I didn’t think I’d spend well over 30 hours with Dragon’s Dogma 2, but I’m in love with Capcom‘s massive fantasy RPG. It’s a game that believes strongly in letting your imagination lead the way, from its unobtrusive quest guidance to its excellent focus on player freedom. Much of that is informed by your Pawns, a ragtag bunch of heroes dedicated to saving the day and fulfilling your destiny as the Arisen.
Eventually, you’ll have to make the hard decision to part ways with your recruits, as you’ll outrank them and require better-equipped allies to fend off mightier foes. Yet, after going on so many adventures with them, it isn’t always the easiest goodbye.
Traveling around in Capcom’s behemoth open world game, Dragon’s Dogma 2 throws encounters at me that you couldn’t write if you tried. Drake’s will land unexpectedly, but that’s just after you defeated a troll while riding on a once peaceful oxcart to the Checkpoint Rest Town. You’ll meet all sorts of wonderful and weird characters in the wild. It’s all recorded by your Dragon’s Dogma 2 Pawns, and they’ll comment on your efforts and efficiency as a group during intense situations.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 has a penchant for cultivating a tangible friendship between you and your teammates, even though they’re not controlled by a fellow PS5 or Xbox player. Initially, I thought the lack of co-op game elements would be a huge detriment, but I’ve grown fond of these loveable Knights, Archers, and Mages.
My Pawn, Dinkleman, speaks in a regal tone, addressing our team with the finest manners. He’s accompanied by Mira and Shelly, two formidable knights with plenty of Pawn Badges under their belts after felling many beasts.
They remark on our compatibility as a lean, mean fighting machine, even though our squad is built of Magick and close-quarters combat methods. Dinklemen reflects on his past life as an Archer before I swapped his vocation to that of a Mage to buff my character in battle. However, Mira and Shira haven’t always been part of the fold. As I’ve grown stronger as a former Mage turned Sorcerer, my need for more experienced allies has grown exponentially. That means turning away the Pawns of my real-life friends because they’re too weak to survive (sorry, Aaron).
I’ve experienced so many unpredictable and genuinely spellbinding moments with these Pawns, and as a result, I feel guilty for dismissing them. After all, we have been through so much together. It sounds silly, I get it, they’re just AI helpers designed to alleviate the game’s difficulty. Yet, like most great stories in new PS5 games and new Xbox games, it is about the friends you meet along the way. Because of this, I add these once-useful Pawns to my favorites list. One day, I’m sure the time will come when our unique configuration will shine once again.
Aspects like this have propelled Dragon’s Dogma 2 up into the upper echelons of the best RPG games around. It boasts of the most engrossing worlds in the genre to date, packed to the brim with secrets, mysteries, and glory to behold. And you get to witness it all with your loyal comrades. I’m nowhere close to finishing my tales with these Pawns, but I’ll try not to bid them goodbye anytime soon.