Dragon’s Dogma 2 Dark Arisen Review – Into the Tundra
Just when I thought the franchise was being put back on ice, Capcom came out of nowhere to reveal that Dragon’s Dogma 2 was getting an expansion, dubbed Dark Arisen.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because the first Dragon’s Dogma game also received an expansion by the same name, and although the one for the sequel doesn’t quite reinvent the experience as it did for the first game, it does deliver a remarkably substantial and well-crafted chunk of adventure that breathes new life into the world, offering just the right mix of fresh challenges and familiar charm to make heading back out into the wild feel entirely worthwhile.
A Cold Frontier
The unthinkable has happened: A new Arisen has, well, risen. Despite the one already (you), rumors have begun circulating that, somehow, against all odds, another Arisen has emerged from the deep blizzards of Norgan, a region long thought abandoned. They bear the same unmistakable scar on their chest and the heavy burden of a stolen heart. Who are they, and how can there be two Arisens at once? Well, that’s a mystery behind the story, one that you’re tasked to investigate. That’s essentially the premise of Dark Arisen, though like the base game, there’s much more to this mystery, which leads into a rather epic tale. No spoilers from here, but in my near 30-hour playthrough, I can safely say that Capcom has once again proven why Dragon’s Dogma 2 is easily one of the best RPGs in recent years.
What I love about Dark Arisen is that it doesn’t necessarily rely on the game’s base story. While you’ll want to meet the level recommendation for a more enjoyable experience, you can access Dark Arisen within just a few hours of the main game. Of course, playing through the main game helps with context, but Capcom crafted Dark Arisen more as a “Standalone” experience than a continuation of the base game. So the story is entirely new, and while I won’t spoil any of it, you can expect plenty of epic moments and set pieces throughout, especially around the bosses.
Boss fights are undoubtedly the big highlights, coming in plenty of variations and sizes. As for the standard enemies, they seem fairly light at the start, with the opening hours of the DLC mostly “reskins,” but eventually some new ones do appear, and they’re pretty fun additions that add a lot of challenge to the new region.
Norgan is pretty massive, certainly more than I expected. It may come off as more “closed-off” because it’s only a small part of the entire game’s map, but in terms of scale, Norgan has plenty of gorgeous vistas beyond the small snowy town you first visit. I’m not a big fan of snow levels in games because environments can feel so restrictive, but Capcom surprised me by making the frozen tundra feel genuinely distinct, turning blinding whiteouts and icy ridges into a striking, atmospheric backdrop that hides so many secrets for you to uncover.
Nighttime is just as dangerous as in the base game, with the snowscape shrouded in darkness. In many ways, this is an enemy on its own, and you need to learn how to navigate the environments or risk an ice-cold plummet into the water or stumbling blindly into a pack of predators that wait until the sun goes down to hunt.
It’s as deadly as it is gorgeous, and Norgan feels less like an untamed frontier, daring you to brave its freezing expanse every time you set foot into it.
One interesting change in this expansion is how gear works. It’s entirely RNG, rather than something you work on and improve through blacksmithing. This is both good and bad: it creates an enjoyable, grind-filled loop, but it also makes gear feel less special since you’ll constantly swap it out for something better. Because of this change in how gear works, Dark Arisen now has loot as an appraisable item (spoils) which turns into gear known as Relic gear. This means you can farm a lot more gear without becoming overcumbered. That’s an excellent solution to one of my main gripes with the base game, because it means you can farm and keep playing without worrying about being too heavy. Just go back to the town when you’re ready to appraise something, and pray you get better gear.
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On the other hand, it does make gear feel less special since you can’t just stick with something and level it up at the blacksmith. I’m not much of an RNG player, mostly because I’m much older than I was when I started gaming. So I don’t have a lot of time to sit there and grind things out. Not the game’s fault, just giving a reason why I’m not too big on it, which is, at the end of the day, a me issue.
One Last Epic Journey
Dark Arisen no doubt rounds out an already excellent package, which is, quite frankly, a lot. It’s an excellent expansion that fans, and even newcomers, will find plenty to sink their teeth into, ensuring that Capcom’s fantasy epic closes out its run on the highest possible note. There’s a reason why I considered Dragon’s Dogma 2 as my Game of the Year for 2024, and Dark Arisen only further cements that for me.
Let’s just hope that Capcom doesn’t put this dragon back to rest, and we get more from the franchise sooner rather than later.
Pros
- Story is pretty solid, with it stretching 20-30 hours.
- Norgan is massive and gorgeous
- Awesome boss fights
Cons
- A lot of reskin enemies. Would have loved to see more variety there.
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