Drakengard 2

Pardon my attempt to dig up any interest on the DoD line around here, as I seem to be the only vocal supporter at GFF. I'm currently working on my third time through the game in it's hardest difficulty setting, have logged in nearly 90 hours, and I'm still loving most everything about this game. After going back and comparing this title with the first one, the fluidity of battle along with most other gameplay aspects are clearly improved upon to a degree that almost makes DoD1 unbearable to play again.

How the story would turn out left me a bit nervous in the first few hours. In DoD1, much like a game in the same ilk as Xenogears, the story and it's world was the reason to put up with the gameplay itself. But my fears were alleviated more and more as I progressed. There is a wonderful blending with the old and the new, and while I wouldn't go as far to say that there's complexity behind many events and motivations, there is some rich subtext sprinkled about.

The plot and character development is helped along by the very solid voice acting. Any cringeworthy lines or deliveries are few and far between. It's not exactly a masterpiece of translation, nor does it have the unique distorted sanity of the first title, but it never gets in the way (as long as you don't mind everyone being British).

Overshadowing the capable voice acting in the sound department, though, is one of my personal favorite game OSTs of all time. The first installment featured it's own brand of originality, sacrificing the traditional pleasure of standard melody for a sound that infused the game with madness. It fit the game perfectly and I was a fan of it, but was certainly an acquired taste. Gone is the short looping bursts of powerful orchestration replaced by a more traditional sound, but the quality here is top notch, the work is just sublime. And again, it suits the game and even serves as a compliment to the previous title, turning darker as plot elements that tie into Caim's story are introduced later in the game.

Not everything comes off as an improvement, though. The auto save feature is gone, as is the ability to play any previously completed story mission at any time. There are no more branching paths. There are multiple endings, but to few them the game forces you to play through from the beginning to the end in a new game+ with increased difficulty. It hardly seems worth at as the endings are short and there are minimal changes otherwise. But if you like the series like I do, you'll probably invest the time.

I wholeheartedly recommend this game to any sort of gamer who loves a strong story, lots and lotsa hack and slash action, and who can forgive a certain amount of flaws. Anyone else have any opinions on the game?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Whoops, sorry about that. Didn't think to look in the rpg forum seeing how the game's a Sony exclusive and hardly an action rpg. Anyways,

Spoiler:

It only makes sense that Legna is Inuart's black dragon. "There the black dragon gains enlightenment." Black dragon sees the two go in, black dragon sees Nowe come out. To suggest that he was not Legna would be to say that he abandoned Nowe after gaining enlightenment and Legna just happened to stroll by a shortwhile after. I look at the pact aspect like this. Inuart did not die, but then again, Nowe isn't Inuart. He was changed and fused. The pact became nullified. "This goes against the natural order." Dead goddess + dragon pact partner + the gods only know what (literally) plays havoc on any known rules of order.

Whether or not dragons can brake a pact by there own will, I don't see why Caim and Angel would of released each other going by ending A. Who do either of them have left, and what does Caim have left to say?

The game is not entirely baby free. Level up Broken Iron for some disturbing imagery.

The only question I have about the game's story is what is the deal with Nowe's scar?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yes, they went out of the way to bring attention to it as an oddity.

Spoiler:

At first, I thought that Inuart must of had the same scar, but upon checking the his artwork, he has nothing of the sort. It's even excessively bloody on the box art. I guess if there's not a word or hint of it elsewhere, it must be exactly as it's explained in that short scene.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Spoiler:

Quote:

I wish they had done something flashier with the magic attack in that form. Those cheap homing missiles were freakin USELESS!

Spoiler:

Not in third playthrough they're not.

Just beat the game for the third and final time today, clocking in at I don't know how many hours, the clock stops counting at 99:59:59.

Spoiler:

The third ending isn't worth it. Happily ever after has never seemed so out of place. The world is magically restored without any explanation, the dragons fade as well, somehow. Maybe it has something to do with defying the book of seeds and undoing what was to be done. Whatever, the ending was a big cop out. Best part of playing through the third time was the last two free missions at the ancient tomb. Both were crazy and satisfying to beat.

I also discovered a scene between Oror and Nowe at the district of shining life near the game's end. Don't know if it's in the first and second playthrough as well, just a heads up about that, though.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?