Dragon's Dogma was a mild disappointment to me for much of its early to mid game. In the beginning the strength of the combat system is lost as you fight generic goblins, bandits and wolves. A little later on you get your first taste of the excitement of hunting larger, more fearsome prey. That excitement gradually fades as the same few big beasties are repeatedly reused. It wasn't until the main game's final chapter and into Dark Arisen that I felt that enemy diversity had finally reached a satisfying level. The game's story follows a similar path. It creates intrigue in the opening scenes before quickly retreating into quests typical of open world RPGs in their lower levels. Moving forward the plot lingers too long in predictable "Chosen One" territory. Again, it is not until the final climactic chapter that the strange relationship between Dragons and Arisen is delved into in a compelling way. NPCs are mostly used to spur exploration though a small number of them get side quest chains dedicated to fleshing out their character. Your protagonist is the silent type but is instilled with a sense of belonging as "cousin" to several residents in the opening fishing village. The system invites you to experiment with swapping among 9 different classes for yourself and 6 for your sidekick. Better weapons are discovered regularly but new armor can be so similar that it becomes hard to justify replacing an old, fully upgraded piece. End game and Dark Arisen equipment ramps up the advancement rate and nicely scratches the loot hunting itch. The world of Gransys is varied and seems large for a while. Quick travel is very useful but can be easy to miss (check your in game storage for free DLC items). Voice work is generally quite good, though be prepared for repetition. A competent orchestral soundtrack made me happy to return to certain areas for their music. Graphically the game is realistic with some very enjoyable equipment designs and character customization options.
