They're very different games, hardly comparable.
For Dragon's Dogma I'll say it's a quirky, thoroughly charming game with great ambience and concepts.
– The story is front- then end-loaded, overly so; meaning that it starts fine enough, then it sort of goes nowhere or in circles for 70-80% of the game, then it comes back in full force at the end.
– Combat is great. Archery in particular I found fantastic, with some skills like Reaper Arrow having a palpable, physical impact. Overall it's meaty and chunky and all kinds of right, but it's on the easy side so that's not to everyone's taste.
– At multiple moments I felt a true sense of adventure and discovery, of the likes I have rarely felt in a game. "Oh what's there... is that a cavern or a chasm or canyon of sorts?" Next thing I knew pitch-black night had fallen, there were harpies everywhere, and ghosts as those might haunt a bog, and my little lantern was slapping against my thigh as I ran for my life with no oil left in reserve.
– Awesome monster designs. Some of them—like the ogres—I find sincerely disturbing. Only after playing through the base game did I discover devs from Resident Evil had worked on Dragon's Dogma, and that explained a lot of things. Night can be a spoopy time.
– Humor. Of course it's highly personal, and admittedly I have no idea whether or not some things are meant to be humorous or if they simply come across as such—but I actually laughed out loud at some points, which for me is rare. Also, in one specific instance, this game trolled me as no game before nor since has managed.
– The extension, Dark Arisen, is excellent. Thick with an increasingly sludgy manner of atmosphere as you delve deeper into the isle.
And many other qualities. But faults, too. It's a rough gem—but a gem.
This all being said, keep in mind that it is very much an unfinished game; I seem to recall an interview with Itsuno in which he said he and his team managed to develop only about 60% of what they had envisionned. To publish the game in time they had to leave a lot on the table, and it's plainly evident. Vast zones of the base game are empty, and you can just feel all that was supposed to be there, but is unfortunately not.
