How a PC Port Should be Done - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen Review

SBFord · January 2016

How a PC Port Should be Done - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen Review

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen for the PC is an example of a port done right, with slightly updated graphics, an improved framerate, and all of the additional content included. All of this combined easily makes this the definitive version of the game. Take note developers: THIS is how you do a PC port. Just try not to take so long next time, Capcom.

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flizzer · January 2016

I bought the game but have yet to try it. So busy with other games, but I still plan on getting to it eventually. Glad to hear it is a PC port done right. That was my biggest concern.

Octagon7711 · January 2016

Always happy to hear about good ports.

Ashikuro · January 2016

This game is awesome. They did a great job on the port. The really cool thing is there is mod support which adds so much more to the game. Higher res skins, recoloring, UI enhancments.... You name it. So if you don't like something specific in the port, you can change it. The game is amazing either way.

Volgore · January 2016

Another shallow review from an author who only scratched the surface of a game and fits into the overall scheme oft most "reviewers" on this site. "i only had the time to play until level 10", "i did not craft...", "i did not PvP", "i only played two days.." but ...i write a review on that game nonetheless.

While DD's very fluid 60fps make it one of the better console ports, i guess you can't really say it's a "how a port should be done". The menu (and throughout the game you will spend alot of time with the menu) is pretty clumsy and obviously made for controller use. Getting through all the sub- and sidemenus, sorting/adding skills for you and your pawn, equipment, inventory etc. takes alot of keyboard action or an annoying, unintuitive mixture of keyboard and mouse, incl. grabbing both back and forth.

I also don't share the opinion about the dated graphics. Art, design and overall graphics are great and like Fable, the game has it's very own style without going too deep into high fantasy.. Spells are awesome, the nights and dungeons are very atmospheric, fog, elemental effects, particles, creatures is all very well done. As long as everyone still hollows that "WOW still has top notch graphics even at today's standards", nobody can blame DD for it's visuals.

The concept of pawns is another cornerstone of the game that this review also barely scratches at the surface. Building (and further on developing) your mainpawn as well as chosing your two additional pawns requires alot of planning in detail. While you can barely gimp yourself and really mess up, it's rather like different encounters require very different groups and like one pawn says "the variety of customizing your group in terms of setup, equipment and skills is endless". Simply put, you don't just go with a holy trinity all the time, as sometimes two fighters/sorcs and say a strider and a ranger do a better job. There is already a huge difference between two pawns of the same class, as they come with very different skills.

When you chose to connect your game to the internet, your mainpawn can be picked by other players and be taken on adventures when you aren't playing. In that process your pawn collectes alot of "quest experience" that will come handy to you once you get to do the same quest eventually. The pawn will then give you hints and tips on mobs, hidden switches etc. as he/she already knows your quest. Same goes the other way, as players more likely picka pawn that knows the quest the player plans to go on. So it's recommended to create a decent pawn with a quality skillset and not some three feet blob named "IAreFatsHehe" that no other player would ever chose to take along with him.

Why is there no word on the crafting and herbalism? The overall concept of herbalism with its plethora of receipes and the system of upgrading your gear and weapons is way too deep to be left out in any review. You basicly gather a TON of herbs and items and are left to experiment with them for results. If you look at a website with receipes, you are in for a ton of scrolling and skimming. Upgraded weapons get additional effects that make a huge difference in combat and i.e. even your rusty starter weapons can be upgraded to become high end. Gear has a ton of stats, resistances etc. to balance and sort to your liking. The game provides barely any hand holding for both, so its up to the player to figure stuff out, what the author most likely did not do.

What you do can have consequences and affect your game. If you don't safe that trader along the road and let him die, he leaves the game and you won't buy the awesome curass from him later on.

I could write on and on and i guess i already put more effort into this posting and gave a more in-depth view than the author with his "review".

I agree to the score of 7.5, maybe 8, but for different reasons than stated in this feature.

The review is only a 5/10 and is hence in place with most other "reviews that are not" on this site.

YashaX · January 2016

Volgore said:

Another shallow review from an author who only scratched the surface of a game and fits into the overall scheme oft most "reviewers" on this site. "i only had the time to play until level 10", "i did not craft...", "i did not PvP", "i only played two days.." but ...i write a review on that game nonetheless.

While DD's very fluid 60fps make it one of the better console ports, i guess you can't really say it's a "how a port should be done". The menu (and throughout the game you will spend alot of time with the menu) is pretty clumsy and obviously made for controller use. Getting through all the sub- and sidemenus, sorting/adding skills for you and your pawn, equipment, inventory etc. takes alot of keyboard action or an annoying, unintuitive mixture of keyboard and mouse, incl. grabbing both back and forth.

I also don't share the opinion about the dated graphics. Art, design and overall graphics are great and like Fable, the game has it's very own style without going too deep into high fantasy.. Spells are awesome, the nights and dungeons are very atmospheric, fog, elemental effects, particles, creatures is all very well done. As long as everyone still hollows that "WOW still has top notch graphics even at today's standards", nobody can blame DD for it's visuals.

The concept of pawns is another cornerstone of the game that this review also barely scratches at the surface. Building (and further on developing) your mainpawn as well as chosing your two additional pawns requires alot of planning in detail. While you can barely gimp yourself and really mess up, it's rather like different encounters require very different groups and like one pawn says "the variety of customizing your group in terms of setup, equipment and skills is endless". Simply put, you don't just go with a holy trinity all the time, as sometimes two fighters/sorcs and say a strider and a ranger do a better job. There is already a huge difference between two pawns of the same class, as they come with very different skills.

When you chose to connect your game to the internet, your mainpawn can be picked by other players and be taken on adventures when you aren't playing. In that process your pawn collectes alot of "quest experience" that will come handy to you once you get to do the same quest eventually. The pawn will then give you hints and tips on mobs, hidden switches etc. as he/she already knows your quest. Same goes the other way, as players more likely picka pawn that knows the quest the player plans to go on. So it's recommended to create a decent pawn with a quality skillset and not some three feet blob named "IAreFatsHehe" that no other player would ever chose to take along with him.

Why is there no word on the crafting and herbalism? The overall concept
of herbalism with its plethora of receipes and the system of upgrading
your gear and weapons is way too deep to be left out in any review. You
basicly gather a TON of herbs and items and are left to experiment with
them for results. If you look at a website with receipes, you are in for
a ton of scrolling and skimming. Upgraded weapons get additional
effects that make a huge difference in combat and i.e. even your rusty
starter weapons can be upgraded to become high end. Gear has a ton of
stats, resistances etc. to balance and sort to your liking. The game
provides barely any hand holding for both, so its up to the player to
figure stuff out, what the author most likely did not do.

What you do can have consequences and affect your game. If you don't safe that trader along the road and let him die, he leaves the game and you won't buy the awesome curass from him later on.

I could write on and on and i guess i already put more effort into this posting and gave a more in-depth view than the author with his "review".

I agree to the score of 7.5, maybe 8, but for different reasons than stated in this feature.

The review is only a 5/10 and is hence in place with most other "reviews that are not" on this site.

Great review, Volgore. Personally I give this game a 9.5 or 10/10, but I agree with a lot of what you wrote here. Coming back to play it after several years I realize that it is definitely up there if not better than many of my favorite games that I have played recently- like Witcher 3 or Dragon Age Inquisition.

I think the OP of this review is HiveLeader? If so the video preview he did for the game is actually really good.

Elvoc · January 2016

I am really enjoying my time in this game, I was kind of nervous about picking it up because i originally tried it on console and hated it, but I didn't give it much of a chance and thought for sure i would lose interest in a hurry with another bad PC port, but the pawn system is one of the greatest companion systems i have seen in a game yet, and I love the mechanics of combat and everything about the game.

I fully agree with the review and hope we get more awesome ports this year...

Gretelda · January 2016

great port for a great game. i mean it was just one step away from even allowing you to drag and drop items (obviously it doesn't allow you but the port felt so good for a second you may think it's possible)

sadly there are some points in this review that i don't agree but we all have different opinions so i respect it. imo as far as gameplay is concerned this game has the best combat mechanics in it's genre right alongside Dark Souls and as far as visuals are concerned we shouldn't bash a 2012 in 2016 for it's visuals unless it's a remake. as i said though, it's just my opinion.

either way i wish Capcom see the potential here and just make a real sequel for this game already. maybe they were testing waters here so hopefully. (i hope they didn't expect +1m digital sales for a 3-4 years game on PC at launch. it already sold +200k on PC)

BillMurphy · January 2016

Gretelda said:

either way i wish Capcom see the potential here and just make a real sequel for this game already. maybe they were testing waters here so hopefully. (i hope they didn't expect +1m digital sales for a 3-4 years game on PC at launch. it already sold +200k on PC)

The MMO version in Japan is apparently quite popular. Most expect this PC release was to test whether or not they should bring Dragon's Dogma Online here. I hope the sales were enough to do so!

[Deleted User] · January 2016

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Uronksur · January 2016

I think the story was pretty awesome myself. Sure, it was fairly generic, but it was still well done, and I really enjoyed the twist towards the end.

goboygo · January 2016

This is one of the best games I've played in recent memory, its amazingly fun to me anyways.

Iselin · January 2016

I love this game and despite some of the warts, such as the awkward interface, I would also go much higher than 7.6... somewhere between 9 and 9.5.

The combat, class and skill variety and pawn system are just plain brilliant. I'm a jaded old gamer who has played a lot of computer RPGs over the years since my first, Temple of Apshai on my 8-bit Atari in 1980. There is a lot of sameness in most computer RPGs which I find sort of ho-hum by now: level > allocate stats > carry on. It's both boring and pleasantly familiar with their D&D-derived systems tweaked a bit or not at all.

I enjoy more than anything else in new titles seeing something new that I have to learn from scratch - a different system that works. And that second part is key. It has to work and not merely be a reactionary system implemented just for the sake of being new. It has to compete with the old tried and true and at least hold its own. Dragon's Dogma does just that and then some. Saying that it's an action RPG, which it is, doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the many distinct and innovative ways in which this game is different... It's as if Skyrim and the Witcher had a baby and they used a gentler version of Dark Souls as its surrogate mom... but that's not it either: it's its own great thing.

About pawns... I knew I wanted to be some kind of spell slinger - so I made myself a tank fighter pawn and (wrongly) thought she should be a guardian type. It took just a little bit of playing to notice that instead of rushing the ogre or cyclop and locking it down so I could weave my magic in relative peace, she kept hovering around me in the back uselessly "guarding" me. So I sat her down on the chair provided just for that purpose, had a talk with her, adjusted her skills to be a bit more offensive and (most importantly) trained her in battle by using the "F1" key to send her into the fray. Now (level 60+) I don't have to tell her to do anything: she plays exactly how I thought she should and is a great complement to my play style.... and she seems pretty popular with others, regularly coming back with tons of rift currency as well as new mob and quest knowledge from her adventures with others.

About classes... Although you start the game with 3 familiar looking choices of mage, fighter & strider, by level 10, which comes pretty quickly, you get to change to the full range of advanced and hybrid classes with a couple of those (the Magick Archer and Mystic Knight) being very unique. And it's not the same irrevocable decision that many RPGs force on you: you simply unlock any and all classes at a cost of discipline points (the skill training "currency") and then play as that vocation while unlocking their individual 9 ranks to get access to the better skills. Once you've unlocked a vocation you can swap back and forth at the inn in Gran Soren any time you want at no cost. Early on I tried the Magick Archer and although I've unlocked and played a bit of some of the other ones, I keep going back to it. It's simply one of the most fun classes I've ever played in any RPG of the SP or MMO variety. Spells from my staff and spells from my bow... dungeons were made for Ricochet Hunter - just try it.

The interface... damn that lack of "M" key to bring up the map! This is where the port clearly shows its console controller roots (I play with mouse & KB.) To get at something as simple as the map, you need to go through a two step process: Esc to get at the pause menu and then click on Map. It's annoying. But then again I've been playing it so much that I find myself annoyed in ESO when I find I press the Esc key to get at the map instead of M

A great game that shouldn't be missed.

YashaX · January 2016

Iselin said:

I love this game and despite some of the warts, such as the awkward interface, I would also go much higher than 7.6... somewhere between 9 and 9.5.

The combat, class and skill variety and pawn system are just plain brilliant. I'm a jaded old gamer who has played a lot of computer RPGs over the years since my first, Temple of Apshai on my 8-bit Atari in 1980. There is a lot of sameness in most computer RPGs which I find sort of ho-hum by now: level > allocate stats > carry on. It's both boring and pleasantly familiar with their D&D-derived systems tweaked a bit or not at all.

I enjoy more than anything else in new titles seeing something new that I have to learn from scratch - a different system that works. And that second part is key. It has to work and not merely be a reactionary system implemented just for the sake of being new. It has to compete with the old tried and true and at least hold its own. Dragon's Dogma does just that and then some. Saying that it's an action RPG, which it is, doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the many distinct and innovative ways in which this game is different... It's as if Skyrim and the Witcher had a baby and they used a gentler version of Dark Souls as its surrogate mom... but that's not it either: it's its own great thing.

About pawns... I knew I wanted to be some kind of spell slinger - so I made myself a tank fighter pawn and (wrongly) thought she should be a guardian type. It took just a little bit of playing to notice that instead of rushing the ogre or cyclop and locking it down so I could weave my magic in relative peace, she kept hovering around me in the back uselessly "guarding" me. So I sat her down on the chair provided just for that purpose, had a talk with her, adjusted her skills to be a bit more offensive and (most importantly) trained her in battle by using the "F1" key to send her into the fray. Now (level 60+) I don't have to tell her to do anything: she plays exactly how I thought she should and is a great complement to my play style.... and she seems pretty popular with others, regularly coming back with tons of rift currency as well as new mob and quest knowledge from her adventures with others.

About classes... Although you start the game with 3 familiar looking choices of mage, fighter & strider, by level 10, which comes pretty quickly, you get to change to the full range of advanced and hybrid classes with a couple of those (the Magick Archer and Mystic Knight) being very unique. And it's not the same irrevocable decision that many RPGs force on you: you simply unlock any and all classes at a cost of discipline points (the skill training "currency") and then play as that vocation while unlocking their individual 9 ranks to get access to the better skills. Once you've unlocked a vocation you can swap back and forth at the inn in Gran Soren any time you want at no cost. Early on I tried the Magick Archer and although I've unlocked and played a bit of some of the other ones, I keep going back to it. It's simply one of the most fun classes I've ever played in any RPG of the SP or MMO variety. Spells from my staff and spells from my bow... dungeons were made for Ricochet Hunter - just try it.

The interface... damn that lack of "M" key to bring up the map! This is where the port clearly shows its console controller roots (I play with mouse & KB.) To get at something as simple as the map, you need to go through a two step process: Esc to get at the pause menu and then click on Map. It's annoying. But then again I've been playing it so much that I find myself annoyed in ESO when I find I press the Esc key to get at the map instead of M

A great game that shouldn't be missed.

This is probably the best and most accurate description of Dragon's Dogma anyone has ever written, good stuff Iselin.

Even though the systems are totally different, DD somehow gives me the feeling of adventure, danger, and mystery that I first had when playing D&D, much more so than most games that have tried to emulate that role playing system.

Braindome · January 2016

Ashikuro said:

The really cool thing is there is mod support which adds so much more to the game. Higher res skins, recoloring, UI enhancments.... You name it.

That is actually quite awesome, had no idea it had mod support, that is definitely quite beyond the norm these days and quite commendable indeed. Need to see more of this FOR SURE.

Sovrath · January 2016

I absolutely love this game. I only have about 23 hours into it and have just hit lvl 30.

I love that harpies can grab me or my party and lift them up to be dropped. I love that Boss monsters can do the same. I love that I can be blinded or put to sleep and I must have the proper items on me or else I might die.

I love that food goes bad unless you seal it up correctly.

One thing I have to say is that once you get to Gran Soren, go to the Inn and look at what is in your "storage". I didn't bother with it until I went to put something in there and Capcom included a lot of stuff.

One is one of those teleporting "stones" except this one is eternal and doesn't vanish. You can teleport to major places you have been to any time you want. You still need to hoof it back if you want to do anything but getting to a city/town is easy.

I also like that it's possible to screw up quests. There was a quest where you were tasked to get a book. I got the book but curiosity got the best of me and I used it. Well, "something happens" but then the book vanishes.

At first I thought this was a bug but it's not. Of course, there is "a guy" who can counterfeit items so ...

Also, for those who don't want to deal with running out of stamina while running, there is a mod that takes care of that. It's not my thing but it's there.

I've already replaced the music (from a mod on the nexus) for the start of the game as the included music drove me nuts.

Sovrath · January 2016

Torval said:

Some quests you screw up you can repeat, like the thief quest in Cassardis. Some you can't. I'm doing the book quest now. Do you know what happened as a result of you using the book? Did it change something about you or another event?

I do know what happens!

It won't change you or change another event but you won't be able to turn it in to the quest npc and if you want to complete that quest you have to find the counterfeiter. I don't want to give it away and it's not really "amazing" as it's a "one off thing". Heck, all of this is more "build up" than it deserves.

As a point of note, if you have a counterfeit made, the pawns comment on it "are you going to give that counterfeit to .... ".

I felt really guilty but that's what happens when you deal with high magicks and you are too curious.

Iselin · January 2016

Sovrath said:

I also like that it's possible to screw up quests. There was a quest where you were tasked to get a book. I got the book but curiosity got the best of me and I used it. Well, "something happens" but then the book vanishes.

At first I thought this was a bug but it's not. Of course, there is "a guy" who can counterfeit items so ...

Yeah that was a funny one. I did the same and ended up giving him a counterfeit version... which later on will lead to some unexpected consequences... you'll find out

I should add that when I decided to use the book, I did it in Gran Soren by the fountain... that landed me in the dungeons for the first time lol.

ElRenmazuo · January 2016

Sovrath said:

Torval said:

Some quests you screw up you can repeat, like the thief quest in Cassardis. Some you can't. I'm doing the book quest now. Do you know what happened as a result of you using the book? Did it change something about you or another event?

I do know what happens!

It won't change you or change another event but you won't be able to turn it in to the quest npc and if you want to complete that quest you have to find the counterfeiter. I don't want to give it away and it's not really "amazing" as it's a "one off thing". Heck, all of this is more "build up" than it deserves.

As a point of note, if you have a counterfeit made, the pawns comment on it "are you going to give that counterfeit to .... ".

I felt really guilty but that's what happens when you deal with high magicks and you are too curious.

Are you talking about salumets grimoire that the npc in gran soren wants, the guy with the yellow shirt? Well if you do give it to him it does benefit you but dont want to spoil it.

Kiyonori · January 2016

Volgore said:

-Snipped all the text

Unfortunately the game has some serious flaws, particularly:
-All the crafting is mostly useless thanks to mage pawns removing debuffs, get a bunch of empty flasks and fill them up with spring water and you no longer need any other healing items
-The warrior is useless beyond a certain point and bbi is just pure hell
-The strider isn't much better, being a poor mans archer or a gimped assassin
-Stat gain is completely out of wack, if I want to optimize my stats I have to spend 50-100 levels as a class I don't even want to play, you can call it min/maxing autism but it's a shit system, plain and simple
-Usually one composition will work fine throughout most of the game, other than golems you can pretty much steamroll through the game with a full/partial party of sorcs
-Every class has one set of "perfect" inclinations, most of them are downright useless such as medicant pawns healing every small cut. Or aquisitors which is by far the most useless inclination of them all and really serves no purpose other than to punish people who don't pay attention to their pawn

You pretty much nailed it as far as the port-side is concerned, it's far from what I would consider even an "okay" port. Audio glitches, random (albeit very seldom) crashes during server synching, certain keybinds reset every time the game is started, the menus are clunky and best navigated with either the keyboard or a controller, some augments are STILL bugged (e.g inflection).

The game uses mt framework, that leaves fixing the menu and changing the pawn servers, there's no excuse. To their credit they have acknowledged the audio issue and have fixed the lamp unbinding from hotkeys bug, speaking of which the hotkeys have been a fantastic addition.

Despite all of that is still is one of my favorite games of last gen. I've bought the game 3 times now for every system it's released on, and I genuinely hope they release dragons dogma online over here in the states.

Sovrath · January 2016

ElRenmazuo said:

Sovrath said:

Torval said:

Some quests you screw up you can repeat, like the thief quest in Cassardis. Some you can't. I'm doing the book quest now. Do you know what happened as a result of you using the book? Did it change something about you or another event?

I do know what happens!

It won't change you or change another event but you won't be able to turn it in to the quest npc and if you want to complete that quest you have to find the counterfeiter. I don't want to give it away and it's not really "amazing" as it's a "one off thing". Heck, all of this is more "build up" than it deserves.

As a point of note, if you have a counterfeit made, the pawns comment on it "are you going to give that counterfeit to .... ".

I felt really guilty but that's what happens when you deal with high magicks and you are too curious.

Are you talking about salumets grimoire that the npc in gran soren wants, the guy with the yellow shirt? Well if you do give it to him it does benefit you but dont want to spoil it.

Yes I am though I gave him the counterfeit. I did get some sort of reward but maybe there is a "better" reward if you give him the real one?

Sovrath · January 2016

Iselin said:

Sovrath said:

I also like that it's possible to screw up quests. There was a quest where you were tasked to get a book. I got the book but curiosity got the best of me and I used it. Well, "something happens" but then the book vanishes.

At first I thought this was a bug but it's not. Of course, there is "a guy" who can counterfeit items so ...

Yeah that was a funny one. I did the same and ended up giving him a counterfeit version... which later on will lead to some unexpected consequences... you'll find out

I should add that when I decided to use the book, I did it in Gran Soren by the fountain... that landed me in the dungeons for the first time lol.

!

I didn't know one could "land themselves in the dungeons"!

Love this game!

And I'm glad that there is some sort of "unexpected consequence.

I think there are some sort of "random" encounters programmed into the game as I was leavign Gran Soren and suddenly this npc comes running up to me demanding me to empty my pockets. I was watching a video of the game and someone else encountered a small goblin attack while leaving the city.

ElRenmazuo · January 2016

Sovrath said:

ElRenmazuo said:

Sovrath said:

Torval said:

Some quests you screw up you can repeat, like the thief quest in Cassardis. Some you can't. I'm doing the book quest now. Do you know what happened as a result of you using the book? Did it change something about you or another event?

I do know what happens!

It won't change you or change another event but you won't be able to turn it in to the quest npc and if you want to complete that quest you have to find the counterfeiter. I don't want to give it away and it's not really "amazing" as it's a "one off thing". Heck, all of this is more "build up" than it deserves.

As a point of note, if you have a counterfeit made, the pawns comment on it "are you going to give that counterfeit to .... ".

I felt really guilty but that's what happens when you deal with high magicks and you are too curious.

Are you talking about salumets grimoire that the npc in gran soren wants, the guy with the yellow shirt? Well if you do give it to him it does benefit you but dont want to spoil it.

Yes I am though I gave him the counterfeit. I did get some sort of reward but maybe there is a "better" reward if you give him the real one?

The reward isnt something like an Item, its just something for small immersion factor. Its something that triggers while you are doing a certain quest later. Its not a huge deal if it doesnt happen.

ElRenmazuo · January 2016

Sovrath said:

I think there are some sort of "random" encounters programmed into the game as I was leavign Gran Soren and suddenly this npc comes running up to me demanding me to empty my pockets. I was watching a video of the game and someone else encountered a small goblin attack while leaving the city.

For me it was the small goblin attack that turned into a surprise griffin attack that came to grab a few cows. Tried fighting it but it a few seconds later it flew away with the cow. I got my revenge later at its nest. But other griffins can show up.

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How a PC Port Should be Done - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen Review

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How a PC Port Should be Done - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen Review

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"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey

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