Part 25: Episode XVIII: In Which Zero is Very Upset About Recent Events

Episode XVIII: In Which Zero is Very Upset About Recent Events



Look, she was really, really looking forward to tooling around on that stolen airship and you soldier idiots fucked that all up. She was just going to fly right past the lot of you! You have brought nothing but death and ruin upon yourselves. I mean look at the title of this mission...

Verse 1 - Kill 'Em All!
Music: Registance ~ Battleground





Thanks to Decadus's generous gift, Zero now has access to the third category of weaponry: Combat Bracers. Which are a cool weapon set in theory. Who doesn't like getting their ATATATATATATA on with a bit of the old fisticuffs and Chun Li-esque kicking business?



Unfortunately they kind of suck against anything that cannot be staggered. Read: Every enemy this is not a grunt soldier. And even then, you're better off just using a sword or spear. Combat Bracers do a load of quick hits with very little power which require you to get right up in a foe's grill. The damage output is only going to hit a single target in a game full of mobs of enemies. I'm not a big fan of the weapon. Swords do better crowd control. Spears do far better damage against a single foe. Combat bracers are mostly just for funsies.

Still not the worst weapon in the game. Don't worry. We will acquire that this chapter.



Or else what?!
Wow, Z. Scaaaaaary.
W-Wait! We can still talk about this!
Sorry, pal. Talking time's over! You sons of bitches ruined my brand-new airship... and now you're going to DIE!
It would appear Lady Zero was very much looking forward to airship travel.
Seems like it.
Hey!
...Hmm? Where'd he go?
He?
Mikhail. She's not a big fan of using his name.
Why not?
Because I'm a jerk, mostly.
Such a... devious game to play.



All of you idiots questioning Zero's motivation. Here you go! Zero, you're alright in my book. Honestly, most of this chapter is just Zero being really fucking pissed about that airship exploding.

I will warn that Decadus is a massive creep this entire mission, but he chills out with his kink after this session. A bit... Bare with it. Or at least watch the highlight reel. Cam Clarke is clearly having a lot of fun being a big creepy perv...



Such a demon, laughing as she murders!
Why does Lady Zero engage in such... senseless slaughter?
Aw, she's just pissed about the airship. It's kinda cute.
Uungh... So cruel.
Watch. She'll torment 'em half to death.
...
...Well, more like ALL to death.
Nnngh... How painfuuuull...



Oh, you're WAY past help, jackass! You bust up my airship, and now you want HELP!?

You know you can toggle off the blood splatters on the screen in the options menu. It doesn't help the frame rate or anything. And I think they're fun. So they stay. Little bit of trivia.





A new obstacle this chapter replacing the walls of hastily built fortifications and barriers in the previous chapters is walls of ivy. There is... nothing to them at all... There's just some shit in the way you need to hack on until destroyed.



...What? That's it. Just the facts, ma'am.


Watching a shit load of Nick at Nite in the late '80s to early '90s has fucked up my pop cultural range something fierce...



Ow! Dammit, this ivy's all pokey and it hurts!
Mmm... The pain is... delectable...
You're a strange man, Decadus. Yooooou know that... right?

Serious go watch the highlight reel video. Cam Clarke's line reading is amazing!

A bit of the old ultra-violence later...



Hmm... That giant tree sure stands out, doesn't it?
Indeed. Perhaps Lady Three is there?
Let's go. I'm gonna kill her for what she did to my airship.
Um, weren't you gonna kill her anyway?







A seldom used mechanic in Drakengard 3 is the fact soldiers will have their morale break and cower before Zero's murder rampage. It's mostly used for the poor unfortunate souls caught in the Cutscene Zone break. I suppose a quick, violent death is preferable to being caught in whatever sad dimension the Narration Zone of Xenogears entailed.



Dammit! What the hell!?
Blocked in by walls of ivy...
This is seriously getting on my nerves!

Random gate closing would no longer be aesthetically pleasing to the setting. Instead we are swapping it out with Ivy Walls held up by load bearing foes. Totally different!







In this instance the foe in question is a new brand of enemy: The Undead. Or the skeleton warrior variation in this case. There is a skeleton in your body RIGHT NOW that at any time could be converted into a trash mob enemy by a foul wizard. Think about it...



Lady Zero! These foes are undead!
Yeah, I can see that! ...Hell, I can SMELL it!





Skeleton Justice Warriors are assholes. Plain and simple. The auto-block all attacks from the front with no regard to weaponry utilized. One needs to dodge around to their backside to successfully attack their vulnerable points. And even then, when it seems like defeat has occurred you need to wail on the prick's corpse to actually destroy them.

...Hey if you interpreted that paragraph a very specific way you are probably a piece of shit! Fuck off. Thanks.



The destruction of load barring undead beasts is the primary barrier of this chapter. We have already covered about 94% of this game's intricacies at this point.



Yep.It's like you died and went to freakshow heaven.
Nnnngh... <inhales>
Take it easy. Zero's gonna knee you in the junk if you get too excited.
She... she WILL? Oh, just the thought... Unnnghh...







Capping off this mission we have the Tier 3 version of the Gigas. The Undead Gigas.What you didn't know recovering from death was a power-up in the Drakengard universe? Where have you been?





An Undead Gigas can do Sumo Wrestler pound slams moves like a motherfucker and... Err... And... No that's about it. It is an Armored Gigas with several tree trunks stuck into it, a color swap, and a bit more HP.



I'm the only one bring death around here!
I'll draw Zero's attention! You try to get behind her!
Cute plan. Too bad I can hear you, dumbass!





As with the previous Gigas creatures, everyone knows the best way to slay a giant is to cut it down to size. Pfft... The nape of its neck. That is stupid talk for people frequently getting eaten by giants.



I pray he's not in danger.
He's fiiine. Idiots like him never die young.



Hehe. You sure do bitch a lot, Z. You know that?
It seems as though our lady is growing angrier by the moment.
Whaddya expect? Her dragon's gone, and we can't find Three. But uh, I wouldn't broach that subject, or she might turn your balls into pudding.
Ooooooh...



Well here is the mission end... I'll just let this pay out...

Music: Strumble



Heheheheheeeh! Aw, just look at your poor fools! All slack-jawed and clueless... It's pretty hard to watch! I mean, how can you even live like that? Aren't you embarrassed to be seen out in public?
"Oh boo ho! We lost our dragon! We don't know where he is!" And yet, he's waiting in the Valley of Faeries juuust ahead! Well, have fun being lost like a bunch of stupi--









Yep. Zero is alright in my book!






Video: Verse 1 Highlights (Worth watching.)


Video: Chapter 3 Verse 1 Ending (You should watch this.)