Old and Simple, but a Masterpiece Nonetheless: Dragon's Dogma Review
While old and simple, Dragon's Dogma was very complex and ahead of its time. Here are three things in Dragon's Dogma that I am excited to find and improved upon in Dragon's Dogma 2.
In a previous post, I talked about why I love Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen and that people who enjoy RPG games should try it out.
I have listed down a couple of good points of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, but I feel that deeper game mechanics require more showcasing and explanation to be appreciated.
I argue in this article that Dragon’s Dogma is old and simple but complex. I would go as far as saying it was innovative and potentially revolutionary for its time.
But why? The Extensive Bestiary, Monster Climbing Mechanic, and Pawn System.
Bestiary
Compared to games released in its era, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen has one of the largest number of monsters you can encounter.
As a point of reference, let us use Monster Hunter entries released prior to Dragon’s Dogma.
In Monster Hunter (2004) there are a total of 30 large and small monsters, in Monster Hunter G (2005) there are 44, in Monster Hunter Freedom (2005) there are 45, in Monster Freedom Unite (2008) there are 81, in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010) there are 60, in Monster Hunter Ultimate 3 (2011) there are 73, and in Monster Hunter 4 (2013) there are 72.
Outside of Monster Hunter, we can look at games released close to Dragon’s Dogma’s release.
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) there are 80 monsters, in Risen 2 (2012) there are 30, in Risen 3: Titan Lords (2014) there are 46, in Fallout 3 (2008) there are around 90, and in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (2012) there are only 25.
In Dragon’s Dogma, there are around 90 monsters you can encounter in the whole game, and these include 5 or 6 which are variants of regular monsters.
This doesn’t mean that there are no other games that surpass Dragon’s Dogma’s bestiary: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) has approximately 100, Diablo 3 (2012) has over 130, Dragon Quest X (2012) has 200 monsters in its Bestiary.
Does that mean Dragon’s Dogma pioneered larger bestiaries for future games? No, but Dragon’s Dogma helped push the envelope and improved it.
However, the monsters in Dragon’s Dogma were not placed in a way that breathes creativity and variety.
Most you will see prior to Grigori’s end are Goblins, Wolves, Bandits, and Saurians. It would have been better if there was more diversity as you progress through different areas of Gransys.
Monster Climbing Mechanic
Yes, the Bestiary is not really an innovation, but I felt that it was important to point out its missed potential.
When thinking of an innovation that Dragon’s Dogma brought to the gaming industry, the Monster Climbing Mechanic first comes to mind for most of its players.
While I do agree this is a unique mechanic, it is not one of its kind.
Gamers who have not played Dragon’s Dogma might argue that God of War III has done this with its action sequences involving Titans. However, Dragon’s Dogma did it with dynamic creatures that roamed freely and not forced sequences.
A more apt comparison would be Shadow of the Colossus where, despite being forced to climb up a giant, you had more freedom in the climbing sequences.
For veteran Monster Hunter fans, this has been a long-awaited mechanic teased by the developers but is seemingly not implemented even in their newer releases.
With the monster climbing mechanic, you were able to target certain weaknesses you would otherwise not be able to reach unless you were a ranged fighter.
Moreover, climbing on monsters allowed you to lock enemy movements at certain times as they often prioritize getting you off once you clung to them.
Yet, despite being able to climb on monsters, Dragon’s Dogma had no scalable walls, vines, or environmental decor.
Pawn System
Out of the three mechanics I put forward, the companion system is the one I am most amazed by.
I suggest that Dragon’s Dogma has one of the most complex companion systems in a game during its time.
I have read a few reviews of the game that called the AI system of your companions, called Pawns, “stupid” and “inconsistent.”
On the surface level, yes. In fact, the game does a poor job of teaching you how to properly create your Pawn to your liking.
Maybe this is deliberate, but I feel like Pawn inclinations should be taught along the basic commands of "Go", "Come", and "Help."
A frustration I had about half of my playthrough was that Meya, my Main Pawn, was a bow-and-dagger user that never used her bow.
It was incredibly baffling as to why this was the case, and I thought that ranged companions that used bows had janky AI since the staff users seemed to work just fine.
Another thought I had was that her favor for close combat was caused by her short stint as a Fighter class when I was experimenting with vocations.
Turns out, certain inclinations and combinations of inclinations deeply affect how your Pawn fights, positions, uses spells, reacts to enemies, gathers materials, and even speaks.
By the time I was in the arid mountains where the Bandit’s Den can be found, I was already researching inclinations and such.
Thankfully, an avid Dragon’s Dogma fan named AftahShak came by my stream and helped me.
Essentially, there are 9 inclinations and a Pawn can hold four at the same time.
However, not all four inclinations affect your Pawn equally. There is the Primary Inclination, Secondary Inclination, and two Tertiary Inclinations.
Primary Inclination greatly affects your Pawn’s behavioral tendencies while the Secondary Inclination and first Tertiary Inclination assist them.
The hidden fourth Tertiary Inclination does not really affect your Pawn, instead, it holds back other inclinations from placing on the first three inclination slots.
Finding the right combination of inclinations can create a difference between two mages where one favors healing and buffing, while the other favors attacking and splitting enemy aggro.
The Cycle Continues
In 2022, Dragon’s Dogma 2 was announced to be in development.
The cycle of the Arisen, the Dragon, and the Gods starts again.
I am extremely excited to find these three game mechanics come back and improved upon, especially with recent technological and gameplay advances in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.