Dragon’s Dogma 2
Steam Description:
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more - in a truly immersive fantasy world.
Summary:
🎮 Introduction to Dragon's Dogma 2: The hosts Paul, Josh, and Ryan dive into "Dragon's Dogma 2," a highly anticipated sequel that has garnered both excitement and criticism. The discussion begins with their expectations, with the hosts hoping for a blend of "Skyrim" and "The Witcher" with political intrigue, a vast open world, and challenging combat.
⚔️ Combat Mechanics and Vocations: Combat in "Dragon's Dogma 2" revolves around vocations, which are essentially character classes. Players can start with four initial vocations—Fighter, Mage, Thief, and Archer—and unlock more as they progress. The hosts discuss their experiences with different classes:
Josh: Started as a Thief, enjoying the mobility and agility of the class.
Ryan: Started as a Fighter but found the combat clunky due to the lack of a dodge roll, making the experience frustrating.
Paul: Began as an Archer and later switched to Thief, finding the latter much more enjoyable.
🧙 Pawns and Party System: The Pawn system is a significant feature of the game. Players create a main Pawn and can recruit two additional Pawns from other players. The hosts discuss the strategy behind building their party, the importance of having a balanced team, and the challenges of managing Pawns who do not level up, requiring players to replace them frequently.
🌍 Exploration and Open World: The open world of "Dragon's Dogma 2" is described as underwhelming, with limited areas to explore and repetitive enemy encounters. While the world is visually impressive, the rewards for exploration are often minimal, leading to a lack of motivation to explore.
🎯 Fast Travel and Game Design: Fast travel is a contentious topic, with the game offering limited fast travel options. The hosts discuss the availability of Fairy Stones and Port Crystals, which allow for some fast travel, but express frustration with the overall system, especially when compared to the freedom offered in other open-world games.
🏰 Story and Narrative: The story of "Dragon's Dogma 2" is critiqued for being vague and underdeveloped. The hosts feel that the main plot lacks depth and that the most engaging stories are found in side quests rather than the central narrative. The game’s reliance on ambiguous storytelling leaves players with more questions than answers.
🛠️ Performance and Technical Issues: The podcast touches on technical issues, such as frame rate drops in cities and occasional crashes. While the game runs well in most areas, these issues detract from the overall experience.
💡 Final Thoughts and Reception: The hosts conclude with mixed feelings about "Dragon's Dogma 2." While the game excels in certain areas, such as combat and the Pawn system, it falls short in others, like exploration and storytelling. The game’s potential is evident, but its execution leaves something to be desired.