Yesterday, CAPCOM "celebrated" the second anniversary of the release of Dragon's Dogma II with the artwork you see above in the featured image. At first glance, fans of the action roleplaying game were a bit disappointed, as they were hoping for the announcement of a DLC or expansion.
However, upon more careful inspection, the Japanese developer might have at least dropped a tease. The artwork features an unknown character with their back turned, and, most importantly, there's a letter that enterprising fans have translated using the official alphabet of Gransys, one of the first game's regions. The letter allegedly says: "Sightings of Griffins Flying in From the Northern Region of Organ Have Been Confirmed". Dragon's Dogma II itself features references to a northern region that is, however, never unlocked in the game.
The first Dragon's Dogma game famously received a meaty expansion, Dark Arisen, about one year after the base game's launch, adding the end-game dungeon of Bitterblack Isle, filled with new enemies, armor, and weapons. Game development timeframes have definitely gotten longer since, which could account for the delay of an as-of-yet unannounced DLC. It would be even more understandable if this time, CAPCOM is actually adding a whole new region to Dragon's Dogma II. Sales-wise, the game sold fairly well right away, reaching 3 million units in the first two months. However, the sales have since slowed down: as of CAPCOM's latest quarterly update, it has only barely surpassed 4 million units, though it will likely overtake Dragon's Dogma's 4.20 million units soon.
The sequel was presented by series creator Hideaki Itsuno (who left CAPCOM shortly after the game's launch) as a fully realized version of Dragon's Dogma. In my review, I noted that it felt more like Dragon's Dogma 1.5 in many ways:
The original game was an amazing foundation to build upon, and yet CAPCOM seemed content with keeping the same strengths without improving much on the weaknesses. Twelve years later, though, the effect cannot be the same. Still, make no mistake: Dragon's Dogma II is a highly enjoyable fantasy action/adventure with RPG elements that will provide you with about 40 hours of pure fun. Its peerless sense of exploration, meaty combat system, and stunning visuals will motivate you throughout the entire playthrough. Just don't expect to find a fantasy world simulator or, indeed, a narrative worth remembering.
Would you like to see an expansion? Let us know below!
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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