Summary
Yoko Taro created theDrakengardseries in 2003. It was widely praised for its unique approach to dark fantasy gaming, and provided an interesting array of gameplay mechanics. Yoko Taro was successfully cemented as a game director to watch, showing clear potential and a creative flair.
Since then, theDrakengardseries has paved the way for a spin-off franchise under theNieRumbrella, which explores more character-focused stories and philosophical contemplations. WhileDrakengardbuilt the foundations for the universe, it’s theNieRtitles that solidified this world as one of the best in gaming and brought the attention of mainstream gaming audiences.
Unfortunately,NieR Reincarnationsuffers from the dreaded mobile formula that is currently plaguing the industry. It’s anothercash-grab gacha gamethat serves little to no purpose in expanding the world’s universe. It’s a shame because there was clearly still some level of care put into the game, but it’s all blindedby senseless microtransactionsand boring gameplay.
The story unfolds within a pocket dimension called the Cage, following multiple characters in an unnecessarily convoluted plot. The gameplay uses a turn-based combat system where the player fights against hordes of monsters that inhabit the Cage. It’s still got that Yoko Taro flare, but ultimately it’s one to avoid, and many fans of the franchise prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist.
The second entry in theDrakengardseries is the most disappointing one. It’s not an awful game, but it could have been so much better and falls well short of its predecessor. The hack ‘n slash combat can be quite fun, albeit a little janky, and the story itself is interesting; it’s just the execution that suffers a little.
Drakengard 2is a rare entry in the franchise where Yoko Taro did not serve as the director, and it really shows. It’s missing some creative direction and inspiration, and its themes aren’t anywhere near as deep or prevalent in comparison to other entries. Even at the time of release in 2006, the visuals were criticized forbeing overwhelmingly ugly, and let’s just say they don’t hold up too well today either.
Drakengard 3is the most recentDrakengardgame, and it’s a pretty decent outing, serving as a prequel to the first title. This title took a more nuanced approach to its development as it’s aimed at RPG veterans, and is notably more difficult than previous entries. As with otherDrakengardtitles,Drakengard 3features both ground-based and aerial gameplay on dragonback, and it’s the ground-based combat that really excels this time around. The less said about aerial combat the better.
It’s a little confusing to follow, but this gametakes place in a separate timelinefrom the first entry, even though it’s set 100 years prior. However, it still delivers an excellent story with some great characters. If players are looking to get lost in an interesting world, with an immersive story and fun hack ‘n slash mechanics, they can’t go wrong withDrakengard 3.
The originalDrakengardcontains an amazing story and successfully created one of the most memorable universes in gaming. Sure, it’s got some janky gameplay, and looks awful, but this is a game to play for gamers who appreciate an extremely nuanced story. This is the game that put Yoko Taro on the map, and his creative visions are fully realized.
The gameplay is unique, to say the least. It was one of the first games to feature both ground-basedand aerial gameplay mechanicsand combat within a 3D environment, and it did so pretty effectively (for its time). Gamers might argue between which is better out ofDrakengardandDrakengard 3,but it’sDrakengardthat features a more concise narrative, and was overall a more influential game.
The originalNieRwas releasedas aDrakengardspin-offin 2010 to mixed reviews but was widely praised for its original story and interesting approach to video game direction. It proved decisively more popular than the mainline series, and spawned a fantastic sequel and remake.
Things get a bit confusing here because there are some slight differences between the Japanese and Western versions. In Japan there were two releases;NieR GestaltandNieR Replicant.Gestaltfeatured a father as the protagonist, whereasReplicantfeatured a younger brother. The Western release assumed the simple title, NieR, and followed the older father as the central protagonist. Whichever version gamers played, the original NieR was an excellent game and truly pushed the boundaries of what video game writing could achieve.
Being the most widely known title,NieR: Automatais the game that broughtNieRto the masses, and the first to truly achieve critical acclaim. This is a special, completely original title that contains so many different styles of gameplay it’s hard to place it within just one genre. As the game wasdeveloped by Platinum Games, with Yoko Taro as director, there’s a different feeling toNieR: Automatathan other entries.
Players take control of an android named 2B and explore a post-apocalyptic world, thousands of years after the events of the originalNieR.The story is difficult to summarize in a few short sentences, especially when considering how it takes multiple playthroughs to unravel the whole narrative.NieR: Automatais one of those games that works best when gamers just boot it up and play, going in blind and experiencing it raw and in person. It’s heavy, philosophical stuff that excels at everything it tries to do.
This is, again, an area where some players might disagree. BothNieR: AutomataandNieR Replicantare truly fantastic games, but it’sNieR Replicantthat takes the cake as the better title in most fans’ eyes. Partially a remake, partially a new experience,NieR Replicantis a re-telling of the originalNieR, featuring new characters, revamped gameplay, new music, and a more expansive story with many deviations from the original.
This game features some of the best combat in the franchise, and it’s certainly the definitive way to experience the original story. This is some ofthe best writing in any video game, and the framing of the protagonist as a brother rather than a father makes it even better. For true fans of theNieRandDrakengardfranchises,NieR Replicantis the best experience and a fantastic title to dive into.
