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Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Review – A Must-Play Expansion
When Dragon’s Dogma 2 came out in 2024, I was a pretty big defender of the sequel’s many changes to the franchise. While it had its flaws, I still think the Capcom title was pretty groundbreaking for an open-world RPG, with its emergent world quests and vast NPC systems. However, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen not only fixes most of the game’s biggest problems, but it’s also one of the best DLC expansions I’ve played in years. It could easily be its own standalone game.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen’s Massive Norgan Map
The Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion adds a new region to the overworld called Norgan. The snowy northern region is a treacherous tundra overtaken by blizzards and dangerous creatures. However, the new region is also beautiful and is a major change of pace from the base game’s locales.
At times, I got flashbacks of Tamriel from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. And I mean this as the highest compliment. One of my favorite moments while reviewing the expansion was just taking in a beautiful aurora borealis in the night sky while exploring the mountains. It’s some of Capcom’s best level design in years. And yes, the Norgan map in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is absolutely massive.
Just to put it into perspective, it took me around 30 hours to beat the new expansion. And I still had side content I hadn’t finished. I wasn’t kidding when I said Dark Arisen could have been its own standalone game. What impressed me most, though, is just how layered the map is. In the expansion, there is a lot more verticality to the overworld, with entire map sections located underground or on higher plateaus.
Dark Arisen’s Story Introduces a Second Arisen
The plot of the new Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLC is also awesome and will have you hooked from the very start. Without getting into spoilers, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen introduces the mystery of a second Arisen arriving in the north.
However, everything we know about the game’s lore and the Cycle gets called into question when a new Dragon threat upends everything. Capcom largely treats the Dark Arisen plot as a fresh start for the player.
Even though you are the Arisen in Vermund and heralded as a champion, in Norgan, you are pretty much a fish out of water from the very jump. I actually loved this decision, as it allows you to get thrown into the mystery without any baggage.
If you are like me and put hundreds of hours into the main game, it’s also a lot easier to return to the expansion with this kind of story format. Essentially, you can dive into Dark Arisen and enjoy it front to back as its own story. Although knowing the main narrative of the base game still adds a lot of context.
Improved Fast Travel Makes Exploration Smoother
One of my biggest complaints about Dragon’s Dogma 2 was its fast travel system. You essentially had to travel on foot to every location. The game technically had fast travel points, but you had to use a limited Ferrystone item to utilize the feature. So, for most of the base game, you had to rely on Oxcarts and travel services.
I understand why the decision was made, as it forces the player to really take in the game’s overworld. However, it became a slog. In Dragon’s Dogma 2 Update 3.1, released in June, Capcom gave players an Eternal Ferrystone that can be used infinitely.
This new system carries over to the Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion, and it’s a massive game changer. As you make your way across the massive Norgan map, you can regularly teleport to key locations with the click of a button. And it makes the game’s progression and flow so much better.
Dark Arisen’s New Relic System Overhauls Loot
Another annoying aspect of Dragon’s Dogma 2 was the loot you would find in chests or get as rewards. Because of the game’s weight system, you would constantly find your party becoming overburdened while stuck traversing the map on foot.
In Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, a new loot system is introduced called spoils, or “relics.” The way it works is that whenever you kill an enemy or open a chest, you have a chance to get a relic. This item can be a weapon, an armor piece, or even general loot. However, you have to visit an NPC in the main Norgan village hub to get it “appraised.”
Because of this, you can go for hours collecting loot in the overworld without it weighing you down. Then, you can fast travel back to the NPC to reveal what you got. As soon as you get the new loot, you can send it directly to your storage chest.
Not only is this a major improvement to the game’s base loot system, but it also creates a really addicting gameplay loop. There are also hidden boss fights on the map and tougher enemies that give you a chance at better relic drops.
New Skills and Class Upgrades Expand Combat
Finally, Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen also adds a lot of new spells and class upgrades to the game. Throughout the Norgan region, you will find Obelisks of Benediction. Each of these monuments is tied to a specific class and offers powerful upgrades for your character.
For example, my Arisen is a Magick Archer, and I found an Obelisk of Benediction that unlocked the new Shadebind Bolt skill for my character. The ability is pretty broken, as it allows me to slow an enemy to a crawl by poisoning them with a shadow arrow. However, if you charge it up fully, you can slow down even massive enemies such as giants and dragons.
One of my favorite combat encounters was when I slowed down a Dragon with Shadebind so that my Sorcerer could summon Meteoron directly on top of it to decimate its health bar. There are Obelisks scattered around the whole map to discover, and they add powerful new abilities to the game’s classes.
Verdict: Dark Arisen Makes Dragon’s Dogma 2 a Must-Play RPG
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is even better than the base game and is packed with so much content that it could have been its own standalone title. The new Norgan region has much tighter level design, and the expansion’s incredible story progression and gameplay loop will hook you from beginning to end.
Dark Arisen has not only made Dragon’s Dogma 2 a must-play RPG, but it’s also one of Capcom’s best games in years.
Verdict: Best In Its Class (10/10)
Pros
- Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen has an excellent story and standalone region worth exploring.
- The Dark Arisen expansion is easily over 25 hours of new content and gives players another reason to jump back into the 2024 title.
- The new expansion largely improves most of Dragon’s Dogmas 2’s biggest flaws, such as loot, fast travel, and exploration limits.
- The Lost Rites DLC is also included, and adds over 12 new dungeons to the base game’s overworld map.
Cons
- The Dark Arisen expansion is fairly challenging and requires you to at least be around level 40 to take on enemies. So while the DLC is available as soon as you reach Vernworth, it might be better suited for players who have already beaten the main game.
- Pawns can still accidentally get killed or disappear from your party if you aren’t paying attention. Early on in the game it’s not a big deal as most party members are free to summon. However, its painful when you lose a party member that’s been with you for hours and don’t know why.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen releases on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on October 9, 2026. A code was provided by Capcom for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5 Pro.
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