Twas during a routine outing to gather Wakestone shards in the Echoing Depths north of Bakbattahl that we first realised just how "down bad" we are for everything Dragon's Dogma 2 has been chucking in our general direction over the past week or so.
This particular routine outing, you see, ended in Cas - our strongest fighter-class pawn - accidentally chucking himself off a bridge, an action which caused him to plummet several hundred feet before smashing his face off the bone dry riverbed below. Not the best choice of tactic during an intense battle against large reptilian enemies that our party hadn't seen coming, but that's our Cas for you!
Now normally under such circumstances, and especially considering that Cas is not a real person with feelings, we would have thought nothing of leaving the great big oaf to die slowly in his own face juices. However, Dragon's Dogma 2 is different. You see, the pawns here, the stars of this particular show, are so incredibly well melded and molded into every facet of the game, they are so well acted and written, so helpful and kind, useful in battle and ever-graceful in their offers to lead the way, that we've fallen head over heels in love with the lot of them.
This sequel, wot is actually more of a remake as it turns out, sees players once again assume the role of the Arisen, your stereotypical amnesiac protagonist, who must set out on epic adventure to answer the call of an ancient dragon - whilst also dealing with pretenders to their crown, angry dogs, trolls, griffins, dragons, and the fact that they can't own a mount or fast travel around the world map willy-nilly. It's pretty intense being special.
Now, the good thing about having an amnesiac protagonist is we don't feel as though we need to spend a whole bunch of time regurgitating facts that we've googled about the original Dragon's Dogma, which is a win for everyone. However, for those who didn't play it and need to know something, well, it's a highly entertaining and unique action-focused RPG that attained cult status thanks to some amazing ideas (pawns), satisfying combat and an incredible atmosphere. It's a 12 year old game so good it can still manage to knock your socks off despite technical issues and the natural ravages of time, such is the quality of its exquisitely crafted world, lore and characters. Oh, and because of the pawns. Have we mentioned that we're in love with the pawns?
Pawns are what makes this series tick, for those not fully in the know. They basically act as an endless supply of party members that you can call forth from magic rifts dotted across the world. Each pawn specialises in a specific vocation, with a choice between your usual fighters, mages, archers and stealth-focused thieves before flashier roles begin to unlock later down the line. They're willing to do anything for their beloved Arisen this lot, and so they'll happily march to their permadeaths for you if so require it. They also have distinct personality types; mild-mannered, calm, hot-headed and so on, and as you meet them they'll explain the other perks they hope to bring to the table, such as improved defense, party healing, stronger attacks, soaking up punishment, etc.
In Dragon's Dogma 2 you can also add various behavioural aspects to this mix as the game progresses, and these can be both beneficial and negative depending on how the pawn chooses to act as a result. An example of this would be augmenting a pawn's behaviour to let them use all of your gathered ingredients as they see fit. Handy in a pinch, and saves you the hassle, but do you trust them to do a good job and have the potions you want when you want them?
This game's pawns are just very good at pretending to be real, in short. Their AI in battle (as well as with regards to pathfinding and item collection) is excellent, and as a result you get to go off on these amazing adventures and genuinely feel like you're on an expedition with a bunch of likeable friends in tow. It's this vibe, this getting to know each other, overcoming obstacles, suffering painful and permanent losses, and all the fun customisations, creativity and other stuff that goes along with it (there are already some amazing player-made character creations in the Rift to party up with) that makes this such a unique and joyous thing.
As you set out across the map here, a map that's apparently some three or four times bigger than the last outing (and after rushing to finish this review we believe it), new players may find themselves a little surprised by just how involved and alert you need to be a lot of the time. This isn't the sort of RPG that wants to hold your hand or let you turn off your brain entirely. It's fairly tough, enemies will mess you up en-masse if you let them, and the environments are designed to slow your momentum right down. Hideaki Itsuno has gone on record to say that he hasn't put mounts or free-to-use fast travel into this game because it's jampacked full of stuff you'll miss if you speed to your objective and, whilst normally that kind of pre-release patter can be safely ignored - man's got a game to sell - this time it just happens to be true.
It's a refreshing change of pace, a blessing even, that we can't zoom around on a horse in a more traditional RPG style, instead relying on a threadbare network of Oxcarts and a returning system of expensive ferrystones and portals that make fast travel prohibitive enough that you'll have to factor it into your plans. And really, a little planning is the crux of this whole endeavour, it's what makes it all sing. Hire some hard-ass pawns, ensure they have the gear they need, cover all class types to give you maximum choices during scraps, but also remember to factor in the time and energy spent making your way to a location. This world is dangerous, mysterious and full of unknown foes. One does not simply walk into Mordor, and all that jazz.
If you don't sleep and then take damage from attacks you'll lose chunks off your health bar until you fully rest, so catching some Zzzzzs becomes essential, there is an order to be adhered to. Adventurers must pay attention when setting up their camp spots! It really is that sort of thing. Knowing where the nearest inn is, having the funds for a bed or for the weapons and gear you'll need to venture onwards, keeping the crew on top form and ready to lash out across a gritty fantasy world, a world that errs delightfully on the side of dirty realism. You genuinely never know what's around the next rain-soaked, blood-caked corner.
And so, suddenly, we're back in the good old days of being entirely lost in a big old epic fantasy quest, we're no longer mindlessly galloping around a stupidly massive (and mostly empty) open world, charging directly to the next campaign point without a thought in our head. We are no longer gamers, we are adventurers. Cas. Cas. Cas, mate you're an adventu...ah, he's gone off that bridge again.
Dragon's Dogma 2 has us happily taking it as it comes, chipping slowly away at this exquisitely crafted world full of magic and mystery. Of course we're not going to ruin a second of that magic and mystery here, but it's the stuff you do moment-to-moment, moreso even than the narrative delights, it's the fact this world is so labyrinthian, so packed full of detail and lore, so full of majestic vistas, wondrous cities and towns. It's the truly incredible foes - oh you're in for some surprises with the enemies - and loot that is actually worth hunting out. You know the sort of thing; sexy clothes, ruddy great big swords and masks with magic bits hanging off them, stuff you actually want to find, that you rush into your inventory to equip because it looks cool.
Now all of this is already very exciting, but then you get to add genuinely excellent arcade combat on top, and we've gone and got ourselves a proper GOTY contender for sure. The various classes you get to choose from are deliciously different in how they feel to control, we've mostly stuck with the thief/trickster and their fast daggers/stealth tactics, but switching briefly to a fighter reveals a warrior who very slowly delivers huge punishment, so timing all of a sudden becomes much more crucial. Mages are weak as all hell when hit but can blast huge AOE attacks to stem the tide (again you'll need to figure in spell recharging and casting times), whilst choosing to rock the archer means, well, you better be bloody good with a bow and at dodging stuff.
When each party member has a well-defined role in battle against enemies who know how to fight, when confrontations have actual tension to them as a result of this, when Jade the archer is raining hell down on a bunch of harpies from range, or when Cas swings a car-sized hammer around his head before falling off a bridge, that's when this turns into the Dungeons & Dragons game we always dreamed of. That's when Dragon's Dogma 2 100% delivers on its remit of totally transporting you to another realm that you'll find it hard to tear yourself away from.
Yes, there are some framerate issues, you'll notice the slight drops when you hit big cities, and we know some people are already ruffled by the lack of solid 60FPS here but honestly, we just don't really care as much as we might usually do given all of the emotions this game has gone and made us feel. None of the stutters we experienced were bad enough that we were particularly bothered, and we didn't notice anything during combat, so that'll do nicely for now, thanks, we're sure they'll patch it down the line.
These small issues aside however, and Dragon's Dogma 2 gives you a living, breathing fantasy world in which to frollick. It treats its players with a level of respect that's sadly become less common in today's world of AAA collectathons and Battle Pass XP explosions, and it refuses to do things the easy way or to give you every modern convenience you're used to.
It's a game that has solid and clearly defined rules, clever AI, bespoke environs and a real weight and heft to the physics and physicality of its setting, and out of that delicately-balanced mix comes one of the most engrossing and magical action RPGs we've played in a very long time indeed. Dragon's Dogma 2 is every bit the equal of your Witcher 3s and your Elden Rings whilst remaining entirely its own unique and beguiling thing. And if that doesn't sell it to you, maybe you're just more of a FIFA person.
Conclusion
Dragon's Dogma fans rejoice! This second entry in the series, as much a remake as it is a sequel, absolutely nails everything it sets out to achieve. You can feel the desire to perfect every aspect of the game that we got in 2012 here, with slicker combat, a more engaging pawn system, an incredible world stuffed full of amazing beasties and a general vibe that just begs you to slow down, take your time, and enjoy the majestic adventure ahead. If you're in the market for a fantastic RPG with the power to fully transport you to a world of gritty fantasy and magical friends, we reckon this might just be right up your street.
Comments 49
I've been hype for this since playing the first. The unlocked 30fps that drops into the low 20s though kills it for me.
The first one was awful at 30fps with all the action going on.
Hoping they add a 60fps mode down the line, but I'm not holding my breath.
Definitely glad to hear the rest of the game holds up too though.
@InterceptorAlpha Seeing as how I have seen people say that this game drops below 30fps on powerful gaming rigs, I wouldn't hold my breath for 60fps mode. But one never knows - perhaps the engineers will discover some major issue with the game that gets patched out and has a transformative effect on the game.
One thing I do find interesting is that on PushSquare mentions the framerate issues in more than just cities on PS5 - but that could be that the reviewer just notices framerate issues more (some people are sensitive to it, others aren't).
I'll be interested in seeing the DF analysis of this.
I can't imagine a huge performance delta, but perhaps this is a title where Xbox has a more favorable outcome with regards to performance.
Overall, this game just sounds too overwhelming for me.
Wow. Now I'm inclined to buy this sooner rather than later. I liked the first one enough to be interested in this.
if i have to play it at under 60 fps on xbox, i'll wait for a steep sale.
Great work with the review, thank you. As a big fan of the first game, and seeing how this sequel improves on it in every way I'm buying it regardless of some frame rate issues. Seeing the atrocious state Hexworks released Lords of the Fallen in, Capcom did a great/fantastic job with DD2.
@NintendoByNature If you like the first one, you're gonna love this one, it's a big jump.
Will wait for a big discount on this one.
I pre-ordered, so glad to read this - I’m just in the mood for a big RPG, especially with a week off work coming up.
Got an early copy of this for my Series X and it’s honestly smooth as butter with my LG CX and VRR. So dips in framerate are not something I would be concerned about if you have VRR. Awesome game.
Xbox’s VRR implementation covers a broader range than PS5 so may be why you see more complaints about the framerate on Push Square.
Cant wait to play this! As Alone in the Dark sounds pretty average, nothing is going to compete for my gaming time this weekend
Loved the first game more than I thought I would. Can’t wait for Friday.
@rustyduck
if i have to play it at under 60 fps on xbox, i'll wait for a steep sale
Or, by the time this gets a steep sale you can get it for the PS5pro, if so inclined 😉..
@InterceptorAlpha So, I found out something interesting:
Series X/PS5/PC use ray-traced global illumination.
Series S does not use ray-traced global illumination.
You can't disable RT on Series X/PS5 (and from what I have seen, the lack of RTGI isn't a huge downgrade)
Every other recent RE game lets you turn RT on/off. Why not Dragon's Dogma 2?! Maybe not taxing the system with RTGI would improve performance?!
It could just be a CPU bottleneck, though.
I would hope that such an option was tested on PS5/Series X and it was found that there wasn't much of a performance difference between RTGI On and Off, so Capcom just decided to leave it on for better image quality.
Do you know how the frame rate issues are compared to PS5? I came away from your review feeling it was less of an issue compared to your sister site’s review over at PushSquare.
@Nightcrawler71 Seems the PS5 resolves at a slightly higher resolution (it's reconstructed to 4K) but the Series X runs 2 - 3 frames higher than PS5.
XSX: hovers right around 40 on average
PS5: hovers around 38 on average
XSS: hovers around 35 on average
@PJOReilly good to know. It's on the WL. Think I'm prioritizing D4 this month so once that's done I'll check out dragons dogma 2.
This game is in my 2024 bucket list but will be getting BG3 first with my rewards points and by the time I’ve earned enough for DG2 will be nicely patched by all you beta testers….
Bit surprised at 10/10 that's more than you gave Witcher 3 isn't it!! IGN say 8/10, 'clunky' 'camera going haywire' and other comments that don't scream masterpiece to me, but regardless, looking forward to playing it!
@Nightcrawler71 I'm not sure ATM tbh, but it does seem as though PS5 is worse from what im gathering. I personally just didn't have any issues that bothered me enough to sully how amazing it is.
@PJOReilly @GamingFan4Lyf Thanks! I’m still on the fence on buying this. Will wait to see the Rise of the Ronin reviews tomorrow first. If I do get DD2 I’ll probably get it on XSX, especially with quick resume.
@NintendoByNature Too many games!
@PJOReilly I still don't know how you crank out as many great and thorough reviews as you do. Put down the hastega kool-aid and see some daylight! 😉
@PJOReilly Does this game have significant post Dragon content like the first one? Since it seems like it is keeping to the original lore, I am looking for the everfall (a new version of bitterblack would be cool but that was an add on so I don’t expect that).
I am so ready for this game. Dragon's Dogma just hit different for me. Granted, I was fortunate because when I bought it on 360 I had a buddy that had a level 99 pawn but replaying on switch has made reinforced that yep this game is so much fun. It is one of those series that is a perfect soup kinda game. There are other games that do the individual parts better, but not in a way that it all comes together to be this wonderful thing. I am so stoked!
@awp69 thank you! Been searching everywhere re if vrr makes a difference
YES!!!!!!! Can’t wait!!
So this or baldurs gate 3...which should I play next ?
how do you unlock the advanced vocations I really like the sound of the one that uses the spear and magic
Is anyone else moving to New Zealand today?
Great review
Can't wait to pick it up next payday ^^
@Sol4ris I've been reading the DF thoughts on the PS5 Pro - and unfortunately their conclusion is that it will be able to improve resoltuion and RT - but the lack of a significant CPU boost means it's not going to be turning 30FPS games into 60FPS games at all.
I can't understand how reviewers across all the websites I've seen act like the framerate problem is a trivial issue that barely gets a passing mention.
This game is getting 10/10 scores on websites, where they also mention in the same review that the framerate feels like it's dropping to around 15FPS during some combat - and yet they dont' seem to acknowledge how huge a flaw that is to a game. Even if you're in the camp of gamers who can cope with going back to 30FPS - dropping that low in an action game is horrendous.
10/10 for a game with terrible performance? It's hard to trust scores like these.
Thinking of picking up a physical copy of this for the weekend. Not sure it's entirely my kind of thing, but I can sell it and make my money back if so.
10/10 is WILD. I will still wait for a sale when hopefully the bugs and framerate issues get patched up. Fingers crossed
Well, any debate between this and Rise of the Ronin (if you have a ps5) is becoming increasingly clear ...
Dragons dogma 2, Rise of the ronin AND Princess Peach showtime tomorrow. What a weekend!
@Dimey I have to say I can't agree with the camera issues, or the whole issue with no lock on. It works perfectly. But different strokes!
@JoyfulFire I have explained the 10 in the review. The framerate doesn't change how I feel about it at all. I'm sorry you find it hard to trust but it's just me on my lonesome here playing the games and writing what I thought. There's no agenda.
@PJOReilly yeah no worries, was just a bit surprised at the 10/10 after watching IGN's video, but you're certainly not alone in giving it max points!! I'm very keen to play it!
@PJOReilly I am seeing some crazy negative reviews on steam were the microtransactions in the version you played and is it true its 2 dollars to change appearance?
If they were not does it make you change your review?
@VisitingComet1 No, there were no microtransactions or details about them during our playthrough and they are completely unnecessary to enjoy the game. Ignore them.
@Dimey Yep, it's a 10 for me all day (even with the microtransactions). I haven't checked the IGN video or review out yet. It is weird to begin with when you can't lock on, but you don't need it. Not every game needs to play the same would be my resolution mentally to this really.
Diablo 4 got shat on for having microtransactions and being $70 (those were only cosmetic)
This better get the same. I will wait for a steep sale and optimization patches.
@PJOReilly thanks for responding I actually waited to start for your response.
I won't be changing my review score, just to save anyone the energy of asking me to or enquiring about it.
I reviewed the experience I was given. The end. The microtransactions, I don't understand the need for the greed, but they are completely optional.
And for the love of Master Chief, stop comparing other reviews and other reviewer's opinions of microtransactions in other games to this one.
@JoyfulFire I address this in the review.
This game is getting all kinds of wild mixed reviews, from performance issues to predatory Microtransactions. I was pumped for this game. But I think I'll wait for the Spring Sale and pick up Alan Wake 2 instead and maybe even FF7 Rebirth for PS5
Really bothers me when game critics sneak in general criticisms of games in their reviews, see it all the time on Gamespot. Can we stop bemoaning “collectathons”? Especially strange considering this game has like 240 tokens and 80 golden beetles… I’ve never understood why that sort of thing bothers people.
Also, I’m not a FIFA person or sports game person, but was that really a necessary jab?
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