Dragon’s Dogma is the definition of a cult classic. It was a game that certainly did not appeal to everyone and had some undeniable flaws. In fact, it launched in a very rough state, with abysmal performance among other technical issues. Despite this, Dragon’s Dogma still had a lot going for it with its fantastic combat mechanics, vocation system, and player-created travel companions known as pawns. Sadly, the long-awaited sequel, aptly titled Dragon’s Dogma 2, finds itself in a similar situation to the original game.
That’s not to say that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a bad game, although it could be a lot better. In several ways, the game improves over its predecessor but surprisingly falls short in others. Why is this the case? Is the game still worth playing despite all the glaring flaws? The answers to these questions may be somewhat complicated, so let me elaborate.
An Ambitious Adventure
Dragon’s Dogma 2 leaves a strong first impression after the average player spends hours creating their character and pawn. Sure, the opening tutorial feels a little basic, but it doesn’t take long to start the journey. Thankfully, the first few hours present a very promising experience.
Right off the bat, the game feels fantastic to play. Even with an initially limited set of skills, the player character moves with a satisfying sense of weight. The combat animations are of the excellent quality that many have come to expect from Capcom titles.
With the addition of some gorgeous visuals, Dragon’s Dogma 2 nearly fools the player into believing that this is the proper follow-up to the original game that fans have been waiting years for. In fact, the game still has the potential to be that.
It really is impressive seeing such a detailed open world running in the RE Engine for the first time. Paths are covered in wonderfully rendered foliage and surrounded by towering cliffs. It leaves one anticipating what could lie ahead of them, but this feeling will only last for so long, unfortunately.
The Cyclops in the Room
Frustratingly, a major technical issue becomes apparent early on. This issue has been a major topic of discussion surrounding the game since its launch. As you may have guessed, I am talking about Dragon’s Dogma 2′s performance or lack thereof.
As soon as the player enters the city of Vernworth, the frame rate takes a nosedive. It’s a location that puts too much stress on the CPU no matter which platform you decide to play on. Unfortunately, this goes for many areas with large amounts of NPCs.
Exploring the open world generally provides a better experience, but the performance issues can still be noticeable. The lack of a stable frame rate is a big problem for a game with a huge focus on action. It directly impacts how the game feels to play, making for some awkward combat encounters.
The situation with Dragon’s Dogma 2 isn’t as dire as Cyberpunk 2077‘s launch was, but it’s hardly what I would call excusable. It’s abundantly clear that the game needed more time in the oven, and it’s disappointing that Capcom would release it in this state. A rough launch such as this is unfair to both the customers and the game itself.
It Isn’t All Bad News
Before we examine all the disappointing aspects of Dragon’s Dogma 2, let’s take a look at what it does right. The good news is that this title improves upon its predecessor in numerous ways, making it a worthwhile experience overall. For example, I would consider the open world a significant improvement.
The world of the original Dragon’s Dogma was perhaps one of its weakest elements. Don’t get me wrong, Gransys was a very memorable map despite its problems. I can’t think of many other game worlds that come as close to emulating the look and feel of the manga Berserk, which was clearly a huge influence on the original game.
Regrettably, Gransys was also blatantly incomplete and full of empty fields with not much to do. It was a very predictable world to explore with static enemy placements and only a couple of settlements to visit. There are hints of something much more ambitious underneath the surface, but the first game
The world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a considerably more lively one. It’s not too uncommon to encounter random events and more. It’s easy to miss certain paths if you aren’t looking for them, which can occasionally lead to some neat discoveries. Overall, there’s far less downtime while traversing Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s world when compared to the previous game.
How Dragon’s Dogma 2 Upgrades the Pawn System
The pawns of Dragon’s Dogma 2 feature considerable improvements over their predecessors. Before, pawns served as an imaginative form of online integration while retaining a focus on single-player content. However, that’s not to say the execution of that system was perfect the first time around.
Pawns had a very limited set of voice lines to use, often alerting the player to the presence of enemies such as goblins and wolves. As one might imagine, this could get quite grating over time. Of course, one could just mute the pawns, but that also indicates a serious failing of the system.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 succeeds in helping push the pawn system toward its full potential. It still isn’t flawless, but these travel companions are a lot more lively this time. There’s a noticeable increase in dialogue variety, making the chatter a little less repetitive. They will even comment on the habits of you and other players.
Hilariously, my pawn, who was based on Ciel from Tsukihime and Melty Blood, would often complain about their lack of strength after I switched their Vocation. Previously, they were a Thief, which is a vocation so strong that it practically trivializes the game. Details such as this make Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s pawn system so amusing.
The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall
Dragon’s Dogma 2 contains some of the best combat mechanics in any action RPG I’ve played, and it may be thanks to a single ingredient. It all comes down to physics, which this game pulls off spectacularly. If truth be told, this may just be the best aspect of the entire game.
The true sense of weight makes for an incredibly visceral combat system. Taking a blow from a massive beast doesn’t just necessarily mean the loss of health, it could also send the player ragdolling off a cliff. Additionally, a strike against a weakened foe can cause them to slip and crash to the ground.
Combat systems that place an emphasis on immersive physics are almost always a treat, and what’s here is no exception. There’s a layer of feedback that you simply won’t find in most other games, making for some of the most satisfying monster battles I’ve ever experienced.
Terrain can also be utilized for tactical opportunities. The act of carefully planning out a jump onto a giant opponent’s back never gets old. Failing a leap such as this will leave the player face-planting in the dirt, vulnerable to following attacks.
The Varied Vocations of Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 only features 10 vocations, which is only one more than the original game’s 9. Thankfully, the sequel improves by providing noticeably more distinct playstyles to experiment with. What’s more, nearly every vocation is worth trying at least once, with plenty of interesting skills to play around with.
Where things go somewhat wrong is with how the vocations are balanced. The Trickster vocation makes for a neat concept but is easily the least practical playstyle in the game. There’s no real reason to use it unless you really enjoy it.
On the other hand, some vocations eventually become too powerful for their own good. When playing as a Thief and using the skill “Formless Feint”, I learned that I could play the game without much thought. To make matters worse, Thief is not the only playstyle with access to overpowered skills.
As the player gains experience and grows stronger, this issue only becomes worse. Eventually, there is barely anything in the game to present a meaningful challenge. Of course, it’s still fun to knock down giant monsters, but combat becomes less interesting late into the game.
Innovation or Just Bad Game Design?
Players new to the series will quickly notice that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is full of unusual mechanics and game design choices. To be clear, I’m not inherently against implementing strange and imaginative ideas into games. In fact, I often respect games for trying something new even if it doesn’t work out quite well.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 proves to be somewhat of a mixed bag when it comes to strange mechanics. On one hand, I do appreciate the limitations on fast travel throughout much of the game. It makes the initial task of exploration more immersive and engaging. Sadly, the lack of an unlimited fast travel item becomes somewhat frustrating later on and also exacerbates the problems with the game’s open world, which I will get to in a bit.
Additionally, some other wacky systems such as Dragonsplague prove to be controversial. While I didn’t take too much issue with it, many players clearly did. Fortunately, the discourse surrounding this pawn disease was amusing, to say the least. In my mind, this justifies the inclusion of this experimental idea.
Some bolder design choices simply prove to be much more of a hindrance than a curiosity. I understand the intention of the limited save system and I don’t want it completely removed, but players should be able to make multiple characters. Choices like this don’t make the game more interesting in any particular way.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Has a Terrible Story
The original Dragon’s Dogma isn’t commonly remembered for its story. Even so, it at least tried to achieve the bare minimum and was nearly salvaged by its fascinating ending. I’m sad to report that Dragon’s Dogma 2 possibly contains one of the most lackluster stories of any RPG I have played.
The sequel establishes a premise that’s incredibly similar to the original game. The player takes on the role of the Arisen, who must challenge the Dragon that quite literally stole their heart. Beyond the basic premise, the game barely attempts to tell a tale of political intrigue involving a false Arisen, but the end result is painfully underwhelming and seems unfinished.
Most are not going to play this game for its story and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it is a title advertised as a “narrative-driven RPG”. Writing is often one of the most important aspects of an RPG, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels utterly lifeless in this regard. The characters come off as robotic and generally lack any sort of complexity.
What about worldbuilding and lore? I can count the number of memorable side quests on a single hand, and they aren’t particularly great either. There are some neat links to the original game here and there, but that isn’t enough on its own. Hopefully, an expansion can address these issues, but it should never have been a problem in the first place.
Unrewarding Exploration
While I do believe the open world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a definite improvement over its predecessor, it unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. One of the first major issues that players will likely notice within the first ten hours is the serious lack of enemy variety. To make matters worse, encounter rates are incredibly frequent, only serving to compound the problem.
Sadly, the repetition doesn’t end there. The map is littered with blatantly copy-pasted, dreary caves to search. These usually only take a few minutes to explore, if even that. Moreover, there are generally very few surprises in store, as generic loot is often the only reward to be found.
There are a few nice surprises in the open world, but they are few and far between. Discovering a community of elves only to realize you need an Elvish translator to talk with them makes for a memorable find. Additionally, areas such as the Ancient Battleground provide a genuinely breathtaking sight to behold. It’s these moments that make the issues with exploration even more of a letdown.
I appreciate games that emphasize the journey over the destination, and I believe that’s what Dragon’s Dogma 2 is going for. The problem is that there’s simply not enough along the way to keep that journey engaging. After spending dozens of hours traversing Vermund and Battahl, I felt as if I had already played through the game several times over.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Could Be So Much More
I want to love Dragon’s Dogma 2, and that’s what frustrates me about it above all else. With the exception of the original game, there’s no action RPG quite like it. As a matter of fact, I wanted to love this game so much that it was previously my most anticipated game this year.
Alas, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is only a good game with the occasional glimpse of brilliance. More time in the oven would have done this game a great service, but many of the things holding it back seem so unnecessary. It baffles me how some choices were given the green light.
Overall, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is somehow a more worthwhile, complete package when compared to Dragon’s Dogma 2. It’s a far more replayable game thanks to its excellent endgame content. The sequel will not overshadow its predecessor until it gives players an actual reason to start a new playthrough.
This title still has the potential to be an absolutely fantastic experience. The core mechanics are superb and the game’s general structure shows promise for something truly special. Hell, it’s even possible that this will become the game it was destined to be with an expansion or two. Until that day, however, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will remain the best disappointment.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is currently available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. For more reviews, be sure to keep an eye on Final Weapon!
