Okay, so when I stepped away from Dragon's Dogma last year I had upwards of over 100 hours logged into the game. I think it was actually nearing 170-ish as I played through the entire game nearly 3 times. At this point I thought I was done with Dragon's Dogma. I was wrong.

Late last year Capcom released a teaser trailer announcing what everyone thought was a bit of DLC called "Dark Arisen". They went dark and then earlier this year it was revealed that Dark Arisen would be a entire re-release treatment similar to Super Street Fighter. The rest as they say is history as I'm staring at a clock counter 90+ hours deep on a new file on the PS3 version this time of Dark Arisen.

Whats funny is for a game that I've put this much time into I nearly didn't bother with it at all. When I saw capcom was doing this I thought it looked so generic and boring and well... kind of awful. I'll admit even as a fan now from the outside Dragon's Dogma isn't a very appealing game. It does nothing visually to catch your attention at all. I owe my entire discovery of this game to my friend.

He hounded me for weeks on end to try out the Dragon's Dogma demo. I played it once died a few times and turned it off. I always feel guilty about dismissing a game after I play poorly so I tried it again. I managed to climb on the Griffin in the demo and was slashing the crap out of it holding on for my life as it thrashed around. The mage in my party lit it wings on fire and music kicked up as I rode this flaming monster as it crashed unceremoniously into the ground. I was hooked.

So as I've been playing Dark Arisen and enjoying both the new content and the main game again I've been trying to pinpoint what exactly is so appealing about this game to me. Its a game that isn't without its fair share of quirks and problems but I think I actively regard it as one of my top 5 RPG's of this generation. So join me as I try to take a thought journey into Dragon's Dogma.

C-C-Combo Breaker! : The Combat of Dragon's Dogma

If you've followed or played Dragon's Dogma at all you've undoubtedly heard talk about how great the combat was. Its really the main pillar of the game and one that really holds it all together. So, I don't want to assume everyone here has thrown multiple hours into this so I'll give a brief overview of how it works if you've never played the game before. Basically you can choose initially one of three vocations Mage, Fighter and Strider. The controls are pretty simple basic light and heavy attacks along with a modifier button that acts as a modifier allowing your basic attack buttons to activate skills/spells instead.

What makes this so fun to play around with is that at level 10 the world really opens up to you with the addition of six more classes. There are three advanced classes like Warrior, Ranger, Sorcerer and three Hybrid classes Magick Archer, Magick Knight and Assassin. The thing I really love is this allows you for really customized classes. You CAN be every class and viably play the game. What is better many of your passive skills known as "augments" can be learned on one class and still used and applied while being an entirely other class.

On top of the behind the scenes stuff the actual combat in motion is great as well. The combat itself works very much like Monster Hunter in a few ways. The animations are very deliberate and all of the classes play very differently. You really need to not only build a party that complements your abilities but know how to engage enemies properly. If you're a mage that gets too close to the ogre swinging around wildly you're going to pay. While on the other hand if you're a tank who isn't in there pulling aggro away from your healer she might get smacked off a ledge and then you'll be up a creek.

Targeting body parts on monster and enemies is also a big focus which is really fun to do. Hitting a Cyclops in the face will result in its tusk breaking off not only causing damage but providing a extra bit of loot. The thing that really sets the combat apart though is how it lets you clamber and climb on nearly EVERYTHING in the game. As I mentioned before in my story of my fight in the demo with the Griffin clambering onto monsters is a thing. This can lead to some crazy moments. The risk and reward of these moments is one of the great thrills of the game. Clambering up the back of an Ogre could lead to you being able to get to its head allowing you to really get some damage in. However, the Ogre could simply jump on his back killing you or run off of a cliff taking you with him. Controlling and shaping the fights to your advantage is a huge part of the combat as well.

Darkness is a big deal in Dragon's Dogma. And I don't mean in the good versus evil sort of way. Night is DARK and when I say dark I don't mean its sort of uncomfortable but hey I can still see dark. I mean... DARK you can't see dark. To this end the game gives you a lantern but here is the catch... the lantern also runs on fuel and can also go out if you splash around in the water. There is nothing like fighting an Cyclops on a perilous ledge near a cliff when all of a sudden your lantern goes out leaving the giant beast swinging its club through the darkness. Not only does the game put you in positions that are uncomfortable and perilous its just straight up more dangerous at lower levels to go out after dark. Goblins are replaced on the roads by the undead, skeletons and if you're really unlucky a Wight.

This premise is really exciting at least at the beginning of the game its a shame and one of the biggest things I feel the game failed on delivering consistently through the game. It would have been great even as a beefed up level 100 to be terrified to be caught in the dark. The tension of the early hours of Dragon's Dogma's combat is fantastic. Much like Dark Souls you'll find yourself being very cautious. Too much exploration could lead to a chance early encounter with a wandering Chimera.

Even though the feel for the combat takes some getting used to and some of the aspects of the tension of the combat only work for so long the entire package of all of these things is what is so fascinating about the combat. You're just not getting stat boosts and mashing an attack button you're actively seeking out weak points on monsters and engaging each of them in different ways. You're mixing and matching abilities to make custom classes. Its active combat that really allows you to show off your reflexive skills as well as getting better through new gear and stat boosts. And its absolutely a blast.

You're My Bitch: Dragon's Dogma's Pawn System

One of the most innovative and original things that Dragon's Dogma puts forward as a game in its genre is the pawn system. What is the pawn system you say? Well, to put it bluntly your pawn is your side-kick. He or She accompanies your main character on their journeys around the land. What is unique about this system is how this system connects players from all over the world.

So, say you are a Strider and you decided to make your pawn a Fighter. You're now sorely lacking a healer aren't you? This is where the pawn system comes in. The game allows you to hire other players pawns. Which allows this single player only game to have a unique take on multiplayer connectivity. If your pawn is hired out you get rewarded with Rift Crystals. There is nothing better than seeing your pawn being rented out on a regular basis. Its weird too outside of some light in-fiction justification of the pawns there is no real story to speak of between you and your pawn. I however at least have on both of my characters I've made gotten actually kind of attached to my pawns. I've been happy when they save the day, concerned when they are in a perilous situation and even felt bad the few times I've not been able to save her.

Even if Dragon's Dogma doesn't get a proper sequel I hope they actually use this feature in other single player games. Like Dark Souls its a interesting way to add connectivity and multiplayer without making it nothing but death matches and standard Co-op and I find that interesting. Its pretty cool to be making tandem progress in the game with a friend and seeing how their pawn updates and changes over the course of the game. But no seriously... this game better get a sequel...

I'm just going to borrow your heart for a bit you're cool with that right, bro? (a.k.a the story)

So, the story in Dragon's Dogma is a peculiar thing.... cause like for most of the game there is none. The setup for your adventure is clear enough. A dragon appears and attacks your small fishing village. Your character inexplicably tries to fight the thing single handedly. Needless to say that doesn't go to well and the dragon decides to eat your heart. And there is your entire setup for the story. Oh, you ask about the whole being alive without your heart thing? Oh uh well that gets explained...just play the game.

Thing is for what turns into a lot of quests that end up not having a entirely a lot to do with actually making narrative progress on this front the last third or so of the game is NUTS. See, I'm at a impasse here now. I really want to talk in detail WHY the ending is as crazy as it is but If you haven't already played it you would be robbing yourself of a rather mind blowing few series of events.

Needless to say the story is ultimately is one of the bigger failings of Dragon's Dogma for what ends up being such an incredible premise they sure to take their time giving you anything to chew on plot wise. The other thing is that while I do adore what they do with the story and where it goes the characters aren't all that memorable. Which, again is sort of a shame. I'm really hoping again like with the pawn system Capcom learns from all of this and makes the story in a possible sequel even better. But no, seriously you need to see the final bits of this game its pretty crazy....

You got your dark souls in my Dragon's Dogma - The Dark Arisen Expansion

This next part is for people who are interested in hearing how the new content is so if you're interested in that... then continue reading! So, one thing that kept running through my head over and over while playing this expansion. Someone at Capcom really likes them some Dark Souls. The entirety of Bitter Black Isle is oppressive and ominous in nature. Also, like Dark Souls the Isle is a linear affair unlike the open world of Gransys. You will unlock shortcuts after bosses that all connect back to the main hub area with a rest spot and a NPC called Olgra who will let you access your inventory etc....

I dunno, does that sound familiar? Yeah? Glad we agree. But this expansion isn't all about aping Dark Souls. It brings a few new mechanics to the table. First off the base enemies in BBI are fucking brutal as is. I really suggest not even attempting anything until you are at LEAST level 50. Even at level 50 I found my self struggling a little bit with some of the enemies. So right, new mechanics. One of these you'll be introduced to pretty early on. You know Death right? Oh you know... carries a Scythe reaps the souls of the dead that whole thing? Yeah? Good. So you totally fight Death in this. What is interesting isn't necessarily that you fight him but that fighting him is a tall task. He is by far one of the most dangerous enemies in the game period.

What is more interesting is this is a fight that you aren't going to win right away because death will randomly appear and disappear assailing you when he sees fit. All the damage you do to him is permanent as well. So next time he appears he will retain any damage from your previous encounters. And when I say he appears at random he will absolutely appear at the worst possible junctures making crazy fights even more perilous.

The other thing that is new but well sort of along the lines of the Death fight but in another way is the introduction of "Carrion Creatures". Carrion creatures are extremely powerful beasts that will take the form of either a Garm (a giant dog like creature) or a Elder Ogre (he is a fan of drop kicks). The basis of when they appear depends on how much you kill. They are attracted by the rotting corpses of the enemies that you kill. So, the more you kill the more you have the chance of ironically putting yourself in even MORE danger. These monsters are no laughing matter either especially Elder Ogres even at level 90 now the things are still a pretty tall task for me to take out.

In addition to all the new enemies and stuff the game packs in some cool new mechanics with how you get the new weapons, armor and items that have been put into the Dark Arisen Expansion. In the main game you open a chest and you find a weapon right? Dark Arisen puts a tweak on the treasure hunting in this expansion. Instead of flat out finding a weapon or a armor you'll find what is known as a "Cursed Item" the description will tell you what kind of item it is Cursed Weapon, Cursed Armor etc...

However, you won't know WHAT weapon or armor piece you are going to get until you take it Olgra and have her purify it. Once you purify it its basically like opening up a pack of trading cards you have a chance to get some really killer weapons and armor but then again... you could also get something you have 4 or 5 of sitting in your bank. All in all I'd say if you ran straight through Bitter Black Isle would take you around 2-3 hours to get through. There is plenty of optional fights and quests to be had though. I'm really having fun with it. As is evident by me putting off writing this for days because I could hardly tear myself away from playing.

Okay I'm going to quit writing so I can play some more. - The End?!

So I dunno what I really accomplished here. I know I've just felt like writing something about Dragon's Dogma for awhile (oh and using this awesome screenshots I was able to take!) so hopefully I might have encouraged a person or two to try this game or if you have and quit give it another go. Despite much of its chunkiness its a game that has real heart (pun intended?!). And to those who might be on the fence on coming back for Dark Arisen I at least think its MUCH worth coming back for. They even fixed a ton of things in the base game (hey how about that new roll animation!) which is a much welcomed addition. I'm kind of running low on things to say at this point so I suppose I'll wrap it up with this. Dragon's Dogma is really one of my favorite games this generation and I hope we see a sequel. I'll be excited to see what Capcom does with this.

If anyone is playing and wants to hire my pawns both my PSN and Xbox Live is "Demoskinos" my pawns "Risty"(360) and "Momiji"(PS3) will be glad to help you out. Although, I'm playing currently on PS3 so....Risty will most likely not be updated any time soon but by all means still hire her. Now...to go play some more.....

The more I hear about Dragon's Dogma, the more I feel I really need to try this game out.

@hailinel: You should try this game out.

What he said. =P

I started playing the game two days ago and already have 18 hours put into it. I must say I came in with pretty low expectations and was completely blown away at how much fun it is. I'll probably put more hours into this game than I did in Skyrim if I keep enjoying it as much as I am right now. I really like the way you can grapple onto enemies as well. I remember early on I jumped up grabbed the legs of a harpy and she flung me off. I totally expected to hit the ground and die but my main pawn jumped up and grabbed me, saving me from a reload. Small things like that really impress me so I was pretty much hooked after that moment.

@ezakael: Glad your enjoying it. There is PLENTY to do in the game if you like taking your time on quests.

http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon%27s_Dogma_Wiki That is the link to the DD wiki. Its pretty great if you're enjoying the game it has a lot of great information like where to find all those pesky ingredients for upgrading gear and such. I hope you keep enjoying it!

Funny you mentioning Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arising, just bought it today. Took me awhile to finally push the x button and make the purchase of it on psn, the gamespot video of Kevin VanOrd playing it finally coaxed me into buying it. Now I'm patiently waiting for it to download.

@demoskinos: As someone who loves this game more than it deserves, your blog has made me really want to jump back into Dark Arisen though, considering I'm back down at school and don't currently have a Xbox (though I did bring my games just in case I could find someone to mooch off). I can't go as far as your "Top 5 RPGs of the generation" claim, because DD has so many weird problems and questionable design choices that I wouldn't feel comfortable putting it next to whatever I would invariably put as my top 5 RPGs of the generation (Probably... Oblivion? Dragon Age Origins? Dark Souls? Ok. I got about that far before wondering if I felt comfortable classifying Mass Effect 2 as a RPG... but that's a conflict for my own blogs to sort out)

@hailinel:

I think you'd get something out of this game. You should play it, if only because it's such an unique, singular game and there's nothing quite like it for as much as the Monster Hunter and Dark Souls comparisons get thrown around.

Oh yeah. I picked this up since its a full game and its expansion for a cheapo 40 bucks.

It's not the greatest game, it sorta pales compared to Dark Souls or Skyrim. But i'm really loving it. The combat is really fast and fun. The big monsters are a blast to fight. In fact even after darksouls i've had more FUN with the bosses in dragons dogma because it's like a cool endurance fight, see if your party can outlast the boss. And climbing? MY GOD! Why hasn't this become standard in fantasy games. (I never played shadows of the colossus). I'm actually climbing (and clipping) all over these huge monsters and attacking at places OTHER than their legs! every other game you're just hacking at the damn things shins.

Plus the whole, swapping in and out of completely different classes at little to no real cost to you, is awesome. In most other games if i'm playing a warrior and i want to try out the mage, i have to make another character or grind alot. This? Go talk to that innkeeper, pay a small amount of xp and bam new class. It's even free to go back to any classes you've already unlocked.

My one complaint about the game, is the difficulty spikes up and down constantly. After getting out of the tutorial area i got completely destroyed CONSTANTLY. Then after a bit, the game got so tediously easy for like 5 hours i almost quit. Then all of a sudden BAM getting completely destroyed again.

All and all, great game. Not perfect by any stretch but i really apperciate the fast snappy combat and the really awesome boss/climbing stuff. (though i fought the dragon earlier tonight and i ended up climbing in and out of his armpit over and over. maybe i was tickling him to death, still won though)

@clonedzero: Yeah, you hit the nail on the head about the difficulty. The difficulty is all over the place it can be brutal in spots and then get to sections where you coast along for awhile. Its really inconsistent , which is one of my complaints about the game as a whole.

I just borrowed Dark Arisen from Van Ord. Looking forward to getting into it. Only about two hours in - he said that it takes around five to really blossom. We'll see!

@rorie: Pro tip: learn how you get the map to point you to where your quest objective is. I don't know if Dark Arisen changed any of this but in the original Dragon's Dogma I couldn't figure out where the Witchwood was because I missed this mechanic and thus missed doing a certain side quest due to progressing the story too far.

It later turned out that missing this sidequest meant some later sidequests, and more importantly the other half of the Witchwood, was locked out for my playthrough. The reason I didn't find it was also because you had to push through some "too high for your early level" bandits to get there, and without knowing how to make the map point you towards it, it could be missed next to the huge open field that the path really seems to lead to.

It was basically the equivalent of having to move through the graveyard and into the early catacombs in Dark Souls before beating the Taurus demon or otherwise you wouldn't be able to reach the Painted World.

I played original Dragon's Dogma up until I hit Gran Soren for the first time...and promptly sold it away. It didn't really seem all that interesting. With this new version, I decided to give it another shot, especially since it was so cheap. Forcing myself to play a decent bit further (I'd say probably 10 hours to REALLY get going) made me realize that this game is pretty damn fun.

While I don't personally agree with everyone who says the combat is super-tactical (mashing is VERY efficient for several--not all--of the enemies) and Monster Hunter-esque (not enough animation priority to be that comparable), it is still a surprisingly competent fantasy game from a Japanese company, Capcom no less. If they can create a more interesting world with some fun, creative characters for a sequel (probably my one problem with the game), I think they will have quite the success on their hands.

Ugh, this is killing me, I sold Dragon's Dogma and another game so I could buy Dark Arisen. Of course when I did this Dark Arisen isn't being sold in stores at Best Buy, so Best Buy's estimated time of delivery was tuesday... UPS's is today. It's been a week too long, I craving some Dragon's Dogma.

To think I only bought the game originally for the Resident Evil 6 demo, hah! It was a decision I do not regret since I couldn't stop playing it.

@rorie: Few quick tips from someone who has played WAY too much of this.

• Pretty much take just about every notice board quest you see. I would say avoid the escort quests though because escort quest you have to do as soon as you accept them. The rest however are a lot of "Kill X creature X times" quests. While these might be mundane in themselves chances are you're still going to end up killing those 10 wolves the quest wanted anyways on your journey. Many of these quests mean big money too. An early one gives you 50k just for murdering 45 rabbits.
• Pawn Inclination is really important. If you look under the pawns you hire and the one you make they will have a section under "Profile" that shows a Primary and Secondary Inclination. Basically, this is how the AI will make the pawn operate. For example a pawn with Nexus inclination as its primary would focus on putting the welfare of the party above all else. Which is very useful for classes like a support mage but not as useful for a damage dealer class. Its pretty useful knowledge to have to understand why the pawns act the way they do.
• Hiring any level pawns from friends is free but also take note that if you hire a pawn that is too many levels ahead of you you will as a result start to gain slightly less XP

I had one other thing but now I forget... Oh and because you didn't play the original and get the proper treatment. You need to listen to this and hear all of its J-Rock Glory. This is the original title screen music from the Vanilla release.

That's what shitty summer droughts are for. It's gonna be either this or Fire Emblem for me.

@wemibelec90: Well yeah, not all the enemies require grand strategy most of the trash mobs can be disposed of with a quick few mashes. Still, its leagues above what something like Skyrim puts forth for combat.

@mideonnviscera: Yeah, this really came out at the right time. Its probably going to be the game to carry me to August.

Is this ever coming to the PC? Any concrete news about that?

IGN title! You say the scenery is beautiful but it kind of has that Dogma-look which as a whole suffers from Oblivionitis as opined upon so many years past by Yahtzee. No Crystal Caves or Anor Londo to speak of.

@demoskinos: that was a beautiful write-up man.

@slag: Well thanks! =)

Absolutely. I didn't really mean that as an attack against what you said. I just have seen a lot of people raving about the combat which, while pretty good, isn't exactly perfect. Anyways, nice write-up! I can't wait to get back to my copy for a second go-through once I finish up a few other games.

I really want to try it too, maybe over summer I will have some time to play before I get a real job

@wemibelec90: Its cool, didn't take any offense. Besides, Its pretty important to discuss the failings or places the game could be better. I don't mind people debating my opinions either as long as everything is kept respectful on a personal level. =)

@demoskinos: Hmm, thanks, I'll keep all of that in mind. The Pawn system reminds me a bit of FFXII at this point. Seems fun!

Nice blog. Bitterblack is longer than you imply though. Maybe if you speed run it, ignore any enemy that is actually strong, and don't explore for crap you can get through it from start to finish in 3 hours. But you also missed 50% of what makes it fun. The only real weakness of bitterblack itself is the areas repeat so you find yourself treading a very familiar set of sewers or stairs or prison or.... you get the idea.... on a semi regular basis.

They spiced up the base game too though, there is new gear there too, not just in bitter. Also new mobs, juicy new mobs!

I picked it up again recently - spurred by seeing footage of Dark Arisen - and had a better time then ever with it. It has a lot of design quirks that I found hard to get past originally, but it's such a great, unique, and just plain brave game that eventually I learned to forgive.

It's the game that makes me excited for next-gen. It's just incredibly ambitious with it's 100% dynamic lighting and open world, to the point where they really scraped the ceiling of what current-gen can do. I'm hoping developers will feel free to be more daring in those sorts of aspects now that they'll have a little wiggle room. There's also a faint hope in me that games like this and Dark Souls light a fire under the right people and we get more crazy niche-but-surprisingly-not-so-niche things like them moving forward. They're good evidence that big companies are still willing to take big risks making quality crazy games.

Ugh this makes me want to buy this game! I have so many games to play already but I've been in an RPG mood so...fuck I guess I'll go download the demo to see if it strikes me.

@karkarov: Well I dunno I think it might seem longer/shorter depending on how long it takes you to kill dudes. If there were no enemies in any of the areas you could run through the entire loop around BBI in most likely 20 minutes. There are a few side areas but its really not that long but it is built for being replayed over and over. And you really haven't seen everything until you've beaten it through at least twice anyways. (Whoo boy that second form of the end boss was a doozy)

So here's a question...if I don't have the original version of the game should I buy it for cheap now (around $18) or buy Dark Arisen for $40? If I'm correct there is no way to just download the updated content as DLC.

@blargonaut: There is zero reason to buy the original. Its $20 and the $40 with Dark Arisen gets you the expansion area along with all of the DLC from the original release that includes weapons, quests, customization options etc....

Theres really zero reason not to jump straight into Dark Arisen. Thats on top of the pile of improvements they've made to the core game just overall improving now the game works.

@demoskinos: Hmm, maybe I'll finish up the other stuff I'm playing and buy Dark Arisen once the price goes down a bit.

I'm currently on my second playthrough and my desire to play is kind of starting to dwindle already. I still want to go through the new content but going through the same content again without it being harder is kind of boring to be honest. I've also explored the whole world the first go so nothing to do there either. I'll try and keep trucking through the normal content to get some missed quests but man I really hope my desire returns because the gameplay is fun. When/if we get a sequel I really hope they make the world a bit larger and make it so that new game plus is actually more challenging.

@ezakael: There is always hard mode.

@demoskinos: Yeah I'll probably try hard mode sometime down the line. I'm still going to push through my second run for now. Once I get past some of the earlier stuff maybe I'll get into it more again. I don't want to do hard mode right away because I really like my character haha.

@ezakael: You can take your same character into hard mode. In fact one of the main points of beating hard mode is there are a few armor pieces that you can only get by beating the Dragon on Hard mode.

@ezakael:

I'm pretty sure hard mode loads your save, so you can keep your character while transitioning to a new world with harder enemies.

Speedrun mode is the one that you need to start a new game for.

You start a new game but not a new file. It will load your character however nothing you do is saved to your main file everything is instanced in the speed run itself and you can't save and must beat the game in one sitting.

@demoskinos:

Yeah, that sounds right, i couldn't remember the larger details. I'll add that you get rewards from beating hard mode and speed run mode.

Also, to clear up the hard mode thing, it's like starting a new game plus from your current save on a harder difficulty, it doesn't just start up where you left off.

That's good to know. I may start in Hard mode at some point than to see what it's like.

This game is sooooo good. Well done, Capcom.

I didn't expected to be so good...

Is there a game like DD that u guys recommend to me?

@matheus_correia:

It certainly shares qualities with both the Monster Hunter and the Souls franchises, with a hint of Shadow of the Colossus. I would say Dark Souls would be the closest comparison.

@matheus_correia: Any of the Souls games... Demon's, Dark 1/2. Dragon Age: Inquisition gameplay was much like Dogma light so that is an option if you want something more narrative/character development focused. The Witcher games also have a sort of similar medieval style and action oriented gameplay though they are a bit different.