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Arisens worldwide, prepare for the fantasy adventure of your life on your new journey in Dragon’s Dogma 2! Since this sequel is more mainstream than its predecessor, both veterans and newcomers will gather around to explore the green landscapes of Vermund and the perilous sands of Battahl. While this second installment does share many elements with Dark Arisen, some mechanics and features can be confusing for some, especially in the first hours. But, with a bit of patience, the right starter advice, and a few beginner-friendly tips, we’ll make you a seasoned adventurer in Dragon’s Dogma 2 in no time.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Your First Hours In This Sequel
Whether you heard it through the grapevine or watched any of the flashy combat trailers, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has been one of the most anticipated games of the decade, and with good reason. It is a terrific ARPG with a huge open world that changes with every action you take and has little to almost no hand-holding. However, the initial experience can be overwhelming as it is exciting. But don’t fret because our quick starter guide and beginner tips can make your life easier in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Creating Your Character
After an introductory cutscene that will leave you with more questions than answers, you’ll be taken to a gaol in Battahl, the starting point of your journey. If you played with the game’s character creator, you can import character data to create your Arisen. If not, you can make one from scratch or pick any of the presets. While you can change their appearance later, note that it’ll cost many RCs (Rift Crystals). So, take your time to make your appearance perfect. We recommend checking our guide for the best starting vocation; it might help you decide which is best during the game’s first hours.
Learning the Basics
Below, we’ll cover the basic controls for Dragon’s Dogma 2, which are pretty easy to learn. Here is a rundown:
- Walk/Jog: Left Stick.
- Run/Dash: L3/LSB or Circle/B
- Pawn Commands: Directional Buttons
- Core Skills: Square and Triangle or X and Y
- Vocation Skill: R1/RB
- Weapon Skills: L1+Square, Circle, Triangle, and Cross or LB+X, B, Y, and A.
- Jump: Cross/A
- Toggle Lantern: L1/LB + Right Direction Button.
- Quick Access Menu: L1/LB + Left, Up, and Down Directional Buttons.
- Map: Touchpad or Back Button.
- Pause Menu/Inventory: Pause/Start Button.
- Sheathe/Unsheathe Weapon: L2/LT.
- Grab/Release/Climb on Enemy: R2/RT.
The controllers aren’t hard to learn, but keep in mind that this game’s combat mechanics can take some getting used to, especially because there isn’t a lock-on function. So, take time to fiddle with the camera and memorize your skills. This will all take time and practice, but you’ll have so many enemies thrown at you as fodder there’s no lack of targets to show off your moves.
Summoning Your First Pawn
After a quick pseudo-boss battle that’ll let you test the waters of the game’s combat, you’ll see a few cutscenes, which end in you crash-landing on the outskirts of the Borderwatch Patrol camp. Here is where your adventure truly begins because you’ll be able to summon your main Pawn. If you used the game’s character creator, you might have the data already, so you can import it. If not, prepare to start from scratch. Like your main character, we also recommend checking which starting vocation is the best. We don’t recommend picking the same one for the Arisen and the main Pawn because you’ll lack support or damage if you stick to the same vocation.
What Are Pawns?
Whether you’re a fan of exploring and fighting alongside minions in RGs, Pawns in Dragon’s Dogma 2 are key characters integral to the core experience. They are AI-controlled companions that provide extra inventory space, engage in combat, and offer other types of assistance. You’ll discover their utility when renting other characters or having your Pawn travel to the Rift to retell their experiences.
Each Pawn in the game can:
- Show you the location of nearby chests and caves.
- Pick up materials for you and craft items (if they have the right specialization).
- Provide you with quest guidance, assuming the Pawn did the quest in their master’s world or in another one.
- Heal you and come to your aid if you press the left directional button.
We recommend always having a party of four members. You and three other Pawns, including your main, can be dismissed and swapped at any time. Consider using Pawns with different vocations for utility and synergies in combat.
Understanding the HUD
Once you have your Pawns, your equipment, and the first objective, which will send you to the capital of Vermund, we recommend taking a moment to familiarize yourself with the game’s HUD. Below are the elements you can see on the screen and an explanation of each one.
- Minimap: It rotates to wherever you’re facing (enabled by default) and marks points of interest, such as gathering spots, shops, rift stones, and caves.
- Pawn Commands: By using any of the controls we mentioned above, you can issue commands for your pawns. Selecting ‘Go!‘ will ask them to take the lead if they know a quest location or a cave. ‘Help‘ will have Pawns hurry to heal you or protect you. ‘To me!‘ is used to have your Pawns follow you. ‘Wait‘ stops all Pawns’ movement and current actions.
- HP and Stamina Bars: The health bar dictates your current HP level. If it’s white, it means you can recover it; if it’s black, you can’t get that HP back until you rest. The stamina bar shows the energy you’ll use to perform weapon skills, magick, and cling to enemies. You can restore stamina with items and by standing still.
- Weapon and Vocation Skills: With these buttons, you can draw and sheath your weapons, attack with core skills, and switch to your special abilities.
Thankfully, Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s HUD is easy to grasp, and should anything occur, there are many tutorial screens with tips that can guide you at any time. So, if you feel lost, check the History tab in the main menu to read any tutorial messages again.
Preparing For The Road Ahead
With the HUD, Pawns, and Vocation basics out of the way, it’s time to prepare for the road ahead. You can gather materials in the wild to craft potions and other healing items, but we don’t recommend relying on that too much. Why? Well, if you hoard many items for long, they can rot or dry out. Instead, it is better to buy commodities. Before leaving a town, always buy at least one Lantern Oil, a Harpysnare Smoke Beacon, and a Camping Kit. The latter doesn’t consume once you use it, so you only need to buy one camping kit for the rest of the game.
Swapping Vocations
If you’re not ready to reach the capital and want to stick to Melve for a while, then we recommend trying other Vocations. In Melve, you’ll only be able to switch between the starting vocations. Any other class will unlock once you reach Vermund’s capital, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t swap and experiment. Swapping Vocations is ideal for unlocking new Augments you can share between all classes. The same applies to your Main Pawn. So, if you have the time, swap classes and try to see if there’s one that fits your playstyle better.
Moving On With The Story
The best tip we can give you during your early hours in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is to continue with the main story and focus on Captain Brant’s quests. These take place in the capital and will open up several areas for you. In other words, accessing some areas will be easier if you follow the main quest from the start. After all, it’s a good chance to get familiar with the game’s plot and see where it takes you.
Ultimately, the journey you decide to take is yours. The game is non-linear and offers many things for players to do, so don’t worry about doing one thing first before the other. However, we recommend keeping this guide close because Dragon’s Dogma 2 can be as enthralling as it is unforgiving, so you better be prepared for anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled a few burning questions some players might have during their journey, so we hope this helps as much as the abovementioned tips for Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 Multiplayer?
No. It is a single-player game. However, players can interact indirectly with each other after renting pawns. You can rent your friends’ pawns if they play on the same platform as you.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 on Game Pass?
At the time of writing, no, the game isn’t on Game Pass.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 Steam Deck Verified?
Neither Steam nor Capcom have confirmed this, so no. The game isn’t verified for Steam Deck.
Does Dragon’s Dogma 2 Have a Hard Mode?
Contrary to its predecessor, we haven’t seen the option of choosing or starting a new game with hard mode.
Does Dragon’s Dogma 2 Have Multiple Endings?
Yes, it does. But we encourage you to find them on your own instead of spoiling the journey here.
Can You Have Multiple Save Files in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
No. The game features one save file only.
