Operating systems: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
If you glance at Dragon’s Dogma II, you might believe that you’ve seen everything before. A fantastical adventure with a medieval atmosphere, partially populated by feline humans, in which winged lizards control your fate? Hey Skyrim, what’s this?
Looking deeper reveals Dragon’s Dogma II to be distinct from practically all other role-playing games available, with the exception of its own predecessor, which was published back in 2012. And just like in the first game, you take on the role of the Arisen, a character whose physical heart has been taken by a dragon, designating them as the land’s predestined ruler—that is, provided they can remove the bothersome intruder now occupying the throne.
However, this RPG takes pleasure in bringing its players low—even torturing them—while other RPGs offer a power fantasy that makes you the center of attention. The result is a world where nothing functions quite as you would expect it to. It breaks the “rules” that players are used to, and as a result, it’s frequently a better game.
Consider fast-travel, which is now a common feature in all open-world role-playing games. This mechanism is purposefully unreliable, requiring players to either teleport between areas using uncommon Ferrystones or travel between cities on agonizingly slow oxcarts. The reason for this is that, in the opinion of director Hideaki Itsuno, quick movement only serves to mask the tedious elements of a game world; travel should be enjoyable. Because of this, Dragon’s Dogma II is absolutely packed with mysteries that you’ll probably only find when exploring. You’ll be happy you went the extra mile each time you learn something new.
It’s similar to playing D&D with the most rigid dungeon master you can imagine.
Another example is that failing a battle doesn’t simply mean you have to try again; instead, you’ll be penalized by depleting your maximum health until you find refuge at an inn, making each successive attempt at a difficult fight more difficult than the last. The best thing about Dragon’s Dogma II (or worse, depending on your point of view) is that you will never be able to just reload a save when something goes wrong. The only way out of a sequence of repeated autosaves is to load manual saves from inns, which can erase hours of progress. This locks you into every choice you make and the result of every encounter. It’s similar to playing D&D with the most rigid dungeon master you can imagine.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Dragon’s Dogma II is the reintroduction and improvement of the Pawn system from the original game. As you go on adventures with them, your “primary” Pawn will level up alongside them and be just as customizable as your own core Arisen character. To complete a party, you can additionally enlist up to two more Pawns. However, these aren’t arbitrary; rather, they’re Pawns made by other players and shared online, and they retain their past actions. If you happen to stumble onto a quest that the pawn has already completed, they will come forward to guide you or perhaps lead you to a hidden treasure that they remember gathering with their previous master. Although the hired Pawns will not advance in level while they are under your employment, this encourages you to rotate your roster periodically, since each new hire may have fresh knowledge to help you on your quest.
Character classes, here called Vocations, are available for both your Arisen and Pawns. The first four classes you can select from are quite standard: melee-focused Fighter, ranging Archer, spellcasting Mage, and cunning Thief. Later on, you can use your Arisen to unlock hybrid classes like Mystic Spearhand, which combines magical and physical attacks. One of the few concessions to player freedom in the game is the ability to freely switch between Vocations, which lets you experiment with different play styles. While recruited pawns come fixed with the Vocation they had with their original player, primary pawns have some strong upgrading routes and have more limited Vocation options.
Whatever class you choose, Dragon’s Dogma II’s fighting is brutal. Each Vocation has clear advantages and disadvantages; magic classes are easily outclassed during spellcasting windows, warriors are often outnumbered, and archers are helpless against close-quarters opponents. Making advancement in the world requires having a proper distribution of Vocations and a solid balance of Pawns; if you don’t plan, even a small gang of goblins can defeat you. who’s only during the day. If you wander too far outside of a city’s protection at night or are caught outside after sunset, when your field of vision is reduced to less than a meter, you almost beg to encounter the much more vicious creatures who spawn after dark.
Sadly, poor controls make things a little more difficult than they need to be. Although you can move about freely during real-time battles, it can be challenging to dodge opposing hits because there isn’t a separate dodge tool. Running or jumping simply don’t provide you with enough flexibility, particularly when you’re surrounded by swarms of enemies.
However, as you get used to the confines of combat, there are some pleasant surprises to be discovered, particularly in how tactile it is. Your Arisen can climb up bigger monsters to help topple them or take hold of lesser opponents and hurl them about; your Pawns will pick up these skills from you and become more formidable friends. Although it’s more appropriate for melee-focused Vocations, this ability sets Dragon’s Dogma II unique from a lot of its competitors.
However, the main purpose of the game is to stand out. It deliberately defies expectations at every point, producing an experience that may appear to be identical to every fantasy role-playing game you’ve ever played yet isn’t. There aren’t many games like Dragon’s Dogma II, but even though some people may find it offensive, there aren’t many that deliberately harass players in some areas.