Drakengard
Encyclopedia
Drakengard, known in Japan as , is a PlayStation 2
action role-playing game
developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix
and Take-Two Interactive
. It was released on September 11, 2003 in Japan, on March 5, 2004 in North America and on May 21, 2004 in PAL territories.
The game was originally developed by Cavia in the Enix
name. It was also Square Enix's first game to be rated Mature by the ESRB
. Drakengard was scored by Takayuki Aihara and Nobuyoshi Sano.
The game's sequel, Drakengard 2
, was released in Japan on June 16, 2005. It takes place 18 years after the events of the original game.
Drakengard is divided into chapters and subdivided into verses. Missions numbered with Roman numerals
lead to endings other than the one merited in Chapter 8, and can only be played if the player meets certain requirements. The Game has four additional alternate endings. Each of these endings, along with the canonical ending, are achieved by certain events in the game. The first ending deals with Furiae resurrected by Inuart using a Seed of Destruction, and then the second has Angelus revoking her pact with Caim and fighting him to the death. The last two deal with the Grotesqueries revealing themselves and the "world of the gods", Tokyo, is shown in one of them. These last two are used in the sequel to explain the true nature of the world of Drakengard and the Grotesqueries themselves.
(カールレオン, Kārureon), a location deeply connected to Arthurian legend. In the English version, it remains unnamed), Caim was forced to witness the brutal murder of his parents by an Imperial black dragon. Since then, he swore vengeance on the Empire and Dragons, fighting as a soldier in the army of the Union. Mortally wounded, he encountered the red dragon Angelus, who was near death as well. Though he hated dragons, Caim demanded Angelus to accept his offer of a pact that would save both of them. Since then, Caim lost his voice in the exchange, marked on his tongue, and thus the only human Angelus revealed her name out of their new-found respect for each other to before becoming the new seal. Age 24.
sent by the Empire, breeding a hatred in him toward both the Empire and dragons. During the war against the Empire, Caim is mortally wounded, but comes across a red dragon imprisoned by the Empire. Although neither Caim nor the dragon are fond of each other, they cannot deny that they need each other's help to survive but the dragon remains reluctant. After fending off squads of advancing soldiers, the dragon accepts to creating a pact, fusing their souls, healing their wounds. The price Caim paid to enter the pact was his voice, rendering him mute and causing a pact emblem to appear on his tongue. Caim and his pact partner soar into the sky with newfound power, obliterating the Empire's air force and disposing of the rest of their infantry.
Caim and the dragon regroup with Inuart, a long time friend of Caim's and talented musician, and his sister, Furiae, the Goddess of the Seals. Inuart proposes that they seek asylum in the elf village that holds the Seal of the Forest. Without protests or delay, they head off, only to find the village invaded and realise that the protection of the seal now is hopeless. Hierarch Verdelet, Guardian of the Seals, speaks through the dragon, pleading with the group to bring the Goddess to the temple that holds the Seal of the Desert. Caim learns from a dying elf, that hostages have been taken by cultists to the Shrine of the Watchers. Caim sets off to rescue them as Inuart heeds the message of the Guardian and sets off to the desert temple with Furiae.
Caim fights through the shrine only to find that the kidnapped elves have been taken elsewhere. Later, within the Valley of the Faeries, Caim meets Leonard, who becomes an ally and is revealed to have a pact with Faerie, sacrificing his sight which is visible by the emblem on his eyes. The dragon reveals that Inuart and Verdelet have been captured, so the group quickly set off to the Seal of the Desert. Arriving at the desert, Caim finds Furiae safe, though realises it was too late for Inuart and Verdelet. Caim heads to the Imperial Prison to rescue them, succeeding only in finding Verdelet, learning that Inuart has been taken someplace else.
They return to the desert, only to find the seal broken. The group then finds Arioch, an elf driven to insanity after witnessing the death of her family by the Empire who sealed a pact with Undine and Salamander, her pact price being her ability to conceive. After Arioch joins the party, Inuart appears, having sealed a pact with not only a black dragon but the one that murdered Caim's parents, demands that Caim allow him to free Furiae by bringing her to the Empire. Caim refuses and the both engage in an intense aerial battle. Caim is defeated, and Furiae is taken by Inuart. Caim, realising his duty, delays the rescue of his sister and the group head to the Seal of the Ocean, only to find that too, has been broken.
Verdelet explains his speculation as to why the Empire wish for the destruction of the seals, stating that the destruction of each and every one marks the birth of the "Seed of Destruction" which is thought to reconstruct a new world. The party arrive at the Imperial Lands and find a young orphan boy by the name of Seere, who explains that his sister was taken by the Empire and plead that they allow him to join the group. It is then revealed that he also sealed a pact, a pact with a golem in sacrifice for his "time" or ability to age. The entire group join the final battle between the Union and the Empire, resulting in the latter's defeat. Celebrations are short-lived however, as the sky turns black and an unsettling evil arises.
Fire rains from the sky and the corpses of the Imperial Army are reanimated. A fortress appears in the sky and so does Inuart, who challenges Caim. Caim is victorious and Inuart returns to the fortress, having learnt he has been possessed, he discovers that Furiae has been killed by no other but himself. In the first ending, the party succeed in stopping Manah, high priestess of the Cult of Watchers and sister to Seere, whose powers are sealed by Verdelet. Having been driven insane, the young girl has been possessed by otherworldly entities that desire the Goddess and the seals that prevent chaos from overwhelming the world and destroying it. Caim and the dragon manage to stop them, though the dragon, whose name is revealed to be Angelus at the game's end, volunteers to become the new seal, despite her inappropriateness as a seal (being a dragon) and Caim's protest, and disappears. This is one of five endings and is the one which leads to the events of Drakengard 2.
The second ending involves Inuart and Furiae after she is killed. Inuart takes Furiae and tries to resurrect her with the Seed of Destruction. Although she is revived she is a monster, now having godly powers and wings. She kills Inuart and Caim engages in battle. After a long and grueling aerial fight, Caim succeeds in defeating his reborn sister. Standing atop a hill carrying what was once Furiae, Caim gazes upon the landscape only to see a myriad of the monster he holds in his arms.
The third ending involves Caim and Angelus. Manah, out of desperation and realisation that all is lost, attempts to summon a dragon but results in the dragon consuming her. The power that once resided in her flows into Angelus, and she now becomes the Chaos Dragon. After becoming this new dragon, the pact between Caim and Angelus is broken. But Angelus, although still having respect and love towards Caim, knows that they must fight for the rising dragons plan on destroying humanity and taking over the world. Caim pulls through and defeats her but hears more dragons coming his way. Accepting the fate of the world, Caim runs outside full speed to battle until his final breath.
The fourth ending consists of Caim, Angelus and Seere. After the death of Manah at the hands of her brother, what order is left in the world is lost and absolute destruction is imminent. Grotesqueries, what appear to be huge babies that consume and destroy everything in sight, fall from the sky. Arioch becomes obsessed with the image of children and runs towards them as they crush and consume her. Leonard sacrifices himself by self destructing to clear a path for Angelus, Caim and Seere. Soon after, the Queen Grotesqueries (a massive woman with a stone complexion and no hair), rises from the ground. Angelus and Caim desperately weigh out their limited options, finally deciding on what must be done. Seere, with his significant pact sacrifice, has the ability to stop time, at the cost of his life. Caim, Angelus and Seere fly towards the Queen Grotesqueries, dropping Seere onto her. Angelus and Caim, having achieved their final task, are killed by the overwhelming number of Grotesqueries. Finally, Seere asks his sister to forgive him as he releases bursts of light from his body as black fume surrounds him, covering the Queen Grotesqueries and Grotesqueries, forever frozen in time.
In the fifth and final ending, Caim and Angelus travel across a dimensional boundary to fight the Queen Grotesqueries, and in a strange twist end up flying over modern Tokyo. After defeating the Queen Grotesqueries in an unusual battle, Angelus states, "It is done, at last", before being shot down by a pair of fighter jets when finally a radio transmission is heard, "This is Bravo 1, unidentified target has been neutralised. Over and out". The final credits roll silently as the sounds of a typical urban area in Tokyo is heard, the end of which scrolls down to a dead Angelus impaled onto Tokyo Tower. This ending and final setting leads to Nier
, another game by Cavia.
of Square Enix USA, described Drakengard as a "perfect hybrid of genres" due to its blend of action, character growth influenced by role-playing games, and a "solid story that binds it all together". According to him, the game is intended to appeal to gamers looking for a "deeper action game".
The Japanese version of Drakengard, Drag-On Dragoon, featured such taboo plot points as incest and pedophilia. However, this was toned down or outright removed from all western versions, but not completely (Angelus: Because you are brother and sister? What manner of excuse is that?).
The Japanese version of the game featured several very adult oriented themes, and many characters had more than questionable sexual orientations and/or perversion. Leonard, in the Japanese version, is actually a paedophile, and Furiae feels sexual desire for her brother. Arioch, who has lost her womb from her pact and gone mad, enjoys killing children. While all of this isn't reflected in the actual game play, it is inside cut scenes and conversations between characters. Most of these were removed in the American version of the game, making certain cut scenes very difficult to understand. For example, when partly possessed by "The Watchers", Furiae chooses to kill herself, rather than reveal her feelings for her brother, but the censorship makes the reasons for her actions very unclear.
The soundtrack were composed by & . Although each track on the album is credited to one artist only, they were said to have worked together on multiple tracks. The music is usually described by critics as experimental and that it wouldn't please everyone. Most of the tracks present repetitive 2 second sounds/samples, that repeat during the entire song, as would an old scratched vinyl disc. During the course of these tracks, those sounds may vary sightly and/or others may be added or removed. The overall result, while not being praised for its musical quality, was highly appreciated for its integration within the game, and its overall corrupt and broken atmosphere.
("Tsukiru" performed by Eriko Hatsune in the Japanese version), Drakengard featured samplings from Antonín Dvořák
(Othello, Op. 93; Carnival Overture
, Op. 92; Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"
), Béla Bartók
(The Miraculous Mandarin
), Claude Debussy
(La Mer
), Gustav Mahler
(Symphony No. 5
), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(Le Nozze Di Figaro
), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(The Swan Lake
; Capriccio Italien
; The Nutcracker Suite
; 1812 Overture Solennelle
; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
), Ottorino Respighi
(Feste Romane
), Richard Wagner
(Götterdämmerung
; Die Walküre
; Tannhäuser
), Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
(Capriccio Espagnol
) (credited twice, once without "Nicolai"), Modest Mussorgsky
(Pictures at an Exhibition
) and Gustav Holst
(The Planets
).
voiced both the Dragon and the protagonist Caim. He expressed his affection for the story of the game and the relationship between the two characters.
' s place at the top of the sales charts. By the end of 2003, the game had sold 241,014 copies in the region. In 2010, UGO
included the game as the #5 in the article The 11 Weirdest Game Endings.
adaptation of Drakengard was co-developed and co-published by Square Enix
and Macrospace
. The game is available in English
, French
, German
, Italian
and Spanish
. It features four different locations and two battle modes: a side-scrolling ground mode and an aerial dragon-riding mode. Achieving high scores unlocks hints and tips for the PlayStation 2 version of the game.
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
and Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
. It was released on September 11, 2003 in Japan, on March 5, 2004 in North America and on May 21, 2004 in PAL territories.
The game was originally developed by Cavia in the Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
name. It was also Square Enix's first game to be rated Mature by the ESRB
Entertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...
. Drakengard was scored by Takayuki Aihara and Nobuyoshi Sano.
The game's sequel, Drakengard 2
Drakengard 2
Drakengard 2, or in Japan, is an action RPG for the PlayStation 2 system and is a direct sequel to the original Drakengard. Like the original, Drakengard 2 combines on-foot hack and slash with aerial combat stages reminiscent of Sega's Panzer Dragoon...
, was released in Japan on June 16, 2005. It takes place 18 years after the events of the original game.
Gameplay
Drakengard features ground missions, aerial missions, and Free Expedition Mode. It also has two difficulty modes, which are Easy and Normal. The player does not need to erase the game and start over for any reason whatsoever. It is optional to go back to an earlier chapter or verse if the player has missed something. In Drakengard the dragon gains greater attack power as it gains experience and levels up. At certain points of the story the dragon evolves into a different, more powerful form, which enhances the dragons attack powers, magical attacks and allows to lock on to more enemies.Drakengard is divided into chapters and subdivided into verses. Missions numbered with Roman numerals
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
lead to endings other than the one merited in Chapter 8, and can only be played if the player meets certain requirements. The Game has four additional alternate endings. Each of these endings, along with the canonical ending, are achieved by certain events in the game. The first ending deals with Furiae resurrected by Inuart using a Seed of Destruction, and then the second has Angelus revoking her pact with Caim and fighting him to the death. The last two deal with the Grotesqueries revealing themselves and the "world of the gods", Tokyo, is shown in one of them. These last two are used in the sequel to explain the true nature of the world of Drakengard and the Grotesqueries themselves.
Setting
The game's protagonists are Caim, his best friend Inuart, and their companions. The plot revolves around a war between the Union and the Empire in a somewhat altered medieval Earth. Every playable character makes a pact with a powerful beast, and pays a price for joining the pact. This concept in the Drakengard series is called "pact pricing." In the process of forging such a pact, humans are branded with a mark called a "pact emblem," which appears on a part of their body associated with the price they pay - They either lose use of a physical attribute (Voice, Sight, etc.), or can lose 'intangible' attributes, such as one's joy, or ability to age. However, the bonds that tie a human with the magical creature he/she made the pact with in life, also binds them both in death as long as the creature allows it so.Playable
: Son of the Royal family (in the Japanese version, the kingdom is named CaerleonCaerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
(カールレオン, Kārureon), a location deeply connected to Arthurian legend. In the English version, it remains unnamed), Caim was forced to witness the brutal murder of his parents by an Imperial black dragon. Since then, he swore vengeance on the Empire and Dragons, fighting as a soldier in the army of the Union. Mortally wounded, he encountered the red dragon Angelus, who was near death as well. Though he hated dragons, Caim demanded Angelus to accept his offer of a pact that would save both of them. Since then, Caim lost his voice in the exchange, marked on his tongue, and thus the only human Angelus revealed her name out of their new-found respect for each other to before becoming the new seal. Age 24.
- Angelus: A Red DragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
that is over 10,000 years old, Caim forced a pact with her in order to live that she reluctantly accepts. Being of a kind revered by others as masters of the natural world, Angelus comes off as arrogant, seeing humans as inferior, careless and defiant. But in time, Angelus made an exception in Caim whom she revealed her name to.
- Note: Angelus' name in the Japanese version of Drakengard is .
- Arioch was a loving elfElfAn elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
mother and wife until she was driven mad by the murder of her family at the hands of the Empire. Since then, she has become an insatiable murderer, only a pure joy as her young prey fall victim to her insanity. Formed a pact with UndineUndineUndine, Undina or Ondine are sometimes interchangeable and may refer to:* Ondine , a water nymph from mythology- In literature and painting :* Undine , a novella by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué...
and SalamanderSalamander (legendary creature)The salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela. As with many real creatures, pre-modern authors often ascribed fantastic qualities to it , and in recent times some have come to identify a legendary salamander as a distinct concept from the real organism. This idea is most highly developed in...
in exchange for her fertility, marked on her waist. As an ally, Arioch is a threat to herself and others. In the Japanese version, it was implied that she murdered and cannibalized children as a result of her trauma. Age 24. - Manah's twin brother, he felt it was his fault Manah was neglected/abused by their mother who loved him. Though he shares his sister's magical abilities, he possessed the gift of prophecy. After his village was destroyed, Seere formed a pact with his new found "friend", GolemGolemIn Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
, in exchange for his "time" (the ability to age), marked all over his body, thus can never grow up. He joins Caim's party to search for his lost sister, only to feel more guilt seeing what became of her. Age 6. - A kind-hearted man who distasted the horrors of war. He was constantly tormented by the knowledge of his faults and past mistakes; blaming himself for the deaths of his brothers enough to attempt suicide upon seeing them dead, but couldn't do it. By then, Faerie appeared and took advantage of Leonard's instability at the time to force a pact upon him, robbing him of his sight that is marked on his eyes. He befriended Seere, who seemed to remind him of his brothers. In the Japanese version, Leonard was at one point a pedophile. He was absent from the massacre that killed his family because he was engaging in pedophilia at the time, a fact which haunts him. Age 32.
Non-playable
: Caim's younger sister. Raised as a royal princess, she struggled to come to terms with her appointed role as the goddess at the time of her parents' death. As her cursed fate unfolded, Furiae began to despair. Living in her brother's castle, sitting quietly and offer silent prayers. She was abducted by Inuart, as she is the Final Seal that keeps the Grotesqueries from appearing in their world. In the Japanese version of the game, it was implied that Furiae harbored incestuous feelings toward Caim. Age 19.- The hierarch whose duty allows him to speak directly with the goddess, Verdelet is a pious man who is always careful of his words and of doing the right thing, but places himself first should the situation becomes dire. When young, he made a pact with a dragon that is now in a petrified state that left a mark on his head, losing his hair and ability to grow more in exchange. In the end of the game, Verdelet performed the sealing ceremony over Angelus. Age 72.
- Caim's former friend and son of a noble of the kingdom once ruled by Caim's family. Inuart possessed a beautiful singing voice and master of the harp. Though sincere and honest, his heart is weak and relies on his former betrothed, Furiae. But Inuart was taken by the Empire and tortured by them until he swore allegiance to them. He then made a pact with the very Imperial dragon that killed Caim's parents, sacrificing his talent for singing to cement the pact with a mark on his neck. He did this to fulfill his desire to protect Furiae instead of Caim, who was the object of Inuart's envy. He battles his former friend, taking Furiae to the Empire where he believed she will be safe. Age 20.
- A mysterious young girl who commands the empire as high priestess of the Cult of Watchers. But the truth, Manah was driven insane by outerworldly entities that she refers to as "the Watchers", who are using her body as a means to direct the Empire in the goal to destroy the world by removing the seals that prevent chaos from ensuing. Prior to it, Manah suffered abuse from her mother, which led to her current state of mind. Though released from her benefactors' control, Manah still dared Caim to kill her so she can find peace. But when Angelus revealed that there is no peace for her, Manah soon realized what she had done and was abducted by Caim and shown the suffering that she had caused so she would "never forget." Age 6.
- The "Grotesqueries": A mysterious otherworldly race that are tied to Manah's possession and would appear once the seals that keep them out of the world are no more. Though they failed to achieve their goal in the canonical ending, they did in the two alternate endings which revealed them to resemble giant human infants with teeth. They are in turn led by a more human adult-like queen. Their true identity is revealed in Drakengard 2.
Plot
Prior to the beginning of the game, Caim's parents were killed by a black dragonDragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
sent by the Empire, breeding a hatred in him toward both the Empire and dragons. During the war against the Empire, Caim is mortally wounded, but comes across a red dragon imprisoned by the Empire. Although neither Caim nor the dragon are fond of each other, they cannot deny that they need each other's help to survive but the dragon remains reluctant. After fending off squads of advancing soldiers, the dragon accepts to creating a pact, fusing their souls, healing their wounds. The price Caim paid to enter the pact was his voice, rendering him mute and causing a pact emblem to appear on his tongue. Caim and his pact partner soar into the sky with newfound power, obliterating the Empire's air force and disposing of the rest of their infantry.
Caim and the dragon regroup with Inuart, a long time friend of Caim's and talented musician, and his sister, Furiae, the Goddess of the Seals. Inuart proposes that they seek asylum in the elf village that holds the Seal of the Forest. Without protests or delay, they head off, only to find the village invaded and realise that the protection of the seal now is hopeless. Hierarch Verdelet, Guardian of the Seals, speaks through the dragon, pleading with the group to bring the Goddess to the temple that holds the Seal of the Desert. Caim learns from a dying elf, that hostages have been taken by cultists to the Shrine of the Watchers. Caim sets off to rescue them as Inuart heeds the message of the Guardian and sets off to the desert temple with Furiae.
Caim fights through the shrine only to find that the kidnapped elves have been taken elsewhere. Later, within the Valley of the Faeries, Caim meets Leonard, who becomes an ally and is revealed to have a pact with Faerie, sacrificing his sight which is visible by the emblem on his eyes. The dragon reveals that Inuart and Verdelet have been captured, so the group quickly set off to the Seal of the Desert. Arriving at the desert, Caim finds Furiae safe, though realises it was too late for Inuart and Verdelet. Caim heads to the Imperial Prison to rescue them, succeeding only in finding Verdelet, learning that Inuart has been taken someplace else.
They return to the desert, only to find the seal broken. The group then finds Arioch, an elf driven to insanity after witnessing the death of her family by the Empire who sealed a pact with Undine and Salamander, her pact price being her ability to conceive. After Arioch joins the party, Inuart appears, having sealed a pact with not only a black dragon but the one that murdered Caim's parents, demands that Caim allow him to free Furiae by bringing her to the Empire. Caim refuses and the both engage in an intense aerial battle. Caim is defeated, and Furiae is taken by Inuart. Caim, realising his duty, delays the rescue of his sister and the group head to the Seal of the Ocean, only to find that too, has been broken.
Verdelet explains his speculation as to why the Empire wish for the destruction of the seals, stating that the destruction of each and every one marks the birth of the "Seed of Destruction" which is thought to reconstruct a new world. The party arrive at the Imperial Lands and find a young orphan boy by the name of Seere, who explains that his sister was taken by the Empire and plead that they allow him to join the group. It is then revealed that he also sealed a pact, a pact with a golem in sacrifice for his "time" or ability to age. The entire group join the final battle between the Union and the Empire, resulting in the latter's defeat. Celebrations are short-lived however, as the sky turns black and an unsettling evil arises.
Fire rains from the sky and the corpses of the Imperial Army are reanimated. A fortress appears in the sky and so does Inuart, who challenges Caim. Caim is victorious and Inuart returns to the fortress, having learnt he has been possessed, he discovers that Furiae has been killed by no other but himself. In the first ending, the party succeed in stopping Manah, high priestess of the Cult of Watchers and sister to Seere, whose powers are sealed by Verdelet. Having been driven insane, the young girl has been possessed by otherworldly entities that desire the Goddess and the seals that prevent chaos from overwhelming the world and destroying it. Caim and the dragon manage to stop them, though the dragon, whose name is revealed to be Angelus at the game's end, volunteers to become the new seal, despite her inappropriateness as a seal (being a dragon) and Caim's protest, and disappears. This is one of five endings and is the one which leads to the events of Drakengard 2.
The second ending involves Inuart and Furiae after she is killed. Inuart takes Furiae and tries to resurrect her with the Seed of Destruction. Although she is revived she is a monster, now having godly powers and wings. She kills Inuart and Caim engages in battle. After a long and grueling aerial fight, Caim succeeds in defeating his reborn sister. Standing atop a hill carrying what was once Furiae, Caim gazes upon the landscape only to see a myriad of the monster he holds in his arms.
The third ending involves Caim and Angelus. Manah, out of desperation and realisation that all is lost, attempts to summon a dragon but results in the dragon consuming her. The power that once resided in her flows into Angelus, and she now becomes the Chaos Dragon. After becoming this new dragon, the pact between Caim and Angelus is broken. But Angelus, although still having respect and love towards Caim, knows that they must fight for the rising dragons plan on destroying humanity and taking over the world. Caim pulls through and defeats her but hears more dragons coming his way. Accepting the fate of the world, Caim runs outside full speed to battle until his final breath.
The fourth ending consists of Caim, Angelus and Seere. After the death of Manah at the hands of her brother, what order is left in the world is lost and absolute destruction is imminent. Grotesqueries, what appear to be huge babies that consume and destroy everything in sight, fall from the sky. Arioch becomes obsessed with the image of children and runs towards them as they crush and consume her. Leonard sacrifices himself by self destructing to clear a path for Angelus, Caim and Seere. Soon after, the Queen Grotesqueries (a massive woman with a stone complexion and no hair), rises from the ground. Angelus and Caim desperately weigh out their limited options, finally deciding on what must be done. Seere, with his significant pact sacrifice, has the ability to stop time, at the cost of his life. Caim, Angelus and Seere fly towards the Queen Grotesqueries, dropping Seere onto her. Angelus and Caim, having achieved their final task, are killed by the overwhelming number of Grotesqueries. Finally, Seere asks his sister to forgive him as he releases bursts of light from his body as black fume surrounds him, covering the Queen Grotesqueries and Grotesqueries, forever frozen in time.
In the fifth and final ending, Caim and Angelus travel across a dimensional boundary to fight the Queen Grotesqueries, and in a strange twist end up flying over modern Tokyo. After defeating the Queen Grotesqueries in an unusual battle, Angelus states, "It is done, at last", before being shot down by a pair of fighter jets when finally a radio transmission is heard, "This is Bravo 1, unidentified target has been neutralised. Over and out". The final credits roll silently as the sounds of a typical urban area in Tokyo is heard, the end of which scrolls down to a dead Angelus impaled onto Tokyo Tower. This ending and final setting leads to Nier
Nier (video game)
Nier is an action role-playing video game developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix. It was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Australia, Europe, Japan and North America in April 2010. In Japan, the game was an Xbox 360 exclusive titled Nier Gestalt, while an alternate version...
, another game by Cavia.
Development
Jun Iwasaki, president and chief executive officerChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Square Enix USA, described Drakengard as a "perfect hybrid of genres" due to its blend of action, character growth influenced by role-playing games, and a "solid story that binds it all together". According to him, the game is intended to appeal to gamers looking for a "deeper action game".
The Japanese version of Drakengard, Drag-On Dragoon, featured such taboo plot points as incest and pedophilia. However, this was toned down or outright removed from all western versions, but not completely (Angelus: Because you are brother and sister? What manner of excuse is that?).
The Japanese version of the game featured several very adult oriented themes, and many characters had more than questionable sexual orientations and/or perversion. Leonard, in the Japanese version, is actually a paedophile, and Furiae feels sexual desire for her brother. Arioch, who has lost her womb from her pact and gone mad, enjoys killing children. While all of this isn't reflected in the actual game play, it is inside cut scenes and conversations between characters. Most of these were removed in the American version of the game, making certain cut scenes very difficult to understand. For example, when partly possessed by "The Watchers", Furiae chooses to kill herself, rather than reveal her feelings for her brother, but the censorship makes the reasons for her actions very unclear.
Soundtrack
The Drakengard soundtrack was edited as a twin album, under the names Drag-on Dragoon Original Soundtrack Vol.1 and Drag-on Dragoon Original Soundtrack Vol.2. The disc were released in Japan only, and use the game's Japanese title, but they are sometimes referred to in English as "First Attack" and "Second Attack". They were released on October 22, 2003 and November 21, 2003, under the catalog numbers MJCG-80125 and MJCG-80137.The soundtrack were composed by & . Although each track on the album is credited to one artist only, they were said to have worked together on multiple tracks. The music is usually described by critics as experimental and that it wouldn't please everyone. Most of the tracks present repetitive 2 second sounds/samples, that repeat during the entire song, as would an old scratched vinyl disc. During the course of these tracks, those sounds may vary sightly and/or others may be added or removed. The overall result, while not being praised for its musical quality, was highly appreciated for its integration within the game, and its overall corrupt and broken atmosphere.
Tracklist
The titles to the songs are unusually straightforward, merely being the name of the chapter in which they appear. If a chapter has more than two songs, then they are just referred to as 1 and 2. The game's main theme, which is present on the game's trailers is "Route B Staff Roll 'Exhausted'". It is interpreted by Eriko Hatsune. Vol.2 Features two songs which were not present in game.| Disc 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; margin-right:-1em;"> | ||||
| # | English title | Japanese title | By | Length |
| 1 | "Mission Selection" | "ミッション選択" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 0:25 |
| 2 | "Weapon Selection" | "武器選択" | Takayuki Aihara | 1:14 |
| 3 | "First Chapter - In the Sky" | "第一章上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:56 |
| 4 | "First Chapter - On the Ground" | "第一章地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:24 |
| 5 | "First Chapter - Inside the Castle" | "第一章城内" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:57 |
| 6 | "Second Chapter - In the Sky" | "第二章上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:12 |
| 7 | "Second Chapter - On the Ground" | "第二章地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:44 |
| 8 | "Third Chapter - In the Sky" | "第三章上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:11 |
| 9 | "Third Chapter - On the Ground" | "第三章地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:35 |
| 10 | "Fourth Chapter - In the Sky" | "第四章上空" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:19 |
| 11 | "Fourth Chapter - On the Ground" | "第四章地上" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:28 |
| 12 | "Fifth Chapter - In the Sky 1" | "第五章上空、一" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:26 |
| 13 | "Fifth Chapter - On the Ground 1" | "第五章地上、一" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:16 |
| 14 | "Fifth Chapter - In the Sky 2" | "第五章上空、二" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:47 |
| 15 | "Fifth Chapter - On the Ground 2" | "第五章地上、二" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:13 |
| 16 | "Sixth Chapter - In the Sky" | "第六章上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:15 |
| 17 | "Sixth Chapter - On the Ground" | "第六章地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:57 |
| 18 | "Seventh Chapter - In the Sky" | "第七章上空" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:47 |
| 19 | "Eighth Chapter - In the Sky" | "第八章上空" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:16 |
| 20 | "Eighth Chapter - On the Ground" | "第八章地上" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:31 |
| 21 | "Eighth Chapter - Closing" | "第八章最終" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 2:53 |
| 22 | "Mission Clear" | "ミッションクリア" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 0:36 |
| 23 | "Game Over ~Continue~" | "ゲームオーバー～コンティニュー～" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 0:52 |
| Disc 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; margin-right:-1em;"> | ||||
| # | English title | Japanese title | By | Length |
| 1 | "Hungry Leonard - In the Sky" | "レオナールの飢、上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:28 |
| 2 | "Hungry Leonard - On the Ground" | "レオナールの飢、地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:17 |
| 3 | "Extraordinary Arioch - In the Sky" | "アリオーシュの奇、上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:12 |
| 4 | "Extraordinary Arioch - On the Ground" | "アリオーシュの奇、地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:20 |
| 5 | "Seere's Prayer - In the Sky" | "セエレの祈、上空" | Takayuki Aihara | 4:12 |
| 6 | "Seere's Prayer - On the Ground" | "セエレの祈、地上" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:37 |
| 7 | "Ninth Chapter - In the Sky 1" | "第九章上空、一" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:12 |
| 8 | "Ninth Chapter - In the Sky 2" | "第九章上空、二" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:07 |
| 9 | "Ninth Chapter - Closing" | "第九章最終" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:04 |
| 10 | "Tenth Chapter - In the Sky" | "第十章上空" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:06 |
| 11 | "Tenth Chapter - On the Ground" | "第十章地上" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:27 |
| 12 | "Eleventh Chapter - On the Ground 1" | "第十一章地上、一" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:59 |
| 13 | "Eleventh Chapter - On the Ground 2" | "第十一章地上、二" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:13 |
| 14 | "Twelfth Chapter - In the Sky" | "第十二章上空" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:29 |
| 15 | "Twelfth Chapter - On the Ground" | "第十二章地上" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 2:57 |
| 16 | "Twelfth Chapter - Closing" | "第十二章最終" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:20 |
| 17 | "Thirteenth Chapter - Closing" | "第十三章最終" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 2:31 |
| 18 | "Route A Staff Roll" | "Ａ路スタッフロール" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 2:43 |
| 19 | "Route B Staff Roll 'Exhausted'" | "Ｂ路スタッフロール「尽きる」" | Takayuki Aihara | 4:05 |
| 20 | "Route C Staff Roll" | "Ｃ路スタッフロール" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:48 |
| 21 | "Route D Staff Roll" | "Ｄ路スタッフロール" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 3:25 |
| 22 | "Route E Staff Roll" | "Ｅ路スタッフロール" | Takayuki Aihara | 3:37 |
| 23 | "Eleventh Chapter - In the Sky (Unpublished)" | "第十一章上空（未使用）" | Takayuki Aihara | 2:49 |
| 24 | "Twelfth Chapter - Closing (Unpublished)" | "第十二章（未使用）" | Nobuyoshi Sano | 0:52 |
Samples
Besides the original Song "Growing Wings" performed by Kay JemsenKari Wahlgren
Kari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
("Tsukiru" performed by Eriko Hatsune in the Japanese version), Drakengard featured samplings from Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
(Othello, Op. 93; Carnival Overture
Carnival Overture (Dvořák)
The Carnival Overture, Op. 92, B. 169, was written by Antonin Dvořák in 1892. It is part of a "Nature, Life and Love" trilogy of overtures written by Dvořák, forming the second "Life" part. The other two parts of the trilogy are overtures in a trilogy of overtures that included In Nature's Realm,...
, Op. 92; Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"
Symphony No. 9 (Dvorák)
The Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 , popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 during his visit to the United States from 1892 to 1895. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular in the modern repertoire...
), Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
(The Miraculous Mandarin
The Miraculous Mandarin
The Miraculous Mandarin or The Wonderful Mandarin Op. 19, Sz. 73 , is a one act pantomime ballet composed by Béla Bartók between 1918–1924, and based on the story by Melchior Lengyel. Premiered November 27, 1926 in Cologne, Germany, it caused a scandal and was subsequently banned...
), Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
(La Mer
La Mer (Debussy)
La mer, trois esquisses symphoniques pour orchestre , or simply La mer , is an orchestral composition by the French composer Claude Debussy. It was started in 1903 in France and completed in 1905 on the English Channel coast in Eastbourne...
), Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
(Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 5 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor by Gustav Mahler was composed in 1901 and 1902, mostly during the summer months at Mahler's cottage at Maiernigg. Among its most distinctive features are the funereal trumpet solo that opens the work and the frequently performed Adagietto.The musical canvas and...
), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
(Le Nozze Di Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
(The Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
; Capriccio Italien
Capriccio Italien
The Capriccio Italien, Op. 45, is a fantasy for orchestra composed between January and May of 1880 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.The Capriccio was inspired by a trip Tchaikovsky took to Rome, during which he saw the Carnival in full swing, and is reminiscent of Italian folk music and street songs...
; The Nutcracker Suite
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
; 1812 Overture Solennelle
1812 Overture
The Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture or the Overture of 1812 is an overture written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of...
; Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Romeo and Juliet (Tchaikovsky)
Romeo and Juliet is an orchestral work composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is styled an Overture-Fantasy, and is based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. Like other composers such as Berlioz and Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky was deeply inspired by Shakespeare and wrote works based on The...
), Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...
(Feste Romane
Feste Romane
Feste Romane is a work for very large symphony orchestra composed in 1926, by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. It is a tone poem depicting scenes from Ancient Rome of the Roman Empire...
), Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
(Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
; Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
; Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
), Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
(Capriccio Espagnol
Capriccio espagnol
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34, is the common Western title for an orchestral work based on Spanish folk melodies and written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1887. Rimsky-Korsakov originally intended to write the work for a solo violin with orchestra, but later decided that a purely orchestral work...
) (credited twice, once without "Nicolai"), Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
(Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
) and Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
(The Planets
The Planets
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst...
).
Voice cast
Japanese actor Shinnosuke "Peter" IkehataPeter (actor)
is a Japanese singer, dancer and actor who has appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Ran and Toshio Matsumoto's Bara no Sōretsu. Ikehata also uses his stage name of when he appears on TV variety shows and musical revues...
voiced both the Dragon and the protagonist Caim. He expressed his affection for the story of the game and the relationship between the two characters.
| Character | Japanese Voice actor | English Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Caim | Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata Peter (actor) is a Japanese singer, dancer and actor who has appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Ran and Toshio Matsumoto's Bara no Sōretsu. Ikehata also uses his stage name of when he appears on TV variety shows and musical revues... |
Charles Rubendall |
| Angelus (Angel) | Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata | Mona Marshall Mona Marshall Mona M. Ianotti is an American voice actress. She is often cast in the role of young boys. Her roles have included parts in not only Japanese anime, but also in American cartoons as well. Mona Marshall has recently lent her voice to the talking bear Koby the Study Buddy... |
| Furiae | Eriko Hatsune | Kari Wahlgren Kari Wahlgren Kari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland... |
| Seere | Sota Murakami Sōta Murakami is a Japanese actor and seiyū.-Television drama:*Ai no Inoie ~ Nakimushi Sato to Shichinin to Ko*Bengoshi Sako Mariko no Yuigon Sakusei File*Matamo ya Metaka Teishu-dono ~Bakumatsu no Meibugyū: Ogurikōzukenosuke~*Oyajii.... |
Mona Marshall Mona Marshall Mona M. Ianotti is an American voice actress. She is often cast in the role of young boys. Her roles have included parts in not only Japanese anime, but also in American cartoons as well. Mona Marshall has recently lent her voice to the talking bear Koby the Study Buddy... |
| Leonard | Koichi Yamadera Koichi Yamadera is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's... |
Paul St. Peter Paul St. Peter Paul Schmidl Peter , better known as Paul St. Peter, is an American voice actor. He also uses the names George C. Cole, George Z. Cole and Francis C. Cole... |
| Fairy | Yuko Miyamura Yuko Miyamura ' is a Japanese voice actress, actress, J-pop singer and director of audiography. Her married name is ', although she still works under her maiden name. Miyamura was born in Kobe, and graduated from the theater division of the Tōhō Gakuen College of Drama and Music. Her pet name is '... |
Wendee Lee Wendee Lee Wendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any... |
| Verdelet | Iemasa Kayumi Iemasa Kayumi is a Japanese voice actor, actor, and narrator from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He is currently affiliated with 81 Produce.-Television Animation:*Angel Heart *Ashita no Nadja *Case Closed... |
William Frederick Knight William Frederick Knight William Frederick Knight, sometimes credited as William Knight, William Frederick, or Frederick Knight, is a voice actor who has lent his voice to the English dubs of many anime series and several video games... |
| Arioch | Megumi Hayashibara Megumi Hayashibara is a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin... |
Michelle Ruff Michelle Ruff Michelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril... |
| Salamander | Richard Epcar Richard Epcar Richard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los... |
|
| Undine | Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer, and singer best known for her extensive English-language dubbing of various anime, and her singing in multiple games from the Silent Hill series, as well as the movie adaptation and Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME. She has... |
|
| Inuart | Toshiaki Karasawa Toshiaki Karasawa is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play Voice Review Stay Gold in 1987. He specialises in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and fighting... |
Charles Rubendall |
| Manah | Natsuki Yamashita, Daisuke Gori Daisuke Gori was a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was... (possessed) |
Sherry Lynn Sherry Lynn Sherry Lynn is a veteran American voice actress, known for young girl roles in animation and video games. She is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates... , Daran Norris Daran Norris Daran Morrison Nordland , usually credited as Daran Norris, is an American film and television actor and voice artist. Since 1977 he has participated in more than 400 films, video games, and television projects. He is best known as Gordy from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, the voice of... (possessed) |
| Fighter Jet Pilot | Kirk Thornton Kirk Thornton Kirk Thornton is an American voice actor.-Bio:He is known for playing tough or grouchy men in English-dubbed anime and video games. His career includes Hotohori in Fushigi Yūgi and Jin in Samurai Champloo... |
Reception
Drakengard sold more than 122,000 units in its first week of release in Japan, taking Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in SpaceMobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space is a Third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 2 released in 2003. The game is centered on space based mobile suit combat...
UGO
UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...
included the game as the #5 in the article The 11 Weirdest Game Endings.
Mobile version
A Europe-exclusive mobile phoneMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
adaptation of Drakengard was co-developed and co-published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
and Macrospace
Macrospace
Macrospace Ltd. was a developer of mobile content, mainly focusing on Java ME-content. Their headquarters was in London. In June 2005, Macrospace merged with Sorrent Inc., to form Glu Mobile.- Published games :* Actraiser* Alpha Wing...
. The game is available in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. It features four different locations and two battle modes: a side-scrolling ground mode and an aerial dragon-riding mode. Achieving high scores unlocks hints and tips for the PlayStation 2 version of the game.