Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

An underdog of the role-playing scene in 2010, now available in an even prettier version.

All Dragon’s Dogma’s drawbacks (i.e. repetitive quests, occasional boring backtracking, poor checkpoint system) become irrelevant when you focus on what this game does well (i.e. truly impressive combat), because it does it better than any other action RPG. [03/2016, p.36]

Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen should be played by every fan of action RPGs.

Gransys is a fascinating, starkly beautiful world. Character customization, combat, and the weird story and brilliant end-game all make this one of my favorite action-RPG’s of all time. Meanwhile, the Dark Arisen changes make the game somewhat more traversable and streamlined, turning a fun but frustrating game into something far more enjoyable. There’s nothing really new here, but it’s great to finally have the game on PC.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen truly feels at home on PC with its in-depth gameplay and beautiful world.

Still one of the most charming, innovative RPGs of last generation, despite the rough edges.

A classic after all these years, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen has certainly been outclassed in many areas and this PC port shows it, but its peerless combat and peon mechanics are still features that many current day games would benefit from incorporating.

A thoroughly great action RPG. On PC it has near perfect fluidity and all the epic feel of the Xbox 360/PS3 edition. A valid alternative to The Witcher 3 or Dark Souls, if one can withstand graphics that are not really on par with today's standards.

It won't be remembered for its technical features, but the depth of the gameplay and some truly original features make Dragon's Dogma one of the best role playing games ever made.

Too many role-playing games are let down by average or mediocre combat – Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, role-playing games also demand great stories, and if you’re looking for a stronger main storyline, Dragon Dogma’s might not be up to your standards. Despite this, the hundreds of hours of content on offer, immense replayability and party customisation is amazing and PC owners can finally enjoy Capcom’s RPG gem with all the added visual bells-and-whistles options.

Dragon’ Dogma: Dark Arisen is very worthy action RPG. Welcome to PC! [Feb 2016]

I'd recommend this game on any platform, but the PC version is overall the best in my experience. Well worth adding to your RPG library.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is the same good action RPG seen on consoles, with extra value granted by the good port.

A very special gaming experience that no RPG fan should miss, especially this brand new version that improved an already great game.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a great RPG that can really shine on more powerful hardware.

For those that already made the journey though, this PC port feels more like a gesture of good faith, than a reason to return to Gransys. Still for those that have forgotten the glory, or never gave it a chance, this is the version to own. I enjoyed revisiting this forgotten gem, now please can we just have a sequel, oh and make sure it has the original intro song. Still a classic.

Even with its rough edges, Dragon's Dogma still feels like one of a kind, years after its initial release.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen mixes the well-worn and overplayed clichés of the genre with just enough new stuff to keep things mostly fresh. Its story may be completely disposable, but the world itself is fascinating. It also has the honour of being one of the best-executed ports I have ever played.

Even if every new idea presented doesn’t always work or make sense, there is still so much originality and adventure at its heart that I’m inclined to overlook those moments of frustration. As open world games continue to cross-pollinate into one breed of the same, Dragon’s Dogma is endearingly quirky, flawed, and, above all else, fun.

Dragon's Dogma on PC takes away a few graphical frustrations we had on the console. The improvements the game got in Dark Arisen are still in there, which makes this one of the best and one of the most difficult niche RPG's on the market.

Graphically it’s an old game and it’s pretty obvious, but this is still a great PC port of a brilliant action rpg. The gameplay is still fun, challenging and rich, the class and pawn systems are original and deep, and you should definitely try it out if you missed it on consoles.

Three years have passed since the original release. Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen is still a great game after those years. Although the game is a bit dated graphically speaking, the combat and world still feel great.

Dragon’s Dogma is a great game that feels unique among fantasy RPGs thanks to its blend of mechanics and influences. Its flaws - repetitive quests and a somewhat aimless structure - don’t block out its enormous strengths. Its core combat is great, and fighting the game’s array of giant beasts is some of the most fun I’ve ever had in an RPG. And this PC version is absolutely the best way to play it.

CAPCOM successfully married the Western open world RPG with an awesome combat system and a bit of Japanese flavor; if you haven't played it until now, the PC version offers enhanced graphics and frame rate. I, for one, hope to learn about a sequel very soon.

Some time has passed since the console release, but today Dragon's Dogma is still a great RPG experience. The pawn system still feels original and fresh, and the challenging gameplay will put even genre veterans to the test.

Three years ago, when Dragon’s Dogma first came out, we thought that its NPC AI, where your party members behave almost like real people in co-op would, will become a new RPG standard. Unfortunately, it didn’t come to pass. Well, all the better for the long-awaited PC port of the game. [Issue#206, p.76]

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen finally reaches the PC through a well-made PC version of a well-made game. The story and characters aren’t the game’s strong point but the fun combat system and the innovative pawn mechanic are more than enough to offset any negatives.

Huge and challenging RPG including a great pawn system. Give this title a chance, despite its average looks.

The PC port doesn't introduce much new and certain elements could be stronger, but Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen still shines as a uniquely enjoyable RPG.

The story is trite but the action, Pawn system and inclusion of DLC made Dragon's Dogma: DA a very compelling purchase. [Issue#248, p.64]

The gameplay is a healthy challenge. It’s good value for money. All in all it’s such a charming and engaging piece of work that as soon as I’ve wrapped this review up I’ll be straight back on it. So farewell.

Huge and incredibly complex adventure entertains you for weeks - despite of minor imperfections. If you did not play DD on the consoles and a slightly elderly graphics doesn´t bother you, this title is a must-have. [Issue#260]

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen to this day still remains a one of a kind game with some innovative ideas that you cannot find in any other RPG. With all the technical hiccups gone, packaged here is what marketing people would call the “Definitive Edition,” and for existing fans, all the improvements from running on PC hardware are alone worth a revisit to the world of Gransys.

An incredible game. The amount of content is incredible. The ability to control and mix up your character at any time is incredible. The variety in not only location but weapons, armor, and items are incredible. The ability to jump and grab a giant enemy, scaling it to stab it in the face while it thrashes about is incredible. You get it, now if you’re a fan of Fantasy RPG, saving the kingdoms from dragons and demons, and extremely satisfying gameplay from nearly every aspect, buy Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen.

If anything, Dark Arisen reminds me just how much I missed my time with Dragon’s Dogma, and how I’d love to see another one in the works. Here’s hoping Gransys has more adventures for us in future!

Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen is just as solid of an entry from Capcom as it was back upon the PS3 and the Xbox 360. With lots of landscapes to explore, character classes to try out, and help to summon, there’s no shortage of adventuring to be done, and once you're hooked on simply existing in the world, this is one that will last you for many dozens of hours.

PC gamers have finally received one of the most unusual RPGs in recent history. It's a truly mesmerizing adventure - strange, sometimes hard to understand and even obsolete. But these things cannot really be considered as flaws. They're there for a reason. Dragon's Dogma is a great, original game that feeds of some well known clichés.

Not perfect, but still a shining example of a stellar RPG and one that fans of the genre should readily seek out.

Dragon’s Dogma: Arisen is an exceptional port from consoles, which takes advantage of more powerful hardware to offer the most beautiful and complete version of the game. Fans of action-RPGs should definitely give it a try.

Incredibly deep and challenging.

Dragon's Dogma still holds up as a solid game in 2016. Capcom fixed many of the technical errors and glitches of the 2012 console release with patches, allowing a reliable framerate to go with your experience. The included difficulty modes raise the stakes of the challenge.

Dragon’s Dogma looks smooth with 60fps and 1080p or 4K resolutions, and because of this and too many fixes and upgrades with this PC port we can enjoy a far better RPG adventure.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen for the PC delivers a compelling RPG experience with great combat mechanics and a varied world to explore. It can be quite tough if you’re trying to speed through the main quest, but patient players who complete side quests and gear up their character, as well as their Pawns, will find plenty of things to enjoy in Capcom’s RPG.

While its gameplay can become slightly monotonous, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen still has the power to amaze with the scale of its world and its brilliant boss battles against legendary creatures.

Dragon's Dogma was never prefect, but it was good enough to overcome all its shortcomings and have us playing for hours and hours. This PC version is also the best way to enjoy it.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen offers more challenge, monsters and secrets than the original Dragon's Dogma experience. Hours and hours of monsters, tough challenges and big map full of treasures. Some technical problems and limited online functions temper this ambitious project.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a worthy memorial to a criminally underrated title, and although it falters at times, the design, combat, scenery, and world this game molds is one that deserves preservation.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen may be a few years old now, but the new PC version is still a blast to play.

You can see the age of the original here and there. But nonetheless at its core Dark Arisen is as fascinating as ever.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a complex and challenging RPG for experienced fans of the genre. The vast game world and the pawn system motivate for hours and hours. However the game can’t hide his age.

Overall, if you can get over the “janky”-ness of the visuals, then you will definitely find an engrossing action RPG with some great systems. The story is a bit bland, but can be made up for with strong combat, excellent controls, an interesting class system, and a wide variety of interesting enemies.

Patience is indeed rewarded, but in a world where people expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter I am not sure Dragon's Dogma does enough that's enticing in order to keep people wanting more.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a great alternative to other well-known RPGs. It presents a long and dark journey which never lets you off the action.

Dragon's Dogma is an outstandingly specific action RPG, which doesn´t appeal to everyone, but the one who breaks through the hard shell to the core of the game, discovers surprisingly complex experience, which originates mainly from the sophisticated fights.

Despite a tendency to force the player to work through a number of repetitive activities Dragon's Dogma delivers innovative, action-packed boss fights and the occasional twist in the story to keep things interesting. Graphically Dragon's Dogma isn't doing anything special, but for a game originally developed on the previous generation of consoles it delivers a satisfying gameplay experience on the PC.

Capcom has done a solid job bringing a very well-made RPG over to the PC. The game features the massive world of Granys, and is filled with tons of customization options, as well as hundreds of complex and dynamic combat situations. It's really one of the better RPGs we've seen of late, and I only experienced two crashes during my time with the game.

Despite borrowing so much from so many different games Capcom’s Western style role-player is still very much its own game – with plenty of interesting ideas of its own.

Dragon’s Dogma on PC is the usual splendid combat-fest that used to be on console. Too bad that 4 years have passed and the game is technically still the same; which, by today standards, is definitely not a compliment.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen for PC is a gem among the RPG genre, despite it being flawed in places.

Despite a ton of annoying drawbacks, Dark Arisen is probably of the few somewhat enjoyable PC ports of a Japanese RPG.