Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 340 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 270 out of 340
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 340
  3. Negative: 36 out of 340
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  1. JuniorPear
    Nov 9, 2013
    7
    Solid game play, great polish, but frustrating design decisions plague every facet of game.

    First off, I have to say that the game play and production value shown really is stellar. Controls feel solid and button mapping is as intuitive as it can be for a console RPG. Graphically, there is great draw distance and pop-ins are few and far between. The game can hit some lagging if a lot is    Solid game play, great polish, but frustrating design decisions plague every facet of game.

    First off, I have to say that the game play and production value shown really is stellar. Controls feel solid and button mapping is as intuitive as it can be for a console RPG. Graphically, there is great draw distance and pop-ins are few and far between. The game can hit some lagging if a lot is going on during a fight with many enemies or if you try to pull up the pause screen while the game is auto-saving, but it's not game-breaking in the least. Plenty of equipment to customize your character, though most of the good stuff isn't until later in the game.

    As a longtime fan of RPGs, I've seen my share of 1st person and 3rd person RPGs make its way to the console world. DD:DR has certainly done a fine job of creating an atmosphere and feel that immerses you into the medieval, dragon-filled universe. The world you are able to explore is massive. So massive, in fact, that it takes you a good 15-20 minutes of traversing just to make it from your starting town to the next one, shorter if you choose to run past possible packs of enemies. But this is where a few design decisions affect your experience. With a world so vast, you would think fast traveling would be a given, something free and simple to go back and forth between your towns and other places you've discovered. Instead, you're left with having to use ferrystones (for towns) and portcrystals (for dungeons). Though ferrystones aren't too expensive, it still becomes something you are required to track in your inventory. Getting them from one man hidden away in a remote section of a large town is a journey that becomes frustratingly repetitive. I know the developers chose to weave in night-time gameplay to make users think and plan their journeys between towns and dungeons, but after a while, you get sick of trying to find your way through seemingly endless paths through forests and canyons. And with fast travel not being a viable option at times, you would think the map design would be more detailed and easier to use. Not the case. The zoom function is a joke, and there's little detail in the map except when you get into a town. It shows little in terms of items, enemies, or treasures. Your map seems to be only a tool for getting from one town to the next, and even that becomes frustrating at times.

    Which brings me to my next point about questing. You would think with all the manual traveling you'd have to do, the quest interface would be well sorted and planned out. There seems to be none of either. All the quests are jumbled together, unsorted main quests from side quests. Waypoints for quests are ambiguous and leave you scratching your head to figure out where you're supposed to go. This combined with the traveling made me think twice a few times about moving forward and investing another hour or two. Something so critical as quest sorting should not be left this unfinished. There have been plenty of RPGs in recent history who have done this well, so there's no excuse not to at least copy a layout from another game.

    When you're not a vagabond, scouring the lands for items, you're fighting enemies. But one crucial element is missing from battles, in my opinion. Target lock would be most helpful. It's certainly not broken without it, but it sure made it look like my character was swinging blindly to complete the move set while the goblin in front of me before, is now behind me. I played mainly as a magic archer from the first chance I had so my arrows had a natural homing ability. I can't imagine how it must be to play as a regular archer without this skill. Manual aiming fine for one or two foes, but when hordes come at you, dispatching them quickly becomes difficult.

    All in all, a great game with only minor quibbles. But the world traveling really made me just as mentally exhausted as it was physically for my character (stamina depletes quickly; no sprinting for you).    … Expand
  2. RinEvangel
    Dec 4, 2013
    6
    Ok first off this game gets minus points cause of its lack of multiple save slots. I had an issue where my save file got corrupted because apperently just because the auto save icon goes away it doesn't mean its done saving and you shouldn't turn off your console the second it is goes away. had to restart the game from the begining when i was about 7 hours in very frusterating.

    now onto    Ok first off this game gets minus points cause of its lack of multiple save slots. I had an issue where my save file got corrupted because apperently just because the auto save icon goes away it doesn't mean its done saving and you shouldn't turn off your console the second it is goes away. had to restart the game from the begining when i was about 7 hours in very frusterating.

    now onto the real review. This is a very good game, but also a very bad one. Some of the things i love about this game is the combat system, and fighting boss monsters feel great. also the taveling the world feels nice and gives a good sense of journey. I found all the Classes very fun to play, my favorite being the magic archer and the vanilla strider.

    Now on to the bad stuff. the first thing i have to address is how crappy the pawns can be. i know some people would argue that they're great and amazing A.I. additions to your party, and i would like them to define their definition of great and amazing. throughout my experience with the game i have consistantly been giving the pawns i recruit a dissapointed face and a shake of the head. at many times they seem like they are just there to troll me inside and outside of combat. Case #1: they are programed to say the say lines in the same locations in the world and against the same enemies. so very quickly you'll hear most of what they have to say and not long after that you'll get tired of hearing them say the same crap over and over again. i ended up muting my tv while i played after about 4 hours in only unmuting it during npc dialog and cutscenes. Case #2: I went to the edge of a mountain cliff to pick up some gathering materials that happend to be next to an exploding barrel. the pawns heeding to their overwhelming desire to break everything thing possible in sight broke the barrel causing it to explode and sending me off the edge of the mountain to my death. oh the joy. Case 3-4: i encountered some undead enemies at night, and while combating them my mage pawn informed me that they are week to fire. i awaited him to give me a fire augment for my daggers which has done before in the past, only to recieve a ice weapon and him informing me yet again that they are week to fire. also another time is when we are fighting one of the "Dark Chimerea" i believe they're are called and all my pawns are telling me to kill the goat first, it makes the fight easier they said, but i would be much more inclined to believe them if they weren't all targeting and trying to kill the snake instead.

    I believe that my main point is that the Pawn A.I isn't the brightest or the most sensible, and leaves much to desire, i believe this could easily have been avoided if i could directly control of influence their actions in some way. like the tactics system in dragon age origins. but aside from the pawns being crappy other problems of this game is the lip syncing that makes Robotech(1985) look good, that along with a story with greatly wasted potential and a unbelieveably boring set of side quests.

    However going back to the good this game is overall fun to play and enjoy. The main quest will take you to interesting locals in the world along with bringing you very interesting fights along the way. My 20min encounter with the sort of final boss is one i will not soon forget. also believe it or not this game actually has more meaningful choices to make than Mass Effect three. I would say I've seen about 4 different ending already, be it they aren't the true ending but it still adds great variety to the story. lastly i wan to point out that as bad as they are as a whole there are moments where the pawns truely shine. thank the developers for giving them times they can't completely screw up.

    I believe this game justly earned my 6 out of 10    … Expand
  3. ShadowNotSeen
    Jun 15, 2013
    5
    Unable to explain high rankings for this game. Combat is not challenging I've played a fighter/warrior and I never need to use the special abilities the character possesses simply mash the square button and monster dies. The enemy AI is non-existent, often it appears they actually are simply random. Worst of all the pawn management process is tedious constantly having to change outUnable to explain high rankings for this game. Combat is not challenging I've played a fighter/warrior and I never need to use the special abilities the character possesses simply mash the square button and monster dies. The enemy AI is non-existent, often it appears they actually are simply random. Worst of all the pawn management process is tedious constantly having to change out your allies since they don't level when you do and you're completely unable to direct their actions. The world is not very engaging, I never really cared about the main character's problems and the rest of the world seems oddly disjointed the dragon has come but never appears and the land seems simply lawless not particularly afflicted by some awful evil influence. It has some interesting constructs true darkness at night or in dungeons without light but that's easy to overcome and the forced overland travel (at least at times) can be boring but lends a certain credibility to the process. The crafting and equipment upgrading system are mildly interesting but more something you do because you can than because you have to or you gain a critical advantage in the game you can easily get by on the basic healing herbs you find when you travel. Like all FRPG's the economic system is simply broken I have 800,000 gold and nothing to spend it on I'm not dinging it for this just observing. The graphics are fine and even hold up during combat but the game randomly jumps into slo-mo focus on one character or another I suppose for dramatic affect but I generally found it annoying or distracting not enhancing. Overall there is the skeleton of a FRPG here but not much meat. If you're desperate for some single-player FRPG action (and Lord knows there aren't that many good ones out there) you might give it a try. But if you're gaming budget is tight, I'd suggest: Pass.… Expand
  4. RuedR5566
    May 17, 2013
    6
    i played this game about 3 week and i complain with it every time i played.

    when u start the game, u fell wandering around, and the quest guide is like then at about lv40 u well fell ur equip is ****ty, until u kill the big red dragon u got a new weapon with much more higher DMG then before. and every new monster after this they got extra high DMG and HP, CAPCOM always like player    i played this game about 3 week and i complain with it every time i played.

    when u start the game, u fell wandering around, and the quest guide is like then at about lv40 u well fell
    ur equip is ****ty, until u kill the big red dragon u got a new weapon with much more higher DMG then before.
    and every new monster after this they got extra high DMG and HP, CAPCOM always like player in this idiot way, the monster are the same and it's wast time to fight with this new guy
    and the DLC island is the same way, very high DMG and HP, they haven't think about what if player's haven't play DD before, or they are not LV200 to go to this new area.

    and the chest monster is totally a junk design, it make you need build your character a min-max DMG to rash it before it runaway, WTF is this for?

    it u want play a ARPG with challenge I suggest u can try dark soul.

    last...don't ever trust CAPCOM well bring any sincerity on game design    … Expand
  5. MentalVortex
    Apr 18, 2014
    5
    Pretty satisfying combat mechanics, but the story is lackluster, and the ending was especially terrible. It's a large open world game, but there are really no interesting people to meet and interact with; you will mostly just be walking from place to place killing random bandits and creatures. It won't bother you at first, but it eventually gets tiresome. You create followers or "pawns" toPretty satisfying combat mechanics, but the story is lackluster, and the ending was especially terrible. It's a large open world game, but there are really no interesting people to meet and interact with; you will mostly just be walking from place to place killing random bandits and creatures. It won't bother you at first, but it eventually gets tiresome. You create followers or "pawns" to follow and aid you in battle, but it's hard to get them to do what you want them to do and when you want them to do it, and they continually say the same phrases over and over. Definitely an average game.… Expand
  6. CapnCrunch
    Nov 9, 2013
    5
    My gf is an avid rpg fan.She didn't make it through the opening "tutorial" b4 quitting in disgust.I have gone a lil further and let me just say I don't get the criticism of graphics by the other negative reviews.They're great.It's a richly vibrant and realistic world.And it's the only reason I havn't quit yet.Here are the MAJOR flaws.
    Mini world map quest finder interface is goddam    My gf is an avid rpg fan.She didn't make it through the opening "tutorial" b4 quitting in disgust.I have gone a lil further and let me just say I don't get the criticism of graphics by the other negative reviews.They're great.It's a richly vibrant and realistic world.And it's the only reason I havn't quit yet.Here are the MAJOR flaws.
    Mini world map quest finder interface is goddam awful.you wont find where you're going with it.period.
    Even on easy mode the combat is extremely difficult.Maybe there are places for noobs to train but I havnt found them.I havn't found ANYTHING I was looking for yet because,again,the quest mapping system may as well not exist at all.Mini map is a waste of screen space.It conveys exactly ZERO information.
    Pawns are annoying companions.They are tireless in repeating the same phrases.WOLVES HUNT IN PACKS WOLVES HUNT IN PACKS WOLVES HUNT IN PACKS...etc...whatever stfu and stop taking ALL the loot.
    Loot....good luck finding it.Oh,it's there..somewhere...you just wont be able to see it on the ground.
    The single biggest reason,I think, this game was free from PS Plus is that you can only save one game.
    I mean,you can't try all the class builds without deleting the others. why?...wtf?....for REAL? only one game,one save,one player,one toon......ridiculous.
    But yeah...the game looks reeeeeallllyyyy great.    … Expand
  7. masterlobo
    Jun 30, 2023
    7
    Game is solid, but I feel I need more story/lore in order to feel more involved. Or perhaps it's the presentation of the story/lore. I really want to like it but some of it ends up feeling a bit derivative of the genre. Still, worth your time, money.
  8. janic
    Feb 28, 2014
    7
    Plus:
    * Combat: It feels very satisfying to smash your giant weapon down and watch enemies fly, fire your bow or go crazy on an enemy with a pair of daggers
    * Progression system: There are 3 main classes and another 3 subclasses (called vocations). You can change vocations easily and you will want to to get the best stats & passives (which can be carried over to different vocations)    Plus:
    * Combat: It feels very satisfying to smash your giant weapon down and watch enemies fly, fire your bow or go crazy on an enemy with a pair of daggers
    * Progression system: There are 3 main classes and another 3 subclasses (called vocations). You can change vocations easily and you will want to to get the best stats & passives (which can be carried over to different vocations) possible. The game 'remembers' your old vocation status, so it's no problem to switch back and forth. I liked this b/c I got my money's worth (usually I play through an RPG with one character and therefore only see one class) and it kept the game interesting during one playthrough. The blacksmith always has a new set of gear and weapons available for you to work towards (unless you find something better ofc, which didn't happen too often for me). Gear can be upgraded in 3 stages.
    * Character customization: There's a lot of options here, you can really come up with some unique looking characters

    Neutral:
    * Pawns: They can get annoying quickly with their chatter but it's a great system overall: 1 main pawn (which can be customized just like your character) and 3 other pawns which are other player's main pawns. You're encouraged to switch these out a lot since they don't level. It's a great indirect multiplayer component reminiscing of the message system in Dark Souls.

    Minus:
    * Lack of interaction, most NPCs have the same canned lines which get old fast
    * Eventhough there are plenty of sidequests & seemingly random events in the world, the game feels a bit empty. I didn't quite get the same adventerous feeling like with Dragon's Age:Origons for instance
    * Only a few truly interesting characters like Madeleine and Mercedes. Most characters feel very bland. More interesting characters and sidestories would 've helped with making the world feel more alive.
    * You encounter a lot of the same trash mobs (harpies, wolves and goblins) on your travels which gets annoying after a while
    * There is a fasttravel system but it'll be a while until you saturated the map with portcrystals. Before that, it's a lot of running. Mounts / horses would 've been a nice addition here.

    Conclusion: Not a lot of innovation here but if you're looking for a very solid fantasy action-RPG, go for it.    … Expand
  9. Renzy_Wenzy
    Nov 11, 2014
    7
    Ok guys. Keep in mind that I'm not only reviewing the Dark Arisen expansion pack but also the original game itself. First, I want to get the negatives out of the way. The story is uninteresting but he intro is definitely cool. A dragon eats your heart but somehow you're still alive and the dragon is communicating with you telling you to find him if you want your heart back. That's aboutOk guys. Keep in mind that I'm not only reviewing the Dark Arisen expansion pack but also the original game itself. First, I want to get the negatives out of the way. The story is uninteresting but he intro is definitely cool. A dragon eats your heart but somehow you're still alive and the dragon is communicating with you telling you to find him if you want your heart back. That's about the most unique thing about the story. Everything else feels uninspired. Second, there is no reliable fast travel system. I know about the ferryports but these aren't enough. This map is huge and villages are so far apart. Plus, the roads or paths you have to take to get to Point B from Point A feels dead. Enemies spawn at the exact places as before. Civilians have nothing interesting to say and you're character gets tired quickly before he can reach the destinations. Third, your pawns never shut up. They say the same damn things over and over and over and over and over again. It gets annoying. Fourth, the jail system is ridiculous. Once you commit a crime, you are AUTOMATICALLY thrown into jail. You don't get to fight back. And once you're in jail, there are only a few ways to get out: A) Bribe the guard with 5000 gold B) Use a skeleton key which you most likely will not have since they're not common or C) WAIT FOR 48 **** MINUTES IN REAL TIME. Why can't I just go to sleep to while serving my sentence. Speaking of sleeping. You can not I repeat can not sleep in any random bed. Even the one in your OWN HOME which defeats the purpose of having a house.

    Ok. now that the negatives are out of the way. Let's look at positives. Combat in the game is excellent. It's fast and fluid and there is so much variation in the moves that it never feels old. There's deep customization here. AT the beginning of the game, you get to choose among 3 classes or "variations" Fighter, Strider or Mage. Once you pick a class, the more experienced you are in that class, the more variations you unlock. You can be a hybrid of a Strider and a fighter or a fighter and a mage etc etc. it's so damn satisfying whenever I mix up these variations to unlock new moves and use new weapons. The pawns are very helpful in the game. They seem to know what to do depending on what situation you're in. For example, if your health is low and an enemy is attacking you, your pawn will try to provoke said enemy so that you have a chance to pull back. If you have mage pawns, they will heal you when your health is low and they can even enchant your weapons with elements such as fire, ice, electricity. There are even times when my pawn would hold down enemies so I can unleash some combos and that just adds to the dynamic feeling of the combat in this game. Finally, the boss battles. These are the best boss battles I have ever played in an RPG. Gone are the days where you just hack away at the feet of giants such as ogres, cyclops or dragons. Now, you get to grab on to these epic creatures, climb around them and just slice and dice their head or arm or neck or whichever part you choose. This reminded me of Shadow the Colossus and that was a damn great feeling.

    Overall, this was a good game. If your are willing to look past all its flaws, from the uninteresting story to the tedious backtracking, then you're gonna have some fun with this game. In terms of content, you will definitely get your money's worth as it will take somewhere between 50 to 70 hours to complete the game with its side quests. There's even a new game plus if you want to restart the game's story but this time, with all the skills and attributes you've acquired from your first play through.

    I really feel like this could be the next big RPG. If Capcom has plans for a sequel then they should do their best to address these issues. If they do that, this series could easily be a contender for best RPG of our generation. Until then, in my opinion, TES franchise is still the RPG king. Good luck, Capcom and Dragon's Dogma.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best PS3 Game of 2013
27
#27 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
29
#29 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Aug 25, 2013
    80
    Dark Arisen offers far more than the average DLC. There are more than twenty new demonic types of monsters, a ton of new skills and loads of new gear to wear. Dark Arisen feels more like a half finished sequel than a DLC package. [May 2013, p.90]
  2. PlaySense
    May 24, 2013
    85
    The same game as the original, but with all DLC included and a new area to explore. A bit weird, but the extra content is worth the money. There aren't exactly any improvements though, so if you had any complaints about the original, they will still be present here.
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  3. Impulsegamer
    May 22, 2013
    73
    Technical issues aside and unfair difficulty in some quests don’t stop Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen from being an enjoyable and exciting RPG. While fans of the original may feel ripped off with the lack of any game changing enhancements, a lowered retail price suggests that Capcom is reaching out to newcomers who will get the most out of this release. To those newcomers I strongly suggest giving it a go.
    Read full review
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