Dragon's Dogma 2

“Dragon’s Dogma 2's commitment to unscripted monster hunts, visceral combat, and interlinked systems guarantees a story lurking around every corner. By trading modern guardrails for know-it-all handmade companions, it entrusts you with the 'venture' in action-adventure. But weak quests and animation jitters hold it back from excellence.”

“Like the original game, Dragon's Dogma 2 excels when you're out in its open world with your pawn allies – finding hidden caves and treasure, fighting monsters, and generally losing track of time. Also like the original, it falls short in terms of quest design, convenience, and general polish. A somewhat conservative sequel, then, but one that retains the charm of its predecessor.”

“Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a hardcore action RPG that demands patience and perseverance. It doesn’t hold your hand, and figuring out how to progress can be cryptic. Combat is spectacular with a variety of classes that all feel distinct and viable, while exploration feels particularly rewarding. In a crowded genre, Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels special, with old school sensibilities that reward you for paying attention.”

“I rolled credits on Dragon’s Dogma 2 after 49 hours, and can easily see myself doubling that number before I’m done. There are quests I left incomplete and plenty I didn’t even scratch the surface of - I never once encountered the Sphinx, for example. The wide range of vocations offers endless replayability, and the world created here is simply one you’re going to want more of. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a masterclass in compelling game design, and proof that deviation from the norm and challenging your audience can pay off immensely. Capcom has created not only a true successor to the 2012 classic, but a game which manages to be everything that fondly remembered gem always wanted to be.”

“Dragon’s Dogma 2 captures the spirit of the original without sanding down the edges of what made it excellent. Its insistence on player exploration and discovery, coupled with an ending I will think about for the rest of the year, makes Dragon’s Dogma 2 a standout game and a worthy successor.”

“Dragon's Dogma 2 is an excellent sequel that builds upon the first game's core concepts to create a thrilling open-world adventure.”

“Dragon’s Dogma 2 is wickedly clever, tightly designed, self-aware in all the right ways, and refreshingly unconcerned with whatever the latest trends are.”

“Dragon’s Dogma 2 is majestic, marvelous and magnificent. It’s an experience that’s like no other that will have you immersed for every second of play. Unfortunately, there are certain elements that hold it back from greatness. For starters, retreading already-explored areas for side quests and materials is a pain. Getting from point A to point B is a hassle that requires a great deal of time or coin because of the lack of a competent traversal system. On top of that, this could have immensely benefited from cooperative play. It already has multiplayer functions, so it’s disappointing we only got asynchronous gameplay, especially considering a pawn’s AI can be lacking outside of combat and their mouths do not stop moving. With that said, combat is highly engaging, the structure of the open world encourages exploration like nothing else and lack of hand holding is the best choice Capcom could have made. Dragon’s Dogma 2 has all the right to be the Elden Ring of 2024, but unfortunately, it’s held back by technical limitations and bizarre design choices. Despite this, there’s still so much brilliance to be found.”

“Dragon's Dogma 2 is exactly what veterans will be expecting, as double-edged as that may be, but there's simply no other action RPG experience like it.”

“If you miss the days when playing video games was about sharing experiences and secrets with your friends and games where every step was a discovery, then look no further: Dragon's Dogma 2 is the game with the most heart you'll find.”

“After a whirlwind 40 hours with Dragon's Dogma 2, it is clear that Capcom has created a flawed masterpiece that might not be for everyone. However, for those that this game speaks to, they will love it to pieces. So, in a way, it is the perfect sequel to Dragon's Dogma. From its unique twist on the RPG party system to its laissez-faire gameplay mechanics that reward players who are willing to think outside the box and dig into every corner of the game, there is nothing quite like Dragon's Dogma 2, and there probably won't be for a long time.”

“Dragon's Dogma returns with a sequel that lives up to expectations, which invites us to fully immerse ourselves in a universe that we can enjoy in the way we like thanks to the different vocations available. A sequel that is quite continuous with respect to the original installment and Dark Arisen, in the good, but also in the bad. After enjoying Capcom's new gem, we can't overlook some mechanizations that seem a bit old and that perhaps could have been polished and modernized a little more. Despite this, this is an outstanding RPG title that will delight all fans of the genre”

“More of a redo than a sequel, Dragon's Dogma 2 is a strange and wonderful action-RPG that bolsters the original’s strengths without addressing its weaknesses.”

“A huge improvement over the original, and a captivating journey from beginning to end.”

“A magnificent adventure with impressive fights and some very rough edges.”