Do You Need To Play Dragon’s Dogma Before Dragon’s Dogma 2?

Summary

• Dragon's Dogma 2 can be enjoyed as a standalone experience, you don't need to play the original to enjoy this one.
• However, having played the original enhances your experience with the sequel, providing insight into gameplay mechanics, enemies, and locations.
• You should dive into the postgame of Dragon's Dogma 2 with more info about the world to fully appreciate the intricate storytelling.

After a 12-year absence (ignoring the MMO), Dragon's Dogma 2 is a grand return to the world of the original, in ways both literal and thematic. It is grounded in travel, at times obscene characters, and thrilling combat that rewards experimentation.

Dragon's Dogma 2: What Is The Arisen?

What's the connection between the Arisen, the Sovran, and the Dragon?

Yet because it builds so much on the original game, you might question how important it is to play that before the sequel. It's a slightly complex question, though no matter how you experience Dragon's Dogma 2, you're bound to have a memorable adventure.

Dragon's Dogma 2 Can Be Played As A Standalone Experience

Despite being numbered very directly as a sequel to the original and acting as though the Japan-only Dragon's Dogma online never occurred, it would be logical to assume then that the story is a follow-up to the original game as well. Not at all!

The original Dragon's Dogma focuses plenty on the idea of repeating cycles, and the sequel is no different. It's a core theme of both games, though moment-to-moment story beats bear no relation to each other. In that regard, Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't expect you to have played the original, though will make onboarding a bit quicker.

You can also make your character, the Arisen, and Pawn in the dedicated Character Creator demo for the game, letting you jump into the action of Dragon's Dogma 2 that much faster.

In fact, booting up Dragon's Dogma 2, you'll notice that the main menu doesn't actually have the '2' at all. The game truly does want you to know that you can play this as your first experience in the world of Dragon's Dogma.

The Original Can Enhance Your Enjoyment Of The Sequel

While playing the original game is in no way necessary to understand or enjoy the sequel, it definitely will enhance the experience in lots of fun ways. For one, it will bring you on board with the main ideas of the game very quickly, such as how Pawns learn from your actions as you play as Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't always tell you all of its smaller gameplay mechanics.

Many of the Vocations of the original game reappear in the sequel, so playing the original will not only give you a good idea of how these function before you get to play them, but also let you better appreciate how they've changed since the original, too. Many of the same enemies reappear as well, giving you a headstart in combat as well.

Having played the original, many locations might bear some striking resemblances to you as well. Vernworth very clearly emulates the city of Gran Soren, the Moonglint Tower is an obvious replication of the Bluemoon Tower, and so on. Many little easter eggs like this lie around the world, in locations, characters and items, and may even give a bit of insight into the greater workings of the lore as well.

You Should Play Dragon's Dogma For The Postgame Though

All of that said though, the postgame of Dragon's Dogma 2 is where you'll want some broader awareness of the lore or you might be entirely lost.

While the original Dragon's Dogma famously suffered from a rushed development that resulted in many of the major story beats being very suddenly unraveled, the sequel weaves these greater lore samples into every part of the world. They are very rarely directly told to you, but you can find them with a keen eye and attention to detail.

In this regard, the postgame of Dragon's Dogma 2 requires that awareness. Even reaching the postgame might be difficult if you're not aware of what you're doing. The game can definitely be harsh at times in how much it wants you to understand, and having played the first game can make you piece these lore fragments together in a more logical manner.

We won't delve any deeper to avoid spoilers, but let's just say that Dragon's Dogma 2 earns its namesake as a sequel by the time you finish it.

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