New pawns are found in the game's liberally
sprinkled "rift zones"--and you can even use rift currency to purchase pawns that
are leveled far above your own (pawns on your level are free, and join you without
question).
The pawns are the main hook here, in this single-player only game. Thankfully, pawn AI is
excellent, and they truly help your cause. Your commands to them are limited, but creating
and being a part of a unified, well-oiled quartet of death is supremely
satisfying. Like most games in this genre, there's a main set of missions you
can follow to complete the game's storyline, along with a cavalcade of
side-quests. You can progress through the game at whatever pace you like, racing
through the main story, or just wandering around taking care of off the beaten
path quests for dozens upon dozens of hours.
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Whoa, whoa, whoa, settle down there!
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The action RPG hack and slash combat is the core of the gameplay experience
here. Befitting Dragon's Dogma, it's both simplistic and satisfying. You've got a
light and heavy slash and a block. You can button-mash through fights and come
out okay, but using some strategy, particularly taking into mind the behavior of
your opponents, which range from enemy soldiers, to harpies, to massive trolls
and ogres, among many others, is quite advantageous. The coolest element here is the "climb
mechanic," whereupon you can grab onto and climb your bigger foes. Reaching the
head of a massive cyclops and jabbing your sword in his eye feels so good...for
you, not the cyclops. Your weapons do damage to whatever specific area you attack, meaning you'll be cutting off tusks and tails to your hearts
content.
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That damn snake head tail is coming off! Also, THE MONSTERS in this game! Wow!!!
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While you can always find and buy better weapons and armor, defeating enemies
and completing quests to gain experience points is key. Leveling up is easy and
constant in
Dragon's Dogma, and you'll find your stats increasing in no
time. Roadside orcs might give you trouble early on, but you'll be hacking them
to bits in no time. Speaking of, this game is about as violent as
Skyrim, with a healthy, but not overly exaggerated amount of blood and
gore coming out of your injured enemies and allies. The game does lack the
language and over-the-top sexuality of
The Witcher 3, though, so if
you thought that stuff was a little ridiculous, you'll be happy, and if you
thought that stuff was awesome, you'll be a little disappointed.
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I think you've got something in your eye!
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While
Dragon's Dogma is a fairly straightforward, fuss-free game, it isn't
barebones. The sword and sandals Mediterranean coastal environment is vast and
feels lived in, with NPC's going about daily and nightly routines, and
harvest-able plants and animals livening up the landscape. You can pick up and use
these materials to craft weapons and all manner of potions, some fighting off burns, poisons
and other ill effects, some increasing strength or defense, and some
replenishing health and stamina. Yes, stamina is here, meaning your character
will eventually tire from running too fast or climbing too much. You'll have to
slow down and walk at a normal pace, or come to ground, until your stamina meter
builds up again.
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Let me take five, then those tusks are coming right off. Just hang tight.
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As far as production values,
Dragon's Dogma looks great and runs smoothly
in both handheld or docked mode. The graphics aren't as insanely intricate as
Witcher 3, or even as detailed as
Skyrim, but the game nails the
old Hollywood Roman Empire epic look it's going for. Think
Spartacus,
Quo Vadis, or
Ben Hur, and you're on the right track. As far as
open world action RPG's go,
Dragon's Dogma may capture that specific
feeling better than any other game.
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The real journey is the cow friends we made along the way.
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I also enjoyed the music. The Japanese composers take an interesting approach
here, giving each area a lush and huge-sounding orchestral fanfare that
eventually fades out to the game's soundscape of wind, calling birds, and sandals on
well-beaten paths. The music picks up frantically during fights, growing
particularly massive during boss battles--I wish the "victory" motif when your
party proves victorious in these knock-down, dragout grudge matches would play anytime I experience even the most minor victory in life. I'd sure get more
excited about mowing the grass.
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Killing dragon to stave off apocalypse = successfully mowing the lawn on one tank of gas.
Also, THOSE VISUALS.
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I put about 50 hours into
Dragon's Dogma. As games have gotten bigger and
longer, I've found myself growing conversely less and less of a completionist. I
could have easily put another 50 or more into completing all of the game's
side-quests. There's even an additional, quite long bonus story to complete
after the end credits roll...and after that, there's a "New Game +" mode that
allows you to start the game over with your advanced stats and inventory.
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Oh, hell yeah, let's GEAUX!!!
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Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an easy game to recommend. However, the
less complex nature of the game in comparison to its peers does have a few
drawbacks: for instance, fast travel is a bit of a chore, meaning you'll have to
do more backtracking than you want...I guess, unless you enjoy backtracking. You also might want a little more complexity
in regard to the combat at times. Then again, it's nice that the game gives you
less to worry about than its peers--there are even less cutscenes then most of these types of games, as
Dragon's Dogma mostly lets the gameplay do the talking.
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