Summary
Dragon’s Dogma 2
features time-sensitive quests, adding real stakes.
Strategy will be required when completing side quests to avoid unintended consequences.
A world where time passing matters has the potential to feel more alive.
It’s easy to slip into some consistent bad habits when playing RPGs, but Dragon’s Dogma 2 might be forcefully breaking some of them. The original Dragon’s Dogma stood out from the pack with a lot of unique ideas and complex combat possibilities, even if some issues held it back from completely securing its status as a masterpiece. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is taking another shot at those aspirations, and it’s definitely going to avoid being a by-the-numbers RPG experience.
A lot of what sets the game apart lies in its attempts to make the huge Dragon’s Dogma 2 map feel like a real place and not just a backdrop for a game, a task that it’s approaching in a number of smart ways. Fast travel, for example, is applied in a limited way that encourages natural exploration, an area where the game strives to provide consistent engagement. Enemies and the Pawns that can assist the player have intelligent AI that helps make strategy both important and effective in and out of combat.
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Dragon’s Dogma 2 – Release Date, Story, & Gameplay Details
More than a decade after the release of the original game, Dragon’s Dogma II has received a release date, along with new story and gameplay details.
Time-Sensitive Quests Give Dragon’s Dogma 2 Stakes
One element that can break immersion in most RPGs is the way in which side quests distract from the momentum of the main narrative. RPG stories tend to have major, often world-ending stakes, but they also offer plenty of diversions that range from low-stakes fetch quests to relaxing at the beach. These can be fun to get lost in, but there’s always that nagging sense of a disconnect between the alleged urgency of the plot and the leisurely pace that the game sets up for anyone interested in side content.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is tackling this issue head-on with a focus on time-sensitive quests, a choice noted by Reddit user Strange_Music and mentioned in Screen Rant’s hands-on preview of the game.
“Some quests are affected by the passage of time, and will progress even without the Arisen’s involvement. Taking on multiple quests at once comes with a risk of being unable to act in time, and this can result in unintended consequences.”
This could take some serious re-calibration for those used to taking their sweet time with side quests, but it could also be the perfect way to make the stakes in Dragon’s Dogma 2 feel real and create a world that feels genuine and lived-in.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Builds On The First Game’s Approach
The concept of time-sensitive content isn’t a new one for the Dragon’s Dogma series, as the original game did feature a number of side quests that could become impossible to complete after progressing in the main story. This isn’t an especially uncommon feature, although many games simply have one or two points of no return that offer a warning before locking off prior quests. The approach in Dragon’s Dogma 2 seems more robust, as the mere progression of time in the world of the game can seemingly lock off content even without the narrative moving forward.
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Do I Need To Play The First Dragon’s Dogma Before DD2?
Playing the original Dragon’s Dogma before its upcoming sequel might be the only way to fully enjoy and understand its setting and story.
Choosing side quests in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is going to require some judicious choices on the part of the player, as will completing them in a triage manner that avoids failing too many based on the passage of time. Deciding what to prioritize could come down to many different aspects of personal preference, from moral imperatives to the promise of sweeter rewards. Although it might be frustrating to leave possibly interesting tasks behind, it could also make replaying Dragon’s Dogma 2 a substantially different experience than the first run through a campaign.
It’s probably best to be conservative when initially accepting side quests in
Dragon’s Dogma 2
, as accepting one but failing to complete it could have more severe consequences.
That being said, there shouldn’t be any rush to start the game back over, as Dragon’s Dogma 2 should take a while to complete for anyone engaging with a fair bit of side content. Ideally, the push to be selective about what quests to complete should lead to an experience that feels more well-curated across that runtime than games padding out their length with repetitive material. The way that Dragon’s Dogma 2 intends to break bad habits might not be for everyone, but there’s no denying that it will make the game feel unique among a field of strong competitors.
Source: Strange_Music/Reddit
Dragon’s Dogma II
The Sequel to Dragon’s Dogma and its expansion, Dark Arisen, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an action-adventure RPG game from the developers at Capcom. Players will create their protagonist, the “Arisen,” as they embark on a journey to slay a Dragon that threatens the world. Joined by otherworldly beings known as Pawns, the Arisen will utilize melee weapons and spells as they battle against various types of foes.
Released March 22, 2024
ESRB M