|     | The Final Say! | Gameplay
9.0 | Graphics
9.2 | Sound
8.4 | Value
9.0 | Drakengard -
reviewed by Andrew B
Review Date: July 2004
Review Score 9.0/10
Distributed By: Take-Two Interactive | | | "Rain destruction on your foes from the back of a flying dragon..." Games... games... games! There is so much clutter on the market at the moment that just about every title that I have reviewed has blurred into one big game called 2004. This game called 2004 was then broken down into rehashed sport or first person shooter games that has made the current gaming market quite stagnant... until now! Squaresoft have come to the rescue in one of the most underestimated titles of 2004 called Drakengard that is probably the most original and entertaining PlayStation 2 game in a long time. Although the game is heavily influenced by the movie Dragonheart, the main hero of the game called Caim is quite different to the comedic hero of Dragonheart. Caim is a lost soul whose parents were slaughtered by dragons and although he despises these creatures with a unholy passion, he must now make a deal with the devil in order to rescue his younger sister. The storyline of Drakengard is beautifully told by in-game cinemas and of course some of the trademark majestic beauties of Squaresofts prerendered CGI that is quite simply breathtaking. Unlike traditional Squaresoft RPG titles, Drakengard is a combination of RPG meets action/adventure that has you controlling both Caim and his bonded dragon. However, in basic terms, Drakengard is primarily a hack and slash game that truly emphasises on action and pure enjoyment. Apart from running into battle with giant swords, the gamer also gets to control the mighty dragon and breath pure fire upon his enemies that is easily one of the most enjoyable aspects of this title. Graphically, Drakengard is a very impressive looking game and the attention to detail is quite stunning at even the most boring of times. The main characters in the game are also extremely well animated that contain a fairly high polygon count for that realistic look and feel. The backgrounds in the game range from mediocre to amazing but generally the backgrounds are above average. It should also be noted that although Drakengard does have some framerate issues, however, it generally maintains an acceptable framerate so that even the most staunchest of gamers will be unable to complain. Musically Drakengard sounds like a Hollywood sound fest that incorporates the majestic sounds of movies such as Lord of the Rings and the Conan the Barbarian for that authentic medieval feel. Unfortunately the most disappointing thing about the sound in Drakengard are the lacklustre character acting that seems a little forced and contrived at the best of times. |
