Drakengard 2 review

Will they ever stop? Ever since Dynasty Warriors awakened us to the joys of slashing hundreds of hapless soldiers in one go, chaotic army-vs-army slash 'em ups just haven't stopped coming. The problem is that most of them are just this side of utterly repetitive, requiring little more than saintly patience and compulsive tapping of that square button.

The original Drakengard had a little more going for it, with a weird, disturbing story andmid-air shooting sequencesin which you rode a dragon - who spoke like an old lady and pretty much hated you. Flawed though it was, it still tried to stand apart. Now Drakengard 2 is upon us, and it offers a few refinements over its scaly predecessor, though still not enough to let it transcend the typical downfalls of slash 'em ups.

Drakengard 2 is a direct sequel, taking place 18 years after the original. How convenient - just in time for a new hero to grow to manhood. That hero is Nowe, an idealistic lad raised by a dragon. He's been inducted into the Knights of the Seal; surprising, perhaps, until you notice that he's brought his dragon along too. Smart bit of recruiting, there. Alas, the Knights soon prove less than noble, sending young Nowe into a violent tempest of betrayal, revenge and many, many hours of hitting the same button.