Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Review
A New Road to Walk
One of my favorite aspects of the Dragon’s Dogma series is its sense of adventure. Much of that comes from the freedom to head out and explore without knowing what will happen. A quick errand can suddenly turn into a battle against a Griffin, while a companion might spot something interesting nearby and suggest investigating. It is easy to get sidetracked, but these little detours are always fun. This sense of discovery is a defining part of Dragon’s Dogma 2, and Dark Arisen continues that pattern with a new story set in the frozen region of Norgan. Alongside the new story, the enhanced version introduces the mysterious Eir and the Fallen Dragon, along with new dungeons, skills, and equipment. With an entirely new region to explore, Dark Arisen gives players another opportunity to get lost in this world.
The story in Dragon’s Dogma 2 begins with the player taking on the role of the Arisen, a figure destined to face the Dragon and claim the throne of Vermund. The problem is that someone else has already taken the throne while claiming to be the true Arisen, putting the protagonist in the middle of a political struggle as they try to uncover the truth. From there, the journey takes the Arisen across Vermund and into Battahl, where the mystery surrounding the Dragon becomes increasingly complicated. There are some great ideas here, and the political intrigue makes for a strong setup, but the execution is flawed. Its pacing becomes increasingly rushed, while several characters and plot threads receive less development than they deserve.
Dark Arisen takes a much more focused approach with its standalone story in Norgan. Eir and the mysterious Fallen Dragon provide an interesting mystery, while the smaller cast gives the narrative more space to develop its world and characters. The story takes a darker turn as it progresses, which suits Norgan’s atmosphere. It is a more enjoyable story to follow than most of the base game, but it does not completely solve the series’ long-standing narrative problems. The story is not the primary reason to play Dragon’s Dogma 2, but Dark Arisen gives it a more focused and enjoyable tale to tell. It’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Norgan is absolutely gorgeous.
The Pawn system remains the best part of Dragon’s Dogma 2. Pawns essentially serve as the game’s companions, joining the Arisen throughout the adventure and helping in both combat and exploration. Players create their own main Pawn and bring additional Pawns into the party, each with a different vocation, personality, skill set, and knowledge base. Pawns comment on the places the party visits, point out things worth noticing, and sometimes will lead the way when they recognize a location or already know how to complete a quest. Their behavior shifts over time as well, since they pick up on what they learn from the adventures shared with other players. A main Pawn becomes a companion that actually grows alongside the Arisen over the course of the adventure. It’s an ingenious system, and still one of the game’s best features.
Dark Arisen expands Dragon’s Dogma 2 with several gameplay additions, and they fit especially well with everything already in the base game. Every vocation receives new skills, and the increase in weapon skill slots gives each one more room for experimentation. The expansion also introduces Relic Appraisal, with weapons and armor that reveal random abilities when they are identified, making the overall gameplay loop more engaging. Outside of Norgan, the Lost Rites dungeons offer their own challenges and unique equipment, encouraging players to revisit areas from the base game. All of these additions give the RPG side of Dragon’s Dogma 2 more depth, making Dark Arisen a more rewarding experience overall.
These additions are welcome, but they do not fix some of the problems that were already present in Dragon’s Dogma 2. The combat is still enjoyable, but the enemy variety can become repetitive, especially when traveling through areas that have already been explored. The overall balance still has some problems, as the game becomes substantially easier once players gain access to stronger skills and equipment. These areas are improved compared to the original version, but the problems have not entirely gone away. Exploration in the original zones can also lose its luster over time, though the new areas are much more interesting. Dark Arisen feels like it is trying to patch some of the original game’s problems, but the results are inconsistent.
The Arisen shows the monster who’s boss.
Visually, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is absolutely beautiful, with detailed environments and fantastic creature designs. The style also fits the setting perfectly, whether exploring a busy city or travelling through the wilderness. Performance was one of the biggest problems with the original release, but Capcom has made significant improvements through its updates, and the game now runs far more consistently than it did at launch. Dark Arisen benefits from all of that work while adding the beautiful landscapes of Norgan. The soundtrack is also quite good, but it rarely stands out. It fits the world well and complements the atmosphere without being particularly memorable. Combined with the strong visuals and much-improved performance, Capcom has done a commendable job bringing Dragon’s Dogma 2 to this point.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is a substantial upgrade to an already enjoyable RPG, adding a new adventure in Norgan while improving many aspects of the base game. The new story is a major improvement over the base game’s narrative, while the addition of new vocation skills, expanded weapon skill slots, Relic Appraisal, and the Lost Rites dungeons makes this the definitive version of Dragon’s Dogma 2. On the other hand, some of the original game’s problems remain, with repetitive enemies and pacing issues holding it back. Fans of Dragon’s Dogma 2 will find plenty to enjoy here, but those who struggled to connect with the original game may not find enough to change their minds. For RPGamers looking for a strong sense of adventure and an absolutely beautiful world to get lost in, Dark Arisen is worth considering.
Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher.
Excellent Pawn system
Norgan is a beautiful new region
New skills add greater RPG depth
Enemy variety becomes repetitive
Some story threads are underdeveloped
Recent Comments