Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Overall fun & engaging game to play. Hire & use "Pawns" with varying classes & abilities to fight monsters also of varying sizes & abilities. In terms of pawn's in your party, AI can be frustrating at times & getting them to do what you need them to do can be tricky especially during combat. Performance wise? Solid framerate overall. Though loading times seem longer, but maybe thats' just me.

I'd have to rate this a 4/5 given the occasional glitches and bugs which make the game unplayable at times. Also considering the bugs in the pawn hiring system which I gather are specific to GOG version, I'd advise people to consider that when deciding which platform to get it on. Otherwise the game itself is good when it works fine - character physical attributes(height, weight affecting stamina usage) being reflected in gameplay with changes to play style, killing monsters using different tactics and pawns gaining knowledge against fighting enemies as game progresses feel quite good. Mounting enemies has to be my favorite in this aspect along with how you can cut off body parts to affect their fighting style. Saving anywhere is a real life saver when you encounter a glitch while talking to an NPC and dialogue box goes blank with no way to get out except restarting the application. In conclusion, get this game on GOG if you value having a DRM-free version more than the online pawn hiring system or on Steam if you value that component more. It's just a matter of priorities IMO so make your choice carefully. Hope I've been helpful.

This is one of my favorite RPGs and action games for a lot of reasons: - Action: This game puts "Action" in Action RPG harder than just about anything. It's not as unforgiving, but it's damn-well designed and no slouch for challenge. At least not until you put the work in for the really great gear. I think it's a great middle-ground for people who want something more demanding than Skyrim, but less stressful than Dark Souls. - Bosses: You fight classic enemies, but like Monster Hunter, they respond differently to different attacks. For example, you can lop off a Chimera's tail. - Exploration: You can't rest just anywhere, and the game has a pretty smart healing system where magic isn't enough and you will have to eat or rest to fully recover. You might have to make a strategic retreat, and you'll have to properly prepare when you head out anywhere. - Crafting: Each piece of equipment can be upgraded three levels, and you get materials through exploring and fighting. It's all easily stored but still accessible when you go to craft, so you can safely collect and forget until you need it. Better consumables can be crafted more or less on the fly too. - Classes: You can change classes very easily, and each of the 9 classes have abilities that can carry over when you switch back. - Pawns: Not only do you create your character, but you also make a partner called a "pawn". When you fill out your party, you'll actually be recruiting other player's pawns. They don't level up, so you have to keep switching out. And if yours is recruited, they gain knowledge about quests and monsters, and may even come back with a gift. - Customization: Your character and pawn are ridiculously customizable, even allowing for child heroes. The story doesn't care about your sex or even apparent age, (although your weight and height have in-game effects) and literally any NPC can become your love interest. Often with hilarious and/or creepy results.

As a western rpg purist kinda allergic to typical "japanese" stuff in games I couldn't handle the aesthetics of Dragon's Dogma. If you're ok with manga/anime, silly hats and cute skirts - give it a go, because this game has some pretty cool mechanics, nice world, fine character progression and a very good combat, although don't be fooled by comparisons to Skyrim and statement's that it's a western rpg. It's not, it's a jrpg in disguise.

I can see how this game has earned a cult following. It has easy and satisfying hack-and-slash gameplay with AI party members without micromanagement. Classes and skills are as you'd expect and character creation is pretty good. The story is your usual fantasy game fodder and it's not as "open world" as it may seem but the universe still feels alive enough. Dialogue is fine if you don't take it too seriously and the game has the spirit of a jrpg in a western body. This game was originally a ps3 title and it certainly feels like it today. The PC port is lazy, with poor support for the mouse making everything feel even clunkier and harder than it has to be (such as inventory management and even opening the map has you going to the esc menu first). The gameplay loop is pretty repetitive and the difficulty can be erratic - you might get mobbed and decimated from bandits and you might also jump on the back of a boss and kill it with no strategy. AI party members can be frustrating. If you don't mind the clunkiness of action games in the early 2010s and you're after an hack and slash rpg which doesn't require all your brainpower, this game is worth a look on discount.