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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

We're kicking off January's IGN First for Dragon's Dogma 2 with 18 minutes of gameplay footage covering the Fighter, Thief, Warrior, and Sorcerer vocations. Stay tuned all throughout January for a variety of interviews, reveals, deep dives, and much more as our month long coverage of Dragon's Dogma 2 continues.

 

[mitch1971]

Those drop kicks from the monsters are great. lol.

 

[Kings Field]

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

The way they used that barrel to open up the water on that Cyclops was amazing. More games need environmental interactivity like that.

 

[magnumpy]

I said "wow" D:

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

Serious question. Having not played Monster Hunter series or Dogma, how are these games differentiated please?
Thanks in advance

 

[BobbyColtrane]

they're still using the same music from 11 years ago? lol okurrrrr

 

[Bloobs]

Still no lock-on?

 

[Mister Wolf]

Looks clunky like the first game.

 

[Pejo]

Randomly skipped through the video and it looks incredible, but I want to go in as blind as possible to the full game.

See you gentlemen on the other side.

 

[havoc00]

Still no lock-on?

filtered

 

[semiconscious]

Looks clunky like the first game.

love dragon's dogma. but, yes, yes it does. part of its charm, maybe? except, of course, when it kills you...

 

[T4keD0wN]

This game should appeal to me like no other, yet for some reason it doesnt.

Animations looks fine, but there is something seriously wrong with the video.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Tried to get into the original multiple times but just couldn't. As someone that loves medieval RPGs, this should be right up my ally. But I found the combat very boring and honestly, this kind of just looks like the first one with better graphics, though still graphically the quality of a last gen game. Hope I'm wrong. Probably will still buy it after reading reviews. But I'm prepared to be disappointed.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Tried to get into the original multiple times but just couldn't. As someone that loves medieval RPGs, this should be right up my ally. But I found the combat very boring and honestly, this kind of just looks like the first one with better graphics, though still graphically the quality of a last gen game. Hope I'm wrong. Probably will still buy it after reading reviews. But I'm prepared to be disappointed.

They didn't listen to any complaints and doubled down.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Combat looks kinda messy/clunky? A demo would be good.

 

[TheMan]

Gameplay looks very very similar to DD1 with slightly better graphics. The more I see of this game the less interested I am tbh

 

[Mister Wolf]

Gameplay looks very very similar to DD1 with slightly better graphics. The more I see of this game the less interested I am tbh

Zero improvement. They looked at the lukewarm sales of the first game and said:

 

[simpatico]

I tried so hard to get into the first one. Maybe it's time to give it another crack.

 

[Denton]

Tried to get into the original multiple times but just couldn't. As someone that loves medieval RPGs, this should be right up my ally. But I found the combat very boring and honestly, this kind of just looks like the first one with better graphics, though still graphically the quality of a last gen game. Hope I'm wrong. Probably will still buy it after reading reviews. But I'm prepared to be disappointed.

I could have written this. I gave DD1 ten hours of my life across two tries and just couldn't gel with it. Boring story, bland world, lame sidequests, and combat, while it has some neat features like monster climbing and magic system, wasn't all that engaging either. Too many fucking wolves and shit. Plus the annoying banter, jesus.

And what I see in this video is the exact same fucking thing, just with slightly (very slightly) better graphics. It still looks like barely PS4 gen game though. Where is Deep Down?

 

[RavageX]

Loved the first one, and looks like I'll like this one too.

 

[Portugeezer]

Looks a bit janky.

I liked the first game, I expect it to be good, but this video wasn't the best.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Loved the first one, and looks like I'll like this one too.

This.

 

[Roman Empire]

And it begins. IGN doesn't know shit about the game they should be showcasing so viewers question if the gameplay sucks.

The player barely used the skills of each vocation... They suck ass. Any good dragon's dogma montage video shows how much potential and emergent gameplay situations the game offers.

Already in the original each vocation offered a different experience, so changing classes changes how you approach combat entirely, from which skills and weapons you use to how set your party.

The fighter, who is the most basic RPG knight class in the game is already awesome to use



But combat as a whole is incredible



I'd feel ashamed to call that a showcase because it doesn't do the game any favours.

 

[DaciaJC]

Biggest difference I could notice is that at a few points, the player character was freely standing on the monster's back or head while hacking away at them. In the previous game, you would always be grappling onto the monster, which would consume stamina pretty quickly unless you had certain augments equipped.

 

[Schmendrick]

A friendly description of the visuals would be "dated" and the gameplay itself just looks kinda clunky.

I'm surprised this got a sequel as the first one may have loyal fans, but actual sales weren't that good if I remember correctly.

 

[Roman Empire]

Biggest difference I could notice is that at a few points, the player character was freely standing on the monster's back or head while hacking away at them. In the previous game, you would always be grappling onto the monster, which would consume stamina pretty quickly unless you had certain augments equipped.

Now in DD2 once mounted on a monster you can now release the cling button and stand on top of them while recovering stamina and being able to use all yours skills.

 

[Flutta]

What are people seeing in this? Looks rough. Is this game made by like 10 people or something? If it is then i’ll understand.

 

[Punished Miku]

Looks like its just going to be chaos, hack and slash the whole time. Should be a lot of fun.

 

[Bilu]

I feel like I'm watching an Asian MMO.

 

[stn]

Can't wait. Loved the first one (also, I really need to beat the Dark Arisen expansion before this releases).

 

[Variahunter]

Just like most Japanese games, you have to be skilled to make the gameplay looks good.
IGN are not.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

In DD1, can you play solo with one character? Or does the game require party play? If you can play it by yourself, does the game scale monster difficulty to help you out?

 

[Black_Mamba]

Seems like the battles take a long time to finish and there's not much skill involved. How's the first one in terms of challenge?

 

[Punished Miku]

Seems like the battles take a long time to finish and there's not much skill involved. How's the first one in terms of challenge?

It ranges from casual to pretty challenging.

 

[MALpractice311]

I never understood the appeal of DD1 and I still don't see the appeal in this sequel. Everything looks bad. Not just the barely PS4 level graphics. The gameplay looks like, as someone else mentioned above, any other Japanese MMO. I'm falling asleep watching it

 

[Clear]

Looks great to me.

Its just like the original in that its more concerned with giving the player freedom to do stuff than making every animation and movement link perfectly. Yes its loose and often messy looking, but it flows well and there's an actual feel to the combat.

 

[TheMan]

What are people seeing in this? Looks rough. Is this game made by like 10 people or something? If it is then i’ll understand.

definitely a low budget, b-tier game. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing though. I'll probably end up giving this a chance on release or soon after even if I'm feeling lukewarm on it now.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Any word on console performance?

 

[Roman Empire]

In DD1, can you play solo with one character? Or does the game require party play? If you can play it by yourself, does the game scale monster difficulty to help you out?

As the game is a product of its time and by design there is no HP scaling for enemies depending on how many party members you have.

You can easily play by yourself, but it's generally recommended if you're a veteran since you are basically gimping your own experience by having to manage carrying gear, items, and curatives all on your own. Plus, the later half of the game has many encounters with enemies that can apply different debilitations, and you probably won't have the carrying capacity to have all your gear + curatives ready for every situation.

Partying is very essential to a full DD experience since you can revamp it to fit your needs, and Pawns are very useful as mules.

 

[Thaimasker]

Zero improvement. They looked at the lukewarm sales of the first game and said:

Lukewarm? It did twilight princess numbers which is really great for most RPGs even today, yet alone from the PS3 gen.

 

[Roman Empire]

Seems like the battles take a long time to finish and there's not much skill involved. How's the first one in terms of challenge?

Skill floor for the game is low and very pick up and play, but if you want to be efficient you better set your party to cover for your own weaknesses.

Monsters have different elemental and debilitations resistances, so if you want to have a much easier time against them, you should learn what works against what creatures. Take for example the many instances they've shown the Cyclops in the videos, it looks quite tanky but it's VERY susceptible to Lighting and gets easily stunned and downed by it to the point it can barely fight back. That's the strength of the fighting system beyond you being able to be very stylish beyond the Hack 'n Slash appearance the game gives.

In other words, the game isn't hard but you'll have a much harder time if you go into it thinking it's just another hack 'n slash. High level play is much different than what IGN is showing.

 

[DavidGzz]

Day 1! This is my jam. I personally love the impact of weapon strikes and climbing on enemies is awesome. It's an upgraded DD. The graphics are way better. In for the PC version.

 

[DaciaJC]

Now in DD2 once mounted on a monster you can now release the cling button and stand on top of them while recovering stamina and being able to use all yours skills.

Ah, so that's how it works. Sounds awesome.

 

[Ferdimage]

I hope the game will have difficult areas like Bitterblack Isle.

Since its CAPCOM, really wishing for a demo before release.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Serious question. Having not played Monster Hunter series or Dogma, how are these games differentiated please?
Thanks in advance

They are nothing alike?
In monster hunter you hunt monsters, it's basically a boss rush game and it has very deliberate controls that could feel clunky if you aren't used to it.
Every weapon also comes with a giant moveset, so you generally don't switch weapons very often unless you're deep into it and have mastered a weapon already. There's also no leveling up, you get stronger by crafting better gear.
You select a hunt (type of monster you want to hunt) and then head to it's little world to kill it, then you go back to the hub and craft gear, and repeat that infinite times.

Dragon's dogma is an action rpg in a small open world, with story and sidequests and hidden things to find, it's very much a dungeons and dragons inspired game with capcom action behind it, but it's also a real rpg in the sense that you level up and distribute stats etc.

Absolutely nothing alike.

 

[Roman Empire]

I hope the game will have difficult areas like Bitterblack Isle.

Since its CAPCOM, really wishing for a demo before release.

There are creatures like the Garm (huge hyena-like from Bitterblack Isle) roaming around in the open world for DD2. You can see it in the latest trailer attacking a pawn while the Arisen is Magick Archer using the frost arrow.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

In DD1, can you play solo with one character? Or does the game require party play? If you can play it by yourself, does the game scale monster difficulty to help you out?

Yes, you can not hire any pawns and throw yours into the abyss/off a cliff and not resurrect them.
There's no enemy scaling afaik because the game is a real RPG with enemy levels per area, so you can outlevel enemies or get stomped.
The only thing you gain from being solo is extra XP, 25% for every missing companion, so 75% extra if solo; though it also works inverse, if you are 25 levels higher than a pawn you hired, you also get the 25% boost, so you could not resurrect your pawn and still have two pawns with you for that 75% boost if they are 25 levels below you.

Afaik the game did have certain items that make you stronger if solo, but you'd have to find/get them first.

 

[Kumomeme]

Looks clunky like the first game.

which mean they prioritize the right things.

it is better that it is:

look 'clunky' but good when actually playing/hold the controller

rather than:

look awesome, realistic, fancy animation but clunky, unresponsive and slog when actually playing/hold the controller. lot of games particularly western games made this mistake.

simply to say this is good example of where developers prioritize control foremorest than focusing something that only look good on video but not when actually playing the game. its not that they cant. but they wont. this is Capcom, headed by Hideaki Itsuno itself. they know what they are doing.

here is some example of explaination done by PlatinumGames developers:

Here’s a common situation: You’re patting yourself on the back for making an animation that looks super-cool and flows really nicely. Then, you put your perfect animation into the game engine and try controlling it, and it dawns on you that it’s too slow, too clunky. With tears in your eyes, you go back and cut away huge parts of your magnificent creation until it finally feels good.

As an animator first and foremost, there’s a lot you can’t help but want to leave in. But you’re not making a movie here – you’re making a game, and it has to be tight and responsive. The truest sign of a skilled game animator is their ability to make something great with the number of frames they’re given.

- PlatinumGames's Nier Automata animator Takayuki Muranaka

Meet PlatinumGames’ NieR:Automata team! | PlatinumGames Official Blog

PG game designer Takahisa Taura here. It was my pleasure to share some new information and footage from NieR:A […]

www.platinumgames.com

..and oh yeah..IGN is terrible at making gameplay video as always. messy, uncoordinated and like someone who dont know what to do.

EDIT: totally not expected this but thank you for the GOLD dear kind soul !

 

[LaughingStock]

If you told me this was DD1 I'd believe you. That's exactly how I remember the game looking and they even used the same music.