Dragon’s Dogma: hands-on
Oh, how tired I am of cookie-cutter RPGs. Mundane tasks and lackluster graphics litter what could be a fresh, unique genre. ‘Collect this, fetch an NPC that, cast a spell here, slash your sword there’ is usually the rinse-and-repeat formula found in any modern roleplaying game . After having a chance to experience the title extensively, I can honestly say that Dragon’s Dogma is setting the bar higher than any RPG of our time and amazingly avoids the pitfalls that disappoint in many a roleplaying game time and time again.
While I have so much to praise for the title, it is important to note that, for all intents and purposes, this is a preview article, so I won’t hit each and every facet of the game’s features. I will, however, give detail on exactly what propels Dragon’s Dogma to heights higher than the likes of Skyrim and Dark Souls could have possibly hoped to reach.
Now don’t get me wrong, the aforementioned games were great in their own rights, but Dragon’s Dogma simply exemplifies what I think should have become a standard in the RPG genre a long while ago: synthesis of innovative ideas into a fresh-faced experience. Without further ado, let’s jump into exactly what makes this title shine.
Combat is the bread-and-butter of any roleplaying experience, so let’s start there. Dragon’s Dogma takes a more realistic and physics-based approach to its swords-and-sorcery combat engine. Strategically stab an enemy in the side, and watch as blood pours from the wound while their health bar whittles away or cast a mighty ice spell and marvel at the particle effects summoning a mighty berg from the ground up. All in real time, of course. CAPCOM has truly taken a cue from Square Enix’s book of attention to graphical detail. Suffice to say, it was breathtaking to see a mage summon a mighty firestorm from the dry brush of the ground. It made me realize that Skyrim’s excuse for a magic system just wasn’t acceptable, not when the likes of this are possible. In Dragon’s Dogma, you will feel the cling of steel-on-iron as you hack at your opponent’s armor [or face] and you will feel as if you are summoning the very elemental power from the ether to do your bidding as a mage. Oh yes, combat looks to be a hoot.
Next up is the class system. Classes – henceforth referred to by their proper moniker of jobs – allow you to unsurprisingly choose distinct styles of combat and adventuring. Much like in Dark Souls, gone are the days of having unnecessarily-vague job names. You won’t have to sit at the character select screen for twenty minutes, deciphering the difference between a mage and a shaman. Things become much simpler in the direct approach Dragon’s Dogma takes with its job system. Want to cast hexes from afar with a staff? Become a Mage. Prefer the stealth of a bow and arrow? Go for an Archer. Want a mix of both? Magic Archer is the answer to your prayers.
My final topic of interest is the Pawn system and its subsequent online component. To begin, let me define pawn within the parameters of DD. A ‘pawn’ is an NPC who aids you in adventuring across the fantastic locales of the game, party members if you will. When first beginning Dragon’s Dogma, in addition to your main character you will also create a custom Pawn using the game’s extremely robust engine.
Whereas your Pawn will be at your beck and call for the entirety of your travels, others will come and go as the seasons. You see, the other members of your party won’t simply be any old NPCs; they’ll actually be the custom Pawns of other players. At times, you will be able to enter an ethereal plain known as The Rift. Within The Rift, you can purchase Pawns to accompany you in battle [at a maximum of 3 for any given occasion].
Now that we have that explanation out of the way, enter the online component of DD. You see, the custom Pawns you hire via The Rift will be the creations of your fellow players. As they travel with you, they will gain knowledge of the various beasts you may come across and will be able to take this intel back to their respective owners. Due to the nature of leveling in the title, any given Pawn may become outdated after a few hours of play, thus necessitating the need to return to The Rift every now and then for a new ally. Luckily, for those who wish to spend longer time with more capable teammates, CAPCOM has added a fantastic filtering engine to the Pawn system, enabling you to purchase higher-leveled pawns [for more money, ofcourse] as well as Pawns specifically from your PSN/XBL Friends Lists. After you are done with a given pawn, you may return him to his master with a gift from your inventory, a comment on his appearance/utility, and a star rating on intelligence, skill, etc. All in all, the Pawn system and its integrated online components look to be an amazing effort on CAPCOM’s part.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m absolutely enthralled with Dragon’s Dogma. The battle system, Pawn parties, and class approach are all looking to revitalize what was becoming an extremely played and stale genre. May 25th can’t get here sooner.
For more information on Dragon’s Dogma, check out the official website at http://www.dragonsdogma.com/