Aah, Dark Arisen: a DLC for a game called Dragon’s Dogma 2, the sequel to Dragon’s Dogma, which also had a DLC called Dark Arisen. How fun! Hideaki Itsuno and Kento Kinoshita are truly having a blast with their much-beloved cult classic IP, aren’t they? But is this Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen anything like its predecessor, or is it just a fun coincidence, and what in the world is Dragon’s Dogma anyways?!
At first I debated writing about Dragon’s Dogma 2 (which I’ll now refer to as DD2, and the review of which you can find here) before talking about Dark Arisen. Also, I thought; why bother looking at Dark Arisen in this economy, in this crazy month of gaming, and a month before GTA6? However, I decided that I want YOU to play one of my favourite open-world RPGs, so YES, I will briefly talk about it. Prepare for a 2000-word review for a DLC.
Why should you play Dragon’s Dogma 2 (4.0)?
If you’ve already played DD2 and would like to save yourself some time, feel free to scroll down to the next part, or continue reading as I gush about the Dragon’s Dogma series.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an open-world RPG where you play as the Arisen, destined to fell a dragon, in control of beings beyond “the Rift”, called Pawns. However, it won’t be easy, as the world is full of fantastic monsters and creatures ready to peek-a-boo and attack you every step of the way. Not only that, but the story also follows a political intrigue where someone is impersonating the Arisen, so you must take back the title that is rightfully yours!
That’s all good and all, but what sets DD2 apart from the myriad of fantasy, political, open-world RPGs out there? I don’t want to go into too much detail, as this review will end up more than 3000 words, but I will do my best:
The Pawn System
DD2 is a single-player game where you take control of the Arisen, where you have 1 mandatory party member and another 2 optional ones (total party of 4) that you have no control over. This is where one of the best gameplay systems ever shines: the Pawn System is a pseudo-online co-op game too, because the 2 optional pawns you can hire are the main pawns of other players! Furthermore, they could have different world/quest knowledge, battle tactics, and personality than your Main Pawn because they may have discovered places, caves, and treasures that you haven’t or completed quests that you are just about to start. They will talk to you and let you know what they’ve learned through their travels, much like a real co-op partner could run you through dungeons and guide you through quests they’ve already completed. Your Main Pawn could get hired by others too, and in doing so, they could help others similarly or even bring back knowledge they gleaned from their adventures, like the weakness of a specific enemy. It is a fantastic system that I will talk endlessly about if you let me.
The World
Fans of DD1 and DD2 will argue about which world design is best, but it doesn’t matter; we’re here for DD2 (but also play DD1 :D). Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a true open-world game where the only real thing stopping you is the terrain, and the enemies that will kill you if you look at them funny. And this world is full of secrets at every corner. It’s beautiful, it’s dangerous, the morning is relaxing, and the night is proper dark-dark, so bring a lantern and keep it oiled.
The Combat
Another fantastic thing about the Dragon’s Dogma series is its moment-to-moment gameplay. I’ve never experienced such great 3rd-person action gameplay in any other game (maybe Monster Hunter or Horizon Forbidden West), where so many different things can happen, with great animations and reactions between pawns, surroundings, elements, and gameplay tactics. If you grab a giant cyclops and push his legs, he may topple over and can even be used as a bridge; if you shoot at his eyes, he will start covering them; if you have a fighter with the ability to boost you up, you can do so and clamber up the cyclops and directly attack his body from above; you can cast an ice spell, and it will leave behind a climbable foothold or break it down and throw ice blocks at him. You cannot find a more involved combat experience than Dragon’s Dogma.
Better Performance and Quality of Life
The game is quite different now than it was during its original release over 2 years ago. In preparation for the Dark Arisen DLC, Capcom released two major updates to the game: one in August and another in September. A major update, 4.0, will also add another slew of new goodies, including a hard mode, when the DLC comes out. Not only that, performance was arguably one of the worst things about DD2 when it first came out; however, from my experience on PS5 Pro, the game runs perfectly except for minor visual ghosting hiccups around bodies of water. Other than that, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is as beautiful as ever.
The Next Part – DD2: Dark Arisen DLC
The Dark Arisen DLC, for those familiar with its namesake from DD1, is not too unlike the first. Its main features are:
– 12 new dungeons located in the lands of the main game called Lost Rites
– new pawn specializations
– 1 new ability (plus its improved version) for each vocation
– the all-new continent of Norgan
– spoils
Much like the original Dark Arisen, this DLC’s main focus is the loot-based gameplay loop where you fight enemies, get loot, have it appraised to create varying builds, and do it all over again. Except this time, instead of placing this gameplay loop in a dedicated dungeon location, you have a whole new content to play within, as well as many new NPCs, quests, and storylines within it. Also, there’s Freki; Freki is a good girl <3.
Starting the new content for Dark Arisen comes with a couple of level recommendations. However, veterans of the series know that while levels are great, the heavy lifting comes from gear and your vocations. Not meeting the recommended levels also won’t gate you from starting the new content, so you can start earlier if you want the extra challenge.
Norgan’s recommended level is 40, so it is technically end-game content, and it’s best to have end-game gear to go along with it. Being level 40 but having Battahli gear or earlier will not be enough.
Meanwhile, Lost Rite’s recommended level is 20. Unfortunately, this is still technically end-game content, as 80% of the Lost Rites’ activities are only available after you’ve completed a late-game quest and acquired the Empowered Godsbane Blade.
Don’t get Spoiled
The biggest chunk of the Dark Arisen DLC is Norgan and the many new elements within it. Aside from the new Dark Arisen storyline (which works perfectly with the name of the DLC, making it seem as if copying the name of the original was not just for fun), the Spoils/Relic system and new vocation abilities can only be found in Norgan. In the frigid and desolate continent of Norgan, you’ll have a main hub, where most of the NPCs will be. There you’ll have your bed, storage chest, item and gear sellers, and the lady (Jiera), who will appraise the spoils/relics you find. Following the storyline and adventuring through Norgan, you’ll encounter enemies, and they may drop spoils of differing rarity. However, you don’t know what they are or their attributes until you appraise them.
Many items will look identical, but they’ll have different attributes. They may even provide special skills, improving your existing vocation skills and giving you better proficiency against different types of enemies. Armour pieces can even improve your elemental resistance or increase your jump height! This makes picking up the same loot feel rewarding, as you can RNG your way to your perfect build!
One of the biggest complaints in the base DD2 game is the quality of loot you get from your adventures, so much so that even your pawns complain about it (“a common reward, frustratingly so”). This new spoils system completely fixes that, as looting spoils off enemies and having them appraised both have a very satisfying sound effect. Also, looking at higher numbers isn’t the only good thing about it, as you may find one weapon works better for your play style as it improves on your existing skill, such as “Shockchain Stake,” which is an improved form of the Magic Archer’s Boltchain Stake that I love to use. While you’ll still hear your pawns complain when you loot a common item, you’ll just as often hear them praise how happy they are to find new gear!
Ice Cold Norgan
My favourite part about the Dragon’s Dogma series (apart from the Pawn system) is its world and Dark Arisen, and Norgan takes this to a fantastic whole new level of cool (pun intended). While almost no one lives here, as a Canadian, I can relate, the gameplay and traversal in Norgan definitely focus on the element of cold: from the new weather system, how it affects your stamina, blocking access due to ice, providing alternate access to areas due to packed snow or frozen rivers, to utilizing the element to your advantage to defeat your foes (throwing smaller enemies onto ice spikes or breaking icicles overhead to skewer them, or causing an avalanche, though that often hurt me more than it hurt them). With this DLC, ice and snow isn’t just for show; it’s deeply embedded within many different parts of the gameplay.
The sense of adventure and danger is even more evident in Dark Arisen. Verticality and cave systems are the name of the game. Discovering new places, finding hidden loot, and sheltering yourself from the harsh cold wind is extremely satisfying. The world is beautiful, and finding new areas is well rewarded. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Norgan’s design.
Lost Rites
The 2nd biggest part of the Dark Arisen DLC is its 12 new dungeons called the Lost Rites. As mentioned, you can accept them as early as your first arrival in Vernworth, and the recommended level is 20. These are dungeons located in the base game’s map, and if you’ve played DD2, they may have been doors you’ve already seen! Finding these dungeons and making sure you meet the prerequisites to enter will be the first hurdle; unfortunately, it still isn’t that simple. Most of these dungeons are unavailable to you until you have the Empowered Godsbane, which is obtained during the latter half of the 2nd “act” of the main storyline. If you are a new Arisen and are exploring and doing all you can, you won’t see this quest until you’re well over 30 hours into the game.
This is perhaps my only complaint about Dark Arisen, or the lack of communication about DLCs in general. The Lost Rites are “advertised” as recommended for level 20 characters, which to me sounds like dungeons or activities I can do as I play through the main storyline. This would’ve been a fantastic way for new players to interact with the DLC even though they can’t go to Norgan yet. In fact, I purposely created a brand-new save and left it at level 20, thinking I could experience the challenge at its intended level (though I didn’t do much of the story, since I enjoyed just traversing the world). Instead, I had to rush through the Main Story to get the necessary item in time for me to review the Lost Rites dungeons. It’s a very unfortunate communication setup, especially when the information about the requirements to open the doors to access them is cryptic to non-existent; you get the quest to start Lost Rites, they give you an item that shows you the location & requirements of these dungeons, only for you to scratch your head at what to do next with nothing but your Pawn commenting that perhaps we should come back later. A simple update to the quest, having Captain Brant say that he’ll look into it and nudge you towards the main story and the item required to unlock them, would’ve done wonders to alleviate this.
Now that’s done, let’s talk dungeons: what are they like? Each dungeon and its challenges vary and coincide well with the prerequisites to enter it. While most are still within dungeon-like cave systems, their design feels better, with more verticality and different ways to traverse them. It provides a good challenge, especially if you haven’t been to Norgan because the gear and the many levels you attain in Norgan will make many enemies, the rewards, and the overall experience of the Lost Rites trivial. However, there is one key item that these dungeons provide that makes it all worthwhile: Offering Flame.
The Offering Flame is an item that you can take to Norgan to thaw and open up the several Obelisks you’ll find there. These Obelisks will offer you 1 new ability, an improved version of that ability, a permanent stat boost, and a temporary boost to spoils of that specific vocation. The gear within the Lost Rites may not be so great (though they do look super cool), but having these Offering Flames will be a boon to your character as well as make your trip through Norgan more worthwhile.
You should play Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen
It’s been well over 2000 words; I won’t beat around the bush: I loved Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, and I loved Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, so I definitely would recommend this game and this DLC. However, Dragon’s Dogma 2 and its 4.0 update alone already feel like a different game from its original release, and the question now becomes: when should you play Dark Arisen? If you’ve already played DD2 and loved it, then you should definitely play Dark Arisen as soon as you’re able, as it’s more of it and then some, and you’ll love it.
If you’ve played a bit of DD2 but dropped it because of performance or a quality-of-life feature you felt was missing, try 4.0; if you like the new-and-improved DD2, I would highly recommend jumping into Dark Arisen next. If you love the idea of a grand fantasy adventure and experience a truly unique and immersive single-player game where you feel as if you’re actually accompanied by real players going on treacherous adventures together, with great moment-to-moment gameplay, then please, please play Dragon’s Dogma 2, then continue your adventure into Dark Arisen DLC and the cold lands of Norgan.
It’s cool there, trust me.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen was reviewed on PlayStation 5. Gamer Social Club would like to thank the devs and publisher for the code.
