Summary
Rather than just a collection of dungeons being dotted around a map with random encounters in between, modern gaming’s open worlds are filled with branching narratives, side missions, collectibles, loot, boss encounters, time trials, vehicles, and a slew of other features that would have been simply impossible to implement decades ago. One of the most intriguing aspects ofthe open-world genreis just how different the games under its umbrella can be. Now,Dragon’s Dogma 2is the perfect example of that.
While the last decade has seen countless games adopt the same kind of general open-world formula,Dragon’s Dogma 2—much like its 2012 predecessor—isn’t afraid to break a few conventions and stand apart from the rest. While its rule-breaking can be a bit off-putting for newcomers, it’s a defining feature ofDragon’s Dogma 2, and it brings up a rather interesting comparison between it and the recently releasedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Have Opposite Open-World Approaches
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Adopts a Ubisoft-Like Open-World Approach
Adapting the original 1997 game’s second act,Final Fantasy 7 RebirthgivestheFF7sagaits first proper open-world treatment, and it seems as though Square Enix looked to Ubisoft’s infamous open-world model for some general pointers. Introduced in 2007’sAssassin’s Creedbut popularized with 2012’sFar Cry 3, Ubisoft’s open-world formula often sees players make their way across a vast map, slowly ticking off a long checklist of objectives, from side missions to collectibles to enemy encampments and several seemingly insignificant odd jobs in between.
WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdoesn’t ask the player to liberate any enemy camps or harvest a number of resources, its open world does borrow a lot of classic Ubisoft elements, including the need to clear that map’s fog by activating a series of towers littered across the world. Thankfully,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s side missionsare usually a little more narratively rewarding than most Ubisoft titles, and its hidden boss fights and enemy encounters can be some of the game’s best.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Open World Focuses on Spontaneity
On the opposite end of the spectrum,Dragon’s Dogma 2adopts a much more player-centric open-world experience, meaning that the player is often in charge of where they go next with little to no guidance from the game itself. Similarly toElden RingandTears of the Kingdom,Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open worldheavily revolves around random encounters with exploration often resulting in the player stumbling upon a new town or dungeon, which could yield an array of new quests and rewards. The vast majority of the time, these side quests are not marked out on the map, instead only becoming visible after the player has been approached by an NPC.
While this does mean that some players could miss out on some major side quests by simply accidentally avoiding an NPC’s path, it does add a nice layer of immersion toDragon’s Dogma 2, which is something that its enemy encounters reinforce greatly.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthfeatures random enemies patrolling the open world, yet these encounters don’t often result in the same kind of gameplay thatDragon’s Dogma 2offers. For instance, when fighting a gang ofgoblins inDragon’s Dogma 2, it’s commonplace for other creatures like wolves to join the fight, and occasionally, even a large monster like a cyclops or griffin can suddenly appear out of nowhere and join in on the fun, resulting in some incredibly unique, and memorable moments.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Set forth on your grand adventure, Arisen!Dragon’s Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG series that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. Now, in this long-awaited sequel, the deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 awaits.On your journey, you’ll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.All of these elements are elevated further through physics technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest in graphics, to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
