Final impressions of Dragon’s Dogma 2, the most faithful open world in the genre.

It’s hard to understand that no major publisher has attempted to create a game like the first Dragon’s Dogma. Twelve years have passed since the atypical, special game. The original game title associated with the Resident Evil 6 demo disappeared as soon as the rumors took effect. Technically it wasn’t the best game.. Even visually. He was unattractive in hand-to-hand combat. However, over time, he discovered his merits in many ways.

Ten years later, we find ourselves here, at the gates of the long-awaited sequel. And the franchise is filled with the know-how of Hideaki Itsuno.. There are works by which the author is quickly identified, and the saga is the favorite of a person who has already achieved international fame thanks to the Devil May Cry brand. In the second part we find the same base, improved in all aspects. The gaming systems are recognizable among veterans, but the possibilities are increasing. It’s bigger and better, as they say in such cases. After several hours of playing a version close to the final version, it became clear to us that another milestone awaits us for the Japanese factory.

A sandbox that matches the basics of the genre as closely as possible

Dragon’s Dogma was ahead of its time. At a time when Twitch and its derivatives lacked the penetration it has today, Itsuno and his team created a game that was as enjoyable to watch as it was to play. If you place two screens of different players in parallel, the same path will change with unprecedented situations between each of them. This is a game that lives by simulating the environment, what surrounds us as players. We are not the center of events: the world continues to live according to its routine. We take on the role of yet another actor among many characters.

The franchise, especially the second part, can be classified as the most faithful sandbox in this genre. The structure of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a testing environment where we can overcome obstacles in ways that go beyond the script.. You shape the adventure by taking advantage of the vast possibilities it offers through its physics, procedures and rules. Are you fighting a group of enemies near a cliff? Take one and throw him off the cliff. And when night falls, unlike any other open world yet, the world becomes an even more hostile environment. Behind the darkness lurks an irreconcilable threat.

We don’t want to reveal specific details of the missions we saw; As the final game approaches, surprise must prevail. We can say that there is no single way to achieve the goal of each mission. You study your surroundings, learn what you can and cannot do, and act accordingly.. The pawns you recruit also have an impact, up to three at a time, and they learn from every mission they take on with the player. For example, if you need a guide for one, you can visit the Nexus to get the services of someone who knows what you should do next. Not only do you progress in your game, but a community of sorts is formed where each player collectively holds the other’s hand through their pawn.

New gaming horizons

During the session, the emphasis was placed on two new classes for this part: the mystic spearman and the magic archer. His presence expands the long catalog of activities that we could already see in the original delivery. Of the two, we have a few touches left. By focusing on the mystical spearman, the character can use telekinesis to launch enemies into the air with a single snap of the fingers. His spear combos allow him to land multiple strikes in a matter of seconds.. It’s true, he takes a lot of risks in close combat, but makes up for it with large doses of damage.

But it was the second mentioned class that left us with the best feelings. A magic archer diversifies his arsenal with several types of arrows for very specific purposes. One of them, for example, was an explosive arrow, the path of which we could control in real time. Ideal when you want to focus damage on specific points on an enemy or group.. Another arrow had a ricochet effect. If we were in a cave, bouncing between the enemy and the stage would completely melt the enemy’s life bar. As we talked about the scenario and emphasis on simulation, trial and error with each type of tool allows you to discover new gaming horizons.

Capcom is stomping

We don’t want to go into too much detail about what we found in the demo. Soon. Throughout our analysis, we’ll take a closer look at each of the elements that make Dragon’s Dogma 2 an outstanding role-playing game. What we can say is that our feelings were fantastic.. This is a unique sandbox that continues to demonstrate the potential of the funds we saw over a decade ago. Few open worlds capture the concept of adventure so well. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Elden Ring, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt… and Dragon’s Dogma 2 are all eager to join them.