<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
is	O
a	O
2003	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Cavia	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
Drakengard	B-Application
series	O
and	O
features	O
a	O
mixture	O
of	O
ground-based	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
,	O
aerial	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
which	O
have	O
become	O
a	O
staple	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Takamasa	O
Shiba	O
and	O
Takuya	O
Iwasaki	O
conceived	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
hybrid	O
between	O
the	O
popular	O
Dynasty	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
series	O
and	O
Namco	O
's	O
aerial	O
combat	O
game	O
Ace	B-Application
Combat	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Europe-exclusive	O
mobile	B-Application
adaptation	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Macrospace	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
for	O
Vodafone	O
devices	O
in	O
August	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
sold	O
well	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
received	O
mixed	O
to	O
positive	O
reviews	O
in	O
the	O
west	O
:	O
reviewers	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
and	O
music	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
mixed	O
about	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
criticized	O
the	O
gameplay	O
for	O
being	O
repetitive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
featuring	O
three	O
types	O
of	O
gameplay	O
:	O
ground	O
missions	O
,	O
aerial	O
missions	O
,	O
and	O
Free	O
Expedition	O
Mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengards	B-Application
levels	O
are	O
called	O
verses	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
verses	O
are	O
grouped	O
across	O
thirteen	O
chapters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
medieval	O
dark	O
fantasy	O
world	O
called	O
Midgard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Drakengard	B-Application
,	O
the	O
Union	O
,	O
which	O
protects	O
the	O
Seals	O
,	O
is	O
in	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
a	O
religious	O
war	O
with	O
the	O
Empire	O
,	O
a	O
power	O
led	O
by	O
a	O
cult	O
who	O
believe	O
that	O
destroying	O
the	O
seals	O
will	O
bring	O
them	O
good	O
fortune	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
opens	O
with	O
Caim	O
in	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
a	O
battle	O
to	O
protect	O
his	O
sister	O
from	O
the	O
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
idea	O
for	O
Drakengard	B-Application
originated	O
between	O
Takamasa	O
Shiba	O
and	O
Takuya	O
Iwasaki	O
when	O
they	O
were	O
working	O
at	O
Cavia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
conceived	O
as	O
an	O
aerial	O
battle	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
Ace	B-Application
Combat	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
development	O
progressed	O
,	O
ground-based	O
battles	O
were	O
also	O
incorporated	O
after	O
the	O
success	O
in	O
Japan	O
of	O
Dynasty	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creating	O
the	O
change	O
from	O
ground	O
to	O
aerial	O
gameplay	O
was	O
exceptionally	O
difficult	O
for	O
the	O
team	O
as	O
they	O
encountered	O
problems	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
production	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
were	O
asked	O
to	O
make	O
multiple	O
adjustments	O
and	O
changes	O
to	O
its	O
content	O
by	O
Drakengards	B-Application
advisory	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
annoying	O
enough	O
for	O
Yoko	O
that	O
he	O
decided	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
not	O
to	O
make	O
another	O
Drakengard	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
was	O
first	O
shown	O
off	O
to	O
the	O
western	O
public	O
at	O
E3	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
this	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
Drakengard	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mobile	B-Application
port	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
Square	O
Enix	O
's	O
plans	O
to	O
branch	O
out	O
into	O
the	O
European	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
co-developed	O
with	O
London-based	O
mobile	B-Application
developer	O
Macrospace	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
collaboration	O
between	O
Square	O
Enix	O
and	O
Vodafone	O
,	O
designed	O
to	O
function	O
on	O
the	O
Vodafone	O
live	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Shiba	O
,	O
multiple	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
and	O
world	O
were	O
created	O
to	O
be	O
dark	O
,	O
sad	O
and	O
serious	O
in	O
tone	O
,	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
likes	O
of	O
Dragon	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
series	O
that	O
inspired	O
the	O
team	O
was	O
Neon	B-Application
Genesis	I-Application
Evangelion	I-Application
,	O
with	O
a	O
comparison	O
being	O
drawn	O
between	O
them	O
due	O
to	O
a	O
shared	O
trait	O
:	O
while	O
having	O
standard	O
premises	O
,	O
darker	O
narrative	O
elements	O
were	O
hidden	O
in	O
its	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Caim	O
and	O
Furiae	O
were	O
respectively	O
based	O
around	O
Guts	O
from	O
Berserk	O
and	O
Rei	O
Ayanami	O
from	O
Neon	B-Application
Genesis	I-Application
Evangelion	I-Application
,	O
with	O
Caim	O
being	O
codenamed	O
"	O
Guts	O
"	O
during	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inuart	O
was	O
originally	O
designed	O
as	O
the	O
main	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Drakengard	B-Application
,	O
with	O
him	O
being	O
a	O
"	O
useless	O
hero	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Manah	O
's	O
role	O
in	O
Drakengard	B-Application
was	O
designed	O
to	O
represent	O
unloved	O
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fifth	O
ending	O
,	O
a	O
boss	O
battle	O
in	O
modern-day	O
Tokyo	O
,	O
was	O
created	O
as	O
a	O
joke	O
ending	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
vein	O
as	O
the	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
series	O
and	O
an	O
unexpected	O
twist	O
for	O
players	O
who	O
were	O
expecting	O
an	O
upbeat	O
tone	O
after	O
the	O
previous	O
endings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
was	O
his	O
first	O
job	O
as	O
a	O
character	O
designer	O
:	O
his	O
designs	O
were	O
firmly	O
seated	O
within	O
the	O
Medieval	O
European	O
aesthetic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
designs	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
character	O
designs	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
and	O
Dragon	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Caim	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
earliest	O
characters	O
created	O
for	O
Drakengard	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
hindsight	O
,	O
Fujisaka	O
was	O
dissatisfied	O
with	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Drakengard	B-Application
,	O
particularly	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Caim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
sold	O
more	O
than	O
122,000	O
units	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
taking	O
Mobile	B-Application
Suit	O
Gundam	O
:	O
Encounters	O
in	O
Spaces	O
place	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
sales	O
charts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
strong	O
sales	O
were	O
attributed	O
by	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
its	O
cinematic	O
story	O
and	O
similarity	O
to	O
the	O
popular	O
Dynasty	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
Drakengard	B-Application
received	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
praised	O
the	O
multiple	O
parallels	O
with	O
Neon	B-Application
Genesis	I-Application
Evangelion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dunham	O
praised	O
the	O
character	O
and	O
monster	O
designs	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
full-motion	O
cutscenes	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
less	O
impressed	O
by	O
the	O
repetitive	O
human	O
enemy	O
designs	O
,	O
bland	O
environments	O
and	O
low	O
draw	B-General_Concept
distance	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
received	O
two	O
novelizations	O
by	O
Emi	O
Nagashima	O
(	O
writing	O
as	O
Jun	O
Eishima	O
)	O
and	O
Takashi	O
Aizawa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2014	O
,	O
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
's	O
Jahanzeb	O
Khan	O
favorably	O
referred	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
precursor	O
to	O
the	O
TV	B-Application
adaptation	I-Application
of	O
the	O
book	O
series	O
A	O
Song	O
of	O
Ice	O
and	O
Fire	O
in	O
its	O
handling	O
of	O
taboo	O
themes	O
and	O
violence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakengard	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
again	O
produced	O
by	O
Shiba	O
,	O
but	O
Yoko	O
was	O
replaced	O
as	O
director	O
by	O
Akira	O
Yasui	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
numerous	O
thematic	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
set	O
following	O
the	O
first	O
ending	O
of	O
Drakengard	B-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
later	O
retconned	O
into	O
an	O
isolated	O
timeline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
prequel	O
,	O
Drakengard	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
with	O
multiple	O
staff	O
members	O
returning	O
to	O
their	O
original	O
roles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
attempt	O
to	O
create	O
another	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
resulted	O
in	O
the	O
spin-off	O
Nier	B-Application
,	O
which	O
retains	O
links	O
and	O
themes	O
from	O
the	O
main	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nier	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
over	O
a	O
thousand	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Drakengards	B-Application
fifth	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Cavia	O
was	O
absorbed	O
by	O
AQ	O
Interactive	O
after	O
Niers	B-Application
release	O
,	O
a	O
future	O
attempt	O
by	O
Shiba	O
to	O
continue	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
unsuccessful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Nier	B-Application
:	I-Application
Automata	I-Application
,	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
PlatinumGames	O
in	O
collaboration	O
with	O
previous	O
Nier	B-Application
staff	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
2017	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
after	O
Nier	B-Application
's	O
fifth	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
