Drakengard (Square Enix)

[London Geezer]

Sounds promising so far. Also, IGN.com previously mentioned it is a title for BOTH PS2 and Xbox... Interesting...

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/474/474737p1.html

 

[London Geezer]

Some quotes:

Made up of team members that have worked on such past hits as Resident Evil, Ridge Racer, Ace Combat, and ICO, the Dragonsphere team certainly knows how to make quality videogames -- even if they'd never formerly worked together as a unit before this.

now that's a mix....

From the outset, it's pretty obvious that Drakengard is definitely larger than your normal videogame experience. Spanning 13 story-centric chapters, the game boasts a reported total of 100-plus hours of gameplay with multiple endings and minor story paths. Each chapter can last anywhere from two to five hours apiece, and the plot moves forward via a combination of cinematic CGI cut scenes and dialogue segments told via the in-game engine.

Based on what we've played so far, Drakengard is pretty entertaining to play. Though it definitely suffers from the same repetitious hack and slash syndrome that plagues the Dynasty Warriors series, fans of those types of games should feel right at home -- especially once they learn that they can find up to 64 different weapons and magic abilities with plenty of combinations to supplement them

Speaking of hopeful changes, the early A.I. is definitely a little on the weak side. As enemies literally stand, move, and attack in exact unison while showing almost no aggression whatsoever. In the last leg of chapter one, we started to notice a distinct change in how enemies were coming at us (far more realistically), but whether or not that was the extent of how varied and aggressive they can become -- we just don't know yet

Overall Drakengard is a pretty impressive piece of software. Though it's definitely not on the same level as Square Enix's other franchises like Final Fantasy or Star Ocean just yet, it could end up becoming the perfect introductory RPG for curious role-playing newbies. One word of advice though -- Square Enix definitely needs to vary its music between the stages more, because as it stands now, it's bordering on the realm of the weaksauce; Either way, we'll be back with more on Drakengard and how its progress is looking fairly soon.

Nice so far, although very early...

 

[cthellis42]

Also, IGN.com previously mentioned it is a title for BOTH PS2 and Xbox... Interesting...

Where did it mention that? Would certainly be a weird move, and nothing I've heard a whit about otherwise. It's not mentioned on the official Drag-on Dragoon site that I can find, and it would certainly be a surprising move for SquareEnix offhand. (Or Square or Enix by themselves before that.)

Meanwhile, the game itself looks decidedly hot. ^_^

 

[London Geezer]

Also, IGN.com previously mentioned it is a title for BOTH PS2 and Xbox... Interesting...

Where did it mention that? Would certainly be a weird move, and nothing I've heard a whit about otherwise. It's not mentioned on the official Drag-on Dragoon site that I can find, and it would certainly be a surprising move for SquareEnix offhand. (Or Square or Enix by themselves before that.)

Meanwhile, the game itself looks decidedly hot. ^_^

Well i was browsing IGN the other day and i'm sure i read something like that!

...it was probably another game and the 2 neurons left in my brain just mixed the 2 threads of information up... oh well...

 

[maskrider]

If that is indeed Drag-On-Dragon, I will not be interested at all as I have sold my copy of DOD 2 months ago.

The graphics is very nice but the game is just so-so IMHO.

 

[London Geezer]

If that is indeed Drag-On-Dragon, I will not be interested at all as I have sold my copy of DOD 2 months ago.

The graphics is very nice but the game is just so-so IMHO.

well, this is a new game, not even completed..... so.... not sure...

 

[cthellis42]

You didn't even read your own link?

Known on our side of the Pacific as Drakengard and developed by the "Project Dragonsphere" team at Cavia, the March-bound experiment formerly identified as Drag-On Dragoon finds its roots in prestigious company.

It's just the name we get, since DOD is a bit... uh... dippy? (Please tell me it has SOME extra meaning out there, Mask! Hehe...) And offhand I'd put its brand of action in exactly the same mold as I would Dragon Warriors, which is to say not very deep, but one that can certainly be a lot of fun. And IMHO, throwing air combat with dragons into a game is never a bad idea.

Most games like this don't have a lot of replay fun or lasting value, though... (Even with the multi-player elements that DW put in, and Drakengard lacks) But they're almost always a helluva rent! ^_^

 

[London Geezer]

What i said is that Maskrider can't have sold a game that's not out yet, 2 months ago...

Also, 100 hour gameplay seems a lot to me... We'll have to see...

 

[cthellis42]

Drag-On Dragoon launched in the beginning of September to reasonable numbers (but only sold 241k in all of 2003).

The "incomplete" nature you're getting out of the IGN review I imagine comes from the english version being incomplete (they may be adding some extras) and them not having played all of the game to be able to give a full review. It's expected to ship in the beginning of March, after all. But this is one of those "six month+ delays" we usually experience from Japanese to US release.

 

[London Geezer]

.....errrmmm.... u serious?.......

I'm such an idiot...... HAHAHA can't believe how stupid i am.... oh dear... back to work...

 

[maskrider]

It's just the name we get, since DOD is a bit... uh... dippy? (Please tell me it has SOME extra meaning out there, Mask! Hehe...) And offhand I'd put its brand of action in exactly the same mold as I would Dragon Warriors, which is to say not very deep, but one that can certainly be a lot of fun. And IMHO, throwing air combat with dragons into a game is never a bad idea.

Heh ! Whatever meaning you want !

I have played through 5 or 6 missions but I simply couldn't get myself into it, it is like a free to view/move PDO (you are always on a rail in PDO) combined with Dynasty Warrior with a flying aid (the dragon).

Got really bored after playing those missions.

 

[London Geezer]

Heh ! Whatever meaning you want !

I have played through 5 or 6 missions but I simply couldn't get myself into it, it is like a free to view/move PDO (you are always on a rail in PDO) combined with Dynasty Warrior with a flying aid (the dragon).

Got really bored after playing those missions.

I guess that puts this thread to rest....

Anything cool about the game? Or, actually, finish me off, just give me more reasons why we should all stay away from this game...

 

[maskrider]

Heh ! Whatever meaning you want !

I have played through 5 or 6 missions but I simply couldn't get myself into it, it is like a free to view/move PDO (you are always on a rail in PDO) combined with Dynasty Warrior with a flying aid (the dragon).

Got really bored after playing those missions.

I guess that puts this thread to rest....

Anything cool about the game? Or, actually, finish me off, just give me more reasons why we should all stay away from this game...

The rendered CG movies are pretty cool, and the graphics is indeed very nicely done. May be because I played too many Dynasty Warrior games and I don't really like PDO style shooting. Give it a rent and see if you like it.

 

[London Geezer]

Me sad...

Still waiting for my yearly ration of good RPG... For f**k's sake, we still don't have FFX-2....

 

[maskrider]

Me sad...

Still waiting for my yearly ration of good RPG... For f**k's sake, we still don't have FFX-2....

But you are going to have a dubbed Siren in March, or you can get the import version of FF X-2 International + Last Mission which is English dubbed/Japanese sub-titled if you can play it on your PS2.

 

[cthellis42]

May be because I played too many Dynasty Warrior games and I don't really like PDO style shooting. Give it a rent and see if you like it.

Well methinks that'll certainly influence you somewhat. I rather like both, so am looking to seeing how the merge of them goes.

 

[London Geezer]

Me sad...

Still waiting for my yearly ration of good RPG... For f**k's sake, we still don't have FFX-2....

But you are going to have a dubbed Siren in March, or you can get the import version of FF X-2 International + Last Mission which is English dubbed/Japanese sub-titled if you can play it on your PS2.

Yeah Siren is very much in my top 10 most wanted list, and by the time FFX-2 reaches this continent by import, the PAL version will have come out...

 

[maskrider]

Me sad...

Still waiting for my yearly ration of good RPG... For f**k's sake, we still don't have FFX-2....

But you are going to have a dubbed Siren in March, or you can get the import version of FF X-2 International + Last Mission which is English dubbed/Japanese sub-titled if you can play it on your PS2.

Yeah Siren is very much in my top 10 most wanted list, and by the time FFX-2 reaches this continent by import, the PAL version will have come out...

Siren (PAL) is due to ship on March 29. FF X-2 I+LM will be released on February 19, it shouldn't take a month to get from Japan to UK, ha ha.

I will very possibly also get the PAL version of Siren.

Sega Ages 2500 V.R. Virtura Racing will be released on February 26.

 

[London Geezer]

Thanks matey,

I'll just wait till FFX-2 comes out, not like i have much time for gaming lately (havent played anything for more than a month now), with uni and work... What a life...

I'm actually thinking 2ice before actually buying FFX2, this single piece of software might indirectly cause a major uncontrollable disaster come June, when i have to sit my final exams for this year...

 

[oi]

Since we're on the subject of Siren anyways, does anyone know if you'll be able to choose between japanese or english voices? I dunno but I think I'd rather play it in japanese, it would add to the feeling hehe.