Rating: - Criminally Underrated...
EDIT:Umm...there should be 5 stars up there for overall...must be a site glitch.
The first Drakengard was an interesting deviation from Square Enix's strict regimen of traditional RPG's. The concept was intriguing: try to spice up Dynasty Warriors type action and add on a story to actually make it all drive towards SOMETHING. The result was a very addictive but mixed effort. A friend once told me, "it's a horrible game and I've beaten it 3 times". While that's a bit strong, it portrays well that the game suck you in for longer than you intended to play. The story was reasonably compelling, but towards the end, it completely loses cohesion and sanity.
Enter Drakengard 2. Fans of the first game were disappointed that the number of endings had been reduced and that there weren't really any extra chapters of gameplay. Everything else about the game has been greatly improved. All in all, Drakengard is just as oddly addicting as the first game and the package as a whole feels more complete.
Music: Drakengard featured a rather dissonant but enjoyable soundtrack. The soundtrack here is more melodic and even beautiful at points. It well performs of elevating the atmosphere for the game's large battles.
Story: I highly recommend playing the first Drakengard before playing the sequel. While the story in the first is disjointed, playing to at least the first ending makes events in the sequel meaningful. Drakengard 2's story is one of the big forces that keep the gamer playing "just one more level." Definitely a plus.
Graphics: definitely improved a bit from the first. Some of the combos (especially with one of the female characters) are simply spectacular. Many review sites bemoaned the "dated graphics", but I'm not sure what they're complaining about- I was quite pleased.
Gameplay: The gameplay in D2 is a nice improvement and offers up some missing variety. The first game was partly addicting because of its weapon system. Many scores of weapons could be found hidden in the game's many levels. Each weapon could then be leveled up to increase both its attributes and the power/effect of its magic attack. D2 keeps this system but also adds on items and accessories- You'll need them. On the challenging difficulty and any difficulty up, D2 can be a bit of a challenge. This all becomes quite rewarding when you master some of the new combat additions. Different weapons can now unlock different combos. In addition, a much needed parry system has been introduced. Finally, the game has 4 playable characters and give good reason to switch between them. It's true that much of the time you'll be mashing the square button, but that's not the full story. To beat the game on any difficulty other than normal, you'll need skill.
Drakengard 2 may not be cutting edge, but for anybody who liked the first Drakengard, this is a must buy. Action game fans should give it a try- they might just find themselves sucked in.
Rating: - Amazing game!!!
If you are looking for a game that will wrap you inside it this is the game. The graphics are fantastic and the storyline is great!!
Rating: - Interesting yet...oddly difficult.
The graphics and storyline are amazing, there's no doubt about that. The only issue about this game is that it's sometimes too difficult to obtain money to upgrade weapons or even get recovery potions.
What makes it even weirder is, that when you use different kinds of weapons, you sometimes get the same combo attacks. As it stands, Eris and Ulrick are the strongest characters, but you lose them early in the game to have them really be effective (except Eris, you do regain her later in the game). Manah is strong, really strong, especially with her staves and combos -- this also includes her magic attacks that obliterate the enemies. My one gripe is the main character himself (who surprisingly, I can't even remember the name). Not strong weapons and not strong magic attacks to boot. He's like, some kind of hybrid; a magic user and a melee user. This sucks even more when you're completely by yourself in around chapter 11 and have to obtain money to fight crazy Manahs.
Other than getting a minor HP boost, there really is no point in actually leveling. The only thing that really matters is leveling your weapons, which can be tedious or fast -- depending on the weapon. In the story, merchants say "this so and so weapon has magical powers and is super duper strong!" (obviously not with that wording) but it comes with some of the lowest attack power you've ever seen. How will you beat bosses with such a low attack power and a weapon that takes forever to level?
All in all, it's an okay game. I mean, if I had a gameshark, I'd probably use it so I wouldn't be bored trying to level my weapons or get infinite gold so I wouldn't have to go mission through mission just to help pay for potions.
Rating: - So boring
Just giving people a warning here. This game is very dull. The voice acting is poor, the dialogue is juvenile, and you can complete the game using a couple of buttons (just keep trying to hit something, maybe move around a little and eventually you'll kill it). Also, I have no idea why it is rated M. I wasn't looking for a gore fest or anything like that but this game would really be ok for a 12 year old (or younger) to play. Don't waste your money, please.
- Criminally Underrated...
- Amazing game!!!
- So boring
