Drakengard (spoilers likely for thoes who havent played it)

[Alucard von Elru]

Considering that the endings are simply cleverly-labelled as endings A, B, C, and so on, there is absolutely no "irony" there. They simply thought of more interesting things to put on screen as opposed to "Congratulations, you got Ending A!" :P

And on that note, the first Drakengard is hot. The story and overall structure of the game are absolutely deliciously smurfed up. I've gone into very long-winded statements on why I feel that the game's "flaws" (wonky mission structure, repetitive, often frustrating nature, distorted/butchered symphonic score) are very much intentional (for furthering the sense of all-consuming chaos that encompasses every single aspect of the game), but I understand that I am in a vast, vast minority in liking the game; not to speak anything of whether or not anybody agrees that everything was intentional.

And dragontamer, I strongly urge you to do whatever is necessary (hint: a FAQ helps) to get all of the weapons, as the final chapter in Drakengard is among the most warped, shocking, and incredible moments in gaming history (at least, for me it was). There is so much symbolism to its final moments, and everything was perfect. Everything fiiinally made so much sense, and at the same time it felt like the game had just played me for a fool. I wouldn't mind sharing my views on it after you've seen it, but currently I'm not even going to put them in spoiler tags, because I feel that's a temptation that you don't need.

I like Drakengard 2 a fair bit, but it's hard to explain... the first was this grand, chaotic mess of a game... in the most general definitions of what makes a game "good", Drakengard could be quite abrasive and it could be said that it isn't necessarily indicative of "good" game design. In this sense, the sequel is a better pure game. It's a hack-and-slasher, and a perfectly competent one at that. But to me, the first game was so much more than a hack-and-slasher, or even a hybrid of elements. It was messy, it was chaotic, it was frustrating, but it was also equal parts beautiful and terrifying. I don't think there's been a horror game to freak me out more than Drakengard did, and it's generally not considered as having anything to do with the genre. But every single thing about the game, from the music to the battlefields to the babies, unsettled me in ways I can't quite express.

At any rate, I think Drakengard is a better game than most would give it credit for, although it's never surprised me that it is pretty hated. Again, the whole theme of the game is CHAOS, and every aspect of its design reflects this. This makes it a very, very challenging game to like. I have to wonder, though, when speaking on challenging design principles... why was Killer7 so much more critically accepted than Drakengard, when in many ways they share some similarly challenging design choices?

*ahem* Er, yeah. Now go get those weapons! If you end up needing help with the game's FINAL boss, I discovered a VERY easy way to win (after I had died some 20 times in a row).

"Look within the dark, as deep as you dare..."

For the record, I share your sentiments of uncovering the game's hidden messages. Everything in the intro bares relevance when you think about it, and the ending names are clever ways to say "Ending A", but at the same time they mean something within the context of the ending that preceded it. I greatly enjoyed running around certain levels and reading the messages scrawled all over the floors and walls.