What’s New in Dragon’s Dogma 2

The biggest change to the original’s Dukedom of Gransys is that it is nowhere to be seen, and it is unclear how the two games are related, if at all. Dragon’s Dogma 2 takes place in the two nations of Vermund and Battahl. Our story starts with the former of these, the kingdom of the humans. 

Similarly to the original, the Arisen, chosen by the Dragon, is considered the de facto ruler of the land, with the discovery of such a person being a cause for celebration. Compared to the original, Vermund is a good analogy in both look and size to Gransys: a central capital connected to small villages and hamlets via multiple paths, featuring an environment of rocky forests and mountainous areas. The dangers of this land are equally familiar, being comprised of the familiar cyclopes, ogres, harpies and goblins we’re used to. 

Where Vermund does differ from its Dukely predecessor is population. Where Dragon’s Dogma had the fishing town of Cassardis and the capital of Gran Soren as the only settlements sans a few encampments, Vermund has multiple villages dotted around the map, in addition to quite a few abandoned dwellings now home to bandits, goblins, or worse. Finally, where the original had only the occasional traveller to be seen outside of a town, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is much more densely populated both within and without dwellings, as merchants, oxcarts, guards, and travelling Pawns, both human and beastren, make their way between the paths.

Yes, you read that right! Unlike the human-centric land of Gransys, the sequel offers a multitude of new races to encounter, such as the leonine beastren, elusive elves, and even mentions of dwarves. Battahl, the home of the aforementioned beastren, is situated in an arid area of canyons and caverns. Being built within and around ancient ruins, these dwellings differ from what we’re used to seeing. In a similar vein, the culture’s stance on the Arisen, the Dragon, and Pawns is unique. Instead of pooling their hopes on the chosen hero, the culture practises the religion of the Lambent Flame, which they believe will keep the coming calamity at bay. More interestingly, Pawns and the Arisen are considered sources of misfortune and are used as a workforce.

One of our favourite things about the original Dragon’s Dogma was the Vocation system, consisting of three base Vocations, three advanced variations, and three Arisen-only hybrids to choose from. Each option changed how you played the game, offering very distinct playstyles and perspectives into combat. Do you fight from range or up close? Do you rely on speed or brawn? All of these changed with each Vocation change, as well as with each skill you learned. In the sequel, this system has stayed mainly the same but with a few large changes.

The first change implemented is cutting the Strider Vocation in twain! Instead of being able to fight it out in melee and then zip into range, you will have to choose between the Thief and Archer. As can be surmised from the names, these specialise in either quick and manoeuvrable melee without the ability to fight at range or into sniping enemies from a distance while being in trouble if something gets too close. Though it is a shame to lose my favourite Vocation, I do understand the split, as it allows both new additions to double down on cool moves and skills that fit their more specialised roles.

The Mage and Fighter Vocations work mainly as they did before, though their skills have had some general improvements and tweaks, with the former focusing on support and elemental damage and the latter tanking damage and keeping the enemies busy. The advanced versions of the Vocations, the Warrior and Sorcerer, are similarly familiar, though it should be noted that the Assassin and Ranger are in absentia. However, the biggest difference in the Vocations as a whole is the hybrid Vocations. 

Out of the original trifecta of the Magick Archer, Mystic Knight, and the Assassin, only the Archer made the transition to the sequel, with three newcomers: the Mystic Spearhand, the Trickster, and the Warfarer. As before, the Magick Archer mixes the trick shots and fancy moves of the Archer with a spark of magic, leading to storms of magickal projectiles and dazzling displays!

The Mystic Spearhand, much like the Thief, places a lot of value on mobility and quick strikes. Using a combination of melee strikes with their unique weapon, the Duospear, telekinetic magick and close-range teleportation, the Vocation can easily set the rhythm of the battlefield. The Trickster is a more unique blend of Vocation, as it doesn’t combine elements of other classes but instead creates something all its own. Using a Censer, the Trickster can create illusions to harry and trick their enemies, give their fellow Pawns a boost in power, or even get their enemies to fight each other! While we’re excited to try all of the Vocations, this one definitely makes our inner chaos gremlin grin!

The final hybrid Vocation, the Warfarer, is a completely new concept to the Dragon’s Dogma universe: shunning the boundaries and restrictions of the aforementioned classes, this Vocation is able to use any weapon in addition to learning skills from every other class, allowing them to respond to any situation with the perfect mix of might and magick! While this may sound like the ultimate class, the Warfarer does have lower base stats, requiring any prospective practitioners to use the skills and weapons to their fullest!

As a final note, the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 has a few individuals who have become the best at their unique sets of skills. These Meisters represent the culmination of a Vocation and if sought out and impressed, may impart new and powerful skills! Keep those eyes peeled when venturing the land.

Arguably, the most iconic part of the original Dragon’s Dogma was the race of emotionless servants known as Pawns. These loyal warriors’ only goal and hope in life is to serve the Arisen in their quest to defeat the Dragon, doing anything and everything necessary to meet that goal. Though emotionless, they are still able to learn and grow with the hero, becoming powerful in their own right and also learning the best way to deal with each foe based on an Arisen’s actions. While well-meaning, the Pawns have a bad reputation for being a bit dim, often repeating themselves many times, running off during a battle to loot some herbs, or even charging into an open flame because a harpy was in the vicinity.

In Dragon’s Dogma 2, these agreeable fellows are much like their previous incarnations, though it seems they have learned a thing or two along the way! With the new processing power of the RE Engine and the use of artificial intelligence, your steadfast allies are able to interact with the land much more freely. For example, Pawns can now lead you to locations they know of, run ahead of you and still follow the path correctly, comment on and suggest changes to your party layout, in addition to feeling generally more chatty and lively. Sure, their discussions sometimes stray into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion territory of wooden, but most of the time, their reactions and comments are surprisingly accurate.

Pawns may also now obtain specialisations based on how their Arisen acts and what tasks they perform. Each specialisation has a benefit, such as showing you the location of useful resources, combining items in your inventory, or even being able to communicate in another language and translate! This, in addition to the new Pawn Quest system, where Pawns can be assigned a quest for other Arisen to perform for a reward, makes having pawns along more enjoyable, as well as incentivising changing them up every now and again.

They still do odd things and repeat their lines here and there, but hey, it’s that awkward charm we love, right?

While the previous sections have handled the major changes between the games, some smaller new features are worth mentioning, as they improve the experience noticeably. To start off, the Arisen can find multiple small Rift Stones out in the wilds of Vermund and Battahl. While the main use of these is to resummon any lost Pawns or switch them out for a different team, finding and repairing them also has added benefits: a small reward of Rift Crystals, in-game currency,  is rewarded the first time a Stone is rebuilt. Additionally, each stone has a unique “tendency” wherein Pawns with certain qualities are drawn to them. For example, a Stone may offer Pawns with the Kindhearted nature that are both tall and female, have a special kind of name, or favour a certain Vocation. While quaint in itself, any recovered Rift Stones can be activated from larger versions in some cities and towns, allowing you to easily filter the available set of possible recruitees!

Another great addition to the game is player housing. While not quite at the level of some games, where you can design, build, and decorate your own abode, allowing the player to have a place to call their own — not to mention avoid the steep inn bills — is a blessing. These houses are missable, however, as they are a part of certain quests. Keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll be sure to get them! The houses offer a bed to sleep in and access to your storage for all your organising needs.

Another fun QoL improvement has to do with how you get around the land. Where in the prequel, your choices were to hoof it, teleport to it, or forget it. In Dragon’s Dogma 2, these are still valid methods, and I heartily recommend jogging anywhere and everywhere, though a fourth option has been added in the form of the humble oxcart. The beginning area of Vermund offers two oxcart routes, travelling from the capital to two smaller towns on almost opposite ends of the map. While they cost a small amount of money, run on their own timetable, and are prone to being attacked mid-trip, being able to hop on a cart and either sleep (nod off) or enjoy the trip in real-time is wonderful. This also opens up the opportunity to easily (and quickly) travel to a far-away location without having to walk all the way there. Even better, you can travel to the destinations even if you have not been there before!

The final addition to our rundown is a big one and equally aetherial, mainly because we don’t know! With such a fresh game with a massive amount of areas, quests, and interactions to experience, it is impossible to say what kinds of surprises are waiting for us. Maybe we’ll meet a new type of creature never before seen, maybe a mystic elder will teach us how to avoid fall damage! One of the greatest joys of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the discovery of all of this and more. While the original did a great job at this, the sequel has surpassed it in creating a living world with mysteries all around, just waiting to be found.