Dragon’s Dogma first released in 2012 to a lukewarm reception, but over time it gained a fervent cult following thanks to its uniquely uncompromising vision as an open-world action RPG. Now, after over a decade of waiting, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has finally arrived as the highly anticipated sequel to that cult classic.
From the moment you start the game, it’s clear that this isn’t your typical open-world experience. Dragon’s Dogma 2 makes no attempt to coddle or hand-hold the player. Instead, it throws you headfirst into a dark fantasy world teeming with deadly monsters and mysteries begging to be uncovered. The game adamantly refuses to conform to modern open-world conventions, eschewing the typical objective markers and checklist quest design that have become so prevalent.
Yet within this harsh, unforgiving exterior lies an incredibly rich tapestry waiting to be unraveled by the boldest of adventurers. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is truly an open-world RPG experience like no other – one that resolutely upholds the strengths that made its predecessor a cult hit while radically expanding the scope and addressing many of the original’s weaknesses. The result is an utterly captivating adventure that, although relentlessly challenging at times, overflows with wonder and the thrill of discovery around every corner.
A Vast Uncharted Frontier Awaits
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open world is nothing short of a marvel – a sprawling, dense frontier that feels ripe for discovery at every turn. From lush, verdant forests teeming with life to sun-baked desert wastelands and everything in between, the environments you’ll explore are as diverse as they are richly detailed. Mere words cannot do justice to the game’s sense of scale and ambition.
What makes this open world truly special, however, is its dogged refusal to hold your hand or clutter the experience with obtrusive map markers and objective icons. In Dragon’s Dogma 2, you won’t find any convenient waypoints guiding you every step of the way. Instead, the world demands that you embrace a spirit of true exploration – studying your surroundings, following environmental cues, and blazing your own trail through the wilderness.
This intentional lack of hand-holding imbues the entire experience with a wonderful sense of freedom and danger alike. One minute you might be hiking along a serene trail, basking in the majesty of your surroundings, and the next you could stumble upon a fearsome beast’s den or the ruins of an ancient civilization. The world feels genuinely alive and untamed, existing with or without your presence.
And that lifelike quality extends far beyond just the landscapes themselves. Dynamic events can occur organically as you travel, with creatures great and small engaging in epic battles before your very eyes. At any moment, you might bear witness to a mighty griffin swooping down amid a clash between ogres and wolves. The intricate ecology and complex AI systems that underpin Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open world fuel these incredible emergent moments that make each expedition feel unique and unpredictable.
From hidden caverns brimming with treasure to tiny hamlets tucked away in the most unassuming corners, there is no shortage of secrets waiting to be unearthed by the most intrepid explorers. Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open world is undoubtedly one of the most captivating virtual frontiers ever crafted – an untamed land that will inspire an insatiable sense of wanderlust in even the most jaded adventurers.
An Unfolding Tale of Political Intrigue
While Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open world is undoubtedly its crowning achievement, the game also weaves a far more compelling core narrative than its predecessor. At its heart lies a tale of political machinations and civil unrest, as you take on the role of the Arisen – a fabled warrior tasked with exposing the corruption festering at the highest levels of power.
What begins as a seemingly straightforward fantasy yarn quickly blossoms into an engrossing saga steeped in shades of grey moral ambiguity. The blending of high fantasy storytelling with courtly political intrigue makes for a refreshingly nuanced narrative experience rarely seen in the action RPG genre. Well-realized characters with complex motivations and agendas drive the plot forward, ensuring you remain invested every step of the way.
But the story’s brilliance extends far beyond just its overarching narrative threads. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is replete with inventive side quests and storylines that organically unfold as you explore the vast open world. These quests often subvert typical RPG conventions with unique framing devices or conditions that breathe life into even the most mundane tasks.
One minute you might find yourself frantically racing against the clock to rescue a villager from a pack of ravenous beasts. The next, you could be trailing an enigmatic figure through the city streets, their strange behavior piquing your curiosity. There’s a consistent sense that these side quests are merely tentpole events in the ongoing, ever-evolving stories of the world around you.
Crucially, Dragon’s Dogma 2 affords you the freedom to make mistakes and face real consequences for your actions (or inactions) in a way modern RPGs rarely dare. Fail to complete a quest in time, and the person you were meant to save may very well perish – no reloads, no do-overs. The game’s lack of hand-holding extends to its storytelling, allowing these organic narrative discoveries to unfold naturally as a result of your choices.
It’s an uncompromising design philosophy that makes every decision feel weighty and meaningful. One poorly judged diversion can completely alter the trajectory of the plot, ensuring no two players will experience the story of Dragon’s Dogma 2 in quite the same way. For those willing to embrace its balls-to-the-wall approach to interactive storytelling, few RPGs deliver such an enthralling narrative tapestry.
Revamped Arsenal for Slaying Beasts
At its core, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an action RPG through and through, and its combat system is a masterclass in raw visceral intensity. Battles are chaotic, physical affairs where weighty attacks carry immense impact thanks to the game’s remarkable physics simulation. Watching a well-placed greatsword swing send a hapless goblin ragdolling through the air never gets old.
But beneath the gloriously over-the-top violence lies a nuanced combat system brimming with depth for those willing to master its intricacies. Monsters don’t just pose a threat with their teeth and claws – many boast exploitable weakpoints like severable tails or vulnerable eyes that can cripple their offensive capabilities if targeted effectively. The dynamic, ever-shifting battlefields demand keen spatial awareness and tactical positioning to isolate and demolish the toughest foes.
On the player’s side, a revamped vocational system presents an incredible array of combat specializations to experiment with. Returning stalwarts like Fighters and Mages provide familiar point-and-click baseline experiences for newcomers, but Dragon’s Dogma 2 truly shines with its expanded offerings of advanced and hybrid classes.
Wield the awesome might of a Mystic Spearhand, a dervish-like warrior capable of physics-defying teleportation strikes to bewilder opponents. Or perhaps the roguish talents of the deceptive Trickster, who can conjure illusory clones and cloud enemies’ minds with psychotropic incense, better suit your style. Veterans of the first game will also delight in the return of the ranged/magic hybrid Magick Archer.
The newly introduced Warfarer vocation represents the pinnacle of battlefield versatility by providing access to every weapon class at the expense of lower overall stats. The Fighters and Mages of previous Dragon’s Dogma titles have also been rebuilt from the ground up, with expanded skill trees and new playstyles that encourage specialization from the ground up.
But perhaps the most compelling change comes in how characterStats and growth now operate. Rather than having Attributes tied to individual vocations, players can freely reallocate their Stats when switching classes. This brilliant adjustment completely eradicates the need for alting or respeccing, allowing you to fully experiment with Dragon’s Dogma 2’s diverse offerings at your leisure.
Which vocation you take into battle will ultimately define your role in the ensuing pandemonium. Seasoned journeymen may comfortably juggle multiple roles, swapping between abilities and skill trees mid-fight to adapt on the fly as the tides of war shift. Newcomers, however, would be wise to adhere to a specialist’s path – at least initially. The bestial horrors roaming these lands are no mere mobs to be overcome through sheer numbers, after all.
From screen-shaking claw swipes by towering ogres to surprise divebomb attacks from airborne gryphons, the realm’s deadliest predators demand the utmost focus and respect from would-be slayers. Victory is hard-earned yet incredibly rewarding against such ferocious opposition. Measured restraint and tactical foresight will always trump careless bravado on the killing fields of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Mastering each vocation’s unique rhythm and learning to leverage your pawns’ assistance is key to laying waste to the realm’s more fearsome inhabitants. The thrill of toppling a seemingly insurmountable beast through sheer skill and tenacity is what elevates this combat system above its contemporaries. In Dragon’s Dogma 2, the beasts will not slay themselves for you.
Loyal Pawns, Both Wise and Deadly
No journeyman in the relentless wilds of Dragon’s Dogma 2 travels alone for long. From the moment you first awaken as the Arisen, you’ll be paired with a loyal Pawn – an AI-controlled companion whose sole purpose is to aid you on your quest to save the world from calamity.
More than just disposable sidekicks, Pawns are indispensable allies that blend combat support with invaluable wisdom of the lands. Each one you recruit can be outfitted and trained in a specific advanced vocation, allowing you to construct a finely tuned adventuring party. Certain Pawn specializations can even provide active benefits like keen harvesting senses or automated inventory management.
Your main Pawn is forever bound to your soul, learning and growing alongside you as you overcome obstacles. But you can also temporarily enlist the aid of up to two wandering Pawns at any given time through the interdimensional Rift. These vagabond Pawns belong to other players in the real world, bringing with them knowledge gleaned from their own masters’ journeys.
In previous games, interaction with these visitor Pawns was fairly limited. Dragon’s Dogma 2, however, expands their utility by introducing a robust knowledge-sharing system. Now, any lore, quests, or secrets your temporary hirelings have uncovered can be absorbed and brought back to your version of the world, enriching your own personal journey.
Likewise, your main Pawn can also venture forth into the Rift while you continue exploring, joining the experiences of other Arisen. Any new wisdom or resources it gathers along the way will be waiting to aid you upon its return. It’s an ingeniously asynchronous form of multiplayer that discreetly enhances the perception of a living, breathing world.
Of course, all the lore in the world won’t keep you alive when a rampaging ogre comes barreling your way. In these heated moments, your Pawns will prove their worth as indispensable combat allies. Each vocation brings its own unique skills and tactics to the battlefield, allowing your party to adapt on the fly as the tides of war shift.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s improved AI systems, meanwhile, ensure your Pawn cohorts generally make smarter decisions and react more reliably in dire circumstances. Their enhanced battlefield awareness helps prevent them from needlessly squandering your hard-earned Phoenix Downs through sloppy tactics.
Whether providing a clutch heal at a pivotal moment or standing stalwart on the frontlines, these devoted Pawns are more than just silent partners. In truth, they represent some of the most colorful personalities and indispensable lifelines adventurers could ask for when braving the untamed expanses of the open world. Just mind what you name them – their incessant repetitions of your chosen titles may haunt your dreams long after the adventure ends.
Performance Fitful Yet Gorgeous
From a technical perspective, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a bit of a mixed bag – though its highs reach dazzling peaks of graphical brilliance that make its lows all the more frustrating. On high-end PC hardware, the game is nothing short of breathtaking. Lush forests teem with life, sun-baked deserts ripple with heat haze, and cavernous depths cast dramatic shadows that instantly transport you into this dark fantasy realm.
The RE Engine brings out every excruciating detail in Dragon’s Dogma 2’s meticulously crafted open world, from the tiniest blades of swaying grass to the towering spires of ancient ruins jutting from the clouds. Environmental effects like dynamic lighting, billowing fog, and volumetric clouds sell the illusion of a living, breathing ecosystem that would persist with or without your presence.
Regrettably, the same cannot be said of the console versions – at least in their present state. While still visually impressive, the lack of graphics options and unlocked framerates on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X lead to frequent bouts of stuttering and frame pacing issues. One particularly egregious instance saw performance completely tank in the middle of an intense, multi-wave battle, rendering the fight into an utter slideshow.
Load times are likewise inconsistent, with transitions into densely populated areas like cities requiring frustratingly long delays. The generous view distances that make exploration so rewarding actively work against the game in these bottleneck situations. Hopefully future patches can better optimize overall CPU utilization.
As for bugs and glitches, most fall within the typical Bethesda-esque jank spectrum you’d expect from such an ambitious open world title. Dragon’s Dogma 2 definitely has its fair share of hilarious physics glitches and quasi-softlocked states waiting to be uncovered by the most devoted speedrunners. More concerning are the rare instances of game-breaking progression blockers, like quest NPCs outright disappearing and requiring a reload to respawn properly.
To its credit, in my 50+ hour journey I only encountered one such quest-breaking bug. Still, the mere possibility of having to completely restart due to unresolvable glitches does dampen some of the game’s hardcore “no Going back” philosophy around its restrictive single-save design.
Performance woes on console and the occasional progression blocker aside, Dragon’s Dogma 2 remains a technical marvel from a pure artistic and world-building perspective. While certainly requiring a high tolerance for jank, what Capcom has accomplished in bringing their captivating dark fantasy vision to life deserves immense praise – even if the execution lacks some of the final polish seen in contemporary open world offerings.
Slay On, Unbowed Slayer
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an uncompromising, defiant game that charts its own unique course – damn near hostile toward modern conventions typically seen in open-world adventures. It refuses to hold your hand or coddle you with convenience at every turn. Instead, it demands patience, perseverance, and a willingness to embrace true unbridled exploration in all its messy, wondrous glory.
This bullheaded adherence to its retro, anti-mainstream design philosophies is simultaneously Dragon’s Dogma 2’s greatest strength and most glaring weakness. For the dungeon delvers and monster stalkers who relish in the simple joys of straying off the beaten path into the terrifying unknown, few games will scratch that insatiable itch for danger and discovery quite like this one.
Yet for those accustomed to the typical Hollywood sheen and player-friendly UI roadmaps so ubiquitous in contemporary open-world RPGs, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s stubborn old-school tendencies will likely prove equal parts maddening and captivating. It is an entirely unfiltered experience full of unavoidable jank and performance pitfalls – endearing to some, deal-breaking for others.
Regardless of which camp you fall into, one fact is inescapable: Dragon’s Dogma 2 stands masterfully alone, carving its own inimitable niche in a genre increasingly dominated by soulless open-world checklist simulators. For those brave enough to get gobsmacked by the full brunt of its unique reward loop – the simple thrill of discovering something incredible through your own perseverance and wits – the 50+ hour odyssey awaiting you here is nothing short of sublime.
Slay forth, unbowed slayer, into the gaping maw that is Dragon’s Dogma 2. The beasts will not fell themselves while you stand vigil. And for the Arisen willing to brave the untamed wilds despite all hardship, a world of wondrous untapped adventures eagerly awaits your conquest.
The Review
Dragon's Dogma 2
Dragon's Dogma 2 is a glorious return to an uncompromising dark fantasy world that pulls no punches. With its stunning artistic vision, innovative asynchronous multiplayer elements, and utterly gripping combat system that raises the bar for the action RPG genre, Capcom has delivered a modern cult classic in the making. While its stubborn adherence to old-school design philosophies and lack of quality-of-life features will undoubtedly prove polarizing, patient adventurers willing to meet the game on its own mercilessly challenging terms will be rewarded with one of the richest, most unique open-world experiences in recent memory. Dragon's Dogma 2 stands defiantly alone in its commitment to facilitating a true spirit of unbridled exploration.
PROS
- Massive, dense open world that begs to be explored
- Unique asynchronous multiplayer pawn system
- Deep, visceral combat with great physics
- Lack of hand-holding encourages genuine discovery
- Excellent graphics and artistic world design
- Compelling core narrative and innovative side quests
- Revamped vocations and character progression
CONS
- Divisive old-school design philosophies
- Lack of quality-of-life features like fast travel
- Occasional bugs, glitches and performance issues
- Stubborn difficulty curve not for everyone
