That is, until Square Enix announced Drag-on Dragoon 3, which was developed by Access Games. They disbanded, and many of us, once again, considered the series to be dead in the water. The MONACA sound team hit it out of the park, and the extensive vocals from Emi Evans thrust her into the spotlight for VGM fans the world over.ĭespite NieR’s aural successes, the game itself became a cult classic at best, without the sheer sales figures to keep Cavia afloat. It was my favorite soundtrack of 2010, and it was one of Square Enix’s best-selling soundtracks: so much so that they went on to release three separate arranged albums (Nightmare DLC/Arrange, “echo,” and a Piano Collection). 1300 years after that event, we got a taste of something strange and wonderful in “NieR.” Musically, it was a huge step forward. Then, out of nowhere, Cavia announced “NieR.” NieR was a side-game in the Drakengard universe, tangentially connected via the exquisitely absurd “Ending E” from the first game, wherein the fantasy-world hero and his dragon ended up in modern-day Tokyo. However, it did have a very beautiful continuation of the vocal theme “Exhaustion” (sometimes rendered “Exhausted”) by Nobuyoshi Sano.ĭue to the sequel’s poor sales, many fans and industry experts alike were left to assume that this little series was over. Its music was more palatable than its predecessor some found it underwhelming and less memorable with Yoshiki Aoi at the helm. Arguably the most lackluster title in the series, it served as a direct sequel to the first game’s “canon” path (Ending B), taking the formula from the first game and attempting to refine it and put together a somewhat more linear experience. The second game didn’t seem worthwhile to Square Enix to publish in North America, but Ubisoft brought it in their place. The game’s music was a strange and cacophonous mix of sound, wherein composers Nobuyoshi “Denji” Sano and others sampled famous orchestral works alongside electronic beats and tons of effects. Square Enix acted as publisher as developer Cavia put together the first game, a multi-genre mix of Panzer Dragoon, Dynasty Warriors, and more. The Drag-on Dragoon series (“Drakengard” in North America and Europe) has come along in a most unconventional way.

Drakengard 3 soundtrack full