What makes Dragon's Dogma an amazing (and terrifying) game (SPOILERS)

Dragon's Dogma is a game that any fan of RPGs should check out. It always is compared to other games like Skyrim, Dragon Age, etc. However there are things that it does really well. Most notably the transition between night and day. It draws similarities to how Minecraft executes it: enemies get tougher, any light source available becomes your friend, and you're trying to return home so you can wait the night out. All of these create a fantastic environment of testing to see how long you can endure the dangers of the night.

When Dragon's Dogma first begins, you get used to the combat mechanics. Simple aspects like watching your stamina, making sure each blow counts, and status effects become commonplace. You then start to become acquainted with nighttime and here's where the real challenge of Dragon's Dogma begins to take shape. No longer can you search for enemies by sight; it's much too dark to do that. Instead, you have to listen and tread carefully. A scream from a goblin or the flapping wings of a harpy can put you on the edge of your seat because you never really know how many are out there. You have to stick to the main roads since your lantern illuminates only so much. Any travel off the beaten path could land you in the jaws of a chimera. For the budding adventurer night is extremely terrifying, but it doesn't take long to overcome it. Soon you'll be making frequent night trips from Gran Soren to the Greatwall Encampment. The game almost starts to get easy, but really this is just the tip of how much the game can test your skills in combat.

Sometimes it's best to run for your life

Spoilers below if you haven't beaten the main game yet

After you defeat Grigori, a third of Gran Soren is destroyed, the sky is now a dreary, black emptiness, and all the monsters are much tougher. I mentioned before how you first get used to the mechanics and then become acquainted with nightime. Well now you have to embrace all the mechanics or you will die. Almost all the monsters now are more resilient and can hinder you with status ailments. If you don't bring curatives or have a mage with Halidom, you will be killed easily. Not to mention all the monsters are dark colored which doesn't make it any easier to spot them in the darkened environment. The first grimgoblin I went up against was what really opened my eyes to the danger I was about to face.

For those of you that don't know, goblins (before you defeat Grigori) are pushovers. They're like the goombas in the Mario Brother Series: easy enemies to defeat. The Hobgoblins are a little tougher, but not significantly. Grimgoblins, on the other hand, don't get knocked down easily, don't run away, and don't take shit from you. This has yet to happen to me, but I know they can knock you down and jump on you several times taking chunks of your health away. Imagine if goombas did that, Mario would be screwed. The game forces you to treat all enemies with equal wariness. Not only are the basic enemies tougher, but there are more boss enemies lurking around. Before you just had to deal with zombies and Salvation mages lurking around Gran Soren at night. Now deadly drakes lie waiting, while hellhounds prowl for the most inopportune time (for you, of course) to strike at you with full force.

And for those who want more of a challenge, visit The Everfall. It is a 15 level dungeon under Gran Soren with some of the hardest battles imaginable. Creatures like the Evil Eye and the Hyrda were in the main story, but you never actually faced them until now. Even more horrifying is the immensely powerful Ur-Dragon, a creature with so much strength it requires players from around the world to whittle away at its health. Each level a greater hazard than the last to see whether you have what it takes to become the true Arisen.

"Fire works well." Nope, try again.

Everything about the game has changed so much that it almost feels like a different game. You have to adjust your playstyle or face the wrath of an ArchHydra tearing you limb from limb with its many regenerating heads. The transition from night to day becomes even more dangerous as its nearly one and the same after defeating Grigori. You need to prepare against any predicament imaginable because you never know what you'll face. That's what makes this game much more different than those it is compared to. Some games there's a peak in difficulty and, once it's reached, the game becomes boring and repetitive. Dragon's Dogma is always increasing its adversities, throwing more obstacles at you to struggle with and overcome. Some games offset repetitiveness by introducing DLC with increased hardships. Dragon's Dogma doesn't need to do this; it's already a part of the game you'll play.

End of Spoilers

Like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, this game isn't for the faint of heart. I think it's more accessible than those two games, but it definitely has that challenge for more hardcore players. The true draw to playing this game is after you beat Griogri; the game doesn't hold back and shows you its true nature. To even assume the game at certain points is done challenging you is a foolhardy notion. So if you find that Dragon's Dogma is too easy, beat Grigori and ask yourself: Am I ready to experience the true challenge Dragon's Dogma has to offer?

 

A taste of the dangers you'll face after defeating Grigori