(Xbox code provided by Capcom)
By Sam Coles:
Never thought I would be writing about a sequel for Dragon’s Dogma, but here we are with Dragon’s Dogma 2 12 years after the release of the original. It is hard to believe it has been that long between sequels, where I was a young 19-year-old playing the original in the hot summer of 2012, to an older somewhat wiser 31-year-old in 2024. Does the game capture the same magic of the original? Yes, it does, and I just want to talk about my initial thoughts about this game and this is by no means a full review, just me waxing lyrical about the game for a few paragraphs.
Just a disclaimer, yes Capcom sent me the game and I am fully aware of the microtransactions of the game. Do they hinder the gameplay experience? No, they do not as everything can be earned in gameplay and it is not pay-to-win at all. This microtransactions have been in other Capcom games for years, I just feel this is selective outrage for the sake of it, be outraged by all of it or none of it. But I digress and let me get on with my thoughts.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 sees you once again play as the Arisen, but this time you are in the role of royalty. You are a king or queen of the land, where you are quickly dethroned into a mine as a slave, where you conveniently have amnesia. You quickly uncover your memory as the Arisen, and realise you are the true ruler, and slowly regain power while purging the monstrous inhabitants of the land as the Arisen. The plot is more involved with this game, there is a lot more dialogue compared to the first game but that isn’t a bad thing as this game fleshes its world out more compared to the first game.
The gameplay is like the original game, now that is not a bad thing as everything feels tighter and more fluid with its combat specifically. You get access to a selection of Pawns that players all over the world have made, with some interesting designs and names to say the least. Like the first game, you can have three Pawns in your party including the one you have created, it makes battles varied and sometimes easier depending on the party you have chosen.
Not only that, Pawns also have more purpose in this game as players can set quests for their Pawn with a monetary or items specific reward which is a nice change adds variety to the game. They feel like more than just a filler in your party compared to the first game, but they didn’t fix the issue where they will constantly talk in the open world and state the obvious, yes, I know I can climb a ladder!
Combat is one of the highlights of this game, I chose to be a fighter as I like to keep things simple in RPGs plus I like to get up close and personal. Anyway, combat is a big improvement from the first, the combat has weight to it you really feel every slash, every stab and the thud as these huge monsters fall when you slay them.
You really get stuck in as a fighter class, blood flies everywhere as you slash into a goblin, explosions have amazing particle effects as your mage throws a fireball and you feel tense in situations as you climb a monster to stab at its weak point. Combat has always stood out to me in Dragon’s Dogma, as it was more exciting compared to other RPGs, where you would just hack away at a dragon’s ankle where in Dragon’s Dogma you ride said creature slashing at it as it drags you across the map. I think more RPGs need to take notes from this game with their combat system, as this game makes you feel like a fantastical warrior.
What captivated me the most in this game so far is the exploration of its world, I have fond memories of playing Tolkien and Medieval inspired RPGs from the Xbox 360 generation. Games such as Oblivion, Dragon Age, Two Worlds 2, The Witcher 2 and of course the original Dragon’s Dogma.
The reason I love exploration in these games is because it reminded me of my childhood, as I would explore the local woodland area I grew up in Bristol, which had various ruins, small castles and mysterious carvings in trees. It’s that sense of wonder I get from Dragon’s Dogma 2, where you want to explore each corner of the map and when you settle to rest at a camp you want to talk about what you found with your party. Coupled with the relaxing music as you explore, the game doesn’t discourage you from running off the main path because nine times out ten you will find something interesting, it’s something I haven’t felt since The Witcher 3 or to go further back Skyrim.
Visually the game looks amazing, it runs on the RE Engine like most Capcom titles these days and it is beautiful. The environments look incredible, with a lush vegetation and foliage system which fills forests and fields with a lot of detail. Character models look okay, nothing mind-blowing they can look a bit lacklustre and washed out, however there are a lot of characters in the world with most of them being created by other players. Now, I played this on Xbox Series S and the framerate is 30 fps for the most part, but it does struggle a bit when you enter busy town centres as well as in some combat scenarios, but it mostly holds said framerate.
Overall, I am enjoying my time with Dragon’s Dogma 2 so far, it is a lovely adventure and is a nice change of pace to the games I have been playing recently, less bang, bang and more stop and smell the roses. I can’t wait to explore more on my upcoming adventures.
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