The long-awaited sequel to the popular 2012 action role-playing game Dragon’s Dogma arrives on March 22nd, 2024!
Dragon’s Dogma 2 was announced by Capcom in June 2022 during a livestream event celebrating the series’ 10 year anniversary. The original Dragon’s Dogma was developed by Capcom and directed by Hideaki Itsuno, known for his work on Devil May Cry and Power Stone. It was released in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with an expanded version called Dark Arisen coming out the following year.
The game stood out for its challenging real-time combat and Pawn system which allowed players to create AI companions. Though not a massive commercial success, Dragon’s Dogma earned critical praise and built up a passionate cult following over the years.
Fans have eagerly awaited a sequel for some time. After years of rumors and leaks, Capcom finally made it official by revealing Dragon’s Dogma 2 during their 10th anniversary stream. The game was developed using Capcom’s cutting edge RE Engine, which has powered recent hits like Resident Evil 7 and Devil May Cry 5.
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Story and Setting
Dragon’s Dogma 2 takes place in the high fantasy world of Gransys, the same as the original game. Gransys is a medieval land filled with magic, mythical beasts, and epic tales of adventure. The story follows your character, known as the Arisen, in their quest to defeat a dragon who has stolen their heart. This happens right at the beginning, setting you on a journey to reclaim your humanity and get vengeance against the dragon.
Details are scarce about the actual narrative, but it’s likely to involve growing stronger, gathering allies, exploring dangerous locales, and uncovering mysteries about your destiny as the Arisen. Expect a dark fantasy vibe with elements of horror.
Fans of the first game will be familiar with Gransys, a large open world with varied environments, creepy dungeons, and imposing castles. The continent has a diverse set of biomes, including lush forests, arid deserts, coastal harbors, and snowy mountains.
While the setting isn’t brand new, there are sure to be many unexplored regions, new towns and NPCs, and unseen foes inhabiting the lands. Overall, Gransys provides an immersive, living backdrop for the Arisen’s journey.
Character Customization
One of the most exciting features of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the deep character customization system. Players will be able to intricately craft their own playable character, known as the Arisen. This includes options to customize gender, physique, height, skin tone, facial features, hair, and more.
The character creator (available here as free app before the game release), seems vastly expanded from the original Dragon’s Dogma. There are now more slider options for tweaking every facial feature. Hairstyles are more varied and natural looking. Players can also pick from several different body types and adjust muscle definition.
For fashionistas, there is an extensive wardrobe to adorn your Arisen. Armor sets, clothing, and accessories can all be mixed and matched. Those wishing to play as a magic user will be pleased to know there are flashier robes and mystic looking garb.
Overall, the enhanced customization allows for greater personal expression and roleplaying potential. One impressive addition is the ability to customize pawns (more on them later). Players can craft loyal companions to join them on adventures. With expanded options, your pawn can look completely unique rather than a carbon copy. This deep character and pawn creator allows players to truly put themselves in the shoes of their Arisen.
The developers seem to have provided the tools for granular, personalized characters. This should help players become more invested in the world and narrative.
Combat and Abilities
Dragon’s Dogma 2 builds upon the real-time action combat system of the original game. Climbing larger enemies returns as a major mechanic, allowing players to scale cyclopes, griffins, chimeras, and other massive beasts during battles. You can grab onto enemies and target specific body parts, adding a strategic element to fights.
The job system also makes a comeback, with players able to take on specialized vocations like Warrior, Ranger, Mage, and more. Each vocation has its own skill tree and abilities to unlock. For example, Warriors can wield massive two-handed weapons to deliver crushing blows, while Rangers employ ranged attacks with longbows.
Your party members, known as Pawns, fight alongside you in combat with their own abilities and equipment. Tactics and coordination with your Pawns is key during major encounters. The game promises even larger-scale battles than the first, with players coordinating multiple groups of Pawns against hulking monsters.
With revamped animations and physics, combat looks to provide visceral, weighty battles whether you are a magic-wielding Sorcerer raining down spells or an Assassin swiftly dual-wielding daggers. Capcom aims to build on the original’s combat with even more skills, vocations, weapons, and strategic elements to master.
Pawn System One of the most unique aspects of Dragon’s Dogma is the Pawn system. Pawns are AI companions that accompany the player on their adventure. Players can create their own main Pawn that levels up alongside them. The main Pawn can be customized with gear, abilities, inclinations and more to fit your playstyle. The main Pawn also retains knowledge from quests and exploration, becoming more helpful over time.
Pawns created by other players can also be recruited, essentially allowing you to borrow other people’s Pawns. The Pawn community and sharing system was praised in the original Dragon’s Dogma as a novel way to make AI allies more meaningful. Pawns created by other players are recruited by accessing the Rift, an otherworldly space that connects players’ pawns. You can browse through countless uniquely created pawns from the community and recruit them to your party. The pawn sharing system allows you to constantly have new allies join your adventure. Your main Pawn can also be uploaded for others to recruit while you’re away from the game.
World Exploration
Dragon’s Dogma 2 promises a vast open world for players to explore. The game is set in a high fantasy setting with rolling grasslands, dense forests, craggy mountains, and coastal cliffs for players to discover. One notable feature is the dynamic day/night cycle which impacts the world.
At night, the world becomes more dangerous as more formidable enemies emerge. Players need to take care exploring at night as the risks are higher. However, the rewards are greater too. Rare materials only appear at night, providing incentive for braving the dark.
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The developers have shared that the open world is 1.5 times larger than the original Dragon’s Dogma. There will be more environments to explore, spanning lush forests, dry deserts, and snowy tundras.
Fast travel options will make traversing the world faster.
Overall, the expansive open world aims to provide a sense of adventure and exploration for players. The day/night cycle adds an extra dynamic to consider when venturing out. While the world is full of threats, the lure of rare discoveries and loot should entice players to explore every nook and cranny.
Graphics and Visuals
The graphics and visuals in Dragon’s Dogma 2 are set to be a major leap forward from the original game. The sequel is powered by the RE Engine, the same engine used in recent Capcom hits like Resident Evil 2 Remake and Devil May Cry 5.
Early screenshots and footage show the RE Engine allowing for photorealistic environments and fluid character animations. The world of Gransys promises to feel more alive and atmospheric this time around thanks to advanced lighting techniques, higher resolution textures, and increased draw distances.
Characters and creatures also benefit from added details and improvements like self-shadowing and intricate cloth physics. While the original Dragon’s Dogma still holds up well visually, the sequel takes advantage of modern hardware to deliver cutting-edge graphics that immerse players in its dark fantasy setting.
Fans of the original will also be excited to explore new areas of the world only hinted at before. From ominous caverns to sprawling cities, the expanded environments create fresh dungeons to battle through and quest in.
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The RE Engine powers large-scale locales filled with interactive objects, dynamic weather, and day-night cycles. Whether traversing mist-filled forests or scorching deserts, the environmental variety aims to make journeys feel epic yet grounded.
Ultimately, Dragon’s Dogma 2 retains the brooding art direction of its predecessor while enhancing it tremendously through current-gen technology. The improved graphics and visuals look to provide an engrossing atmosphere to complement the tactical combat and grand adventures.
Multiplayer Features
One of the most exciting additions in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the asynchronous online multiplayer integration. While the original Dragon’s Dogma featured pawns, AI companions that could be shared online, the sequel takes this a step further with true multiplayer capabilities.
Players will be able to form parties with their own custom pawn creations and take on quests and battles together. However, the multiplayer is asynchronous, meaning you don’t have to be online at the same time as your friends to play together. The game allows you to borrow other players’ pawns even when they are offline. This opens up many possibilities for cooperative and social gameplay without the need for scheduled synchronous multiplayer sessions. You can take a friend’s pawn along with you on a quest, and when they log back in, their pawn will return to them with extra experience and knowledge.
The asynchronous integration creates a unique multiplayer experience where you feel connected to the wider player community without direct real-time interaction. It allows people with different schedules and playstyles to enjoy the multiplayer features on their own time. The overall depth and flexibility of borrowing custom pawns, even when the creators are offline, represents an innovative evolution of the pawn system first introduced in the original Dragon’s Dogma. Fans are eager to see how this multiplayer framework will work when the game launches.
Conclusion
As the anticipation for Dragon’s Dogma 2 reaches a fever pitch, it’s clear that Capcom is poised to deliver an epic sequel that might exceed expectations. With its dynamic combat, enhanced Pawn system, vibrant open world, meaningful choices, and cooperative multiplayer, the game could offer a wealth of features that invite players to immerse themselves in a rich and personal adventure. Get ready to embark on a journey of legends, forge lasting bonds, and write your own story in the annals of Gransys. Dragon’s Dogma 2 awaits, beckoning you to step into a world where destiny is yours to shape.
While Dragon’s Dogma 2 has a lot of exciting new features and improvements, there are some potential drawbacks to keep in mind based on information revealed so far:
Stay tuned for our extended game review as soon we get our hands on the game!
