Set in an alternate realm, distinct from the Sicily-inspired domain of Gransys found in the first installment, Dragon’s Dogma II places you in the shoes of an Arisen. This extraordinary individual has fallen victim to a dragon, resulting in the extraction of their heart and the bestowment of immortality. However, in accordance with the lore established in the previous game, this immortality comes with a condition – the Arisen must vanquish the very dragon that stole their heart and subsequently seize the throne of their kingdom. To further complicate matters, an imposter has infiltrated the royal family, falsely claiming to be the true Arisen, but we both know that to be an unfounded assertion.
Dragon’s Dogma II offers a unique open-world experience that sets it apart. Unlike many games that overwhelm you with tasks to complete, this game throws you into a vast world with minimal direction. It allows you the freedom to explore and uncover your own surprises. This approach may be divisive, particularly for less experienced players, but it undeniably adds a sense of adventure and exploration reminiscent of the original game, as well as recent titles like Tears of the Kindgom and Elden Ring. While there are options available for those who seek guidance, you’re left to navigate this world on your own.
Dragon’s Dogma II‘s open-world design is perfectly complemented by this choice. The best open worlds are intentionally designed to captivate and distract, and Dragon’s Dogma II follows suit. Despite the lengthy and meandering paths that connect your objectives, I never found myself truly bored during exploration. Each journey felt like a genuine adventure, and the anticipation of what I would stumble upon next was consistently exhilarating. The robustness of the open-world design is crucial, especially considering the limited and costly availability of fast travel options, which deviate from the immersive nature of this vibrant world.
Dragon’s Dogma II distinguishes itself with its exceptional Pawn system. The pawns make a comeback in this installment, and their implementation is improved. The process remains unchanged: you have the freedom to create your own pawn, who will accompany you on your epic journey. Additionally, you have the option to recruit two guest pawns from other players online, forming a formidable party of four. The guest pawns, however, do not level up alongside you and your main pawn. Instead, the game encourages you to rotate them out as needed, ensuring that you have the ideal companions for each quest.
Pawns are a significant improvement over what they were in the first game aside from that. They can learn specializations from you that change the way they behave or grant them advantages they’ve never had before. They can still visit the worlds of other players to learn more, and they can utilise that information to give you advice on quests you haven’t finished. Their fighting is superior. They engage with players in a far more organic manner. They’re an upgrade all around. Despite a strange early situation in which the pawns would keep repeating the same lines to one another, Dragon’s Dogma II‘s pawn system is a significant advance over the original game.
Vocations are your class; they determine which weapons you can use and which talents you can gain. In the sequel, experience is earned at a standard pace, but switching vocations alters the stats to match the vocation you choose. This is a huge improvement since it allows you to modify your occupations on a frequent basis to find what works best for you while not undercutting others. Once again, this is an excellent design decision because the vocations are quite enjoyable to play.
While several vocations have been deleted or totally changed from the original game, the newer additions compensate for this. They’re all a lot of fun to play with, and while some are absent from the previous game, the new additions, and tweaks to old vocations more than compensate.
The complex vocation system and upgraded pawns work together to provide a solid basis for combat in Dragon’s Dogma II. It’s a combat system that’s simple to learn but challenging to master. More significantly, the versatility provided by professions, combined with the ingenuity given by the pawn system while assembling your party, ensures that you will always be able to discover a strategy that works for you. Combat is extremely enjoyable, which is fortunate given how important it is to the whole experience.
Second Opinion – Jamie (EIC)
I have been utterly floored by Dragon’s Dogma II these past couple of weeks. I only briefly dabbled in the first game and if I’m honest this sequel was not on my radar at all. However, I’m always keen to give things another shot so when we got the chance to with this I figured ‘what the hell?’. Well, dear reader, let me say the hell is that this might just be a front runner for my GOTY…
It’s not an easy game to play by any means; the inventory is clunky, the lack of direction and explanation can be baffling at times, and the presentation is equally stunning and almost ‘last-gen’ at times. And yet, I cannot stop playing.
The sense of wonder when I’m exploring the world is incredible – there’s always something off to the side to distract me, usually leading me off course by a significant way. Just last night I decided to explore a cave before heading back to town, and 2 hours later I’m on the other side of the map fighting (and failing against) a big, fuck-off Drake. But even the small distractions feel rewarding; a new consumable, an extra Seeker token, a new Pawn found wandering around. Much like Tears of the Kingdom, simply pointing in a direction and going is a more than adequate way to get about, and I’ve yet to find myself lost for something to do.
Even when I’m getting my ass handed to me, the opportunities for strategy and use of the Pawns mean I am very rarely truly defeated, and learning all of the quirks around the moves and upgrades has proven to be a small wonder in itself. Again, a bit more hand-holding wouldn’t have hurt, but Dragon’s Dogma II proves that letting players just play tends to offer the best rewards. Much like the Souls games, it’s style and pace won’t be for everyone, but let it in to your life and there’s a good chance you’ll not regret it.
Dragon’s Dogma II makes a concerted effort to fix the flaws of its predecessor, but we must face the elephant in the room: performance. Dragon’s Dogma II is the first RE Engine game to feature a true open environment, which presents numerous performance issues. The game officially operates at an “unlocked” frame rate, which on consoles typically ranges between 20fps in cities and a more consistent 30fps when roaming the rest of the map.
The vocal work is rather flat in certain situations. However, in a crowded city, the less fascinating sounds frequently fade into the background. It’s hardly the most captivating performance by the cast, but it’s still adequate. The music, on the other hand, is incredible. The slower ambient pieces that play do an excellent job of establishing this enormous environment, while the biblically dramatic music that play when you hunt creatures help make each encounter feel appropriately epic.
Conclusion
It’s a vast and fascinating open world asking to be explored, populated by deadly animals who owe their existence to tasty encounters. The fighting is exciting, and the vocations are all excellent options, regardless of how you play. While there will undoubtedly be some learning curves as you gain accustomed to its brutal environment, the heady feeling that Dragon’s Dogma II provides is well worth the effort.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
