Highlights

  • Dragon's Dogma 2 introduces the versatile Warfarer class, allowing players to mix and match weapons and skills for complex character builds.
  • The need for a Wayfarer class for exploration and traversal in the vast open world of Dragon's Dogma 2 is clear, providing benefits for players.
  • A potential Wayfarer class in Dragon's Dogma 2 could appeal to casual players, offering a more relaxed gameplay experience while still contributing to the party's success.

Dragon's Dogma 2 may stay faithful to its predecessor's core mechanics and feel in many ways, but it's not without its share of new features as well. Among those new features are a few new vocations (classes) for players to experiment with, including the new Warfarer class. Dragon's Dogma 2's Warfarer vocation is a "jack-of-all-trades" class that allows players to utilize every other vocation's weapons, armor, and skills. As such, it can potentially result in some fairly complex character builds suitable for various situations. However, the Warfarer vocation is unique for more than just what it offers in terms of a character class, as its name simultaneously highlights the need for another class in Dragon's Dogma 2.

Dragon's Dogma 2's Warfarer vocation has been frequently mistaken as "Wayfarer." This is mainly because "Warfarer" is a word unique to Dragon's Dogma 2, whereas "Wayfarer" is a concept found in many other RPGs and, therefore, more common. Plus, the difference between "Warfarer" and "Wayfarer" is only one letter, so it's an easy mistake to make. Comical and understandable as this blunder may be, it's worth exploring the idea that it draws attention to — specifically, how Dragon's Dogma 2 could, in fact, benefit from a Wayfarer class.

Dragon holding a heart in Dragon's Dogma 2
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Dragon's Dogma 2 Feels More Like a Remake Than a Sequel

For the most part, Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2 sticks to its guns and really serves as more of an updated version of its predecessor than a sequel.

How Dragon's Dogma 2 Could Benefit From a Wayfarer Vocation

A Wayfarer Class Would Specialize in Exploration

Dragon's Dogma 2's Warfarer vocation is named because it specializes in war and can take advantage of every other vocation's privileges. On the other hand, a Wayfarer class would specialize in exploration, making it a perfect fit for Dragon's Dogma 2's vast open world. There is little doubt that exploration is a huge emphasis in Dragon's Dogma 2, with an open world like Elden Ring's and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Capcom clearly designed Dragon's Dogma 2's world to encourage exploration and discovery, yet none of its classes specialize in anything related to traversing the game's sprawling lands.

A Wayfarer vocation could come with specific skills relevant to traversal and exploration. For example, Stamina in Dragon's Dogma 2 is a valuable resource that quickly empties as players sprint. Stamina becomes even more precious as more weight is in players' inventory, and sprinting is almost impossible for longer than a few seconds. Perhaps a Wayfarer class would come with more Stamina and would thereby be able to sprint longer. Furthermore, it would make sense for a Wayfarer to come with various platforming skills, which Dragon's Dogma 2's other vocations are arguably in dire need of.

Another way a Wayfarer class could benefit Dragon's Dogma 2 is by allowing them to track certain monsters, detect nearby items, and better navigate the world. Dragon's Dogma 2's Pawns are currently used as a replacement for navigational UI, but a Wayfarer could accomplish the same and come with the added bonus of being under the player's control.

A Wayfarer Class Could Appeal to More Casual Players

Dragon's Dogma 2 has a fairly steep learning curve that requires plenty of investment, so it likely won't appeal to many casual players. However, a Wayfarer vocation could alleviate some of that by providing players with what would presumably be a more casual class to play. While it would need to come with its own set of combat skills, the primary purpose of the Wayfarer class would be exploration, so it would undoubtedly be a more casual vocation. Perhaps it could even lean more toward a support role in combat to maintain a fair distance from the enemy while still contributing to the party's success.

While there are plenty of interesting vocations to choose from in Dragon's Dogma 2, there is a clear need for a Wayfarer class, and the increasingly common mistake of referring to the Warfarer vocation as "Wayfarer" only serves to highlight that need. Although Capcom is unlikely to add more classes in future updates, a Wayfarer vocation would be an excellent addition.