Dragon’s Dogma 2 Review – The RPG you Never Knew you Needed
| Tags: Reviews
| Author Diana D'Estefano
The time has finally come. After a very long wait, we got to try Dragon's Dogma 2, the sequel to the beloved Dragon's Dogma that many have been waiting years for.
In this Dragon's Dogma 2 review, we will tell you what our impressions of the game are—what worked and what didn't—so that you can get an idea about the game. Capcom has decided to go big with this game, but have expectations been met? Find out in our Dragon's Dogma 2 review.
Contents
Dragon's Dogma 2 review – Sit Down; the Story Will Be Long
Being an action RPG, we certainly couldn't expect a short story, as happens with other types of games. The prerogative of these games is precisely its length, since they are characterized by long and complex stories that are divided into several subplots. Dragon's Dogma 2 is certainly not the exception, on the contrary. To complete the main story, you will need 37–40 hours of time.
In Dragon's Dogma 2 you will play the role of an Arisen, that is, a hero who has been marked by a dragon and therefore his task is to kill it in order to get back the stolen heart. The interesting thing is that the game takes place in a parallel universe to that of the first game, so it is possible to play it even if you have not had the opportunity to play the previous chapter (which we still recommend you catch up on).
During your adventure as the Arisen, you will be forced to travel and explore distant lands, and this will lead you to the meeting of the two nations that rule the world of Dragon's Dogma 2: Vermund and Battahl. Both factions are led by different characters. The first is a human-run faction that is currently in trouble, while the second is a faction of anthropomorphic felines.
Consequently, while you will be busy reaching the dragon that marked you and therefore following your destiny, you will also have the opportunity to help the people of these two factions. Obviously, the trip won't be all sunshine and roses, though. There will always be enemies and dangers ready to get in your way. Will you be stronger than them and will you be able to complete your mission?
The Usual Action RPG
We said that Dragon's Dogma 2 is an action RPG, so it has within it all the mechanics that are characteristic of this game. In addition to the long and detailed plot and the presence of many characters with whom to interact during your adventure, you will also have the opportunity to complete missions and secondary activities, explore the open world in search of mysteries to uncover and face ever-new enemies. In short, Dragon's Dogma 2 offers everything that a game of this genre should offer.
The combat is really well structured and thanks to the fact that you can choose between different vocations (i.e., classes), it allows you to approach the game in a different way and based on your skills. The enemies are not just bosses that you have to hit and eliminate in order to continue, but you really have the sense of having to be able to learn what you are doing and how the enemies approach the fight; otherwise, the battle will fail, which sees you players as winners.
The open world is also well structured and offers different things to do, as well as the same missions that we will face. There are different ways to approach a mission and not all of them have a scripted conclusion. In many cases, you will decide how to conclude a certain mission based on your choices. For this reason, be very careful about how you decide to continue your adventure, because, remember, Dragon's Dogma 2 gives you the possibility of having a single save.
This is a choice that has caused a lot of discussion since its announcement. In a game like Dragon's Dogma 2 where it is possible to take different paths based on our choices, having the possibility of being able to make multiple saves in strategic points to see how a certain event would have gone if we had chosen one thing rather than another would be It was definitely a great thing. The developers explained that they decided to take this path to encourage exploration, which otherwise might have taken a backseat.
What Makes the Game Great, Makes It Frustrating
Dragon's Dogma 2 is an excellent product, there's no doubt about that, but there are still some things that might make some players turn up their noses. Besides the issue of the single save which is also taken up in this sequel, there is not even the possibility of choosing a difficulty level. While it's understandable that the developers want players to approach the game the way it was intended, adding difficulty levels would have been a feature that would have allowed many more people to feel comfortable playing the game.
Not everyone has the same skills and the same time to dedicate to a game, so being able to decide the difficulty at which to tackle this adventure that is Dragon's Dogma 2 is certainly something that would have made a good part of the community happy. Let's not forget about accessibility. Nowadays the gaming community is increasingly larger and there are people who need certain modifiers to be able to play and not encounter major difficulties.
Another thing that might make people turn up their noses is the lack of a system that guides the player step by step. If it weren't for the presence of the Pawns who guide you in your objectives, in some circumstances you will have difficulty continuing because the game is not very clear. Obviously, we are certainly not saying that the game should be played alone, but it is only to underline the fact that you are not guided hand in hand and this, for some players, referring to what was said just before, could be frustrating.
Finally, although Dragon's Dogma 2 gives you the possibility of completing missions in different ways, and this is certainly a positive thing, we cannot help but say that often these missions are actually just a list of tasks to complete and not they add interesting details to the plot and overall lore of the game. Just as the characters we will meet during our adventures and the dialogues we will have with them are not always very well structured, also because the game must take into account the different choices that players can make.
Dragon's Dogma Review – 8,5
Dragon's Dogma 2 has been awaited for a long time by all players who have had the opportunity to play the first chapter and can finally experience this sequel first hand. The plot will keep you busy for a long time, a time that will extend considerably if you decide to complete the secondary things that are present in the game world. Although in some situations the pace may seem slower than normal, the story told is still engaging and will make you want to continue.
The game, even on a technical level, does not present any major problems that could make the gaming experience frustrating, at least on consoles. On PC, the situation is different and there are many problems that fail to do justice to what is actually the true value of Dragon's Dogma 2. However, these problems will likely be resolved with the release of a patch on day one, as it often happens.
Ultimately, we can say that Capcom has hit the mark with this second chapter in the series, even if there are some small things that could be fixed in order to make the game “perfect”. However, these are certainly not serious problems or shortcomings that can greatly affect our general opinion of the game, so it is very likely that even you will not find these small problems something so disabling.
*The game has been reviewed on PS5 thanks to a key provided by the publisher.