Gab Hernandez 
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s is giving fans of modern open-world RPGs like Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reason to do a double-take.
The original Dragon’s Dogma flew under the radar for the most part, but its sequel is getting incredible hype. The game first came out in 2012 and in the 12 years since then, Capcom has gone from releasing duds like Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Lost Planet 3 to delivering game of the year contenders on an annual basis. Meanwhile, the open-world action RPG is the hottest genre in gaming with titles like Elden Ring and The Witcher 3 being among the most beloved of their generation. The saying goes “a rising tide raises all ships” and Dragon’s Dogma has two tides raising it.
The Dragon’s Dogma 2 release date has been confirmed and game director Hideaki Itsuno seems ready to hit another home run five years removed from Devil May Cry 5. The long time since the release of the first Dragon’s Dogma has likely helped Itsuno given how the genre has been pushed forward, but the game seems ready to challenge its successors for the top spot.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 like Elden Ring?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be very similar to Elden Ring, as an open-world action RPG with an emphasis on epic boss battles.
Although the comparisons to Elden Ring are easy, it’s worth mentioning that 2012’s Dragon’s Dogma already had many of the features that define Elden Ring. For example, one of the hardest enemies from Dragon’s Dogma, the Archydra, is entirely optional. It never leaves its chamber and defeating it doesn’t progress the main story. It exists solely to flesh out the world and reward exploration. Though Elden Ring’s roots extend back to Demon’s Souls from 2009, Dragon’s Dogma showed how well that formula can work in an open-world setting.
That same philosophy is still present in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but this time it has been expanded upon. Instead of just being random encounters, bosses like the Sphinx are shown to have entire questlines dedicated to them. The inclusion of more traditional RPG elements like this and a class system will likely be even more compelling than Elden Ring’s formula. Not only that, there’s a bit more freedom to how players tackle fights like the one with the Sphinx, with Itsuno noting that “riddles” will be a part of the Sphinx fight’s mechanics.
How big is the map of Dragon’s Dogma 2?
The map for Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be four times larger than the one from the original Dragon’s Dogma.
In line with Itsuno’s refining of Dragon’s Dogma, the open world has been significantly expanded. Although the first game featured an open world, the final product was a far cry from the team’s original vision. The initial endgame for Dragon’s Dogma would have taken players straight to the moon before it was cut out for time.
Notably, Itsuno directly cited Grand Theft Auto 5 as an inspiration for Dragon’s Dogma 2, particularly in how “alive” the world feels. With the bigger map size and focus on hidden encounters, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will thrive in a world where games such as Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild are GOTY winners.
