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Open-world freedom Levity is at the forefront of “Dragon’s Dogma 2”. Despite being a high fantasy set in a medieval world, the game does not take itself seriously, unlike its more serious cohorts. Party members controlled by artificial intelligence will behave erratically, and they will sometimes throw in silly banter while players are getting beaten and punted across the screen. Anything that can go wrong will probably go wrong, with Murphy’s law adding entertainment to the more action-heavy elements the game offers, which itself is a lot. Players can grab small enemies like goblins, throw them over their shoulders like a bag of rice, run to the nearest cliff, and throw them off it, all while the hostage goblin and his friends are screaming bloody death. Meanwhile, pawns can be doing everything from their job to mucking about as they try to keep up with By Mark Mathen Victor F orget “Rise of the Ronin; Dragon’s Dogma 2” is the best game in the first quarter of 2024. Whether a returning fan of the first game released over a decade ago or a newcomer, this game welcomes all to its messy, entertaining medieval world. The game opens with the player’s character stripped of their memories and bound to slavery. Players will quickly learn that they are an “Arisen”, a person that is marked by a dragon that they will need todefeat according to the game’s fictional mythology. Throughout the game, players will work towards that dragon-slaying goal as they maneuver the two kingdoms the game takes place in, called Vermund andBattahl. Duetothenationswarringwitheach other, there will be political intrigue, along with a myriad of medium and small stories involving the colorful denizens of “Dragon’s Dogma 2”. The story has other pivots, but its usual medieval tapestry includes corrupt royals, conniving politicians, etc. Everyone also speaks with that old English with words that can mean several different things at once, like “aught”, whichplayerswill hear at least 50 times in just the first hour. Its syntax means “everything” and, at the same time, “nothing”. The world is a dangerous place the moment players step anywhere outside of Vermund. Go out at night, and it is pitch black, with only a meter around them being visible. Find somewhere secluded. There is probably a Malaysian shop full of monsters that will kill them. Try to go for a swim near any body of water. Lovecraftian tentacles will drag players to their watery graves. Death is inevitable, but in this game, it also brings fun and laughter. MARCH 2024 16 Nerds & Geeks 17 MARCH 2024 Nerds & Geeks players who suddenly decide to dash away carrying the goblin. These party members are called Pawns, and they are a very interesting element of the game. In the first hour, players, both new and old, are given Pawns as party members. They are AI-controlled, well-voiced, and have distinct personalities and job types. Once the intro sequence is over, players are given access to their main customizedPawn, alongwith the option to hire two extra ones. These two can be taken from pre-generated characters by the developers, Pawns by other players from their individual games, or Pawns by the player’s friends. For example, Ali is playing “Dragon’s Dogma 2”, and he wants a Pawn with the Archer class. He can go to a Riftstone and recruit a Pawn by Lim, a player he does not know, or a Pawn from his friend Kumar’s game. This is a watered-down version of ‘Dragon’s Dogma 2’ Redefines Open-World Adventure Gaming Join the Quest the versatility that “Dragon’s Dogma 2” offers players, and it is much more in-depth than that, just like the core fantasy gameplay involving weapons andmagic. Swords andmagic are always fun Upon starting the game, players have the option of picking one of four jobs that will shape their character’s journey and combat: fighter, archer, thief, or mage. Later in the game, six other jobs will become available. These are sorcerers, warriors,magick archers, mystic spearhands, tricksters, andwarfarers. Each job, called “vocation” in the game, gives a spectrum of abilities that change how battles are approached and parties with Pawns are formed. If a player chooses the thief job, they canhave apartyof Pawnswithdifferent jobs that support what their job lacks, or they can just have an entire party of thieves just speeding about with daggers and causingmayhem. Bigger enemies, like griffins, can be scaled. Yes, players can climb them, or at least try several times before they get on top to deliver attacks on their backs, sides, and heads. Unlike the action role-playing game (RPGs) of recent years, the verticality in “Dragon’s Dogma 2” is a breath of fresh air. In other games, players will try to findacliff or someother tall structure to jump off of to deliver a heavy attack. For this game, just start climbing big monsters like they are a rock climbing wall. The fighting mechanics itself are very good, even if players will need some time getting used to the controls, whether they are swinging their massive swords around or casting ground-shakingmagic spells. Other than the issue faced by PC players with the game not working at launch, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a clear winner for those playing on consoles.