughout. I should also add that the musical score on a whole is stupendous, and one of the best JRPG soundtracks I've heard in a long while.

My favorite part of Drakengard 3 however is the action system itself. It's sort of like Dynasty Warriors in a sense, but with tighte??r and faster mechanics. Zero can block, jump, dash and air-dash, making her extremely versatile right out of t?he gate. You'll also have the option of using power attacks by depleting your stamina gauge, which is also used for blocking -- creating a risk-reward type system giving you control over your level of offense and defense.

As the story continues Zero will pick up new weapons like spears, which she can instantly swap on the fly (think Devil May Cry 3). With al??l of her basic tools and the swap system, you can create strings of combos that include options like aerial raves and the like, which is a ton of fun. It's all very cool looking and very responsive, and as an action fan I found it extremely impressive considering the large emphasis on other RPG elements like leveling and equipment.

Mikhail can be called in during certain sequences, either as a helper who periodically attacks on-screen foes or as a full-on mount. The developers did a great job here of making him feel like a true companion from both a gameplay and story standpoint. Drakengard 3 isn't really an open-world or free-roaming RPG though, as the game is segmented into missions, complete with interludes that?? allow you to customize your loadouts or buy new equipment and items.

It's not too challenging of a game all things considered, because the difficulty curve is meticulously designed to not overwhe?lm or frustrate players. It's well made to the point where you won't feel like everything is too easy, and if you really need that extra edge to overcome a certain task, you can go back and level-up with sidequests. If you want to do everything you'll probably find yourself around a 100-hour completion rate, but the story is r??oughly at the 40-hour mark.

Drakengard 3 is a bit unconventional at times (like its developer) with tales of extreme hair cutting and dragon piss, but action fans will want to seek this one out immediately. Within 15 minutes I was drawn into its world and its cast of characters, and I wanted to see Zero's journey through from start to finish. If you like games like Nier, you'll love Drakengard 3.

The post Review: Drakengard 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Lovely stuff

Drakengard 3 sound director Keiichi Okabe worked with Square Enix to share pieces of the game's two-disc, 33 song soundtrack on the official website. There's plenty?? of samples to flip through, and they show that the sound team did not mess around when it came to creating the score. I wish some of the samples were longer, but you can still get a good idea of what we can expect from the short clips. There are plenty of strong, fast-pace pieces, I really love the vocal pieces, like "Descendeus."

Okabe also gave a look into ??the role of music in the game's development in a new developer video, also found on the official site. In it you'll find footage straight from the game, with examples on how the music and game come together. He talks about how his team feels that their music isn't created from scratch as they work to draw from the game's design, art, and story to create their melodies. 

Drakengard 3 may not be out yet, but you can buy the soundtrack right now. I need this.

The post You should c??heck out these new Drakengar??d 3 music samples appeared first on Destructoid.

This is following the sales of Drakengard 3

Yoko Taro, director of Nier and Drakengard 3, is not having a good year. Recently, he took to Twitter to dash any hopes of a PS4 version of Drakengard 3, stating, "I hope to make the game for PS4 but I can’t have enough money for? development."

Drakengard 3 has since opened up to decent (but not great) sales in Japan, and that isn't good news for his 2014 plans. Speaking to 4Gamer, Yoko stated, "next year, I’ll be going back to unemployment, so I don’t have anything as far as a next title goes, but as I sit here and mope, I hope everyone has a great and fun 2014. That is all??."

It's a sad situation for sure. I wish Yoko the best, and as a fan of the series, I can't wait to see what Drakengard 3 has to offer later this year myself.

今年は総勢 [4Gamer via Siliconera]

The post Drakengard/Nier director ‘going back to unemployment’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Available now for your importing pleasure

If Sony is going to make good on its promise of ten year life cycle for the PlayStation 3, it's going to need a little help from games (like Drakengard 3)?? that continue to trickle ??out for the venerable system in a post-PS4 world.

The action role-playing game won't be ?arriving on western shores until sometime next year, but just made its debut in Japan this week. While we await the localized release, feel free to feast your flower-eyes on the latest promotional footage for the title.

The post Drakengard 3 gets leng??thy new trailer ??for Japanese launch appeared first on Destructoid.

More images of Square Enix's 'hit them with things' games

[Update: I am not changing the typo in the headline.]

You woke up this morning and hoped you'd seen some Drakengard 3 screenshots on Destructoid, didn't you? Well, you're 100% covered! Here are some Drakengard 3 screenshots, which you could view anywhere, like on All Games Beta, but you can also see here!

Plenty of combat images for your juicy exaltation, along with some pictures of a lady called IV. I'm assuming she's called IV, since?? people are known by numbers in this universe, and she's got a tattoo on her head with that number. Coincidence?!?!?!

Anyway, I'm quit??e looking forward to this. I would like ?to hit people with stuff, please.

The post Holds these D?rakengard 3 screens close?? to your wet chest! appeared first on Destructoid.

Shouting, flower eyes, and dragons

Here's a debut trailer for Square Enix's upcoming Drakengard 3, detailing the story (in Japanese) and showcasing the hack n' slash gameplay fans would come to expect. It looks like some good ol' fashioned Drakengard action, and that's no bad thing. 

The game's heading to PS3 on October 31 in Japan, and one can hope it's coming our way. It's been a long time since I fiddled with Drakengard, and I'd quite like another go at it.

The post Drakengard 3 gets debut trailer with gameplay appeared first on Destructoid.