Last year's E3 brought Panzer Dragoon Orta to the Xbox, filling the void of games involving aerial dragon battles. This year, Square Enix brings a new twist to the world of dragon-based combat. Drakengard, slated for a Playstation 2 release in Spring 2004, is a strange combination of Orta's aerial combat and Dynasty Warriors-style melee combat. This mixture lets Drakengard carve a new niche in the gaming world.
Apparently warring factions (Alliance and Empire) have left the main character, Kyme, stuck in a pact with a dragon. In an odd life exchange, Kyme trades hearts with his most hated enemy in order to survive. Apparently this also makes him a mute for whatever reason. Really, the story didn't seem to be the strongest suit of the game, but the demo may not be indicative of the final version. What it did indicate was a strong flying system and a very intriguing manner of dealing with one's foes on the ground.
The gameplay modes themselves are separated into levels. This means that in one level you'll be restricted to Dogfight mode, while in another you'll be able to choose between flying around on your dragon and performing hand-to-hand combat with your foes. Dogfight mode was daunting at first, with a series of controls leaving me a bit frustrated for a few minutes. After figuring a few things out, I was performing flybys on giant walking statues and using the lock-on system to take out as many enemies as I could at once. The method reminded me a lot of Rez's locking system, which let the player mark targets one by one, then unleash multiple attacks.
After taking out everything in sight, I found myself moving on to the next level, which involved the aforementioned melee combat. Entering the level while still on the back of my dragon was very amusing, as it afforded me the opportunity to fly around shooting fireballs at the masses of defenseless soldiers below. Despite my best efforts, the archers eventually took him out and I was left to my own devices on the ground. An impressive array of weapons, including a sword, dagger, spear, and axe, gave me the opportunity to dispatch my enemies with surprising variety. As I was taking on wave after wave I noticed that I was gaining experience points. I was told that these would enhance weapons, dragon skills, dragon appearance, dragon agility and new combo attacks.
When I finished off the demo I found myself somewhat conflicted. While the air combat seemed engaging the first time around, I didn't see the melee holding my interest after a few levels. Unfortunately I think I'd find myself suffering through the melee levels to get to more dragon combat levels. On the flip side of this, I'm sure many melee-loving gamers would be disappointed with the dragon levels. This means that the game will appeal most to those who enjoy both air combat and endless hack-and-slash melee battles. For those gamers, this title will certainly be two games in one.
