Respawn Monday #21: Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a Much Better Game Even Without Dark Arisen
I was finally able to finish The Blood of the Dawnwalker over the weekend, so a full review of that will be out in a few days (Spoilers: it was fantastic). However, most of my free time went to Dragon’s Dogma 2, as I’m now roughly 25 hours into my second playthrough, already over level 50 and climbing. The crazy part is that I entered the Dark Arisen expansion while having a blast with the base game, as the improvements to the fast travel system and the addition of a solid 60 FPS graphics option make a world of difference. Some thoughts.
I Might Have Been Too Tough on It
When I played it in 2024, I gave it a 3.5/5, as there were clear pain points that held back my enjoyment of the game. The fluctuating frame rate, which hovered between 30 and 40 FPS on the PS5, was something that was hard to ignore during busy moments, and the limited fast travel really slowed down the game’s pacing for me.
Now, both are no longer issues. As mentioned last week, new playthroughs are given an unlimited supply of Ferrystones, the items used to fast travel between Portcrystals, which can either be placed by players or found at major locations in the game. I don’t have to ration the use of these rare items, as I can freely teleport back to town, heal and unload items, then port back to what I was doing. The quicker transitions improve the moment-to-moment gameplay of Dragon’s Dogma overall, making it a fantastic action RPG that should have been what it was at launch. Playing it again made me realize how good of a game it actually is now, and I’ve barely touched the content found in Dark Arisen.
Think of Dark Arisen as the game’s next evolution of endgame content, as you can expect a significant difficulty spike if you’re roughly level 40 to 50 and playing on hard mode. It’s a fun challenge, as the items I picked up in my first few hours in the new region, Norgan, outperform most of the endgame gear you can upgrade and pick up in the base game.
The jump in power is quickly noticeable, as this gear even features improved versions of class skills. I’m excited to experiment with different builds, as my second playthrough now has multiple Vocations (classes) at max rank.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Base Game is Now Fantastic
The overall story of the base game and its quest designs are pretty vague and mostly forgettable, but the combat is really carrying my return to Capcom’s high-fantasy action RPG. For those who aren’t aware, or have just heard of a game called Dragon’s Dogma, it’s not a Soulslike at all.
It’s an action RPG that embraces the idea of a group of adventurers banding together to topple massive, fantastic creatures. Whether it’s climbing a Cyclops to gouge out its one eye or holding on to a gryphon’s back to keep it on the ground, the game delivers on that fantasy. Medusa, Ogres, dragons, stone elementals: there are monsters you fight that feel bigger than life itself, and taking them out with competent NPC companions created by other players has been a blast that hours just go by without me knowing. I can see myself spending another 70 hours on this game.
I’ll share more about Dark Arisen, but let it be clear: Dragon’s Dogma 2 alone is a much better game. If you haven’t played it, get it.
More this week as we have a few reviews lined up to be published. Will also be sharing my adventures of Enshrouded’s 1.0, which started just recently.
How was your weekend?
Respawn Monday #15: How Time Works in The Blood of Dawnwalker
Respawn Monday #16: Jean Fart Gas and Onimusha Goodness
Respawn Monday #17: Still Processing the Madness that is Control: Resonant
Respawn Monday #18: Onimuasha: Way of the Sword is GOTY Materials
Respawn Monday #19: RuneScape Dragonwilds isn’t Blowing Me Away
Respawn Monday #20: Dragon’s Dogma 2 is Feeling Good in 2026
About the Author - Carlos Hernandez
Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.
The amount of effort seen here gives me hope for Capcom’s future attempts at reviving classic titles, as Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the latest title of the once dormant classic franchise, comes back in the best way possible as it very well might be my game of the year contender.