“This is probably where Nintendo got the idea for Breath Of The Wild.”
DISCLAIMER: I know DD2 saw a lot of controversy for it’s micro transactions. I do not personally support or agree with non FTP games having micro transactions. But I am aware that I am supporting this behaviour by buying this game at launch full price.
HOW I PLAYED: I played on PC, Max settings + Ray Tracing, avg fps 100+ in field and 50–60fps in cities and towns.
STORY — 14/20
The story is very basic and services the overall tone and gameplay. Very reminiscent of 80’s fantasy movies. Nothing to cryptic or “deep” I think modern gamers will be able to follow the story without issue.
The story of Dragon’s Dogma II is nothing spectacular or anything memorable but it is serviceable for the gameplay. I do tend to give these types of stories a break because it is not necessary to enjoy the game.
You will not need to play the 2011 original to understand the plot of Dragon’s Dogma II. So new players can jump in and enjoy!
GRAPHICS — 17/20
Character models look fantastic, the game released its character editor to show off how amazing it is. Environments are stunning! Added with time of day make for a “Photo Mode” enjoyers dream! SFX and animations are solid. Lots of amazing spell effects!
Dragon’s Dogma has some really nice lighting, I found myself really enjoying the atmosphere and environments in this game. Some of the area’s started to look “same samey” but there was enough differences in area’s to make the game interesting.
AUDIO — 15/20
The ambient open field sounds were great! Game is amazing with headphones as you can hear things all around you. Boss music is EPIC but mostly the same for all field bosses. Voice acting is TOP TIER, just felt there could be more variety and more memorable tracks.
GAMEPLAY — 31/40
Dragon’s Dogma II has ADDICTIVE gameplay! Even with the rough launch state and crashes. I found myself repeatedly booting the game back up because the gameplay loop was so much fun. I love all the mechanics in this game and how they work together.
The different Vocations were amazing as they appeal to most play types. If you find your vocation limiting, I would suggest trying something new that might be better adapted to your play style.
I LOVE the “Knock back” mechanic on enemies. You can knock them off balance or stun. It made the teamwork of your pawns really shine as you work together to take on these gigantic foes. And all the more rewarding as you progress through the game and get stronger.
This felt like a modern Final Fantasy game with a unique party system! The bosses were all fun and scary and a joy to take down in their unique ways.
The UI/UE was very clean and subtle. Which I appreciated, but I do have some minor gripes. I felt that some of the menu’ing was clunky. Touchpad to go to Map but it would take you to the map inside a town and you would have to hit O to go to world map. I think should be reversed
Field enemies were great, but there needs to be more variety. There are some reskins to match the area you are in, but I did feel a little fatigued by the end game fighting the same mob types (Goblins, Wolves, Harpy, Lizards) especially when grinding for upgrade materials !
Gameplay variety is good. If you get tired of slaying mobs in the open field you can go into town and interact with the MANY NPC quest lines. You can even romance some npc’s in game (if you are into that).
Dragon’s Dogma 2 has great replayability since you can try new Vocations and use different pawns. Or just challenge yourself to beat the game faster or spend more time exploring the GIANT map.
BONUS — 0/3
DD2 has no exceptional accessibility options. It has bare minimum subtitle options.
The game runs terrible even on high end PC’s and suffers crashes. The first update just released has reduced this issue but still not perfect.
I hope Capcom can improve performance in future updates. It is a real shame this game runs at 30fps on Consoles. I was able to play the game at 1440p Max settings + Ray Tracing at 100fps in open field and 55–60fps in towns. Playing this at 30 would feel clunky.
UPDATE May 3rd 2024 — There was a 2nd patch that released and it has not improved game crashes on my PC and performance is still the same in towns on PC and consoles.
OVERALL — 77/100 — GOOD
Good game! Love the gameplay and setting. I recommend picking up when it goes on sale. I cannot recommend this game at its current price with the performance issues it is still occurring.
Console players, I would wait for a few performance updates to release before you buy.
Fans of Elden Ring or maybe even Zelda BOTW / TOTK should definitely play this game!
Pick up Dragon’s Dogma II HERE:
PS5 — https://amzn.to/4blZ3u6
Xbox — https://amzn.to/44oW6Xn
PC — https://www.cdkeys.com/dragon-s-dogma-2-pc-na-steam
