Drakengard 2 flying to US shores

One doesn't have to look further than Square Enix's portfolio to see that some of the most popular role-playing games are made by Japanese developers. Unfortunately for American and European RPG fans, several Japanese-made games never get turned into a proper English-language version, forcing diehards to both import Japanese games and brush up on their kanji.

Gamers currently booking their flights to Tokyo to get a copy of Drakengard 2 can now save some cash by waiting another four months. Ubisoft today announced that it will be publishing the RPG in the US and Europe in March 2006. The Square Enix game was released in Japan (as the second Drag-On Dragoon game) this past June on the PlayStation 2.

Drakengard 2 is set in a time of knights and dragons, and it combines role-playing with ground and air combat. Part of each level will see gamers fighting in Dynasty Warriors-style battles, and another part will have players riding a flying dragon in gameplay similar to that of Panzer Dragoon.

For Ubisoft, the deal continues the French publisher's efforts to bring Square Enix games to Western audiences. Last year Ubisoft published Star Ocean Till the End of Time and distributed Final Fantasy XI in Europe.

Drakengard is awaiting pricing and rating information in the US. For a more in-depth look at the game, take a look at GameSpot's hands-on with the Japanese version.