Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 188 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 147 out of 188
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 188
  3. Negative: 24 out of 188
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  1. Exilionus
    Apr 24, 2013
    10
    If you have not chained your controller to your arms yet please do so before playing. A game deserves a 10 if it meets three of my categories.

    1. Does it keep you entertained? YES 2. Are there moments to learn? YES 3. Does the game have nostalgic qualities? YES Let me first start of by saying that I am level 75 and I am at NG++ (New Game Plus Plus) Average players may reach    If you have not chained your controller to your arms yet please do so before playing. A game deserves a 10 if it meets three of my categories.

    1. Does it keep you entertained? YES
    2. Are there moments to learn? YES
    3. Does the game have nostalgic qualities? YES

    Let me first start of by saying that I am level 75 and I am at NG++ (New Game Plus Plus) Average players may reach level 50 before completing the main story line. Skilled players will seem to be at this current time 150+ This likely able to be said since the original Dragons Dogma was released in 2012 giving players the opportunity to reach level 200 casually though you can reach that level in a month. However not the case for me since I like to spend my time exploring and figuring out what secrets I need to uncover. Sure enough there are so many that every new game I play I find something intriguing and have my "aha." moments.

    The addition of adding Black Bitter Isle will give you the creeps, just as night fall in the original dragon dogma did. I find myself sending out my pawns in first as some of the corridors are just plain eerie. The zombies when they talk will make your skin crawl especially when they rush towards you and you are screaming at your main character to hurry up and cast that spell before you become a snack.

    "Dark Arisen is not a DLC it is rather an overhaul of a game that rewards veteran players and tries to allure new gamers by adding several additions such as smoother options, Japanese VO and updated textures."

    NOTE* Xbox users you will see 2 discs and PS3 players one... The second disc is the texture back for Xbox players while the single disc for PS3 has it already implemented since bluray discs have a higher capacity than that of DVDs'.

    It is recommended for players to be level 60+ but I find myself using pawns that are level 30 that have the right inclinations and abyssinal gear. (http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Abyssinal_Armor_Set) I enjoy using personalities or rather inclinations such as Scather/Mediator for my pawns as well.

    The game has some extremely beautiful lighting effects, some that may even rival Skyrim... Actually I feel the fighting system outshines Skyrim in all aspectsn as well... but enough of that back to the game. You are introduced to a small story line and you meet an npc character that takes you to the island.

    After her introduction you are off to explore the under ground labyrinth... I have yet to find new armor but, such is a game with randomization that once you do find a piece it is a great feeling.

    There is only one problem I have with this game and it still plagues this one, the ability to find a snugg corner away from bosses while you safely pew pew them away as you pawns do the rest for you. However there are those occasional bosses that it is impossible to do so. This is rather more easily accomplished by range players than melee.

    The Boss AI are there to literally kill you, range characters that can not find a place to hide away to cast spells will literally be obliterated. The AI knows when you are about to cast a spell so be forewarned... The same can not be said for the pawn AI, since you have to really pay attention to what they are doing.

    "Trying to give the retreat comman is useless if your pawns are in the middle of casting a spell."

    Does this mean the Pawn AI is useless... no. In fact the Pawn AI will make you giggle, frustrate you and eventually want to make you grab them and throw them off a high cliff (which you can do) out of pure anger. The Pawn AI is smart, they know when to cast but it is your job to make sure you are distracting the boss and have a bit of faith in them as it took me a while to understand this. I wanted the easy way to win and depend on my pawns but in a sense lost what make dragon dogmas so great the ability to be able to grab on a monster for dear life and bash them away 300 feet in the air.

    The game is not with out it flaws but what game does not? The addition to this game was well worth the wait. Death stalks you, your pawns have calmed down their chit chat but still annoying sometimes...

    The game is addictive there is not way around it, and now that there are more armors to choose from you just want to get the best gear for you pawn.

    "A well geared and good looking pawn has a better chance of being hired by other players so you can get those delicious rift crystals."

    This game is a huge bargain for new players and somewhat of a mediocre addition to veterans but still keeps you coming for more. I still have to yet to achieve that golden idol and have yet to convince Madelene to open her shop to purchase the armor that I need.

    The game has unlimited replay value meaning when you beat the game REMEMBER to choose load game as you can go to New Game and start from the begining with all the gear you acqured from the previous play through.

    The year was well worth the wait...    … Expand
  2. Markus1395
    Jan 26, 2014
    10
    This game right here is why I could never be a professional game reviewer.
    Is the game flawed? Yes. Is it inferior in a lot of ways to most other games in the same genre? Certainly. But I can't help but giving it a 10 and calling it one of my favorite games of all time.
    The secret is in the combat- some of the smoothest in any video game, difficult in the way that makes you want to    This game right here is why I could never be a professional game reviewer.
    Is the game flawed? Yes. Is it inferior in a lot of ways to most other games in the same genre? Certainly. But I can't help but giving it a 10 and calling it one of my favorite games of all time.
    The secret is in the combat- some of the smoothest in any video game, difficult in the way that makes you want to overcome insane odds, and unique skills for each of the very useful classes that makes this one of them most just plain fun games I have ever played. I've new game+'d it 3 times now and it remains to be insanely fun.
    So no, it's not as big as an Elder Scrolls game, It's not as optimized as most RPGs are these days, it doesn't have the story or characters of Dragon Age, and I can understand why some people wouldn't like it. But I wouldn't change a thing.    … Expand
  3. Bloodlustrous
    May 30, 2013
    8
    This game is great. The pawn system is one of the best ideas I've heard of. This game has been and will be overlooked by many.
    Decent-sized map, cool classes and skills, interesting armor, massive character customization. Not only do you get to create your own player character, you get to create your permanent companion too!
    The boss battles are epic. You have to defeat all heads on a    This game is great. The pawn system is one of the best ideas I've heard of. This game has been and will be overlooked by many.
    Decent-sized map, cool classes and skills, interesting armor, massive character customization. Not only do you get to create your own player character, you get to create your permanent companion too!

    The boss battles are epic. You have to defeat all heads on a Chimera (goat, lion and snake) and you can crawl on large beasts to stab them where you want to stab them. No more slashing dragons ankles until they die!

    The game isn't without flaws. The story is slightly dull, there's no efficient fast-travel, the pawns talk too much*.

    *In the beginning of the game, their chatter is helpful. Telling you your enemies weaknesses, etc., but at level 10 and beyond they shouldn't be doing that.    … Expand
  4. Eric_DeVr33z
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Dragon's Dogma is incredibly underrated. When I describe the game to my friends, I usually say "it's like squad-based Skyrim" because it would take hours to describe all the different areas that this game excels in. The exciting combat, addicting RPG elements, and the incredibly awesome pawn system are some of my favorite things about Dragon's Dogma.

    It's important to note that while    Dragon's Dogma is incredibly underrated. When I describe the game to my friends, I usually say "it's like squad-based Skyrim" because it would take hours to describe all the different areas that this game excels in. The exciting combat, addicting RPG elements, and the incredibly awesome pawn system are some of my favorite things about Dragon's Dogma.

    It's important to note that while the original release of Dragon's Dogma had some moderately irritating flaws; most notably the high cost of Liftstones, which were required to use the fast travel system. These flaws are fixed in the Dark Arisen version of the game, however.

    The only remaining criticism I have of the game has to do with the story. I thought the ending of the main game was wonderfully unexpected, and the final boss battle leading up to the ending was pretty great too. But until the ending, the plot of Dragon's Dogma doesn't do much to keep the player interested. Many of the characters are flat and boring, and the main story is a bit generic up until the final boss battle. I will say this though: the voice actor for the Dragon did an amazing job, and I would really like to see him return in Dragon's Dogma 2, or whatever they end up calling it.

    Buy this game, it's amazing. Also, feel free to add me on Xbox Live if you want to use my pawn. He's a healer mage named Christ, and he's badass.    … Expand
  5. Dexer
    Dec 22, 2014
    10
    Its one of the best games i played. It have some very specific mechanics which take some time to get used to. For example, you have to read description of every single new item you acquire. This way you can see how its used in crafting or otherwise useable and decide, should you take this type of items in future ar not. Or maybe you shall take it for sale. If you take everything, you willIts one of the best games i played. It have some very specific mechanics which take some time to get used to. For example, you have to read description of every single new item you acquire. This way you can see how its used in crafting or otherwise useable and decide, should you take this type of items in future ar not. Or maybe you shall take it for sale. If you take everything, you will be over encumbered very fast. If you take nothing, you will lack many cool possibilities and will be underpowered. Apart from items game is truly brilliant. Its much more fun than Skyrim. Assimetric multiplayer (pawns system) makes it even better. You never had so fun and intelligent ai-driven companions. This game is underrated. I made metacritic account especially to rate this game 10. Capcom should make sequel!… Expand
  6. M9ki
    Jun 19, 2013
    8
    I prefer the original one over this one,i'm tired of having to restart all overt again it was a good game but should have been completely new not same based...
  7. EryssAkkou
    Jul 11, 2013
    10
    When playing God of War II or Dante's Inferno, ever felt like you were just hacking at a tree when you were shin kicking the massive troll or fire demon until a quick time scene came up? Not in this game. When you feel like it, walk up, climb up the side, back or if you are brazen, the front... and go for the face or throat.

    This game is intense. You like creating a character? Make it    When playing God of War II or Dante's Inferno, ever felt like you were just hacking at a tree when you were shin kicking the massive troll or fire demon until a quick time scene came up? Not in this game. When you feel like it, walk up, climb up the side, back or if you are brazen, the front... and go for the face or throat.

    This game is intense. You like creating a character? Make it look like you? Check. You like having minions or cohorts? Want to make them look like you want them to? Equip them how you see fit? Done. Want a bunch of character classes with unique but powerful skills? Check.

    This game brings to you more content to a previous game that was already expansive and entertaining. Did you like the feeling of mass effect and how you got to customize and equip your team mates, make them level up with you? your cohorts efficiently put to use the gear you give them, as well as listening to your commands. Made a good cohort? People might make use of them and you will get rewarded.

    No matter how you play, melee, magic, bow, melee and bow, magic and bow... whatever makes you smile, this game has in spades. Are there moments of "what was that, and why did it hurt so much??"... but remember, would you have bought it if it were not a challenge? Seriously though, this game has epic written all over it from the first game to this standalone release.    … Expand
  8. BindMind
    Jul 19, 2013
    8
    A solid RPG with some fantastic boss battles. While lacking a proper tutorial, the game is challenging, exciting, and otherwise addicting. Even in completing the main story you will be satisfied with a lengthy post-game, not to mention the extra content Dark Arisen adds.

    Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is well worth the $40. Pick this up immediately.
  9. Apotts
    Jun 24, 2014
    10
    I got into this game very late, simply because when I originally played the demo for the game I wasn't impressed. However a friend raved about the game, so I decided to give it a shot. I first picked up the original Dragon's Dogma, because I found it on sale for $7, but after playing it for a few hours I ended up heading back to the store to pick up Dark Arisen, because I was completelyI got into this game very late, simply because when I originally played the demo for the game I wasn't impressed. However a friend raved about the game, so I decided to give it a shot. I first picked up the original Dragon's Dogma, because I found it on sale for $7, but after playing it for a few hours I ended up heading back to the store to pick up Dark Arisen, because I was completely hooked and needed the full experience. Best $30 I've ever spent! I have played for over 300 hours, and I am still not tired of. I only wish every game afforded such a great return on my gaming dollars.

    I love so many things about this game, but number one is the pawn system, which I think is totally brilliant. Generally, I am not a fan of multiplayer games, I find it more relaxing to play on my own, so I even solo Borderlands, but the pawn system was a great way for me to interact with other players, without having to actually interact with anyone. I also love the addictive combat, and the way the game deals with day and night. The first time you enter a new area, you find yourself creeping slowly, and trying to avoid some of the tougher monsters, it truly can be a frightening experience, but the first time you take down one of these giants is so gratifying. I also like the fact that no matter how far you level up it is still possible to run into an occasional foe who can easily destroy you should you get too cocky.

    To be fair the game is not perfect, but it is perfect for me. The things I don't like about the game are all pretty much story related, but one thing stood out for me as being a big let down, and that was the romance system. Although the game gives you the illusion that you have choices, in most cases you really don't get any choice at all. Sure you are given the opportunity to romance just about everyone you want in the game world, which I think is pretty interesting, however at the same time the game also takes away your choices and forces certain romances on you. (Spoiler Warning below)

    For example, if you do the Duchess Missions you are forced into a romantic cut-scene with her, but if you don't do her mission you lose the opportunity to explore an area of the map. Also the Witch Hunt mission annoyed me, because if you do it you automatically get stuck with a lovesick kid living in your home, but if you skip it you lose out on: a port crystal, an area of the map, a few missions, and worst of all the Arisens Bond gift for your real love interest. A Choice beyond skipping the missions was really needed here. I would have liked to still do the mission, but simply say 'NO' to the love. Thank goodness for Liquid Effluvium, but that still doesn't make up for allowing the Duchess to sexually harass my sweet innocent Arisen. : ) But in the end this game is really not about story or love interests, it's about pawns and dragons, combat and exploration, so I will still give this game a 10.

    I hope they will make a Dragon's Dogma 2, and that they will keep all the things that make the game great, but work on the story and romance aspects.    … Expand
  10. airborne17th
    Jul 17, 2013
    9
    To Clarify: I speak as a player who got Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen and had not played the original
    The Review: Excellent, this is one of the better RPGs on the Xbox and was pardon my French, a damn good time. It’s a very interesting mix of Eastern and Western RPGs mechanics and concepts with the main big innovation being the pawn system. If you end up disliking this system, then you might    To Clarify: I speak as a player who got Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen and had not played the original
    The Review: Excellent, this is one of the better RPGs on the Xbox and was pardon my French, a damn good time. It’s a very interesting mix of Eastern and Western RPGs mechanics and concepts with the main big innovation being the pawn system. If you end up disliking this system, then you might as well give up. The demo is a clear example of what the game is and what the pawns are if you want to try that. The negatives? The chattering, I end up tuning out 99% of it except for a couple unintentionally funny lines, this can lead to annoyance, you have been warned. The AI, it’s not the worst ever, but it’s not great and needs improvement. There are plenty of times were the AI was not helpful at all but for the majority of the time they were passable (better than Skyrim’s companion system I will tell you that.) The positives? For one you have a traditional four member party system but, only have to micromanage two members: You and your main pawn, that’s definitely a time saver in the long run. The party system allows for very flexible party system. At set locations, players can recruit thousands of player customized pawns to add to their party and it works really well. Going up against a griffon? Better find a healing mage and an archer? Going into catacombs? Better make sure to hire a mage with holy magic. It’s a brilliant system to deal with problems that plagues other games such as Final Fantasy when you’re 20 hours in and come into a brick wall of difficulty when your party lacks proper ice weapons/magic.
    Speaking of difficulty, this is definitely the Eastern RPG version of “hard.” In western terms, they don’t tell you Yup, it’s one of those games where you have pause the game to check the wiki. The game is around 40-60 hours with main quest and most of the sidequests. The beginning is tough fighting against bandits and bosses can prove a stumbling block at the beginning but then it evens out but the sidequests. There are a lot of you,” quest failed and you can’t ever do again this play through, annoying. There is one quest in particular where you escort a little girl and this is “technically” the easiest way to get a very rare item BUT, you would never know this unless you read about it and there is only one very specific way to get the item again but it costs a lot of money and if you don’t read up on how to get the item the second time, you are boned. In fact a lot of the clunkiness in the game comes from common Eastern RPG tropes. The frustration doesn’t stop in its Eastern roots through. When I say it has both roots in Western and Eastern RPGs, from the West they took combat, customization and “open world.” I put open world in quotations because the world is kinda small and pales in comparison to other more refined open worlds in the West. The developers in Capcom admit that the “Open World” is a bit of a foreign concept to them during development and it shows. The Open World also makes the lack of enemy variety more acute. There are goblins, then there are hobgoblins. There are harpies, then there are snow harpies, etc. It’s not bad…well, it could be much worse, it definitely needs improvement in the sequel.
    Still there is some nice looking scenery and the world has a few interesting locations. The fact that the hometown doesn’t get atomized is a nice touch too. What’s annoying about this is fast travel is nonexistent at the beginning and you have to trudge back and forth between the same areas in the early game with most quests concentrated in one area and the lack of “ferrystones” and “portcrystals.” Ferrystones are a one use item to fast travel and portcrytals are portable fast travel markers. [Pro Tip: Put a Portcrystal by the spring, not only it has a decent location but also you can bottle spring water to heal you and your party] This is both annoying and unintuitive in comparison to games like the Elder Scroll series and other WRPGs where the player opens up a map, picks a location and teleports there. Yes, that’s more gamey then having an inworld reason to be able to teleport but I think more players will complain about this then in Skyrim, just saying. What makes this more acute is the cycle of night and day has a lot more meaning then one you can see perfectly fine and the other you can’t see (but this does happen) at night, enemies change and on a whole a lot meaner and if you aren’t familiar with the area you might get ambushed by a boss enemy this can be a panic driven “run away!!” with curses being made or a super tense battle which makes you feel like a badass if you win. Oh, right bosses. Definitely, a plus here. Each boss is massive in scale and has interesting strategies and weak points to exploit. It has a very monster hunter vibe of hunting down much bigger enemies for loot, exp, and quests. The combat here a lot of fun, the class system gives out a lot of cool abilities to break up the usual mash X (and never Y because strong attacks are and equipment to use. (Sadly, when leveling up, stat boosts are applied automatically based on the class) The “vocations” are broken down to three archtypes (a la Dragon’s Age) mage, fighter and strider (rouge) and an advance version of the archtypes and then hybrids which are a mix of archtypes. A big shout out goes to the hybrid classes which I’m tempted to say is the proper way to play or at least the most flexible.
    Note: Hybrids are only available in Dark Arisen, which makes Dark Arisen worth it on that merit alone.
    Finally, to note is the customization which is really good and allows for players to create some awesome and unique looks definitely on par with most other RPGs on the market in this. Plus you get to customize your main pawn to your liking too.
    The story? Ha! This is definitely not a tightly focused character development on the lines of JRPGs (probably for the better given the state JRPGs are right now) Basically, after a prologue/tutorial: Game start. Boom! Dragon. Dragon eats your heart. Oh, no! But, you live! Now go get it back! Basically, the story past the fluff, common in WRPGs, is just that: kill the dragon and get your heart back. Not a spellbounding emotional journey but it works. Till the end game which has a nice twist and the “post game” which I won’t spoil it, it’s definitely interesting. [The game rises back up to hard again towards the end and post-game so be prepared and wary. [Double innuendo intentional]] Again, the game is around 40-60-ish hours depending on how much you do and your pace.
    The main gimmick of the DLC, Dark Arisen is an end-game content dungeon where the player takes on bosses and get handled yous” like it was the game’s day job. And “meh.” It adds content, it really didn’t excite me really. Other than the new items and “HD graphics” pack, I point above to hybrid vocation as the main reason to get the rerelease version.
    There are minor things: characters take longer than the world to load so they pop in a lot, food rots. I mean really? Seriously? That’s just annoying. Holding a bumper to use a bow instead of just clicking it once to switch between, the music is forgettable and the voice acting is silted. But overall I can almost wholeheartedly recommend Dragon’s Dogma to the right mindset. With an interesting pawn system, excellent combat and boss battles, great amount of content, and a new experience. Yeah, this games gets my approval. There are a lot of things that needs to be done with the planned sequel but if they fix a lot of the problems I listed above then they have a real masterpiece possible.    … Expand
  11. 2ksnipefest
    Aug 6, 2016
    10
    One of the greatest games I ever played. If you have a Xbox 360 PS3 or PC I recommend this highly. The map is massive and controls, exploration and the boss fights are a blast. You are not stuck in one vocation you can change it at will by going to an inn. This game is challenging and is a game you will want to play through more than once. It is very addicting. The atmosphere and ambienceOne of the greatest games I ever played. If you have a Xbox 360 PS3 or PC I recommend this highly. The map is massive and controls, exploration and the boss fights are a blast. You are not stuck in one vocation you can change it at will by going to an inn. This game is challenging and is a game you will want to play through more than once. It is very addicting. The atmosphere and ambience is well polished too.… Expand
  12. Hecatone
    Nov 6, 2017
    9
    This is easily one of my favorite games of all time. The world is deep and large with plenty to explore. The pawn system is fun and enjoyable and the class system is interesting.
  13. Deusex
    Mar 2, 2014
    9
    Is a third person Action RPG set in the fictional setting of gransys.
    Pros:
    Great diverse combat Good difficulty, not too hard but challenging enough to give it a few goes Great ending Nice gear Addicting Actually feels like an adventure Amazing creatures to fight Able to command a useful team Cons: The pawns don't shut up Can feel abit tedious unless you fast travel Bad lip    Is a third person Action RPG set in the fictional setting of gransys.
    Pros:
    Great diverse combat
    Good difficulty, not too hard but challenging enough to give it a few goes
    Great ending
    Nice gear
    Addicting
    Actually feels like an adventure
    Amazing creatures to fight
    Able to command a useful team

    Cons:
    The pawns don't shut up
    Can feel abit tedious unless you fast travel
    Bad lip sync
    Annoying ol' English language

    Hours I spent: about 60
    Must buy, has a few annoying flaws but manageable    … Expand
  14. KENXAVI
    Dec 9, 2014
    8
    A challenging game. Dragon's Dogma has a very detailed world, but I've never considered it to be memorable like other places I've visited like Skyrim or Hyrule. The graphics were also very muddy, some textures looked okay, but some of them just looked unfinished. The boss fights, however, were very well made. It makes Skyrim's dragon battles look pretty easy. From dragons to giant orcs toA challenging game. Dragon's Dogma has a very detailed world, but I've never considered it to be memorable like other places I've visited like Skyrim or Hyrule. The graphics were also very muddy, some textures looked okay, but some of them just looked unfinished. The boss fights, however, were very well made. It makes Skyrim's dragon battles look pretty easy. From dragons to giant orcs to three headed serpents, the boss fights were a treat. The lack of fast travel was a good/bad decision because it gives this sense of realism and a true journey because you're not allowed to just all of a sudden pop up in the place you want to go, but the constant backtracking gets annoying and repetitive..... fast.

    Dragon's Dogma is a very challenging game and there's hundreds of things to do and places to explore but it's constant backtracking and lack of autosave will definitely frustrate many gamers.    … Expand
  15. NexusTsunami
    Dec 29, 2015
    9
    Müsste ich DD:DA anhand seiner Story bewerten, würde nichts gutes dabei herauskommen (außer das epische Ende ;D). Auch die Gransys ist nicht gerade ein abwechslungsreiches Himmelsrand. Aber wenn DD:DA etwas hat, dann ein Hammer Kampfsystem und geile Bossfights!!! Gepaart mit dem innovativen Pawn-System, ergibt sich ein Spiel welches in meinen Top 5 der westlichen RPG´s seinen PlatzMüsste ich DD:DA anhand seiner Story bewerten, würde nichts gutes dabei herauskommen (außer das epische Ende ;D). Auch die Gransys ist nicht gerade ein abwechslungsreiches Himmelsrand. Aber wenn DD:DA etwas hat, dann ein Hammer Kampfsystem und geile Bossfights!!! Gepaart mit dem innovativen Pawn-System, ergibt sich ein Spiel welches in meinen Top 5 der westlichen RPG´s seinen Platz gefunden hat.… Expand
  16. HiddenGhul
    Apr 25, 2013
    8
    This game is great, only held back by little problems and bugs, but trust me the combat in this game is amazing and much improved on the already marvelous system from the first! Totally not worth a zero.
  17. Madracah
    Apr 26, 2013
    10
    Dark Arisen Ads more challange to the original game and polishes it. Still cant get over the fact that this game is so relatively unknown. The Game has Great Combat mechanics many great designer choices. One of the Best RPG's out there.
  18. yazman
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    This is a great game, I never played the first DD. (shame on me), now I am so glad I picked this up and I ended up with a Magnificent game that as much as I try to find a reason I can’t figure it out how can this be so under-rated by “our western gaming news companies” I will be straight up, I prefer this game to Skyrim and trust me guys I logged over 300 Hrs. lurking around theThis is a great game, I never played the first DD. (shame on me), now I am so glad I picked this up and I ended up with a Magnificent game that as much as I try to find a reason I can’t figure it out how can this be so under-rated by “our western gaming news companies” I will be straight up, I prefer this game to Skyrim and trust me guys I logged over 300 Hrs. lurking around the frozen lands of Skyrim. First things first, the combat mechanics in this game are exquisite and way superior to Skyrim (for comparison purposes only im picking on skyrim). The large scale bosses are epic and the ambience that surrounds them was well driven. The tech part it is not the best but is above average easily. The pawn system Capcom came up with its another example that developers should take note from something this innovative that can actually be introduced into an RPG, this is an perfect example of freshness just as the dark souls invasion/assistance was. This particular release it is for me so far into 2013 the most cost-effective gaming expense to day, 39.99 for a full game all the DLCs HD pack, all fixed so I’d say this is the real final product With no doubt this IP got here to stay and I am looking forward to a new installment of DD onto the next gen…..… Expand
  19. paddystudmuffin
    Apr 26, 2013
    9
    Probably the most underrated game this generation. If you like RPGs you need to get this game. The combat is excellent, the atmosphere is quality, the graphics are good and the story is decent. I haven't found it difficult at all but I do explore and not rush it. If you do decide to just push through the story it probably would be pretty tough as you need to be levelled up. TheProbably the most underrated game this generation. If you like RPGs you need to get this game. The combat is excellent, the atmosphere is quality, the graphics are good and the story is decent. I haven't found it difficult at all but I do explore and not rush it. If you do decide to just push through the story it probably would be pretty tough as you need to be levelled up. The critics have been far far to harsh on this game. 76 on metacritic when crappy fable 2 gets 89! What's that all about! Ridiculous! Trust me this game is epic and is gonna be known as a classic in years to come.… Expand
  20. Wolfmaster
    May 28, 2013
    5
    This was a very disappointing game. The AI is poor, the world is dull and lacks many interesting areas, the bosses take far too long to kill and there is literally no story or even interesting side quests. There are also numerous glitches that either haven't been addressed or have been added to the game such as falling through the floor in certain areas, and the enemies never seem to fightThis was a very disappointing game. The AI is poor, the world is dull and lacks many interesting areas, the bosses take far too long to kill and there is literally no story or even interesting side quests. There are also numerous glitches that either haven't been addressed or have been added to the game such as falling through the floor in certain areas, and the enemies never seem to fight each other. Why are the bandits attacking me and not the large Cyclops smashing everyone?

    Despite all of its short-comings, the game does have many good aspects such as the character customization and fighting, for the most part. But be aware, this game is very much cooperative as you will be travelling with pawns the whole game unless you kill them off. And they never shut up!

    It is such a shame that a game with such potential fails to live up to everything I was hoping for. I can only recommend it if you are enthralled by RPGs and Hack and Slash games, otherwise I wouldn't pick this game up. It is surprisingly addictive, but highly unpolished and glitch in many areas.    … Expand
  21. oval
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Don't listen to sedoi, this game is absolutely nothing like Dark Souls other than being 1: a third person western style rpg, and 2: difficult for new players.

    For anyone who hasn't played dragon's dogma, this is a party based rpg with a strong and well fleshed out job class system; which allows you to switch your profession at will, where you can play whatever style you like without    Don't listen to sedoi, this game is absolutely nothing like Dark Souls other than being 1: a third person western style rpg, and 2: difficult for new players.

    For anyone who hasn't played dragon's dogma, this is a party based rpg with a strong and well fleshed out job class system; which allows you to switch your profession at will, where you can play whatever style you like without feeling like you are pushing yourself into a corner thanks to the well balanced difficulty. It is a /great/ rpg and if you've never played it for 40$ its a steal.

    For people who have played dragon's dogma, this expansion offers 10 hours of new content if you rush it and new random encounters from "corpse feeding" monsters on bitterblack isle. Without spoiling content, yesterday I was fighting one boss and another boss random spawned in and it turned into a boss vs boss vs my party mayhem battle. It was actually one of the most cool things i've had happen in the game and was totally unexpected, and just goes to show you the effort made by the developers to make the content a less linear and more fresh.

    I love this game and paying 40$ for me is not a problem, however I can understand most people's misgivings about paying that much for 10 hours of content. Well, i'll say this given that there are games out there which give you the same or less content for 60-70$, and given that dark arisen adds new audio, a lot of tweaks, better load times, lots of new content, and a full storyline, 40$ to me is worth it. I think 30$ wouldve been a far more attractive price for most people, but given that this includes the original full game a number of DLC packs, I feel i've been given my money's worth; especially since I traded in the original dragon's dogma for 10$ towards this iteration of it anyway :D    … Expand
  22. shaun8pickles
    Jun 29, 2013
    6
    Dragons Dogma to start off was pretty bad. Boring story, I couldn't believe how boring it was. And it's super annoying NPC's. Your "Pawns" will never shut up, they say the same things over and over again to the point where I muted my TV. Dark Arisen isn't even worth getting either because it fixes "some" of the issues in this game, only some. Its unrelenting difficulty in Dark Arisen isDragons Dogma to start off was pretty bad. Boring story, I couldn't believe how boring it was. And it's super annoying NPC's. Your "Pawns" will never shut up, they say the same things over and over again to the point where I muted my TV. Dark Arisen isn't even worth getting either because it fixes "some" of the issues in this game, only some. Its unrelenting difficulty in Dark Arisen is something that set a lot of people off, I beat the game and DLC, and both were pretty awful. The only thing I loved in this game was its setting and combat, the boss battles are the best since God of War, or Castlevania. I don't see what people like in this game? I am probably going to get a lot of dislikes and I don't really care. The games color pallet is flat out boring, it looks good from a far, but otherwise character models are horrid and the colors are so plain. The quests, even the main quests, are not even worth doing they once again I'll use this word, they are BORING. I forgot the difference between main quests and side quests. I give it a 5/10. Hate all you want, but that's what it deserves and people deserve to know.… Expand
  23. Truedovah
    Apr 27, 2013
    0
    Well first of I really like skyrim and dark souls played those games combined like +300 hours, and then came dragons dogma dark FAIL I mean this game just blows, Like what year is it 2006 combat sucks and the game looks like all the detail was flushed down the toilet. And the character leveling system is way 2 confusing. I would not even recommend this game even if it was the last rpg onWell first of I really like skyrim and dark souls played those games combined like +300 hours, and then came dragons dogma dark FAIL I mean this game just blows, Like what year is it 2006 combat sucks and the game looks like all the detail was flushed down the toilet. And the character leveling system is way 2 confusing. I would not even recommend this game even if it was the last rpg on planet earth like worst rpg ever and someway remind me of the lord of the ring coop that came to xbox but even that was better Capcom next time I even consider buying anything again from you guys I always remember this epic fail.… Expand
  24. sedoi
    Apr 25, 2013
    0
    I give it 0. it's not worth money paid for it and generally just another Capcom screwing. It should have been 15$ DLC instead it turned into another rerelease, DR2 style. As being Dark Souls clone DD lacks individuality and screwing customers won't help this cause.
  25. themerote
    May 9, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me start by saying I have just finished DD dark Arisen main quest and actually like capcom famously do, the ending is fake, there is still much to do. I've been to bitter Black Isle just for a quick peek but have not ventured that far down yet. That's where I am and I must say I'm one of those people who had the original game and was furious to hear I had to by the game again but it was actually worth it. I got it new for £18. The strange thing is I put down the original for months, there are so many little improvements and it feels now like one of the most solid games I have played in years, possibly the best
    Rpg of all time, my only quarrel is the respawning, would have been better if it was random like in Skyrim, well that's the only thing Skyrim has that's better, everything else in DD Dark arisen is better quality and yes even the graphics, Skyrim looks the same where ever you go, the same copy and past caves, mountains, inn's etc. DD has great animation, varied land scapes, great combat and levelling system and a totally original pawn system with characters created online by actual players. I absolutely love this game and the final battle let just say I'm fighting the dragon and he kills all my pawns, I use all my healing potions, have a tiny bit of energy, the Dragon has a tiny bit of energy, I have nothing to lose so I run at him jump and stab him in the heart, the most epic boss battle in a video game ever. Looks like the Japaneses are reclaiming the throne for console games, well done.    … Expand
  26. hcurrie7
    May 5, 2013
    1
    This game was a complete disappointment. It was difficult to maneuver and the fighting was impossible. I had it set on the easiest setting. Also the story was weird as hell. You end of giving up your life to run the universe or something.
  27. Broyax
    Apr 17, 2017
    3
    J'ai cru pendant quelques heures que les développeurs japonais (ou au moins un développeur) savaient enfin faire un jeu de rôle. Hélas ! il faut qu'ils retournent jouer à Skyrim, car ils n'ont toujours pas compris. Pourtant sur bien des aspects, Dragon gnagnagna est comme Skyrim ! avec 10 ans de retard certes mais tout de même : monde très grand et ouvert, liberté de choix des quêtes... onJ'ai cru pendant quelques heures que les développeurs japonais (ou au moins un développeur) savaient enfin faire un jeu de rôle. Hélas ! il faut qu'ils retournent jouer à Skyrim, car ils n'ont toujours pas compris. Pourtant sur bien des aspects, Dragon gnagnagna est comme Skyrim ! avec 10 ans de retard certes mais tout de même : monde très grand et ouvert, liberté de choix des quêtes... on est loin du jeu de rôle japoniais habituel.

    Techniquement évidemment c'est pas la joie : tearing, aliasing, clipping, stuttering et plein de mots anglais en "ing" et le jeu n'est même pas en plein écran, car ils ont rogné sur la résolution. En outre, Dragon gaga se trouve encore le luxe de ramer par dessus le marché.

    Le système de pions semble intéressant au début mais comme on ne peut leur faire boire aucune potion et qu'ils sont incapables d'utiliser quoi que ce soit dans leur inventaire et qu'il faut de surcroît les ressusciter, la conclusion s'impose d'elle-même : ils sont cons comme des balais. L'interface souffre par ailleurs de nombreuses lacunes d'ergonomie tout en battant des records de laideur sans compter le choix très discutable des inventaires séparés et l'artisanat rapidement chiant...

    L'équilibrage est également à revoir puisqu'on peut facilement se faire un monstre grand comme un immeuble mais se faire rouler dessus par 5 bandits dans la campagne. Bon, ils ressemblaient à des ninjas mais quand même... Enfin, la sauvegarde unique (?) montre que les développeurs japonais ont un sérieux complexe avec les sauvegardes. C'est déjà un progrès inouï de pouvoir sauvegarder où et quand on veut mais pourquoi une seule putain de sauvegarde ?!...    … Expand
  28. Mrakovcic
    Mar 17, 2017
    4
    This was a big disappointment. First of all, you don't have any tutorial. I couldn't figure out what to do, where to go, in general I couldn't figure out the story-line or next thing to do in game. I was stuck in one point and that was deal-breaker for me.
  29. VisionEagle
    Jul 5, 2014
    10
    Been playing this game a few weeks and it's a great RPG.The whole concept of making a highly customized AI pawn traveling companion that learns(instincts on how to battle enemies from you and other peoples pawns )you rent out is fantastic!!I wish other RPG games would try this too. Even though the pawn renting community isn't as active now as last year, there are still people playing andBeen playing this game a few weeks and it's a great RPG.The whole concept of making a highly customized AI pawn traveling companion that learns(instincts on how to battle enemies from you and other peoples pawns )you rent out is fantastic!!I wish other RPG games would try this too. Even though the pawn renting community isn't as active now as last year, there are still people playing and some who will offer help and advice and sometimes the use of there higher level pawns for training and quest help.
    What can I say if if Xbox 1 had an AI like this for built in for certain games it would have been a bigger success than forcing kinect on people. Anyway the graphics of the game could be better but they are still good. I really like the music and atmosphere the game has and am enjoying the story.Definitely a lot to learn.The gameplay stays challenging as you switch different vocations for perks and building the best version of your final class.It offers many hours of gameplay with new game+ which is a better time to attempt the Bitterblack Isle content as you level up.The battles are "mostly" fun and engaging.It is an adult story that is interesting and intelligent.It's just too bad you can't romance your favorite pawn lol..    … Expand
  30. Cupcakeboy14
    May 16, 2013
    8
    Just as good as the stand alone game but with the added bonus's just makes it that little bit better. However i do still have some problem with enemy's disappearing in the middle of combat but oh well this game still has some really good features.
  31. TheRedboy
    Aug 29, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game wasn't even on my radar when I picked it up. Really just got it to kill time between other releases. I was surprised at how drawn in I got after a few hours. The depth of combat between all of the character classes is very nice. The climbing on enemies thing was pretty clunky, but you're not forced to do it very often.
    The only downside came at the 'end' of the game, and it had to do with the affinity system. Apparently the game decided I was in love with the blacksmith and that he should be transported across the map once I beat the dragon. This made the remainder of the game a pain in the ass, as there is no fast travel system. All in all, a good game. I recommend it.    … Expand
  32. Chowda
    Jan 18, 2016
    7
    I was sold at Arcane Archer and a Mystic Knight!
    The skills and weapons are so much fun.
    The death animations for the monsters are the best I have ever seen or heard.
    Awesome game!
  33. LordDeathsama
    May 29, 2014
    9
    This game is awesome. I love it. If you like RPGs this ones for you. Battlesystem is so good and the story may seems dull at first, but after you have seen all the endings, it's pretty good. Visuals are good and the difficulty is pretty high. The soundtrack got some nice songs, which are rememberal. Go on and buy it, there is a lot of content for you.
  34. Conells
    Sep 15, 2014
    9
    I registered an account just to make a review of this great game! I give it 8.9 or 9 as it's easily one of my favorite games of ALL time. Which means a lot, because I've always loved fantasy RPG's and open world games, and played most of them on the market. It's sad to see some barbarians (gamers, reviewers and magazines alike) gave the game scores like 0, 4 and 5 probably because theyI registered an account just to make a review of this great game! I give it 8.9 or 9 as it's easily one of my favorite games of ALL time. Which means a lot, because I've always loved fantasy RPG's and open world games, and played most of them on the market. It's sad to see some barbarians (gamers, reviewers and magazines alike) gave the game scores like 0, 4 and 5 probably because they weren't in the right mood at the time of playing or expected something from the game that shouldn't be expected, or that is not in the scope of the game.

    While everyone keep mentioning Skyrim and how amazing it was, I have to admit that I was disappointed in that game (I loved Morrowind and Oblivion), as it lacked soul, game world was not consistent, and was too casual for me. Comparing Skyrim to Dragon's Dogma is not that easy as it looks because they have some aspects that need different approach (not a hastily given 0 or 5 score, guys). Like combat and party management. I try to point out the strongest points of Dragon's Dogma below. (I have more than 80 hours in game).

    - Character customization: the BEST I've ever seen in a game. I've never made a character such lifelike before. There's room for every kind of character types, from a humble tubby peasant to a tall cliché knight, dwarf or a giant. Armors and clothes options are amazing, they give plenty of room to make a character of your taste. Also it's worth noting that ingame armors and basic clothes look very authentic (obviously not Griffin armor and such but chainmail, plate and the like).

    - World: maybe the most detailed and immersive fantasy worlds I've seen in a game. Lightning effects are amazing, fire has realistic looking lightning, nights are nearly pitch black, nearly every action has motion-capture animations, nature is very detailed and realistic looking (I have Dark Arisen and HD texture pack), music and background noises are fantastic.

    - Big monster battles: I must admit, I hate boss battles, I just find that whole thing outdated. Not in this game. Big monsters are actually not bosses (you can leave them if you want), and fighting against them is actually a big fun. It's possible to climb on them, every big monster has different body parts that can be attacked with elements like fire, lightning, frost and so on. As for the animation and graphical part, it's just amazing. It really is. I mean I've never encountered such epic and creepy monster battles like in this game.

    - Battles and loot: battles are halfway arcadey and tactical, but very rewarding. Finding new crispy armors or weapons are quite balanced and a little slow paced (not Diablo-like, similar to Destiny). Battle skills are surprisingly deep, class system has every kind of class-types.

    All in all this game is truly a labour of love, the dedication of the developers is evidently there, the painstakingly made world is filled with soul. There are so many things to discover in this game that it can't be described. It is possible to give gifts to anyone among NPC's, to combine items, to manage your party, to explore the world on your own pace, to customize your character. For me this is a much colorful experience than I had with Skyrim. The only thing I miss a bit is the bigger game world, but that would be too good to be true. A must have.    … Expand
  35. ToddDow
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    A MUST PLAY RPG! Picked this up last year and had so much fun. The gameplay and combat were great fun and fighting the larger monsters is a very nice break from the norm in other games. I agree with the posters that said this game is incredibly underrated and overlooked. DD:DA might not do anything groundbreaking, but again, it's just a huge amount of FUN to play.
  36. ZXSth
    Mar 3, 2023
    10
    This game screams 'cult classic.' It isn't perfect, but if you really fall for the game the way I did, the flaws might enhance your experience more than they hamper it.

    To get some of the perceived negatives out of the way: This game's fast travel system requires you to explore an area, then (if you have one) place a specific object wherever you wish to be able to teleport to, then have    This game screams 'cult classic.' It isn't perfect, but if you really fall for the game the way I did, the flaws might enhance your experience more than they hamper it.

    To get some of the perceived negatives out of the way: This game's fast travel system requires you to explore an area, then (if you have one) place a specific object wherever you wish to be able to teleport to, then have a consumable item ready in order to be able to teleport to said location. This forces exploration, and that can make for a hit-or-miss experience, as the landscape is rather vast. Beyond the lack of a more accessible fast travel system, your companions never shut up - while you can get rid of them (and while it can eventually benefit you to do so, depending on your chosen class and skills), this constant chatter (with campy, olde-timey British accents in full force) wavered between being annoying and endearing. One other flaw I can say this game suffers from is that the learning curve can seem quite steep initially, and it can be frustrating to have chosen a class based on its skills only to discover that your class choice also influences your stats as you level - therefore, if you want to min/max, it is hard to do so in your first playthrough without any assistance form the internet.

    It is hard for me to speak poorly of this game, because it seemed to get more and more enjoyable as I played through it. I must have played through the game 20 times before the joy started to wane. The combat is quite enjoyable, taking down larger monsters provides a visceral sense of accomplishment, and the open world is fun as hell to explore. Furthermore, Bitterblack Isle (the DLC portion of the game) provides a phenomenal challenge to those who have grown tired of the main campaign. As an added bonus, the character creator is incredibly nuanced - it provides players with the opportunity to create almost any sort of humanoid they wish, and does not force them to play as a cliché muscle-man or comically well-endowed Barbie.

    All in all, this is a challenging, thoroughly engaging and fairly hardcore (per se) action RPG with a ton of heart and charisma. The story is secondary, and the dialogue and accents are comical, but this game hits so many of the right notes. Easily one of the best action RPGs released within the past decade.    … Expand
  37. CloudStrife05
    Aug 20, 2021
    9
    I had a lot of fun with this game. Capcom scored big with it and I am glad that they ported it over to the PS4/Xbox One. Since it did go under the radar at first, I am hoping that by now it has gotten enough buzz and attention to get a sequel.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2013
44
#44 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
40
#40 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. GamingXP
    Sep 16, 2013
    79
    Dragon`s Dogma is a surprise. The new content and graphics are nice, but not more. The game scores with its good price and with all additional content.
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  2. Gaming Nexus
    Jul 18, 2013
    80
    There's no getting around it: Dark Arisen is difficult. There are moments when playing it that it may even feel like it's impossible and completely unfair, but the feeling of beating this title makes the incredibly tough adventure well worth it.
    Read full review
  3. Games.cz
    Jul 14, 2013
    70
    Bitterblack Island is a truly solid challenge bringing fun and atmosphere that is, however, suffering from the game's monotonous setting, limited space manoeuvring, and the game's linearity. Still, if you've never played Dragon's Dogma, you'll get the original heavy title along with this expansion pack.
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