Dragon's Dogma

Blog Post: Dragon's Dogma

Matthew Aisthorpe — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:09:00 GMT

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After months of dedication and many replays of the demo I have finally got my hands on Dragon’s Dogma. Since first breath of the name I have been itching to play and get involved in this world created by developers that have worked on other projects such as Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

Dragon’s Dogma is an RPG set in the large open world of Gransys, a world filled with Greek mythological creatures, goblins, trolls, and of course Dragons. The start of the game puts you in the shoes of an unknown knight destined to kill the Dragon, as you progress through the area the game teaches you the basic skills of the game and introduces you to your companions you will have throughout the game called Pawns. After finding your team of Pawns you take out a few enemies then encounter your first boss a Chimera, this is where the game mechanics get interesting. One of the major new mechanics in this game is the “grab” system, it literally allows you to grab hold of larger creatures in the game and climb on them towards there weak spot and hack away while holding on for dear life. I found this quite amusing as sprint full ball and launching yourself at the enemy then grabbing hold of their face then continue on to stab it with your sword. After defeating the Chimera the unknown hero opens a large door to the unknown, ending the tutorial.

Then it is onto the character creation screen allowing you to choose the sex of your character (which more games should include) and then search through a plethora of pre defined facial features to develop you character. The game also takes you characters size into consideration for their statistics a smaller character will move more slowly but will have more stamina, while a larger character can carry more and use more stamina. After character creation then you see the intro movie where the dragon has chosen you, steals your heart and you have been revived as the Arisen.

After you have awaken you get to choose between the three usual RPG classes Warrior, Archer and Mage then you head out into the world. Exploration in Dragon’s Dogma is fun your character can jump onto most ledges you can see with exploring every nook rewarding you with an item or gold. The quests are fairly interesting and may have a story leading onto further quests within the game as a result of your choices. The fighting in the game you can feel a presence of the Devil May Cry development team and being a Mage lights up your screen in an array of colours. It isn’t until night where the Resident Evil feel comes into play, the world gets dark... very dark. Wolf’s will pounce at you from the darkness and zombies will scramble out of the ground. If you’re lucky enough you brought a lamp before you went exploring and grabbed some oil to fill it if on the off chance it flickers and runs out. I played the game on normal difficulty and found that the game was quite a challenge at points but there is an easy option for those players who value adventuring.

Once you progress further down the story you come to making your pawn. You give your pawn a name and have the same amount of freedom creating them as you did your character. Your pawn will be with you for the rest of the game and will help you as much as they can by killing creatures to finding items and hidden areas. You can also hire up to two other pawns, either ones you come across adventuring or you can go online and use pawns other people have created. When you rest at a tavern your pawn will become available online, where other players can hire them to venture in their world. After that player has finished with them they can be given a gift and you will earn rift crystals also, any experiences that pawn has encountered will also carry over. These experiences could be a new weakness to an enemy, secret area or chest location. These Rift crystals are the currency used to buy other pawns that are higher level than your main character allowing you to venture with more ease.

The party managing system is broken into two menus equipment and items which can be a bit cumbersome switching between characters. Hoarders can rejoice as your local tavern will hold your belongings you and your (most likely) over-encumbered pawns can store, be aware that some items such as fish and meat spoil if left for too long.

Overall I have found that Dragon’s Dogma was a great experience and I recommend it to players who want a challenge and those who like RPG games. If you are looking to eradicate that RPG itch this is a game for you. New gamers to the genre should start with normal difficulty but there is no shame going to easy if the game is too hard.

Blog Post: Why does everyone like this game so much?

nitroto — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:45:00 GMT

BAO JING

Blog Post: What the hell is a dogma

campfiresong — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:08:00 GMT

Dragon's Dogma is the game I always wanted to play. You combine the fun progression part of rpgs and strategy in them but add incredible combat unlike regular rpgs. Basicly it is dmc combat. That is how deep it is, I never ever thought I would ever be ppulling off combos in an rpg. The loot is also fun but not incredible though. Levling up is also meaningful. The pawn system is fun too, and these sidekicks can kick more ass then you at times. The story is descent but I could care less when the game is so complete. Honestly I cant think of amore perfect rpg. It is my rpg of the year.

Blog Post: Dragon's Dogma - A worthy, if limited, adventure

Nathan Powers — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:05:00 GMT

I had looked forward to this game for awhile. It was supposed to be an open world game with intense combat, and an unforgiving world. They advertised a driving narrative that pushes you through the game world to your final (?) confrontation with the beast that stole your heart. What you really get is a game with many quests, a loosely tied together story line, challenging combat, and a beautiful world full of monsters ready to fight, and npcs ready to do nothing of note.

If you come to Gransys, don't come expecting a large open world with tons of options. The world was actually a lot smaller than I had expected. It was still of an ample size, just not as large as I was expecting. The world being large enough comes from the fact that the game features very, very limited fast travel. You have the ability to use a ferrystone to port you to a portcrystal, but for the majority of the game the only one available is in the capital, Gran Soren. This means that as you're out exploring, you have one place to return to, therefore you have one place to leave from, leaving you to see the same vistas right outside of the city time and time again. This, and the poorly handled story, are really the only downsides that I found.

Sure, while you may see the same areas time and again, I enjoyed being forced to run and fight my way to whereever I was going, and since the world wasn't overly large, it did not take a large amount of time to reach your destination with a few notable exceptions. This allowed me to really enjoy the sense of exploration, veiwing the world everytime I stepped out of safety, never knowing what giant beast would appear to tear me and my pawns to shreds.

The problems with the story is largely that it can be some what difficult to keep on the path of the story because the quests aren't really marked as story quests. They are marked with something though, like there was a set of Wyrm Hunt quests, that strangely do not involve dragon hunting at all, that are part of the story quests, but the game does not tell you this.

The pawn system I found really unique and interesting. You have your own personal pawn that you can shape and mold, choosing different classes as you continue through the game. Then when you rest at an inn, a copy of your pawn at that time is uploaded to the servers, into the rift as the game calls it, allowing other players to use them in their world. You too get to choose from other pawns from other players. You have access to seeing all of their stats, gear, and equipped skills, allowing you to pick exactly what you are looking for.

The combat, while fun, can sometimes come off as tedious due to a limited number of mobs you'll encounter, and as you level, many of them come off as easy. The occasional giant creature like a golem or cyclops, helps mix up things every now and then, but even they proved easy towards the end of my play through.

If you desire a different take on open world games, some good challenging combat system allowing you to change skills and vocations as you wish, then I would recommend this game to you. It's no Elder Scrolls, but it was never meant to be. Even with its noted faults, I still enjoyed it to the end and would suggest others would as well.

Blog Post: Amazing game,Dragon dogma.

Maki — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:57:00 GMT

This is one of the best rpg games out there its as good as skyrim and in combat,gameplay its better.

This game has been underrated but as you can tell if you play it yourself your like what a master piece but few problems.

The main goal in this game is to aquire your heart back as when its it riped right out of you.

My favorite part about this game is the gameplay,Combat and not to forget the graphics,But the Storyline will get you deeply into it at the start.

Pawns are used in this game as your Companions,You may have up to 3 of them following by your side.

Quests wise there are few minor quests but the storyline quest is long,But entertaining.

There are many wepons,Spells,Armour,to be obtained.

Hope you enjoyed this brief review please post if i did good im still learning.

Blog Post: yo0u must buy this

Alishaapple190 — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:47:00 GMT

buy this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blog Post: epci!!!

Reckoning454et454 — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:19:00 GMT

I love this game

Blog Post: i don't remember what skyrim is.......

inconceivablemontoya — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 23:59:00 GMT

so yeah, this game is epic. i love the variety of creatures, the engaging quests, and the pawn mechanic. could use a lock on feature with melee combat (i'm an arcane archer type, so it kinda has a lock on thing later.), but i've done well without it. like i said in the title, i like this game more than skyrim. why? because, combat is better, the classes are better, the magic is better. sure, i can't equip two different swords, and the landscape isn't as expansive, but i enjoy roaming the land, killing things. i could wish for better gear in the shops.i'm kinda topped off at the moment...... aaaand i messed up the "idol" quest" (stupid brat). still, i've been playing this for a month. i intend to play more of it after i beat it. skyrim isn't even in my library any more. point being. i'm enjoying this game, graphics remind me of demon souls, pawns should shut up more. but their chatter isn't too annoying. the gear can be layered. and there is a great depth to the combination system.

Wiki: Dragon's Dogma Guides

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:45:00 GMT

Guides for Dragon's Dogma

Blog Post: Flawless game.

Maki — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 12:49:00 GMT

Good gameplay sound art appeal and graphics want a better review read my blog on dragon dogma.

Blog Post: Love it

txxxxNicolexxxxt — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 18:46:00 GMT

Man did i look hot in the game

Blog Post: Raise Raise this game must be bought.

John34434 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 21:48:00 GMT

Flawless game~!!!

Blog Post: Epic good graphics everything

Hedgehog — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:06:00 GMT

Flawless bro.

Blog Post: This game hade great graphics

Hedgehog — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:05:00 GMT

Flawless everything was epic lol

Blog Post: Epic

copolboy54545 — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:48:00 GMT

master picie epic

Blog Post: Epic epic epci epip

Lolboy — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 23:29:00 GMT

Awsome game i was a babe =D.

Blog Post: Epic epic epic!!

John12341 — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:48:00 GMT

Blog Post: Dragons, dogma

Maki — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Dragons dogma is a masterpiece.

The whole story line is interesting there are many side quests,Rare items to find not to mention the exploring.

I rated this game on knowledge not jest to rate.

During the game you can make your own pawn how cool is that>?

You can have up to 3 pawns but the other 2 you summon from the rift world, it is a peaceful place.

A good thing to do is do as many side quests you can do i no it can get boring but you will need it in he end.

Watch out for the brine it eats you a alive if you go to deep but if you fall from a clif if you are lucky you will not die unless you land on a rock or ground.

I recommend this game to anyone.

Wiki Page: A Complete Guide to Earning Achievements in Dragon's Dogma: Update #5

John Wrek — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:21:00 GMT

(This will be occasionally updated until the achievements roster is completely filled. When DLC releases and I beat it, I will then update that with achievements as well. Last Updated: July 8th 2012.)

First of all, before I begin with this well-needed guide, I would like to say that I would most likely give Dragon's Dogma a score around the 8.25 to 8.75 range. If this is somehow a really low score for your standards, you absolutely abhor RPGs and their brethren, then this probably isn't the game for you to try, unless you're looking for some quality achievements. Either way, I hope you will at least enjoy reading this guide, as well as the experience it will grant you and knowledge within the game itself. As a disclaimer, I have (as of Today, June 28th, 2012) earned every single achievement in Dragon's Dogma. Anyway, let's begin! (Also, warning- there will be spoilers! If you do not wish to ruin your playthrough, then do not read the marked achievements. Of course, if you cannot resist- then read ahead and weep. ;-)

Easiest Achievements:

The Patron: Give money to Madeleine and come meet her later near the Black Cat shop for an alternative dialogue scene. Eventually, you will earn the achievement- either after the dialogue ends or after you have rested, depending on your game.

Into the Frontier Caverns: Simply enough, visit the Southwestern caves. This can be accessed via the Shadow Fort, after having already cleared it of its goblin menace.

Into the Manse: If you've already completed the prerequisite of "meeting a maiden" in one of the castles, then you can opt to actually find this maiden near to the end of the main questline. Simply return to the castle and take on the quest into the Blighted Manse.

Into the Soulflayer Canyon: Throughout the quest titled The Conspirators, you will enter the Soulflayer East Gate and have a chance to enter the actual canyon as well. Beware of bandit and cyclops assaults, as well as one by a cockatrice should you have already completed the quest where one assaults the capitol...

Into the Ancient Quarry: Lying to the north west of Gran Soren and connecting Central and Southern Gransys, the quarry will be easily accessible yet crawling with enemies until you clear them out. It also serves as a shortcut from Witchwood and Shadow Fort to the Capitol.

Into Dripstone Cave: This is easy enough, however it may take awhile to get, as you must first complete the main quest. After having done so, return to the starting village, and the area where you met the first pawn. Soon enough you will encounter a craven knight, who tells you of mysterious noises coming from the well... Enter the well to gain this achievement, but beware hat you may encounter...

Affinity and Beyond: Simply complete as many quests as possible- or at least two depending on size, for a character (normally of the opposite sex) or give them gifts and you will most likely earn this achievement. Can easily be completed with Madeleine of the Duke's female companion.

The Escort: Simply complete one escort mission to gain this small achievement.

A Queen's Regalia: Simply find women's clothing for one of your male party members and equip it to them. Sit back and feel the laughter come as you recall Fable 3's cross dressing achievements as well... You took a leaf from the wrong book Capcom... ;-)

The Artisan: This achievement can be earned by combining two new items or replacing one of the items in an old piece of equipment with a new item. Examples of easy earns are lamps and other small items.

The Knave:The goal of this achievement is to obtain a forgery or an object that cannot normally be duplicated or of one that is semi-unique. Your best bet is to head to the Black Cat for a copy of a Wakestone or The Maker's Finger- should you be lucky enough to ever find and possess it.

The Savior: Either obtain a Wakestone from the Blacksmith quests in Gran Soren or through other means, but whichever way you figure out how to gain one- be sure to use it on a fallen companion in order to bring them back to life and earn this achievement.

Inhuman Resources: In order to gain this achievement, you must change your main pawn's vocation to another vocation such as fighter, etc. This is easily done, however, you must travel to the inn in the capitol of Gran Soren in order to do so. Speak with the main innkeeper until the 'change vocation' dialogue pops up. Afterwards you should earn the achievement.

Foreign Recruit: If you have a Riftstone, enter the rift and recruit someone else's pawn to your cause. Be careful, as you may have to rid yourself of one of your existing pawns in order to do so...

Local Recruit: When given the option to recruit someone from your world, and not through the rift- do so! When you speak to wandering characters around the world of Gransys, the option to recruit them may eventually pop up. Take it for this easy achievement.

Human Resources: This achievement is earned just about the same as the Inhuman Resources achievement. When you visit the capitol, head to the inn and choose to change your main character's vocation in addition to your pawns'.

Freedom: Meet a woman named Quince in the Pawns Guild near the Rift Stone, then journey to Everfall if you already have 20 Wakestones. Eventually, when you leap from one of the high ledges, a portal will appear and you will earn this achievement.

Treacherous: After completing most of the game, and reaching the ending- go into the postgame moments and return to Gran Soren to visit the Duke. Upon leaving the Duke's place, a cutscene should occur- earning you the Treacherous achievement and a spoiler-free secret from moi.

<EDITING>

(Adding the last achievements, and achievements in both the medium and hard categories as soon as I get the chance. Feel free to try to grab the ones listed here already while you can. 7/8/12.)

Blog Post: Dragon's Dogma Review

Marfys — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 21:23:00 GMT

I'll keep this review simple.

Pro's: A more in-depth character customization than in your usual RPG's.

A very well done combat system.

Ability to rent pawns.

Monster graphic are really good.

Con's: Bad graphics in general (Excluding the monsters)

Mouths rarely move in sync with voices. And really corny dialog/ voice acting.

A really shallow story that's difficult to understand.

Mage character may find themselves unable to deal almost any damage against certain monsters. (Golem for instance)

End Analysis: A RPG that's really fun to play for a while, but it's lack of (Good) story makes the experience feel flat after the first time around.