Dragon’s Dogma is a game that has been around for quite some time but not everyone will know what the game’s about. Even though it was one of the most unique and daring games in the business due to its limited waypoints, unique combat mechanics, and challenging enemies, it was a game that only a few played it thoroughly. With Dragon’s Dogma, Capcom tries to hold on to the unique formula that would please the veteran players out there, but it’s also putting in the work to make the game a little more popular with the casual players. Let’s talk!
So Dragon’s Dogma 2 story is about you, the Arisen, whose heart has been devoured by the Dragon. You don’t know much about what happened, but you’re being introduced very quickly to the main storyline. Within the game there is this town called Vermund, this place is a human kingdom that normally falls under the reign of the Arisen. Queen Regent Disa wants her son to become the leader of Vermund, however, she has heard that the true Arisen has been seen on the horizon, so she makes a plan to set a false Arisen. How the people believe in Queen Regent’s Disa’s plan, is up for the player to figure out. Of course, you won’t do this alone because not everyone in the kingdom of Vermund is shortsighted and will definitely help you out in the background because they believe that you are the true Arisen (based on your heroic actions during the game). There is also another nation that sees the pawns ( servants of the true Arisen) as a curse, so they focus their attention on other meanings and worship the Lambent Flame. This nation is under the command of Empress Nadinia. How you play a part between these nations, is under your control. Both nations however do believe that the Dragon is the main threat but how they’ll deal with it, is totally different.
“These constant confrontations make the game truly immersive and hype you up. “
One of the major selling points of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the combat system. You will constantly have to travel between different villages in this vast region that’s filled with scoundrels of the earth, but also majestic mythical creatures like Griffins and ogres,… The fun thing about this game is also the fact that you probably will confront the enemy and when you think you’re done, you’d be overrun by one of those majestic beasts. During your journey, you will also see that different “travelers” on the road are also in combat with these different kinds of beasts. It’s your choice if you’d help them out or not. If you’re not battling a majestic creature during your adventurous journey or a traveler isn’t battling one of those hordes of enemies, you’ll probably see in the distance that a horde of enemies or even a majestic creature is doing their battle alone with another type of enemy. These constant confrontations make the game truly immersive and hype you up.
Talking about these majestic creatures… how you imagine a battle with these creatures, is probably represented best in Dragon’s Dogma 2. These majestic beasts are triple the size of your character and you’ll have to take them out with your whole party. You can’t face off an enemy alone, you will die very fast but this is where the fun truly begins. In confrontation with these big creatures, you’ll have to find their weak spots in order for you to take them down. How you take them down depends on your level of “seeing opportunities”. Big beasts can be climbed on, but you’ll have to invest in your stamina trait to truly hold on to the beast because these beasts don’t like being climbed upon. The moment they sense you climbing them, they will try to shake you off. If you’re falling from this height, you will probably be caught by one of your party members ( literally) or you will flatten your face on the ground and end up being shocked. Party members will then have to get you in a safe spot so you can recover or they will bring you to one of your scholars that can heal you. I talked about opportunities, some vocations (classes) have the ability to “catapult” you onto the body of the beast. For example, as a warrior, you’ll have the ability to ready your shield and “invite” a party member to use your shield as a jumping pad towards the beast. I mean, doesn’t this look like fun to you? It’s like your own adventure coming true in Dragon’s Dogma 2. In other words, Dragon’s Dogma 2 captures battles between humans and majestic beasts like no other. Finding weak spots, letting giants tumble on the ground, jumping onto the body and ripping your weapon through their skull, party members helping you out, … this is the best representation of big battles.
“These companions are called Pawns and they all have their unique traits and Vocations.”
I talked a bit about Vocations (classes), there are definitely a lot of classes to choose from and every class has its own playstyle. Some Vocations are better for doing damage from a distance, some are better close up, some are better in hordes of enemies while others can focus their damage more on a single target. Either way, whatever Vocation you choose, you’ll be able to unlock different active/ passive skills to your liking. Each skill has a tutorial video that gives you some tips on how to use it. At the beginning of the game, you can only pick between a couple of Vocations, along the way you’ll complete quests or start conversations with other NPC and they will reward you with knowledge about other Vocations that can be unlocked. If you’re like me and you have difficulties in choosing a class, don’t fret! Dragon’s Dogma 2 allows you to experiment with different Vocations. Unlocking a Vocation uses money and you’ll need the right type of weapon to unlock it in the Vocation’s guild. If you’re playing a Vocation and it’s not your type of playstyle, you can easily go to the Vocation’s Guild and change the Vocation instantly.
As I said, you can count on your companions multiple times during a fight. These companions are called Pawns and they all have their unique traits and Vocations. Each Arisen has its own “Main Pawn” that can be customized completely to your liking, I’m talking about the looks but also the Vocation you want beside you. This Main Pawn also gains experience and levels up. You’ll have to manage your Main Pawn’s equipment, skills, and roles. Roles are kind of the playstyle you want for them, for example: going very offensive or supporting the Arisen in the background. Next to your Main Pawn, you’ll also have access to Support Pawns. These pawns can be summoned from the rift. When you activate a summoning, you’ll wander around in this spirit-like world where all of the Main Pawns, every player made, will be available to you. Some will cost you currency while others don’t. This depends on the level of skill they have. You can then select one and summon it to your party. The Support Pawns don’t level up and they’ll fight with what they have or what you give them. Some Pawns even have quests/ objectives that can be completed for a certain reward. You’ll have to manage your party if you want to continue your campaign because you will level up, your Main Pawn will level up and your enemies will also level up. So make sure your level of skill is adapted to the enemies you’ll be facing.
“Pawns will also give tips and tricks on how to defeat certain enemies.”
What I love about the Pawn system, is the fact that these Pawns truly act like they’re part of the group. As I said before, they interact with you as their “Arisen” during battle by supporting you, keeping you from harm, and catching you when you fall, … but they will also talk with each other and talk about the experiences they had “beyond the rift”. In other words, these Support Pawns will have a conversation about what they’ve already done with their rightful Arisen. Some will even tell you that they’ve been to the place you’re actually searching for. They will let you know and eventually guide you to the right place. They will also guide you to a cave that they’ve “Explored before, beyond the rift”. This makes the game a lot more enjoyable and interactive. Also, the game has this “weight” mechanic that slows the player down when he/ she is carrying too much. If you have too much weight, you’re stamina bar will quickly be depleted and this will result in a lot more deaths. You can also use your pawns to carry certain items that could lessen the load. Just make sure, when you send them off that you get your belongings off of them.
Pawns will also give tips and tricks on how to defeat certain enemies. The fact that some of these Pawns have been created by active players, makes up for some amazing cosplay NPC’s. I have seen Gandalf and even Kratos as a Pawn that would offer their services to me. It is such a fun feature. This also shows that the game has a lot of customizable options to create the character that you truly want.
“You either love or hate it.”
Another thing I would like to mention is the fact that the game tries to give you a “true” fantasy game. I like the Vocations, the interactive Party members, the combat system, … etc. I also love the fact that NPCs can die during a quest. When these members die, your quest can’t be re-activated or abandoned which is something I dislike but then again, it’s because of the “reality within the fantasy world” that the developers tried to create. These dead NPCs can be revived if you use one of the resurrection stones but these stones are very hard to find. So it’s up to you if you want to use them on an NPC to complete that quest or not. You might be rewarded with something amazing but it might be bullocks as well. The question is always there: do I want to use my precious stone for this NPC or not? Also, the NPCs stay at the place they died but they do decay after some time and then they will be available to resurrect in the catacombs in one of the major cities. It’s one of those features that has something positive and negative about it. You either love or hate it.
Capcom also made sure that the game is challenging on how you do things. Yes, there are quests but they aren’t all straightforward. You will definitely have to try out different things to complete a certain quest or even make progress with it. The game doesn’t do a lot of explaining, which makes up for a lot of routes that I have taken multiple times before I saw the right thing to do. This results in a lot of time passing by and if you don’t see a lot of progress, you’ll probably end up doing something else and then the quest directory fills up and you truly have to commit yourself to a certain quest.
“If we have to give up some frame rate for this, I’m happy to do so.”
I played the game on the PS5 and it does run “okay” capped on 30 FPS. I would prefer a higher FPS but I can understand what you’re gaining from this technical limitation. There are almost no loading screens when you enter a building or run around in the region completing one cave after the other. The world is living and there isn’t any journey that goes by without the confrontation of hordes of enemies or even Majestic Beast. The game world is massive and it does look good. But sometimes the PS5 stutters in the heat of the moment because of the limited frame rate. It’s not game-breaking but it’s noticeable. It sucks when this happens in the heat of the moment when every strike is important. Then again, I love the fact that the world is filled with things to do and beings that make the region a living thing. If we have to give up some frame rate for this, I’m happy to do so.
Conclusion:
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a very great game and is based on the strong foundation of the original one. The combat system is so much fun and the Vocations are a blast to play. Every Class has its own strengths and weaknesses but the fact that you can choose how to form your party with these different pawns gives you a lot of breathing room to experiment with the perfect party. The world looks great and the atmosphere is definitely within the game, most of the time the game runs smoothly on 30 FPS but unfortunately not always. If you want to find a game where you battle Giant Monsters like in your dreams, this is a must-have! I wonder what the franchise will have in store for us in the future.