Dragon's Dogma 2 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Top Features

Dragon's Dogma 2 from Capcom has a serious shot to shake free of its underdog roots, forcing itself into packed Game of Year conversations in the process.

Back in 2012, Dragon's Dogma was an oddly-timed yet ambitious title that was largely overshadowed by a game called Skyrim. But it was also ahead of its time in nuanced ways (difficulty, etc.) and rich in character and story, quickly helping it gain a cult-like following.

Now, Dragon's Dogma 2 presents a sprawling third-person open-world RPG that is staggering in scope, both because of its sheer size and the organic-developing storylines and world with an emphasis on spontaneity and time as key mechanics.

Tapping into what made the first game such an underrated success, meshing well with modern technologies and innovating in the right areas is no easy thing to balance—but Dragon's Dogma 2 seems to have the ingredients necessary to be a classic.

Graphics and Gameplay

Visually, Dragon's Dogma 2 is captivating.

Littered with different biomes across a vast world and besieged by random-feeling weather and vicious wildlife that reacts unexpectedly, it's hard to look away.

Sure, the game isn't flawless in the sense every texture is perfect or every rock or cobblestone unique per se, but when it all moves in motion, it's a blast. The lighting and shadows are fantastic, particularly in forests, while things like fire pop off the screen and physics sway realistically.

Overall, there's a bit of an artistic flair to the presentation that refreshingly steers away from attempting to look super-realistic. The effect is profound, especially in those moments when players explore darker, mysterious areas or ancient ruins.

It sure doesn't hurt that the sound design is almost fantastic across the board. Other than some hiccups in voiceovers (which might boil down to personal preference, really), the soundtrack, especially in battle, is grandiose and the combat packs the necessary punch.

And while it might not get a lot of attention, the fact there aren't markers over the heads of NPCs with possible side quests adds an impressive touch of immersion, leaving players relying on companions and the world itself to alert them of possible quests.

Given just how much is going on in this game, the user interface (UI) is rather impressive. The menus are packed with information, yet easy to use and the actual in-game UI is minimalist, with an excellent map in the bottom left.

When in battle, there is no lock-on mechanic like one might expect, but it's to the game's credit that players don't often feel the need for one. Controlling the character and camera is intuitive enough.

As far as classes go, players pick from one of four initial vocations: Fighter, mage, archer or thief.

The roles of these classes won't shock players. Fighter excels in close quarters, mages can wield magic offensively or to help the party, archers fight from afar and have access to special arrows for status effects and thieves have a hit-and-run play style.

There are other vocations players will stumble upon over time, with most just feeling like smart evolutions of the basic four. Thankfully, they're more than just level-gated, with at least some of them earned via quests.

But those initial four move in concert really well together beyond simple "mage heals while everyone else fights" tactics. An archer hitting an enemy's weak point, for example, leaves them vulnerable for the fighter and thief to inflict massive damage.

Controls, though, might throw some players off slightly. The need to hit RB to block (a well-timed one deflects attacks, so it's important), takes some time to get used to.

Some of the mechanics won't shock, either. There's a stamina system for players to juggle, requiring careful on-the-fly decision-making.

Others, though, will. For example, the loss gauge, where taking damage means losing health and maximum health that is recoverable, so resting between battles is a key strategy. If not properly managed, players will keep losing health that they can recover via spells and potions, putting them at an exciting disadvantage.

This careful strategy plays into death mechanics, too. A Game Over screen means loading up from the last save, but that bumps the loss gauge, so there are repercussions from death beyond needing to reload.

Elsewhere on the topic of combat, an elemental weaknesses and resistance system is something for players to manage, too.

Plus, there is often fun scale at play, too, as enemies aren't strictly the player character's size. Some enemies are so big, in fact, that players can climb them and exploit weak points.

As if juggling all those systems weren't enough, we've yet to hit the meat of the experience—pawns.

These companions are much more than a pack mule to help the player combat the over-encumbered mechanic. They can gather info, lead the player to loot, etc, while otherwise serving as a way to flesh out a party with complimentary battle roles.

Like the player's character, these pawns also have certain personality traits pickable by the player. Choosing one of the four for a pawn will dictate things like whether they're more combat or exploration-focused.

Players can also get help from pawns belonging to other players in other worlds. This extends to players who choose to play offline, too, through the use of a specific item. And in a funny twist, players can leave reviews on pawns and even send them back to their own masters with gifts.

Somehow, it gets more impressive. If a player hasn't encountered a specific enemy before, but another player's pawn has, it could pipe up with important information such as weak spots.

Some of these parts sound very basic and in a way, are. But when they move in concert, there is indeed a next-generation feel to the flow and a layer of strategy necessary that makes the game a joy to experience.

Story and More

The story and world are a little like the combat systems above—basic-sounding and expected, yet compelling when viewed as part of the greater whole.

Players are an Arisen, marked by a dragon they must overcome amid strife between two kingdoms, Vermund and Battahl.

The story isn't bad at all and some of the characters encountered, even smaller minor ones with bit roles to play, will leave a mark. But at times, it does just feel like a necessary backbone to get out in that world.

Because that world is perhaps the most awe-inducing combination of sheer massive map size and density found in games yet. That sounds like an exaggeration, but the world is big, stunningly so, and players don't get very far in it without interacting with something.

It does feel like a lived-in world due to the day-night cycle, with NPCs not staying in the same spots and seemingly going about their daily lives.

Time is a critical mechanic—and refreshingly so. Very early in the game, players can obtain a side quest that asks them to go save a character. But if the player, say gets distracted or wants to go in checklist order, they may stumble upon the person's corpse they're supposed to save because too much time passed.

Nighttime is especially interesting, with players unable to see very far beyond their own feet. It sounds almost silly, but it leaves an impression.

Even held items can age over time, which opens up more strategy, as combined ingredients might be more potent after they have aged. Of course, players can aid this in their own way by setting up a camp and cooking over a fire. Speaking of combinations, materials and the combo possibilities is one way the game encourages exploration.

By the way, there's no set-in-stone quest. No on-the-rails feel. Players could be traveling to one quest with a certain goal in mind, only to get attacked by something as big as a dragon.

Speaking of a lived-in feel, the game is so in-depth that the cycle of time extends to the dead. A player can revive dead NPCs with a specific item, but if they wait, the body might actually get transported to a morgue. The devil's in the details in this game, even in regards to death.

Let's tack on another point here—shopkeepers are more liable to offer up rare items or deals to repeat customers, too.

And why stop there? Players can fast travel at certain spots, but they can also take a scenic oxcart ride, though they can't choose the destination. That ride, though, might be susceptible to ambushes from enemies. So, too, are camps the player sets up in the wild—with enemies seemingly drawn by the light of the fire, making even taking a breather (even while fleeing from massive enemies) something of a strategic decision.

It should probably go without saying now, but there is a ton of side content packed into the experience, too, with much of it worthwhile.

The game just feels dense. And not in an Assassin's Creed-esque map-padding with endless icons (though there are 240 tokens to collect) to drum up the run time. There is just always something to do, some NPC approaching asking for help.

None of that is to even mention the pawn quests and related details.

For example, while resting at an inn, pawns go out and help other players. And it's actually really fun to get a player's favorite pawn-specific badges that showcase their feats while out helping others.

Admittedly, no co-op feels a little strange for a game like this. But the other side of the coin is that the pawn system gives off its own unique sort of charm and the sense that a player is very much a part of a bigger community, single-player experience or not.

To its credit, though the game can seem complex, there's a great onboarding and tutorial process and menus littered with information. It runs well, too, just capping an impressive feat of modern gaming.

Conclusion

Dragon's Dogma 2 achieves the vision of the original in impressive ways, setting itself apart from the typical comparisons.

It's not Elder Scrolls with endless conversations and lore. It's not Elden Ring with its focus on duel-styled combat. What it is, though, is a masterful exploration game, perhaps more akin to recent Zelda entries than anything else. It's more simulation than video game in some respects, like the inventory management that one must put into prepping for a long journey on foot. Tack on series-specific combat within rigid class systems, and the vision is easy to see.

More importantly, it's engrossing and fun. Dragon's Dogma 2 ignores the allure of some modern gaming and genre conventions, which is a boon to the experience, not a detriment.

While it will be interesting to see if the game breaks through publicly enough to enter the GOTY conversations, it certainly deserves to be there and players who give it the time of day might find it on their personal lists, if nothing else.