Review: Dragon’s Dogma

Posted on June 1, 2012 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Score: A-

After a lengthy and rewarding partnership resulting in loads of treasure, experience and some deadly dungeons being cleared out, you take stock of your traveling companions and see that the two pawns you’d hired some 15 or so hours previously are no longer suitable for the tougher enemies ahead. As much as you hate dismissing them, you absolutely must in order to progress further onward. Touching a Rift Stone, you dip into the void and discover that you probably should have replaced them a few levels ago with two much stronger and better equipped allies. As you’ve socked away more than enough points, you decide to add two pawns that are about five or so levels higher than your level just to keep them around longer. However, before you make your final selections, you decide to look at a few more pawns before choosing a pair that’s even stronger. Satisfied (and after saying goodbye to your former traveling companions), you set out for new territory, knowing that you’ll see your old mates on the road at some point in passing. After enhancing your gear, crafting handy items from gathered loot and learning some new skills, you and your new team take on an escort mission into uncharted territory, unsure of what awaits, but more than confident you can defeat anything…

And so goes just a tiny fraction of Dragon’s Dogma, Capcom’s new open world high action RPG that’s one of the nicer surprises of the year (so far). While the game isn’t quite perfect, the level of immersion, excellently fluid movement and combat system plus the massive game world insures those who like this type of game will be hooked in for quite some time. While you can follow the main quest in a mostly linear fashion to the endgame in about 30 – 40 hours, the land of Gransys is big enough to spend much more time exploring and adventuring in. That and the fact that this is a game where multiple replays are a must just so you can experiment with different character builds and party formations as you take on the many dangers the game throws your way. Continue reading →

Steel Battalion Heavy Armor Press Kit: OK, Capcom, You’re Killing Me!

Posted on June 1, 2012 by geelw

Argh… It’s “bad” enough I’ll soon be getting a Kinect here and knocking over plants and stuff while I’m spazzing out in front of my TV, but Capcom is making me want to see one of these cool press kits miraculously show up at my doorstep. I’m still kicking myself for not snapping up that last Xbox Steel Battalion when I had the chance (hey, it was that or a new console for work, and the new console won). Anyway, they’re giving one of these babies away on their Capcom Unity blog for you non-press folks, by the way. I’m betting From Software is going to surprise a LOT of people with the game, but what else is new? People keep underestimating these guys and they just keep on pulling out surprise after surprise…

Dragon’s Dogma Addiction Update: Still Going…

Posted on May 24, 2012 by geelw

OK< more progress made, still more to go! The game is a LOT deeper than those rushed-out reviews are making it sound. There's a LOT to love here, especially if you're a fan of dungeon crawlers that allow you a ton of freedom. DD also has features that would make other games jealous (if other games were sentient things and wished they had rooftop travel, the ability to craft anytime/anywhere, a combat system that got better thanks to class changes and new skills and so forth and so on.). I'm still shooting for the weekend for my review, but if you're on the fence, I'll tell you now that your money will be well spent if you're looking for something that's going to keep you occupied for a long time….

Steel Battalion “How To” Trailer: “First, You Buy A Kinect…”

Posted on May 24, 2012 by geelw

Ha ha… Well, that’s how it SHOULD begin for those who still don’t own a Kinect, right? Out of all the games for the thing, this one is the main reason I’m interested in the peripheral. I like that it’s set up as a simulation where you’re not just using the Kinect to do EVERY action. With gameplay taking place in and out of the tank, it looks as if there will be a wide range of things to keep players busy as they tromp and blast through some pretty deadly war zones. The sense of immersion looks off the charts and HOPEFULLY, the jaded folks out there will give this one a try even if they’re still whining for a special (and one use) controller. Look kids – that’s not going to happen, as it would be too expensive to produce and useless just for this ONE game. Sure, the first Steel Battalion got that great big 44-button monster, but Capcom was smart enough not to overproduce it. Still, I;m sure SOMEONE will hack their SB controller to work with the new game (good luck with that project!)…

What You Should Be Doing This Week…

Posted on May 21, 2012 by geelw

Playing Dragon’s Dogma, of course. Capcom has cooked up a slow burning yet surprisingly addictive and fun open world dungeon crawler that’s guaranteed to make even the most skeptical “Japanese developers can’t make western games” message board denizen stand up and take notice. Sure, it’s got some flaws here and there, but the mix of open-world exploration (and it’s a HUGE world), tough monsters (if you’re not prepared, you’ll die early and often) and a great Pawn system (something I’ve wanted to see in a RPG for years) makes this a pretty solid RPGs. Granted, it takes a while to get off the ground in terms of story, but I understand there’s a hell of a finale and unlike some sites, I’m not about to post impressions until I get there.

OK, I need to stop typing and play some more. I’m guessing my review will go up by the end of the week, as I’m taking my time and exploring as much as possible. Also, for the record, I haven’t installed the game on my 360 (My HDD is out of room thanks to too may other games I’m playing), but I’m not seeing any major frame rate issues at all. Just some screen tearing and pop-in on stuff, but that’s a common thing that’s not going to affect my scoring…

Back in a bit…

Dragon’s Dogma Arrives To Take Me Away From Hell For A Bit…

Posted on May 18, 2012 by geelw

Nice. I wasn’t expecting this to show up this evening, but well, here you go. First impressions: I can’t say, as the reviews are embargoed until MONDAY, but the title music cracked me up (let the first one play out and wait for the second, nicer theme). I’ve only put less than an hour in and yes, the game is quite a bit of fun and packed with detail and hidden loot. It’s a COMPLETELY different vibe than what some of you are probably thinking, but again – that’s content for the review.

OK, let me shut up and get back to it for a bit. I’ll be writing about something else in the next few posts so I don’t spoil any more…

Dragon’s Dogma “Pawns Unleashed” Trailer: And Hardcore Pawns, At That…

Posted on May 16, 2012 by geelw

A ha ha ha, I’ll be here all week, folks – two dollar cover, two drink minimum…. Anyway, the game ships out soon and it looks as if it’ll be successful despite the crankypants-ing about the paid DLC being on the disc to be unlocked at a later date. Hey, I don’t care as long as the main game is long enough to keep me not griping about having to pay for more. Capcom just needs to say “Hey, it’s basically the way things are done today”, or “we’re not the only ones doing it,” or “it’s an “expansion pack” that’s not on a separate disc”… and so forth and so on. Or maybe it’s time for a shift to more transparency throughout the entire industry, as they’re far from the ONLY publisher doing this. Of course, if the game does well enough, I expect to see a Game of the Year edition with everything unlocked. Right Capcom?

Dragon’s Dogma Developer Diary #3: Now, With A Launch Trailer For Dessert!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by geelw

Here’s one more dev diary from Capcom, and with the game’s launch rolling up pretty soon, I may as well post the launch trailer as well:

Now, I’ll need to figure out when I’ll get to actually play this one, as I just started The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition on the 360 yesterday and I definitely don’t want to rush that. Granted, the two games are light years apart in tone and tale, so I’m not even going to compare the two side by side. Or mention Skyrim when talking about DD. For me, every RPG is a different beast and some do things better than others. At the end of the day, if Capcom has created a game I can lose a few too many hours in and NOT find comparisons because what the team has done is so impressive that I’m not counting off influences, then I’m a happier gamer for it. As are you.

Dragon’s Dogma Developer Diary #2: Pawn Stars (Wait, Did I Use That Pun Already?)

Posted on May 9, 2012 by geelw

OK, I’ve been a bit scattered lately, so forgive me if there’s a sense of deja vu going on here. Anyway, here’s the latest DD dev diary, this time tackling the interesting Pawn system and how it works in the game. Capcom is definitely generating a great deal of interest in this game as it heads for gold status and eventually retail release, so pay attention and get your money (and a decent controller) ready, I say.

Dragon’s Dogma Story Trailer: Hey (Ouch!), Watch Where You Stick That Thing!

Posted on May 6, 2012 by geelw

Capcom’s not so quiet not so sleeper is almost here and waiting to take over a chunk of your free time. Here’s a look at some fine work in this story trailer that features a poky dragon giving the finger to some poor guy (and how!) and more questions left unanswered that should make this game worth a few playthroughs amongst those it successfully casts its spell on. This one should be tons of fun, i say…