Once a video game experience has concluded, particularly for single-player, narrative-driven titles, many studios often release post-launch downloadable content (DLC) to hold fans over until the release of the next chapter. These usually come in two main forms, with the first being new game modes that remix content currently available, à la Resident Evil’s Mercenaries Mode. Then there are the more substantial expansions that not only build upon the narrative of the original, but also introduce new content to engage with, such as 2019’s Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
While such DLC are usually designed to be bite-sized extras, some, particularly those in the RPG genre, take things a step further by providing larger expansions that feature massive amounts of content to engage with, sometimes even rivalling new game releases. Think 2016’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine and 2023’s Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
Capcom is no stranger to offering substantial post-launch experiences to keep players coming back long after the initial game’s launch, such as the aforementioned Monster Hunter World expansion and Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, a 2013 expansion and re-release of the original Dragon’s Dogma game that was held in high regard among fans for essentially being the definitive way to experience the 2012 RPG.
What made Dark Arisen so loved is that it not only introduced an entirely new region to explore – Bitter Black Island – and dozens of hours of new content to play around with thanks to a new questline and gear systems, but it also addressed many of the bugs and issues players had faced in the original title. Now, 13 years later, and two years after the release of the franchise’s 2024 sequel, the studio is hoping to replicate the same successes with a similar expansion, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen.
Very much like the first game, this expansion introduces a new endgame playground for players to explore, the snowy region of Norgan, alongside a new questline and 12 high-level dungeons for experienced Arisen to tackle once they have completed the main narrative. In addition, the DLC also introduces new gameplay systems designed to address fan feedback from the original, particularly when it comes to attaining loot.
Thanks to an hour-long preview of the upcoming DLC at Capcom’s Singapore office, Geek Culture was able to get a sneak peek at some of these new additions. According to Capcom, the expansion has been designed with three goals in mind – enhance gameplay, expand adventures, and entice value – and from what we’ve seen so far, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen does look to be delivering on its promises.
Right off the bat, we were dropped into town in the new region of Norgan, with the preview’s opening quest walking us through the DLC’s major gameplay addition, Norgan Spoils. One of the biggest criticisms of the base game was that its loot system didn’t feel satisfying, as defeating foes or opening chests rarely rewarded players with interesting equipment like weapons or armour, meaning encounters often felt like a chore instead of offering an addictive gameplay loop.
For a game designed around meaningful player-driven exploration, this was an unfortunate misstep, but Capcom has found a way to address the issue thanks to Norgan Spoils. Now, players can chance upon spoils, aka Relics, while exploring the world and defeating enemies. These don’t have to be massive boss encounters either, as we were able to gather two Relics just from defeating a small group of basic wolves and foot soldiers roaming the world.
Once attained, these relics appear as mystery pieces of equipment sorted under a certain equipment category (in the case of our preview, we gained one Ancient Aegis [Shield] and one Long Weaponry), with players then required to appraise said Relics at specific NPCs (non-player characters) around the world using Rift Crystals. This unlocks a random piece of equipment of the associated type – in our case, a Superior Norgandian shield and a Coiled Wrym staff.
With just this small addition, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen now looks to provide more meaningful loot rather than just a constant barrage of materials for players to hoard. The Relic system is also cleverly divided into clear categories, and since players can also choose to sell Relics of a type they don’t need for Rift Crystals, this offers a way for them to be selective about how they spend their hard-earned currency. Still, the random nature of Relics does mean that players might sometimes get something they can’t use, as seen in our playthrough with our Fighter getting a Mage’s staff, so it remains to be seen if there will be any underlying system that balances the drop rates to ensure players are more likely to get equipment that suits their chosen vocation.
After playing around with the Norgan Spoils system, we were free to explore the vast new region, and similar to the base game, we were given an overarching objective and waypoint to follow, but in true Dragon’s Dogma fashion, the true experience comes in the friends (and foes) players will meet along the way.
And it did not take long for us to be sidetracked, as while venturing up a steep cliff, the distant sounds of trees being toppled in the forest piqued our curiosity to investigate, bringing us face-to-face with a terrifying side encounter – a massive Yeti with the tusks of a Mammoth.
This might have been a completely chance encounter, but it was by no means a breeze. Armed with a fallen tree as its weapon, the beast was capable of wide-hitting ground attacks and had an equally intimidating health bar that was five segments long. As trying to hit its legs from the ground was an obviously tough affair thanks to said repurposed tree, the best way to combat the Yeti, as with all large beasts in the Dragon’s Dogma franchise, was to clamber atop its limbs and climb all the way up to its head, where we could deal increased damage with a single stab.
This was no easy feat, however, as the foe was clearly aware of the pests clinging to its back and would attempt to shake them loose, meaning we needed to keep a sharp eye on our rapidly draining stamina bar or be knocked to the ground in a vulnerable state.
Thanks to Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen’s emergent gameplay, the fight didn’t simply occur in a set “arena”, but naturally in the open world, meaning that at one point, the Yeti fell off a cliff and into the ravine below, and although this merely damaged it and did not kill it outright, it fell right into a den of other monsters. This meant that now, we had to deal with not just the massive creature, but also a handful of smaller beasts all hungry for the taste of Arisen flesh.
Little by little, and with the help of our three Pawns (AI-controlled companion characters), we were able to chip the Yeti’s health multiple bars down and eventually emerged victorious, and nothing beats seeing a foe you just spent over 20 minutes trying to defeat come crashing down to the ground. In fact, the fight was so drawn out that by the time it ended, night had fallen, giving us the opportunity to witness another of the expansion’s new additions – snow.
With the sun set and our preview timer slowly ticking down, we decided to make a beeline to the main objective, but much like Vermund, Battahl, and all the previous locations seen in the game, everything in Norgan is an obstacle for players to overcome, even the weather. As if the near pitch-black nighttime wasn’t bad enough, a snowstorm seemed to hit right on cue, and the two combined meant that visibility was near zero, even with a lantern to light the way, leaving room for players to get ambushed.
As luck would have it, we managed to make our way to the objective without much trouble – a large ruined castle blanketed in snow. Upon reaching its gates, we were beset by a new enemy type introduced in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen – zombie-like humanoid creatures that attack in large groups. While these creatures weren’t too much of a hassle, what awaited within the castle walls was anything but fodder.
Much like its title, the preview ended with an encounter with the Fallen Dragon, a massive zombified beast that towered over the Arisen and his Pawns. Its hide was tough and impenetrable, with the only way of dealing with the creature being to target specific fleshy spots on its body, namely its two front legs and neck.
This was easier said than done, however, as the dragon would constantly swipe the ground with its claws or breathe blue fire in a wide area. To make this more complicated, it was also capable of summoning hordes of zombies, the same ones seen at the entrance, meaning more things for players to manage at once.
After a lengthy battle and multiple strikes to its neck, we were able to completely decapitate the creature, but as soon as we started celebrating, the headless beast rose again, undeterred by its missing head. It turns out this encounter was a scripted event, as after struggling with the now-headless beast and cutting off one of its arms, the Fallen Dragon regenerated itself and charged up a massive blast, knocking out the Arisen and the team. In the closing cutscene that followed, the player is saved by a mysterious woman known as Eir, who charged straight towards the beast alone.
The brief preview already teased some of the notable new additions the DLC will provide with its enhanced gear system, new locations, and monsters to dispatch, but Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen will still have much more to offer. A notable omission from the preview was the Lost Rites, a series of 12 high-level dungeon challenges designed to truly test a player’s wits with the promise of legendary loot, alongside what would undoubtedly be tons of new places to encounter within Norgan. Capcom is obviously keeping the expansion’s most exciting discoveries under wraps for now, but from the short session, it’s clear that it will offer a wealth of new content to engage in, not just for returning Arisen, but newcomers too.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen will be available as a separate expansion for existing players on 9 October 2026 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, alongside a complete standalone release bundled with the base game for newcomers, which will be making its debut on the Nintendo Switch 2 on the same day.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
