On a steep, narrow mountain path, two griffins swoop down and swipe their wings in a sweeping arc. Expecting a hard-hitting strike, a thumb rests on a button in preparation to dodge or block – only to realise there’s no such option. Unfortunately for the Arisen, he bears the brunt of a hard-hitting strike, gets snatched by the claws of the feathered beasts, which then drops him straight off a cliff, and dies. Rest in peace, good sir.
It was a run-of-the-mill experience that pervaded a four-hour hands-on session for Dragon’s Dogma 2, which makes a highly-anticipated return after 12 years. As a series newcomer, much of that came with a lot of dying, figuring things out, and admittedly, the occasional frustration. But in between these moments, it was easy to find the charm and joy of a world teeming with life, freedom, and realism.
For starters, the map is big – roughly four times the size of its predecessor’s already impressive scope, to be more specific – and players will feel the weight in all its entirety. The forthcoming role-playing game (RPG), taking after its predecessor, features very limited fast travel in that they can only do so between unlocked Port Crystals (which requires a Ferrystone with each use) or an Ox Cart. Both come at a cost, though, as a Ferrystone burns a hole in the coin pouch, while the latter isn’t always safe with ambushes lined up en route to the designated location.
This leaves plenty of exploration on foot, and through thick forests, jagged mountains, cobbled streets, tight caves, and more. It’s an enormous undertaking without the bloat that plagues many other open-world titles, with dense monster encounters keeping players occupied on the path. Sometimes, they can be a real menace, especially in numbers, and it takes very, very long to shake them off, but at least these moments are well spaced out and offer some breathing room between one battle and the next.
Like before, more danger befalls Dragon’s Dogma 2 at night. The sequel features the same dynamic day/night cycle, adding to the realism and immersion. Expect a fair bit of navigating in inky black depths – even with the lantern in hand, environments can get really dark, so much so that it’s totally normal to fall off an edge. Apart from keeping watch for stray monsters lurking in the shadows, there’s another potential threat to handle: campfires.
See, unlike the first game, taking a hit here reduces a portion of the player’s maximum health. To fully restore the health bar, they will have to rest at an inn or start a campfire, provided there are camp supplies in the inventory, at the risk of attracting enemies with the flame. Sundown adventuring is oftentimes as precarious as it is exhilarating, serving as a reminder to be vigilant and not grow complacent.
Part of the liberating experience can be attributed to the hands-off quest system. In the vein of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (and by extension, its sequel Tears of the Kingdom), Elden Ring, and similar open-world contemporaries, Dragon’s Dogma 2 leans heavily into player freedom and organic, natural exploration. Gone are quest boards and indicators of where to go, in its place clues gathered from NPCs by speaking to them. Pawns, a returning presence who act as travel companions, will also give guidance and depending on the progress of their previous owner, may even lead the Arisen directly to the objective.
Essentially, the game subverts the usual questing structure by having NPCs approach the individual, instead of the other way around. There’s a lot more detective work, character interaction, and tracking to be done, with little to no hand-holding offered. On the one hand, the agency means players are free to overcome the issue however they want; on the other, it can stir up annoyance, frustration, or feelings of helplessness when stuck.
Case in point – during the preview, an NPC enlisted help to save his grandson. With no other hints, the workaround was to ask around town and gather more information, which will eventually reveal the latter’s whereabouts. The job’s not over yet, though, as he needs to be escorted back to town, but there’s actually a hidden prerequisite. Players need to retrieve him within a time limit, which isn’t explicitly communicated, so everything that was done prior may end up being for naught. On the contrary, a random encounter in a monster-infected village led to a rewarding outcome and a new merchant town.
Coupled with the vague clues and fast travel-less open world (no mounts too, by the way), it’s unclear how well the free-solving aspect will fit into the full game. It’s certainly manageable with four hours of gameplay, but as the map grows bigger and there are more things to do, there may be a chance that questing becomes tedious or unappealing. Let’s hope not, fingers crossed.
Elsewhere, the Dragon’s Dogma flair continues to run deep. Capcom’s soon-to-be-latest retains the same aesthetic touch, from the medieval fantasy influence to the distinct, intricate creature designs. Familiar combat features have been refined, marking the return of vocation-specific loadouts, third-person action, and the Pawn command system. As mentioned in the beginning, there’s no lock-on for the most part, dodging (unless tied to a vocation skill), or blocking, with the game focusing on positioning and Grab mechanic.
Suffice to say, the return to its roots should delight longtime fans and series veterans, especially with the added degree of freedom. For first-timers, however, it may take a while to get used to the shift from the modern action-RPG brand of parries, sidesteps, and rolls, fast travel limitations, constant to-and-fro to complete one quest, and the Pawn banter.
Because Pawns can be hired, each of them are fitted with different personalities. The demo assigned pre-made builds, but the full game allows players to create their own companions and “loan” them to others, where their journeying experience will carry over to the next owner. While the banter gives them more personality, some dialogues come across as stilted and over-adoring of the Arisen.
Still, the utility of Pawns cannot be denied. With three of them available at command, combat is made a lot easier as they make short work of weaker enemies and grant various buffs and healing to the party. Exploring with them reveals hints about treasures and places of interest in the area, and just like in the original, slain Pawns can be summoned within the Rift, accessed via a Riftstone. At least one surviving member is required to recruit more, so be sure to keep them alive (they can be revived within a time frame if felled in battle, too).
Two vocations, the game’s version of classes, were available in the demo, and both felt uniquely different. Two hours of playing the Mystic Spearhand saw plenty of slamming and thrusting into monsters, with specific abilities allowing for a dash strike, or an aerial plunge.
With the Magick Archer, the play style pivoted to aim down sights (ADS) for greater control and damage, a fast flurry of arrows that can lock on to an enemy, and far-range positioning. Overall, combat is visceral, smooth, and enjoyable enough – even if the absence of lock-on can throw one’s aim off, especially when initiating a battle.
True to the RPG guarantee, Dragon’s Dogma 2 offers deep customisation. Apart from the usual options like hair styling, facial shapes, and eye colour, it also includes specific adjustments for different body parts, such as thigh and calf size, waist width, muscle style, nose length, nostril width, and other nitty gritty details.
Through the highs and lows, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is shaping up to be a sincere, heartfelt love letter to the days of traditional, old-school RPGs. The highly-anticipated sequel retains and improves on the best parts of its predecessor, even if its core system may not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea, weaving that into a world that feels very much alive. For now at least, player choice seems to be the way to go, teasing an experience that packs countless varying opportunities.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches 22 March for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Edwin Teo
Trinity Sun
