Drakengard 3 is a PS3-exclusive action-RPG from the minds that created the dark fantasy games Drakengard and Nier. Despite the connections these games have with one another, players can dive into Drakengard 3 without any prior series experience, as developer Access Games went out of their way to make Drakengard 3 more accessible to series newcomers. This is a very good thing, because the original Drakengard's story could easily be described as horrifically grim at best, and utterly batty at worst. Unfortunately, the newest Drakengard is weakened by repetitive gameplay and storytelling throughout, spoiling what could have been a great game.

Into the Madness
Drakengard was a horrifying and despairing nihilistic journey, and Nier was an emotionally charged tragedy. Drakengard 3 has stronger comedic elements, and it's lighter in tone than either of its predecessors, though it is still rooted in the realm of the bizarre and tragic. Drakengard 3 serves as a prequel to the original Drakengard and tells the story of Zero, a powerful magical being called an Intoner who has made it her goal to kill the five other Intoners who rule the known world—her own sisters. Despite this dark premise, the story remains relatively light.

Though a touch lighter than previous titles, Drakengard 3 is not at all a game for kids. First of all, it has strong sexual themes, which it emphasizes through character dialogue. It is established early on that Intoners have great sexual appetites, and that their male disciples serve as both magical amplifiers and sexual release. The game doesn't skirt the fact that Zero surrounds herself with men and sleeps with them. The male cast often hits on Zero during campfire exchanges between missions, and they frequently refer to previous trysts.

In addition to sexually charged language, the characters make liberal use of vulgarity to get their point across. This, alongside the bawdy sexual jokes and even pee and poop jokes, add layer of silly humor and quirkiness to an otherwise dark story about sororicide.

On the other hand, the characters are very one-dimensional. Each one has a single defining trait and, with the exception of Zero and her dragon Mikhail, that's the sum total of their depth. The quirkiness falls flat fast, and, by the end of the first story branch, I was already getting tired of the characters. And there are four story branches in the Drakengard 3.

The dialogue isn't particularly good, either. This is true of both event and combat exchanges. The voice cast does a very good job of delivering their lines, but some of the dialogue between characters sounds oddly translated and awkward, while other lines are boring and forgettable.

Enemy dialogue is perhaps the most jarring. As Zero slices her way through enemy hordes, her opponents cry, rally, or even ogle as they fight her. Strangely, however, enemies continue their banter even after they've expired, leading to awkward situations where dialogue is being delivered by no one.