There comes a time when everyone is challenged by a new book they read or a piece of music they hear. After all, a good book, movie or musical work can expand a person’s worldview, change their perception and influence their tastes.

Video games are no different. For me, one of the games that challenged the way I thought about stories was “Drakengard,” a dark yet delightful action-RPG that was released on the Playstation 2 in 2004.

“Drakengard” is a gritty medieval tale based on all manner of Northern European folklore. In essence, a bitter prince consumed by anger over his parents’ death makes a pact with a dragon to crush his enemies and protect his sister, who is the key to saving (or destroying) the world.

This doesn’t even begin to capture the mature themes and personal confrontations within “Drakengard.” The protagonist is an obsessed, bloodthirsty man with a dragon. A dragon. Which he uses to burn the countryside in a terrifying manner to stop evil armies from ending the world. His allies are a cannibal elf who loves to eat children, a blind priest with a dark past, and a stunted child who feels guilty after his mother abused and abandoned his twin sister in favor of him.

The game gets darker as players discover each of “Drakengard’s” five endings, which get progressively more tragic and bleak.

It was a revelation to me as a teen. Here was a game that challenged much of the positive reward system within video games as we know it. It did not set out, as many RPGs do, to create a colorful world terrorized by a supposedly evil antagonist. Like a terrifying Hieronymus Bosch portrait, “Drakengard” set out to explore the darker, arguably more realistic sides of the common tropes we find in story-driven games.

That’s why “Drakengard” and its various off-shoots have become so popular. Arguably the best successor to “Drakengard” is the 2010 “Nier,” which takes place 1,000 years after the last “Drakengard” ending.

“Nier” explores the lengths we are willing to go to protect the ones we love. Depending on which game players picked up, “Nier” revolves around a father searching for his lost daughter or a brother in search of his sister in a dying world. As you go through subsequent playthroughs, you find the characters and monsters you overcome on your search have their own motivations, their own loved ones to protect. It’s a startling twist on perspective and a great dystopian adventure.

Square Enix appears to agree. The company announced a second “Nier” game, dubbed “Nier New Project,” during this year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo.

This project could shape up to be the most exciting game in the “Drakengard” universe. The new “Nier” game will include some characters from the first title, but it will be a completely new story based on “Nier’s” fourth, touching ending.

Platinum Games, the masterminds behind fun action titles like “Bayonetta” and “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” is developing the game under “Drakengard” and “Nier” director Taro Yoko. In addition, Akihiko Yoshida, an incredible artist behind such classic games as “Final Fantasy Tactics” and “Bravely Second,” is the character designer for “Nier New Project.” That’s a lot of talent to bring on to an already promising universe.

As such, the latest “Nier” game is shaping up to be an exciting story and a potential blockbuster game, especially for adult gamers who may enjoy depth and a bit of tragedy in their games. Even if it’s not a success, games like “Nier” and the “Drakengard” series are important components in an industry still struggling to be seen as art in the eyes of mainstream culture.

These games tell important stories and challenge our perception of the world, even if they deal with darker themes. They’re a vital part of gaming’s literary nature, and it will be exciting to see where the latest “Nier” title will take gamers once it’s released.