Dragon’s Dogma 2 could be the year’s most ambitious fantasy epic

During my first preview of Dragon’s Dogma 2, I felt I had barely scratched the surface of what was going to be on offer in the final game. As my characters journeyed through forests and witnessed the smouldering flames of the titular dragons, it's clearly a game with lofty ambitions - something that continues to be the case as release approaches.

I had the chance to play three more hours of Capcom’s fantasy epic and after witnessing some dramatic battles, reflective excursions and perhaps some of the best-looking food in gaming – I left hungry for more and eager to play.

Class Act

Click to enlarge

For the first preview, I had the chance to try out some of the standard starting classes to give me an idea of how the basic systems worked, and its potential to change class relatively freely. This time around, I got to try some more intermediate classes Dragon’s Dogma 2 had to offer: a Magic Archer and a twin-blade-wielding Spearhand. The ability to switch roles on a whim is likely to be a highlight of the game, but I couldn’t resist seeing what it would be like if you stuck with a class for a significant period.

Both had their benefits. While the archer felt slightly weaker, the variety of magical arrows they possess is incredible. Controllable fire arrows, some that scattered and even some that could heal and revive Pawns from afar (something that came in very handy when one of my team wandered off a cliff and needed some support), prove that there really is a tool for every scenario.

The twin-blade was stronger, and more agile, allowing me to climb up enemies and deal a constant stream of damage with its magical abilities. There is incredible versatility and build potential in these classes that will work for a player whether they want to be a specialist or a generalist, and whether they want to dip their toes in multiple classes or completely master one. 

Moments of Calm

As I, and my merry band of Pawns, scaled craggy inclines and travelled by ox cart across breakable bridges, I was able to reflect on the sheer scale that Dragon’s Dogma 2 looks set to offer. I only saw a snippet of the world and judging by the map that I was gradually filling out, I had barely scratched the surface.

While the combat, spells and typical RPG fayre were astounding, it was also in these moments of tranquillity that I appreciated just what would await me in the grand scheme of things. The castles and towers that jutted out in the distance, were all explorable. All with a sense of mystery. They had me question what would eventually happen there, and I can’t wait to find out.

At one point, as we made camp, I took a moment to cook some of the food we had collected to take with us. Now, while you only get to cook once per camp, I was immediately floored by the cutscene that followed. As the meat went into the pan, it cut to show the slab sizzling away. It was the tastiest-looking food I had seen since the cooking of Final Fantasy XV. While it was only brief, I was already looking forward to my next bit of downtime with my Pawns to see what would come of my next meal.

The Ultimate Battle

Click to enlarge

Perhaps my most enduring takeaway from this preview was the sheer chaos that can ensue at any given moment in Dragon’s Dogma 2, with the potential for small skirmishes to break out into full-scale battles.

Allow me to paint a picture of my humble archer, still learning the ropes of my magical prowess and deciding that it would be the perfect time to take on a hulking troll along with my three Pawns. It seemed simple enough. It was alone and, despite its size, we outnumbered it. Oh, how wrong I was.

As I fought the troll, two more had wandered into the fray. Fortunately, some passing sellswords on the road also got caught up in the chaos and started fighting with us. The fight grew. It was exciting and tense, I was reviving my teammates and firing arrows all over the place. We had them on the ropes… until a gryphon flew into the fight and took on everything it could, even the trolls.

What started as a simple scrap broke out into an all-out war. The battle started in the morning and went through an entire day/night cycle before finally drawing to a close. Three trolls slain, a gryphon felled, and multiple casualties - but we were victorious.

I was in awe at the scale of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s even relatively standard fights. No two battles are ever the same and they feel as if they are adapting to the world around them. You can't just blunder haphazardly into a fight. It's important to think, take stock and consider your options. And despite everything that was on the screen, the game held its own and managed to maintain constant graphical fidelity.

Final Thoughts

Click to enlarge

With the release now within touching distance on March 22nd, it’s clear to see that Dragon's Dogma 2 will be simply massive, presenting a size and scope that is seldom seen. With every step I took, I could feel the weight of the game’s ambition bearing down on me.

There is real potential here for it to be one of the most fully realised fantasy experiences in a long time, and certainly one of the most grandiose of the year. I cannot wait to see where the story takes us and fully lose myself in this world.

Dragon's Dogma 2 will be released on March 22 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.