Drakengard 2 is a direct sequel to the original Drakengard: the story revolves around Nowe, a boy raised by the dragon Legna, fighting against a tyrannical faction of Knights, encountering characters from the previous game and becoming entangled in the fate of the world. Like the original, Drakengard 2 combines on-foot hack and slash with aerial combat stages and RPG game mechanics. The previous game's producer, writer and character designer returned to their respective roles. The game was designed as a more mainstream game in light of the previous game's dark aesthetic and story. The game sold 206,000 copies by the end of 2005. Western reviews praised the story, but gave mixed opinions about the graphics and widely criticized the gameplay.