Drakengard 3

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 331 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 248 out of 331
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 331
  3. Negative: 44 out of 331
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  1. superpieguy
    May 20, 2014
    10
    Ah, I knew this was probably going to be met with mediocre-level reviews. I honestly don't understand where people seem to be getting off about long load times. They really are not all that long. Aside from that, there are some framerate issues, but they don't detract from the game as a whole. The gameplay is extremely fast-paced, frantic, and fun. Endlessly slaughtering enemies, really.Ah, I knew this was probably going to be met with mediocre-level reviews. I honestly don't understand where people seem to be getting off about long load times. They really are not all that long. Aside from that, there are some framerate issues, but they don't detract from the game as a whole. The gameplay is extremely fast-paced, frantic, and fun. Endlessly slaughtering enemies, really. The story is dark, and also throws in some seriously morbid, as well as sexual humor. It's a great experience, and if you can overlook the framerate issues, it is really a great game. I love it.… Expand
  2. Lucaskeane
    May 20, 2014
    10
    This game actually keep up whit the essence of the others drakengard games and has that dark and involving story just like nier...this game has such a great hstory you keep playing you keep want to see whats gonna happen next the gameply are so good and given a more than 100 hour if you wanna do everything. We need more game like this!! we have this masterpiece now square please makeThis game actually keep up whit the essence of the others drakengard games and has that dark and involving story just like nier...this game has such a great hstory you keep playing you keep want to see whats gonna happen next the gameply are so good and given a more than 100 hour if you wanna do everything. We need more game like this!! we have this masterpiece now square please make valkyrie profile and star ocean sequels :D… Expand
  3. Amid396
    Feb 22, 2018
    10
    It was really great! The music, the story, relationship between characters, amazing world, great combat system and breathtaking boss fights make this game real real cool and good!
  4. Dark_half-Elf
    Sep 6, 2014
    9
    Good game, which did not have the budget.

    pros:
    - Interesting story that will be revealed at the end.
    - Amazing crazy magical world and characters.
    - Humor.
    - Fairly good combat system.
    - Fast rhythm of the game, it's not medletilny Gov, where you can sleep.

    Minysy:
    - Graphics.
    - Performance.
    - Combat system lacks depth.
    - Very difficult final.
  5. DARK--DRAGONITE
    Sep 14, 2017
    9
    This is one of my top 5 favorite games for PS3. Zero and Mikahil have an interesting dynamic. The ending.. and I mean.. the REAL ending of the game is something we don’t see in games anymore.. It is literally one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your life when it comes to video games, but it’s SO worth it. Despite the framerate drops and simplistic button mashing combat, this gameThis is one of my top 5 favorite games for PS3. Zero and Mikahil have an interesting dynamic. The ending.. and I mean.. the REAL ending of the game is something we don’t see in games anymore.. It is literally one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your life when it comes to video games, but it’s SO worth it. Despite the framerate drops and simplistic button mashing combat, this game is really good. 9/10.… Expand
  6. MrAptronym
    May 24, 2014
    8
    I loved Drakengard 3, it doesn't deserve a 10, but its a great experience. The characters and plot are amazing and unique. A couple perverted followers have routines that wear pretty thin, but main character Zero's wit is razor sharp the whole way through. The story and characters maybe rude and violent but they are steeped in allegory and, if you are willing to think about it, you getI loved Drakengard 3, it doesn't deserve a 10, but its a great experience. The characters and plot are amazing and unique. A couple perverted followers have routines that wear pretty thin, but main character Zero's wit is razor sharp the whole way through. The story and characters maybe rude and violent but they are steeped in allegory and, if you are willing to think about it, you get more than just poop jokes out of it. (There are also poop jokes.)

    Sadly the gameplay is a mixed bag. While the attacks feel solid, the controls are never as tight as classic action titles like DMC or Ninja Gaiden. The RPG elements are pretty light, with choices of weapons being your only real customization. Areas are small and suffer from framerate drops that come in bursts and can get pretty bad. Panzer Dragoon style ride-alongs are interspersed throughout, riding your dragon feels a bit clunky in tight quarters, but for all I know that's intentional. (He is a big oaf) Still, I enjoyed the gameplay for the considerably long ride that the game offers; its by no means awful, just more reminiscent of PS2 era action games.

    Its clear to me that technical issues got in the way. The game is poorly optimized, having trouble running smoothly even with small areas, low res environments and frequent, if short, load times. However, I cannot find myself too caught up in its faults because I genuinely had fun with the gameplay, with the character's banter and especially with the plot. In many ways Drakengard 3 reminds me of how video games were a decade ago, lower budget affairs concerned with style over everything else. Drakengard 3 is destined to be a cult classic.    … Expand
  7. Jwhite
    May 23, 2014
    10
    This is one of the few games that can tell a great story, worry not if you're a newcomer, Drakengard 3 is actually a prequel. Check out a few game play videos and see how brutal the combat really is. The soundtrack rivaled only by Nier, a game by the same company. It's a damn shame reviewers are giving this such low scores, likely because they haven't finished the game, playing it for 100This is one of the few games that can tell a great story, worry not if you're a newcomer, Drakengard 3 is actually a prequel. Check out a few game play videos and see how brutal the combat really is. The soundtrack rivaled only by Nier, a game by the same company. It's a damn shame reviewers are giving this such low scores, likely because they haven't finished the game, playing it for 100 hours I guarantee this is an experience unlike any other.… Expand
  8. fameless
    May 22, 2014
    10
    Don't listen to the "professional" reviews listed, Drakengard 3 is a shining gem in it's own right as a part of this trilogy regardless if you have played the previous games or not. If you're a fan of epic musical scores, frantic battles and dark, gritty story lines then this is for you.

    Drakengard 3 deserves to stand on it's own merits as a game while staying true to it's    Don't listen to the "professional" reviews listed, Drakengard 3 is a shining gem in it's own right as a part of this trilogy regardless if you have played the previous games or not. If you're a fan of epic musical scores, frantic battles and dark, gritty story lines then this is for you.

    Drakengard 3 deserves to stand on it's own merits as a game while staying true to it's predecessors. I'm 5 hours in and thoroughly enjoying myself.    … Expand
  9. Exebiel
    May 21, 2014
    10
    I really knew, many editors would make a low score review of this game, I've played full playthrough on the japanese version (DoD3) and I can say Yoko Taro & Ex-Cavia devs made an amazing & original game with a rare and dark story, but ask yourself, if they weren't doing this game maybe no one would do it. I know about the framerate issues and loading times but still is a rare and shiningI really knew, many editors would make a low score review of this game, I've played full playthrough on the japanese version (DoD3) and I can say Yoko Taro & Ex-Cavia devs made an amazing & original game with a rare and dark story, but ask yourself, if they weren't doing this game maybe no one would do it. I know about the framerate issues and loading times but still is a rare and shining gem like Nier.

    One more tip before I finish this, very important, the soundtrack never dissapointed me, one of the best I've ever heard like Nier, team MONACA & singers made a masterpiece tracklist.    … Expand
  10. redoni7
    May 20, 2014
    10
    If you were to follow most critic's reviews you'd think this game is bad. The problem is most critics who critic this game don't really seem to get the point. The gameplay is in the same vein as you Devil May Cry and Dynasty Warriors. That mean fun super stylish combo's that just make you feel like a badass and is "FUN" (you know... the whole point of video games to begin with). The storyIf you were to follow most critic's reviews you'd think this game is bad. The problem is most critics who critic this game don't really seem to get the point. The gameplay is in the same vein as you Devil May Cry and Dynasty Warriors. That mean fun super stylish combo's that just make you feel like a badass and is "FUN" (you know... the whole point of video games to begin with). The story is also something some reviewer just don't get. This is mainly because although I very much enjoyed the more twisted storyline I see where some reviewer just wouldn't enjoy it as it's an acquired taste.

    The thing you need to know is this game is fun, and if you like japanese actions games like this you'll love it. If you're not sure either borrow from a friend or rent through gamefly or something because no amount someone else's opinion is gonna tell you whether you'll like it.    … Expand
  11. Starlord
    May 20, 2014
    10
    Some critic reviews are a bit all over the place. This game is far from perfect, but personally this game has been fun for the 2 hours of me playing it. What I don't understand is reviews reviewing games that doesn't fit their personal taste. When they have to review it, they give low scores due to their "personal taste".

    Anyways, if you love action games, JRPGs or a Drakengard series    Some critic reviews are a bit all over the place. This game is far from perfect, but personally this game has been fun for the 2 hours of me playing it. What I don't understand is reviews reviewing games that doesn't fit their personal taste. When they have to review it, they give low scores due to their "personal taste".

    Anyways, if you love action games, JRPGs or a Drakengard series fan this game " in my opinion" is a must have. It does have bad words in the game, so if you can't handle that, I suggest you not to get it. Overall I have having loads of fun I give this game a 9    … Expand
  12. Omocho
    May 23, 2014
    10
    Poorly written "professional" reviews aside (looks like IGN didn't get paid enough to bump that score up!), this game is amazing.
    Destructoid has a very solid review that basically sums up what I also think.
    Action game fans, and fans of Nier will definitely love this title.
  13. Axebrossia
    May 20, 2014
    10
    **** the "professional critics" this game is awesome, epic soundtrack and history, if you love drakengard 2 and 1, well this is the best from the series.
  14. Sylveria
    May 25, 2014
    7
    It's alright.

    It's a middling-ish character action game. It's not as sophisticated as Bayonetta or Wonderful 101, but it's not quite as simplistic as a Warriors game or Killer is dead. It found a nice comfortable spot in the middle of that spectrum. It has graphical issues, considering it's an Unreal Engine game, that shouldn't surprise anyone. Slow down is a problem when your    It's alright.

    It's a middling-ish character action game. It's not as sophisticated as Bayonetta or Wonderful 101, but it's not quite as simplistic as a Warriors game or Killer is dead. It found a nice comfortable spot in the middle of that spectrum.

    It has graphical issues, considering it's an Unreal Engine game, that shouldn't surprise anyone. Slow down is a problem when your dragon is bombing areas and there's a lot of pop-in when the stage loads up.

    The camera also leads something to be desired, especially when you're dealing with the large enemies and can lead you to getting blind-sided.

    There's a lot of content depending on how set you are on being a completionist. To get everything, grinding is required.

    The story is presented in an unusual fashion that requires you to kinda put the pieces together on your own. The characters aren't especially complex, but the dialogue and banter between them is hilarious.

    My major concern is the quality of DLC that seems to be on the horizon. There's trophy segments for all 5 of the other sisters locked away with that DLC + icon. Hopefully they aren't be too over-priced.    … Expand
  15. davegahan3
    May 28, 2014
    9
    Despite the graphics and camera-problems, Drakengard 3 is a fully enjoyable game. Jokes are funny, the dragon is cute and the story is interesting. Do we need more than that?
  16. gyigyo2
    Jun 7, 2014
    1
    Pros-

    Cons: Charatcters is irritating as hell, graphics is like a ps2 game...story is ugly thisis one of the worst game in the world i ever played...
    NIER was 100% better game...
  17. kittyintherain
    Jun 5, 2014
    8
    I'll start off by saying this -- this is probably one of my favorite games I have ever played. It's unique, witty, funny, and has a specific charm that hits what makes me laugh and humored.

    However, there's still the need to be honest. This game is flawed. There are graphical errors all around, and the game is glitched to heaven come. Heck, the game froze on me once after I    I'll start off by saying this -- this is probably one of my favorite games I have ever played. It's unique, witty, funny, and has a specific charm that hits what makes me laugh and humored.

    However, there's still the need to be honest. This game is flawed. There are graphical errors all around, and the game is glitched to heaven come. Heck, the game froze on me once after I completed a mission. I've found myself stuck in corners and also my visuals impaired during a massive battle that I end up losing and it's nothing short of infuriating.

    Also, another fact that the ending chapter is locked until you have all your weapons almost made me ragequit. I've never been a completionist in my games and I admit I've never played a Drakengard game before so I honestly went into this blind.

    However, this game had be entertained so much that I decided to be a completionist for once. Yeah, it was hard, but I did it. It has a charm I have never seen before and the battle system (when it's 95% of the time not glitching on me) is absolutely enjoyable. The banter between the party members makes the tedious missions actually fun as I go into battle not just trying to kill a hoard of 50 soldiers to 3 overpowered monsters, but also enjoying a candid conversation the members are putting on. Zero is literally the player, speaking about how irritating it is to precision jump in game and voicing opinions that probably many players have about tedious tasks. THAT is this game's charm. You're not just playing a game to play the game, you're playing it to be entertained as well, and I find that's something you don't find too much anymore.

    I've laughed out loud so many times. It makes me happy to see a game that caters to my sense of humor and isn't some run of the mill, humor, try not to offend anyone game. So yes, to be blunt, this game is very politically incorrect. It doesn't care that it is either. I've heard reviewers calls this game's humor 'immature' and 'infantile', but hey, there's more than one kind of person. This is definitely a game that caters to a specific group, and I'm happy to say I'm part of that group and will probably be trying the other Drakengard games now.

    For the score, I should have given it a 6 or 7 for the gameplay, because it is very rough at times and it is infuriating, however I also want people to give this game a chance if you're looking for something unique. It's far from perfect, but you will know probably right away if you'll love this game or hate it. There's no inbetween, and this game doesn't allow for that. So if the crude humor and political incorrectness is going to be a turn off? Don't touch this game. Then again if any graphical errors and glitches make you cringe, this might also not be a game to pull yourself through.

    If you want something fresh that only cares that it leaves the player entertained with its twisted and messed up sense of humor? Go for it. Give it a try at least. I'm glad I did. I saw the reviews for this game before I picked it up and saw the see saw of positive and negative reviews that I decided to game a gamble, and it's one that paid off for me.

    Gameplay wise, I enjoy a good hack and slash, and the fluidity of switching between weapons and using your items is really nice. There's no lag or anything, just boom, boom, and we're moving on.

    All in all, if you're itching to give this game a try or just want to play a good hack and slash, go for it. If the negative reviews and talk of it's strange sense of humor that doesn't even try to cater to the masses makes you look the other way, then don't get it. It's really as simple as that.

    If you do end up picking it up, I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.    … Expand
  18. dragon0085
    Jun 5, 2014
    0
    Do NOT make the mistake is getting this if you liked Drakengard, or Neir, this is absolutely the worst game I have played in a very long time. The actually gameplay is not that bad beyond just its simplistic button mashing but the story is horrendous, and the characters reminded me as if a 9-year wrote them to be as 'adult' as they could.

    You get compltely one-dimensional characters    Do NOT make the mistake is getting this if you liked Drakengard, or Neir, this is absolutely the worst game I have played in a very long time. The actually gameplay is not that bad beyond just its simplistic button mashing but the story is horrendous, and the characters reminded me as if a 9-year wrote them to be as 'adult' as they could.

    You get compltely one-dimensional characters that swear alot, wow so cool...    … Expand
  19. Epiternal
    Jun 3, 2014
    4
    Quite honestly could never recommend this game to anyone, especially in its current state. For starters the game feels like its a decade old, no scratch that, there are games that actually are a decade old that appear more advanced than this game. I'm an old school gamer, so rarely do I concern myself with graphics too much, but my god this game is UGLY, the prime example is the leadingQuite honestly could never recommend this game to anyone, especially in its current state. For starters the game feels like its a decade old, no scratch that, there are games that actually are a decade old that appear more advanced than this game. I'm an old school gamer, so rarely do I concern myself with graphics too much, but my god this game is UGLY, the prime example is the leading leading, Zero herself; Somehow a woman wearing completely white, with white hair can still look dirty, courtesy of the obviously low budget this game was working on. As for combat, the game is a basic hack and slash. While it does a mostly ok job at this, the game takes any and every opportunity to glitch and show its atrocious frame rate making the game virtually unplayable during the later levels where there are lots of enemies as well as big ones. One of the selling points of this game was being able to fly on a dragon, yay!...Unfortunately the dragon steers abysmally, this coming from someone who's steered the helicopters in GTA V, that's saying something. By far one of the worst things about this game though are the characters, 1 dimensional tools who apparently can't go a single sentence without some depraved sexual statement, one of which is overly eager to share his desire for masochistic punishment. I'm not even kidding, everything that comes out of their mouth is crude filth, and while I enjoy that sort of thing usually, constantly hearing it just makes the characters hollow and really puts a dampener on the whole game. The voices don't really help, it's a Japanese game and while it hasn't got the worst cast in the history of American dubbed games, you're likely to hear rare classics like Yuri Lowenthal whose whiny voice makes already hated characters that much more hated. Usually I wouldn't comment on such a thing, when a game has a Japanese Audio feature, but being a lucky schmuck from Europe Square released this tripe and didn't fix the damn Japanese dub, leaving us with no choice but to listen to the American cast. Among one of the most amateur mistakes this game makes however is the bad AI; There is no excuse for that kind of AI, not these days, AI are frequently running into walls, and sometimes your companions don't notice the hundreds of enemies surrounding them and will just stand there taking hits, it's bad, unforgivably bad. The only really good things I can say about this game is the sound track is very reminiscent of Nier, I loved Nier and the I adore the soundtrack of Drakengard 3 all the same. The story is also pretty good, sometimes the game can't seem to make up its min whether it wants to be funny or serious, but overall it's ok, it's at least more original than the story of some games these days.
    Unfortunately, even with those good points, I don't consider them enough to warrant buying the game, it's just not good enough. Save your pennies.    … Expand
  20. Alteration
    May 23, 2014
    5
    Unlike most people, I have the unpopular opinion that this game doesn't deserve a 10/10 rating.

    Essentially, what i'd been hoping for over the past 9 years was a successor to the original Drakengard, instead it was more like Drakengard 2. The design of the characters is nice and the main characters personality was a refreshing change for me, but when you compare it to Drakengard 1 it    Unlike most people, I have the unpopular opinion that this game doesn't deserve a 10/10 rating.

    Essentially, what i'd been hoping for over the past 9 years was a successor to the original Drakengard, instead it was more like Drakengard 2.

    The design of the characters is nice and the main characters personality was a refreshing change for me, but when you compare it to Drakengard 1 it is fairly lacking.

    Where Drakengard 1 had massive maps and the ability to call your dragon at any point Drakengard 3 is a linear corridor game, the closest comparison that comes to mind is Ninety-Nine Nights, but even that had massive amounts of units on the fields.

    The weapon level system is not like Drakengard 1 and instead uses a much less interesting method.
    The game suffers from constant frame-drop despite the small amount of action occurring on screen.

    This is - at best - a decent game.    … Expand
  21. aspentitan
    Dec 29, 2014
    6
    I decided to check out this game because Drakengard was one of my original ps2 games and I was curious what this game would be like. Drakengard had pretty lame gameplay to be honest but for some reason was still fun. I guess its just a time filling hack and slash that just moves forward with a nice story. Drakengard 3 to me is an updated next generation console version of the orginal. II decided to check out this game because Drakengard was one of my original ps2 games and I was curious what this game would be like. Drakengard had pretty lame gameplay to be honest but for some reason was still fun. I guess its just a time filling hack and slash that just moves forward with a nice story. Drakengard 3 to me is an updated next generation console version of the orginal. I found the gameplay equally repetitive and the looting similar. What was noticably improved by far were the graphics to me they are really nice. The atmosphere is much different I felt the original game was rather midevil in nature where this new one is more j-rpg graphically. I have to admit this is where my interest in this game was lost just one short hour in. First of all 45 minutes to install then what really got to me was the voicing. The dragon is portrayed about as similar to spongebob squarepants and I found it really super annoying. I certainly don't understand what the developers were going for this game is riddled with heavy potty mouth and very mature themes it didn't make sense to have the dragon so friggin annoying and childish. All in all I could tolerate the gameplay and the visuals but I could not tolerate the development of the game not deciding on a particular crowd for this game. Is it for kids as the dragon suggests? Is for for adults as the vixenous characters and potty language suggest or is it for anime fans. This total disconnect put the image in my head this game is not worth the effort. I only played an hour as i said i liked a lot of the next generation nature of this remake but in the end i have to say i might as well play games that don't turn me off instead. I usually don't mind quirky games but i found this one unnecessaryily so.… Expand
  22. vahn
    Jan 10, 2020
    3
    Long time ago, in a generation of consoles far away, there was this little game called Drakengard which was a mixture between an action and an rpg very similar to Dynasty Warriors, with large areas to go, the ability to ride the dragon and many, MANY enemies to kill. The plot was dark, the characters likable yet questionable, and one of the endings - ending A - would lead to a sequel,Long time ago, in a generation of consoles far away, there was this little game called Drakengard which was a mixture between an action and an rpg very similar to Dynasty Warriors, with large areas to go, the ability to ride the dragon and many, MANY enemies to kill. The plot was dark, the characters likable yet questionable, and one of the endings - ending A - would lead to a sequel, Drakengard 2, which is a much lighter in tones than the first game.
    However, it's ending E that would lead to the eventual creation of a little title that not many knew, probably one of the most curious games I ever played. That game is of course NieR. Yeah I guess Nier Automata also exists but now I digress.

    This is all to say how much I LOVED the Drakengard series: I played the first 2 games so much, i got all weapons, got all endings, and everything. I was so in love with the series that I only bought NieR later because I had no clue it was tied to the series! Then there's NieR automata but we don't talk about that.

    So it pains me to say that Drakengard 3 is, to put it nicely, complete garbage.

    Let's start with what could be a good point: the story is interesting and I really enjoyed the character interactions and overall dark humor behind it. I was afraid that the silly humor would ruin the overall dark and gritty and bloody theme of the game but I'm glad it didn't: between swear words and a sex joke there was legitimate care and talent in making the game flow greatly and I'm amazed how it works well. I was NEVER tired of the dialogues, I was NEVER tired of the swearings and highly offensive regards but that's because it KNEW how to pace it, it KNEW how to make each sentence work against another. I'm just amazed how well it worked and I played this game non-stop for over 10 hours because it was just that entertaining. Why can't Square Enix be like this anymore...

    The plot itself, not to go into spoilers, is a prequel to the original Drakengard which means nothing can be lost if you start with this one, however one thing I felt it wasn't a good choice was to sell tons and tons of DLC that serves as prologues for the events before the main game. We wouldn't see this kind of greed until ff15 but it's sad to see it started from here...at least I think so.

    But beyond the story, which is interesting and definitely the best (and only) good thing of the game, it's EVERYTHING ELSE that completely takes the cake and makes it from a potential nice action game from a complete wreck.

    How can I start this nicely...the controls are godawful, probably one of the worst controls I've had in a long time and I played enough games to know that this is bad enough that I can't believe they let it go. It's so bad that not only it often doesn't connect hits but it also locks you in one direction, making you go to another direction despite you're pressing another. I also want to mention how IT CANNOT BE CUSTOMIZED, how it randomly opens the menu, how the lock on always disappears, how there is 2 buttons for weapon swap for no reason, how the intoner mode doesn't always turn on because R3 and L3 don't always work, and many many many MANY more issues, i think it's safe to say that more attention to the controls would've made a world of difference.
    When you make a game hard because of bad controls, you made a bad game.

    But oh no, there's more: if controls don't bother you there's the technical issues that will definitely poke your eyes and probably blind you. The game is quite literally broken on many levels: the game is supposedly on a 30 fps, which was normal back then for most action games too, but it DROPS CONSTANTLY and there are times that I can safely say it went below 10 fps to the point of a slideshow. Not only that but the camera is completely uncontrollable and will often get stuck on walls and make you see nothing of the enemies. It also makes other sections of the game, like the dragon ones, just a pain to sit through.

    This is all technical stuff that could've been fixed but guess what? Square Enix did exactly diddly squat! I'm currently playing the 1.00 version which means it never got patched - AND YES, I did check for updates and there are none! On top of that, IT'S DIGITAL ONLY FOR EUROPE! They absolutely did NOT care to release it here in retail! How scummy can you **** be?!

    In other words, this game was dead on arrival and Square Enix killed it before even release. It's clearly it was rushed to meet a deadline and they had no expectations that this game would be any good so they released it without even testing it properly.
    It would take 3 years for Nier Automata to give some justice to the series and give it some recognition to old and new fans for the series but considering what we got I would have preferred to let it rest.

    Do I recommend it? Absolutely not, don't buy this game: I got it on discount and I still feel it wasn't worth it. Watch a longplay and save your money and your patience.    … Expand
  23. ryuzaki57
    May 25, 2014
    7
    The story goes straight to the point : Zero, one of the singing maidens supposed to bring peace and prosperity, wants to kill. No one knows why, but she's firmly decided to decimate all her sisters in the most brutal possible manner. She will be helped by her faithful Dragon Mikael in her wicked plan.

    I don't know why, before starting Drakengard 3 I was convinced that it would be an    The story goes straight to the point : Zero, one of the singing maidens supposed to bring peace and prosperity, wants to kill. No one knows why, but she's firmly decided to decimate all her sisters in the most brutal possible manner. She will be helped by her faithful Dragon Mikael in her wicked plan.

    I don't know why, before starting Drakengard 3 I was convinced that it would be an open-world RPG. I quickly realized it was the contrary : most of the stages go straight without junctions, although with treasure chests here and there to make the player search a little. Most of the job is to slay the armies of monsters and bosses that get in your way by chaining combos and dodging in style, all of this in real time. Yes, I just described a BTA. Because Drakengard 3 is much closer to a BTA than a JRPG or even an A-RPG like Kingdom Hearts given that no menu ever show up in battle. That said, it keeps a few elements of that lineage, mainly weapon customization and experience points. Those are still very important, because the difficulty increases gradually during the main story but very quickly in the postgame chapters. You will then have to grind in previous chapters so as to keep up with the adversity. In parallel, it will be crucial to improve your weapons because top gear is required too.

    So if you take it as a BTA, Drakengard 3 ends up fairly good : the gameplay which relies on weapon-switching is pretty hooking, enemies are tough but the difficulty is very progressive as I already said. It's actually up to you to establish your own attack strategy by choosing the weapon you see fit depending on the situation. You have the choice between 4 types of weapons : spears, swords, gauntlets and chakrams. Like in all good BTAs, you'll have to carefully analyze the enemies' moves if you want to survive, and it's quite fast-paced too. Many sequences will have you ride the dragon. Those ones are far from gimmicky as there's a whole gameplay behind it. I can fly and keep onto the ground, in both cases the dragon's attacks vary. Surprisingly, when flying you have to manage your altitude with X. Every boss fight is done on the dragon's back and each one involve a new strategy. You also have a bunch of sidequests that are actually mini-challenges that put you against the clock. Others consist in some series of colosseum fights in which you'll need serious knowledge of the bestiary.

    The general atmosphere of the game is terrific : chapter 0 begins very intensely and the game in general gives adrenaline rushes. Zero and Mikael are constantly making fun of each other, despite the massacre they do. It's purely funny, there is nothing serious in the story. It looks like some long-running manzai in which Zero keeps complaining about everything and everyone while the others make fun of her. Drakengard 3 is equally efficient as an action game than as a comedy. It's still extremely violent, as limbs fly and Zero is drenched in blood. It's precisely after a sea of blood that she can unleash her fury.

    Drakengard 3 has unfortunately two sad drawbacks, that are its technical and sound performance. Level-design is ultra poor the characters' 3D models reminds you of 10 years ago. I almost wondered whether the Access Games re-used the 3D engine of Drakengard 2. I could understand if it was one of the first PS3 games, but it's kinda one of the last... and the framerate sinks horribly on quite some occasions. The OST is good, no doubt. But you actually enjoy it more or less only outside battle because there is zero emphasis during the game in itself.

    A quick word on DLC : those invite you to play as Zero's sisters during one chapter focused on their own story/personality (there's also one on Zero for some reason). There are not very important in regard of the story in general, and the gameplay is the same as Zero's most of the time (only Three has the exclusivity of her scissors and associated skills). However, Two's chapter felt a little more interesting and emotional than the others. Whether you buy these or not depends on your liking of the various characters or if you just can't get enough of the game's bizarre direction. Let's stress that there are quite a few trophies to be earned here.

    Although it's nothing like a Ninja Gaiden or a Bayonetta, Drakengard 3 is a very good third way to enjoy an action game. The irresistible personality that springs from it makes it a fine choice for Japanese games fans.    … Expand
  24. YellowKoala
    May 25, 2014
    7
    Pros: It has a unique story and characters. The aerial battles on a dragon are fun/original. Controls feel pretty responsive. Pull off combos and swap between weapon types on the fly.

    Cons: Graphics (looks like someone coloured outside the lines during cutscenes). Frame-rate problems. Camera angles while playing can make it hard to see what's going on (mostly when there are many enemies    Pros: It has a unique story and characters. The aerial battles on a dragon are fun/original. Controls feel pretty responsive. Pull off combos and swap between weapon types on the fly.

    Cons: Graphics (looks like someone coloured outside the lines during cutscenes). Frame-rate problems. Camera angles while playing can make it hard to see what's going on (mostly when there are many enemies on the field).

    Other (Can be pro or con, depending on your taste): Fast-paced Hack and Slash gameplay. Just a menu where you choose which mission you want to take (not open world, but you can go back and retry missions to level up).

    Bottom line: The humour, gameplay, and story won't be for everyone, but, if you're into hack & slash games and don't mind humour that's a bit on the dark and odd side, this game would definitely be worth checking out at a lower price or if they fix some of the technical problems with an update.    … Expand
  25. kyoycz
    Aug 14, 2014
    5
    Most of the people who claim that this is a great game probably didn't finish it.

    The visuals are PS2-era, technical performance is a crapshoot, and gameplay is extremely repetitive. On top of that, the final boss is a RHYTHM GAME which has no place in a hack-and-slash RPG. Zero and the story are interesting, and the soundtrack is certainly fantastic, but not enough to pull this game    Most of the people who claim that this is a great game probably didn't finish it.

    The visuals are PS2-era, technical performance is a crapshoot, and gameplay is extremely repetitive. On top of that, the final boss is a RHYTHM GAME which has no place in a hack-and-slash RPG. Zero and the story are interesting, and the soundtrack is certainly fantastic, but not enough to pull this game out of mediocrity.    … Expand
  26. Trollton47
    Jan 2, 2015
    4
    Drakengard 3 carries on it's predecessors legacy completely. And if you liked the first Drakengard game you will probably enjoy this quite a bit. Despite everything that I am going to say.
    there are a couple of things that I like about this game. The soundtrack is great, the character designs are fairly well done. and of course the character controls are awesome. The game has an insane    Drakengard 3 carries on it's predecessors legacy completely. And if you liked the first Drakengard game you will probably enjoy this quite a bit. Despite everything that I am going to say.
    there are a couple of things that I like about this game. The soundtrack is great, the character designs are fairly well done. and of course the character controls are awesome. The game has an insane number of weapons. And they function differently from one another.
    But for how good the character controls and weapons are. that is all counterbalanced completely by the enemies that you use them to fight.
    All the big enemies feel pretty much the same to fight. With lengthy wind-up times they should be alot easier to dodge then they are. But with the Haphazard hit boxes. and the fact that all of them spin around like ballerinas during that time. You are basically stuck dodging backwards 2 or 3 times, or timing one dodge perfectly.
    I chose the former, finding it to be a lot more reliable.
    And all the little enemies are either pointless, or annoying. With the main character literally complaining about the games poor design choices on a regular basis.
    Well sorry but pointing out that your game is poorly designed doesn't make it any less poorly designed. The levels are lengthy, and have very little variety. While most of them having only a few standout sections. If any.
    The boss battles are typically pretty cool. If a little frustrating. The set scene and well themed bosses manages to make them actually very interesting. Easily making the boss fights, complete with epic music. By far the best part of the game.
    Lastly the story is horrible. While I have heard that it improves quite a bit after the first play through. I should not have to literally beat the game once before things get interesting. Before the first ending (and more or less up until the last second of it) the story can be easily summed up as "Zero wants to kill her sisters because she's a **** With only vague hints in the last couple scenes that there may be more. All the while you get to hear the character you collect along the way tasteless talk about sex. It is tasteless, stupid, pointless and not even funny in the slightest.
    I managed to get the first ending. But I could not even bring myself to start on the second play through.    … Expand
  27. chesaro
    Jan 1, 2016
    6
    I haven't finished this one, but it just can't get better. This game made sad, just because it looked really great, and it could have been, but the developer made it look like they don't know what they wanted to make, the next one platinum games is making also looks great, but you already know this genre is where they are good...
  28. Lee_boi
    Apr 26, 2015
    0
    oh yeah, not to mention this game is a wannabe nier game and they still suck making this game square enix could have done better with the graphics come on we are in 2014-15
  29. XV_
    Aug 5, 2018
    7
    This game introduced me to the excellent writing of Yoko Taro, at first I picked this because of the character design (which is amazing) ignoring that from the moment I see game play videos the combat seemed kind of dull and bad, to my surprise the combat was even worse, repetitive uninteresting combat and that can be said also for the side quests, also is note worthy that the English dubThis game introduced me to the excellent writing of Yoko Taro, at first I picked this because of the character design (which is amazing) ignoring that from the moment I see game play videos the combat seemed kind of dull and bad, to my surprise the combat was even worse, repetitive uninteresting combat and that can be said also for the side quests, also is note worthy that the English dub is terrible but you have the option of buying a pack with Japanese voices (which I strongly recommend if you have the extra bucks). Even tho' it has everything to let this game go, I just couldn't it has a very interesting story to tell and incredible well written characters, the soundtrack is just pretty much amazing. Be wary that you need to do a **** thing to get access to the real final boss (get every weapon and upgrade it to the max), which isn't hard but you need a lot of mindless repetitive grinding, and talking about hardness this game after 7 hours or so of trying the to beat the final boss I just couldn't and I have to quit, to this date is the only boss that I have to give up, a lot of people says that Is a **** boss but even after a I couldn't beat it I disagree, it's just brilliant but incredible hard nevertheless. Anyway I can't recommend this game to everyone because has a lot of bad design choices and maybe is a bad game, but if you're interested in kinda philosophical stories with anime characters and lewd design, maybe this can be for you.… Expand
  30. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    7
    A really good game, there are lots of cool things about it and it is a lot of fun to play.
  31. Persona2Anime
    Sep 26, 2022
    0
    Completely overrated garbage that's not worth anyone time, at all. Or my time.
  32. limelight
    Jul 26, 2015
    9
    So I gave this game a 2nd chance, glad i did (i was worried this game was like Dynasty Warriors which im not a fan of). Oh and this game is a prequel to the other two games (which i never played or even heard of until now) Anyway the story is the female lead- Zero, is hellbent on killing her 5 sisters. Shes pissed and will stop at nothing to complete her goal. Thats the simple version. ItSo I gave this game a 2nd chance, glad i did (i was worried this game was like Dynasty Warriors which im not a fan of). Oh and this game is a prequel to the other two games (which i never played or even heard of until now) Anyway the story is the female lead- Zero, is hellbent on killing her 5 sisters. Shes pissed and will stop at nothing to complete her goal. Thats the simple version. It gets better. Way better. Sounds really messed up (which it is) BUT i think she's entertaining and funny as are her disciples. Great action/rpg/hack n slash game.
    If youre worried about being lost in this massive rpg world dont be- everything is set up very straighforward and clear. Levels are linear and menus precise and to the point, (this goes for viewing/completing side missions, upgrading and collecting weapons as well). Collectibles (chests) arent a big deal if you miss one. You can go the chapter menu, and go to subchapters (called Verse) and it will clearly show you how many chests you missed on which Chapter and Verse. You can even start at checkpoints within chapters to collect chests if you want to.
    You have some light RPG elements- buy and upgrade weapons, buy potions for extra health, damage, defense, etc. Its simple but works fine. After you defeat a boss you get to keep their disciples who range from a 22 year old well hung and very horny guy whose body ages quickly to a well rounded...masochist. Thier chatter during and in between missions is very different from the usual bro games like CoD and its something i like. Sounds strange and it is but the combat is good and theres a ton of missions. I just unlocked the last set of missions for Branch D (there are four "endings" in the game- you progress just as you normally would within the game- until you hit branch D. In order to play and complete branch D, you must collect all the weapons. Again, not as hard as it sounds. So far I think I'm about 30+ hours in and still enjoying it. I'll probably buy the slightly overpriced dlc missions just so i can keep playing because i enjoy this game so much and want to contribute to its success, (even though ive read the creator of this game is currently in unemployment with no projects in the near future). :(
    I was really worried about the frame rate problems because ive read lots of comments referring to it but ultimately for me they didnt happen as often as i thought they would so no problems there.
    And finally, i usually scour the internet looking for other opinions besides the critics- and I gotta say I think the critics were wrong on this one. I think its because they probably only got the first "ending" (Branch A) and put it down after that. Currently its at 61 here on metacritic which i think it deserves around 80 at least.Give it a shot though, i think its $20 new and the missions dlc are $30 for all six. I somehow got the Japanese voice pack and a couple outfits for free off the psn (no idea how that happened). Since i started though ive just been using the english voiceover which is pretty good i think. I like Zero's voice actress a lot. Not going to spoil anything here, but theres a few key scenes in the game i will revisit with the Japanese VO to see how much they differ or are the same.    … Expand
  33. Tinye
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    This is absolutely one of my favorite games. The first in the series I've played but the game is so fluid, so beautiful, the music fills you with tears. The story compels you and confuses you and resolves you. My only negative is the last boss... I won't go into detail but it's serious business. I platinum-ed I loved it so much.
  34. BraceHare
    Aug 27, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bluntly, Yoko Taro proves that a game doesn't have to be fun in order to be good. He is a master of the medium, only his paintbrushes are misery and absurdity. Here we have a story about a woman who sets out to conquer evil aspects of herself with the help of a male companion who subsequently dies, but not before leaving her with a child. She enlists this child to help her destroy these evil aspects of herself, aided along the way by a number of sleazy men who are attracted to these evil aspects of herself. The child is subjected to a great deal of emotional and even physical abuse, but ultimately it turns out the woman's objective all along was to save her child, which she accomplishes. Every aspect of the game serves this plot. The child is the character whose perspective we are supposed to be empathizing with. Therefore, the horrible lag in the game is a reflection of the child's inability to process all the violence going on around them. The banality of the plot is a reflection of the child's obliviousness to the events unfolding around them. As Mikhail says near the end "Back then, I didn't know...", proving that the 11th hour reveal is intentional, and consequently that the vacuousness of the plot up until this point is intentional as well. This is one of the tightest couplings of gameplay and story of any game, and it serves such a beautifully bittersweet story that I have trouble holding back tears whenever I think of it. Don't believe me? Consider that the game starts with potty training and ends with a literal phone call to an outside agency for help in saving the child, followed by a children's clapping game and a parent leaving forever. I know that nobody else has this interpretation of the game. It is the correct one. You're welcome.… Expand
  35. Tampa_Black
    Oct 9, 2021
    9
    Amazing
  36. Steyraus
    Jan 17, 2020
    9
    ZERO "I Kill My Sisters!, I Take their men!, go and clean up, Front and Back"

    This is one of the crazy and insane things Zero says in drakengard 3. This game has one of the best stories and some of the most interesting characters of any game ive played. The banter between Zero and her Dragon is a mix of hilarious and cruel. The banter amongst all the characters is very mature,    ZERO "I Kill My Sisters!, I Take their men!, go and clean up, Front and Back"

    This is one of the crazy and insane things Zero says in drakengard 3. This game has one of the best stories and some of the most interesting characters of any game ive played. The banter between Zero and her Dragon is a mix of hilarious and cruel. The banter amongst all the characters is very mature, interesting and refreshing.
    Zero herself is like no other protagonist in any game or movie I've seen. She is an utter bad arse and sick to her core, she slaughters thousands and even the innocent without batting an eyelid. She treats all those around her like dirt and doesn't care for anything except killing. She is this way because the world made her this way and without spoiling anything, she has had a hard life and a hard death.
    The music moves from haunting to hardcore as you travel through this world, some tracks can get irritating with their endless high pitches, but overall the music is great and definitely suits the game.

    The world and people in this world Yoko Tara has created is so unique and spirited, that I feel the game deserves a high score, it does however have some very very serious and unforgivable issues, that may make the game horrible for some people. The framerate is the biggest problem, it is terrible, it can be like a slideshow at times. Also the world is bland and not very interesting to look at and while the combat is fun, the camera is wild and the performance really affects things.

    So the game has issues but it is never to hard for these thing to get in the way of enjoying it and if you like a good story with outrageous characters you should try Drakengard 3.    … Expand
  37. boshi
    Jun 22, 2014
    8
    despite some technical issues, this ia a really good game. the story is great, with good characters, and decent voice acting. the gameplay is fun, and there are many weapons with varying move-sets for each. graphically the cut scenes are beautiful, and the in game graphics are pretty good as well. the only problems i had were some slow downs in big battles, and texture loading times.
  38. KaiJrock
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    Just EPIC.
    If you want to feel real emotions, this game is for you.
    But if you like only, "graphic" and other superficial things, go play your AAA games, so you don't have to bother about story or that you are playing the same crappy game year after year!
  39. mauszx
    Jan 12, 2015
    9
    It's from the creators of Nier. So it's basically a game that at the beginning there is a lot of jokes and you feel like there is a stupid story just for sakes of having one, but after playing for a while you notice that the story is actually pretty good. Of course the game main focused it's still the gameplay which it's pretty good, since almost every weapon is different, so it neverIt's from the creators of Nier. So it's basically a game that at the beginning there is a lot of jokes and you feel like there is a stupid story just for sakes of having one, but after playing for a while you notice that the story is actually pretty good. Of course the game main focused it's still the gameplay which it's pretty good, since almost every weapon is different, so it never really feels repetitive. If you like a weird, funny yet interesting and even touching story, this might be the game for you. I spend hours playing this game and I actually never felt bored, since I always tried to do things differently.… Expand
  40. Vzhik
    Sep 12, 2020
    7
    Очарование это игры в потрясающей проработке персонажей, истории, окружения. Просто загляденье как передаются эмоции противостояния сестер.
    Очень круто тема крови обыграна - то весь персонаж в крови, то экран.
    Но почему-то взахлеб не получается играть. Максимум оп граве в день. Очень достойно.    Очарование это игры в потрясающей проработке персонажей, истории, окружения. Просто загляденье как передаются эмоции противостояния сестер.
    Очень круто тема крови обыграна - то весь персонаж в крови, то экран.
    Но почему-то взахлеб не получается играть. Максимум оп граве в день.
    Очень достойно.
  41. AriseAndBe
    Aug 15, 2015
    9
    I love this game. The characters, the story, the music and the banter that goes on whilst you're battling, even the final boss which made me want to chuck my controller at the screen. I loved it all. If only the budget had been bigger to make the graphics and frame rate better it would have been a perfect 10.
  42. Moge4579
    Nov 3, 2017
    10
    Me encanto la verdad!!!
    Zero es super genial y la historia que lo rodea con esa comedia macabra del juego lo ahce aun mas genial!! Yoko taro dijo que le gustaria hacer una remastered para ps4, espero que si lo hagan, me encantaria!!!
  43. aosan
    Aug 24, 2020
    9
    This game is good. But technical issues like poor FPS and meh graphics can push the player away.
    I like characters and story. Music is good.
    B
    U
    T
    .
    .
    .

    Final boss of D-branch is pure BS and ultimate evil, lol. I warned you. It's not a joke.
  44. Reed618
    Aug 14, 2017
    10
    While there are flaws like some framerate issues, long load times and repetition throughout the levels I had to give it a ten because this game is going to stay with me.
    The combat is fun and has quite a lot of depth to it. There are four weapon types and a large collection of weapons to choose from which each handle quite differently.
    Graphically the levels are unimpressive but the    While there are flaws like some framerate issues, long load times and repetition throughout the levels I had to give it a ten because this game is going to stay with me.
    The combat is fun and has quite a lot of depth to it. There are four weapon types and a large collection of weapons to choose from which each handle quite differently.
    Graphically the levels are unimpressive but the character models and boss' look great and cutscenes between each mission are both beautiful and very entertaining.
    In terms of length there is a lot of content if you wish to get all the endings and the story is excellent. Truly quite unique. You have to play through the game to understand everything and also reading zero's novella will help too but characters who at first glance seem shallow and unimpressive can certainly surprise you. The voice cast is great as well, naruto fan and metal gear solid fans may recognize some familiar voices. The banter during missions left me smiling quite a lot and really adds a lot of charm.
    Finally, I have to mention the final boss... it tormented me for hours so be prepared if you wish to get the final true ending. Overall it was a great experience and i'd certainly recommend it to anyone looking for something quite unique.    … Expand
  45. zidfrit
    May 31, 2021
    6
    El juego no es malo, tiene una buena historia y el transcurso del juego no te aburre, lo único que llega ser su punto malo y no poder lograr una mejor calificación es su poca variedad de enemigos, su mejora de gráficos y ser muy lineal, pero para probar un genero de Rol no esta mal.
  46. frederik1478
    Apr 12, 2020
    8
    Can you handle a lot of tedium , do you have enough stamina to kill and kill and kill And do that a whole week , Because if you do that is a good story ahead of you you will not be a good story ahead of you you will not be disappointed and you will have the soundtrack in your heart to the moment you die
  47. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    The game is not perfect in frame rate terms but is a strong 8 story and scenario wise. You'll love the setting of the world if you're a fan and if you're not too. Is it's own story. A prequel to Drakengard 1. Very stylish, not so dark as in the past. This is the first participation of Keiichi Okabe within Drakengard (after doing the soundtrack of NieR) so prepare for a magical musical rideThe game is not perfect in frame rate terms but is a strong 8 story and scenario wise. You'll love the setting of the world if you're a fan and if you're not too. Is it's own story. A prequel to Drakengard 1. Very stylish, not so dark as in the past. This is the first participation of Keiichi Okabe within Drakengard (after doing the soundtrack of NieR) so prepare for a magical musical ride (?) I guess (?) Great lenght.… Expand
  48. kikkkz
    Mar 22, 2017
    9
    A damn pleasant story about the beautiful carnage, with chic non-standard characters, insanely interesting storyline and divine music, a masterpiece from Yoko Taro from the problems only worth noting is the technical realization of this insanity, but is it worth it? Because it, too, some kind of chemistry enhances the impression of the plot.
    Good night Zero.
  49. _Keiko
    Aug 27, 2017
    10
    un jeu qu'il est très bien mais que ça fait trop longtemps que j'y ai plus joué dc faut que j'y rejoue pr qu'il soit plus que bien que ce que je me souviens
  50. Vorosh-CR
    Aug 5, 2022
    0
    Es de los pocos juegos que he abandonado porque la historia me parecia demasiado cruel. Una cosa es ser un anti heroe y otra una psicopata como Zero con la cual es imposible empatizar. A eso hay que sumarle unos graficos pesimos, constantes bugs y jugabilidad tosca.
  51. Terte
    Mar 10, 2019
    10
    Es de esos juegos que no puedes describir en un trozo de texto. Si el juego os ha llamado minimamente la atención darle una oportunidad porque este es un juego que se oculta con una capa de mediocridad para que el que se adentre se lleve una sorpresa.
  52. elolugo
    Nov 11, 2021
    5
    Interesting game but the fps drops makes this thing unplayable. The music, voice acting, gameplay are cool though
  53. Syfin
    Jul 23, 2020
    10
    Потрясающий слешер с смелым, уникальным, интересным сюжетом. Харизматичные герои, отличные локации мира и замечательная боевая система
  54. tunahan43
    Apr 25, 2021
    9
    tek kelimeyle efsaneydi be sonunu pek beğenmedim bir kaç daha deneyip diğer sonları açmayı deneyeceğim .kesinlikle öneririm dört dörtlük bir oyun
  55. SnaZzyDotEXE
    Jul 10, 2021
    6
    Irritates me how many people give this game a 10/10. That implies that it's a near flawless game. This is far from it.

    It's story is good, which is to be expected from a Yoko Taro game. But it's sound track is quite underwhelming coming from Nier, with most of the normal battle themes just seeming like generic fantasy setting stuff. Its visuals look really dated, since they go way too    Irritates me how many people give this game a 10/10. That implies that it's a near flawless game. This is far from it.

    It's story is good, which is to be expected from a Yoko Taro game. But it's sound track is quite underwhelming coming from Nier, with most of the normal battle themes just seeming like generic fantasy setting stuff. Its visuals look really dated, since they go way too overboard on fog, which makes environments look washed out, repetitive, and indistinct from one another. Which is a shame since the character models aren't half bad. It's combat leaves me with mixed feelings, much like Nier Replicant. Unlike automata it is not nearly as fluid and enjoyable. But much like Replicant, what we get is not bad either. As you unlock more weapon types your combo list and opportunities to rack up insane combos increases, since you can switch weapons after the end of an input to continue attacking. It creates a fairly reasonable progression, which lets you dish out much more damage if you aren't just button mashing. I also feel like the characters are pretty one dimensional. They try to be funny a lot. And like humour in most games, only about 40% of the jokes stick the landing. It's like every character is the embodiment of some kind of fetish. The fact that they make literally everything sex related is somewhat funny at first, but gets annoying real quick. Until you start the later routes, you're left with an unfinished story and a ton of toilet humour. It's hard to recommend this to anyone other than Drakengard 1 or Nier repiicant/gestalt fans specifically. It's story, while more connected to the main story line than Automata, is also not that great as a stand alone experience. Unless you have a somewhat decent understanding of the amazing world that this series has been created, it's unlikely that you will enjoy this game. Overall I feel like it's a step down from the original nier in nierly every way. Which is especially disappointing because it released 4 years later. That being said though, if you are already invested in this series like I am, you probably will find enjoyment in playing this game.    … Expand
  56. Abnegator
    Oct 10, 2021
    6
    After playing Nier Automata, I thought it would be nice to give this one a try. Turns out that I lost my hype about this game for few hours of playing. Though the gameplay is solid, the dialogue between the characters are quite immature and it pains me the most because it eventually gets annoying. The story for me is just not well developed, I only understood what was the true objectiveAfter playing Nier Automata, I thought it would be nice to give this one a try. Turns out that I lost my hype about this game for few hours of playing. Though the gameplay is solid, the dialogue between the characters are quite immature and it pains me the most because it eventually gets annoying. The story for me is just not well developed, I only understood what was the true objective but didn't figured out how does the main character got into the plot.… Expand
  57. whatagoodguy
    Jul 29, 2020
    8
    I love this game. This is one of my most cherished platinums. The game is definitely not for everyone. I found it interesting because I found the main character, the villains, and the dragons appealing. The story is convoluted and you'll have to play the main story several times from different points of view in order to get the real ending. The last stages will require a lot of effort andI love this game. This is one of my most cherished platinums. The game is definitely not for everyone. I found it interesting because I found the main character, the villains, and the dragons appealing. The story is convoluted and you'll have to play the main story several times from different points of view in order to get the real ending. The last stages will require a lot of effort and dedication. The very last stage can be nerve wracking and annoying if you're not in the right mindset for it. The graphics look beautiful but the framerate dips very low very often during gameplay. The action is very well done but it can get repetitive real quick, if you don't take a break in between play sessions. Some people hate this game, and some others love it. I am definitely in the second group.… Expand
  58. SirCaim
    Apr 1, 2022
    9
    If you ignore the frame rate issues, you are left with a beautiful game that has an intriguing story, interesting characters, great music and fun gameplay.
  59. MadIsAdopted
    Dec 3, 2022
    7
    The worst best game on my all-time favorites list. I'd rather stay laconic this time:
    Story: 9/10 (Dialogues are hilarious, characters are controversial yet likable for those of free spirits, story is complex and masterfully wrapped)
    Music: 10/10 (Well, it's Taro-sama's game after all) Gameplay: 4/10 (Well, it's Taro-sama's game after all) Technical condition: 4/10 (Looks like    The worst best game on my all-time favorites list. I'd rather stay laconic this time:
    Story: 9/10 (Dialogues are hilarious, characters are controversial yet likable for those of free spirits, story is complex and masterfully wrapped)
    Music: 10/10 (Well, it's Taro-sama's game after all)
    Gameplay: 4/10 (Well, it's Taro-sama's game after all)
    Technical condition: 4/10 (Looks like unpolished **** and provides the average frame rate of 23 with drops to 9 on ps3)
    Enjoyment: 6/10 (God damn it it's so annoying to play because Drakengard punishes you for not investigating the boring ass additional content)

    Why is this one of my favorite games then? Well, plot and score music are the defining factors over there, so... Yeah.

    Don't play it if you're unfamiliar with Yoko Taro or don't have enough nerves to tear through this game    … Expand
  60. FermiAltair
    Aug 31, 2023
    7
    Tipical Yoko game, but unfortunattly, the bad optimisation affects to the game experience, but in general, the games is good, nice music, characters, bosses, try it if you have the opprtunity
  61. Larry_it
    May 4, 2022
    9
    certo il gioco ha dei piccoli difetti ( come lo scarso comparto tecnico e il gameplay un po' troppo vecchio stile) ma la storia mi è piaciuta così tanto da riuscire a sorvolare su questi difettucci. Ammetto che la storia non sia per tutti i videogiocatori, però se uno ha pazienza e soprattutto è innamorato dell'universo drakengard/nier penso che il gioco possa regalare grandi soddisfazioni
  62. waleedgmv
    Jun 12, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a game that is most interested in telling a story, and, just as with Nier before it, Drakengard 3 has a plot that is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's the kind of game that is going to inevitably be under-appreciated by people who can't be bothered trying to understand it. Judging from some of the other critical responses to the game that have already been published, we're already seeing that happen… Expand
  63. fpearson
    Dec 9, 2022
    10
    I have no idea what people don't like about this game. I'm aware that this is purely a personal taste, and that many people disagree, but to me, Drakengard 3 has been a very special game thus far, and every second has been joyful. I've never been so elated to play a video game. Please, if you're a fan of Yoko Taro, or you're interested in becoming one, pick up this game, especially if youI have no idea what people don't like about this game. I'm aware that this is purely a personal taste, and that many people disagree, but to me, Drakengard 3 has been a very special game thus far, and every second has been joyful. I've never been so elated to play a video game. Please, if you're a fan of Yoko Taro, or you're interested in becoming one, pick up this game, especially if you like crude humor and thematic depth.

    Edit: After beating it, Drakengard 3 is my favorite game of all time.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Best PS3 Game of 2014
7
#7 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2014
8
#8 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 33
  3. Negative: 5 out of 33
  1. CD-Action
    Aug 25, 2014
    40
    The most interesting bad game of this generation and the ugliest I’ve seen on PS3 in last couple of years. Only for Nier and Drakengard fans. [08/2014, p.70]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Aug 4, 2014
    60
    Despite the shonky performance issues and woeful combat, there's still something that compels you forward. [Aug 2014, p.91]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jul 16, 2014
    80
    A technically troubled, budget production that tries to compensate with gore and 'edgy' characters that are ultimately obnoxious. [August 2014, p79]
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