Drakengard 3 is an action role-playing game developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in December 2013 in Japan[6] and in May 2014 in North America and Europe.[7][8] It is the third game in the Drakengard series, and a prequel to the original game. The game, like the rest of the series, features a mixture of ground-based hack-and-slash combat and aerial battles. The story focuses on Zero, a mysterious woman who partners with a dragon named Mikhail to kill her five sisters, who rule the world's regions. As she travels, the player discovers the true reason behind Zero's rampage.
The game, created to cater for hardcore role-playing game audiences, was developed by the same team who created the original Drakengard and series spin-off Nier, including producer Takamasa Shiba, director Taro Yoko and writer Sawako Natori. The music was composed by Keiichi Okabe, who also scored Nier. Unlike previous titles in the series, the team developed the game at Access Games, due to the company's experience at developing action titles and the team's wish to address criticisms laid at the gameplay of previous Drakengard games. Drakengard 3 received mixed to positive reviews and sales in Japan, and mixed reviews in the west: the ground-based gameplay and story were generally praised, while common critiques included the dragon gameplay, the graphics and multiple technical issues.
