There are a lot of great games like Skyrim to play since it first came out, but there aren’t all that many available for Nintendo Switch. So as a Switch owner, I was very intrigued after watching a few gameplay videos of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen in the Nintendo eShop.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen was originally released in 2013, but arrived on Nintendo Switch consoles in April of 2019. When it first came out, it was a widely popular open-world RPG with some solid combat mechanics. Though it is a bit outdated compared to newer games, it’s definitely worth playing in 2021.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Review

Despite being an older game, Dragon’s Dogma is a fun action RPG that has a sort of timeless goodness that is easy to dive into. Though the graphics are a bit outdated and companion dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, it’s entirely worth playing if you’re a fan of the Elder Scrolls games.

The things that really stand out with this title are the combat mechanics and the overall story. You start out the game by surviving a dragon’s attack only to have your heart ripped out and consumed. From there, you start your journey to reclaim your heart from the one who took it.

Gameplay is redeemed by epic battles

If you like to have a lot of control over how you fight, there’s a lot to love about this game. You can choose to be a rogue, a warrior, or a magic user and each of these vocations comes with a nice set of combat techniques. There are a ton of bandits and creatures to fight wherever you travel and every battle comes with it’s own set of challenges.

Though you start out alone, you are eventually joined by a set of interchangeable adventurers called Pawns that help you in battle. Each Pawn has a specific vocation and insight that they can provide when fighting monsters. This help is crucial for defeating your enemies and you have to learn to put together the right team for the right situation.

While the companion element of combat is enjoyable, it’s really the personalized fighting styles and combinations of your main character that make the game shine. You can dodge, slash, and even climb various enemies executing skills in various combinations to defeat them. With so many variables, it takes skill and strategy to defeat some of the largest and most aggressive boss monsters you encounter in the wild.

Upgradeable skills and endless loot

Being able to upgrade your weapons, armor, and skills the way you want is one of the most important aspects of any RPG. Dragon’s Dogma doesn’t disappoint in that area at all. There are plenty of treasure chests to open and loads of places to spend your coin to upgrade your gear along the way. You can also customize and upgrade various skill sets based on your vocation. These skills can be weapon specific or passive boosts to certain stats.

Beyond the chests, there are endless boxes, bags, and pots that you can break open as you traverse the open world. You can find different gear and weapons from fighting monsters as well, but more often than not you’ll find crafting materials or consumables.

Crafting is unnecessarily complicated

The idea behind crafting in this game is that you are meant to discover different combinations of various materials on your own. However, if you aren’t someone who particularly enjoys having to experiment combining various items to get the job done, it can be a pain. To actually do the crafting, all you need to do is go to an in, talk to the innkeeper, and select ‘combine’.

While it isn’t the most intuitive system for making various concoctions and weapons, you can skip a lot of the legwork by using this crafting master sheet.

Pawns aren’t the most enjoyable companions

Having companions is great in a fight, and the fact that you get your own permanent companion to customize is a definite bonus. Where these ‘Pawns’ fall short, however, is that they aren’t actually enjoyable companions

There is a level of chattiness that never seems to end, and it tends to be the same repeated lines over and over again during every fight or trip you take. You can eventually teach your permanent pawn to talk less, but some of the summoned ones that join your team just won’t shut up.

There are also times during specific quests or situations where one of your pawns will glow with a red icon to indicate they have something to say. Unfortunately these are rarely helpful or entertaining, and you don’t really get the sense of bonding you get from companions in games like Dragon Age.

Fast travel isn’t available fast enough

In some of the best RPGs, fast travel is a must. The open worlds you are traversing are simply too large to justify having to walk back and forth between key locations. Unfortunately, Dragon’s Dogma does not offer fast travel until later in the game — and even then it’s limited.

The idea behind this is that it forces you to be careful about traveling somewhere. You have to go almost everywhere on foot, and there are monsters on every path and even more off of it. While one of the most enjoyable aspects of this game is traversing the open world, it starts to get old after a while.

Availability

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is on most platforms including the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s currently available at the Nintendo eShop for just $15.

Like most games available for the Nintendo Switch, we recommend you play it there. Being able to play in handheld mode or on the TV makes the game even more worth it.

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