As I launched Dragon’s Dogma 2 for the first time, I told myself that I should go into it with a more critical eye than I usually would. I think I was afraid that my overzealous love for the original might cloud my judgement. Then I blinked, and 10 hours had flown by. It was suddenly 3 a.m. on a Tuesday, and I’d been so engrossed in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that I’d regressed back into the gaming schedule of my teenage years. I was now acutely aware of how tired I was, so I told myself I would save at the next available opportunity and go to bed. As I approached a nearby campsite, I spotted a troll and a dragon duking it out in the distance. I joined Team Troll, the clear underdog, and subsequently spent another 20 minutes avenging his death against the dragon. After a hard won fight, I decided it couldn’t hurt to explore the nearby Ancient Battlegrounds for a few minutes.
I blinked again. It was 5 a.m. now. As I finally managed to pull myself away from Dragon’s Dogma 2, I realised attempting to be unbiased may no longer be possible, because Dragon’s Dogma 2 isn’t bothered about appeasing those who had issues with the original game. In fact, it’s trying to do the complete opposite – it’s doubled down on everything that fans of the original game loved in the hopes of catering to its target audience, which just so happens to be me.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an intentionally difficult game to summarise. From the outside looking in, it’s a hack-and-slash RPG set in a fantasy world, with its grand, over-the-top boss battles serving as its main draw. In reality however, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a test in perseverance.
