Reviews// Dragon's Dogma: the Demo

Now that the Dragon's Dogma demo has landed adventurers everywhere can have a taste of Capcom’s upcoming action RPG, but at a hefty 1.7GB not everyone will have an internet connection with the chops to handle such a hefty burden.

So, for those unable to download the demo, but curious about the quality of Capcom’s first foray in to the open world role playing genre, here are my thoughts, opinions and a brief description of what transpires.

First off, if you are a character creation junkie then you are going to be in heaven. You can create anything from a lithe Amazon to a bent old crone, or a young bobble headed kid to an Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalike, the aim is for realistic characters. So no crazy skin colours, but you can have David Bowie styled eyes, or be blinded in one eye (or both). There are literally layers within layers.

You get to create both a main character and your own personal Pawn in the demo; Pawns are like a companion character that in the final game you’ll be able to rent out to other players. The renting out aspect has me intrigued about the final release in May. I can well imagine the menagerie of creations that will be available.

You get given two short missions to sample the Warrior class and the Strider (read as a rogue). The warrior’s level is played with the standard character model seen in all the demo’s previously shown at conventions and shows. You are tasked with taking down a Chimera (lion head and body, snake headed tail and a random goats head on its spine).

Along the way you get to grips with the controls, which are both complex and very intuitive. Not a single button goes to waste here and some of them serve double duty as modifiers. The combat isn’t quite as involved as with Demon’s/ Dark Souls, but it is comparable and I can well imagine it gets just as hard with some of the larger creatures you will be tasked with taking down.

Fighting the actual Chimera had a slight tang of Shadow of The Colossus to it, mainly due to clambering over the beast and stabbing it repeatedly whilst it tried to throw me off. It was a heart pounding ten minute battle where I almost died twice due to my own stupidity and bringing it down did indeed feel like an achievement all on its own.

The second mission sees you using the characters you created all kitted out as a Strider, dual daggers and a long bow in hand. I proceeded to kick the hell out of some goblins. I, however, did not pay heed to my Pawns and verily was I lifted into the air by the actual target I was supposed to be killing, namely a Griffin. I managed to struggle out of its grasp only to plummet to my death... Sigh.

I started the mission up again and this time I kept one eye on the sky whilst I baited the ground with Goblin corpses. When that feathered beast swooped at me this time I was ready. With my arrows blazing with fire provided by a mage I launched a volley at it, successfully setting it on fire. This brought it down to earth and I promptly jumped on its back and started carving myself some griffin steaks.

The thing took off again with me still firmly attached to its back. I feared for my life as it tried to gain height, but I managed to strike the killing blow no more than fifteen feet off the ground. It was beautiful.

Graphically the game is stunning; everything about it visually is polished to a high shine. Voice work is as good as you would expect from an epic fantasy RPG. It’s no Witcher 2 or Dragon Age, but it gets the job done. My only complaint in the audio department would be the lack of a fully voiced protagonist, but that is a personal matter, rather than a failing of the games.

The only place I feel it really stumbles a bit is with the animation. Even that is mostly superb, but when I dropped down a fifteen foot rock face without my character reacting much it took me out of the experience. I was expecting either a roll or a bone jarring, health sapping failed landing. I got neither.

I am guessing that this is the same code that has been demoed over the last year and thus probably does not represent the final build of the game, so I have hope that the minor problems will be either addressed or won’t get in my way too much of enjoying the game.

It controls well, it is also graphically attractive and the story sounds like it will be full of all the things fantasy fans love. I doubt it will be original in any way, shape or form from a narrative perspective, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun ride well worth taking.

Dragon's Dogma will be winging its way onto shelves on the 25th of May.