'Dragon's Dogma 2' Review In Progress

Source: Capcom / Dragon’s Dogma 2

Coming into Dragon’s Dogma 2, I didn’t know what to expect, as I had never played the first game. However, after previewing the game and eventually embarking on the adventure, it has become a serious contender for one of the best games of the year. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a sequel 12 years in the making, but honestly, looking at it, you would think the game was made for the PS3 console, like its predecessor, due to its dated graphics, but don’t let that fool you; this is a worthy successor. As soon as the game begins, you learn of the plot’s political implications and how your fully customizable Arisen’s role in that story will not really take shape until about 15 hours into the game. But the main point of this game is the adventure you and your Pawns will embark on, and the developers went out of their way to emphasize your experience, especially during my review. I did not finish my Dragon’s Dogma 2 playthrough before writing this review, so it will be an in-progress review. Still, I have spent a reasonable amount of time playing the game and will share my thoughts on my fantastic journey so far; once I finish the game, I plan on revisiting this review to give my final thoughts.

An Expansive World To Explore

Source: Capcom / Dragon’s Dogma 2

Most of your time will be spent in Vernworth, a city teaming with life. Plenty of NPCs offer quests, small tasks, and shops where you can spend your hard-earned gold. Where this game shines is when you venture outside of the city into the open world that is full of dangerous monsters. This requires you to plan your routes because fas travel is limited and how many items you plan to take with you. In this game, there is a weight system (I am no fan of them), but it requires you to carefully think about how you tackle quests, which adds a fun and unique challenge to the game. Fast travel is minimal; you have to find statues in different towns and activate them. Then, you can use Ferrystones, which have to be found, to travel quickly to those locations. But if you don’t have Ferrystones, you can either travel by foot or by Ox and carriage, which can be attacked on your way to a location. During your travels, if you get caught out in the open world at night, you can find a campsite to cook meat to gain buffs and rest until daylight. Your slumber can also be interrupted by ghouls, goblins, or whatever creatures that game happens to throw your way. There is so much fun in using the map to plot your course to your location because there are no shortcuts, mainly because your character cannot swim, and falling into water causes permanent death thanks to a creature called the blight infesting the world’s waters.

Combat Kicks Ass

Source: Capcom / Dragon’s Dogma 2

Like other action RPGs, there is no one way to play Dragon’s Dogma 2. The game offers different playstyles in the form of Vocations, which are the warrior classes in the game. At the game’s start, players must choose from four primary Vocations: Archer, Fighter, Mage, and Thief. If you play long enough, you earn advanced versions of the main four: Magik Archer, Mystic Spearhand, Sorcerer, Warrior, Trickster, and Wayfarer. Each presents a different gameplay style; you can change your Vocations during your runs, so you’re not stuck with your initial pick. Combat in the game is fun, super responsive, and rewarding. Instead of trying to avoid fights, I found myself running towards them with the utmost confidence, knowing my trusty Pawns would help me handle business. The smaller foes like goblins, giant lizards, or wolves present a challenge when they attack in packs, but the real fun occurs when battling giants like ogres, minotaurs, griffins, dragons, and more. There are moments during those battles when the giant beasts can either be pushed off balance or dazed enough for your Arisen and pawns to climb on top of them and pound on them.

Thoughts So Far…

Source: Capcom / Dragon’s Dogma 2

So far, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has my full undivided attention at a time when another action RPG in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is also vying for our time. This is my Elden Ring, a game I can see myself fully committing to and seeing through because I am enjoying my time with the game. The combat system is fun, the Vocations add variety to your playthrough, the story is engaging enough, and I also appreciate your approaches to taking on quests that do come with consequences. For example, some quests have time limits, so you must carefully map out your routes. For example, in one quest, I had to find a boy who went out to gather flowers. The route I took wound up being the long one, and by the time I got to him, he had met a fiery fate at the hands of some goblins. I also love the Pawn system, which allows you to use another player’s created Pawns during your playthroughs. I was happy to learn that KindaFunny’s Greg Miller used my Pawn during his playthrough.

So, I will hold off on giving this final score, but right now, it’s shaping up to be a rare perfect game.

*Dragon’s Dogma 2 review key provided for Capcom*