I like Dragon’s Dogma 2 a lot, let’s get that straight right up front. I finished it, I had a great time, and I might even play it again. It’s Game of the Year material, surely. But, if we’re being as honest as possible, don’t we have to admit that there’s a lot of it that’s kind of bad? Don’t worry, you don’t have to say it out loud, I’ll say it for you. The point I want to make isn’t that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is bad, it's just that when you take away all the bad stuff, what you’re left with is basically Monster Hunter.

Please don’t take this the wrong way. There are much worse things to be compared to than Monster Hunter, after all. There are even some things Dragon’s Dogma 2 does better than Monster Hunter that I’d like to see that series borrow in the future. I just think when we celebrate Dragon’s Dogma 2, it’s important to recognize that everything great about it came from Monster Hunter, and maybe there’s a lot of Dragon’s Dogma fans that haven’t realized Monster Hunter is the game they really want to play.

Let’s start with the most obvious: the monsters. Both games feature epic, cinematic showdowns between four-man parties and giant beasts that get bigger and more threatening as the game progresses, culminating in battles with ancient dragons. Progression is also tied directly to the process of hunting monsters. In both games you’re rewarded for killing a creature with a pile of body parts you can use to enhance your weapons and armor, allowing you to take on bigger threats, then collect their monster parts, and continue the process over and over.

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Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter also share strikingly similar combat systems. There’s a loop to challenging a monster, whether it's an ogre, a griffin, or a Rathalos, that’s consistent across all fights in both games. Chipping away at an enemy’s health is tedious and exhausting, but with some finesse and knowledge of the monster’s physiology, you can turn a slog of a battle into a quick submission. Mounting monsters and draining their stamina so you can more easily target their weak point is often the key to success, while staggering a foe and causing them to fall over unexpectedly is a way to gain an early advantage.

You also need to use the environment to your advantage. You can protect yourself from charging attacks by taking cover, or leap from high ground to attack the monster’s weak point from above. If you or your pawns have fought the monster before, you’ll know the kinds of elemental attacks they’re weak to, and significantly shorten the length of a fight by leveraging that weakness.

They’re the same game, even down to the weapon classes. The weapon you use in Monster Hunter completely changes how you approach combat and the role you play in your party, and Dragon’s Dogma’s weapons are just as diverse. When I started Dragon’s Dogma 2 I wasan archer and didn’t enjoy combat much at all. When I switched to thief, everything started to click and I had a lot more fun. I had the same experience when I first played Monster Hunter. The long sword just isn’t for me, but with the insect glaive, I become a flying jungle exterminator. The weapon you choose completely defines your playstyle in both series to the point where different weapons make them feel like completely different games.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is at its best when you’re fighting your way up a mountain to take on a pustule-covered drake, and at its worst when you’re slogging back and forth down the same road for the fourth time to complete the umpteenth meaningless fetch quest. The story is dull, the quests are underwritten, and much of the game feels poorly paced. If you cut out all the weak open-world RPG trappings in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you’d just be left with a Monster Hunter game, and it’d probably be a better game for it.

If the rumors are true though, the next Monster Hunter will be open world like Dragon’s Dogma 2. I wonder then if the wheel will turn back, and we’ll see Monster Hunter start to borrow some things in return. I love the way creatures behave in Dragon’s Dogma. They all feel like they exist in the world and have unique routines and behaviors, while Monster Hunter’s monsters often just feel like they follow a set path around the map, just waiting for a fight. I’d like to see some of the more naturalistic elements of Dragon’s Dogma’s endemic life make their way into Monster Hunter. That’s something World emphasized a lot, and I suspect Wilds will aim to go even further in that direction.

That’s all the credit I can give Dragon’s Dogma 2, sorry. Everything else that’s great about it comes from Monster Hunter, and if you don’t agree, well, I have to suggest that you go play more Monster Hunter.

Next: Breaking Up With My Pawns Made Dragon's Dogma 2 Fun Again