Dragon’s Dogma 2 released to angering feedback. Capcom’s anticipated sequel to the beloved but flawed 2012 RPG dropped on March 22nd.
However, not everyone is too happy on Steam. Currently, the game has “Mostly Negative” Steam reviews out of 11,062 on the platform. Microtransactions are cited as one of the major reasons for the negative reception.
Microtransactions Strike Again
Gamers have been burned over the years by microtransactions. Although they tend to appear in multiplayer titles, publishers occasionally include them in single-player titles. Capcom has a history with microtransactions, adding them to the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4 Remake a few months after launch.
You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who predicted microtransactions in Dragon’s Dogma 2, though. Microtransactions went nearly unmentioned before launch, and appeared on the game’s store pages around launch. Game Director Hideaki Itsuno mentioned “paid DLC” before launch, although many likely assumed this meant a standard DLC post-launch.
These microtransactions seem to revolve around gameplay, not cosmetics.
When players did realize microtransactions existed in the game, many assumed these were just Character Editor-specific. Instead, microtransactions extended to Rift Crystals, Wakestones, Gaol Keys and more.
Tech Issues Also Plague Dragon’s Dogma 2
Microtransactions aren’t the only issue. Many players are reporting repeated crashes, especially during character creation. Capcom claimed that they will be addressing crashes along with bug fixes in the “near future”.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 also doesn’t have a new start game option. The game only has one save file per player, meaning players can’t make back-up characters. Combine no back-up saves with no new game option and players get one shot at character creation. Your saved data currently cannot be deleted, and a new save cannot be created.
Capcom claims they are looking into adding a feature to the Steam version that will allow players to restart the game if they are already playing. They plan to announce details as soon as they can.
The post does not mention items such as the Explorer’s Camping Kit and Heartfelt Pendant. These items currently are exclusive to the Deluxe edition of Dragon’s Dogma 2 as bonus items. It is unclear if they are earnable in the game.
Like the Original, Performance Issues are Here
Lastly, one of the major issues of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the game’s performance. According to IGN, the Steam Deck struggles to run at playable rates, and even high-end machines with an RTX4090 drop into the 30s when it comes to the frame rate.
One reviewer expressed disappointment about the performance. “I did not expect the game to barely push 40fps in the wilderness at minimum settings with DLSS, on Ultra Performance.”
Dragon’s Dogma 2 suffers issues on consoles as well. Itsuno stated the game would release with uncapped framerates on consoles, “aiming to go at around or higher than 30 FPS”. Unlike other games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Dragon’s Dogma 2 does not feature a performance mode, forcing console players to endure the frame rate.
Capcom Responds to the Game’s Issues
The backlash for the PC port was enough to cause Capcom to address it in a post on Steam, along with the many other issues the game is suffering through.
“To all those looking forward to this game, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience,” the apology reads.
Capcom claims they are looking into adding a feature to the Steam version that will allow players to restart the game if they are already playing. They plan to announce details as soon as they can.
In Capcom’s post, they explain that “a large amount of CPU usage is allocated to each character and calculating the impact of their physical presence in various areas. In certain situations where numerous characters appear simultaneously, the CPU usage can be very high and may affect the frame rate.”
Capcom goes on to state, “We are looking into ways to improve performance in the future.” Reducing the GPU load the game has does not aid the performance much at all due to these reasons.
The post does not mention items such as the Explorer’s Camping Kit and Heartfelt Pendant. These items currently are exclusive to the Deluxe edition of Dragon’s Dogma 2 as bonus items. It is unclear if they are earnable in the game.
Many were looking forward to the release of Dragon’s Dogma 2, and it is completely valid for disappointment to ensue due to the launch state of the PC port. Capcom claims they’re addressing these issues, and only time will tell for now.
For more on Dragon’s Dogma 2’s latest news, stick around with the Lords of Gaming!
