Anyone diving into Dragon's Dogma this week?

[ArmoredCore]

Really looking forward to relaxing to this game. Heard the world is huge and semi difficult to boot too, should be fun

[CMoon]

Pre-ordered. It may not be a GREAT game the way the Souls games were, but looks like good fun that will reward both exploration of the world and the game mechanics. My expectations aren't through the roof, but I've played enough of the demo to know this game is doing what I like.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

The AI controlled characters kinda put me off this one. They either makes things too easy or are a bunch of bumbling idiots. Not to mention that AI flaws kinda break the illusion.

[Herr Schatten]

The thing that interests me the most is the character editor. I think it was over at Tim Buckley's site where I read about it. It seems that you can't just create a variety of the usual adventurer stereotypes, but also "normal" looking people las well as grotesque mis-shaped ones. It sounds really intriguing.

[Lordstar]

The thing that interests me the most is the character editor. I think it was over at Tim Buckley's site where I read about it. It seems that you can't just create a variety of the usual adventurer stereotypes, but also "normal" looking people las well as grotesque mis-shaped ones. It sounds really intriguing.

you can check out character creation in the demo on xbl. It is ok not quite the all singing all dancing character editor.

[evil_ash_xero]

I'm not sure what to think of the demo. It was fun-ish, but I'm not a big fan of party games(not like Mario Party). It reminded me of those TPS or FPS with all the squads, but in this you're running about with swords.

I'd have to hear more about the layout, and stages, and goals. It seems...interesting.

[Ruldra]

I only played the demo briefly, but having a bunch of AI characters shouting scripted messages all the damn time really pissed me off. And doing stuff that made no sense, like grabbing an enemy and telling me to strike it when I'm nowhere nearby.

[evil_ash_xero]

I just turned the voices off.

[Shelcoof]

Really not a fan of capcom so.... I'm avoiding this title.

[Jonathan Ingram]

I played the PS3 demo. Uninstalled it after 10 or so minutes of playing because of the disgustingly bad framerate that made the whole thing unplayable to me(I read somewhere that the PS3 version averages 23-25FPS while the 360 one runs slightly faster but has epic amounts of tearing). No buy for me. I can`t believe we are getting this shit instead of Monster Hunter 3G. I hope it tanks badly and takes Capcom with it.

[Ruldra]

I hope it tanks badly and takes Capcom with it.

Funny you mention this. DD had a massive budget...it's rumored to be Capcom's most expensive game to date. If this bombs, it'll hit them hard.

[CptRansom]

I enjoyed the demo. From what I understand, you don't NEED to have a full party of pawns to play the game. I'll probably just run with my main character and my own pawn (no downloaded ones from other players). I'm NOT getting the game on day one, though. I got super-fucking-hype for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, got it day one, and fucking hated it a week or so later. I'm still feeling a little burned about that, so I'm waiting for some reviews to trickle in before I take the plunge. Right now, with my budget, I'm either buying this or Akai Katana (I don't know shit about scoring systems in AK, and I'm not about to dig through a 17 page thread for them either... anyone able to link me to something that explains the 360 modes?).

[Ruldra]

I'm NOT getting the game on day one, though.

Nowadays you shouldn't buy any game on day 1, really. It only takes a few weeks to drop the price and by then you should know (via reviews and player testimonies) if the game is worth buying or not.

[CptRansom]

Well I'm kind of a moron sometimes (all the time).

[BulletMagnet]

(I don't know shit about scoring systems in AK, and I'm not about to dig through a 17 page thread for them either... anyone able to link me to something that explains the 360 modes?).

As it happens, a friend of mine asked me this a few days back...I'll copy and paste the blurbs I sent him via email, others can fill in the gaps I missed.

For "Origin" and "Climax" modes - Shooting enemies, especially from up close, make them give up green "P" icons that fill up your "ninja meter" - when the icons are onscreen, hold the fire button to use your "focused" shot, which gathers the "P"s around your gunpod. Drag the gunpod so that enemy bullets touch it to make the icons bigger (and worth more meter) - let go of the fire button to collect them. When you've got some meter, press the "switch" button to enter "ninja mode" - when you're shooting "regular" bullets or not shooting at all, you're basically invincible until the meter runs out. Shooting enemies with your "focus" shot while ninja'd leaves you vulnerable, but also cancels nearby bullets into gold, which rotates around your ship and gets bigger/worth more points automatically (but will eventually disappear if you leave it too long). Switch back to "airplane mode" to collect the gold and get a bunch of points. Then start building up "ninja meter" again.

For "Slash" mode - Shoot enemies with your "regular" shot to gain orbs (a ring around your plane shows how many you have); shoot them with your "focused" shot to gain "ninja meter". Switch to "ninja mode" when you've got some of both: using your "focused" shot will also fire all the orbs you've collected straight out in front of you, they'll damage enemies and cancel bullets into "sword" items, which will now be floating around your character. You can continue to laser enemies to gather some more swords, or switch back to airplane mode to fire the swords off (each plane can aim them differently). Swords also damage enemies and cancel bullets, but produce gold: gathering the gold as soon as it appears make it worth more points. Then start building up meter and orbs again (also be aware that you get more orbs when your meter is fully charged).

Oh, and one last thing - I forgot to explain the "hit" counter in Slash mode of Akai Katana. Basically, the higher it is the more the gold you collect is worth - it increases as you shoot things with your "normal" shot, and resets if you stop doing so for too long. It's not too hard to keep going - just make sure to pepper in a few standard shots from time to time whenever you can.

[CMoon]

Stream going on here: http://www.own3d.tv/live/33395/GyoruSPY

[ArmoredCore]

Just picked up my copy of ps3 version, the game's framerate is not as steady as xbox360 that i played the the gamestop here in vegas. its quite noticeable but the game so far im really enjoying it. The world is soooooo awesome, i feel the scale. The super giant cities/castles and encampments are impresive as well. The pawn system and vocation and leveling system is a lil more complicated than i anticipated. im kind of anal with my stats and it seems we need to alot of pre-planning (only if you worry bout min/maxing your stats) on how and when to switch classes to get the best out of your stats.

[CptRansom]

Anybody pick this up? How does it compare to, say, PSO or Monster Hunter?

[CMoon]

I put about 3 hours into it last night and really enjoyed it, but I think the 7-8/10 scores for most players are right. DD is a loose exploration/combat platform where you are driven by performing quests. I've already run into some pretty questionable frame rate issues and a few really tough camera angles. Also, the difficulty ramps up in a very unpredictable fashion such that you can be doing very well then suddenly one enemy is just enormously strong/OHKOs your part, etc.

All that aside though, DD is doing precisely what I wanted, and this is where reviewer scores become irrelevant. Ultimately what I wanted out of this game was a 3D sandbox version of Capcom's old D&D sidescrollers, and that is pretty close to what is delivered here. There is a nice meaty feel to the combat, which is pretty addictive. Also the game seems to do a good job at constantly doling out little rewards.

I can easily see how this game isn't for everyone, but take a look at the videos. If you enjoy spending dozens of hours just poking around doing the whole hack-n-slash thing, combining items and just messing around with collect-em-up quests, then DD could be for you!

[CptRansom]

Yeah, I took the plunge and picked it up after work. I have no clue what vocation I want to stick with (torn between Fighter, Mystic Knight, Mage, Strider, Magick Archer, and Sorcerer... Yikes. But I DO love how EVERY vocation is totally viable and nothing is objectively "better" than another), but I played for a couple hours last night and absolutely loved it. To me, it feels like a mix of Elder Scrolls exploration and Monster Hunter's combat and crafting. The day/night cycle is fantastic (and holy shit does this game get fucking crazy at night). I love the ability to jump and climb to explore places.

I'm going to try my best to just get through the game with my own Pawn. Apparently there's a NG+ feature as well, which pretty much sold me on the game. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what kind of DLC Capcom will put out. I know a lot of people hate DLC, but I can easily see myself playing this game for at least a hundred hours (I put 300-400 into Dark Souls, 150+ into Monster Hunter [would've been more, but had to sell my PSP]) and I'll enjoy having new quests and monsters every so often.

tl;dr - If you like action-RPGs and shit, pick this game up because it's pretty fuckin' awesome.

[DragonInstall]

Is this game region free?

Thinking about giving this a go. The pawn system seems interesting(hiring others players pawns, or other people hiring your pawn), and it's nice to know the world is big, and the game is hard as well.

[CMoon]

I think its a pity this forum seems to have ignored Dragon's Dogma. Isn't a perfect game, but damn I'm having fun with it. The geography is rather dense instead of being stupidly large like most sandbox games. The actual gameplay feels like a 3-D brawler, while exploration is sometimes rather platformish with lots of hidden areas that require hopping about.

Sure, this isn't Godhand or Demon's Souls, but it is a classic case of this forum overreacting to casual gaming; given how much of it feels like a love letter to fans of the old 2D beat-em-ups processed through the Zelda 64 game engine.

Oh, and on another note, I don't get the people beating it in 30-40 hours. I'm probably about 15 hours in; haven't explored more than a quarter of the map, mostly poking around doing lots of little quests. Haven't even messed around with switching classes yet. Sure, maybe 40 hours, but there's a very clear point in NG+: soloing the game with one of the hybrid builds, which the game seems designed for.

[Shelcoof]

I think its a pity this forum seems to have ignored Dragon's Dogma. Isn't a perfect game, but damn I'm having fun with it. The geography is rather dense instead of being stupidly large like most sandbox games. The actual gameplay feels like a 3-D brawler, while exploration is sometimes rather platformish with lots of hidden areas that require hopping about.

Sure, this isn't Godhand or Demon's Souls, but it is a classic case of this forum overreacting to casual gaming; given how much of it feels like a love letter to fans of the old 2D beat-em-ups processed through the Zelda 64 game engine.

Oh, and on another note, I don't get the people beating it in 30-40 hours. I'm probably about 15 hours in; haven't explored more than a quarter of the map, mostly poking around doing lots of little quests. Haven't even messed around with switching classes yet. Sure, maybe 40 hours, but there's a very clear point in NG+: soloing the game with one of the hybrid builds, which the game seems designed for.

Well this is a shmups forum...most of the members here come on to mostly discuss stuff about shmups. That said though we don't really know if Dragon Dogma is actually being ignored. Maybe the author can create a poll and see if it really is

Me personally I don't support Capcom so you won't see me purchasing any games published by Capcom.

[BryanM]

Tim Buckley

It says a lot about me as a person that I think every Buckley should be spelled as B^Uckley.

[guigui]

Sure, maybe 40 hours, but there's a very clear point in NG+: soloing the game with one of the hybrid builds, which the game seems designed for.

Can you develop that ? When I tried the demo, I was turned off by those people talking nonsense to me all the time. Is there actually a way you can play the game alone ?

[LtC]

I'm most likely getting this later this summer if I hear good things about it.

What I'd like to know: I heard the game could be quite repetive and long so I was wondering about how is the combat. Does it get repetive or is it fun all the way through? Can you switch between classes later or are you in any way stuck in what you picked in the beginning?

[CMoon]

Can you develop that ? When I tried the demo, I was turned off by those people talking nonsense to me all the time. Is there actually a way you can play the game alone ?

One of the classes (assassin) can get a skill that gives a +70% bonus to damage when you play solo. Clearly the developers must have at least considered this a viable option, though the game itself is designed around a 4 person group.

I have heard you can also turn off the pawns' chatter in the options menu--but maybe they mean turning off voices altogether? There's an option to remove their subtitles, but I don't see a way to make them stop talking. Personally I find them rather humorous, but it is the same thing over and over.

What I'd like to know: I heard the game could be quite repetive and long so I was wondering about how is the combat. Does it get repetive or is it fun all the way through? Can you switch between classes later or are you in any way stuck in what you picked in the beginning?

Actually, beyond an early checkpoint, you can change classes back and forth to whatever you want. The limitation is where you can change classes (mostly just the inn at the Capitol, though maybe other places I haven't found.) There's an initial cost for changing classes, but once you have done so, you can change back to former classes for free (I believe, haven't actually done so yet.)

There is certainly potential for repetition. There aren't enough monster types and you will be going back and forth over the same areas repeatedly (think Dragon Age Origins). However, the different classes are really different from each other, and the ability for some skills (mostly 'augments') to transfer between classes means you aren't just fiddling with the different classes, but using each as a stepping stone to build a stronger character.

Also, the while the combat certainly isn't as deep as DMC, most classes have a combo or two and then 6 skills that can be layered on top of that. Those 6 skills are a tough choice from perhaps 10 or 12 skills--and these dramatically change the way you play that character. Maybe not everyone will want to check out all the skills or classes, but if you are, then you're going to find an enormous amount to do here.

[evil_ash_xero]

I have been debating on whether to get Dark Arisen(the disc) or not. I liked the demo to DD OK, but the reviews keep me wondering.

Granted, the game is around 80 percent, which is good, but everyone says it has so many flaws. But they say it's fun, and you can overlook the flaws.

I've looked at the thread on NeoGAF, and it's...uh, lots of hyperbole going on there("I need this game in my VEINS!"). So, I thought I'd ask you group of cynical gamers(such as myself).

Any good? And yes, I know the story is junk. What about the game?

[Cuilan]

I have been debating on whether to get Dark Arisen(the disc) or not. I liked the demo to DD OK, but the reviews keep me wondering.

Granted, the game is around 80 percent, which is good, but everyone says it has so many flaws. But they say it's fun, and you can overlook the flaws.

I've looked at the thread on NeoGAF, and it's...uh, lots of hyperbole going on there("I need this game in my VEINS!"). So, I thought I'd ask you group of cynical gamers(such as myself).

Any good? And yes, I know the story is junk. What about the game?

I think it's really enjoyable so far. I started my playthrough on the hardest difficulty, and it was quite hard for the first 10 levels or so, but then I quickly began to overpower the enemies after that (glad I didn't pick a lower difficulty). Yeah, it's a bit rough around the edges (technical flaws, cheesy story/dialog/characters), but the combat is fairly deep and quite good. As far as PvE goes, I'd say Dragon's Dogma is better than the Souls games, but the game mechanics in DD wouldn't really work for PvP. I have yet to do the Dark Arisen quest, but I hear it's quite a challenge.

I think the simplest way to describe it would be: contemporary Elder Scrolls game with far deeper combat, much better leveling mechanics, and indirect co-op.

[Weak Boson]

I recently finished this game. I got the Dark Arisen disc and loved it. Rootin tootin good fun.

The combat didn't get old for me - in fact there are still plenty of skill combinations and classes I've yet to try. The exploration is also really great: as had been said before, although this is an open world game they haven't skimped on environment design. There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore so even going too and fro several times you might still find new things.

I would also defend the story. It's a simple premise in a non-too original setting but it's executed really well. There are some epic moments that work well because the combat system naturally accommodates large "set piece" battles. I also like how they speak and even let slip the odd "aught" into conversation myself. Also the dragon is a proper dragon and a total badass.

My main criticism is that even though pretty much the whole world is open to you, you don't benefit much for exploring it on your own, since progression is tied to quests. In this sense it's really not like Elder Scrolls because you need to advance the story to unlock new sets of quests. This doesn't have a huge impact, but it did force me to change how I approached it.

Any other problems are fairly minor and can easily be overlooked in a game this big. Not sure exactly how long my first playthrough + Dark Arisen took me but I would say 60 hours minimum. And there are definitely more playthroughs in it. All the classes and skills I've yet to try, all the quest lines I didn't complete or even unlock, hard mode, speedrun mode, the free DLC they recently released for Dark Arisen and there's a few optional bosses I've not felled yet either. And all that sounds like a lot of fun even after >60 hours.

So yeah I'd say this game is well worth it.