Dragon's Dogma Review

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

So... if I liked Dark Souls... will I like this?

 

[kyogen]

So... if I liked Dark Souls... will I like this?

There's at least a reasonably good chance of it, but it would depend on why you liked Dark Souls. They're both good games, but they emphasize different features:

Combat isn't as rigorously methodical in Dragon's Dogma, and your character isn't as alone. DD has a more involved storyline than DS, but it's certainly not exposition-heavy by Western standards, and players are still treated like adults who can figure things out for themselves. Customization is more varied in DD, sound design and music are very different from DS but also great (ditto art design), and level design is decent but tends to spread the world out instead of focusing on vertical intricacy. New Game + in DD doesn't make enemies harder, but it has its own rewards and challenges for repeat playthroughs.

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

[...]

Thanks for that. I ask because I'm I really, really liked Dark Souls, but I'm a newcomer to the entire genre and am keen to find something similar -- though I hear that perhaps the only very similar game is its spiritual predecessor Demon's Souls...

 

[kyogen]

[...]

Thanks for that. I ask because I'm I really, really liked Dark Souls, but I'm a newcomer to the entire genre and am keen to find something similar -- though I hear that perhaps the only very similar game is its spiritual predecessor Demon's Souls...

Demon's Souls is the closest, definitely. It's great, and its design limitations allow for more polish in certain areas. It's not very expensive anymore, either, so I'd recommend keeping it on your radar if you have a PS3.

Dragon's Dogma is faster, flashier, and more forgiving than Dark Souls, but it still requires attention and tactical thinking, so you shouldn't find yourself bored out of your skull in a fight. It also has more of a narrative (but not so much that you drown in it), and player actions affect how the story unfolds. It's somewhere between a game like Dark Souls and a game like Skyrim (which I like, but definitely not for its combat).

 

[Weaver]

It's basically travel for 20 minutes in between towns: the game.

 

[piinyouri]

It's basically travel for 20 minutes in between towns: the game.

Rather lopsided way to think of things.

I'll be the first to admit traveling from Cassardis to Gran Soren is the farthest thing from exhilarating, but I prefer it to an "every where is open from the get go, fast travel anywhere" map that loses all tension and meaning.