Capcom Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

[Modron]

How is that even determined who you get? I got the princess, was kinda boring. Didn't even interact with her much.

IIRC it's the last person you interact with who has maxed influence, the princess and fournival are common soul mates because completing their respective quests maxes them. I ended up with Caxton kek.

 

[Leechmonger]

I beat this game on the PS3 when it first came out. Recently tried replaying it and couldn't make it past 4 hours.

 

[Alienman]

A shopkeeper. Did you buy his heart out?

 

[Hirato]

How is that even determined who you get? I got the princess, was kinda boring. Didn't even interact with her much.

IIRC it's the last person you interact with who has maxed influence, the princess and fournival are common soul mates because completing their respective quests maxes them. I ended up with Caxton kek.

The princess maxes out if you talk to her 5-7 times on your first encounter.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

A shopkeeper. Did you buy his heart out?

They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

You forgot Zombira, most famous Pawn of the Codex.

Would it be permissible to use pictures of Arisens and Pawns as avatars?

IIRC it's the last person you interact with who has maxed influence, the princess and fournival are common soul mates because completing their respective quests maxes them. I ended up with Caxton kek.

In the original version of Dragon's Dogma, simply speaking with someone increased affinity, making it common for people to end up with shopkeepers (or possibly even innkeepers) as their Arisen's Beloved. Dark Arisen fixed it, though, so people no longer have an excuse for ending up with Fournival, who shouldn't reach max affinity solely from completing related quests.

The princess maxes out if you talk to her 5-7 times on your first encounter.

True, but later there's a very simple way to ensure you can't receive Aelinore as your beloved.

 

[Hyperion]

Using a Wakestone on Julien at the culmination of his quest is another easy way to fuck up your beloved, since it happens late in the game. I had it happen with Reynard in one playthrough, as he has a similar problem. Between needing to buy things in different shopping instances, and completing his quest pretty much right before the Greatwall story events, he's a VERY common unintentional romance.

Getting Fournival accidentally may be savagely disgusting, but it's efficient as fuck, since he has a lot of good shit in his inventory like unlimited periapts, and a Maker's Finger. Just have to deal with knowing your Arisen is banging Wilford Brimley.

 

[Grigori]

Okay, since I actually kinda like the story in Dragons Dogma, I want to talk about how secretly depressing it all is. In Dark Souls, everything is terrible, and it's beautifully destroyed. Dreary, and broken. Everything looks like it's rotting away and dying. So of course it's depressing.

But Dragons Dogma?

Spoiler

if you are to believe the Seneschal, the world of Dragons Dogma was never even alive to begin with. It's just an endlessly looping mutliversal cycle, with humanity being the Seneschal's equivalent to the soulless pawns. It's the ever novel pleasure of a useless occupation (quote from the games CGI opening). Because being god for a bunch soulless entities is depressing as heck. Life will keeping going, because life has no meaning, because only those who choose to make meaning with their lives can create life in their image. But it's pointless because what they create is but a mere shadow of humanity. Hence why the Seneschal needs a replacement, because their FREAKING SUCIDIAL FROM EXISTENTIAL DESPAIR. Now the main story of DD ends on a bittersweet note, with a bit of hope, as your Pawn actually achieves true life. But add Dark Arisens darker take on the cycle, and it just gets very morbid. Who has it worse, Arisen or Chosen Undead?

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Added Adaro, Valmiro, Reynard, Asalam, and, by popular demand, Fournival.

Used Photoshop to modify the pictures but tried to keep the effects modest, just to have better lighting for use as avatars.

Replaced my avatar of Mason with one created from an image from Capcom's website for Dragon's Dogma.

I had completed Valmiro's quests in my second game on PS3 and otherwise avoided him entirely, and even that Capcom website has a lousy image for him, so for his avatar I was forced to rely on an image from the wiki.

Replaced my avatar of Quina with one created from a screenshot taken at the very beginning of the game, before the Dragon attacks.

Replaced my avatar of Feste with one created from a screenshot taken during the sequence where the Arisen meets him when first entering the castle in Gran Soren.

I'll submit these images in a few days, pending any further feedback.

 

[boot]

Was I the only one who thought Dark Arisen was a huge step backwards? It was cheap pandering to the Dark Souls crowd and a huge slap in the face to all fans of the original.

Want to wander through strange lands with your bros shooting winged beasts out of the sky and slashing up Chimaera, minding the sun's light to make sure you did not venture too far afield? Too bad, crawl through this dank dark dungeon, admire all the blood and dark atmosphere xD. Killed you in one hit xDD

The high fantasy adventuring spirit was gone and replaced with this banal dark shit. I hated it. It has seriously soured my enjoyment of base game even when I ignore Bitterback Isle completely. I know it's DLC, but everything about it is a huge departure from base game and a blatant attempt to gather in Faggots of souls. I hate Dark Arisen. Hate. I'd rather have nothing.

They also threw in a ton of port stones and lowered ferry stone cost to nothing, destroying the traveling aspect. Why? It doesn't make sense to me. You get bored traveling across the land? Tough shit man, that's part of adventure. Walking is slow. There was so much they could have done to liven up the world, but they just threw it all away.

 

[Hyperion]

It was cheap pandering to the Dark Souls crowd and a huge slap in the face to all fans of the original

That was actually the first comparison I've heard made to Dark Souls. I always felt it was more pandering towards Diablo fans. And I wouldn't be surprised if they had done it as a way to gauge interest in Deep Down, which of course got cancelled anyway.

Too bad, crawl through this dank dark dungeon, admire all the blood and dark atmosphere xD. Killed you in one hit xDD

Nighttime was probably the coolest part of the game, and the most lauded, it only made sense to expound upon it. There were tons of great enemies to fight. Dark Arisen is one of the few games where making new monsters similar, but beefier than their existing versions worked well because the combat is just so much fun that a longer encounter just feels rewarding when you beat it. Of course the ultimate reward is gear that allows you curbstomp even the biggest nasties.

Keep in mind this is the same team who made Resident Evil. Horror is their forte.

They also threw in a ton of port stones and lowered ferry stone cost to nothing, destroying the traveling aspect. Why?

People were absolutely skewering their game over this. The endless bitching and moaning eventually made them cave in. I don't have the source on hand, but their original plan was actually to allow quick travel via hang glider. We were also going to get to travel to another continent, scale a huge tower-like dungeon, and go to the moon, but funding stopped halfway through the game. We were left with a butchered, half-finished game and it still kicked more ass than 90% of other games. inXile shoulda taken notes on what to do when you run out of money...

 

[Delterius]

Hmmm. Well, Dark Souls and Diablo fans aren't going to play this game necessarily. Dragon's Dogma is a legit beat 'em up. Dark Souls is a completely different sort of game, to say nothing of Diablo. IMO, Bitterblack Isle is its own thing. Its an extra, post game dungeon akin to the Everfall. This sort of thing is a trope of japanese games.

They also threw in a ton of port stones and lowered ferry stone cost to nothing, destroying the traveling aspect. Why?

The reason why is also the reason why some people actually see the expansion as an improvement to the original. I disagree, but it is true that travelling in the first game was, like most things, only half way implemented.

It has good ideas. The map is designed in such a way that you can discover shortcuts over the land. Quicker ways to traverse to the Mountain Waycastle or the edges of the map. Its just that the game's content doesn't support it very well. Gransys is mostly dead outside of its two towns. And the game sometimes insist that you go back and forth through the same areas in exactly the same way, like the Bluemoon Tower.

I doubt that a Dragon's Dogma 2 would cut the travelling aspect entirely, but there should probably be some sort of fast travel. Hopefully it wouldn't be ferrystones as opposed to something like the weird handglider that was proposed.

A good indication of where they'd go with it is how Zelda handled it. BotW should be a major source of inspiration and its my understanding that in that game you only get teleports between 'Shrines' (points of interest). Which is one way not to conflict with other, more interesting modes of travel - the paraglider.

 

[boot]

I thought the similarities to DS were apparent. Remember the loading screens? Some of the tips they flashed at you may have as well been "prepare to die xD". I can't find the ones base game had but they weren't this dumb. Every part of Dark Arisen stank of that game. Maybe this is just my own bias- but I don't think so, I'm not making this stuff up.

Killed you in one hit xDDD is a real enemy in this expansion. Death guys! Death, we are fighting Death! Hey, what music is playing while we fight Death?



ah, some good dark gothic shit I think I heard in that masterpiece of a game, Darken Soulae, nice! I think this meshes well with the tone and overall theme of the base game.



We are merely adding to the pre-existing palette of the game's things and sheeitt. Bitterback Isle is optional anyway, faggot. I don't see the difference.

And there was no nighttime in Dark Arisen. Day/night cycle was gone. They threw it out along with the traveling parts. I know people complained about it, I knew about the glider thing, I still don't like what they did. You could fast travel before, it just came at a price. I thought that way was fair.

 

[Great Deceiver]

I remember one of the things that got me the most pumped about Dragon's Dogma was the music. Playing the demo on the PS3, the one with the Griffon, when this played during some dramatic moment in the fight I was fucking sold:

 

[Invictus]

Why is it that boot must always come and say the most inane ideas and theories, call names to everybody who disagrees and make shit on Dark Souls for beign Dark Souls and now on Dragons Dogma for NOT beign Dark Souls?
I honestly dont know what is more disturbing, him trolling us or actually believing half his shit

 

[Hyperion]

I thought the similarities to DS were apparent. Remember the loading screens? Some of the tips they flashed at you may have as well been "prepare to die xD". I can't find the ones base game had but they weren't this dumb. Every part of Dark Arisen stank of that game. Maybe this is just my own bias- but I don't think so, I'm not making this stuff up.

Killed you in one hit xDDD is a real enemy in this expansion. DEATH guys! DEATH, we are fighting DEATH! Hey, what music is playing while we fight DEATH?

I mean...saying it's like Dark Souls because of eerie load screens is a bit of a stretch. Using Death as the example of the game trying too hard to be 'hardcore' and appeal to Souls fans is a little weak. He's the fucking Grim Reaper, if he touches you, you die. They're implementing a game mechanic true to his mythology. From a lore standpoints, this is cool as shit. Unfortunately it throws balance off, because good luck killing him with a melee* Arisen and melee Pawns without it taking forever and a half.

No other enemy will OHKO you as long as you're properly leveled and geared. I step foot in BBI between levels 40 and 50 before I complete the main story and have NEVER been one shot. A rampaging Troll has kicked me in the jaw and come close, but I've always survived at least 1 hit even underleveled. This is on Normal, rather than Hard mode of course.

And there was no nighttime in Dark Arisen. Day/night cycle was gone

...I mean, you're indoors the entire time...

* - Mystic Knights don't count nigga, don't bring that shit up. Favorite class, but goddamn they're OP as shit.

 

[Delterius]

He's the fucking Grim Reaper, if he touches you, you die.

Also you have like 10 minutes to evade that attack.

 

[sullynathan]

Dragon's dogma returns home

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I don't think I've ever purchased a game for a third time, but I'm tempted to buy Dragon's Dogma on PS4 simply to increase the minute chance of a proper sequel being made.

 

[Heresiarch]

I've played Dragon's Dogma last year, but did not go on with the collect-20-wakestone quest nor ever get to the BBI.

Now Capcom's announcement of bringing it to PS4/XB1 has piqued my interest to replay it...but the game looks and plays dated. The volume bug was never fixed. Inventory management is still a clusterfuck. And the worst thing is, after playing for 5 hours, the memories of the gameplay would comeback and immediately remind me how small the world and how little variety the enemies was. I could play for only 1 hour before I got sick of it and jump back to Trails in the Sky.

The game has so many things that I love and itch for - fantastic spells, atmospheric dungeons, awesome equipment and character customization; but I also hated how weird, unpolished, and annoying in so many parts of it.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

I don't think I've ever purchased a game for a third time, but I'm tempted to buy Dragon's Dogma on PS4 simply to increase the minute chance of a proper sequel being made.

Wouldn't help. This is capcom we're talking about here.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

looks and plays dated

unpolished

If only you had called the combat "clunky", you'd have completed the unholy triad.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

looks and plays dated

unpolished

If only you had called the combat "clunky", you'd have completed the unholy triad.

I never take anyone seriously when they complain about the combat in DD, unless it is about warriors only having 3 ability slots for their attacks. DD has amazing combat. Like the battle against Grigori, when you grapple onto him and have to fight him in the air as he soars around the ruins of the castle he destroyed. Or playing as a sorceror and getting an Ice lance, or wtv the name of the massive Ice javelin you can unleash on an enemy is. DD combat is amazing.

 

[Hyperion]

You're also leaving out the fact that another character can CLIMB ON THE FUCKING ICE after the Sorcerer casts Gicel. Or that badass Thunder spell that turns you into a Human conduit and just MELTS Gorecyclopes where they stand. Or a Warrior using Arc of Obliteration to 1 shot medium-sized enemies.

Brain Splitting a Cyclops off a cliff with a Strider and watching his health disappear.

Shooting 10 Blast Arrows into Death's nutsack and stunlocking him to death.

Magick Knights being one of the highest skill ceiling classes in any RPG ever made - master perfect blocking and you're literally invincible.

Magick Archer and their ricochet ability in the BBI Sewer areas is like being inside a pinball machine.

There are 9 classes, every single one of them is unique, fun, and has something AWESOME about them. The game's biggest downside is being able to get so strong you kill things too quickly so that fights don't get to be so crazy and memorable the whole way through.

EDIT: And the fucking song that during the griffin fight in Bluemoon Tower. In the black of night. With fire burning around you.

 

[Haplo]

Not sure if Grigori is the best example, but DD really has the best action cRPG combat I've ever experienced. Even better then Soulsborne games, IMO. Plus you have a party here.