Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

 Xbox One
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. XGN
    Oct 17, 2017
    65
    Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen arrives far too late for this generation consoles. It's a great game, but extremely outdated for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best Xbox One Game of 2017
56
#56 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017
77
#77 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 51
  3. Negative: 8 out of 51
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Jan 2, 2018
    8
    I spent many hours on the original game a few years ago, so I was looking forward to the remaster of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. ThankfullyI spent many hours on the original game a few years ago, so I was looking forward to the remaster of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. Thankfully the game has aged well, and while it may not be a stellar remaster in some areas it’s still a very good RPG. The open world is packed to the brim with quests and things to do, and the best thing is that the world feels alive. There are a number of quests for you to partake in and they have managed to make the quests have a good variety to them. You will however have to do quite a bit of backtracking in the game and that can be frustrating, but the combat and battles you take part in will eventually make you forget about the backtracking. The character progression in the game is brilliant and in fact I forgot how good it was. There are number of classes to get to grips with and this adds even more replay value to the game. Speaking of replay value the game will keep you going for hundreds of hours and the amount of content can be breathtaking at times, which is awesome. The game also rewards you for playing and exploring, and it rewards you by offering you a mysterious story that’s interesting throughout. The presentation side of the game is something I was a little disappointed with. I expected to see some improvements to the visuals and sound design, but unfortunately the remaster fails to hit the mark here. At the end of the day if you’re a fan of the RPG genre and you’ve never played Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen then I fully recommend you to purchase the game. It has an almost endless amount of content and it takes the tried and tested RPG formula and turns it into a memorable experience. I have played the game twice now and sunk many hours in, and it’s that good that even if you’ve played it before I still recommend you to buy it again.… Full Review »
  2. General_ODell
    Jan 26, 2018
    8
    Dragon's Dogma is, overall, a fun game. The combat easily makes up for the majority of the game's flaws, as it is quite possibly the bestDragon's Dogma is, overall, a fun game. The combat easily makes up for the majority of the game's flaws, as it is quite possibly the best combat system I have experienced in an RPG. Encounters feel truly epic, as giant monsters can be climbed and attacked at weak points, mages and sorcerers can cast incredibly devastating spells, and dragon combat especially puts Skyrim's combat to shame. The graphics are good - not groundbreaking, but there are many beautiful sights to behold, regardless. The pawn system also allows for interesting additions to combat and quests which are completely missing from other RPGs, and I hope it is improved and implemented in the future. Pawns, with the right inclinations, are a true blessing in combat, and for a beginner, they can guide the player to specific locations throughout the world and assist in quests. However, the pawns can act downright idiotic at times. One moment, you will be amazed at the pawns working synergistically in combat with yourself to bring down a massive beast, and the next, you will be dumbfounded as a pawn walks off a cliff and gets sent to the rift. As far as the setting/world goes, it is a high medieval Western setting with magic. I personally consider the setting to be more interesting than the main storyline, which can often be bogged down at points, leading to plot twists or climaxes of the story occurring without the proper buildup. Side quests granted through the game's Notice Boards are incredibly basic: kill x amount of monsters, give NPC x item, or escort NPC. The kill quests and gathering quests can often be completed without actively seeking to complete a quest, but they are still nothing to write home about. Non-notice board quests are better, but often lack depth or try to impose a sense of urgency which simply doesn't exist. Traveling throughout the world can also be amazing or amazingly dull, depending on how much you enjoy walking everywhere. The game has items called "portcrystals," which can be placed in any exterior location and act as a fast travel point, as long as a player has a consumable "ferrystone." Even with strategically placed portcrystals, however, you will find a large portion of your game time spent walking through the same areas and fighting the same monsters. There are also certain odd design decisions, such as only allowing one save file. I understand that the developer may have wanted the player to go through the game realizing their actions have long-lasting consequences, but it is still a limit, nonetheless. While the player may choose to switch vocations throughout the game as long as they visit the NPC responsible for doing so, stats gained through leveling up are tied to the specific vocation the player had when they leveled up. This makes switching vocations less favorable as the player grows in strength, as a player who has spent dozens of levels as a mage will find a drastic decrease in power should they switch to a melee class. Overall, however, this game is fun to play, and every victory against a massive creature feels like an accomplishment, something other games often seem disappointing.… Full Review »
  3. Metaphysical10
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    My review will assume that you are familiar with the basic mechanics of the game which can be learned from the tons of online reviews fromMy review will assume that you are familiar with the basic mechanics of the game which can be learned from the tons of online reviews from major videogame publications. That being said, this game offers an experience that is unique:
    1. Amazing combat
    2. Deep character customization
    3. Pride of Other players affirmations when they rent your pawn (NPC character you develop that is available to be. used by other players).    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »