Part 19: Episode XIX: In Which There is Overkill
Episode XIX: In Which There is Overkill
Verse 2: Turning Point
I'm really curious as to how the Union were dealing with the Empire before Caim and Red's pact team up. It's been established the Empire has ballistic weapons, an airship armada, recruits scores of non-humans, and now giants. The Union has...guys with swords and a few dudes with pikes... Just saying...
This Aerial Mission is unique in that it actually has an objective beyond "Kill everyone". Indeed, only the three Cyclops giants need to be slain in order to complete the stage.
The scale of the Cyclops is just a wee bit diminished during this mission. Drakengard's engine bit off slightly more than it could chew, as far as cinematics to gameplay went.
The Bondage Cyclops is a fairly unique enemy. This is mostly because these three are the only ones in the entire game. But, beyond that they have a bit of tactics required to be destroyed. Their weak point is, in rather unoriginal fashion, their giant ass eye. The thing is...
That's also where they attack from. The giants' basic attack is charging up a laser blast for around ten seconds. Then blasting a giant fuck-off laser in the general direction of Caim and Red. The thing is, the laser charge up absorbs Red's dragonfire... So attacking from the front is...a bit hazardous erring on the edge of pointless.
So, the best method of attack is to just strafe behind them and blast away. The Cyclops does manage to spin about fairly quickly, if incredibly awkwardly. That said, keeping mobile is a very good idea.
One of the giants comes with a band of Medusa Head buddies. These jerks are a bit more dangerous as they augment their big three-toed buddy's Optic Blast...
...into a huge homing, day wrecking laser beam volley. They also eat hits for their big ugly scaffold faced brothers.
Medusa Heads are fairly annoying new enemies. They work not unlike their cousins from Castlevania. Only, when gathered in groups they can team up for a charged laser blast. Flying enemies in Drakengard really love their laser blasts...
Red has somewhat conflicting opinions upon the nature of the Cyclops.
Caim just smiles to himself and cuts another notch on his belt for creatures he's murdered to extinction in the past week.
Aww... They're bonding.
Verse 3: Rapture
Whelp... This is it... The final battle between
...draws his blade...
...and murders EVERYONE.
Note: Thankfully, this is the final chapter they throw up the façade that the Union is actually helping Caim.
Now, you may notice Arioch is out kicking ass right off the bat. That's because there is a weapon to be unlocked which requires her talents. It involves slaughtering 200 Imperial soldiers within the first ten minutes of the mission.
Needless to say, Arioch makes this a trivial requirement and ultimately a small spurt of blood in the Olympic sized swimming pool of death this single mission will spill.
Two hundred dead soldiers later...
And, there's our weapon. Only one of two this chapter, I'm afraid.
This verse has a nice background detail of the corpses of the slain Cyclops liter the mountains in the background. They are once more restored to HUGE AS FUCK scale. Their scaffolding headgear shall remain a mystery for generations to come.
A lot of dead Imperial soldiers later...
After the first huge field of Imperial soldiers is slain the deadly Elisabeth Montgomery 161st Bewitched Regiment enters the field.
Considering the only people we've met in this world are soldiers, horrible monsters, or just kind of assholes... I think that would just lead to economic collapse and civil unrest, my good man. What's everyone going to do? Go play the harp and sing pretty ballads?
Kill count over 1000...
At least Red finally seems to be getting into the spirit of massacring. It's a Christmas Miracle!
Just a hunch... but I don't think we really want to find her involved in the middle of the largest battle in human history... I'm just saying...
"Kind sir, I've been working from within the foul Imperial ranks for years now gathering a small resistance in secret! I have vital news involving the Goddess' location! My allies within our network report the Goddess has been mo-"
<belch> "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Oooh. Yeah, I see lots of little pieces. That's one for the highlight reel.
After the slaughter of the magic troops, another metric ton of new targets show up for the party. I ended up spending nearly as much time in this verse alone as I did the entirety of the previous chapter.
An orgy of violence later...
M-M-MONSTER KILL!!!
Well...that was quite the batt-
Oh for fuck sake!
Nein! This battle is over already! It's been 45 minutes. I cannot play any more Drakengard... It is too much
"Be on guard! Something is not right. There is more to come..."
So, we have a shiny new mace. Due to technical difficulties (mostly having a computer probably less powerful than my phone) I never did get around to taking a snap of those fully unlocked weapon histories. But, fear not! Due to socially inept teenage shut-ins, we have to just take a quick trip to GameFAQs for a fully transcribed story time.
Holy Mace Weapon History (edited for god-awful spelling) posted:
This flanged ceremonial mace was presented to the hierarch of an ancient
kingdom by his thirteen pupils. After the hierarch died, the nation broke
down in chaos and strife.
The young pupils tried to stay true to their master's teachings and avoid
bloodshed. But still they fell one by one in the war, calling out helplessly
for peace.
Abhorring violence to the end and still refusing to wield the mace, the final
remaining pupil was killed in battle.
As the bloody mace fell, a great god weeping black tears descended from the
heavens. He gathered the thirteen souls of the pupils, and in exchange,
cursed the mace with a frightful power.
Thirteen pupils were total pussies, got their shit kicked in, and some emo god cursed the mace. Got it.
Verse 4: A False Peace
I take it this verse isn't going to end well...
The Union manages to crawl out of whatever hole they were all hiding in, following Caim's Imperial purge, to celebrate. Sadly, just turning around and murdering the shit out of the Union is not an option at this point.
Hmm... Guess I should say something inspirational or some crap for the troops... Lemme think... "..." Oh yeah... Mute... I forgot in all this fun...
Hell YEAH!
And thus there was much stabbing of the villainous air in celebration. And they all lived happily ever after...
The End.
Oh come on!
I suggest everyone who is wearing a red shirt, generic suit of armor with their face mask down, or those who have no name I am aware of...to run away very quickly.
"What should we do sir?!" Oh, right... Dammit... Mute...
Oh... Stop being so damned melodramatic. It's not Judgment Day. That was stopped when they blew up Cyberdyne, melted Robert Patrick, and dropped Arnold Schwarzenegger into molten steel as he gave a thumbs up. Then James Cameron went on to make a really lucrative chick flick about some guy hitting a propeller while falling off a sinking boat, then remaking Fern Gully with space marines from Halo. Silly Imperials.
Verse 5: Pandemonium
So...Caim and Red really did kill a shit load of people, eh?
The few Union troopers who didn't shit their pants and run for the hills when the Cyclops showed up have clean up duty. Someone needs to finish off the last few Empire soldiers who weren't fully disemboweled.
When sudden! What's that up in the sky?! Is it a bird...?
...Is it a plane?! No... No... I see it now...
Why, it's none other than:
The Empire's Nuclear Weapons Program. Of course!
And so ends the conflict between the Union and the Empire. The Empire just nukes the living shit out of the Union. End of conflict.
Drakengard!
Bonus Content:
Movies -
Well That Just Seems Overkill
Music -
Fifth Chapter Aerial Mission #1
Fifth Chapter Ground Mission #1
Artwork -
Cyclops Concept Art