Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a port of an Xbox 360 and PS3 game which itself was an enhanced version of the original Dragon’s Dogma. Players can choose one of the three classes, called Vocations, which determines which skills they can use. Later on, they can create hybrids in order to gain benefits from multiple classes.
The game has a real time battle system, where you can use face buttons to utilise active skills. Characters with two pieces of equipment can use shoulder buttons to gain access to the required skill set. While the combat looks similar to the Souls franchise, its flow is radically different. You are not so easily killed and must be on the offensive in order to quickly wipe enemies. The game’s unique selling point is a Grab system which lets you grab hold of giant monsters and scale their bodies to target specific parts. It makes every encounter as thrilling as the one before, as you figure out new strategies to defeat these giant creatures.
You travel in a party of four and the supporting members are called pawns. You are free to create one of your own, but must select others from a pool created by other players.
Dragon’s Dogma is not for those looking for a narrative driven RPG. It is very much action focused and the general quality of storytelling and writing isn’t up to the standard. The world itself is bland and lifeless. As for the current generation version of the game, it is barely passable. The tech and the art behind the game were never great and graphically it can certainly be off putting. If you want to try a unique action RPG with intense encounters and satisfying combat, The game is a good purchase for newcomers. It is also too dated in its design to compete with other games available on current gen consoles.
Verdict: 7.5/10
