Summary
Dragon’s Dogma 2is every bit a gratifying, high fantasy action RPG brought to fruition and a stellar achievement for seeing a vision of idyllic imagination made manifest. A long-awaited sequel to Capcom’s pet project of the same name originally released in 2012,Dragon’s Dogma 2successfully improved on every mechanic that made the original title a hit among fans and is a fantastic example of a sequel done right. It is for that reason that the next title in the series is well poised to be the crowning jewel of dark fantasy, rivaling the giants of the same genre, such asThe Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimorDark Souls 3.
In a game lauded for its fluid range of movement and in-depth combat system,Dragon’s Dogmahas been thought of as the spirituallovechild of a game likeMonster Hunter(for its extensive attention to detail regarding advantages and disadvantages in combat, including status effects and climbing mechanics) and a Soulsborne title (for its brutality, obscure worldbuilding, and exploration). These mechanics have, of course, been polished to a sheen inDragon’s Dogma 2, complete with stunning visual effects and satisfying, weighty, and responsive controls to boot.
Dragon’s Dogma Needs to Get Out Of Its Own Way
With the second installment in the series nearly half a year old, many players have become seasoned veterans of the game’s core mechanics and progression. The gameplay loop has reached the level of muscle memory. It’s time to pull out the big guns.Dragon’s Dogma 2boasts a wide range of vocationsthat diversify the gameplay experience, each with a generous list of active and passive skills that can be swapped out at appropriate but very reasonable times.
DD2’s Lack of Unique Overworld Boss Battles
While each vocation is a boatload of fun in its own right,Dragon’s Dogma 2sometimes falls short of enemies with the capacity to pose any real threat to a player who has a general grasp of what their vocation is capable of. What the game gives as far as exploration, dungeon crawling, and quality of life, it lacks at times truly challenging encounters and the frequency with which the player encounters them.
Outside end-game content, there are very few encounters that push the player’s mechanical knowledge to the brink in the ways that a Soulsborne title might, and it is very forgiving for such encounters, in any case. Though thebosses that do grace the expansive lands ofDragon’s Dogma 2are formidable and memorable in their own right, there simply weren’t enough.
The sentiment is echoed from the first title as well, only truly being addressed with the release of theDark Arisen, which addedthe new location of Bitterblack Isleand a litany of new, challenging enemies and boss encounters to test the player’s mettle.Dragon’s Dogmanow has more than enough experience listed on its resume to venture into rockier terrain insofar as combat and mechanical challenges. Be that through intensified, hard-hearted enemy design or even more difficult puzzles introduced into the sandbox or the dungeons scattered across the map, it is time to push the letter and re-introduce the game as one more confident in its player base.
What Could Be Next for Dragon’s Dogma
Though there is still a chance this may be achieved throughthe introduction of DLC toDragon’s Dogma 2as it was done in the prequel, it should certainly be considered when the topic of developing aDragon’s Dogma3 begins to surface. There shouldn’t be a moment where the appearance of a chimera, troll, minotaur, griffon, or giant feels more like an inconvenient delay than an epic altercation because they can be toppled in under 30 seconds. Even if it means ditching the open-world concept in favor of zoned sections or a more linear progression path,Dragon’s Dogmasimply doesn’t need to hold itself back any longer, and it’s in the perfect position to do just that.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Set forth on your grand adventure, Arisen!Dragon’s Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG series that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. Now, in this long-awaited sequel, the deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 awaits.On your journey, you’ll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.All of these elements are elevated further through physics technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest in graphics, to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
