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I was there nearly 12 years ago when the original Dragon’s Dogma made a splash among my Action-RPG-playing friends and disappeared soon after. After Dark Souls rocked it months prior, the gaming world was craving another challenging dark fantasy adventure. Dragon’s Dogma was poised to be the answer but never reached those heights. Now, with the imminent release of one of the year’s most anticipated titles, we raise the question of whether Dragon’s Dogma 2 can become more than a cult hit success.
Dragon’s Dogma First Released in Uncertain Times for Capcom
Only one mainline Dragon’s Dogma game was released worldwide before Dragon’s Dogma 2. Despite an ephemeral Japan-only MMORPG, it seemed like the franchise was dormant. After all, Dragon’s Dogma came out in 2012, known to Capcom fans as the start of The Dark Ages. The year in and of itself wasn’t their worst year, but it signaled a years-long decline in overall quality.
I’ll expand on that by listing Capcom’s principal 2012 releases and their Metascores averaged across all platforms:
- Asura’s Wrath (71)
- Devil May Cry HD Collection (77)
- Dragon’s Dogma (75)
- Dustforce (79)
- EX Troopers (Metascore unlisted)
- Marvel vs. Capcom Origins (78)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD (81)
- Project x Zone (70)
- Resident Evil 6 (67)
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (52)
- Resident Evil: Revelations (82)
- Rockman Xover (Metascore unlisted)
- Street Fighter x Mega Man (71)
- Street Fighter x All Capcom (Metascore unlisted)
- Street Fighter x Tekken (84)
Not many of these scores are ostensibly bad when averaged together, placing it in the mid-70s. Of course, in the world of game review discourse, anything in the 70s, despite being a coveted or even simply safe score in other media, is the same as calling something “disappointing.” It was simply a year saturated with underwhelming releases.
Dragon’s Dogma originally got a 75, but it also wasn’t the worst, nor was it the best. This was, however, the beginning of some truly awful years, with Resident Evil taking 5 years to recover from duds like Umbrella Corps.
This Original Cult Hit Offered More Than Just the Kool-Aid
However, in a sea of Resident Evil spinoffs, shovelware, and critically maligned sequels, Dragon’s Dogma was original. This is especially the case as even the most well-received 2012 entries were HD collections and a crossover. DD had a respectable 1.05 million units sold that year, which is considered a success despite performance issues for players. It wasn’t the runaway success that was Street Fighter, Resident Evil, or other franchises, but it was a beloved gem that turned a profit during a strong sales year for the company.
Dragon’s Dogma’s appeal included an awesome, fluid combat system, entertaining terrain traversal, and unique player-to-player interaction via their created pawns. It might not have been the most critically acclaimed title for the publisher, but they were onto something, and the intuitive players knew it as well. This original cult hit gave players a glimpse at a truly unique ARPG for fans of the niche who were not satisfied with other Capcom offerings.
What Does it Look Like for a Capcom Cult Hit to Gain Mainstream Status?
Beyond simple units sold and dollars generated, I invite you to look through that list from earlier and check for a surprising omission. There are a lot of the usual hits from Capcom, including Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, and Mega Man. But what about one other massive monster of a franchise we all know and love?
That’s right: in its now 20-year tenure as a Capcom franchise, Monster Hunter had a rare year off in 2012. It joins 2020 as the only year MH didn’t release a game, and even then, it hadn’t become truly mainstream. The series was stable, with games like Monster Hunter Tri achieving 4.5m units sold across the 3DS and Wii versions. But it was not a mega hit, not yet. However, with previous crossovers such as Metal Gear Solid for Peace Walker, Capcom was building something mighty.
Monster Hunter didn’t reach its critical mass until the release of Monster Hunter: World, and it was a force to be reckoned with. Its weekly sales topped the total gross sales of entire lifespans of previous MH games, and it eventually became Capcom’s best-selling game ever, selling five million units more than even the second-place game, Monster Hunter: Rise, which was released in 2021.
Monster Hunter: World launched as Capcom’s most anticipated 2018 title. Mega Man 11, Mega Man X Legacy Collection, and Street Fighter 30th Anniversary were the only other noteworthy releases. 2018 wasn’t overstuffed like 2012; Resident Evil was freshly revitalized and took the year off. World was set up for success, and checking 2024’s calendar, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has a similar shot to be more than a cult hit, with Kunitsu-Gami now getting passed the torch for a plucky new Capcom IP.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 Set Up for Success?
It’s tough to say. On the one hand, DD, Dark Arisen, and the 2015 Japan-exclusive MMO don’t necessarily scream prolific when compared to Monster Hunter. It also got a pretty cool Netflix adaptation, far superior to Monster Hunter’s 2020 film. I love Tony Jaa and Milla Jovovich, but just…no. It’s a series that resonates with its fans, and those who enjoy it understandably see its potential. Fantasy RPGs are all the rage right now.
We’ve reviewed DD2‘s potential to gain GOTY status, and there’s a reasonable case for it. While I disagree, seeing Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth as my preferred title alongside the knockout potential of STALKER 2 and Hellblade 2, that’d fail to see the forest for the trees. MH: World didn’t win GOTY at The Game Awards and took home Best RPG instead. But it dominated sales aside from against Red Dead Redemption 2 and is an iconic mainstream success.
We’ll see how folks react when the game comes out on March 22, 2024, on PC, PS5, and Series X|S. With over 8 million fans driving the initial push, sales projections are uncertain. But 8 million before any newcomers is nothing to scoff at, and awards hype works great as free advertising. Don’t be surprised if Dragon’s Dogma 2 is more than a cult hit and takes the crown this year!
