Games are obsessed with perfection these days. In the triple-A space, modern blockbusters are desperate to avoid you looking behind the curtain, determined to always present us with the best visuals, most satisfying gameplay mechanics, and a lasting impression that has us ultimately forget that we are playing a video game. Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t care.

If anything, Capcom’s sequel makes a concerted effort to recapture the inherent jankiness of the original game, despite over a decade having passed since its release. It doesn’t run well on consoles, nor does it look the greatest, but it makes up for those archaic qualities with an untethered aura of ambition. Even in the hands-on preview, where I played across two small parts of both regions, it felt like I could quite literally go anywhere and do anything, so long as I knew dealing with whatever monsters I stumbled across was my responsibility.

At launch, Dragon’s Dogma 2 won’t have the ‘graphics’ or ‘fidelity’ modes we are used to with games these days. Instead, it will run at an uncapped framerate.

Everything about Dragon’s Dogma 2 is oddly liberating, and it doesn’t care if select technical shortcomings get in the way of those ideas. After I was handed the controller, I was told to go anywhere and do anything I wanted, even if I was encouraged to at least embark on a quest or two. I didn’t, intent on breaking the game or pushing it to its very limits in the hours I had.

But no matter how hard I tried, or how ridiculous I tried to make combat encounters, Dragon’s Dogma 2 was able to keep up. If anything, it welcomed such dalliances. One moment had me stumbling across a clearing where a cyclops was trying to attack a farmer and his kart, and as I ran up the bath, half a dozen locals emerged from the bushes and joined in. Suddenly, this skirmish had turned into a full-scale battle filled with giant monsters, bloodthirsty wolves, and particle effects that somehow didn’t tank the framerate. Even if it did, though, I’m not sure if I’d care.

Not a second passed without something unhinged happening. NPCs would fly across the map at the swing of a giant club, while my pawns would be picked up and chewed on as if they were an oversized snack. An ice elemental spell caused the cyclops to suddenly stop in place, slowly freezing as a beautiful cold texture covered his entire body.

I had little idea of how this battle would unfold, and that’s what made it so immersive. It wasn’t a focus on outstanding or choreographed set pieces, but a knowledge that I was fully in control of how this battle would play out. Well, at least until I die. When I was thrown across the field and into the arms of an awaiting pawn prepared to save my bacon, I knew Capcom had created something special. I cannot wait to see more of this brilliance in the full experience.

Director Hideaki Itsuno had said previously that Dragon’s Dogma 2 limits fast travel largely because he wants players to explore the world that has been created here, going on broad adventures that don’t rely on reaching quest markers over and over again. Instead, it encourages players to learn how the open world operates and whether or not you stand a chance against it. Health can only be fully recovered at inns or campfires, while healing items are either bought for high prices or crafted by collecting certain ingredients. Having a decent party line-up is key too, as you will want to jump between different vocations and pawns depending on the situation at hand.

What I love is how so much of this can go wrong, or that certain systems feel underbaked or are deliberately retro in design to ensure you are never a few seconds away from something rad happening. Quests and exposition are handed out in a handful of lines, while characters will run up to you after entering certain towns and cities to offer quests or similar services. In another game, this lack of polish would be viewed as a criticism, but Capcom is trying to stay true to the original game, not turn it into a triple-A behemoth that abandons its iconic charm.

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Dragon's Dogma 2

Action RPG Systems 4.5/5 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 87/100 Critics Rec: 91% Released March 22, 2024 ESRB Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine RE Engine
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Dragon's Dogma is the long-anticipated sequel to Capcom's action RPG. Once again taking on the role of the Arisen, the game promises full customisation in how you create your character and play through your story.

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