Highlights
- Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen's combat is a major selling point with stylish, pleasing spectacles and challenging yet satisfying encounters.
- The game offers replay value with a unique New Game Plus feature and the ability to customize the Arisen's appearance.
- The variety of Vocations and the ability to switch between them at any time give players an advantage and add to the game's success, along with the immersive day and night cycle and challenging boss encounters.
After long years of waiting, fans will soon finally be able to get their hands on Capcom's highly anticipated Dragon's Dogma 2. With the mechanics and gameplay elements sustained on this occasion based on gameplay and trailer showcases, now is the best time to go over what made Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen a success.
5 Improvements Dragon's Dogma 2 Should Make Compared To Its Predecessor
Dragon's Dogma 2 could definitely learn a few things from its predecessor.
While the sequel has much to deliver within the realm of its RPG elements, fans expect the developers to succeed. Despite some of the downsides of the initial experience, especially with AI, its positives promise a great upcoming experience for fans.
1 Stylish Combat
Dragon's Dogma Features Multiple Vocations
One of Dragon's Dogma's biggest selling points is its combat. With a variety of classes available known as Vocations, players have the option to play in style. Whether choosing a Fighter, Mystic Archer, Strider, or any Vocation present, each will provide a pleasing spectacle, to say the least.
When players finally reach the game's DLC location, Bitterblack Isle, they'll be able to experience some of the best and most entertaining encounters. While challenging, success is one aspect to behold, particularly when it is done in great fashion. Despite many modern-day RPGs providing competent and pleasing experiences in their combat within animations, not many manage to come close to the level that Dragon's Dogma is at.
2 Replay Value
The Game Features New Game Plus Uniquely
Just as Capcom does with many of its other popular franchises, Dragon's Dogma's replay value has so much within it. While it is not compulsory to start a new game plus save, doing so will allow the player to use their Pawn as the new Arisen. This gives room for players to start the game over again while maintaining all the gear and Vocation levels previously attained. The option to redesign and customize the Arisen's appearance is also present, and this is something not many other RPG titles contain.
Best Games With Infinite Replayability
Some games are meant to be played once, others are meant to be played forever. These titles are infinitely replayable.
Aside from starting a new game plus, Bitterblack Isle is the endgame content location, allowing for constant farming of gear and items. This can be done by defeating some of the toughest bosses and enemies, more notably Daimon and Death. While these can be incredibly challenging, the rewards and satisfaction are more than worthwhile.
3 Multiple Play Styles/Vocations
Players Can Change Vocation At Any Time
Speaking of Vocations, Dragon's Dogma features a plethora of them, some basic, others more advanced. Some of these Vocations can be utilized well enough to give players a great advantage and edge over enemies across the map. The choice to switch at any given time is incredibly helpful, as some enemies require very particular attacks to be defeated, with some Vocations unable to get the job done.
Each of these contains plenty of skills and movesets for players to customize to their liking. Changing a class on the fly in some RPG games is not possible, especially not to Dragon's Dogma's effect. While its sequel is more than likely set to outdo it within this region, it stands as another reason why the title has been incredibly successful in the eyes of its fans for so many years.
4 Day/Night Atmospheres
Enemies Will Vary Depending On Time Cycle
When playing through Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen, its atmosphere is certainly an aspect to take close note of. Traversing through the map during the day includes enemies and environments that are true representatives of the time. When traversing through areas at night, the horror aspect of the game kicks in heavily, with complete and total darkness. This will leave players to rely on their Pawns to provide better lighting, or the use of a lamp to brighten corridors.
Not all RPGs of today's time contain a day and night cycle in the same vein as Dragon's Dogma, as developers were sure to have players really immerse themselves within every region of gameplay. Night-time action and combat are intensified by this, as players will often find enemies committing surprise attacks from the darkness, putting them on the edge of their seats amid the chaos. It is no surprise to see that the upcoming sequel is taking after this, considering how successful its implementation in Dark Arisen was.
5 Challenging Boss Encounters
Bitterblack Isle Contains The Game's Toughest Enemies
Without a doubt, Dark Arisen's Bitterblack Isle contains incredibly difficult foes to overcome. This comes from standard enemies that players will come across while traversing through the location, and both mini-boss and boss encounters. Enemies can randomly spawn at the command of the game's final boss, Daimon, who has two different forms players will have to overcome to completely finish the game.
Adhering to the aforementioned replay value, players will find that they must constantly jump in and out of Bitterblack Isle to restart the hunt for items again and again. This either works by moving away from the area to the base game's locations, or defeating Daimon and going right back in to do so repeatedly. Unlike many Souls titles, the challenge here seems a lot more reasonable and fair, as players need a suitable level of gear to do so.
