Dragon's Dogma 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

Game description:

Dragon's Dogma 2 is a 2024 action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom. The sequel to Dragon's Dogma (2012), the game is set in a fantasy-themed world parallel to the first game. Players control a customizable character through the game's open world while hunting a dragon that chose them as the "Arisen" amid a geopolitical conflict by completing quests and gaining new equipment on the way with the aid of allies known as "Pawns". Dragon's Dogma 2 was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on March 22, 2024. The game received generally positive reviews from critics and sold 3 million units by May 2024.

Gameplay:

Dragon's Dogma 2 is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. The player takes on the role of a character called the "Arisen", a hero marked by a dragon whom they must defeat. The player explores the world they live in, taking on quests, and fighting monsters, while being caught up in a geopolitical conflict between two kingdoms. To assist in this, the Arisen relies on allies called "Pawns", non-playable characters who join the player's party. These characters are AI-controlled, but function like player-controlled avatars, able to assist in fights, provide information on enemies, and give guidance to active quests. Players can each create and customize their avatar and their own Pawn character with different genders, appearances, and race. In addition, players can recruit two additional Pawns that have been created by other players.

Game review:

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a strange and wonderful game that seems haunted by some of yesteryear’s bugaboos. It is a retelling and reimplementation of all of those wonderful ideas from the 2012 cult-classic, including an awesome dynamic world and some of the best combat in the genre that integrates a subtle but amazingly complex physics system. On the other hand, its finicky ally AI, clunky climbing, choppy frame rate, and camera with a habit of going haywire at the worst times are all “features” I wish hadn’t been brought back for another round. Even so, there’s an action-RPG here that’s richly rewarding and incomparable to its contemporaries if you can be patient with its quirks and open to embracing its hands-off open-world and quest designs.