Dragon's Dogma 2 Preview: Every hero needs loyal companions to triumph

I really enjoyed Dragon's Dogma back in the day. A classic fantasy epic in action RPG form with many overtones taken from a great D&D adventure mixed with some Japanese flavour (this being a "western" game developed by the Japanese, it makes some sense), it grabbed me with the force of a dragon's claws. However, as I picked up my old Dark Arisen game, I couldn't get over the fact that it's been too many years since that release, and so I jumped at the chance to try Dragon's Dogma 2 for the first time, which is a priori very similar in aesthetics and world design, but soon opens up with new systems, a variety of characters and play styles, and an overwhelming map that promises countless hours of exploration, combat and endless loot chests.

The behind closed doors session began with a brief introduction to the game, but no story details at this stage. So rest assured, there are no spoilers here. This hands-on session is to get a feel for the DualSense on PS5 and try out some of the eight character classes (or rather, Vocations) we'll see at launch, understand the companion system (Pawns), explore a small (very small) portion of the map and get a feel for some enemies and a couple of bosses.

In the hour we were able to test the game we had access to three characters with different vocations: Archer, Warrior and Thief. We were encouraged to try the Archer first, as she is supposedly the one most closely tied to the main story of the game, and we started with her setting out from a small camp with three AI-controlled companions (each of a different class) to save a rookie soldier who hasn't yet returned from recon. And after getting underway, we step out into a sunny day in the hills dotted with trees and lush grass with a lake below where the still waters reflect the sun. The environmental design is one of the main plus points I can already see for Dragon's Dogma 2, and at all times it gives the feeling of a natural, living world where animals and travellers greet each other on the roads.

But now we can't dwell too long on the scenery because a huge shadow passes over us and moves with others towards the focus of cries for help: it is the missing soldier. The group of adventurers approaches and begins a fight against a group of screaming Harpies as they swoop down. In this case the choice of the Archer class is ideal, because with some skill you can shoot at the moving monsters with R1 to make them fall to the ground and finish them off at your or your companions' leisure.

When you play Dragon's Dogma 2 solo in the future you'll see that you can create your own Pawn from scratch with a combat style that matches your own, but the other two slots will be left empty for you to either play with someone in a multiplayer session, or find characters you come across and add to your party. I admit that I smiled when I saw a huge guy walking around in black armour with a sword and I had to shout "Hey, Guts, are you coming with me?", as it was a clear homage to Berserk.

Possibly, between you and your three Pawns (either future players or AI-controlled) you'll be able to take care of any creature you encounter, because the artificial intelligence of these allies surprised me for the better, the group knows how to move around and deal with threats and attack them as if they were real players, as well as providing support in case the hypnotic singing of the Harpies imbues you with the sleep effect and you fall asleep on the floor. With the Harpies finished off, the danger passes, and we send the grateful soldier back to camp, ending the mission.

We could go back to him and collect a modest reward, or we could continue exploring the hills and approach a camp of goblins guarding a chest. World events are a constant in Dragon's Dogma 2, and in this short session we saw how even different monsters (such as goblins and wolves) fought each other when our party arrived. At that point they can either turn on you or they can go about their business, although we're not exactly giving them time to make up their minds either.

A team with a variety of Vocations and skills is crucial for the pace of the game to be right. For example, if you're facing Harpies using the Thief or Warrior Vocation, the strategy is much more complicated if you don't have bow support, as you have to get close to the area they're flying over (and keep screeching and putting us to sleep) and land a blow in the hope that it will hit when they do a low fly-by. Dragon's Dogma is much more about the "us" than the "me", at least for now, so you have to expect that you're neither invincible nor can you do a "me against the world".

With the Warrior or Thief Vocations we have the option of going with a tank armed with a sword and shield or an agile character with two lightning fast daggers. The Warrior is an option for those who don't want to get too complicated and are looking for a one-on-one against any creature and support the lighter Vocations in defence. The Thief, on the other hand, is a nimble character, with daggers that can deal tremendous damage if he catches the enemy at an advantage, which was a relief when I was able to take on a world boss while handling the character. The cyclops emerged from the trees as we fought the umpteenth pack of hungry wolves and charged head-on at all of them at once. With weapons drawn, I positioned myself right at his back and began to strike at his heels relentlessly, until one blow left me almost lifeless. Then I tried the other novelty in Dragon's Dogma 2. I grabbed him like Shadow of the Colossus and climbed up to his head, where after a few hits he fell to the ground stunned, at which point I used another special ability to string together a combo of many hits in a row and the cyclops died at my feet.

Having finished the demo, I come away with a lot of good feelings... The map seems simply immense (the portion I moved around for an hour was tiny, apparently), the NPC AI is superior to most titles that use this type of ally system, the combat is fluid and the different classes ensure you'll find one that perfectly suits what you want to do in the game. There are a couple of issues that slightly bother me (as when I asked about them I didn't get a direct answer), namely the motion blur and the resounding FPS drop I experienced when passing through a populated village. While it's true that the latter is a matter of the game entering the pre-release polishing phase, the motion blur has been a constant annoyance that I couldn't get rid of as the graphics options were limited in this test, although I have suggested to the team to please take this into account for the final version.

I don't know when Dragon's Dogma 2 will arrive, but I do know that when it does, it will deliver an experience that the general public is sure to enjoy. And that's just the beginning.