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With less than a week left until release some reluctant RPG fans may be asking, is Dragon’s Dogma 2 worth buying?
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 Worth Buying?
Released in 2012, Dragon’s Dogma garnered a dedicated fan base eagerly awaiting its sequel. After over a decade, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is set to release later this week. This single-player, action-adventure RPG promises an enriched story, expansive map, and new foes to conquer.
The developers at Capcom have a powerful vision for Dragon’s Dogma 2. This has sometimes opposed some of the standard mechanics modern RPG players are used to encountering. Whether these changes hinder your enjoyment or combine to deliver a unique and engaging game-play experience will come down to individual player preferences.
In the following sections on lore and story, game-play mechanics, combat and strategy, and more, we’ll review the essential information about the game, with the ultimate goal of helping you decide whether Dragon’s Dogma is worth buying.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Essential Information
Developed and published by Capcom, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has a global release date of March 22, 2024. In the run-up to the game, however, Capcom has released a Character Creator & Storage demo for players on all platforms. You can now download this demo and create your Arisen and Pawn characters.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X\S, and PC only. It will not be available at release on Xbox/Microsoft Game Pass. Additionally, it will not be available through the Playstation Plus subscription service. Therefore, if you want to play the game at launch, buying it outright is the only way to do so.
World and Lore
In Dragon’s Dogma 2, the story centers around you as an Arisen, someone whose heart was stolen by a dragon. While this connection to the dragon gives you powers, your ultimate goal is to eventually find and slay it.
As you journey to complete this monumental task, you can gather dedicated companions to your side. These individuals are called Pawns, and they are said to lack emotion and a true will. Their one purpose is to follow and aid the Arisen. Pawns serve other purposes, like alerting you to new quests while exploring or pointing out weak points of enemies in combat.
Various kingdoms and settlements inhabit the handcrafted world. However, the human kingdom of Vermund and beastren kingdom of Battahl will likely play the largest roles. There is also a third elven kingdom hidden away in the Sacred Arbor. Each has its own political agendas and tensions you must navigate.
Vocations and Classes
The Dragon’s Dogma franchise is known for its unique combat classes and enemy encounters. Traditional RPG classes are called Vocations, and they are divided into three categories: Starting, Advanced, and Hybrid. The Starting vocations include Fighter, Mage, Archer, and Thief. Advanced vocations, which you and your Pawns can switch to later in the game, are the Sorcerer and Warrior. Finally, there are four Hybrid vocations: Mystic Spearhand, Magick Archer, Trickster, and Warfarer.
As the Arisen, you can choose from any of these vocations and eventually have the option to switch between them. Pawns can only choose between the Starting and Advanced vocations. A major part of Dragon’s Dogma 2 combat is not only being skilled in your chosen vocation but also putting together a party of Pawns who can provide your vocation with the support you need in battle.
Moreover, you will have to adapt to multiple different types of monsters. From bi-pedal, towering trolls to flying harpies and griffons, dragons breathing fire, and sphinxes casting magick. Each enemy will have their weakness, but typically, the more dangerous the beast, the more difficult it will be to discern.
Combat
Dragon’s Dogma 2 combat will feel familiar to RPG fans of the Dark Souls franchise and the latest title, Elden Ring. Your User interface features a health bar, stamina bar, and skills with little else shown. Combat is a dance of managing stamina and taking time to attack. If you’re a spellcaster, your damage is high, but you must channel long-duration spells and are vulnerable during this time. Melee damage dealers can also be influential but face other challenges playing up close to enemies.
Movement in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is different than in Elden Ring, where there is no dodge mechanic. This is unique among the genre because dodge is typically how you create space and avoid combat. Dragon’s Dogma 2 vocations have similar features but no default method for quickly escaping combat. Thus, you must carefully time attacks and weigh the risk and reward.
Gameplay Mechanics
Specific gameplay mechanics and features highlight the unique experience the developers at Capcom are striving to create with Dragon’s Dogma 2. Most large-scale RPGs find a way to implement fast travel, allowing players to teleport from one location to another instantly. This is often seen as a time-saving mechanic for players, so they don’t have to walk their character back and forth across long distances repeatedly.
Dragon’s Dogma 2, however, will offer limited fast travel options. Ferrystones and Portcrystals will allow players to teleport instantly, but the ferrystones are rare, single-use items. Additionally, Oxcarts will be available to transport you from place to place. They are low-cost but do not automatically take you to your destination. You will physically ride through the countryside and can experience enemy encounters along the way.
Furthermore, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will not have quest markers, another carryover from the original game. This means no icons above NPC heads and no map icons telling you exactly where to go. The developers are going for a much more immersive game-play experience without a lot of the usual ‘hand-holding’ some other games include.
Multiplayer and Co-op
Unfortunately for those hoping to explore Dragon’s Dogma 2 with friends, the developers at Capcom have confirmed that the game is single-player only. Moreover, game director Hideaki Itsuno has stated no plans to add multiplayer.
However, Capcom also envisions their unique Pawn system as a way to infuse “a sense of multiplayer community into this single-player adventure.” Just as you create your Arisen character in the game, you can also create one Pawn. However, an entire adventuring party is made up of four members. Therefore, you can fill these other two slots with additional pawns, which you can summon from the Rift. Other players can create these other Pawns in their own game.
As these Pawns adventure with other Arisen, they learn about quests and combat strategies. They can offer advice based on this learned knowledge when they join you in your game. The developers have put a lot of focus on making Pawns responsive to the world and events.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 Worth Buying?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is worth buying for players of hardcore RPG experiences like Elden Ring and Dark Souls. With mechanics like single save files, limited fast travel, and no map markers, this game won’t be for some RPG gamers. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is about exploration and hardcore combat with punishing consequences.
If you’re a fan of the original game’s unique blend of action RPG elements, immersive world-building, and challenging combat mechanics. In that case, the sequel is likely to be a compelling purchase. With an expanded map, enriched storyline, and new monsters to encounter, Dragon’s Dogma 2 promises to deliver a fresh and engaging experience for returning players.
For new players, if you’re a fan of modern RPGs, you should take the time to consider the differences in specific gameplay mechanics. The difficulty of fast travel and the lack of quest markers are elements that some may enjoy because they significantly improve immersion. However, others may feel it impedes their progress and slows gameplay when their time is precious.
However, if you enjoy games that offer deep customization options and allow you to tailor your game-play experience to suit your preferences, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is worth considering.
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