Gamers Swoop Into Gothic Action Adventure in Drakengard

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Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Square Enix today announced its first release for 2004, Drakengard for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. Shipping to North American retailers on March 2, 2004, Drakengard is an action-filled game based in a mysterious kingdom overflowing with the discovery of magical beasts and mysteries.

"Drakengard is not your ordinary action game," said Jun Iwasaki, president and CEO, Square Enix U.S.A. "The unique blend of RPG-style character growth, action, and a solid story that binds it all together makes this title a perfect hybrid of genres. This style of gameplay found in Drakengard is very addicting and appeals to gamers looking for a deeper action game."

Drakengard tells a tale of love, sacrifice, obligation and bitter compromise following the struggles of a Union soldier, Caim. He comes to find the Empire, an army with unexplainable great power, has taken his sister prisoner. In order to save his only living family member, he joins souls with a dragon. Together they begin their quest to unravel the mystery behind the Empire's sudden rise to power. They will soon discover there is a connection between the Empire, Caim's sister, the mythical Seeds of Resurrection and the gods themselves.

Drakengard features diverse battlefields, multiple experience and growth elements based on the player's decisions that immerse the player in an all-new gameplay experience combining fantasy, interactivity and a tragic saga. In Drakengard, players can maneuver through the game on a powerful dragon utilizing two different modes, "Aerial Combat" in which players fly high above the landscape attacking airborne enemies and "Strafe Attack" allowing a large mass of enemies to be annihilated in one blast of fire. Players also explore and battle on foot, with an assortment of powerful weaponry imbued with magic. As the game progresses, the dragon and the character's abilities will mature and the weapon selection will increase, allowing the player to choose from more than 60 different weapons. The tragic tale is conveyed through event sequences, CG movies and through the gameplay itself. Depending on the decisions made, players will encounter different story elements, environments, enemies and endings.

Early previews of Drakengard among the enthusiast press have been very positive. The title has been named as one of Official PlayStation Magazines' "Big Games for 2004." Drakengard also won "Best of E3 -- RPG" and was nominated "Best of E3 -- Overall" by IGNPS2.com.

"To say that we were amazed ... is an understatement, as this brand new RPG takes an ambitious step forward in the realm of the RPG genre ... the design team has borrowed elements from several categories and opened up its medieval Celtic world to both ground and air-based combat. Whether you enjoy slashing evil on the ground or burning it from the sky, Square Enix's big game for 2004 has exactly what you want." -- IGNPS2.com

"Graphically, Drakengard is looking pretty slick ... the dragon's breath looks awesome ... Square Enix's record with fantasy games and RPGs is unmatched and anything with dragons in it gets us excited." -- Game Informer Magazine

"This is, well, a cool game ... what cinemas there were, were of extremely high quality -- if the story lives up to the technical quality, this game should be really interesting and fun to play." -- Gamespy.com

Gamers wanting to get a glimpse of Drakengard can look forward to a playable demo in the March issue of Official PlayStation Magazine. Playable demos will also be made available through specialty retailers EB, EB Canada and GameStop starting the end of January. Additional information on Drakengard can be found at www.square-enix-usa.com/games/drakengard.

Drakengard will be available at North American retailers for a suggested retail price of $39.99 (USD). The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated Drakengard "M" for Mature. For more information about the ESRB, visit www.esrb.org.

Source: Square Enix U.S.A., Inc.