14 DAY TRIAL // Dragon’s Dogma is an ambitious game, judging by the demo that developer and publisher Capcom has delivered to the Xbox Live service, because it aims to blend a traditional set of action role-playing mechanics with a focus on large creature battles, similar to Monster Hunter, and a new Pawn system that will add diversity to the inter-player interactions.
The demo of the game offers two quests, both around 20 minutes of actual play time, and the most interesting aspect is fighting the two mini-bosses, a griffin and a chimera.
Players can also choose to take a look at the character creation process, both for the protagonist and for his Pawns.
Dragon’s Dogma aims for a classic fantasy vibe and there are times when, if one squints and disregards the controller, the game is pretty similar to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Gamers have access to strong and light attacks, as well as special moves and blocks, with both health and stamina meters to keep an eye on during battles.
In true Monster Hunter manner, the boss enemies can be grabbed and climbed in order to attack their vulnerable spots and stop them from spamming special attacks and magic.
Teamwork also seems to be fairly well implemented, with companions able to at least keep enemies engaged while mages quickly offered restorative spells when needed.
One pleasant surprise was the way Dragon’s Dogma managed to squeeze all the commands needed for character actions and to have a modicum of control over the rest of the party on the standard console controller.
The unpleasant surprise was the glitches I spotted in character movement and in the physics-driven interactions that take place between the enemies and the various members of the player-driven party.
Our video for Dragon’s Dogma shows off the way players and their parties need to work together in order to take out large mythological creatures.