Imagine if Evil Dead 2 wasn’t a sequel but a sort of do-over with a fatter wallet—that’s sort of what we’re dealing with in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Capcom’s original cult classic has received a facelift, but the sequel sticks closely to the original blueprint, sporting the same thrilling action design and the rich, though often cryptic, world that fans loved. Like the classic title, this isn’t a game that holds your hand. From the get-go, it throws you into the deep end with tough creature fights that demand you learn fast or die trying. And yes, it is somewhat janky. The game’s different systems look held together by duct tape at times, leading to odd, sometimes frustrating moments that somehow add to its charm. You’d think it’s all going to fall apart, but it never really does.
This time around, there is a fresh, wide dark fantasy universe, a little different from the previous but it’s just as filled with secrets and hidden areas that only reveal themselves to those adventurous enough to stray off the beaten track. What struck me the most was how each conversation with fellow players unearthed something I had completely missed in my initial playthrough. Such depth makes exploring Dragon’s Dogma 2 as dangerous as it is intense—wandering through its lush forests and craggy peaks is no Sunday park stroll.
DD2 is familiar yet fresh, with enough old-school toughness to satisfy hardcore fans and enough chaos and unpredictability to keep things interesting. Progressing from one quest point to another is a perilous journey. The terrain plays a crucial role in the gameplay, challenging you at every step. The enemies, especially, deserve a shoutout not typical RPG fodder that waits around to be picked off. These beasts are cunning wolves, for example, don’t blindly come at you but they strategize and separate you from your team to turn you into lunch.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is no doubt one of Capcom’s most ambitious projects to date. This game has depth with many opportunities to explore, fight, and get utterly lost in the best way possible with ten different vocations, or classes, with a unique flair to the gameplay. To crush skulls up close or cast spells from a distance, you will find your style. The character creator and pawn system returns from the original DD, allowing you a deep level of customization for both your character and AI companions.
However, not everything shines brightly. For starters, despite the power of the RE Engine (which has delivered fantastic visuals in other Capcom games), the graphics here can be underwhelming. You might find yourself squinting at textures that seem a decade old or grimacing at fps drops during crucial battles. It’s a letdown, especially when you know what the engine is capable of.
The story in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a mixed bag.
At its heart, the narrative focuses on losing control and seizing it back. You play as an Arisen, a chosen individual marked by destiny after a dragon steals your heart (literally, not romantically). The storyline travels through the kingdoms of Vermund and Battahl, where you find yourself in the middle of royal troubles and power struggles.
The plot kicks off when the queen, fearing the loss of her power, wipes your memory and throws you into a prison camp. As you escape and begin to get back your lost memories, you uncover and attempt to thwart the schemes of the queen and other power-hungry figures. The game uses a Pawn system to manage the bigger questions of free will and predestination. These beings move between worlds and are bound to the Arisen.
But where the storyline stumbles is in its execution. The game runs on the RE Engine which is a force behind the great graphics in titles like Resident Evil Remake and Street Fighter 6. Unfortunately, Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t seem to get the same visual love. This is particularly evident in the clunky and outdated cutscenes and character animations. Bad facial visuals and awkward cinematic framing can pull you out of the moment, and it becomes hard to connect with the characters on screen.
Despite these shortcomings, the story does have its moments, especially when it throws difficult choices your way that can affect the outcome of your game’s journey. These decisions help reinforce the themes of autonomy and influence, giving you a sense of agency. While the narrative might not be the sleekest or most cohesive, it does provide a rich backdrop to the DD2’s world. The plot takes a backseat to exploration and combat for many players, but for the ones who dig deeper, there’s rewarding progress to reclaim power and change the fate of kingdoms, punctuated by moments of personal choice that are more powerful amidst the chaos.
Character and Pawn Interaction
The interactions between characters and pawns in Dragon’s Dogma 2 are among its most interesting features. This system is a rare feature and a talking point. First, pawns are more than ordinary companions and helpers and are a central focus of the gameplay. You can summon pawns from other worlds and bring different abilities and traits to your party. You can enlist more pawns created by other players and fully customize your main pawn.
Despite their importance, pawns often seem flat. They’re great at the basics like fighting and healing but they lack the personality you’d expect from a main companion. You will receive the same repeated lines from their end, and their interactions look robotic compared to the more dynamic companions you can find in games like Baldur’s Gate 3. There, companions like Karlach, Shadowheart, and many others bring deep backstories and personalities.
In DD2, although it’s fun to play dress-up and skill-set with your pawns, they don’t really have the same heart as traditional companions. The experience is the same as when you craft an elaborate chess piece, impressive in function and form but missing a spark of life. This isn’t to say it’s not enjoyable to create and interact with them—there’s a definite joy in seeing a pawn you’ve customized from scratch perform correctly in battle, but the bonds formed are more strategic than emotional. Even if they won’t tug at your heartstrings, your pawns are still very crucial, acting as the backbone of the combat while driving home the game’s focus on control and service.
World Building and Exploration
Dragon’s Dogma 2 presents a huge, wonderfully chaotic world that begs to be explored. It’s a journey across two vividly realized lands, Vermund and Battahl. These regions have many secrets, dangers, and stories. Vermund is lush and mountainous, dotted with dense forests and hidden caves, good for explorers, with paths that twist and turn, leading to unexpected encounters and hidden treasures. Battahl, on the other hand, is starkly different with its tough deserts and sparse vegetation. It has a brutal challenge with fewer places to rest and more enemies lurking around each dune.
Travel in DD2 has no convenient rides to speed you on your way. Fast travel is the only choice if you can find the limited resources to make it happen, or if you dare to hitch a ride on an oxcart, which could be attacked by creatures at any moment. Every step outside the safety of town walls is a gamble, and that’s what makes it a hard adventure.
Just like prepping for a D&D session, I was investing heaps of time getting my character and pawns ready for whatever the game threw at us. I knew we were bound to encounter a few great dangers, but being prepared made all the difference. The game lets you pick from 10 unique vocations with play styles, which spices things up. My go-to was the Mystic Spearhand, a killer mix of magic and melee that let me stun my foes before landing a deadly blow. Further, I had other tricks up my sleeve like increasing my health or even being temporarily invincible.
You have to plan each journey carefully, from which pawns to bring along to how many healing items you’ll need; preparation is key to survival. The travels are long, fraught with potential danger and reward. The environment challenges you, surprises you, and sometimes, even overwhelms you.
If you’re looking for battles with weight and consequences, you’re in for a treat.
The combat in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is tactile and kinetic. This means every clash of swords, dodge, and spell cast looks grounded and real. There’s a visceral pleasure in the physicality of the battles. You can almost feel the resistance when your blade meets armor or the shockwave of a powerful spell. The developers have done a good job of making each encounter a life-or-death struggle, which is exactly what you want in a dark fantasy world with so many dangers and challenges.
Imagine you’re up against a dragon and there’s not a boulder in sight. No worries. You can magically create an ice wall, smash it to pieces, and chuck the icy chunks at your enemies.
The Archers are very precise, easily targeting the vulnerable spots of enemies and then instantly dodging danger. Sorcerers do seem they have wielded the power of gods, whipping up huge tornadoes or crafting the ice walls I mentioned earlier. These can strategically give you the upper hand to build high ground for a dramatic jump-and-stab attack. For melee fights, there is nothing more thrilling than clambering onto a giant beast and finding the weak areas to hit.
The game pushes you to get creative with your battle tactics by the mix-up of your skills and the environment. However, it’s not always smooth sailing. Some encounters can be awkward; it’s true if you’re used to more polished action games. But some will say that’s part of the game’s special charm and challenge.
Verdict
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an amazing release with incredible new ideas and a few old annoyances. It brings back the dynamic world and stellar combat mechanics of the 2012 original game with a cleverly integrated physics system at great depth. But some of the less popular elements are back: the AI is a pain, climbing is often awkward, the camera sometimes spins out of control at the worst possible moments and the FPS stutters. If you can look past these parts, there’s a great adventure waiting.
