Dragon’s Dogma 2 A Fresh Take on a Familiar World
Dragon's Dogma is a curious case. It boasts one of the most flexible and engaging combat systems in any RPG, with players able to climb giant monsters and exploit strategic weak points. However, the quests become repetitive, and the story fails to capture the imagination. Despite these flaws, Dragon's Dogma offers a massive world and challenging encounters that will appeal to RPG veterans who prioritize deep combat over intricate narratives.
Forget those cheap one-hit KOs from the first game! This sequel offers a smoother difficulty curve, but don't get too comfortable. Open battles can snowball into chaotic situations, testing your reflexes and tactical prowess.
Forget warp points and express carriages! Dragon's Dogma forces you to explore the world on foot. Ferrystones, your ticket to fast travel, are luxury items in the early game. Oxcarts, a slower but more affordable option, only leave once a day and can get ambushed! More than once, a monster brawl left my party stranded, miles from our destination. It's frustrating, sure, but also strangely refreshing. The lack of hand-holding encourages exploration – you're not just a glorified errand runner, but a curious adventurer uncovering the secrets of a vibrant world. You might even stumble upon hidden shortcuts or rent a trusty mount to speed things up. The sense of discovery is truly rewarding, even if it means occasionally hoofing it through the wilderness after a monster encounter turned your oxcart into kindling.
After the review period, Capcom introduced microtransactions offering purchasable items like Wakestones for character revival ($1 USD) and an Explorer's Camping Kit ($3) that reduces inventory clutter. While some may find microtransactions in a single-player game frustrating, they don't affect the core gameplay. I enjoyed the game immensely without spending a dime, and content was balanced without forcing microtransactions. This approach mirrors the original Dragon's Dogma, which also offered optional microtransactions alongside its core, challenging experience.
Thankfully, these microtransactions feel like an afterthought and can be safely ignored without hindering your adventure... unless you get a serious case of wanderlust and forget to stock up on Wakestones before venturing into monster-infested territory!
When picking which platform to play Dragon’s Dogma 2 on, be aware that PC players get the best choice of options, thanks to this being the first game from Capcom to ship with DLSS and FSR3, offering enhanced image quality over consoles. However, CPU and memory impacts remain the biggest cause for concern in performance, which highlights why the team has pushed settings and resolution as high as possible on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. No matter what, the frame rate is going to drop to sub-30fps when you’re in town, and so a closer hold to that benchmark with better image quality is their aim, rather than large spikes from 60 to 30 and degraded image quality the whole time.
For the ultimate graphical fidelity, PC reigns supreme. However, console players can expect a more consistent experience with slightly less eye candy.
and finally!
Dragon's Dogma 2 is a fascinating, if flawed, action RPG. It resurrects the brilliant core of the 2012 original, offering a dynamic world that reacts to your actions and some of the most engaging combat in the genre, complete with a physics system that adds a layer of strategic depth. However, the experience is occasionally marred by issues familiar to older games, like unreliable AI companions, awkward climbing mechanics, and occasional frame rate drops. The camera can also be a bit of a wild card at times. If you can embrace these quirks and appreciate a more hands-off approach to open world exploration and quests, Dragon's Dogma 2 offers a richly rewarding and unique experience unlike anything else out there.
