Can Games be Bad on Purpose? | Drakengard 3

[@RahkshiMaster]

There is a tweet that lives in my head rent free, this tweet reads "I remember when I told Yoko Taro to his face that I liked Drakengard 3 and he said he was sorry"

[@ConstantlyCaden]

That's hilarious, I hope that really happened

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

So sure he broke something in their head for thrm to say it was good

[@EdenNeedsAYoutubeHandle]

There's a similar story of a Drakengard 1 speed runner who, upon telling Yoko Taro he was a speed runner of Drakengard 1, Taro's immediate response was "I'm sorry." Hell, I believe it.

[@griseo7748]

Wild. The story for 3 is great. 1&2 were ass compared

[@fireemblemistrash75]

@@griseo7748 Ngl playing it on emulator rn. Im enjoying it in all honesty

[@bayuyasutora7539]

"if Nier is a romantic tragedy, Drakengard is an unromantic comedy" couldn't agree more

[@Ukaran]

Dude, Zero's entire story is a tragedy.

[@kit013]

@@Ukaran 👆🤓

[@pasindudinusha6507]

If Nier is a Masterpiece Darkengard is a Novicepiece.

[@fauxev1432]

This video almost gaslit me into playing Drakengard 3. 10/10 would watch again.

[@KuroShred]

true Dylan

[@tovi3280]

oh you better

[@bigbangaries]

You should though

[@Lifesizemortal]

Bought Drakengard 3 when it released and returned it within 3 hours. I've never played a game that felt worse.

[@christopherstearns4950]

Big facts

[@yans869]

As someone who dropped Persona 5, GTA 5 and other masterpieces, but got the platinum trophy on Drakengard 3, I think that I am well qualified to say that it truely is one of the games of all times.

[@pn2294]

GTA V is a masterpiece?

[@yans869]

@@pn2294 According to its reveiws and reputation, yes

[@drcaligaridane]

Persona 5 is fun but the plot is not very good compared to older games and smt in general

[@pn2294]

@@drcaligaridane older games maybe but it’s definitely better than SMT games

[@NeroAlmiaorsomething]

@@pn2294 It depends on what you see as good and what you enjoy the most in a game. Gameplay-wise? It's kinda boring compared to most SMT games (I would even say that I find DemiKids more fun than P5 when it comes to combat). Story-wise? The character-driven story of Persona 5 and its focus on their development and interactions as the story progresses is imo better than most SMTs. That said? This shit is subjective (again, it depends on what do you like in a game) so... I forgot what was the point I was trying to make here lmao.

[@IDMNash]

Drakengard 3 has one of the most insane dialogues and party members interactions I have seen in a JRPG. And what a twist to take the comedy path after the uber-nihilistic hell experience that Drakengard 1 was

[@aquelesousa]

It's not a prequel, but at least it's in the same world, so you're not entirely wrong.

[@passingdem0n303]

In that case I strongly recommend trying to play it in jp voices, the VA deliveries are a very fresh take on the character behavior.

[@KOTEBANAROT]

Its only a comedy path for up to the end of ending A though

[@Exel3nce]

"comedy path"

[@AngraMainiiu]

Calling Drakengard a JRPG is huge stretch, it's like calling God of War an RPG...

[@betamale282]

Sums it up perfect. "Drakengard 3 is unfortunately one of my favorite games"

[@KillingMoonLight419]

This! Was so true!!! I love this game so much and wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy.

[@noahjester8471]

Mikhail is absolutely fantastic, and having his childlike innocence clash with literally everything that happens is one of the best parts of the game.

[@Ukaran]

Zero's character development too.

[@eirenii]

Literal embodiment of "Murder is okay, destroy your enemies, burn everything down" and there he comes along of "😊❤ You matter!❤😊" and no one can argue with him.

[@Everythingwillsurelybealright]

Ok what the heck. This video is an absolute masterpiece?? The humour and editing and pacing are all brilliantly polished until it devolved into deep and critical look into the nature of critiques themselves. This is not what I was expecting KZbin to recommend me on my lunch break but holy heck I’m glad it did! I’m subscribing forever now thank you.

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Thank you!!! I really appreciate it, glad you enjoyed!! :)

[@ken7007]

Seriously how he doesn't more subscribers people over look masterpieces. Looking forward to the Nier replica video

[@ShikiRyougi05]

@@ken7007 i mean, he only has a few videos and 2 of those already have good views, i bet if he keeps putting out incredible videos like this one he's gonna be successful!

[@KuroShred]

try playing a REAL video game like Drakengard 2

[@srdragan317]

🤣

[@Cantotallyswallowdat]

You boi are a menace

[@drcaligaridane]

Can't forgive the series for making the best girl Manah into a bland waifu

[@maniau]

@@drcaligaridane that's why we have One ;)

[@drcaligaridane]

@@maniau she's the best sister indeed

[@epicprodragon64]

Can't believe you actually almost made me want to play Drakengard 3.

[@vdub6343]

He actually got me to PLAY it, and I fucking love it so far (despite being thoroughly embarrassed by that fact). For reference, I’m a little past Three, but I hear the final boss is grueling…

[@Kiki-ns4cc]

@@vdub6343i also bought the game because of this video, it was a real commitment. Stuck on the final boss tho

[@SpinnyTard]

@@vdub6343Why are y’all embarrassed about liking a game with a decent story and characters 😭

[@lcs-1]

it's rly good idc it's fun to play it just looks like a ps2 game and i don't mind that

[@SuperLlama42]

Seeing as the reason Drakengard 1 has such a batshit story was because Yoko Taro knew they didn't have the experience to make a good game gameplay-wise so they might as well make it memorable from a story perspective, this makes perfect sense.

[@chrisheartman9263]

The thing is: Zero *wants* to be hated. Zero *wants* to be alone. Zero *wants* to push everyone away, and this is because her backstory, before Drakenguard 3 she got raised in the *worst* way possible. Also, this is probably locked behind a novella or something along those lines, I forgot. But it definitely wasn't in the game. CW and TW for "fun"-ual trafficking and both normal and "fun"ual abuse: I don't remember how, but she ended up being orphan. She ended up in an orphanage of which she got kicked out because she was sick and got worse. The physical abuse didn't help. She ended up in a brothel. And this is when she still was barely a teenager. That's where her bloodthirst started. She *had* to do sex work, she was forced to. And then she started planning her escape. She killed a couple of rich men and robbing them of their gold, and set out on her marry way. She died of her sickness before she could really make anything else with her life, and with her last breath she managed to summon the flower that now adorns her face.

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Very well put! :) I avoided elaborating on Zero's intent and background since I was trying to avoid spoilers

[@lutwidge3805]

Just adding a piece of information to this video: Sawako Natori was the main writer for DoD3 and the woman (mostly) responsible for the sex jokes in the game. I remember reading in a blogpost from a guy who knew Japanese that there was a fanbook interview with the DrakeNier writers and, supposedly, Natori wanted to give Ending A a proper emotional, novelesque ending with your typical moments of catharsis, but Yoko Taro had other plans in mind. Although I couldn't find anything about a translation of these interviews, the fact that Natori has mostly writen kids' books and mainstream romance novels throughout her career and the fact that Yoko Taro is, y'know, Yoko Taro, lead me to believe that this is likely true. Going out of your way to make an ending feel "worse" requires some real commitement to uniqueness.

[@KATinBLACK]

I remember on Twitter someone commented they liked the little details and dark themes in the plot of his games and he said along the lines, “you have Natori, a woman mind you, to thank for that, not me.” He’s proud of his team. They share his absurd vision

[@felixrowan646]

No matter how many times I see the Octa joining the party cutscene I still laugh every single time.

[@Sophist]

Drakengard 1 and 3 were such conflicting experiences yet somehow are among my favorite games for reasons explained in this video. Wish I could someday meet Taro. Great video, man

[@tmantonytv1166]

I really liked what you had to say about games as a medium, and about gameplay, and the denial of the nearly endless possibilities games have to offer by companies and the majority of people who play games. I hate when someone makes an argument about games being art and then uses examples like “this game is pretty” or “i like it a lot”. I also like how you usually don’t get into that argument of “are games art?” Because at the end of the day that argument is really just about whether or not games are respected or at least not just cheap forms of pleasure, and a lot of that is up to how players enjoy games and if the majority of games become more than cheap pleasure.

[@dibdap2373]

Well said. I get really tired of people trying to push games as "art" in order to give them validation.

[@Gus-n9u]

Excellent analysis! I loved the video, it I do believe that it misses out on a key part of why games like this are so… complicated. In art, when we see subversive creations that don’t just challenge what the art is, but break its entire convention, the most lauded of these kinds are still… good in a sense. House of Leaves is not good at being a book, but it is a “good book”. While it is frustrating and convoluted at best, it is also an incredible journey for many who take it. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is fucking terrible at being a movie, but it is an amazing film. It constantly breaks convention, and even the bounds of good taste. It takes clear joy out of not respecting the viewer. It doesn’t even respect it’s own narrative. Yet it is a clear masterpiece. Then you have a game like Drakengard 3 that does something arguably similar. It seeks to lambast and chastise the very medium it requires to exist. The issue is that it is a video game…. A subjective piece of art becomes much harder to enjoy if you have to slog through gameplay that is just genuinely unenjoyable. Re-reading a chapter or rewatching a scene becomes much less fulfilling if the book/movie makes you do it because you fucked up in how you watched/read it. A bad combat system or a jumping puzzle in a game can feel like having to watch an ad mid movie before you are allowed to continue. Video games are cost and time prohibitive products in both their creation and their consumption. Hard to see house of leaves being made if it required a massive team (massive is relative given that books require often only a writer and an editor to construct) and not only creative, but technical knowledge to create. The ideal of watching The holy grail gets less attractive if you realize it’s 20+ hours and has a bunch of jumping puzzles involved, also it’s gonna cost you 70+ dollars. This is not to say that I don’t agree with this kind of art or this games creation. It is to say that this kind of art form lends itself to video games less than it does any other art form of similar size. At the end of the day, subversion and the breaking of convention in video games might require something special… that being that the game still be actually fun to play.

[@holdennnn555]

Sex crazed, uncomfortable, messy, misunderstood, embarrassing to admit you enjoy? Sounds like a Weezer album baby 🤘

[@Mortablunt]

Sounds like how my ex girlfriend describes me.

[@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120]

@@Mortablunt which says something about the audience of yokotaro

[@Mortablunt]

@@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120 I'm dat goooood shit you only share with trusted friends.

[@DronesOverTheMoon]

@@Mortablunt gotta be true to stick up to your bs ngl

[@RealGateGuardian]

Also sounds like a relationship with the opposite sex.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

17:42 this section is genius The way it's written and edited goes HARD Subbed

[@alicepow260]

I also subscribed at that moment. Made me stop and go "wait this video is really interesting"

[@wheredreamscollide7897]

I am so glad this popped up on my feed. As someone who has been a huge Yoko Taro fangirl since 2010 I realized very quickly that this was a brilliant storyteller who went against the grain of what was "expected" of games (I hope you get a chance to play the original Drakengard if you haven't yet, the plot and characters and their own selfish wants are imho WAYYYY messier than 3, and I think you might like the ending as well if you enjoyed 3's ending~), however he didn't have the proper funding and resources to truly make what he envisioned. I am glad he is finally getting the recognition he deserves and I was thrilled that Automata did as well as it did to introduce the world to this beloved madman.

[@YuubiTimberwolf]

I started with Drakengard 1, i can confirm that "bad on purpose" or well "embracing the bad" is 150% the theme of Drakengard 1 & 3 and it totally nailed it Its an experience unlike anything

[@Xerain]

Drag on, Dragoon

[@DronesOverTheMoon]

Doesn't change the fact that it's still bad and that i still miss the money i spent on it

[@FingerinUrDaughter]

gameplay wise, d3 is identical to neir minus magical missile spamming. so anyone who thinks one is shit, thinks both are shit.

[@TheChocoboRacer]

They don't call it a drag on dragoon for nothing. Shit is boring as fuck, and I'm perfectly content watching other people suffer this fucking atrocious experience. Blech

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@FingerinUrDaughter Nier got an updated version though, with combat closer to Automata.

[@TheSingingBUn]

I felt your pain. I love this take of drakengard3 and yoko taro games as a whole. the man's a madlad and whether or not his works are good or bad to the individual, you can't deny that he is one of his kind sort of creator.

[@LyneaFlynn]

You starting video essays was one of the best things that happened on this platform in the last few years.

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Thank you so much !!!

[@DoctorQcumber]

Playing through the memory later in the game when everything falls into place was surreal. It actually reminded me of when I played the final ending of Automata. And Kuroi Uta is an absolute banger. Insanely well-made video!

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Thank you! I agree, that part was incredible

[@Lolleman255]

SAME that shit made me speechless it was just 2 gud

[@netolocio1677]

I watched this video thinking it was one of those masterful essays with millions of views. I'm surprised there's only a couple of hundreds. There's serious potential to your work, keep it up.

[@RibbonRoulette]

Yoko Taro's worlds are insane rides, and it was great to see your similar descent into madness in the editing itself. Excellent work!

[@alpha8here]

Haven't played any of Yoko Taro's games, but I'm a HUGE fan of his stories and the lore behind them. My favorite part of Drakengard 3 is the idea of using songs as a weapon, and from this you can probably tell that the final ending is my favorite part of the game.

[@fg009letyrds8]

Songs are actually a large part of the DrakenNier series. Drakengard 1 Final Boss and Drakengard 3 Final Boss are both Queen Grotesqueries, and the Intoners (who are basically Queen Grotesquerie Larvaes) are beings that uses the Power of the Song to bring forth Humanity's destruction. Nier Replicant's Magic system is via Words, treated as a lesser form of power the Queen Grotesquerie used, it only faded into less importance during Nier Automata, but even then we know a certain kingdom that rest in the night side of the Planet still uses Word Magic to send Androids to parallel universes. And that's just the in-universe importance of Music and Songs in the Series, as most DrakenNier OSTs are treated as top tier music and cream of the crop video game music out there.

[@Naterkix]

......Play some of them. Like, seriously. Even if it's just Automata.

[@joearnold6881]

@@Naterkix “just” automata

[@Naterkix]

@@joearnold6881 I meant it more as "if you're gonna play one, Automata is closet to what people expect from a 'modern' game." If you can, play all of them (Drakengard 2 if you _really_ want but Yoko Taro had nothing to do with it so it's pretty generic fantasy and pretty ehh, though it does do a few good things). They're all worth playing but it does require you to be okay with jank and/or "not great" graphics to see it's story. I have no issue with that but I know some people can't/won't do that.

[@freilldk5674]

@@Naterkix Main Problem is Currency, a.k.a, MONEY

[@Hitagicrabs]

This is a an absolutely brilliant video. I loved the narrative, pacing, jokes, and editing. This is incredible. Please keep creating. I will share this with my friends as well! Good job!

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Thank you so much!!! That means a lot :)

[@outeremissary4438]

I've been intrigued by Drakengard 3 for years since a friend showed me another mostly positive video about it which praised the story, so it's really interesting to hear your thoughts on what it does with game design (especially in a post-Automata world). The Drakengard games sound so artistically fascinating (well, 1 and 3, at least) and I've always wanted to give them a shot, but I never feel like I quite have the patience to sit down and grind them out. Great video and loved to hear your perspective!

[@Exel3nce]

why specifically 3 and not 1?

[@Reuraku]

Drakengard 3 was the first Yoko Taro game I played and I enjoyed it when I first played and I enjoyed in when I last played it. The gameplay works it's not revolutionary or anything but I found it fun. The story and dialogue kept me interested mostly laughing but as it goes on and you find out more about Zero it started to sink in and left a real impression.

[@ConstantlyCaden]

I absolutely agree :)

[@KATinBLACK]

DOD3’s gameplay was so repetitive and annoying but the story, characters, music was so good, I went insane. I went from mildly annoyed, bored even, to screaming “cmon cmon cmon!” at the TV, to gaslighting myself into believing the gameplay was good and that I love fighting archers!

[@silverblood9456]

Playing this game was one of the most frustrating gaming experiences I've ever had. I loved it, underrated masterpiece.

[@jodyestevens9911]

in the same sense that a fashion designer or painter will create “bad” art by intentionally making visually unpleasant or basically unusable art pieces, it’s only natural that video games follow the same path as an art form.

[@davidfavaro646]

I can say that, I love Drakengard 3, I played it back when I had my ps3 and was so addicted, that I couldn't stop until I got Platinum trophy. One of the most underrated games of all time, for me personally, a masterpiece.

[@josh-qj2zu]

“I also don’t wanna talk about evangelion” Thank you so much bro I love Eva but it’s so funny how nier discussion always runs back to Eva

[@ghosttrick2374]

I played Drakengard 3 and loved it in a masochistic way. Exactly why i also loved how meta and frustrating this video was in a Yoko Taro way. Immediately subbed.

[@SandroAD]

Watching this was immensely validating - I remember when this game first came out and I was absolutely hooked as a teen for every which reason imaginable, and I hadn't realized just how much the game had stuck with me until watching this now. Might need to give this game a replay TBH and try all that DLC I own... Truly awesome job with this!

[@Puppygirl3DBlast]

I recently played Drakengard 3 myself, maybe about a year ago? Played it on emulator so it was actually playable and. I absolutely loved it. Sure, it's incredibly crass but my favourite Drakenier character is Kaine, so. I had played Automata, and Nier Gestalt before, and the Replicant remake had recently come out. I finished it up, and I was hungry for more. So I played Drakengard 3. And man oh man am I glad I did. I absolutely agree with the idea of it being bad on purpose. Hell, you could argue there was hints of that in the original Drakengard with how sluggish its combat is. I feel like Drakengard 3 just refined that into being an actual enjoyable experience outside of cutscenes.

[@hotmango5647]

Finished it about a month ago. The final song ruined it for me, but the game is weirdly underrated. I wouldn't say it's better than Replicant or Automata, but it was definitely designed to be bad, which was a success and I love it. One of my favorite games of all time.

[@mksmike]

@@hotmango5647 "The final song ruined it"? How? :o

[@hotmango5647]

@@mksmike If you played the game, then you'd know how ridiculous the final boss was. I only started laughing after beating it with a guide, and I ended up cheating anyway lol. However, while fighting the boss, I can't remember a video game that made repeat a boss fight this many times with frustration other than God of War (reboot) and this one. As someone put it: it was utter hell. I'm quite conflicted on whether it added anything to the game or not. On one hand, the final boss is unprecedented, unique, none has given the player the like to fight. But on the other hand, imagine studying game design for years and how to keep the player entertained and you do that relatively well throughout the game, but comes the final boss and you throw all of that to the garbage and try to follow your inner child to make your trolling come to life. I do appreciate that he went out of his way to make the game unique, other game companies don't risk following trolls. So in short, if you were to ask me if I'd like to see video games taking new, well, takes at it, thanks to Yoko Taro, I'm all in. But that doesn't mean what Yoko Taro did here is good JUST because it's unique, if that makes sense. The only thing I liked about the boss (other than the song, which is....a masterpiece) is the dancing/animations. It is to this day probably the most artistic boss fight I have ever seen in my entire life, surpassing the Shadowlord by a mile, unfortunately (unfortunately because I really love the whole concept of the Shadowlord AKA "no one is winning" and the entire fight "felt" like an elegant waltz, quite frankly. But here in Drakengard 3, it was quite literally a dance lol). Oh and let's not forget its reference to Drakengard 1 final Boss in Ending E, which was a masterpiece. You may be wondering: what's the difference between the two? Simply put, in Drakengard 1's while difficult, it still felt like playing a game. You were in control the whole time. I still cheated, but I wasn't as angry as I was with 3's. 3's is Yoko Taro's cheap way of messing with you. You become the game and the player is Taro.

[@mksmike]

@@hotmango5647 I asked because I think "the final song" is the title of the music. I haven't played the game, but I stumbled upon the song here and I loved it.

[@maniau]

it took me a few months, but actually beat the last boss, in my case I loved the game even more (the secret to this is ... just played for fun, not to prove something, if I cant advance the battle I'd stop instead of falling to frustration). like getting to romance some one you fancy, you can't just force your way, same with the last song ;)

[@pyrismanaburst7881]

I'm glad to see someone else speak about this series, these games are truly a unique experience. I've played every game in this series except Drakengard 2 (the only one without Yoko Taro on the team) and let me tell you, Drakengard 1 was by far the worst gaming experience I've ever had. The story is sadistic, the characters are arguably worse than those of its prequel, and the gameplay is clunky and unpleasant, but all of it by design. Its an awful game and I wouldn't recommend anyone ever play it, but it does exactly what it was meant to do, and that is to comment on the atrocities committed during wars by both sides. You never feel like a good guy, and everything is a slog, and much like the other games in the series, you need to play a lot to get the final ending (coincidentally the one that connects to Nier). Not a single ending is objectively good , and I'm only mad that the terrible game makes me respect Yoko Taro all the more. I'm warning everyone reading this comment : don't play this game if you don't want to spend upwards of 20 minutes per level chipping away at regular mobs HP. All in all 10/10 experience, would only recommend to my worst enemies.

[@Exel3nce]

yep, the gameplay aspect of 1 is just awful, but the content is still the best. from the characters AND the endings. this pure sadistic feeling is haunting and downright fantastic

[@pyrismanaburst7881]

​@@KasumiRINAThat's like comparing apples to bulldozers 😂

[@BattleAnglul]

Hey man, I know it's been a while since this video came out, but I just wanna say this is one of my favorite videos on this site, and one of my favorite video game analyses ever. I don't really comment often on videos but on the off-chance you see this I just want you to know how much I love this video. I'm a pretty big Nier fan and always wanted to learn more about drakengard, and this video made me REALLY want to get into it, and I keep coming back to watch it again. So, yea, thanks for the awesome video!

[@ConstantlyCaden]

I really appreciate it!! I'm glad you enjoy it, it means a lot to know it had an impact on people. :)

[@bryguy062485]

Yup, you earned a sub. Not just because we agree that this is an amazing "bad" game, but your editing and writing skills easily stand up with (or surpass) some of the huge "video game essay" creators! Here's to many more years of Yoko Taro gaslighting all of us all over again. (I mean come on, he extended the connection between Automata and this game in an FFXIV colab buried in a story that seemed to mean nothing to both FF and DrakenNier until the very end. Then told everyone it MIGHT be canon, he just wasn't sure. BITCH YOU WROTE THE STORY HOW ARE YOU NOT SURE??? Can you tell I love his work?)

[@MaxiGoethling]

Finally a video that completely mirrors my views on the game and I'm so glad KZbin pushed this video and your channel into my recommendations!

[@akiirame]

found you through the powers that be of the youtube algorithm and got that “augh, this backlog is too short” feeling after a binge watch. i can tell you’re going places. i wish you and your channel the success you deserve. 🙏

[@Joseph_M1]

Your Everything_is_fine section was my favorite part of any video ever. Incredible

[@maniau]

I played this game after automata, and I LOVE IT, It became my favorite game of all time and you describe it perfectly in this video. I believe the only tragedy is that it was not released alongside a ps4 version, because I highly doubt square would release it now Without changing any of the original game.

[@NikkiLayne]

Holy hell, how the fuck does this channel only have 2k subs? Quality stuff, my man!

[@backupschmliff1156]

He said Shin Megami Tensei. Greatest channel ever

[@wsx913]

I just wanna put something into context. So I borrowed this game from a friend when it was out on ps3. I had a slim and I loved it, and it ran like ass. I loved it so much I played it through and beat it, twice. A few months ago I had a hankering for suffering and played it again, this time on an emulator. While going through a stage I was thinking about how they designed the combat, and tried to use every tool I had to see why they did what they did. And I parried an enemy. I never knew you could do that. I played through the game twice, ground out ending D twice, and never once parried. The timing and frame window for when you have to block to PARRY was something that just wasn't possible back on the ps3 version of the game. It really was that bad. The game is so much better now on hardware that can run it at above 20fps.

[@histhoryk2648]

5:56 This guy surrenders and then I said "You what?" then Zero repeated and I lost it

[@zacharyheritage1438]

Incredible editing and video. Easy sub. That every_thing_is_fine section is awesome Edit: finished the video and almost got emotional, honestly a fantastic video and writing

[@Hopper_Arts]

This video is what got me to finally man up and play Drakengard 3, it is now one of my favorite games, so thank you Caden, i absolutely loved it from start to finish.

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@Hopper_Arts]

@@ConstantlyCaden i now cannot get The Last Song out of my head, it's just so beautiful.

[@saxgarcon734]

Yoko Taro could release a game with a blank disc, provide like 10 novels-worth of lore for said game, and we’d eat it up. He really is the John Cage of video game developers

[@misosoup7531]

Wow you deserve a lot more views and subscribers. I like the way you edit your videos and the essays are very in depth without being too boring

[@Yoshi-wz7fh]

Can't wait to see other video essays from you in the future! Rly love your writing and editing style. I could not stop smiling when I heared you smiling or almost laughing when recounting what happened when you played through certain sections. Great work, looking forward to seeing more from you in the future!

[@bonelessclothing2836]

This game is tied for my favorite yoko taro game with NieR: Replicant. This was the first game I legitimately bought by myself and I am glad I did. I wanted to get into the series but I did not have a ps4 at the time. So I looked up the series and to my delight there was a game for the hand-me-down ps3 I had. I bought it with no regrets.

[@alijahb1962]

I watched half this video and then spent $100 on a ps3 and drakengard 3 and now it is one of my favorite games of all time. Besides that, this video is very well made

[@drcaligaridane]

I played this game, hated playing it but I got every single ending and cried with most of them. 4 years later and I still remember this game, daily. Yes Drakengard 3 is good, it made its way inside my brain by hitting my head with a pole, I'll never forget about it. Drakengard 1 is worse, it's not even opening my brain by hitting my head with a pole, it's shoving the pole right up inside my ass until it reaches my head, and I loved it too. Yoko Taro is a genius Drakengard 2 is not canon, it plays good but it's not even by Taro.

[@KOTEBANAROT]

Drakengard 2 is canon actually, Lmao. Nowe is always drawn next to Caim and Nier on anniversary pics and everything. YT isnt the only writer on the team and isnt even the most influential

[@themonoloco8245]

Its not yoko taro canon

[@drcaligaridane]

@@KOTEBANAROT they have these especial arts as commemoration for DODs anniv, but Taro never mentions DOD2 as part of the timeline

[@LexPride700]

Very much appreciate the quality of production and writing. I'll be lurking around and watch more of your stuff. It feels like you show parts of yourself in this video and that I'm getting honest opinions, emotions and thought here. As a viewer, I get to know you. Overall, great work!

[@tiedie]

Really happy to see some Drakenguard content. I cam across this after seeing it trending on twitter today. Great video, you're quality is great! Was suprised to see you didnt have more subscribes. I subbed to see the nier video, looking forward to it :D As for the video, I agree. Drakenguard 3 was a bit of a hot mess, but i loved it. I played through just last year, and even with its flaws (especially on ps3 ahhhh), it had more charm and thought put into things than most games I play. happy to see its still popping up in videos :)

[@maxnieukoop6765]

I have nothing to add. i just love your takes, the editing and the video as a whole. Thank you

[@godribbon]

"Pretentious" is an anti-art term. I'd much rather a pretentious game that misses the mark than one that doesn't even try. This video made me wanna play a game that is almost certainly gonna drive me insane. Art is supposed to make you feel things and frustration is as valid an emotion as any. Look at Elden Ring, the most iconic boss (Malenia) is the one that's most infuriating

[@Watermelon_Man]

The game you’re talking about is from a developer that’s entire popularity is based on frustration. Of course the most popular boss would be the most frustrating one.

[@godribbon]

@@Watermelon_Man That's not actually true though and anyone who's gotten into FromSoft games will tell you that frustration has never been the selling point

[@Edendouglas77]

@@godribbon ^

[@kernium]

@@godribbon Or if it is, it is only one side of the coin that makes FromSoft games, the other side of the coin being Triumph. Achiving victory under very low odds leaves the player in a state of euphoria that gives him/her a sense of self-efficacy.

[@Shadow666_]

@@godribbon Wow you actually managed to be wrong about everything you said. The word pretentious is not "anti-art" that doesnt even make sense. If a piece of art is deemed pretentious it means it's trying to be something it isn't and failing at it. Frustration is only valid for art if the frustration is being conveyed to the viewer in the story not inflicted upon them. For example a piece of art can be frustrating but not because it doesn't make any sense or is dysfunctional. If a piece of art has themes that frustrate you that's valid, a video game not working properly isn't artistic it's broken. Souls games are frustrating but they should never be frustrating for the sake being frustrating. The frustration (ideally) is mostly the player struggling to learn layouts,mechanincs,enemy patterns, and tricks. And when you do learn these things and succeed the frustration turns into satisfaction. Malenia however is frustrating because she's poorly designed and wether people want to admit it or not shes "iconic" for being bad not fun.

[@darknessp9719]

i can't believe you didn't make a zero and edelgard share va's joke. not even once. 11/10 would rewatch also bless for the godtier editing

[@ConstantlyCaden]

I did actually!! It's just really easy to miss ;) Also thank you!

[@sunny3545]

I've never played this game and probably never will, but I've listened to the soundtrack for at least 50 hours by now. Truly drakengard is an enigma.

[@RevolutionaryLoser]

I had a friend in highschool that was a big fan of the Drakengaard series and I still remember the first time he told me what the games were about. The concept of a jrpg that is a grueling tragedy sounded so wrong it felt like looking into a parallel universe. It was then I realized whoever was responsible must be some kind of genius.

[@IridescentAria]

this is the drakengard 3 experience

[@Evanz111]

17:43 felt like a nonstop debate from Danganronpa V3 haha - fantastic video on one of my favourite games, thank you for making this :)

[@Ashtarte3D]

Yoko Taro games are definitely not for everyone. NieR was a spinoff series that took itself /mostly/ more seriously and tried to be a cohesive story. But remember that NieR is based on the JOKE ENDING where you play a fucking rhythm game as a dragon fighting a giant fuck-off baby. Drakengard 3 is a special sort of insult of game where I'm not convinced we were supposed to like it, but some of us unironically do because they are more ridiculous and campy versions of Daniel Mullins' games.

[@Venraven]

Wow, the algorithm did a FANTASTIC job with recommending this to me. I love NieR Automata and Replicant ver1.22, but the Drakengard games (which I have yet to play due to lack of hardware but own copies of, life a deranged madman) are constantly rotating in my brain for all the reasons you've outlined. I tend to think more about 1 than 3, because of how utterly loathing it is of videogames down to its marrow, but 3 has that same DNA moreso than the NieR games. Like, Automata and Replicant are works of art that reminded me why I love videogames as an interactive art form, but Drakengard makes me think about that art form itself, in a way I wouldn't if they were "good" games.

[@umiritsu]

Caden chose [ V ]iolence and became Kaine at 18:45

[@sineadgaming69]

Drakengard 3 probably has my favorite video game soundtrack ever. Every song is amazing, especially black song white scales.

[@omegaprowler3683]

The fact that you managed to express why you liked this game like I did but I couldn't explain to my friends shows how great you are in making content. Subbed.

[@tnntaronewsnetwork4514]

Thank you for giving Drakengard 3 a fair chance. It’s nice to see it

[@miltonjackson8291]

One of the best video game essays I’ve ever seen

[@panele3525]

Brilliant. my bestie and i played DOD3 after Automata, Gestalt, and DOD1 We often revisit a lot of its music to this day as well. The final song took us an entire day and a half to get down

[@BeretBay]

This must be a secret route in Fire Emblem where Edelgard has had enough with everybody because i can't unhear Edelgard when Zero speaks and it's hilarious.

[@DerTomatenToaster]

Amazing video, holy shit. Drakengard 3 has a very special place in my heart, so I love seeing some genuine thoughts on it, beyond "yeah, it kinda sucks, just play NieR instead". You would confidently say that it has the "best executed thought provoking bad game design" though? I really recommend you to check out "Flower, Sun and Rain", one of the first games by Suda51. It was originally for the PS2, but we only got the DS-version in the west. It's... an insane game that is attempting nothing but to prank the player with intentionally bad gameplay - ending up as an incredibly emotional experience, at least to me. Based on the things you said in this video, I'm sure you would enjoy it!

[@ConstantlyCaden]

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll check it out

[@nn8009]

Flower sun and rain is so good bro all of sudas kill the past games are fire

[@ringoringoringoringoringoringo]

play the whole kill the past games in general

[@AwflWaffl]

Wow, what a great video! This level of editing and dialogue--the humor, the message (and everything else!)--it's something I'd expect from some well-established, million-subscriber KZbinr. With this level of depth and entertainment in your videos I'm positive you'll grow fast! Looking forward to seeing what you'll post next! (Btw that point you made about how, since 9S doesn't like combat as much, his combat isn't as fun, was such a cool decision that makes me respect Yoko Taro as a creator) Anyway great work, this video was amazing :)

[@sleepiv1]

17:40 This is EXACTLY what it felt like coming out of DOD3 having enjoyed the experience lmao. Great video I think likening DOD3 to Death Stranding gave a lot of validity to the "bad on purpose" argument. The gameplay is intentionally very hard on the player in both games and I can see how that would turn a lot of players away. It's an acquired taste for sure, but worth it in my mind. I guess that makes Drakengard 3 the true "first Strand type game" lmao

[@DeeJuusan]

besides the fact that this is such a good video and I'm really happy YT recommended it coz I found your channel, I never believed that I'd find any visual representation of my brain until I reached everything_is_fine part. You have such a way with editing

[@joshy-noha]

This is a great video about the yoko taro stockholm syndome indeed xD I remember I played Drakengard 1 just to see what was this guy all about. I couldn't play Automata since I'm poor, so I tried something on the ps2. Then I just got sucked by the game's story and whatever the hell was happening on the late game. I got addicted and went like 3 or 4 days just grinding the game to ending E. I even got a migraine lmao. After finishing the game I totally knew it was a very bad videogame in some areas, but a great and very forward thinking in others. The soundtrack was.... just whatever it is, I've just heard it there and only there in those gruelling missions. The dragon missions were fantastic. And the story as a whole just got me hooked. The thought of his game being somehow connected to the Nier series was so fascinating to me. I just love Yoko Taro's vision of videogames. Those D and E endings on Drakengard 1 are just... on the ps2 era???? Man I love videogames

[@soraouma663]

Ah this was wonderful lol. The inner debate you had sums up how I felt playing it back in 2013, it was my entry into the DrakenNier series and I had no idea what I was in for I came expecting a Final Fantasy esc hack and slash sooo you can imagine the shock. But I actually love this game it is fantastic gameplay is kinda fun even if its jank the story is a damn masterpiece and by the end of it all I was hooked into the full series.

[@As-tray]

This intro is too relateable lol Will watch the rest of the video after I'll play Drakengard myself.

[@lonelyintonerone5858]

Played this game for Nier series almost three years ago....stayed for drakengard 3 as best matured tragedy story in fiction for me...nice job yoko taro....also good to see some people make video about this game

[@ferinzz]

Very ADD friendly video. Thank you. Wonderful deep dive into the idea.

[@Aizlynn_]

Other people enjoying Drakengard 3 as much as I do fills me with SO much joy lol

[@kahootaholic4949]

I went looking for the source so I could post it accurately, but I cant find it, so here's what I remember. But I once saw a take that was essentially "in Drakengard the protagonist isn't a good person with pure intentions, but they end up saving the world. In Nier, the protagonists are people with the best of intentions, yet they end up dooming the world." When you were talking about the bad leading up to the good, I thought of that and yeah, it makes sense.

[@Babelknowswell]

When i read that i have to collect all the weapons to access the true ending i was like aight i'm done with this. Nevertheless i really enjoy the dialogue and interaction between the characters very unusual in a video game

[@oneechanknowsbest615]

I thought I was going to have to make this video, but it turns out, it already exists. I have nothing else to add, you spoke nearly every word I felt deep down in my soul. It isn't only you, I've felt this way for a long time. I would go as far as to say this game has been one of the most profound experiences in my life. Some people play The Outer Wilds and feel like that was the most profound moment in gaming they've ever had. Not me. It was this game. Drakengard 3 is what I like to call a "Broken Masterpiece", for a bunch of random metaphorical reasons I could go on about, but to make a long story short, perfection doesn't exist, unless you accept the idea that perfection is not the absence of flaws, but the acceptance of them. Drakengard 3 not only does this, it outright rejects the notion that it should comply to the standard of Nier Automata or other Triple A experiences. "Bad on Purpose" "Good by Accident", both very apt explanations, but like two sides of a coin, it's what is between that which is truth: Dialectical Synergy as a result of the human condition. True Equilibrium. (Yes, I'm dead serious.)

[@andrewnorris7642]

Also props to you for covering this game

[@5000Seabass]

It’s been a while since I put a video on in the shower and I liked it so much I watched it again after I was out. Great job man, subbed.

[@d_shuffles]

Big ups for making this, Nier is one of my all time favorites but Drakenguard is something I haven’t thought to really play. Considering the ending of replicant I was wondering how it ties in to drakenguard.

[@ring_row]

i think this is the epitome of how most people view entertainment in general, some can’t see the beauty of a plot and how its delivered, art shouldn’t be functional thats whole point. even in the anime world the most popular are the ones with really basic plots while masterpieces, like texhnolyze, are neglected because of how they choose to deliver but thats what i personally love about it. beautiful video!

[@capsaicinJT]

i unironically love drakengard 3 and i agree with everything you said in the video lol it took me many hours and multiple play sessions dying over and over to beat that final boss, and in the end i had to use a video guide synced up to the game to get through it. at the time it was NOT FUN, but it is 100% intentional. i am totally convinced that yoko taro was intentionally trolling the player. also, for what it's worth, i played it on an actual PS3, and while the framerate was not great at times, the only time it dipped below about 20-25fps was during some of the flying levels. the game crashed on me exactly one time. i platinumed the game, to give an idea of how much i played. so i think a lot of the perfornance and gameplay criticisms were overblown. as someone who played the old PS1 and PS2 era dynasty warriors games a lot, honestly the gameplay was fun for me. i can see how someone who was used to the tight mechanics of games like devil may cry, bayonetta, metal gear rising, etc etc would find it janky and frustrating, but to me this felt like an intentional nostalgic reference to an older style of game that was once very popular. i cannot recommend drakengard 3 to everyone. but i can say that if you are a yoko taro fan, you owe it to yourself to play it.

[@lavndry1877]

What a great video, I hope I can play the Drakengard series someday

[@CombativeMedic]

I finally got a Switch and started playing FE3H, and it was bothering me why Edelgard's voice sounded so familiar yet I couldn't place my finger on it... Now I'm unsure how to feel x') I played this game when it came out but it continues to haunt me, I see.

[@gabrielsilva6626]

Wow, I can't believe you only have 2k subscribers, this video was perfect man! Please keep doing these

[@jadebayoba7073]

3:12 i have NO memory of this cutscene and i have watched this game on its entirety like 5 times in a row

[@jadebayoba7073]

4:15 SHE CAN WEAR KAINE'S DRESS?!

[@ConstantlyCaden]

It's a mid-mission cutscene so maybe it's possible that the complication you watched didn't include some of those! The Kaine outfit is part of the DLC :)

[@jadebayoba7073]

@@ConstantlyCaden YOU CAN EVEN USE HER WEAPON, WHAT

[@Yorgl]

Though I don't think that, in this case, the whole "bad but aware so it's good" works, I really appreciated this video. Your point of view is interesting and well presented/developped, and it's nice that you have the honnesty of mentionning what could be seen as flaws in this reasoning. :)

[@Vitaire]

Oh man, Drakengard 3 is such a fascinating game. I haven't played beyond Ending A yet, but its such a unique experience it got me to buy Drakengard 1

[@Ukaran]

You should play beyond ending A.

[@thaumcaster]

A masterpiece of a video! I love Yoko Taro's games, not only for what they are, but what they do to/for people. It's amazing that, games like Drakengard keep getting talked about despite not being popular. It's really just a sign that Taro's goal of making players think has worked as intended. I'm excited to see what else he has in store for us in the future, and am equally excited to see the videos people make over it.

[@lightxxatu]

Here’s a somewhat interesting story. I only discovered what drakengard is because I saw a trailer for drakengard 3, fell in love with the trailer music “this silence is mine” then went on a Wikipedia binge to discover what it was about. And then it took me like…8 years to actually get and play the game. By which time my ps3 got really old, but i still beat it nonetheless. The song at the end of the game is still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard to me, and I wish I could tell more people to play it, but how do you tell someone to play a game because it’s “fucked up in a good way” lol