Back in the day, when I reviewed Dragon’s Dogma 2, it instantly blew me away due to all the many things it had improved over its predecessor. Yes, a few things weren’t there, and a few bumps started showing after a few hours. But the truth is, it remains one of my favorite Capcom titles of this decade. Now, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen approaches on a griffin’s gilded wings, and while it certainly dazzles with plenty of new features, it also has some issues that make its landing rough.
A World Reborn
While the Dark Arisen expansion will be the talk of the town for Dragon’s Dogma 2 players, I want to take a moment to talk about what we’ve all wanted for a long time: base game improvements.
I don’t consider myself one of the toughest and most veteran Arisen out there, but I have played Dragon’s Dogma 2 more than once, and after almost 100 hours (rookie numbers, I know), you start craving that difficulty bump. Lo and behold, we have Hard Mode.
The first thing I irresponsibly did after a long Dragon’s Dogma 2 hiatus was start the game on Hard Mode, and it didn’t disappoint—for the most part.
After the tutorial with our big scaly invader in the prison, I crash-landed and faced my first goblins. This is the first time a goblin has handed my butt to me, not once, but several times. Here’s where the “damn, Hard Mode got hands” meme came to mind. Enemies are to be taken seriously. Even with four pawns, I was constantly struggling to even get out of a casual encounter against goblins and wolves. And frankly, I loved it.
In terms of extra movements or attack patterns, I didn’t see any noticeable ones, which led to my first and only disappointment of hard mode: it mainly feels like an HP and damage increase in enemies. And well, to be fair, it was expected. I would have loved to see more varied enemy patrols or stop seeing the same cluster of goblins as I traverse the map, but this renewed sense of danger kept me enthralled, and that’s one thing I really appreciate from this new addition.
Leaving hard mode to the side for now, the other big and notable addition is the new set of dungeons. These ones are all over the base game’s map, and in another location I can’t disclose for new Arisen, and each one has different challenges and requirements to enter.
Without spoiling too much, I could only access some of them if I had a specific vocation, and others even required me to adjust my inventory. This was yet another fantastic addition that didn’t feel like a “walk into this gloomy dungeon and just beat everyone senseless.” I had to prepare, change my build, and even go through some rooms in order to make it to the end. And while I do think the inside of some of these dungeons needed something not so cave-coded, again, they were quite engaging.
On top of that, the rewards inside them are superb, from weapons to utility items, some of which will greatly help during your first playthrough. Not so much in the expansion’s area, though.
Overall, I’m glad about the facelift the base game got, but I still feel it lacks in some areas. Even if some places shine with this new coat of paint, you can still see the old designs and flaws underneath. Yet, I have hopes that Capcom will continue updating Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen because it truly brings some amazing and extremely engaging ideas that should be part of everyone’s “vanilla” experience, and not just for those visiting the new zone.
Into the Perilous, Frozen North
But now, I’ll move away from Vermund and Battahl and travel to Norgan, the most beautiful and, at the same time, dangerous region in the whole game.
While I was able to access this area extremely early in the game, it advised me to have a specific level before traveling there. Being the stubborn gamer that I am, I completely ignored the warning and went there—the worst mistake I’ve made in Dragon’s Dogma 2. In a good way.
When you arrive at this region, you’re met by the new enemies, and unless you’re a godlike Arisen capable of countering every foe in the game, they’ll beat you to a pulp. But fret not, as some new NPCs patch you up, explain the new systems, and send you on your merry and cold way.
In terms of story, I don’t really want to spoil much other than the fact that there’s a supposed second Arisen there, which is pretty strange lore-wise. The main task here is chasing them and figuring out why they are there, and without going into the meaty details, I really liked how the story unfolded here.
I always enjoyed the base game’s narrative, but it always felt like an optional thing rather than the main dish. In Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, it felt the opposite. It had more structure, a more engaging story, and a way to expand on certain lore beats that fans of the series’ world-building will really appreciate.
Gameplay-wise, I’d say Dark Arisen shines in the right areas, and it often makes Dragon’s Dogma 2 feel like an entirely new game. For starters, you have the Relic system. In your travels, you’ll find these items, which you can then appraise by paying RC. Assuming the RNG is on your side, you’ll unlock armor and weapons with added passive effects. Some just increase your stats, while others completely modify a skill.
For instance, your Fighter’s Cloudward Slice now lets you lift enemies in the air with its first hit and then slice them with the second airborne attack. Another lets your Thief’s powder charge become a minefield, and so on.
This was the highlight for me, as I had a specific build in my previous runs. Now, I was just looking for new ways to modify my Arisen and main Pawn’s playstyle, and the payoff was much better than I expected.
On top of that, completing certain dungeons in the base game’s areas will give you currency to unlock obelisks in Norgan. These obelisks also give you permanent stat boosts and even unlock brand-new skills, which I won’t spoil here because the surprise is so big that many Arisen will want to experience it on their own.
Lastly, exploration is another mixed bag for me. On the one hand, the new area is amazing. Capcom played a lot with the map’s verticality, offering a tighter space that feels as big as Vermund at times due to just how many places you can climb to. Even some dungeons felt fresh because snowstorms impair your visibility, forcing you indoors to warm up before exploring.
Sadly, the expansion suffers from one of my biggest issues from the base game: the lack of enemy variety. After the first couple of hours, you’ll see most of the region’s new enemies. Even if they have some mechanics that force you to swap your build and skills, the amount and repetitiveness of them get old quite quickly. Even some “re-skinned” foes don’t feel too perilous, as they only have a few new gimmicks that are extremely easy to learn.
All in all, Norgan is certainly a brand-new way to experience Dragon’s Dogma 2, and it boasts many engaging systems that I’d love to eventually see in the base game. Unfortunately, its lack of enemy variety diminishes the impact of the new combat and exploration additions.
Rise Once More, Arisen
Even with some minor flaws and some issues that can’t seem to escape the new expansion, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen elevates the base game in ways I always wanted to see. The new progression, exploration gimmicks, and plethora of skills are exactly what I wanted in my first playthrough, so I’m glad this massive DLC finally delivered the ultimate Dragon’s Dogma 2 experience.
It’s also the perfect way to experience one of Capcom’s most unique and ambitious titles, and that goes for old and new players alike. My only hope is that the studio will keep updating the expansion, because it has built an extremely solid foundation and placed Dragon’s Dogma 2 among the best in the action-adventure genre.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen (PC Reviewed)
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen delivers the progression, exploration, and expanded skills the base game needed, creating the definitive Dragon’s Dogma 2 experience.
Pros
- Norgan is the best area in the game
- The new progression systems add more depth to combat
- The new dungeons are an excellent addition to the base game
Cons
- A lack of enemy variety (again)
