Dragon’s Dogma 2 (DD2) ramped up excitement this week by releasing its character creator as a standalone download weeks ahead of the game’s launch. We’ve rounded up all the reasons we have to be excited about the game and all we know so far so dive in to get really hyped.
What kind of game is Dragon’s Dogma 2?
Like the original, DD2 is a third-person action RPG where the player takes charge of The Arisen to hunt down legendary foes and face an epic story of dogma and dragon slaying. The player will be helped by non-playable characters called Pawns. Pawns have adaptive AI and will learn as you go, which can be useful…if you teach them good habits. If you drink too many healing potions you might find your Pawns gulping them down like they are going out of fashion.
How big will the game be?
The game’s director Hideaki Itsuno has stated that the map of Dragon’s Dogma 2 would be four times larger than the map in the original game. In a subsequent interview, Itsuno discussed the game’s limited fast travel system. Players can get ox carts between some settlements, but you never know what monsters you might be faced with while en route. “While riding one, you might find the path blocked by goblins and have no choice but to get off and join the battle. Then as you do, a Griffin might swoop in and destroy the entire cart with one blow, forcing you to walk the rest of the way while cursing its name,” said Itsuno. He explained that none of these encounters are scripted and mentioned Rockstar’s games as inspiration for dynamic, emergent gameplay. “Travel is boring? That’s not true. It’s only an issue because your game is boring.”
Other gameplay elements we know
It has been revealed that in-game quest markers will be kept to an absolute minimum. Don’t expect to see yellow exclamation points above the heads of NPCs who have a quest, or dotted lines on the map leading you to exactly where you need to go to complete the quest. DD2 takes a more traditional approach, with characters giving you instructions and directions. Or maybe you’ll get lucky and your Pawn will know where to go. Pawns are also eagle-eyed and are designed to point out any areas of interest you’re walking past. Taking after three of the most successful games of recent years (Zelda Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, and Zelda Tears of the Kingdom) this is sure to lead to organic and rewarding gameplay.
Capcom has worked hard to make sure gameplay and combat will be dynamic and engaging. Break down a dam to wash your foes away. Cut off an enemy’s head and wield it as a weapon. Cut down a bridge to enable a quick getaway – but be careful because next time you need to go that way, you’ll have to find a way around the broken bridge.
One key thing to be aware of is that you can permanently kill NPCs in DD2, whereas the first game had them respawning after some in-game time had passed. So don’t swing your sword about too carelessly.
NPCs no longer respawn in Dragon's Dogma 2. If an NPC dies, they go to the morgue. While they're in the morgue you can wakestone them back to life, but they only stay there a few days before being buried. At that point that NPC is gone for the rest of the game.#DragonsDogma2 #DD2 https://t.co/wTKNGe7KXx
— Chainsaw McFacepunch (@MrMcFacepunch) March 6, 2024
Will Dragon’s Dogma 2 have multiplayer?
DD2 will be purely single-player with no multiplayer gameplay elements. However, the Pawns that you create become part of an online database of Pawns that other players will be able to recruit in their games. Likewise, when you visit the Nexus you can recruit Pawns created by other players. You can turn this feature off and recruit developer-made Pawns if you prefer.
Can you have multiple saves/characters at once?
Like in the original Dragon’s Dogma, DD2 will have only one save file. If you want to start a new character or playthrough you’ll have to delete your previous one. While this can encourage exploration and make decisions more impactful because you can’t go back and see what might have happened, some players will be frustrated at not being able to dabble in multiple different character classes and playstyles.
Is the frame rate capped?
This has been a concern for console gamers but director Hideaki Itsuno took to Twitter to confirm that framerates for the game will be uncapped and it aims to rest at around 60fps.
When will Dragon’s Dogma 2 release?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is due to release on March 22, 2024, barring any unforeseen delays. It will cost $70, and there is a deluxe edition available for $80 which includes a variety of in-game items.
Featured image credit: Capcom
