Drakengard, known in Japan as Drag-On Dragoon, is a series of action role-playing video games originally created by Cavia and published by Square Enix. The first game in the series, named after the series itself, was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2. It has been followed by a sequel, a prequel, and several spin-offs. A spin-off series called Nier, which takes place in an alternate timeline after a different ending to the first Drakengard than the one in Drakengard 2, began in 2010 with the game named Nier. Yoko Taro directed every game in both series, except for Drakengard 2, where he had only minor involvement.
The stories of Drakengard and Nier usually focus on the lives and personalities of a small group of main characters who are directly or indirectly connected to the events in the story. These games often include dark or serious themes, complex character development, and multiple endings. The Drakengard games are set in a dark fantasy world similar to Northern Europe, where humans and mythical creatures live together. The Nier games take place in a distant future based on a different ending of the first Drakengard than the one in Drakengard 2, leading to Nier: Automata in 2017, which is set in a post-apocalyptic science fiction world. Both series have received praise for their detailed characters and storylines, though the gameplay of the Drakengard games has sometimes been criticized.
Drakengard and the original Nier have been popular in Japan, selling well and gaining a dedicated fanbase. They have inspired many adaptations, including books, manga, comics, and a stage play. These games were not widely known outside Japan until the 2017 release of Nier: Automata, which became a global success and increased interest in the series. This led to a remastered version of the original Nier, titled Replicant ver.1.22474487139…, being released in 2021. This version received more attention and sold significantly more copies than the original.
Games
Drakengard, the first game in the series, was released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in September 2003 in Japan, March 2004 in North America, and May 2004 in Europe. Square Enix published the game in Japan and North America, while Gathering of Developers published it in Europe. A mobile version of the game, exclusive to Europe, was released in August 2004. This mobile version was developed and published together with Macrospace. Drakengard 2, the second game in the series and a direct sequel to the first, was released for the PS2 in June 2005 in Japan, February 2006 in North America, and March 2006 in Europe and Australia. In Western regions, Square Enix worked with Ubisoft, a European game developer and publisher, to release the game. Ubisoft also translated and adapted the game for different regions. Drakengard 3, the third main game in the series and a prequel to the first, was released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) in December 2013 in Japan and May 2014 in North America and Europe. Like Nier, it was published in all regions by Square Enix.
Nier is a spin-off game that comes from one of the five possible endings of Drakengard. It was released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360 in April 2010. In Japan, it was called Nier Replicant for the PS3 and Nier Gestalt for the Xbox 360. In North America and Europe, it was called Nier. Square Enix published the game in all regions. An updated version of the game, titled Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…, was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows in April 2021. Nier: Automata, a distant sequel to Nier set in the same universe but thousands of years in the future, was released for PlayStation 4 in February 2017, Microsoft Windows in March 2017, Xbox One in June 2018, and Nintendo Switch in October 2022. Nier Reincarnation, a mainline Nier game for mobile devices, takes place in a mysterious location called the Cage within the Nier universe. It was released for Android and iOS in February 2021 and ended its service in April 2024.
Development
The idea for Drakengard began in 1999 between Takamasa Shiba and Takuya Iwasaki. The game's gameplay combined ideas from Ace Combat and Dynasty Warriors 2. The team working on the game used the name "Project Dragonsphere." Cavia developed the game, and Yoko Taro directed it. Yoko was responsible for creating the game's dark atmosphere. This was Shiba's first project as a producer. Yoko was told there would not be a sequel, so the team created multiple endings. When the game was released in the West, some content, like references to sexual taboos, was removed. The title was also changed from "Drag-On Dragoon" to "Drakengard" because the original name was not suitable for Western audiences. Drakengard was successful enough to lead to a sequel. Many team members returned for the second game, but Yoko was busy with other projects and was replaced as director by Akira Yasui. Yoko still helped with development, but he and Yasui had disagreements about the game's style. Yasui made Drakengard 2 very different from the first game, using a lighter tone and brighter colors.
Nier started when Yoko and Shiba worked together to create a third Drakengard game. As the project continued, it became less connected to the original Drakengard series and eventually became a new spin-off. Yoko said he considers Nier to be the true Drakengard 3. Nier was the last game developed by Cavia. After its release, Cavia closed and was taken over by AQ Interactive. Yoko left to work on other projects. AQ Interactive tried to make more games in the series but failed, partly because of a trend toward lighter games for general audiences. Later, Yoko and Shiba worked together again to create a proper second sequel to Drakengard. This time, they aimed to make a hard-core RPG for fans. Drakengard 3 was developed by Access Games, a company known for games like Deadly Premonition. The team included members who worked on action games. Before Drakengard 3 was released, Yoko and Shiba said they would continue the series on PlayStation 4 if the game was successful. In 2014, Yoko said the series was paused due to lack of money. A new Nier game was being developed by Square Enix and PlatinumGames.
The stories of the original game's characters were written by Yoko, Shiba, and Iwasaki. The main game script was written by Sawako Natori, who later helped write stories for future Drakengard games. Yoko designed the darker parts of the game to contrast with games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. He created "insane" characters based on the idea that people who kill many others for their goals are naturally unstable. During Nier's development, Yoko focused on writing a story where characters believe they are always right, no matter their actions. He has tried to answer the question of why people are driven to kill throughout the series. Some dark themes stayed in Drakengard 2, but other story elements were changed to be more mainstream. Drakengard 3 was meant to return to a dark style but also included moments of humor and connected with Nier.
The character designer for Drakengard was Kimihiko Fujisaka. He was a minor staff member at Cavia but was chosen for the job because of his talent as an artist. His designs were inspired by armor and clothing from Medieval Europe. He worked on Drakengard 2 and Nier. He disliked some of his early designs for Drakengard and changed them for an arcade game called Lord of Vermilion. For Drakengard 3, Fujisaka designed the protagonist, Zero, around the game's dark themes. Some unusual design ideas were nearly removed. The female characters were inspired by Puella Magi Madoka Magica, while the male characters, which were less important, were based on common male archetypes and approved quickly.
For Nier, the character designs were done by an artist known as D.K. For the game's international release, the protagonist was changed from a teenager to an adult because publishers believed older characters would appeal more to Western players. For Nier: Automata, the main character designs were handled by Akihiko Yoshida, an artist known for Final Fantasy. He agreed to work on the game because many of his colleagues at CyDesignation were fans of Nier. Yoko asked Yoshida to focus on smooth outlines and black coloring for his designs. Other characters were designed by Yuya Nagai and Toshiyuki Itahana.
The first Drakengard game's music was created by Nobuyoshi Sano and Takayuki Aihara. They used samples from famous classical composers. The second game's music was composed by Ryoki Matsumoto and Aoi Yoshiki, who had no prior experience with video game soundtracks. The Japanese theme song, "Hitori," was sung by Mika Nakashima. The music for Nier was composed by Keiichi Okabe, who wanted the soundtrack to reflect the game's serious tone. Singer Emi Evans wrote and sang the vocal tracks in an invented language called "Chaos Language." Each song in "Chaos Language" uses a different real-world language, except "Song Of The Ancients," which mixes multiple languages. Okabe returned to compose the music for Drakengard 3. He said he tried to copy the style of earlier composers without directly imitating them. The music was very different from traditional Square Enix games. Drakengard 3 has two theme songs: "Black Song," performed by Eir Aoi, and "This Silence is Mine," written and sung by Chihiro Onitsuka. Okabe is also composing the music for Nier: Automata, with Emi Evans returning as the singer.
Common elements
The Drakengard games take place in a dark fantasy version of Medieval Europe called Midgard. Humans are the main group of people in this world, but other races, such as dragons, fairies, and elves, also exist. The setting, stories, and landscapes are inspired by the legends of Northern Europe. A group of unnamed gods oversees the world, but they have not yet appeared personally. These gods are helped by beings called the Watchers, who were created to destroy humanity because they are considered failures. The Watchers are kept out of the world by special protections called seals, which help keep the world in balance. If the seals are destroyed, the Watchers would enter the world and destroy humanity. At the center of the seals is the Goddess of the Seal, a mortal woman chosen to be branded with the final seal. If all the seals are destroyed, the only thing stopping the Watchers from entering the world is the death of the Goddess. A key part of the Drakengard world is the ability for humans and beasts to form a Pact, a magical bond that connects their souls. This bond gives humans great power but requires them to lose some physical ability or personal trait, such as their voice or singing ability. Pacts are usually made by beasts to feed off negative emotions, but sometimes they are made for other reasons. A common feature in the series is the use of magic through the Celestial Alphabet, with a specific letter arrangement representing the human gene.
The Drakengard universe includes multiple timelines. Events in these timelines are separate but can overlap. The main timeline comes from the original Drakengard game and its sequel. Drakengard 3 is a prequel to the first game but takes place in different timelines that lead to different outcomes. In Drakengard 3, a harmful flower uses servants called the Intoners, women who can use magic through song, to destroy humanity. In Drakengard, which follows the fifth ending of Drakengard 3 described in a book, the Watchers use a group called the Cult of Watchers to start a religious war and destroy the seals. In Drakengard 2, the Watchers continue to use the former leader of the cult to destroy new seals, while dragons prepare to take over the gods and rule the world. Nier is set in an alternate reality created by events from Drakengard's fifth ending. In this reality, the modern world was nearly destroyed by a plague caused by magical beings who entered through a portal, nearly wiping out humanity. Nier: Automata takes place after the fourth ending of Nier and includes characters from both Nier and the Drakengard games.
The Drakengard games mix action-based combat on the ground and aerial battles with RPG leveling features. In the original game, players guide characters during ground battles to fight small groups of enemies. During aerial combat, players control the protagonist's dragon partner. The dragon can lock onto a target and attack with fireballs or manually aim and fire large bursts of flame that cause more damage but do not target enemies directly. Gameplay in Drakengard 2 changed little, but some additions were made, such as weapon types being tied to specific characters, with switching weapons also changing the character. Dragon gameplay remained mostly the same, except for a special attack during air-ground missions where the dragon swoops down on enemies in a short cutscene.
In Nier and Drakengard 3, players control the main character while two other characters act as AI-controlled helpers. Drakengard 3 was designed to be faster than previous games, with the protagonist having a special hyper-mode and the ability to switch weapons quickly without pausing. Aerial gameplay changed, allowing the dragon to fight on the ground. Nier includes similar action combat but also has other gameplay styles, such as a top-down view for puzzles, 2D-style areas for buildings, and side quests like fetch missions, fishing, and farming.
A major theme in the main series is immorality, which is shown through the characters' actions and personalities. The second game focuses on themes of war and death. The theme of Drakengard 3, as described by composer Keiichi Okabe, is "the sense of contrast." The series' characters were influenced by anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sister Princess, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The writer, Sawako Natori, was inspired by shōnen manga. The original game's world was based on Celtic and Norse myths combined with Japanese-style storytelling. The original game team was influenced by Asian epic movies and Western action-adventure films like the 1999 remake of The Mummy and Dragonheart. While developing Nier, the team was inspired by the God of War series, and the story structure was influenced by the September 11 attacks and the war on terror. The central theme of Nier: Automata is overcoming difficult situations, described by the game's staff as "agaku" in Japanese.
The games have been adapted into novels, manga, and other materials. The first game had two novels: Drag-On Dragoon: Side Story (2003) and Drag-On Dragoon: Magnitude "Negative" (2004). These were written by Emi Nagashima and Takashi Aizawa. The novelization of Drakengard 2, also written by Nagashima, was released in 2005. Nagashima also wrote character stories and manga for Drakengard 3, including Drag-On Dragoon: Utahime Five (a prequel to the game's antagonists) and Drag-On Dragoon: Shi ni Itaru Aka (a sequel that leads to alternate timelines). A book titled Drag-On Dragoon 3 Story Side, explaining the connection between Drakengard 3 and Drakengard, was released in 2014. Another guide, Drag-On Dragoon 3 Complete Guide + Setting, was published in 2014 by ASCII Media Works.
Nier was expanded with a CD drama that covers events after Drakengard's fifth ending and a book called Grimoire Nier, which includes extra stories, concept art, and a fifth ending for the game. Square Enix partnered with WildStorm to create a digital comic that explains the characters' backstories and the world. The Japanese girl band Yorha performed on the Drakengard 3 soundtrack and in a 2015 stage production written by Yoko Taro, which is directly connected to Nier: Automata. The band's fictional story describes them as military androids similar to the playable characters in Automata.
Reception
The Drakengard series has received some positive and some mixed reviews over the years. The original Drakengard game has been the most praised among the main series. Drakengard 2 and Drakengard 3 have received lower scores. All games in the series have received good reviews from a Japanese gaming magazine called Famitsu.
The story has been a common point of praise for the series. While some parts of the games have been criticized, the dark atmospheres, unusual characters, and unique situations have been considered strengths. Even though some reviewers had mixed feelings about the story, the characters and plot of Drakengard 3 were still praised. Drakengard 2 was an exception because its lighter tone and more traditional story were sometimes criticized for being too simple or similar to other games. The characters from the Drakengard series have remained popular in Japan. A popularity contest was held by a magazine called Dengeki to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary and the release of Drakengard 3. The main characters from the first game, Caim and Angelus, were among the most popular. Caim was nicknamed "Prince" by fans. The characters from Drakengard 3 were also widely liked.
The gameplay has faced some criticism. The original game’s aerial and ground-based gameplay was seen as repetitive and boring by some reviewers, though others found it fun. Drakengard 2 also had similar criticism, but there were small improvements. In contrast, Drakengard 3’s gameplay was generally praised or seen as better than the previous games, though some players found the dragon-riding segments difficult to control. Opinions were split about Nier’s mix of gameplay styles from different genres. Some praised the variety, while others thought it was not well done. The series has gained a small but dedicated fan group in Japan.
Each game sold well in Japan. The original game sold more than 120,000 copies in its first week and over 240,000 copies in total. Drakengard 2 sold 100,000 copies in its first week and over 203,000 copies by the end of 2005. Drakengard 3 sold just under 115,000 copies in its first week and over 150,000 copies by May 2014. The two versions of Nier—Gestalt and Replicant—sold about 12,500 and 60,000 copies in their first week, respectively. Replicant eventually sold over 121,000 copies in Japan by May 2010. As of May 2014, the entire series had sold more than 770,000 copies in Japan. Sales numbers for other regions are not available. The first two games in the main series were re-released as part of Square Enix’s Ultimate Hits collection. Nier: Automata became a global success, selling over 4 million copies by June 2019 and becoming the best-selling game in the franchise. By July 2021, Automata had sold over 6 million copies worldwide. A remastered version of Replicant sold more than 1 million copies worldwide less than two months after its release, which was twice the sales of the original game.