Since its release, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has sparked many strong reactions from fans and critics. Let’s sort out what all this buzz is about!

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a massive action RPG from Capcom that is also a sequel to the classic and widely popular game from 2013. As far as we know, the first installation received positive reviews, but how did that work out for the sequel?

Not so well, as it only got mixed reviews on Steam compared to the very positive ones for Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. What happened, and is the second part even worth playing in 2024? You’ll find answers to these and more questions in this Dragon’s Dogma 2 short review!

Is this Game’s Plot the Prequel’s Clone?

Many players point out that playing Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels like playing Dragon’s Dogma. Although that sounds ridiculous, Capcom managed to preserve the unique spirit of the original and enrich it with subtle changes.

Therefore, the new installation’s plot differs from the previous one but shares similar features – like the ancient dragon being the ultimate opponent of our heartless hero. On the other hand, this story is optional to your overall enjoyment. DD2 strongly focuses on allowing the player to have fun, and you’ll soon understand why.

Players Choose Their Own Path

An interesting fact about this game is that it is massively different from recent AAA productions. We all got used to decent action RPGs, allowing us to mindlessly win and unlock achievements by simply swinging a sword. That is not the Dragon’s Dogma 2 case – this game requires us to decide what we want to do next. Its best feature is a massive 77 square kilometers map, almost entirely devoid of markers.

Does that mean players must actively participate in discovering its secrets? Yes! Dragon’s Dogma doesn’t try to hold players’ hands – in this respect, it strongly resembles the legendary The Elder Scrolls series.

Each note, piece of information, or backstory can give you a clue on how to deal with the encountered problem. Also, many tasks require spending more time in one place.

The Journey Matters

As if the lack of markers wasn’t enough, the developers introduced restricted fast travel to give us enough time to explore this fantasy world. Forget the main story – gather your Pawns and see all of it! Dragon’s Dogma excels at providing random encounters since the NPCs have their things to do and truly bring this realm to life.

And even though it’s an action RPG, the game doesn’t want its players to rush through the plot, instead offering a ton of side content for slowly savoring all of its magic.

Even observing the behavior of other characters brings interesting conclusions or can be the beginning of an entirely new adventure.

Flashy Combat Intertwines With Casual Exploration

Heavily inspired by the Monster Hunter series, DD2 combat allows us to climb enemies to gain a strategic advantage on the battlefield. While exploration represents the quieter part of the adventure, combat can pose quite a challenge, even for experienced players.

Regardless of the player’s build, all battle opportunities, attacks, and movements look extremely dynamic and downright spectacular. Winning the previously mentioned random encounters or boss fights requires the appropriate strategy.

Moreover, each battle becomes a valuable memory, shaping the playable character and the player’s approach to future confrontations.

Design Your Hero for Hours

Many players love role-playing games for their excellent hero editors, letting them adjust every detail of their playable character’s appearance. In Dragon’s Dogma 2, this feature exceeded everyone’s expectations, allowing for modification of tiny details like limb length and voice.

Since the game’s release, players have created the most impressive (or cursed) images of their favorite characters, including Winnie the Pooh, John Wick, Pikachu, and Geralt of Rivia. Why not play The Witcher in a completely different game if you can?

Character customization also includes a Pawn, which the player can later send to others to lend them a helping hand.

So What’s Wrong?

Unfortunately, Dragon’s Dogma is not all roses, as the title launched with several unexpected problems. One is microtransactions, which players learned about on release day. The worst part is many extra items make the game much less challenging, solving issues like restricted fast travel or carry limit.

Players seriously criticize Capcom for this move, and no wonder – legendary role-playing titles like The Witcher 3 came at one price, offering the entire game without extra content hidden behind a paywall.

The second crucial problem concerns performance not only on PCs but also on consoles. The game struggles with noticeable FPS (frames per second) drops when the screen displays too many NPCs. Unsurprisingly, players have already come up with many ideas on how to solve this issue with mods and killing NPCs among the best.

However, it’s exceptionally hard to play a game that isn’t fully playable, especially when the situation concerns casual players who don’t know much about mods and just want to play a sequel to something they enjoyed a few years earlier.

Conclusion

We received an immersive fantasy story set in a breathtaking realm enriched with satisfying combat and an engaging character creator. This world demands players’ attention and involvement, rewarding them with a beautiful single-player adventure.

Moreover, each journey is different from the previous ones due to random encounters and the players’ freedom to decide what they want to do next. Sounds like a dream come true? Not exactly.

It is not a game for everyone. The slow initial story and the playable hero development may discourage those used to intuitive hand-holding in most AAA titles. This part is okay if the player is familiar with tabletop systems like Dungeons & Dragons.

The Elder Scrolls fans can enjoy this feature as well. Unfortunately, even so much freedom doesn’t pair well with unexpected micropayments and performance issues. Dragon’s Dogma 2 broke many players’ hearts as an unfinished single-player product, and ultimately, it is up to them whether these minor flaws outweigh the unquestionable pros.