Dragon's Dogma Review

[remmus]

the moment some one said one save file i lost all interest in the game and it dosn't help that everyone keeps comparing it to dark souls isnt helping its case

meh I played this like crazy, never had a moment where the one save put me in a none win dead end, it´s all about being smart and use common sense, and not be afraid to accept that quests do fail.

 

[twaddle]

Okay, I know I shouldn't be asking you specifically about this, but seriously what about this game makes anyone think of Skyrim? I have never before been so at a loss about a comparison between two games.

The ye old fantasy land. The killing dragons the wizards the fact that it's a giant sandbox to name a few.....

 

[Syzygy23]

I was interested in this up until I saw it was made by Capcom. As much as it pains me I'll have to skip it for that reason alone. But as I have years of training via doing the same to all EA products this shall be easy.

to be fair Capcom is the kind of company where even if many games carries it´s logo, it´s not the same people that makes all the games, sure the DLC bit does rear it´s ugly head here, but frankly it isn´t that invading and if you look past the logo it is a fine rpg I feel needs a good amount of love.

Except I do not like Capcom's various business practices and therefore refuse to give them money for any game. Doesn't matter if said game is the best RPG ever made I still will not get it simply because my money would trickle back to them and I will not allow that.
And as I hate used games that means I shall not get this game.

Buy a used copy, or borrow one from a friend. No "online pass" DRM bullshit here. You have to give Capcom SOME credit for not sinking to that level.

 

[Alaster Angelo]

Those huge HP bars don't last too long against a Maelstrom.

 

[remmus]

1) The "pawn" system has the best AI companions I've ever seen in a game. Your main pawn can be trained and learns combat tactics from observing your behavior as well as that of the monsters you fight. They will surprise you, and not in that "he's stuck on the chest high wall again" way. And that behavior carries over when you hire someone else's pawn.

the only flaw I found with that is in my case my main pawn is a mage and I´m a fighter (and soon warrior) and my pawn is getting to thick in the fight, would have enjoyed a more detailed command system, being able to specific tell her to stay at the edge of a fight, or say tell my strider pawn to shoot the sea bird I´m looking at, so she can help me with that quest X)

The only explanation I find to most AI criticism ( not yours specifically, but i see it pop up on reviews) is, they do not bother with checking character inclinations of behaviour. Having a mage go pioneer will make him go into the thick of it, but if you make it an utilitarian, it'll mostly stay out of harms way and buff you up, the same way a warrior built as an aquisitor might become frustrating.

Since my character's a Strider upgraded to a ranger, I made my pawn a mage. Originally I'd round it up with a sword and shield tank ( with protector as main inclination), a powerhouse two handed warrior (usually a scather) serving as the frontlines. The Strider's mobility makes it fun to hop around in and out of the thick of it. With the upgrade to assassin, I made my mage a sorcerer, gave her a lot more Oomph, and so now I ride with her just bombarding with magic (too effectively, at times, her wall of fire thingie makes me feel inadequate by comparison), a heavy duty warrior and a second mage. It's really quite a feat how flexible it all works out, even though the process of changing your character's inclination is a pain in the ass. But if you heed the correct inclinations, they work beautifully.

when you have already have factors like pawns gear, stats, skills (and because I´m a bit odd really, gender and a bit appearance) the behaviour section kinda gets easily neglected, because frankly, you already have a lot of factor that has to be just right, doesn't help either you basicly need to change your none main pawns as often as underwear to keep them useful IMO.


Again why a more direct behaviour system would have been welcomed (like say the one for the Dragon Age games)

 

[ThaBenMan]

LOL at "Cuz, y'know... I'm a wizard? In my head?"

There seem to be some cool ideas here - the followers, climbing giant monsters - but just terrible execution. The graphics and character/world design are awful, and it just looks really boring.

 

[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.