As I launched Dragon’s Dogma 2 for the first time, I told myself that I should go into it with a more critical eye than I usually would. I think I was afraid that my overzealous love for the original might cloud my judgement. Then I blinked, and 10 hours had flown by. It was suddenly 3 a.m. on a Tuesday, and I’d been so engrossed in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that I’d regressed back into the gaming schedule of my teenage years. I was now acutely aware of how tired I was, so I told myself I would save at the next available opportunity and go to bed. As I approached a nearby campsite, I spotted a troll and a dragon duking it out in the distance. I joined Team Troll, the clear underdog, and subsequently spent another 20 minutes avenging his death against the dragon. After a hard won fight, I decided it couldn’t hurt to explore the nearby Ancient Battlegrounds for a few minutes.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 reviewPublisher: CapcomDeveloper: CapcomPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out 22nd March on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
I blinked again. It was 5 a.m. now. As I finally managed to pull myself away from Dragon’s Dogma 2, I realised attempting to be unbiased may no longer be possible, because Dragon’s Dogma 2 isn’t bothered about appeasing those who had issues with the original game. In fact, it’s trying to do the complete opposite – it’s doubled down on everything that fans of the original game loved in the hopes of catering to its target audience, which just so happens to be me.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an intentionally difficult game to summarise. From the outside looking in, it’s a hack-and-slash RPG set in a fantasy world, with its grand, over-the-top boss battles serving as its main draw. In reality however, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a test in perseverance.
Every second, in every location, something is begging for your attention. Your Pawns, your AI controlled buddies that follow you around, will either be gossiping to each other or trying to catch your eye so they can point you in the direction of a nearby secret. The roads you travel will regularly, often subtly, branch off into something indiscernible in the near distance, baiting you towards what could be a treasure chest or new questline. Sometimes a massive boss monster will casually appear out of nowhere, just to glide above you before nesting in a location not too far out of reach. Maybe you’ll run into a random NPC during your travels, who will offer you a quest of a time-sensitive nature that you will have to either accept and tackle immediately, or ignore and risk never being able to complete again in the future. And occasionally, all of these events will happen simultaneously, events you will have to ignore if you plan to get to the objective you initially set out to tackle in a timely manner. It’s a game about opportunity cost.