Dragon’s Dogma 2 Will Need Much More than Good Combat to Be GOTY

Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches on March 22, 2024, with significant anticipation building around its potential to claim the coveted Game of the Year title that Baldur’s Gate 3 secured last year. As someone with extensive experience in the original title, I can attest that the franchise delivers some of the most satisfying action combat mechanics within the RPG category. Given Capcom’s established track record in game development, expectations are high for Dragon’s Dogma 2 to refine and enhance these combat systems further.

However, the original Dragon’s Dogma suffered from numerous persistent problems that, if repeated in the sequel, could cause substantial player attrition similar to what occurred with the first installment. Recent years have witnessed exceptional open-world RPG releases setting new industry benchmarks. Titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ghost of Tsushima, and Elden Ring have established comprehensive quality standards that extend well beyond combat mechanics alone.

For Dragon’s Dogma 2 to genuinely compete for Game of the Year recognition, it must implement substantial improvements over its predecessor. Based on thorough analysis of modern RPG trends and player expectations, here are the essential enhancements needed for Dragon’s Dogma 2 to become a serious GOTY contender in 2024.

Recent Game of the Year winners consistently demonstrate exceptional narrative craftsmanship. Baldur’s Gate 3, The Last of Us Part 2, It Takes Two, and Elden Ring all featured sophisticated storytelling techniques and remarkable depth in their narrative structures.

By comparison, the original Dragon’s Dogma presented a conceptually interesting story but suffered from problematic execution. The narrative frequently felt like a series of disconnected incidents without meaningful in-game consequences tying them together. The sequel should prioritize creating stronger coherence between major story events, establishing a continuous narrative flow without resorting to excessive tedium.

One particularly immersion-breaking example involves a mission where the Arisen gets imprisoned for inappropriate interactions with the Duke’s wife, yet after escaping confinement, you can freely roam the palace grounds without any reaction from the Duke or his guards.

Another narrative inconsistency occurs when the Arisen engineers the Princess’s escape from captivity, and again, no characters acknowledge this significant event. Such occurrences were commonplace in Dragon’s Dogma and severely undermined player immersion. Contrast this with games like Elden Ring, where player decisions consistently impact the game world and relationships with NPCs.

Practical Improvement Strategy: Dragon’s Dogma 2 should implement a consequence system similar to The Witcher 3, where major story decisions create ripple effects throughout the game world. This could include temporary NPC hostility, altered dialogue trees, and changed accessibility to certain areas based on player actions.

But compelling narrative execution alone isn’t sufficient if mission design fails to engage players, correct?

A critical analysis reveals that over 50% of missions in the original Dragon’s Dogma fell into three repetitive categories: checklist completion tasks, fetch quests, or escort missions.

Players frequently encountered directives like “Collect 50 Rabbit pelts, 20 specific flowers, and a snakeskin pouch (with no guidance regarding its location),” or “Accompany this individual to that location,” or “Eliminate 50 Bats and 20 Rats.” Escort missions particularly suffered from missed opportunities to provide character background and world lore through dialogue during travel.

Mission Design Optimization Tips: For players anticipating Dragon’s Dogma 2, consider these strategies for dealing with potential repetitive quests: always check notice boards during different times of day for varied missions, prioritize quests that offer unique rewards over generic fetch tasks, and utilize the pawn system to handle mundane collection tasks while you focus on story-critical content.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Don’t immediately accept every available quest without evaluating time investment versus reward. Many players waste hours on low-value fetch quests that offer minimal narrative payoff or character progression.

Beyond narrative and mission improvements, Dragon’s Dogma 2 must address exploration mechanics that often felt more burdensome than engaging in the original. Modern open-world games have established new standards for making exploration intrinsically rewarding.

The original game’s fast travel system, relying on limited Portcrystals, often forced players into lengthy backtracking through previously explored territory. While this design choice aimed to increase world immersion, it frequently crossed into tedium territory.

Exploration Enhancement Strategy: Dragon’s Dogma 2 should implement a balanced approach similar to Ghost of Tsushima’s wind navigation system or Elden Ring’s Sites of Grace. These systems respect player time while maintaining exploration engagement. Consider implementing discoverable travel points that activate after initial visitation rather than requiring consumable items.

Advanced Player Tips: For optimal exploration efficiency in Dragon’s Dogma 2 based on lessons from the original, establish a network of fast travel points early by prioritizing main story progression before side content. Always carry ferrystones for emergency travel, and map out resource locations systematically to minimize backtracking.

The sequel has an opportunity to learn from games like our Class Guide for Battlefield 6, which emphasizes strategic positioning and map knowledge – principles that translate well to RPG exploration mechanics when properly adapted.

No reproduction without permission：Tsp Game Club » Dragon’s Dogma 2 Will Need Much More than Good Combat to Be GOTY Essential improvements Dragon's Dogma 2 needs for Game of the Year contention through better storytelling and exploration