Highlights

  • NPCs in Dragon's Dogma 2 face permanent death, adding a new level of challenge and consequence to the game.
  • Players must protect their favorite NPCs or use Wakestone item to resurrect them if they perish in-game.
  • Director Itsuno emphasizes the importance of death in the game.

Capcom shared an important detail regarding Dragon's Dogma 2's NPCs, stating that any deaths that happen to them in-game will be permanent. Dragon's Dogma 2 will be released on March 22, and it is one of the most anticipated games to release in 2024. Ahead of the long-awaited sequel's launch, the game's developers have been providing fans with information about what to expect for the upcoming RPG. This includes its expected playthrough length, early access to the character creation tool, and providing insight about how the NPCs will work.

The NPC Pawn system from the first game makes a return in Dragon's Dogma 2, giving the player access to their own NPC assistant to take them on their adventures. Pawn NPCs have also been upgraded in Dragon's Dogma 2.

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In an interview with Automaton, director Hideki Itsuno was asked about the ways the sequel builds upon the groundwork previously laid in the first game. Itsuno previously shared that there are over a thousand NPCs that inhabit the world of Dragon's Dogma 2, who all have their own motivations and stories, making for a lot of characters to keep track of. He also shares that NPCs dying will be a normal occurrence, so players if players have a special NPC in mind, they should protect them. "Our basic premise since the start of the series has been 'creating a fantasy world simulator,' so NPCs dying is a normal occurrence. If there’s an NPC you care for in a town, you will need to protect them as you fight, or hold them and run," says Itsuno.

Why does Dragon's Dogma 2 have Permadeath for NPCs?

Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi states that the Wakestone item can be used to resurrect a dead NPC, which was also in the original Dragon's Dogma. If an NPC a player liked ends up dying, they can be brought back to life, though they have a short window of opportunity to do so. The decision to include a permadeath system in Dragon's Dogma 2 was based on making players treat death seriously, as the developers felt it would be unnatural to have invincible NPCs that would lead players to be apathetic to what they were doing.

Our basic premise since the start of the series has been "creating a fantasy world simulator," so NPCs dying is a normal occurrence. If there’s an NPC you care for in a town, you will need to protect them as you fight, or hold them and run.

Itsuno then states that he believes death to be an irreversible event, placing heavy emphasis on the possibility of a player dying in the middle of action combat. He notes that simply starting over after dying would compromise the feeling of adventure Dragon's Dogma 2 is supposed to provide, which is heightened by the threat of death in battle. Itsuno says the idea of putting in effort in order not to die is the core of the game's trial and error gameplay. A lot of players might find enjoyment in the idea of permanent consequences and having greater efforts to keep their favorite characters alive.