RPG fans can rejoice: Japanese video game developer Capcom has now announced that “Dragon’s Dogma 2” is currently in development. To mark the occasion, the first playable version of the game was shown off at a hands-on preview in Hamburg. We were there too and were able to get a first impression for an hour.
In “Dragon’s Dogma 2”, as in the first part, we travel in a fantasy world. Our character leads a group of up to three AI companions, called minions. We should be able to create and design one of these minions ourselves in the end game – just like our character.
Classic role distribution
We can recruit minions using special runes and we can also learn what skills the AI companions have. (© Capcom)
We tested the game on Playstation 5. The title has also been announced for PC and Xbox Series X/S. In the preview version we used three pre-generated characters. They differed in their professional lives. It is divided according to the classic style, offering fighter, archer, mage, and thief. We tried all the professions except the magician and encountered nothing surprising at first. The fighter is the classic tank, the archer strikes from a distance and the thief scores quickly and exploits the opponent’s openings.
Subalterns should also pursue these careers. In the subsequent match we should be able to form a group at specific points as we wish. So far, so good. However, Capcom has announced that it wants to introduce two career paths that will only be available to the character we control, called the Awakened One. Magic Archer and Arcane Blade aim to combine elements of other professions and bring their own dynamics with them.
Career change in the Middle Ages
Real-time battles play differently depending on the profession we have chosen. However, we are not limited to one category. Alternatively, we can change course at any time mid-game. This would make sense, because as in the first part, we had to fight mainly larger creatures.
In the preview version, we encountered a griffin, a giant, and even a dragon. The three monsters require different tactics to fight. We’re excited to see if Capcom can balance the functionality well.
Adventures in a divided country
“Dragon’s Dogma 2” is designed for combat, especially against large monsters. Here our group attacks the powerful giant that our thief is currently climbing. (© Capcom)
This also applies to the story “Dragon’s Dogma 2”. It is known so far that the world is divided into two countries. While Vermond, the Kingdom of Men, is a land of rolling green hills and sprawling settlements, Batal is said to be full of steep valleys and ancient ruins.
Batal is also inhabited by monsters, which are a type of animal. On our short trip, we were introduced to a part of Vermond that looks beautiful even now thanks to the RE engine. In addition, we should not only meet merchants, soldiers and other NPCs during the game. Instead, they must also have their own daily life and, for example, change their location.
The fact that artificial intelligence “thinks for itself” is also reflected in another feature that was already used in the first part. Again, we can hire followers who were already part of another group. If we now accept a quest that one of our followers has already completed, this companion can give us valuable advice on how to complete this quest.
Whoever rests costs money
Another important role is played by the rest we take with our group. To do this, we set up camp in the wilderness, make a fire, cook something delicious for ourselves, and chat with our group members. We also heal health points during these pauses.
There is also a fast travel system in the world of “Dragon’s Dogma 2” using bullock carts, which allows us to move from one place to another. However, caution is advised because medieval transports can be attacked on the way and we and our group could be involved in combat.
Promising first impression
To be sure, many of the ideas presented in Hamburg are not new. At first glance, career paths in particular do not seem very innovative. However, first impressions of the gameplay are promising. If Capcom can connect the individual elements sensibly and support them with a decent story, “Dragon’s Dogma 2” should easily build on the success of the first part.
However: as of now there is no specific release date and no rough indication from Capcom about when the game might appear. So fans will have to be patient until they can go out as Awakened again.
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