Krishna Bahirwani explains what makes the game so great and where it could have improved
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen has finally made it to PC and it includes all previously released DLC, pre-order bonuses, retailer-exclusives and expansion content.
The game has six basic classes and the option of creating a hybrid class between two different classes. Two of the six classes focus on melee, two focus on ranged while the final two focus on Magic. The game allows for deep character customisation and allows you to decide how both you and your pawn will look in-game.
The original game was released about four years ago and despite having received a graphical upgrade but it still looks a little dated. That being said, if you were a fan of the original, you will notice the considerable effort the developers put in to make the game look better. Even though I would have liked better visuals, the performance was great on my mid-range gaming laptop and that is something I do appreciate. The interface did make me feel like I was playing a game ported from a console to the PC and I enjoyed playing on a controller more than I did on a mouse and keyboard. The game also comes with complete support for the Steam platform and is equipped with Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud Save, Trading Cards, Leaderboards and Big Picture Mode support.
The storyline revolves around you, an Arisen, taking up arms against a dragon to save the people. Your first encounter with the dragon is what makes you an Arisen and according to legend, gives you the capability to defeat a dragon. Being an Arisen also gives you the ability to control pawns.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen's uniqueness comes from its pawn system. You have a total of three pawns that accompany you in the game, one primary and two secondary, the primary or main pawn is the one you have a higher level of control over. The other two secondary pawns or hired pawns are actually other people's pawns and you have no control over them. You recruit these two secondary pawns by going to a place called the rift. The pawns also store information about your encounters and relay it to other players that recruit them. The same way, pawns you get from other players that have completed quests you are doing will share knowledge with you about those quests. You can change your secondary pawns as per your requirement at the time and it is important to do so. To switch pawns, you must first return your secondary pawn with a gift for the owner i.e. an in-game item and a review of its appearance and combat.
The combat is really where Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen really shines and that comes as no surprise because it is made by team members of the original Devil May Cry .You can climb on top of a mighty dragon, cut the heads of a Hydra, climb a griffin and fight airborne amongst other things. The mobs are somewhat bland in the game but I think they act as a perfect balance between the mobs and the boss fights that are absolutely epic. The bosses are massive in size and strength and are very satisfying.
I really enjoyed playing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen and I think the gameplay itself is where the game shines. A better fast travel system, graphics and more reasons to explore could have made this one a true gem of this generation. I really hope Capcom makes a sequel with these things as it will be a masterpiece.
Reviewed on:
Asus GL552JX Laptop
Processor Intel Core i7 4720HQ Processor
Operating System Windows 10
Memory 8GB DDR3L 1600 MHz
Display 15.6" 16:9 IPS FHD (1920x1080) anti-glare
Graphic card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M with 4GB DDR3 VRAM
Storage 1TB HDD 5400 RPM
Mouse ROCCAT Nyth
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