With Dragon's Dogma 2 now officially in the works, newcomers to the franchise might be wondering if it will be necessary to have played the original before its sequel, which may very well be the case. For the conclusion of the Dragon's Dogma 10th anniversary stream, franchise director Hideaki Itsuno revealed that Dragon's Dogma 2 is in development. Since it has been 10 years since the original game's release, many modern players are likely to have missed the era in which Dragon's Dogma was popular, and they will likely be at a disadvantage when it comes to fully understanding Dragon's Dogma 2.
The original Dragon's Dogma has become a cult classic in the years since its release, with its popularity even leading to the creation of a Dragon's Dogma anime series on Netflix. The game featured several iconic mechanic systems that, when combined, created a truly innovative RPG experience. Now, after 10 years, fan hopes for a new evolution of those innovations have at long last been rewarded.
Dragon's Dogma 2 will likely be a sequel set in the same universe as the original, so playing Dragon's Dogma before its sequel will almost certainly reduce new players' confusion and make the game more enjoyable. Since Dragon's Dogma is a fantasy RPG with a vast world, there is a significant amount of worldbuilding and lore development done throughout Dragon's Dogma, which might not be fully explained in the sequel. For example, in the original game, characters that faced previous iterations of the protagonist's struggle played a large role in the narrative, so it's possible that characters from Dragon's Dogma will appear in Dragon's Dogma 2 in a similar capacity. Those characters' appearances and development between games would not be as impactful for those who weren't aware of them to begin with. Players will be able to get the most out of the game if they have the full context for Dragon's Dogma 2's improvements over the original, narratively and mechanically.
Dragon's Dogma 2's Impact Will Be Strengthened By The Long Wait
Even setting aside the narrative baggage that will likely come with Dragon's Dogma 2, the first Dragon's Dogma remains a game that's worth playing. It has drawn comparisons to iconic video games such as Shadow of the Colossus, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry - another series directed by Hideaki Itsuno. A major selling point of Dragon's Dogma's combat is the player's ability to grapple with and climb on enemies, including bosses, and attack them while engaged in close quarters. Itsuno's philosophy was to combine the narrative elements of an RPG with a level of action and freedom in combat that the genre didn't typically see. This mechanic, coupled with the ability to command a party of NPC characters in real time, set Dragon's Dogma apart from other dark fantasy RPGs.
In the wake of Dragon's Dogma 2's announcement, a resurgence of the original's popularity will serve to build anticipation for the new game. Players that revisit the first Dragon's Dogma, or play it for the first time, will be able to fully appreciate the changes and improvements that have been made. Capcom and its developers have been hitting their stride with classic franchises recently, with the general success of Resident Evil and the buzz surrounding Street Fighter 6. The improvements at their disposal in of technology and design philosophy will make Dragon's Dogma 2 a brand-new experience, one that will likely impact players of the first game most of all.
