Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

 Switch
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 122 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 95 out of 122
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 122
  3. Negative: 14 out of 122
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  1. DevilHunterNero
    Apr 28, 2019
    10
    This game is very good for 30 dollars and is also graphically good as wellll
  2. Jrb9207
    Apr 26, 2019
    8
    I was on the fence about this game for a bit. i had seen all the hype from everyone on the internet and said there's no way this game is that fun....then i played it! yes the game has its problems, and can be a bit janky, but overall i cant stop playing it. the combat is great and the big battles are awesome. and that pawn system is just wonderful! if you were on the fence about this game,I was on the fence about this game for a bit. i had seen all the hype from everyone on the internet and said there's no way this game is that fun....then i played it! yes the game has its problems, and can be a bit janky, but overall i cant stop playing it. the combat is great and the big battles are awesome. and that pawn system is just wonderful! if you were on the fence about this game, i say JUST BUY IT! its $30 and has a ton of content to keep you busy. its worth the money… Expand
  3. JorganBigs
    May 1, 2019
    10
    This is one of the finest games ever made. If you consider yourself a fan of Action-RPG's, you absolutely owe it to yourself to buy this game. Its combat is second-to-none and it has incredible depth.

    It takes place in a huge open-world to explore as well. The game is nothing short of fantastic and you owe it to yourself to buy it. The ending is also amazing.
  4. RedRice
    Apr 30, 2019
    10
    The next greatest port right up there with Darksiders. The game itself is a well-balanced open world fantasy RPG with addictive combat. No exaggeration, it's a steal for $30.
  5. DrChocolate
    May 13, 2019
    10
    For the price, this classic is a steal. Played it on PS3 originally, and got the HD remaster on PC. Glad to have this on my Switch. Great for all RPG fans and even Monster Hunter fans (because of how you have to approach and prepare for boss fights). No performance problems on my side. Highly recommended.
  6. RavenWraith
    May 12, 2020
    8
    This game is middle ground for me. It’s only $30 though and it is worth every penny of $30.
  7. Dynexicon27
    Jan 9, 2022
    10
    This game is so much fun. I am just so addicted to the action and story. And so much customization! What a time to be alive and gaming with this being on a handheld
  8. LRDeez
    May 11, 2019
    10
    Played the game through the night. Next thing i know I'm headed to work. Game is addicting real quick
  9. Arigoki
    Apr 23, 2019
    10
    About week ago I was sure that Darksiders on Switch are my best Switch game and best port of a game at the same time. I was so wrong. Dragon's Dogma took the crown with a huge success! Honestly I don't know what more to say about the game, except that I can't understand how it can run on Switch so fluent! No bugs, great graphic, short loadings, great controlling - all works flawlessly. AndAbout week ago I was sure that Darksiders on Switch are my best Switch game and best port of a game at the same time. I was so wrong. Dragon's Dogma took the crown with a huge success! Honestly I don't know what more to say about the game, except that I can't understand how it can run on Switch so fluent! No bugs, great graphic, short loadings, great controlling - all works flawlessly. And the price! For crying out loud, what more do you want? Totally amazed with it. It's a definitive must have on Switch.… Expand
  10. MyOpinionOnThis
    Apr 24, 2019
    7
    Let me start with performance:
    The game performs well in docked, but undocked it can really slow down and decrease in FPS if there's too much with fire or magic going on.
    Handheld also has a problem that I don't see mentioned enough: enemies and NPC fade out at a specific distance and pop into view when they come near. Trees and rocks fading out is okay, but not NPCs/enemies... It's    Let me start with performance:
    The game performs well in docked, but undocked it can really slow down and decrease in FPS if there's too much with fire or magic going on.
    Handheld also has a problem that I don't see mentioned enough: enemies and NPC fade out at a specific distance and pop into view when they come near. Trees and rocks fading out is okay, but not NPCs/enemies... It's annoying. I know it's a sacrifice they had to make, but it still bothers me.

    Now to the game:
    This game is a great RPG. The combat is in my opinion very good once you get the hang of things as well as learning how to climb enemies properly. You can choose from several vocations that you can unlock and later change in the game, there's a vocation/playstyle for everyone.
    The story is maybe not the most deep or unique like you expect from RPGs, but it is in my opinion very interesting still.
    Pawns are the most interesting thing of the game. Your pawn starts off being a very annoying party member but they learn over time and become the best partner you can wish for... They just talk a bit much... I was very surprised when my pawn grabbed me and threw me to safety because I was surrounded... maybe because I did it so often with her she did the same with me?
    Gear matters. When you have weak gear you cannot damage enemies and the enemies do a lot of damage to you, so whenever you're in town you HAVE to upgrade your gear every chance you get.
    The game can be hard... It was hard for me for the first hours, but I learned quickly. The game becomes very easy if you invite other people's pawn to your party, so if it gets too easy, remove the strongest pawn in your party.
    The enemy variety is okay. I wish there were many more different kinds of enemies and not just different types of something. But overall it's okay. Every enemy type has its own weakness so you cannot fight every enemy the same way.
    The visuals are maybe not the prettiest. The world is a bit dull and not colorful, but I think that's because of the style of the game. This is really the only complaint I have about the game, but it's not a big deal.

    Overall the combat and the systems surrounding it are very good. The game is very addicting and I love it. Handheld performance is not the best but you can play just fine with it... However because it's not the best in handheld which I believe is why people will buy this version of the game for, I'll give the game a 7/10 rating. Otherwise I would give it a 9/10 rating.    … Expand
  11. saxo27
    Jul 12, 2019
    8
    Fun game. But very overrated. Pawns are ok, good for healing and tanking. No story, just something to provide a sense of why your character exists. Open world is small and seems big because you walk everywhere...and you will tread the same roads and areas many times as quests recycle locations. Best part of the game is the 'post game" and DLC. DLC feels like the game Capcom wanted :-) aFun game. But very overrated. Pawns are ok, good for healing and tanking. No story, just something to provide a sense of why your character exists. Open world is small and seems big because you walk everywhere...and you will tread the same roads and areas many times as quests recycle locations. Best part of the game is the 'post game" and DLC. DLC feels like the game Capcom wanted :-) a western style monster Hunter. I really enjoyed the post game and DLC.… Expand
  12. bingbang
    Jun 22, 2020
    3
    I love how obsessed people are with this game and I wanted to experience that for myself, but I found the combat too chaotic (no z-targeting??) and difficult to follow, and this was it's big selling point. I also think the pawn system is kind of gross.
  13. Stevekg
    Apr 25, 2019
    4
    Sadly I have to give this a low rating, the game is fun and I don't mind the average graphics and poor textures in places but although the game is okay when docked, in handeld mode it's quite different, I was getting serious framerate drops a lot of times (I play a mage) and quite frankly it was spoiling my enjoyment of the game. If you want this purely for docked mode then good! but ifSadly I have to give this a low rating, the game is fun and I don't mind the average graphics and poor textures in places but although the game is okay when docked, in handeld mode it's quite different, I was getting serious framerate drops a lot of times (I play a mage) and quite frankly it was spoiling my enjoyment of the game. If you want this purely for docked mode then good! but if like me you want to also play it handheld then I suggest you think twice before buying.… Expand
  14. Nintendist
    Jun 29, 2022
    0
    this game is a complete joke. why the gameplay is so boring like these. feels so empty sometimes
  15. spiked10
    Dec 16, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game but as usual graphics ,look like last gen game but i expected it on switch… Expand
  16. tripenfall
    Mar 28, 2021
    7
    I bought this game (physically) after hearing so much about it. Although I understood it was a Xbox 360 port I was initially a little disappointed that this version wasn't at a higher resolution and crucially, frame rate. From what I can tell the game runs at a locked 30fps and while it's steady at this speed a 60fps port would have been nice.
    The graphics look like they're from a decade    I bought this game (physically) after hearing so much about it. Although I understood it was a Xbox 360 port I was initially a little disappointed that this version wasn't at a higher resolution and crucially, frame rate. From what I can tell the game runs at a locked 30fps and while it's steady at this speed a 60fps port would have been nice.
    The graphics look like they're from a decade ago (wonder why?) and items can pop right in at your feet. You certainly won't be blown away by the visuals.... But....
    THIS GAME IS AWESOME!
    The character is fully creatable and then you get a pawn which is your companion. You can also pad out your party with other player's pawns and this is a great feature. The world gives you strong LOTR vibes and I was impressed with how vast it was. The game is delightfully weird and cryptic, the large enemies you can run into early make you feel weak and scared and provide incentive to level up.
    The best thing of all are the fights themselves and the ability to climb and scale your enemies. To be able to climb the leg of a cyclops and eventually stab the eye is one of the best times I've had in gaming for a long time.
    As long as you understand what this game and, and it's limitations you're going to love it. The dragon gets you right from the opening scene and it's fantastic to confront it later in the game. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  17. JayDarbz
    Nov 25, 2019
    10
    WOW I've got this on 360/ps4 and Xbox one and bought it for the switch lite and its basically exactly the same as the Xbox one/p4 versions! I'm at everfall now and experienced not 1 issue or bug! Or frame drop
  18. Sunshadow87
    Jun 15, 2021
    8
    RPG de acción estilo occidental, pero creado por japoneses. El juego esta en la línea de Skyrim o The Witcher, pero con sus características propias. Considero el juego por debajo de estos aunque no en todos sus aspectos.
    Aquello en lo que mas destaca dragon dogma es la historia y el lore del mundo, completamente diferente de otras fantasías medievales que han hecho los autores. La    RPG de acción estilo occidental, pero creado por japoneses. El juego esta en la línea de Skyrim o The Witcher, pero con sus características propias. Considero el juego por debajo de estos aunque no en todos sus aspectos.
    Aquello en lo que mas destaca dragon dogma es la historia y el lore del mundo, completamente diferente de otras fantasías medievales que han hecho los autores. La historia tiene varios giros argumentales, algunos se ven venir, otros sorprenden y mucho.
    El punto más débil del juego es un punto de diseño... que enlaza directamente con algunos de los giros argumentales de la historia, pudiendo bloquear completamente contenido (aunque el juego te incita a rejugarlo con su particular juego nuevo +). Claro, esto esta realizado de tal manera que es un punto débil, y a favor al mismo tiempo... y por el cual recomiendo jugar completamente sin guía las partes finales del juego para no romper la sorpresa. El problema es que de cara a esta rejugabilidad, el combate puede hacerse pesado cuando tu personaje es poderoso y conoces las mecánicas de los enemigos (cosa importante para derrotarlos, ya que no basta con subir niveles).    … Expand
  19. M3G4L
    Sep 15, 2022
    8
    I already played this game on the Xbox 360 but the switch really does improve it more. The game is very fun and has my favorite mechanic in terms of action-adventure games where you can climb all the enemies and it widely affects how you play against enemies, it's unique to this game. The game sadly is still affected by its rushed state back in the Xbox 360 but the dark arisen contentI already played this game on the Xbox 360 but the switch really does improve it more. The game is very fun and has my favorite mechanic in terms of action-adventure games where you can climb all the enemies and it widely affects how you play against enemies, it's unique to this game. The game sadly is still affected by its rushed state back in the Xbox 360 but the dark arisen content compensates for that.

    Hopefully, the second game really builds into this because it can be one of the greatest action-adventure games with just a little more proper care and time.    … Expand
  20. VaeylanStarsong
    Mar 19, 2021
    7
    Its aight, I'm spoiled by the combat in darksouls on switch, which I'd reccomend over this without a second thought. Best part is you basically can pimp out your braindead sub-normal lil helper dunce(pawns). But really it's ok if you are an old fan, someone who missed it back then like me and wanted to see if itd scratch that darksouls itch once u played it to death, or just want a big,Its aight, I'm spoiled by the combat in darksouls on switch, which I'd reccomend over this without a second thought. Best part is you basically can pimp out your braindead sub-normal lil helper dunce(pawns). But really it's ok if you are an old fan, someone who missed it back then like me and wanted to see if itd scratch that darksouls itch once u played it to death, or just want a big, albeit dimwitted game to get lost into. Over all. Play darksouls instead. Even skyrim prolly. But not a bad choice. On sale for 15 bucks alot wait for that.… Expand
  21. uwayxd
    May 30, 2020
    10
    muy buen juego su jugabilidad unica deberian crear dragon dogma 2 las batallas con monstruos grandes en el cual puedes escalarlos su sistemade vocaciones las historia con un giro inesperado
  22. Zarmorox
    Aug 11, 2020
    10
    Played it several houndred hours by now. It has very good gameplay, pawnsystem is very unique and fun way to implement some sort of multiplayer mechanic. The story is also very interesting but it is served in a way that might make it look bad. Overall its a very enjoyable game to play and worth getting.
  23. Tribalord
    Sep 27, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the most fluid games on switchlite. Excellent combat. The gameplay is awesome… Expand
  24. Legrand
    Nov 4, 2020
    10
    El mejor juego de RPG que he jugado en los últimos años sin duda una compra obligada
  25. LTWasabi
    Jan 23, 2021
    5
    Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an example of how to shoot yourself in the foot. It does a lot of things right. The combat, while it seemed awkward at first, is actually pretty good once one gets used to it. There is no auto aiming, except for some skills and it requires you to figure our enemies' weaknesses. What might seem like a damage sponge can get snuffed out pretty quicky if you knowDragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an example of how to shoot yourself in the foot. It does a lot of things right. The combat, while it seemed awkward at first, is actually pretty good once one gets used to it. There is no auto aiming, except for some skills and it requires you to figure our enemies' weaknesses. What might seem like a damage sponge can get snuffed out pretty quicky if you know where and with what to hit. The core game play is pretty fun.

    So, why did I give a middling 5/10? I got 3 words for you, "Day-Night Cycle".
    The map is quite big and fun to explore. So what did the devs do? Make the whole game darker than the insides of their mom's cave every `30 mins or so. Think rain in Zelda:BotW except it's much longer and you play as a wingless bat with herpes.

    SO, what can you do if you want to explore at night and don't want to wait? You can rest at an inn. It's very very annoying to have to fast travel every flucking time it happens, 'cos fast travel is a 3-step hassle in this game. You don't have any portable fast travel items? Well then, you flucked mate.    … Expand
  26. waywardlaser
    Jun 28, 2022
    3
    A potentially great action RPG marred by some of the most boring, repetitive world traversal I've ever experienced. You want me to run back and forth across this massive map with nothing going on, outside of fighting the same, annoying enemies every time? Maybe at some point I would've unlocked a mount or fast travel but the game wasn't incentivising me to keep going. I like the characterA potentially great action RPG marred by some of the most boring, repetitive world traversal I've ever experienced. You want me to run back and forth across this massive map with nothing going on, outside of fighting the same, annoying enemies every time? Maybe at some point I would've unlocked a mount or fast travel but the game wasn't incentivising me to keep going. I like the character creation and the combat certainly give me Monster Hunter vibes, but beyond that....nothing of value.

    People are saying this is a Japanese development team making a better western RPG than western devs? Am I missing something? Western RPGs have worlds with things in them, this does not.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
13
#13 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. GameCritics
    Jun 21, 2019
    85
    Even though the spectacular combat in Dragon’s Dogma makes it seem like a successor to other Capcom fantasy beat-em-ups, the depth of its world design and surprising story twists make it one of the more fascinating games of its era. With a fantastic port for the Switch audience, it’s as if Capcom made a deal with a dragon and somehow came out the winner.
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  2. Universo Nintendo
    Jun 3, 2019
    80
    Dragon’s Dogma is one of Capcom’s most ambitious RPGs and it’s Switch version also impresses. It’s a great title to be played on the go, especially because the whole adventure can take up to dozens of hours.
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  3. Cubed3
    May 21, 2019
    70
    Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen has its rough spots, but it dreamed big. It has much better action in it than most others of its kind, and it won't push players into becoming a murder-hobo. This is Hideaki Itsuno's big Dungeons & Dragon's campaign, and he is the DM. Gransys is a sizeable world with a lot to see and do, and that can now be on the go.
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