Dragon’s Dogma

Dragon’s Dogma is somewhat of a change of scenery for Capcom. The fighting game heavyweight hasn’t often delved often into role-playing game territory. Normally one might consider that reason to worry but in this instance that really isn’t the case.

If you haven’t guessed, Dragon’s Dogma is a fantasy role-playing game. With it, however, come a number of reasons that make it almost unlike any other you’ll have played before. The most intrinsic of these from a gameplay perspective are the oft-mentioned Pawns. Pawns are humanoid beings that are scattered throughout Gransys ‒ your homeland ‒ and you’ll use them to help you overcome the many dangers that lie in wait.

What’s interesting about the Pawns is that you get you make your own “Main Pawn” ‒ this one will stay with you for the entire game ‒ and share him or her with friends. Your friends can bring your Pawn along in their own game and any experience or knowledge they gain will carry over back into your own world and on into the worlds of everyone else using your Pawn. It’s a great way to encourage you to have your Pawn tooled up sensibly; a Pawn that runs around collecting loot in the face of extreme mortal danger isn’t going to be very popular. One issue with the Pawns system is that keeping them up to date is a bit of a chore ‒ they’re not updated automatically across all instances for some reason.

Instead, your Pawn must be reuploaded to the Rift ‒ the place you get others’ Pawns from ‒ by sleeping at an inn and to get the latest version of your friends’ Pawns you must dismiss them and then reinvite them into your party. Admittedly this process only takes a few minutes, but I would prefer it if all the Pawns in my party were updated simultaneously whenever I rested at an inn. This issue doesn’t really lend itself very well to the game’s initial difficulty curve either.

While the game eventually becomes relatively easy once you get into the swing of it, the difficulty can put you very much in mind of Dark Souls to begin with ‒ it’s very challenging, but not unfair. It’s why being smart about your party’s organisation is crucial. A badly constructed party can spell a swift end. It’s also why needing to make sure your Pawns are as up to date as possible can quickly become irksome.

One of the other features that makes Dragon’s Dogma stand out is the ability to climb your enemies. Whenever you encounter a creature of any sizeable proportions, like a Cyclops or a Griffin, usually the best way to dispatch it is to climb it and attack whatever weak-spots they may have. This never gets old. Very little is as exciting as triggering a random encounter with a Griffin, clambering onto its body and being taken into the sky before chipping away at its wings and sending it crashing back to the earth to finish it off. It’s amazing to think that the inclusion of such an “ordinary” ability can turn even the smallest of skirmishes into a momentous showdown.

It’s not just enemies you’ll be climbing, though. The variety of quests you’ll be sent off on will see you trawling in and around dungeons of all shapes and sizes. Quite appropriately, you’ll find secrets hidden in all directions around you so explorative use of your abilities is encouraged. This adds to the typical dungeon format with a refreshing sense of depth that you just don’t see in other role-playing games.

One thing I believe to be a notable failing in Dragon’s Dogma, however, is the lack of any multiplayer modes, be they co-operative or otherwise. For a game that revolves around the teamwork of four individuals it’s certainly a strange omission. It’s almost as if Capcom have gone out of their way to make a multiplayer game that didn’t require more than one player. Think of it as if if Valve had made Left 4 Dead a single-player game. I have no doubt in my mind that this would have been an amazing co-operative multiplayer experience and it’s a real shame that nothing of that sort was included.

Lack of multiplayer aside, Dragon’s Dogma is an incredible game filled with enough charm and challenge to keep you coming back for more. The Pawn system provides a fresh new take on the tried and tested partying systems of past role-playing games and the ability to scale dungeons and foes alike is truly the icing on the cake. Throw in the ability to share screenshots of your in-game shenanigans with your Facebook friends and there’s little not to love.