Similar to its predecessor from 2012, Dragon's Dogma 2 defies the norms of its genre. With its unique open-world design, distinct progression system, engaging storytelling, and a plethora of emergent gameplay features, Dragon's Dogma 2 emerges as a standout product in today's saturated open-world gaming landscape, offering both a blessing and a curse.
While its unconventional approach may not appeal to everyone, those who resonate with Dragon's Dogma 2 are bound to find it a memorable and potentially beloved experience in the realm of expansive fantasy RPGs. The game's strength lies in its originality and its bold departure from mainstream trends, particularly evident in its treatment of a commonly-used trope that has grown stale in the entertainment industry.
Dragon's Dogma 2: A Fresh Perspective on Multiverses
The Original Dragon's Dogma Explored Multiverses Before It Was Mainstream
The concept of multiverses has been a staple in entertainment for decades, with DC and Marvel exploring parallel universes as early as the 1960s. Although multiverses have recently gained popularity, some movies, TV shows, and games have been early adopters of this concept, including the original 2012 Dragon's Dogma.
Midway through the first Dragon's Dogma, players encounter the Everfall, a vast cylindrical pit that serves as a portal to numerous parallel worlds—home to the game's Pawns. Pawns, beings capable of interdimensional travel, move between parallel worlds via The Rift, a cosmic realm. Through the use of Riftstones, Pawns can assist different Arisen across these parallel universes.
Dragon's Dogma 2: A Simplified Multiverse Approach
Since the release of the original Dragon's Dogma in 2012, multiverses have evolved significantly. While some recent works like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse have popularized the concept, the entertainment industry has saturated the market with mediocre multiverse content in the past few years. Video games have not been exempt, with AAA titles like Mortal Kombat 1, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth heavily featuring multiverse themes.
However, Dragon's Dogma 2 presents a refreshing take on multiverses. By building upon its predecessor's lore, the game integrates the multiverse concept subtly, keeping it on the periphery of the main storyline and primarily using it as a point of discussion among Pawns about their origins in parallel universes.