Highlights

  • The pawn system in Dragon's Dogma 2 offers a unique and customizable party experience that sets it apart from other games.
  • Much like the Nemesis system in Shadow of Mordor, Dragon's Dogma 2 allows for personalized interactions with NPCs.
  • Warner Bros. patented the Nemesis system, but it has yet to reappear in any of its new projects.

Many years after the original game's release, Dragon's Dogma 2 has finally arrived, and players have been spending dozens of hours getting lost in its engaging world. While the game offers various mechanics and systems for players to engage with, none are more innovative or unique than the pawn system, which allows players to build and customize their party by choosing from a variety of NPCs known as pawns to accompany them on their journey. Many of these pawns have been created by other Dragon's Dogma 2 players, ensuring that everyone has a unique experience, which is similar to Warner Bros.' now-infamous Nemesis system in many ways.

2014's Shadow of Mordor represented a huge leap forward in terms of innovation, and it was mostly down to the Nemesis system. While on the surface, the Lord of the Rings-themed open-world action title by Monolith Productions didn't appear all that different from other games in the genre, it quickly became apparent that the game's Nemesis system significantly set it apart from its contemporaries. This system allows for seemingly random NPC enemies to deviate from the script, forming rivalries with both the player and other enemies, as they develop personality traits and ultimately provide the player with their own unique experience. It's a system that was built on further in the game's sequel, Shadow of War, and such was its success that publisher Warner Bros. acquired a patent for the Nemesis system a couple of years ago.

Hellblade 2 x Dragons Dogma 2
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Dragon's Dogma 2's Pawn System Has A Lot of Potential For Future Games

Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't get everything right, but ultimately its strengths far outweigh its flaws, none more so than the game's pawn system. Over the course of their journey, the player will form a party of up to three allies to fight alongside. This party will be made up of the player's character, one fully customizable pawn who remains with the player for the game's duration, and two NPC pawns who can be recruited and swapped in or out at will. The player and their main pawn can switch classes freely, and this creativity can be augmented by recruiting pawns from specific classes.

Players who play with an online internet connection will find that many of Dragon's Dogma 2's recruitable pawns are actually the creations of other players. These pawns often come with a simple quest, such as defeating a set number of enemies. Doing this will unlock a reward for the player when their pawn eventually returns to them. It's a clever, rewarding system that encourages experimentation and allows for a degree of freedom when customizing the player's party. The quick nature in which recruitable pawns can be replaced also aids this freedom considerably. Each pawn has its own unique personality quirks, and many are memorable, to the point that replacing them will sometimes leave the player feeling a little sad to see them go.

The Future of WB's Nemesis System is Unclear

After years of attempting to patent the Nemesis System, publisher Warner Bros. finally succeeded in early 2021. However, over three years have passed since, and it is still unknown exactly when this popular, innovative system will reappear, and in what project. The publisher has released games such as Gotham Knights, Hogwarts Legacy, and the controversial Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League since the patent was granted, but there has been no sign of the Nemesis System in any of these. It is still unclear what the future holds for the system, and many will be hoping it makes a return in some form soon. Franchises such as Assassin's Creed have attempted to put their own spin on the formula, but no variation has been anywhere near as well received as the original to date.