It will finally be released on March 22nd“Dragon's Dogma 2”.It's been about 10 years since the previous game “Dragon's Dogma” (and its expanded version “Dark Arisen”), and it's been about 4 years since the end of the “Dragon's Dogma Online” service, so it's a long-awaited release that will make series fans excited. It's a sequel.
After such a long gap, many players probably don't know about the previous game. Even I, the author, had barely touched the previous work other than knowing the name, and when I saw the preview for this work, I had high hopes for a domestically produced RPG that looked like it would be released…! This article is a pre-play report of Dragon's Dogma 2 from the perspective of the author, who is new to the series. If you are new to the series and are curious about this work, or if you are a player of the previous game (or the online version) and want to know what “2'' is like, please read this!
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In this pre-play, I played about 16 hours, or the early part. First of all, we will proceed with “Character Edit”, which was also distributed as a standalone “Dragon's Dogma 2 Character Creator & Storage” before its release.
As can be seen from the excitement that screenshots of various characters created were uploaded on SNS etc.You can create a character with a high degree of freedom.Of course, for those who find it difficult to create detailed character designs, you can also choose a simple preset.
As soon as I started playing, I got the impression that this was a game with a high barrier to entry, and it was quite difficult to get the hang of it. Various specifications are probably intentionally made to be inconvenient, and until you get used to the rules of the world, you won't even be able to go on a little adventure. It's not that the tutorials and systems are difficult to understand, but the explanations are minimal and allow you to move freely from the early stages of gameplay.
The biggest feature of the series is what is needed to survive such a harsh world.Ally NPC “Pawn”is. You can search for pawns at rimstones placed in various places and add them to your party.
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If you allow it in the settings, there is also a loose online cooperative element where you can display your pawns to other players and “borrow and borrow” other players' pawns, such as hiring them, which is quite interesting.
You can hire up to three pawns, so if you are not playing tied-up games, you will have to fight with a party of four people including yourself. Since the weight of items that one player can carry is quite limited, I think it's better to have four people at all times, even if it's not just for combat purposes.
I'm not that good at action games, so“Archer”, who mainly fights with long-range attacksI played as.It is said that while the pawns are fighting, it will stab from a distance, and if the enemy approaches, it will run away.Extremely cowardly tacticsHowever, if you are approached all at once, or if you are surrounded by a surprise attack from other enemies, there is a risk that the game will end without you being able to do anything.
The difficulty of each battle is quite high, and there are many uncertain elements such as being surrounded or being attacked by surprise, so this is a game where game overs are very common. As mentioned above, I'm an archer, so it's probably less difficult to control than other jobs, but I'm also vulnerable to being hit, so I might die more easily. It was difficult to explore the field comfortably, and in the early stages, I wasn't able to venture far from the city.
Combat isn't the only thing that's difficult. The quests that decorate the story are also quite difficult. Unlike modern, easy-to-understand games, the entire route is not displayed (though it does show you some), and the solutions are difficult and there is a time limit, making it difficult to do well.
I won't reveal the details, but there are many quests that I failed and regretted because I didn't realize they had a time limit. It's not possible to keep multiple save data, and if you don't play around, every decision you make will only be made once, so it can be quite stressful.
Also, the inventory is quite limited and it is quite difficult to have to organize your belongings frequently.AlthoughEven important items needed to progress the quest can be thrown away or sold by the player.Therefore, it is necessary to make judgments such as “I might use this item.''
In addition, in recent open world games, you are not free to fast travel, which is easy in most cases, and in the early stages you will have to use expensive consumable items that are not easy to obtain. There were times when monsters invaded the city and named NPCs were killed.
In this work, other RPGs tend to be simplified, such as “The bridge has collapsed and you can't get to the other side'' and “When you have a conversation with someone who doesn't speak the language, you can't really understand what they're saying.''Real-life inconveniences are carefully expressed..
straightforwardlyIt's an easy game to get into, and it's not for everyone.It feels like this, and at the beginning of the game, I too thought, “What a difficult game.'' But gradually, like dried squid, you begin to understand the fun of this work.
For example, a bridge that the gigantic monster Cyclops was unable to cross due to his fall becomes passable.The realism of the game leads to unexpected happenings, and one of the great appeals of this work is that “every time is a new adventure.''
There are many ways to solve not only quests but also various things, and the more you get used to the game, the more interesting the experience becomes. The game has many points that are difficult to get used to at first, but as you play,People who are addicted to it are really addicted to it.I think.
Lastly, I will briefly introduce the story without spoiling it. It's a high-fantasy story that revolves around the main character who loses his heart to a dragon and becomes an “Awakened One”, but the beginning has a political suspense feel to it, and I enjoyed the story more than I expected. The author is currently feeling the dilemma of “I'm curious about the future and want to advance, but on the other hand, the enemies in the new location are too strong and I can't proceed smoothly…''However, from the release date, online elements will be available for everyone to play as pawns. I hope to borrow it and progress with the game!
I'm in a dilemma because I can't make progress, but I'd like to borrow everyone's pawns and slowly progress with this game once it's released!
“Dragon's Dogma 2” is PC (Steam)/PS5/Xbox Series X|SIt is scheduled to be released on March 22nd.
