There’s a review bombing / misinformation campaign ongoing for Dragon’s Dogma 2, which started after the $70 price tag / DRM was confirmed and escalated via misunderstandings / vTuber clickbaiting over DLC items and game features. Which is a shame, because it’s a series that dares to do things differently. It has a lot of detail under the surface that can surprise and awe players, which will get overlooked by those who approach with a pre-conceived set of ideas from other games.

I won’t give an in-depth breakdown of the game here (as that’s not what a review is for), but briefly you can expect;

• Streamlined RPG-elements, without the complex systems, or micromanagement.
  
• Fun-oriented relaxed combat, huge climbable creatures. Myriad possibilities (for both yourself and enemies).
  
• Endearing AI controlled companions that learn from your playing habits (for better or worse); these can be hired / shared online.
  
• Faux open-world, with carefully hand-crafted routes between locations (i.e. actual level design as opposed to the padding we often see in open-world games).
  
• Lots of details to discover, big and small.
  
• Intelligent story which is not immediately apparent; lots of spoiler stuff which requires a bit of game / brain investment.

Is it good? Yeah. It takes a bit of time for combat to open up, but once it does it’s absolute raw fun in its purest form. Some game details and discoveries left me in awe (our Discord server has been frequently populated with ALL CAPS expressions of joy between friends). The game feels intelligently-crafted, with solid reasons behind systems being implemented the way they are (single save file etc.), which are spoilerific to get into.

Is it perfect? No, the complex systems unfold and interact messily sometimes (i.e. some NPC pathfinding issues) and some game features aren’t as clear as they could be (i.e. snoozing to fast travel via ox-carts). But the main issue right now is that the game underperforms on modern hardware, with respectable configurations struggling in some locations (mainly the city; open-world seems fine). And the deluxe edition / DLC is absolutely useless.

Recommended? Yes, it’s a gem. Don’t miss out. Just make sure you have a very good modern PC specification and leave any preconceptions at the door. Beware of misinformation, and don’t bother with the deluxe edition / DLC.

There’s a review bombing / misinformation campaign ongoing for Dragon’s Dogma 2, which started after the $70 price tag / DRM was confirmed and escalated via misunderstandings / vTuber clickbaiting over DLC items and game features. Which is a shame, because it’s a series that dares to do things differently. It has a lot of detail under the surface that can surprise and awe players, which will get overlooked by those who approach with a pre-conceived set of ideas from other games. I won’t give an in-depth breakdown of the game here (as that’s not what a review is for), but briefly you can expect; [list][*] Streamlined RPG-elements, without the complex systems, or micromanagement. [*] Fun-oriented relaxed combat, huge climbable creatures. Myriad possibilities (for both yourself and enemies). [*] Endearing AI controlled companions that learn from your playing habits (for better or worse); these can be hired / shared online. [*] Faux open-world, with carefully hand-crafted routes between locations (i.e. actual level design as opposed to the padding we often see in open-world games). [*] Lots of details to discover, big and small. [*] Intelligent story which is not immediately apparent; lots of spoiler stuff which requires a bit of game / brain investment.[/list] Is it good? Yeah. It takes a bit of time for combat to open up, but once it does it’s absolute raw fun in its purest form. Some game details and discoveries left me in awe (our Discord server has been frequently populated with ALL CAPS expressions of joy between friends). The game feels intelligently-crafted, with solid reasons behind systems being implemented the way they are (single save file etc.), which are spoilerific to get into. Is it perfect? No, the complex systems unfold and interact messily sometimes (i.e. some NPC pathfinding issues) and some game features aren’t as clear as they could be (i.e. snoozing to fast travel via ox-carts). But the main issue right now is that the game underperforms on modern hardware, with respectable configurations struggling in some locations (mainly the city; open-world seems fine). And the deluxe edition / DLC is absolutely useless. Recommended? Yes, it’s a gem. Don’t miss out. Just make sure you have a very good modern PC specification and leave any preconceptions at the door. Beware of misinformation, and don’t bother with the deluxe edition / DLC.