Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a ridiculously enjoyable recreation, however I had rather a lot occurring after I obtained a evaluation copy. So I’ve solely gotten in about 40 hours of the title, and I really feel like I’ve barely scratched the floor. With that in thoughts, think about this ‘half one’ of my evaluation of Capcom’s newest fantasy journey role-playing recreation.
Throughout my time with Dragon’s Dogma 2, it’s tough to not examine it to titles like Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate 3 (I’ve greater than 100 hours in each). Don’t get me improper, I perceive they’re all vastly totally different, however on the identical time, they’re nonetheless fantasy RPG video games. Nevertheless, whereas Elden Ring has my favorite fight, and Baldur’s Gate 3 affords the most effective role-playing, Dragon’s Dogma 2 affords a full and distinctive world that’s taken me again to after I first performed Skyrim.
That’s to not say that the sport is dated, although. As a substitute, it appears like a world I’ve encountered in video games like Fable or Dragon’s Age, and since we haven’t gotten an entry in these sequence for practically a decade, I’m blissful to revisit this kind of fantasy world.
The Arisen
In Dragon’s Dogma 2, you play because the ‘Arisen,’ a personality whose coronary heart has been taken by a dragon. Your purpose is to regain your coronary heart, which appears simple, besides the dragons on this recreation are extraordinarily tough. In all my time enjoying the title thus far, I nonetheless haven’t been capable of kill a lesser dragon.
After creating your Arisen, you choose between 4 ‘vocations’ (the sport’s courses), and also you’ll be capable to uncover extra all through Dragon’s Dogma 2. I wasn’t positive if I’d like this method, however it seems I’m an enormous fan. Whereas enjoying the sport, I’ve maxed out the Thief vocation and discovered all of the doable expertise. Whereas I’m nonetheless searching for the maister to show me the Mystic Spearhand vocation, I lately discovered the Magick Archer and converted to that vocation.
Proper after switching vocations, I attempted my hand at preventing a dragon, and whereas I used to be new to the category and lacked the talents gained by levelling up the Magick Archer, I nonetheless stood my floor and bought the beast to solely two life bars left. I like that altering courses doesn’t make me really feel like I’m beginning fully at floor one once more. Whilst you may be new to a particular vocation, your character ranges up other than its class, so you possibly can experiment and study new vocations. You gained’t have all the talents, however rating up in your vocation is simple and doesn’t take too lengthy.
I additionally actually preferred the character creation within the title. You can also make your character thicker and quick, tall and skinny or no matter you’d like, however this impacts your in-game stats. If you wish to be very thick, you’ll have a bigger gear load, however you’ll transfer and achieve stamina extra slowly. However, if you wish to be skinny, you’ll be sooner, and your stamina regains faster, however you gained’t be capable to carry rather a lot.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 incorporates a plethora of character creator choices, together with eye color, pupil dimension, lip thickness, and a wide range of hairstyles. There are even pores and skin tons for Black folks, and you may change waist dimension, chest dimension, and a lot extra (I’ve seen folks make acquainted characters like Lae’zel from Baldur’s Gate 3, Kratos from God of Struggle, Zuko from Avatar: The Final Airbender and extra with this in depth character creator.)
Pawn to E4
What’s distinctive about Dragon’s Dogma 2 is its pawn system. Whenever you first begin up the sport and create your personal character, you additionally create your personal pawn. Your pawn is your NPC-controlled companion within the recreation and shall be there all through your whole journey. Nevertheless, in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you’ve gotten a celebration of 4: your self, your fundamental pawn and two different pawns created by different characters. So, whilst you’re enjoying together with your pawns, they’ll even be concurrently in different worlds. You could find favorite pawns that you simply’ve grown accustomed to, see what skills they’ve, and think about their gear. Earlier than you ship a pawn on their manner, you can provide them a present. I preferred seeing the pawn rating system; on the time of writing, mine was in eighth place (just a bit humble brag).
I just like the pawn factor of Dragon’s Dogma 2, however I’m not an enormous fan of managing social gathering skills, so it’s good that I can seize another person’s pawn and use them. And after they not match my wants, I throw them to the facet and seize a brand new one.
The pawns are additionally fairly helpful, as they open treasure chests and accumulate different supplies. Additional, if the pawns have performed one thing in one other world, they’ll know information you to your particular purpose or mission. I like this because it feels a bit extra grounded than all the time counting on factors on a map.
Monsters in all places
In my time with Dragon’s Dogma 2, I’ve come to anticipate to all the time be prepared for a battle. There are saurians (lizard-like folks), goblins and wolves round each nook. There’s nearly a Jaws-like factor to the expertise, however as a substitute of being weary of the water, I’m typically wanting up, as you by no means know when a griffin goes to swoop down and assault you and your social gathering.
Whereas there are widespread themes with the monsters you battle, the 4 varieties I’ve talked about are just about in all places I’ve explored thus far; nearly after I’m getting uninterested in seeing these identical enemies, new ones emerge, and I’m excited yet again. Generally, the monsters solely differ a bit attributable to their area, like saurians with rock-like scales or hobgoblins as a substitute of goblins, however different instances, you’ll end up nose to nose with minotaur, chimera or drake. That is when the monster-fighting turns into intense, and also you’re preventing these giant beasts with a number of life bars and climbing and stabbing their weak factors, like in Shadows of the Colossus.
I like these intense fights as they require thought and precision, and you may’t simply stab on the monsters such as you would with a goblin. As a substitute, that you must try and beat them with totally different components, goal weak spots, and check out your hardest to not die. Solely you possibly can choose up your pawns after they fall in battle, so that you must even be prepared for that. At all times keep watch over your stamina, as holding onto monsters isn’t a simple activity. All of this makes for epic battles that may surprisingly final a very long time.
For instance, I legitimately spent 20 minutes preventing a singular drake, solely to die and be heartbroken. It’s additionally price noting that monsters appear to scale with the participant. In a single cave, I discovered a chimera. It was too powerful for my staff as we had been out of well being, so I went again to that cave about 15 ranges later, and as a substitute of the chimera I left there, it had modified to a ‘gorechimera,’ a kind of chimera that may additionally put gamers to sleep.
A lot to discover
It’s price noting that I discovered that the sport typically randomly drops frames, which is usually a bit disorienting. I’m enjoying on a PS5, and whereas frames will drop, I’ve by no means had the title crash or had any important glitches. Dragon’s Dogma 2 appears good however isn’t as stunning as a few of the better-looking PS5 titles like Demon’s Souls.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 looks as if an enormous recreation, and I’ve a lot extra of the map to discover and the story to undergo. It’s onerous to maintain on the trail with missions as a result of you possibly can simply be distracted. At one level, I used to be on the best way to my subsequent story mission after which bought a bit misplaced; I figured, “Whereas I’m right here, I ought to verify this out.” A number of hours later, I discovered the Magick Archer maister, a very new space of the map that I didn’t even notice existed, and fought (and misplaced) to a dragon.
In any case my hours within the recreation, I haven’t even come throughout the enormous statue Talos seen within the trailers, nor have I discovered any elves. I’m excited to maintain enjoying, and after finishing the sport, I’ll share extra about my expertise.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 releases on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on March 22nd for $89.98.
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Picture credit score: Capcom
