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These days, action RPGs are super popular in the gaming world, just like FPS games were when everyone was crazy about Call of Duty and Battlefield. Nowadays, you see action RPGs popping up all over the place, flooding the gaming market every single day.
When Dragon's Dogma 2 was announced, I anticipated it wouldn't follow the typical formula of classic action RPGs, given the unconventional nature of the first game. However, I never imagined we'd receive a game with such an innovative approach and unparalleled freedom, and I must admit, it took me completely by surprise.
Let me put it this way: Dragon's Dogma 2 excels at what it sets out to do. Despite its flaws, and yes, there are some, its outstanding qualities and immersive experience make it easy to overlook any shortcomings.
STORY
In my quest to delve into the lore of Dragon's Dogma, I made a concerted effort to educate myself, albeit having not played the first game. Surprisingly, while there is a connection between the plots of these two games, it's important to note that familiarity with the first instalment is not necessary to comprehend this sequel.
The plot of Dragon's Dogma 2 may seem straightforward at first glance, lacking the complexity one might anticipate from such games. However, it's far from uninteresting. Unravelling the conspiracy orchestrated by Queen Regent Disa to maintain her hold on power despite lacking legitimacy by law, alongside the intriguing elements of mystical dragon blood and your character's destined role as ruler of the kingdom, all interwoven with political intrigues, makes for a compelling narrative that will keep you engaged and eager to uncover its conclusion.
The issue with the story doesn't stem from its lack of quality; rather, it's overshadowed by other aspects of the game. The story unfolds in the fashion of a true RPG journey, filled with a multitude of main and side quests. As you embark on these quests and journey through the open world to fulfil them, you may find yourself veering off course. The game world, exploration, combat encounters, and various other elements often lead you in unexpected directions, sometimes without you even realising it.
For instance, there have been times when the game guides me in a particular direction, and I become so engrossed in the captivating world that I completely forget the original quest I set out to solve and why I'm even in that location. Trust me, the world is just that intriguing.
The characters are genuinely interesting, and the voice acting is commendable. However, a drawback arises from the game's concept, where you can have up to four companions known as Pawns at any given moment. This leads to frequent repetitions of dialogue, which can become tiresome. Additionally, with only a limited number of voices assigned to the Pawns, their acting variations quickly wear thin over time.
As previously noted, the story unfolds primarily through quests, and it's worth mentioning that certain mini-stories tied to side quests are surprisingly captivating. They have the potential to deeply engage you as you endeavour to unravel and resolve them.
In summary, while the game boasts a solid story, it's unlikely to be what sticks with you most. Other aspects of the game prove far more engaging, effectively pushing the narrative to the back seat.
GAMEPLAY
Dragon's Dogma 2's gameplay stands out as one of the most innovative and unconventional experiences in its genre. This game boldly disregards traditional standards, opting instead to carve out its own unique path, and as a result, you either love this game or not; there is no in-between.
The gameplay is incredibly fulfilling, with each segment offering something special and distinctive. The quality is consistently high, ensuring that playing Dragon's Dogma 2 is thoroughly enjoyable. Time seems to fly by as you immerse yourself in the game, with hours passing by unnoticed.
In order to properly evaluate the gameplay, I'll break it down into several segments and discuss each one individually.
Combat
Combat in Dragon's Dogma 2 deviates significantly from the norms of the action RPG genre, offering a unique experience unlike anything you've encountered before. Initial impressions of the combat may leave you somewhat underwhelmed, particularly if you're accustomed to the typical conventions of similar games. Adjusting to the combat mechanics of Dragon's Dogma 2 can prove challenging.
When I mention that the combat deviates from the conventional style, I'm referring to the absence of features like lock-on targeting or a dedicated dodge system, which can make adaptation challenging initially. Instead, combat emphasises overpowering enemies through teamwork and strategic assessment of encounters.
In the game, you have companions known as pawns, who faithfully accompany you throughout your journey. At its core, you're essentially one of them, albeit a very special one with a destined leadership role and unique abilities that compel the Pawns to heed your commands and follow your lead.
It's crucial to carefully select the class for your main pawn, as well as the classes for the two secondary pawns, in order to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness in combat. For instance, to triumph in battles against flying creatures, it's essential to include at least one archer in your team who can effectively bring them down to the ground, allowing you to deal the finishing blows.
I intentionally refrain from delving into a detailed explanation of pawn mechanics and class distinctions at this moment, as I will address them separately. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that combat in Dragon's Dogma 2 is intricately intertwined with these elements, contributing significantly to its distinctiveness and uniqueness.
Combat in Dragon's Dogma 2 is consistently gratifying, with each swing of the sword or strike of any weapon imbuing you with a sense of immense power. Despite the frequent occurrence of combat encounters throughout the game, you never grow weary of dispatching weaker enemies, as the experience remains incredibly satisfying.
One drawback of the combat lies in the restriction of classes, as each class is solely focused on its designated fighting style without the option to wield other weapons. For instance, if you opt for a fighter class specializing in swords and shields, you won't have access to ranged weapons at all, which can feel somewhat illogical at times. While later unlocked classes offer a blend of these features, they're only accessible after a significant portion of the game, meaning you'll have to wait until later stages or subsequent playthroughs to fully enjoy them.
Combat can become quite chaotic, particularly with mages or sorcerers in your party constantly unleashing magic upon the enemy. At times, it can be disorienting, leaving you unsure of your surroundings or actions. However, as you become more accustomed to the flow of battle and find your footing, this chaos transforms into a captivating display of diversity within Dragon's Dogma 2's combat system, revealing its true beauty.
As previously stated, your chosen class dictates your fighting style, but fundamentally, it revolves around using light attacks, heavy attacks, and grab mechanics, which are both intriguing and innovative. This mechanic allows you to interact with smaller enemies by catching and throwing them, perhaps off a cliff, to defeat them. Additionally, it enables you to climb onto larger enemies or bosses and strike at their weak points, reminiscent of the combat system seen in Shadow of the Colossus.
Furthermore, each class possesses unique special attacks that can be assigned to four different commands. These special abilities serve as significant game-changers, and while you can acquire more of them as you level up your character, you're limited to using only four at a time.
In addition to combat mechanics, it's important to address the variety of enemies and bosses encountered throughout the game. While engaging in numerous combat encounters is generally satisfying, there are instances where repetition can lead to boredom, particularly since enemies respawn in the same locations after each day.
Similarly, bosses also respawn after being defeated, adding to the repetitive nature of encounters. However, unlike regular enemies, bosses are notably intriguing and engaging to battle. The strength of a boss is determined by its level, corresponding to the level of the area it inhabits, as well as the number of health bars it possesses, reminiscent of the system in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Among the ultimate bosses in the game are dragons, known for their formidable health pools and challenging combat encounters.
Overall, bosses stand out as a highlight of the game, with their epic battles that never fail to amuse and remain engaging throughout.
Vocations (classes)
At the start of the game, you're presented with an excellent character customisation feature that allows you to select your character's class, known as vocation in the game. Initially, there are four classes to choose from. However, as you progress through the game, additional vocations become unlocked, significantly enhancing the already impressive gameplay.
As mentioned earlier in the discussion on combat, Capcom's approach to designing vocations deserves commendation. Each class offers a distinct and unique gaming experience, making them stand out as truly diverse and well-crafted options.
Each vocation in Dragon's Dogma 2 offers a completely redesigned gameplay experience, making switching vocations akin to playing an entirely different game. For instance, the fighter vocation uses a sword and shield as primary weapons, with upgrades allowing for parrying and defensive manoeuvres. However, transitioning to the warrior vocation, which focuses on long swords, heavy maces, or axes, introduces a drastic change in combat dynamics. While attacks may be slower, they are devastating, with unique possibilities such as remaining undistracted during attacks, which sets this style apart.
Imagine having approximately ten such classes, each offering a distinct combat system and gameplay, providing an incredibly diverse experience. What's even better is the seamless ability to switch between these classes using specific vendors within the game. The game actively encourages experimentation with different classes, as there's no benefit to sticking with just one when each offers its own unique experience.
Each vocation progresses independently as you accumulate experience within that class, and once you've reached its peak, it's advantageous to switch to another. Within each class, you can purchase new abilities using special points earned after every successful encounter.
Aside from your own vocation, you have the option to change the vocation of your main pawn as well as select secondary pawns with various vocations.
Pawns
As previously discussed, pawns serve as your loyal companions throughout the game. Your main pawn, selected at the outset, accompanies you consistently and, like your main character, can undergo various changes such as changing vocations, upgrading abilities, weapons, equipment, and more.
Aside from your main pawn, you can bring along two additional secondary pawns. These can be recruited in two ways: by encountering them in the world where they offer their services or by accessing special locations known as riftstones, where you can enlist pawns that respond to your call.
The pawns available within riftstones are actually pawns belonging to real players, which you can rent and use in your gameplay. These player pawns often come with specific missions to complete, which reward you with certain benefits. Regrettably, this is the only online feature available in the game, and I must admit that choosing not to include any co-op or multiplayer features seems like a missed opportunity.
One might assume that these pawns are like typical AI companions, merely present to accompany you and perhaps occasionally hinder you. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Their AI is remarkably advanced to the point where, if left to their own devices during encounters, they are fully capable of defeating enemies without any assistance from you.
During and outside of battles, you have the option to issue basic commands to the pawns, such as directing them to follow you or move in a specific direction. Many of them possess valuable information regarding quests, chests, or riftstones, and they frequently offer their assistance by guiding you to these objectives if you accept their help. The level of involvement and advancement displayed by these AI companions is unprecedented in any other game.
Exploration
In addition to combat, the exploration aspect of gameplay in Dragon's Dogma 2 is exceptionally well-crafted and undeniably addictive. Set in an open-world environment, this RPG is teeming with diverse locations waiting to be discovered, including ruins, caves, abandoned houses, and numerous other captivating sites.
Periodically, as you traverse the world, you'll stumble upon either a decrepit city or a cave, which may conceal a boss encounter or valuable chests. Uncovering these hidden treasures often rewards you with equipment, weapons, or upgrade materials. The allure of exploration is so compelling that you may frequently find yourself deviating from your initial path, eagerly venturing into new directions to uncover what lies ahead on the map.
The map in Dragon's Dogma 2 is expansive, offering a plethora of discoveries, yet certain areas may appear repetitive with similar designs. For instance, the main area surrounding the capital consists mostly of meadows and forests, lacking diversity in its design. Similarly, the desert dominates the second part of the map, potentially leading to monotony due to the lack of variation in design, which can occasionally cause boredom while exploring the world.
It's important to mention that while there aren't any puzzles to solve, there are platforming challenges present in the game, primarily revolving around climbing. Many of the world's challenges involve scaling heights. Occasionally, you'll encounter chests positioned in elevated locations, requiring you to find creative ways to reach them, adding an intriguing element to the exploration.
Furthermore, certain areas will remain inaccessible unless you possess a class with ranged attacks. For instance, only as an archer can you open doors that are obstructed on the other side. These elements enhance the exploration aspect of the game, adding depth and intrigue to the experience.
Items, upgrades, healing and equipment
Similar to other RPGs, Dragon's Dogma 2 features a wide array of items that enhance the gameplay experience. As you explore the world, you'll gather various resources that can be combined to create potions and other stuff that aid you in combat or gameplay in general.
Naturally, the game also includes various elemental and other types of attacks, as well as the potential for your character to be targeted by them. In such cases, you'll need to use potions to counteract or gain immunity to these attacks. Additionally, there are numerous healing potions available, each with different effects on your character.
Both during and outside of battles, there are various methods to heal your character. You can use healing potions or rely on healing magic, particularly if one of your comrades is a mage. However, each time your character sustains damage, they lose red health, which is renewable, as well as a portion of gray health, which cannot be restored. The gray health bar can only be replenished by resting, either at camps or inns located within towns, where you can choose to sleep for either the day or night.
In essence, the system is intricate and engaging, requiring constant attention to your character's health. Furthermore, you can enhance your character's capabilities by equipping them with new gear, which can be acquired either from vendors or through exploration. Alongside equipment, there are diverse weapons available for upgrade, with vendors offering opportunities to enhance their statistics.
Truly, the gameplay of Dragon's Dogma 2 is remarkably intricate and masterfully executed, standing unmatched in quality compared to other games on the market. With time to acclimatise to its mechanics, the game promises endless enjoyment and satisfaction.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
Regrettably, the accolades bestowed upon the gameplay cannot be extended to the graphics in Dragon's Dogma 2. While the game does feature moments of breathtaking beauty, with various vistas and landscapes that may captivate you, overall, the graphics appear somewhat outdated and fall short of modern standards.
In many cases, the graphics may give the impression of belonging to the PlayStation 3 era, which could be viewed negatively due to the outdated appearance lacking detail and visual sophistication needed to make a notable impact. Although there are occasional moments, such as navigating through dense forests, where the graphics can be appealing, these instances are rare, and overall, the game's visuals fail to meet modern standards.
Despite the availability of modern graphics settings in the PC version I played, including options like ray tracing, the overall visual impact of the game remains underwhelming even when all settings are maximised.
The character models are solid, boasting a commendable variety that adds depth to the game. Furthermore, the character creator stands out with its extensive customisation options. Additionally, the design of enemies and especially bosses deserves praise, as they are intricately crafted and engaging to encounter in battle, despite the somewhat limited variety in enemy types.
Moreover, the battle effects, particularly those related to magic, such as fiery explosions, icy blasts, and electric shocks, are executed at a high level, delivering visually stunning and impressive displays during combat.
Essentially, the graphics exhibit a mix of strengths and weaknesses. While certain aspects are well done, the overall presentation feels somewhat outdated. If I were to pinpoint one flaw in this game, it would undoubtedly be the slightly outdated graphics.
In terms of sound design, Dragon's Dogma 2 shines as a true gem, particularly with its phenomenal music. The soundtrack as a whole is exceptional, but it truly stands out during boss fights, where the epic music, reminiscent of FromSoftware games, evokes an exhilarating sensation, often sending shivers down your spine.
The sound design throughout the game is impeccably crafted, with particular excellence found in the sounds of formidable foes such as minotaurs, stone golems, and dragons. Their thunderous roars are truly awe-inspiring and seamlessly blend into the overall atmosphere of the game.
Furthermore, the sounds of combat, particularly those of weapons, attacks, and special moves, convey a sense of power and are exceptionally well-crafted. Overall, the sound presentation is deserving of praise.
Performance
Now, let's address the elephant in the room regarding Dragon's Dogma 2, which is its poor performance. It's widely acknowledged that the game suffers from poor optimisation, a notable flaw that would likely impact its reception in any serious review.
Indeed, both console and PC versions of the game suffer from poor performance, largely due to the developers' inability to address the excessive CPU resource usage, particularly noticeable in densely populated areas like large cities.
On consoles, the game has an unlocked frame rate but struggles to maintain a consistent FPS, a limitation considered unacceptable by modern standards. On PC, Dragon's Dogma 2 offers smoother performance in the open-world segments. However, when navigating through large cities, particularly the capital, the FPS drops below 30, rendering the gameplay nearly unplayable.
While playing the game on my mid-range PC equipped with an RTX 3060ti graphics card, I initially attributed the poor performance to slightly weaker hardware. However, a colleague with a high-end PC also experienced similar issues, suggesting that the problem lies in the game's poor optimisation.
I genuinely hope that future patches will address the poor performance issues, as failure to do so could jeopardise the game's potential candidature for game of the year, despite its undeniable qualities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I must say that Dragon's Dogma 2 has pleasantly surprised me in a way that few games have in recent times. It excels in every aspect: from its superb gameplay and engaging combat to the captivating exploration of a meticulously crafted world. The storyline is compelling, and the overall atmosphere is simply fantastic, ensuring that you'll spend countless hours immersed in its world.
My recommendation is not to judge this game based solely on the first few hours of gameplay, as it takes a bit of time to truly get going. However, once it hits its stride, you'll find yourself immersed in an experience that will undoubtedly captivate you, much like it did for me. Even if the performance issues are addressed and you're willing to overlook the slightly dated graphics, which may not meet modern standards, you'll discover a game that is already shaping up to be a strong contender for game of the year.
The Good
Incredibly engaging gameplay- Well-designed world
- The storyline that keeps the game together
- Fantastic atmosphere
- Excellent combat and vocations (classes)
- Satisfying exploration
The Bad
Poor optimization- Dated graphics
