Game News Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen released on PC

Tags: Capcom; Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Action RPG Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, a favorite in certain ARPG-oriented Codexian circles, was released on Steam yesterday after the PC port's surprise announcement several months ago. Here's the trailer and the (somewhat abridged) official description:

Set in a huge open world, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen presents a rewarding action combat experience. Players embark on an epic adventure in a rich, living world with three AI companions, known as Pawns. These partners fight independently, demonstrating prowess and ability that they have developed based on traits learned from each player. PC users can share these Pawns online and reap rewards of treasure, tips and strategy hints for taking down the terrifying enemies. Pawns can also be borrowed when specific skills are needed to complete various challenging quests.

Features

• Dynamic combat experience – Cut off the four heads of a Hydra, climb atop griffins and fight airborne, or defeat dragons and other creatures by finding out their weaknesses.
• Tons of content – Includes all previously released DLCs, pre-order bonuses, retailer-exclusives, and the Dark Arisen expansion content. Features the highly praised combat experience and rich customization, plus a huge underground realm to explore with terrifying monsters.
• Customization options galore – Nine different vocations for players to choose from with a variety of skill options for each, armor that can be upgraded and enhanced, plus Pawn companions that can be trained to fit your desired combat style.
• Stunning visuals – Beautiful high res graphics with increased fidelity.
• Full Steam platform support – Includes Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud Save, Trading Cards, Leaderboards, Big Picture Mode support

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According to the impressions in the Codex thread about the game, it runs at 120+FPS with maximum settings at 1080p if your rig is good enough, and the combat is pretty fun on Hard.

You can grab the game here.

 

Yep, the combat is fun. There's a lot of hacked PAWNS in the game already, tho.

Just pick the "normal" ones and you're fine.

Hahahahahaha.... No.

 

*bursts thru wall into thread and bounces around like Kramer*

a VIEDEO game? From a CONSOLE? The CRAZY thing IS!!!!!!!! LET me tell you about cONSOLES!!!!

 

Its actually decent arpg with a lot of surprises. I advise giving it a try!

 

Whats so decent about it? What are the strong sides of this game?

 

I haven't played but here for example they go into detail about the 'pawn' system:

http://www.pcinvasion.com/hardcore-pawn-dragons-dogmas-most-interesting-system

 

Combat is fluid with different classes from fighter with sword and shield, ranger with bows and daggers or mage which casts slow but devastating spells. Exepct pawn system game is full of details. For example harpy or other flying creatures can grab you or our pawns and drop them from high enough to damage or kill them (character weight is important, smaller and lighters ones are more vulnerable to that of course). You can throw at first glance useless objects to deal damage or throw some bandits off the cliffs.

 

Fun game. The pawn system is interesting, I just hope someone will hire my viking guy someday

 

How does it compare to the Dark Souls? DS is great.

 

Well, I would say:

• The "paws", as Outlander said. It's fun, and since you will necessarily change your paws several times during the game, you will experiment a lot with the party composition.
• There's a "Shadow of the Colossus" element in the combat. You can grab enemies, or climb them from the back/legs/arms to attack them.
• On hard, the combat is fun.
• You can "mix" your skills seamlessly during gameplay. Use your bow then approach with a dagger skill, use your shield to push enemies then go for a big slash, etc. It's not mindblowing, but it's fun.
• You can upgrade/mix items.

It isn't the most original and amazing game ever made, but it sure is a competent game, with the sum of its features, it has a peculiar style. Don't think of it as an RPG, but as an action game with stats.

 

Attack a cyclops at night. Exploit its over commitment by jumping on its face and stabbing out its eye. Watch from my cycloptic perch as a damn harpy throws one of my pawns off a cliff. The fuck, mate? Fall off cyclops. Wolves ensnare me. Where the fuck did they come from? Creekbed douses lantern. Can't see shit. Wolves got me by the balls, try to fight them off. Raging cyclops unwittingly stomps me into bonemeal. Die instantly because I'm wearing rags for armor.

Not bad.jpg

 

Mouse and keyboard works very well aside from the inventory very obviously hacked together in a day from the console interface (but it would be a cumbersome annoying interface with a controller too). Benefits a lot from some rebinds on a mouse with extra buttons.

 

Thanks for your honesty

 

Harpies is such bastards. I love how dark it get when it is night. Not that fake game night, proper darkness.

 

You know, the pawns won't shut the fuck up yet they won't remind my I have my lantern lit in broad daylight

 

TITO ANIC, WALKING DOWN THE STREET, SPOTS A STORE WITH AN ELECTRIC GUITAR LOGO CALLED ROCK 'N' ROLL RECORDS 'R' US BLASTING SOME SWEET ROCKING TUNES, WITH A SIGN OUTSIDE STATING "EXCLUSIVE SALE ON EXTREMELY ROCK-BASED ROCK AND ROLL RECORDS TODAY". HE SMIRKS. TODAY, SOMEONE WILL GET OWNED.

TITO ANIC: Good afternoon, gentlesir. I see from your charming sign that you have a sale on some musical goodosity. Whichfore type of music is on your offer?

STORE OWNER (SMILING): It's rock and roll music with the cool guitars and galloping drumbeats, for the men who like the good shit in life. Are you a fellow "rocker", my good man?

TITO ANIC: LMAO. I tricked you into talking about it. I don't actually like that music at all and only asked you about it ironically.

 

Already better RPG than AoD.

 

What's special? Fighting a bunch of creatures I fell down a sheer cliff walls, jumped down three stories, and continued fighting. It has very "emergent combat" at its core.

And the climb is not just a gimmick. It is useful for finding weak points on creatures. I think it compares better to Elder Scrolls than DS, due to the open and huge world. I barely scratched it, and I'd give it 4/5.

 

Just bought this for my brother, to see if I can make him stop playing TESO and play something a little better.

 

You can create lolis. You can pick up lolis. You can carry lolis into a cave. Once you get tired of lolis, you can throw them down a cliff. Nobody will judge you.

Seriously, the mechanic for picking up people is so great that I want it in every game from this point on. Also climbing around giant enemies.

 

Is there any actual story/plot/dialogues/c&c or is it just aRPG hack'n'slash ala Dark Souls?

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

The interface is atrocious, yes, but no mouse support? Don't know what he's talking about. It's actually fine with mouse and keyboard in combat, better than similar games.