Hideaki Itsuno, the legendary developer who reinvigorated the Devil May Cry franchise and created Dragon's Dogma, recently announced that he wa?s leaving Capcom after ?working there for over 30 years. After a few months of r?adio silence, he just announced the next chapt??er of his career.

On his personal Instagram account, Itsuno revealed that he is now the head of LightSpeed Japan Studio, a brand-new division of LightSpeed Studios, the company that made PUBG Mobile, which is owned by the enormous Chinese technology conglomerate, Tencen??t. In his post, Itsuno stated: "I’m confident we’ll create original AAA action game titles alongside our amaz??ing team, delivering aesthetic and innovative experiences to players worldwide".

LightSpeed Studios' official website reveals that this new Japanese branch is based in Osaka and Tokyo and, like Itsuno revealed, its main?? focus is on developing high-quality AAA action games. The company's president, Jerry Chen, said: "It is our great honor to have Hideaki Itsuno join LightSpeed Studios. The es??????????????????????????tablishment of LightSpeed Japan Studio is a significant step in LightSpeed Studios' expansion and demonstrates our commitment to bringing the best possible games to our players".

After months of speculation, fans on Instagram reacted very positively to Itsuno's announcement, since this confirms that he isn't retiring and that he'll keep making action games, which are his bread and butter. One notable figure who c?ongratulated Itsuno is Johnny Yong Bosch, Nero's voice actor in the Devil May Cry games, and Dante's voice actor in the upcoming Devil May Cry animated series.

Hideaki Itsuno is perfect for LightSpeed Japan Studio

The main goal of LightSpeed Japan Studio is to develop original AAA action games, so it couldn't have hired a more suitable person for this job than Hideaki Itsuno. After all (an?d as the studio proudly claims on its official website) Itsuno's contributions to the action genre ended up changing the industry forever.

While he directed popular Capcom fighters like Power Stone and Rival Schools, what eventually put him on the map was his work on Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, a fantastic hack & slash adventure that saved the franchise after the monumental failure that was Devil May Cry 2 (which Capcom made him direct years earlier). After working on Devil May Cry 4, Itsuno finally pitched Dragon's Dogma to the company, a new IP that he created on his own. He later came back to Dante's franchise, when he directed 2019's Devil May Cry 5.

Over time, Itsuno became synonymous with dynamic and over-the-top hack & slash games with refined combat systems and incredible boss fights. So while his departure from Capcom was quite unfortunate - especially because it meant he would never work on Devil May Cry or Dragon's Dogma again - his new position at LightSpeed Studio Japan gives him the chance to create something entirely new and special that?? has the potential to influence the industry as much as his previous works did. We just hope that Tencent and LightSpeed Studios will keep their promise and give Itsuno as much artistic freedom as he needs.

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Hideaki Itsuno recently announced his departure from Capcom, and Devil May Cry fans are absolutely heartbroken. After all, he's a talented and influential developer who worked on multiple hit games: Apart from his impeccable work on the DMC franchise, he also directed cult classics like Rival Schools and Dragon's Dogma.

Itsuno may not be the most renowned Capcom developer but he's one of the most important ones, and his influence on the company should never be?? underestimated. He had both a fascinating career and a complex relationship with Capcom, and both should be studied from beginning to end.

His humble origins as a fighting game aficionado

Like most Japanese gamers of his generation, Itsuno was a passionate fighting game fan who Capcom hired in 1994 to work in their Arcade Division. He was obviously a big fan of Street Fighter II, but he also revealed that he played the competitor's titles during this time: "I always loved fighting games, so it was always a certain fighting game with yearly installments. The one I played all the time was the '94 edition", he told Takayuki Nakayama in an interview, referencing the beloved SNK fighter The King of Fighters '94.

He began working on multiple ports of Street Fighter II and even worked as a designer in Street Fighter Alpha until he eventually got the opportunity to direct new fighting game IPs, like Rival Schools and Power Stone. Itsuno applied his vast knowledge to every project he worked on: "Rival Schools was a game where we put a lot of ??effort into making sure it was easy to play."

He and his team knew that, unlike other arcade fighters, Capcom was eventually going to port Rival Schools to home consoles. With this philosophy in mind, they developed the PlayStation 1 version in just three months, with?? the goal of selling 1 million copies. This was Itsuno's first experience with home consoles, and it eventually changed the course of his entire career. He also carried his penchant for accessibility over to every subsequent project he worked on.

He transformed Devil May Cry into what it is today

The gaming market was radically changing during the 2000s, and Capcom began taking developers from their Arcade Division and forcing them to work in home console games. In an outrageous decision, Capcom began its plans to make a sequel to their brand-new IP, Devil May Cry, without consulting Hideki Kamiya and his team. The company put Capcom Studio 1 to work on?? it instead.

The development of Devil May Cry 2 was quite rocky, and eventually, Capcom promoted Itsuno to dir?ector during the final months of development, replacing the original director of the game, who ultimately went uncredited. In the book Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphic Arts, Itsuno explains how Capcom practically forced him to direct: "The bosses came in and said, "Alright, do we have a director for DMC2?" Just as we were all thinking, "Nope. We actually don't," they said, "Okay. Y??ou do it."

Itsuno tried his best and really put a lot of effort into trying to improve and refine DMC2 as much as he could. But his efforts weren't enough to save what was already a low-quality product, so when Capcom finally released DMC2, fans and critics immediately panned it. "It's strange to be a director as a helper in the first place. But the development of DMC2 was too short, and there were some parts that I felt I had left undone and hadn't been able to be fully satisfied with", he said later in an interview with Famitsu.

Devil May Cry 3 was just what Dante (and the franchise) needed

To the surprise of everybody, DMC2 was a financial success, which led Capcom to greenlight another sequel. Itsuno didn't want this game to be his legacy and he just knew that he could create something truly special if he got to work on it from the beginning. "I even went so far as to ask directly, 'Please let me do D??MC3'", he told Famitsu. Capcom accepted, and he ?immediately began recruiting his team.

He brought most of the DMC2 staff to work in the sequel, and they knew what they had to do: make Dante more energetic and youthful once again, so they decided to make DMC3 a prequel. Itsuno also brought over everything he learned from working in so many fighting games: "I decided to just go all out and include all the fun of combos in fighting games, so I was glad that I was able to compete in an area where I was confident." His experience working on fighting games also influenced the way he utilized music in his games: "Ever since the "Rival Schools" series, I've made a note of directing scenes with the music in mind," he explained in DMC: 3142 Graphic Arts.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening quickly became a critical and commercial success. Audiences endlessly praised it for going back to the series' dynamic and challenging roots while also giving Dante his charming personality back. Itsuno and his team didn't just make yet another excellent DMC game, but they also brought new life into the franchise. And this ??was just the beg??inning.

Devil May Cry 4 introduced a new protagonist at the worst moment

In DMC: 3142 Graphic Arts, Itsuno revealed how he became the director of the next installment in the series: "Someone else was given control of DMC4, but one o??f the bosses said, "Dealing with the new PS3 hardware is going to be tough, so we need someone more experienced to take charge. You do it." I wasn't particularly against the idea, so I accepted the position.

Itsuno and his team knew they needed to do something bold and unexpected to keep the Devil May Cry franchise fresh and interesting. That's why they came up with a new devil hunter named Nero. He always had great plans for this new character, but he did fear that he was going to get extremely negative feedback for "replacing" Dante, so he was included as well: "It was a gamble for us to even introduce a new character," he revealed in an interview with Games Radar.

Dante was created by Hideki Kamiya, so it makes sense for Itsuno to prefer the new characters he personally conceived. "I like Vergil and Nero. I have an appreciation for Dante, too, of course, but I feel less of a connection with him because he's not a character I created myself", he said in DMC 3142 Graphic Arts.

Devil May Cry 4 would eventually get a mixed-to-positive reception. Over the years, there was a rumor among fans that Capcom was to blame for this, as they either rushed the development of the game or forced Itsuno to cut a lot of content, but the director never officially confirmed it. Even though it sold over 1 million copies by the end of its first fiscal year, DMC4 didn't meet Ca?pcom's high expectations, especially because its development had a bigger budget than usual.

He left DMC behind in order to work on his magnum opus

During the late 2000s, Capcom decided to follow a brand-new direction, as the company began to prioritize the development of Western-styled games, which were much more popular and profitable at the time. Capcom chose Ninja Theory to develop a brand-new Devil May Cry reboot and even assigned Itsuno as a supervisor and advisor for this new team. The final result was DmC: Devil May Cry, a solid albeit extremely controversial game.

As much as Itsuno obviously cherished the Devil May Cry series, he never felt that the series was his creation, as he explained in DMC: 3142 Graphic Arts: "When explaining my relationship with DMC to people, I like to say that I'm not so much a parent to the series as I am a foster parent. Or may?be "stepmot?her" is more appropriate. That usually seems to get the point across pretty well."

He did have his? ??own idea for a unique action RPG with an innovative Pawn mechanic that he came up with even before he joined the DMC2 team: "After (development of) CAPCOM VS. SNK 2 ended, I was actually in ?the middle of planning to launch an original RPG," he said about his new IP.

So, when Capcom asked him for an idea for a large-scale project that could make millions, he pitched what would eventually become Dragon's Dogma, and Capcom greenlit the project. Why did the company approve of it? While executives clearly had confidence in Itsuno based on his impeccable previous work, it was mainly because he convinced them that this was going to be a western-styled RPG, and he even used titles like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Fable II as examples. This fit perfectly with the comp??any's aforeme??ntioned new direction.

The surprise success of Dragon's Dogma

Itsuno began working on this new game with the help of his DMC4 team, and it took them three years to complete it. Thanks to the evolution of home console technology, he was finally able to make his idea into a reality. Dragon's Dogma quickly beca?me a surprise hit because gamers criticized most action RPGs for their lackluster combat at the time, so its dynamic combat system and epic boss fights helped it become a standout title.

The critical and commercial success of Dragon's Dogma cemented the IP as a new RPG icon, and it led to the creation of an expanded version, a spinoff and even an animated adaptation for Netflix. Years later, Hideaki Itsuno would state: "The (game) that was the biggest success in my mind, the one I'm most proud of, that's probably Dragon's Dogma." He even wanted to work ON i??ts sequel almost immediately, but he didn't know that DMC would need him again very soon...

Devil May Cry needed its savior, once again

In 2015, the success of Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition and DmC: Definitive Edition proved to Capcom that there still was a shared interest in the iconic hack-and-slash franchise. Itsuno decided to pitch Devil May Cry 5, and it worked quite well: "The reactions from everyone around me were positive, and the production discussions went smoothly," he told Dengeki Online in an interview. But Itsuno said on Twitter/X that DMC5 had been in development since 2014, so they likely had p??lans to revive the franchise much earlier.

In 2013, in an interview for the book DMC: 3142 Graphic Arts, Itsuno said: "That's why even now, the DMC4 staff is clamoring to make a sequel starring Nero. Of course, a sequel with Dante wouldn't be bad either". These ideas would eventually come to fruition in DMC5, a game that featured Dante a??nd Vergil, but Nero was ultimately the main protagonist of the adventure.

Itsuno proudly exclaimed "DMC IS BACK!", and everybody went crazy

He had a concrete idea of what he wanted to make from the get-go, which was helpful in creating a more streamlined development process. Just like they did with DMC3 years before, the team brought back what made the series so beloved in the first place but also implemented fresh new ideas. Surprisingly, DmC also inspired them. "In terms of the flow of the series, after DMC4 there was DmC: Devil May Cry, and after that there was DMC5. The staff had the feeling that they wanted to surpass both works in terms of image creation, and they studied them", Itsuno told Dengeki Online.

Capcom revealed DMC5 during Xbox's E3 2018 conference with a fantastic trailer. Hideaki Itsuno went up on stage and proudly exclaimed, "DMC IS BACK!" He was right: When the game was released months later, it immediately became a critical and commercial success once again.? It seemed that everything Itsuno and his team touched turned into solid gold.

Everybody praised Devil May Cry 5 for its many positive qualities, and it seemed that, after years of unfounded negativity, the franchise was back to its roots and was more relevant than ever. Not only did DMC5 satisfy longtime fans, but it?? al?so brought in a slew of new fans. And all of ??them were eager to see where the franchise was going nex?t.

He finally got the chance to work on that Dragon's Dogma sequel

Before DMC5 launched, Itsuno had to make a difficult choice: In an interview with VG247, he said he went to Capcom's founder Kenzo Tsujimoto and said, "Look, I want to make either DMC5 or Dragon's Dogma 2 next", to which Tsujimoto replied "Okay, do whatever you want. Do whichever one you want,' so he prioritized DMC5 and began working on Dragon's Dogma 2 immediately after that. His main goal with this sequel was to expand on everything he did in the original game, including ideas and mechanics he originally had to scrap??.

This resulted in Dragon's Dogma 2, released this year by Capcom. Unfortunately for Itsuno, however, the ??game got a divisive reception due to stuff that was entirely out of his control. T??he mishandling of microtransactions and optimization issues contributed to the game's negative reputation. Dragon's Dogma 2 is still a solid action RPG, but it was nowhere near as well received as Itsuno's previous projects.

Hideaki Itsuno's undeniable legacy

One should never underestimate Itsuno's contributions to Capcom and gaming in general, especially for someone who started his career as a mere fighting game fan. He may not have created Devil May Cry, but he saved the IP not once but twice, cementing it as one ?of the most successful and beloved hack-and-slash franchises. And if that wasn't enough, he also managed to dev??elop?? a unique Western-styled RPG in Japan with Dragon's Dogma, ultimately proving that he's also capable of creating succe?ssful new IPs from the ??ground up.

In his countless interviews and press releases, Itsuno told multiple stories about how the executives at Capcom almost always?? let him have the final say on which game he would develop next. So i??t's evident that he was not just a mere employee for the company but that Capcom actually trusted his vision because it was sure he was always going to develop a quality product. Capcom still hasn't responded to Itsuno's departure, but it is definitely going to feel his absence.

When he left, Itsuno stated: "I will start developing a new?? game in a new environment. I hope to create fun, beautiful games that are as memorable as, or even more memorable than, the ones I have created so far" which tells fans everything they need to know about the future of his career: He's going to keep making incredible video games, regardless of which company he's working for.

The post How Hideaki Itsuno became one of Capcom’s best developers appeared first on Destructoid.

Capcom is one of the biggest companies in the gaming world, a position it's pretty much held consistently for several decades now. As such, you'd think it would know what it's talking about when it comes to the industry at large, and it seems as though ph??ysical games are still very much within the developer's wheelhouse.

According to a Q&A session, as noted in the 45th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, Capcom is still keen on providing physical products to its customers. A question on page three asks whether the increase of digital sales could change the way the company deals with phys?ical games. The answer from Capcom reads:

Given that a significant number of end users demand physic??al games we currently do not expect to eliminate physical?? products.

Do note the word "currently" in that response. However, it's nice that those who still want the option of having disc versions of Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and the like are being catered to, and it's quite surprising to see that demand for? physical products is still "significant."

You can't have "stacks" of digital downloads

The increase in digital sales should not be a shock to anyone. The advent of faster internet speeds and the convenience of on-demand content means a lot of gamers prefer the ease of not having to go out and buy a disc. In an actual shop. How archaic!

We are definitely on the way to an entirely digital society, just because there's very little effort in pressing through a few options on-screen and downloading what you want within minutes. In that regard, th??e idea of procuring physical games from bricks and mortar places may seem antiquated to some.

I can't say where?? I stand on the matter. I'm somewhat old-school, or at least I thought I?? was until I subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. With books, I like an even mixture of the two: shelves of actual paperback and hardbacks, but also the benefit of e-books neatly stored on a digital device. I feel the same way about gaming.

Whether Capcom will eventually move away from physical video games in the future remains to be seen. The company has been around for longer than many of us have been alive, and if the Mega Man and Monster Hunter creator says users want physical games, who are we to argue? Other than the a??ctual users?? themselves who can make that decision with our wallets, digital or otherwise.

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Last week, Capcom released the long-awaited Dragon's Dogma 2. Now, there was a bit of controversy surrounding its launch, such as the sheer number of DLC, but this post is not going to be about that (I'm sure you all have your own thoughts on the story). What I am going to say is that a rumor is circulating which states the game could potentially lead to an open-world Resident Evil installment.

That's according to known leaker AestheticGamer (thanks Eurogamer). In a post on Twitter/X a few days ago, it's been alluded to that the engine that powers Dragon's Dogma 2 could result in open-world functionality for RE9, a game which has not yet been officially announced. The tech might also be used for the next Monster Hunter.

AestheticGamer explains that DD2 uses an expanded version of Capcom's RE Engine, which has been used in the development of the new Resident Evil games (and the remakes), as well as Monster Hinter Rise and Devil May Cry 5.

It will still retain its RE DNA, though

Now, it should be said that this has not been officially confirmed, so we can only assume these are speculations at this stage. However, the leaker does go on to say that RE9 �and other upcoming projects spoken about �will still retain their respective DNAs. This means a Resident Evil game that's open-world will still feel like Resident Evil.

But we don't know what's happening ??with the ninth entry yet. Some may have concerns about the long-running survival horror series beco?ming open-world. The franchise has typically opted for more linear structures with a tightly packed story.

Whatever the case may be, Capcom will surely set the record straight in due time. Since the reboot in 2017, as well as the remakes, Resident Evil has been on top form. A new game is something a lot of fans will be looking forward to, s??o hopefully some sort of official announcement will be made soon.

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Capcom is one of the giants in the gaming industry, and it earned its reputation through its stable of hit franchises. This year has been a good one for the company, with titles such as Resident Evil 4 Remake and Street Fighter 6 releasing to critical acclaim. Capcom’s most recent quarterly report revealed the company’s bestselling franc??hises, and there aren’t many surp??rises.

[caption id="attachment_393594" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

Capcom franchises continue to thrive - here are the top five as of July 2023

As a surprise to nobody, Resident Evil tops the list, with 146 million units sold in the franchise's entire lifetime. This number has been boosted by Resident Evil 4 Remake, which has sold 5 million units as of July 2023.

Other titles in the series also continue to sell well, with Resident Evil 2 Remake surpassing 12 million units sold. Fans of the franchise can look forward to RE4 Remake’s VR mode which is in development.

The rest of the list looks like this:

2. Monster Hunter - 94 million units
3. Street Fighter - 52 million units
4. Mega Man - 40 million units
5. Devil May Cry - 29 million units
6. Dragon’s Dogma - 7.7 million units

Monster Hunter’s lifetime sales are to be expected, as the report also reveals that Monster Hunter Rise has sold over 13 million units, with Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak selling over 6 million units. Street Fighter 6, th?e latest entry in the series, launched in June?? and has already sold over 2 million units.

Plenty of upcoming Capcom titles will ensure those sales numbers stay high. This includes Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Hopefully, the indefinitely delayed Pragmata also sees the light of day eventually.

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The sale runs until June 23

Dragon's Dogma is on sale right now, in part to celebrate the announcement of the sequel late last night in an errant Capcom stream.

So the general gist of the sale is a roughly 84% off discount on every platform but Switch, where it's 66% off. Here's the breakdown, with link?s:

• PC/Steam - $4.79 - PC/GOG - $5.09 - Humble Bundle
• Xbox (playable on Xbox One/Series X and S) - $4.??49
• PSN (playable on PS4 and PS5) - $4.79
• Switch - $9.99

For under five bucks, Dragon's Dogma is definitely worth it. It's one of the wildest games of the last 10 years or so, offering up an epic adventure with all sorts of wonkiness to boot. That pr?ice will help the latter elements go down smoother, and given that it's not for everyone, even if you abandon it ??eventually you won't have spent too much on it.

In that sense, the sequel is a massive opportunity to correct the technical sins of its father. It took a long time, but Dragon's Dogma (partially through the Arisen release) garnered a lot of goodwill within the gaming community, as it was an honest effort at? a unique open world experience, with a bit of flair. If they can shore things up with an updated RE Engine foundation, it could take off even more.

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"Sorry to have kept you waiting"

During the Dragon's Dogma 10th anniversary stream, Capcom kept us waiting, but finally confirmed what we've all been waiting for: a sequel is happening! Dragon's Dogma II is real.

Game director Hideaki Itsuno spoke about his origins with RPGs and the development process for the still-unique-to-this-day Dragon's Dogma before showing his new t-shirt and confirming that, yes, Dragon's Dogma II is "currently in development."

Here's... the sequel's logo:

To be clear, no gameplay footage �not even a snippet �wa??s shown. No window, either.

According to Itsuno, "everyone in the development team is h?ard at wor?k creating a game that we hope you will enjoy." He closed the stream with a classic "please look forward to it," and that was it. After much speculation, I'm just glad it's now out in the open.

Dragon's Dogma is something of a flawed (and charmingly funny) gem, and while we did eventually get Dark Arisen, the time is right for a firing-on-all-cylinders sequel. The series has picked up fans over the years �it even got a Netflix anime adaptation �and it's clear tha??t Itsuno is passionate about returning to high-fantasy role-playing action.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORz9ArXP-Ww

Imagine your Pawns in the RE Engine

After the stream, Capcom confirmed that Dragon's Dogma II will use the RE Engine.

Not that many games could get my imagination this fired up with just a logo announcement, but then again, Dragon's Dogma isn't most games. While details are basically non-existent at this point, it's easy to imagine how cool some of these creatures will look in a modern engine a??nd?? how ridiculous our friendly neighborhood Pawns will be.

Coming off of Elden Ring, I'm so ready to see what Capcom can deliver.

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I hereby announce a video that may be nothing

[Update: While the anniversary stream was almost entirely a recap of Dragon's Dogma's development, game director Hideaki Itsuno did confirm Dragon's Dogma II is in development using the RE Engine.]

During today's Capcom Showcase live stream, director Hideaki Itsuno put in an appearance to relay a message about the popular fantasy RPG series Dragon's Dogma.

While no actual announcements were made, Itsuno noted that the series celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and that Capcom has prepared a special video to celebrate Dragon's Dogma and its games, lore, anime, and community. The video will go live on Thursday, June 16, at 15:00 PT / 18:00 ET / 23:00 BST. The video will be available on Capcom's social media channels such as YouTube and Twitter.

Now, it's understandable that this seemed like a potential tease, and that perhaps the upcoming Dragon's Dogma anniversary celebrations might be an opening to spotlight some new project related to the series �the hungry fanbase would surely love such an exciting development. But it might be better for your health to temper those expectations and just enjoy the video without too high a hope. You would think that if Capcom did have a remake, re?master, sequel, or some other new title to announce, then they might have done it during tonight's stream, or perhaps at last week's Summer Game Fest.

So, just, keep yo'self in check... FOR NOW... (but really, don't get your hopes up.)

The post Dragon’s Dogma will release a 10th anniversary celebration video this week appeared first on Destructoid.

It's time for the annual "where's the sequel?" chant

The Dragon's Dogma 10th anniversary is underway, and Capcom is celebrating it with (!)...a website dedicated to the series??. It's one of the most Capcom th?ings we'll see all week!

Amid a historical breakdown of the several projects that the franchise has produce?d, we get a shor?t message from the game's legendary director Hideaki Itsuno (who is still at Capcom, and still wants to make a sequel):

"Dragon's Dogma, first released in 2012, is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Thank you, Arisen, for taking up arms and braving through the impossible challenges laid ahead of you. We are forever grateful for your support throughout the years and hope you will join us in this momentous celebration of Dragon's Dogma!"

As a reminder, Dragon's Dogma launched in 2012, and was eventually awarded an expansion-re-release of sorts with Dark Arisen. In 2015, Dragon's Dogma Online was released exclusively in Japan, which didn't help keep up the series' cachet worldwide. In 2020, an anime adaptation debuted on Netflix. We're still waiting for a? cold hard sequel or a true follow-up.

Hopefully, this Dragon's Dogma 10th anniversary website is the start of that campaign. While the art is lovely, the site isn't too much to look at currently. Out of the six "historical bullet points," three of them are for ports of Dark Arisen on various platforms.

Still, sequel-begging ????aside, this series deserves to be celebrated in some fashion, and if this is all we're getting, at least it's something.

The post Capcom celebrates Dragon’s Dogma 10th anniversary with…a website and not a game appeared first on Destructoid.

Breath of Fire

Netflix has released the debut trailer for its upcoming anime adaptation of Capcom's celebrated series, Dragon's Dogma, which wi?ll premiere on the streaming service from Septembe??r 17.

Dragon's Dogma will tell the story of warrior Ethan, whose heart was stolen in battle by a fearsome dragon, leaving him to wander the world as an "Arisen," living in a perpetual limbo state? between life and death. Ethan, along with comrade Hannah and other allies, must battle an army of vicious dragons - representing the Seven Deadly Sins - if he is to confront his nemesis and find ??his eternal peace.

The exciting two-minute preview gives fans their first opportunity to see the dramatic and grim tale of the fantasy adventure franchise brought to life, courtesy of sharp CG visuals from Japanese studio Sublimation. From these early clips, I think Dragon's Dogma looks really promising. Here's hoping it lives up to fans' expectations on release. Better yet, here's hoping it stokes the fire in Capcom to develop a new video game entry in this long-dormant series.

Dragon's Dogma premieres on Netflix September 17.

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Bard killed them with a single arrow!

It seems Demon's Souls isn't the only cult classic RPG that is having its online option turned off in 2018. Capcom has announced that the Xbox 360 versions of Dragon's Dogma and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen will have its online component shuttered on March 31, 2018. In a blog over on Capcom Unity, it sp??ecifically mentions that "Pawn Rental" and "Ur-dragon" will be gone, though the game will rem?ain fully playable offline.

It seems odd that only the Xbox 360 version of the game is being shut down, but that probably has to do with a decreased player count. Seeing as how the game came out six years ago and Sony has been dominating this g??eneration with the PS4, it could even be possible that most 360 players shifted gears to Sony's platform for the next-gen re-release. Whatever the case, mark your calendars if you were a fan of this quirky action title and happened to own it on Microsoft's last-gen box.

Dragon's Dogma [Twitter]

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It's a JRPG weekend

Final Fantasy IX made its Steam debut this week. The classic RPG is listed for $21, but now through April 20 there's a 20 percent off publisher discount to $16.79. The same deal is even better at GMG wi??th a stackin??g coupon, knocking the price further down to only $13.44 -- a full 36 percent off the list price. Now we're in reasonable territory for a port  of a 15-year-old game.

The same retailer is also pulling out a big discount card on Dragon's Dogma. After? releasing on the PC earlier this year, this is the first time the title has been ava??ilable for less than $20. Now at $18, it's a good price point to pick up if you've been on the fence since launch.

Finally, those looking to get an Xbox One are in luck because there's a dirt cheap Xbox One Quantum Break bundle for just $279 on eBay from authoriz??ed Microsoft seller Antonline. This price is a historic low we've seen for this speci??fic bundle, and is one of the cheapest we've seen yet for a 500GB model.

Top Deals

• Final Fantasy IX (Steam) — $13.44  (list price $21) <- Yay, Vivi. Use code: DEALZON20
• Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam) — $18  <- Code: DEALZON25
• The Banner Saga 2 (Steam) — $13.50  (list price $20) <- Code: DEALZON25
• Xbox One Special Edition Quantum Break Bundle — $279  (list $350) <- great price
• PS4 Uncharted Bundle + Tom Clancy's Division — $359  (list price $470)

Recent Releases

• 04/14: Code of Princess (Steam) — $10.80  (list price $15)
• 04/12: Dark Souls III (Steam) — $49.49  (list price $60)
• 04/12: Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition — $68  (list price $85) <- Code: DEALZON20
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Should 'have it at E3 next year'

During Sony's PlayStation 4 reveal event, Capcom showed off Deep Down, a game slated for PS4 and running on Capcom's next-gen engine, codenamed "Panta Rhei." The game looks positively medieval, not too dissimilar from Capcom property Dragon's Dogma. There are even dragons. Still, on the Capcom forum, senior VP Christian Svensson put the kibosh on any notions of relation between the two games: "For reference [Dead Rising 3] and Deep Down have nothing to do with Dragon's Dogma."

Meanwhile, the Dragon's Dogma franchise, post Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, is presently persisting as a free-to-play Vita exclusive, Dragon's Dogma Quest. Capcom is adamant about turning the series into one of its flagship franchises. Maybe Deep Down is something like a spiritual forebearer to Dragon's Dogma, allowing Capcom to test the next-gen waters and its new engine with a fresh IP before going all in with another Dragon's Dogma?

On the topic of Deep Down, Svensson noted, "It’s still quite far off. Ono-san tweeted we’d have it at E3 next year." Could Capcom up and run both games simultaneously despite perceived overlap? Or does having Deep Down at E3 next year back up the notion of it coming out first while Dragon's Dogma gets a new game announced at the conference?

The post Deep Down a ways away, not related to Dragon’s Dogma appeared first on Destructoid.

You better back it up

Well, snap, talk about a patch release going horribly wrong; Capcom Unity has put out a warning of sorts aimed at Dragon's Dogma and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen players regarding a recent patch that was pushed out. Failur??e to heed their advice may result in you losing your save files.

"A number of users have encountered an unforeseen issue with a recent downloadable Title Update (patch). The TU, in some cases, has caused players' DD save data to become corrupted," reads the PSA. "To prevent the possibility of permanent loss of your data, please copy your existing save data (whether it be DD or DDDA) to an external storage device or cloud w??henever possible."

If all else fails, Capcom recommends that you simply play offline so that you won't be prompted to download the menacing patch in the first place. As for what's being done to remedy the situation, Capcom hopes to ?have something figured out soon.

Anyone here had their save files ren??dered useless by this patch?

The post Latest Dragon’s Dogma update may destroy your save file appeared first on Destructoid.

But Capcom's Christian Svensson still presses the issue

Many of you have wondered why on earth has Dragon's Dogma not been released on PC. It would be a great fit, right? Well Christian Svensson, corporate officer and senior vice president of Capcom USA, agrees. However, when a member from Capcom Unity spotted a PC listing for Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen on the German GameStop website, Svensson with great regret confirmed th?e rumors to be fals??e.

What he did say though is that he was still discussing it with producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, bringing the topic up any time he could, with the most recent occasion just being two days ago. So if there's a message for all those Dragon's Dogma P??C advocates it's this -- continue making your voices heard. For if nothing else, you've got a friend in Christian.

Ask Capcom - Dragon's Dogma PC on Germa?n Gamestop? [Capcom Unity]

The post German PC listing of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen quashed appeared first on Destructoid.

Details revealed

Capcom has set a solid date for their expansion for Dragon's Dogma. Scheduled for April 23 in North America (and April 26 in Europe), Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen will be available as either a full game digital download or a physical disc. It adds a new area, enemies, missions and more to the already large original game. The price? Only $39.99.

If you got down with the original game, you'll be able to export your characters to this new tale, and then use them to earn new skills, and try on new armor and weapons. Beyond this, you'll get a bonus 100,000 Rift Crystals, unlimited Ferrystones, and the Gransys Armour Pack consisting of six more costumes for free with Dark Arisen. Nice!

For those new to the Dragon's Dogma, don't worry; you'll b??e able to start from the beginning.

Capcom says that they've worked in some improvements from feedback, so expect easier travel and a be??tter menus??. 

See the list below for Ca??pcom's list of new content for this expan??sion.

The post Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen launches April 23 appeared first on Destructoid.

Free title update next week

Earlier this year, Capcom briefly spoke of an expansion and new modes that were planned for Dragon's Dogma. The company has since shed further light on the situation, noting that the action-RPG will be given a free title update across Xbox 360 and Play??Station 3 on December 4 which introduces two extra modes: Speedrun and Hard.

The update, "A Trial for Adventures - Challenge Pack," will offer equipment as incentives for completing either mode. Getting through Hard mode should hopefully be rewarding in and of itself, but if you're curious what the gear looks like, Capcom Unity has some images.

The post Hard and Speedrun modes incoming for Dragon’s Dogma appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus two new free modes coming this year

Capcom has released a few screenshots and a short video for an upcoming expansion to Dragon's Dogma titled Dark Arisen. As expected, we don't know a whole lot about this content yet, but the company specif?ically calls ?it a "full-blown major expansion" due out sometime in 2013.

While that's getting built, Capcom plans to put out two free Dragon's Dogma updates this year. One adds Speedrun mode, while the other introduces Hard mode. These will offer equipment as rewards for clearing time objectives and not getting your ass kicked by tougher enemies, respe??ctively.

Despite tho??roughly enjoying the demo, I never got around to picking ?the game up. Time to get on that.

The post Capcom teases ‘Dark Arisen’ expansion for Dragon’s Dogma appeared first on Destructoid.

Well, look at you, Capcom! All in the black, with net profits up almost 300 percent (almost $16.9 million) from last year. Sales are also up about 56 percent. Projections were met.

What did the trick for the Japanese publisher this year? Digital, mobile and their online side did well, but they specifically called out Dragon's Dogma, which has now shipped 1 million copies. They admit that the RPG struggled out of the gate in the west, but in the end exceeded expectations at home, and that the situation has "set the stage" for Dragon's Dogma to become a series. This is the second time they've mentioned this, so i??t sounds like they're serious. Great news.

Capcom also says that Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City moved 450,000 units across the board. Woo.

Capcom profits rise 290% [Gamespot]

The post Capcom profits up 290%, Dragon’s Dogma to be a series appeared first on Destructoid.

Most of you were probably holding onto your Dragon's Dogma disc for the recently released Resident Evil 6 demo, but you may want to hold onto it a bit longer.

In light of an interview with 4Gamer, it looks like more than a few downloadable equipment sets and petty quests are in the cards for Dragon's Dogma. Director Hideaki Itsuno has confirmed the existence of f??uture downloadable content that will add "new play elements" to the game.

Itsuno went on to say, "I'm sure many have already cleared the game, but for Dragon's Dogma, we're continuing to prepare new play elements. It would ??be best if you held on to the game for ??a bit."

Of course, you never know these days if the content is actually "on the way," or if it's already on the disc.

More Dragon's Dogma Download Content On the Way [Andriasang]

The post More Dragon’s Dogma DLC is on the way appeared first on Destructoid.

Dragon's Dogma has shipped over a million copies worldwide, prompting Capcom to put its faith behind the IP and declare it the beginning of a major franchise. Now we can look forward to Dragons Dogma: Operation Gran Soren and Dragon's Dogma Arcade Edition! Oh, the sweet exploitation. 

"Dragon's Dogma set a new record in Japan for sales volume of an entirely new brand in its first week for releases during the past decade. Worldwide shipments have surpassed one million," stated the publisher. "As a result, Dragon's Dogma has become Capcom's 55th title to top the one million level, demon??strating once again that Capcom ranks among the world's leading game produce?rs in terms of technical and development skills."

Capcom says it wants the series to become "another pillar of earnings," which means it wants to release a bunch of sequels, and has also hinted at more downloadable content for the original game, since it clearly hasn't had enough yet. 

Sarcasm aside, I am glad to see the game did well. It was full of great ideas that were offset by ??a few very noticeable problems, and I'd be very interested to see a sequel that addresses those setbacks. 

Dragons Dogma sold over 1 million copies worldwide, will become a major fr??anchise [Videogamer]

The post Dragon’s Dogma ships 1 million, is now a big franchise appeared first on Destructoid.

They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong.&nbsp;They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. They're masterworks all, you can'?t go wrong.

Perhaps we may find aught of use. 

The post They’re masterworks all, you can’t go wrong appeared first on Destructoid.

Of all the games announced by Capcom in 2011, Dragon's Dogma caught my eye the most. It boasted visuals reminiscent of Demon's Souls, a winding world of huge beasts in the same vein as Monster Hunter, and huge battles against mythical creatures that bear more than a hint of Team ICO's ??work. Ve??ry promising. 

Although few paid attention to it at first, the game has drawn more eyes as more content was revealed, and with good reason. Dragon's Dogma i??s an exhilarating, if sometimes problematic, adventure. There's a lot to love in this beast-slaying rom??p, although sometimes you have to look very hard to find it. 

Also, you bully Griffons. Straight up bully them??. Thank the maker there's no cryptozoological version of PETA.

Dragon's Dogma (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: May 22, 2012
MSRP: $59.99

Dragon's Dogma puts players in the boots of an Arisen -- one of many heroes who had a fatal encounter with a dragon, only to wake ??up with their heart removed and the power to attract a legion of loyal followers. Our dragon in question happens to be of the apocalyptic variety, happily threatening to destroy the realm of Gransys and all within it. Naturally, the Arisen's task is to stop him, while hoping to reclaim the old ticker as a nice bonus. 

The narrative is not exactly deep and complex, residing securely in familiar tropes and recognizable conflicts. We have the zany religious cult, the corrupt politicians, the giggling goblin henchmen, all the typical fantasy characters that help propel a typical fantasy plot. That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course. While it treads no new ground, the story is delivered with gusto and confidence. Not every tale has to be mindblowingly unique, and Dragon's Dogma is at least enjoy??able in its comfortable, by-the-book yarn. 

That said, story isn't really the point of the game, more of an excuse to get to the killing. In the style of a classic Japanese action-RPG, the main focus is on grabbing contracts, going out into the world to slay beasts, and gaining more power than one knows what to do with. The thrill of the hunt and a lust for loot serve as their own rewards, and Dragon's Dogma isn'??t shy about providing them in equal measure. 

There are three classes to choose from, and like so much about this game, they don't break a great deal in the way of new ground. You have your Fighter, your Mage, and your Ranger, although later on players get an opportunity to further d??evelop these classes or hybridize a pair of them to access new weapons and skills. Leveling up automatically boosts one's characteristics, while development points are earned and used at resting areas to unlock a range of passive and active abilities. At any point, players are free to spend their DP on changing classes, allowing for complete freedom in how a character is built. If you want a melee fighter enhanced with spells, you can create a Mystic Knight. If you get bored of sorcery, you can spend the points and create a Warrior, gaining even more close-combat power. It's up to you, and nobody is punish??ed for making a choice they later regret. 

Choice plays a big role in Dogma's most original idea, the Pawn System. As an Arisen, the player has an affinity with a race of creatures belonging to the Pawn Legion -- humanoids devoid of pe??rsonal ambition that exist simply to serve the whims of real people. Near the beginning of the game, players can create their own Pawn to serve them throughout the adventure, using a relatively deep customization system (which is also used for the main character). This pawn is subject to the exact same strengths and limitations as the player, able to level up, equip weapons, pick classes, and earn skills. Naturally, there's an advantage in choosing a class that compliments your own, so a Ranger player may want a Fighter Pawn to hold targets in place, or a Mage to augment arrows with elemental magicks. 

As well as a main sidekick, two further Pawns may also be recruited to the party at any given time, found by entering the many Rift Stones dotted around Gransys. Unlike the player-crafted Pawn, these henchmen are pre-packaged with their own unalterable classes, skil??ls, and levels. They cannot be leveled up, and they won't hand their equipment over, even if you've given them gear from the common st??ash. Pawns spawn in the Rift at the same level as the player, though an in-depth search system lets one find higher level pawns, as well as those carrying skills that may be of use to the current party setup. Once again, the aim is to create a balanced team that compliments the current play style. For example, my Assassin (Fighter and Ranger hybrid) really started succeeding once he was backed up by a Warrior and two Sorcerers. Experimenting to find the right team is as easy as it is encouraged. 

While there are random pawns generated within the game, folk playing online will be able to borrow the Pawns of other players, and can even rate them. Pawns will earn loot and Rift Crystals (used to buy high-level Pawns and special equipment) while traveling online, which they'll do whenever the player rests at an Inn or similar location. In this regard, the game becomes a strange Pokemon experience, albeit with the creepy element of borderline human slavery?. 

Armed with weapons, skills, and loyal Pawns, the player is ready to storm Gransys and take out vicious beasts for coin and fame. Missions can be obtained from NPCs or job boards, and mostly consist of standard assassination&nbsp;and item collection tasks. Gransys is open and free to explore, though several areas are off limits until unlocked during main story missions, and many areas contain dangerous opponents that may be far above the player's level ??for some time. Aimless wandering can end in swift death for those unprepared. 

Dragon's Dogma's combat is, simply put, a joy to behold. The focus on heavy, brutal action makes for an engrossing experience, full of so much activity that it can be hard to keep track of what's going on. As Sorcerers turn your arrows into bolts of flame, Warriors climb on the backs of trolls, and Pawns call for aid, there's an intensity of information that turns even the most mundane?? fights into something more involved. Every monster has a sense of presence in the world, a sense augmented when you get to grab ahold of them, crawl up their legs, and stab them in the necks. Once players start encountering cyclopes, chimeras, and griffons, the action goes beyond intense and truly justifies a word overused by ?the Internet generation (but rightly deserved here) -- epic. 

Battles against larger creatures are lengthy, dangerous, and utterly thrilling. Each monster has an arsenal of devastating attacks and often boasts a surprising amount of speed to back up its power. While at first, these battles can seem insurmountable, there are some beautifully logical tactics that can be employed to take each creature down. For example, a Chimera is terribly intimidating, comprised of a vicious lion head, a magic-spewing goat head, and a poisonous snake head. However, each head can be systematically taken out, and players can grab onto the monster's side and drag it to the ground, rendering it temporarily vulnerable. Meanwhile, the Griffon loves to fly out of range before swooping in with nasty attacks, but a Ranger armed with oil arrows can work with a fire-aligned Mage and turn the monster's wings into barbecue, s??ending it crashing to the earth. Each opponent has a range of weaknesses to go with its defenses, waiting to be discovered. 

Coupled with this tactical combat is some glorious visual feedback in the form of procedural damage. The more players wail on an opponent, the more bloody and battered it becomes. The once powerful Chimera can end a fight with its serpentine head lopped off and a dead goat hanging limp off its back. The regal Griffon doesn't look so proud once its feathers are soaked in its blood and its wings are wreathed in flame. So effective is the battle damage, it almost inspires guilt. It's difficult not to feel sorry for some of these monsters when they've been battered so badly that their physically unrecognizable, but the pity is soon replaced by utter jubilation when, after a lengthy battle that could have gone either way, a deadly enemy now lies slain, spewing gold and crafting materials that can be used to build even more powerful weapons and armor. The sense of accomplishment and relief is matched only by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and in many ways, Dragon's Dogma eclipses Bethesda's efforts. 

All this revelry, however, comes at a price. Dragon's Dogma is at its best when it's p??roviding dramatic encounters against slavering behemoths, but the moments between those encounters can be cripplingly miserable. The biggest problem is the lack of a competent fast travel system. As stated earlier, Gransys is huge, and players are expected to travel everywhere on foot, at all times. Not only that, but characters move slowly and sprinting is governed by a stamina bar that drains pathetically quickly. It can take a very long time to get from one city to another, meaning a lot of time on the road with no horses or similar methods of getting around swiftly. 

Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad if one were constantly exploring new areas, but the vast majority of the game is rooted in backtracking, as missions strike out from the city of Gran Soren and place their objectives at the end of a handful of paths in which enemies respawn at their exact same locations, meaning that multiple journeys thro?ugh the same area will play out identically. Ferrystones can be obtained? that will warp the party back to Gran Soren, and later on there are portals that can be discovered to create customized fast travel points, but the expense and rarity of these items means that players will be forced to retread old ground dozens and dozens of times, with no sense of dynamism to keep things interesting. 

This isn't helped by the Pawns themselves, who never shut up. They'll even talk over plot-relevant dialog if they're feeling particularly chatty, and they never have anything interesting to say. In fact, their dialog is generated by location, so they'll say the same things every time you walk past the same spot. This is particularly silly when your sidekick remarks on Gran Soren's size with surprise, despite having seen it twenty times already. Not only that, but the game doesn't care about which direction you're heading when the dialog is triggered, so your Pawns will commonly warn you of a Goblin ambush that you defeated three minutes ago, or wonder who a mysterious character is hours after the character has been identified. The blissful ignorance of Pawns would almost be charming if their statements aren't churned out with such sickening regularity that one feels compelled to scream at them every time they open their slack, drooling mouths. They also say "aught" instead of "something," which sounds like a small nitpick, but just you wait. Just ?you wait until you've heard them say "aught" a hundred times over the course of an hour. You'll learn to hate that word, no matter how cleverly medieval it sounds. 

The Pawns' dialog is indicative of a ?larger issue with the game, an overwhelming sense that Gransys isn't a believable world. For as much energy put into making the larger monsters feel real, no effort seemed to have been expended for anything else. With enemies respawning in the same areas, cities feeling empty, and NPCs wandering aimlessly with nothing to do, Gransys is a static and artificial place. There's no atmosphere to speak of, which is dreadful when compared to just how engrossing the combat is. Once an abomination has been put to the sword, the sense of accomplishment is soon replaced with a sense of abandonment as players are once against thrust into a plastic world, all too willing to remind them that they're not immersed in a breathing universe, but simply playing a videogame. The glorified pop-up adverts for DLC don't exactly help in that regard. 

Graphically, the game isn't spectacular, particularly with its washed out color scheme, but the artfully detailed animations make up for it. Little touches, such as characters reeling from the air pressure of a dragon's flapping wings, or the scrambling of a hero as an ogre tries to shake it off its back, give this incredible sense of interaction between opposing forces. When weapons hit their targets, they feel like they actually hit something, and even if players are stuck babysitting their Pawns now and then, one cannot deny?? that the party looks just like a cohesive unit at allies help each other, carry the fallen to safety, and drag beasts down for others to unleash their fury. 

Were it not for the sluggish pace and stark alienation between battles, Dragon's Dogma would be immortalized as a classic. When it hits its stride, it is remarkable, more than capable of providing some of the most electrifying carnage a videogame could hope to provide. The ambition and scale of these fights, not to? mention the wealth of options and equal dangers, is astounding, and worthy of the highest praise. Sadly, the amou?nt of player time wasted, complete with irritating dialog and repetitive busywork, borders on abusive. It really undermines the genuine beauty, as what could have been a consistently breathtaking experience is regularly reduced to a soulless product. Never have I seen a game so capable of drawing players in while so eager to spit them back out. 

Should you play Dragon's Dogma? Yes. The high points are so very worth getting to, and while the main game will be cleared in a number of hours, there are lots of monsters to battle and a dose of end-game content to clear, providing more than enough to rival the Skyrims and Diablos of the world. Just be aware that, for all the absorbing and exciting things to be found in?? Gransys, there are almost as many disappointing and infuriating things to let you down. Just grit your teeth, fight through the pain, and the rewards are there.

The post Review: Dragon’s Dogma appeared first on Destructoid.

So I'm sure most of you by now will have heard of Capcom's upcoming Western/Eastern-Skyrim-Monster Hunter-Dark Souls-inspired-medieval-monster-slaying-epic that is Dragon's Dogma, which is exactly one week from now. If by any chance, you've been living under a rock -- or not checking out Dtoid regularly -- our corgi lover leader Dale had an interview with producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi at SDCC last year, and recently gave us a wonderfully extensive preview of the game, whilst Jim gave his trademark Jimpressions on the demo around the same time. Both were mightily impressed - particularly Dale - though recent revelations and decisions regarding Capcom DLC have left a?? sour taste in the consumers' mouths yet again.

For those wondering what on earth these Japanese devs are saying, don't worry as it's mostly all things Dale has already covered. The dragon rips ??out the protagonist's heart. Rather than dying, it just so happens that he is "the Arisen" - the enlightened one destined to slay the dragon. "Pawns" then appear out of nowhere, who exist to serve and help him in the quest to defeat the dragon and get his heart back. 

There were small snippets of new info on plot points, such as finding out why these pawns exist and why they obey "the Arisen." The developers also describe having a strong desire to build a game where these pawns would appear very human and be genuine in wanting to help while allowing you to build them however you please, turning them into?? the rays of hope necessary to overcome all adversity that lies before you. 

The rest of the spiel talks about the abilities of the pawns. They can be your partners in battle, employing battle tactics and saving you from death, whilst able to acquire vital information for you. Depending on what par??ty you choose, battles will operate differently, offering many new possibilities and experiences. Furthermore, with the help of the Rift system whereby online players can borrow your Pawn and take them along on their quests, the developers revels on the prospects of allowing you to utilise the Pawn's personal experiences when they come back to aid you further. For them, all the quest knowledge, battle knowledge, and offering advice on playing, adds to the possible adventure experiences on offer, and adds value to the game as a whole. 

So, with just over a week to go, who's up for some more monster slaying? Or has the ever-present DLC debacle turned you all away from this potential beast of a game? Also, anyone getting it for the Resident Evil 6 demo at all? After all, I know a few people who only bought Ninja Gaiden 3 for the Dead or Alive 5 demo.

The post More fire in the belly with another Dragon’s Dogma video appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a creature somewhere in Dragon's Dogma that will take the comb?ined effort of active players and their loudmouth Pawns before it goes down. An??d it's a particularly nasty looking dragon. Of course it is!

The collective attack of everyone playing the game online will eventually be enough to slay this Ur-Dragon, and the person who lands the final blow will receive a s??pecial reward. The rest of us unlucky adventures can earn common and rare items along the way, while all participants will appear in the game's hall of fame.

So what about people who aren't going to play Dragon's Dogma online? Thankfully, they won't miss out on the Ur-Drag?on encounter. Capcom says they'll be able to fight the beast alone (presumab??ly it has far less health offline) and will get different rewards than those who take part in the asynchronous battle.

The post It’ll take all of us to kill this boss in Dragon’s Dogma appeared first on Destructoid.

I've had a good feeling about Dragon's Dogma ever since it was announced, and the recently released demo gives me no cause to revoke that feeling as of yet. While very chaotic, and sometimes a little hard to follow the sheer mass of on-screen information, Dogma's sense of scale and pompo??us grandeur is entertainingly exhilarating. 

Armed with bows, blades, and a cadre of CPU-controlled pawns that can hold enemies in place, back you up wit??h spells, or just join in the attack, players are armed to the teeth with an arsenal that decimates huge mythical creatures. By far the best part is downing a winged creature with arrows, grabbing hold of it while it's grounded, and slashing it in the head as it takes to the air. This game lets you grab onto a Griffon's head and stab it in the sky ... and that's pretty awesome. 

The demo gives you two short quests, each with two big monsters -- a griffon and a chimera -- to tackle. You can also fiddle with the character generation for your main character an??d your lead pawn. It's pretty robust, making use of pre-sets but providing enough options for you to get the character you're looking for. 

So far, it's looking pretty good for Dragon's Dogma. It seems to be one of those rare games where the overused word "epic" might actually mean something. I also love the idea of the pawn system, and how you can summon all sorts of different allies, who can grow stronger. Feels a bit like Pokemon. A blood-soaked, medieval Pokemon. I like that. 

The demo's on Xbox Live right now and should be on PSN this afternoon, if it's not already available. Be sure to read Dale North's full preview, too!

The post Demo Jimpressions: Dragon’s Dogma appeared first on Destructoid.

The Dragon's Dogma demo is available on Xbox Live today for Gold members and the PSN for everyone -- it weighs in at about 1.5GB. If you have no idea what Capcom's latest fantasy adventure game is even about, this video will give you a decent intro. You can grab the 360 demo now, but you'll have to wait until this ev?ening for the PS3 version.

Once you download the trial, feel free to mess around with pawns, pikes, and encounter a ton of fantastic problems. After you're done, you'll be able to transfer your character over to the final version. Dale seemed to really enjoy adventuring around the game's open fantasy world, so at least give it a try at some point!

Dragon's Dogma is still set to release May 24th with a token for the upcoming Resident Evil 6 demo. I'm not completely sold on the game (and I know many of you aren't either),?? so be on the lookout for our official revi??ew next month!

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They had me at open-world where you'll travel to kingdoms as the fated one to slay the dragon and save the world. I love that sh*t, even if I've just played a few games that sounded much like that recently. But it makes sense that another Western-style RPG is being attempted, especially after the wild success of games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Kingdoms of Amalur, and The Witcher 2. There's still a? bit of room left for more ??in this genre space, especially when new, standout ideas are involved.

These Western-style RPGs are really hot these days, so much so that Eastern developers are now trying their hand at the genre. Most recently, From Software's Souls franchise made a bloody splash, with the punishment of Dark Souls still fresh in gamers' minds. Now Capcom takes up sword and shield, suiting up members of the Devil May Cry and Resident Evil development teams to go into battle with their own open-world quest fest, called Dragon's Dogma. And it's gooooood.

Dragon's Dogma (PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release: May 22, 2012

While Capcom has Japanese'd the WRPG forumla in Dragon's Dogma, you wouldn't know it from the game's big budget story-establishing cutscene, as it's about as Western as it gets. After a dragon swoops in to attack your seaside town, you decide to get ballsy and defend your home, taking up a fallen soldier's sword to go face to face claw with the beast. Unfortunately, your weak sword jab is nothing to the dragon's scaly hand, but ??it's still enough to piss him off, so he plucks your heart out with a single clawnail, leaving you to die on the beach. But you don't die. It turns out that you're the Arisen, a destined hero th?at actually has the power to take down the dragon. Go figure.

After creating your character, customizing its look, and choosing its class (picking from a warrior, mage or strider), you'll set off on a seemingly endless fantasy adventure, where you'll explore a vast open world, taking on countless quests, lengthy treks and huge monsters, working to finally make your way back to the dragon, hoping to get your heart back. Dogma's world can be freely explored in that Elder Scrolls kind of way where it seems like you could walk for days, constantly finding something interesting in the distance to make your way t??owards. It also shares another trait with that franchise: managing to suck you in to its world and take over yo??ur imagination.

You'll never explore alone, as Dragon's Dogma Pawn system has party mem??bers always at the ready for you. Pawns mystically appear from a void called the Rift, ready to serve the Arisen. They have no soul or will of their own, and are totally open to your commands a??nd wishes, following you around loyally, calling you "master." You'll get one main Pawn that you can mould as you see fit, establishing their class, look, weapons, abilities and even behavior. Beyond this buddy you'll have access to two more Pawns from the Rift to make a party of four, though you aren't able to customize the other two.

In an interesting online connectivity twist, your main Pawn is sh??ared online, uploaded to the rift for others to hire and use in their own party. The higher you level your Pawn, the more it's worth, and the more it will cost? other players to use. Similarly, you can spend earned RC (Rift credits) to hire someone else's Pawn, adding them to your own party. These pawns can be freely dumped and hired as you see fit, enabling you to custom tailor your party for any battle or quest situation. My pawn is only worth a few hundred RC, but she has already gone out on adventures without me, always coming back with experience, money, item loot and even advice for quests I might go on later.

Through this system, Capcom has figured out a way for all Dragon's Dogma players to enjoy their own single-player experiences while maintaining some online interactivity with each other. You're able to reap the benefits of other player's journeys through their Pawns, and you'll pass on your experiences (uploaded every time you stay at an inn) to them in the same way. This always-connected backbone is the unique twist that makes Dragon's Dogma stand out from t?he other recent open-world games. 

Thankfully, these Pawns aren't just mindless bots. They're actually quite talkative, offering up guidance or advice frequently during your travels. They're also pretty handy in battle, with the AI balance keeping them busy working within the confines of their class, though sometimes smartly breaking out to assist you with buffs, or offer up a heal spell in a pinch. In key battles they'll yell at you to point out weak spots or key strategies, and after successful battles will shower you with praise, or sigh in relief after closer ones. Even during adventuring they'll serve as a sort?? of working tour guide through the game's world, quick to point out landmarks or enjoy the scenery while picking up loot and picking off baddies along the way. So, while you're technically playing alone in a single-player story, through Pawns you'll never feel alone, and with party members pulled from the Rift, you'll feel like you're playing with others. Neat stuff.

While Dogma's world is freely explorable, you'll want to take on quests to get started, with the hopes of eventually building up your abilities to take on the big guy. Quests can be found everywhere, from job posting boards to NPCs, and their type varies greatly, ranging from ite??m delivery and escort work to full-on beast slaying duties. You'll literally trip over things to do, though it's ultimately up to you to decide what you'd like to take on. For my first few hours I took on whatever looked fun, slowly working my way up to more serious work. Even though I've only played for about a week, I'm already hooked on the pleasant pace this game sets. 

Beyond the standard training quests, it's easy to bite off more than you can chew, even early on. I made the mistake of taking on a quest where I was tasked with exploring a well to kick out some baddies that managed to sneak in after the dragon attack. It sounded easy enough, and started out with killing mere critters, but it quickly&n??bsp;escalated, putting me in a sub-boss battle with four reptile-like creatures that quickly devoured my party. Coming back a bit later had me barely taking them down, but later encountering some rogue bandits that destroyed my party once again in the same area. Defeated, I set about getting stronger, venturing out of the city to gain experience and learn more about the world. After many more quests, customizations, spell upgrades, armor purchases, and a better knowledge of battle techniques, I boldly marched back into the well, ripped through the reptiles with lightning spells from above, breezed past the bandits with melee attacks, and came out of a well passage on the other side, chest held high. I probably put 30 minutes into party prep and weapon selection before this quest on the third time, but it was easily worth the time. 

Battling goes down in third-person, through a combat system system that manages to be both fast and meaty -- the best of both worlds. It's fast but not floaty, and there's plenty of strategy required, so it's not like you're doing mindless Devil May Cry-style slashing. Basic attacks come off quickly, whether it be sword slashes or spell casts, but the harder, meaner ones take time, effo??rt and planning, and careless misuse will find you staring at the retry screen. When the big hits connect, it feels good, but it's never an easy thing, though you'll get better at it as you learn your character's intricacies. Main attacks are mapped to face buttons, and assignable skills can be mapped to a button combination that uses the bumpers as shift buttons. This allows free swapping of any of your skill sets, letting you get creative in your attacking strategies. 

From what I've seen of the game, you'll need to take full advantage of the dynamic combat system to survive. You'll blast through basic rats and bats without effort, but anything beyond that is a solid challenge. You're not up against Dark Souls-style ball busting here, but you also shouldn't expect to mash your way through anything less than a simple goblin. If you're outnumbered, you're probably going to die, at least early on. If you're ill-equipped? Dead. Out-ranked?? Dead. And if your exploration sense overrides your common sense and has you venturing out a bit too far from home base? Super dead. This was a tough but enjoyable lesson.

Excuse the story-based pun, but Dragon's Dogma has already stole my heart in the week or so I've spent with it. Its mix of Western foundations and Eastern design make for a really unique experience, and the online connectivity concepts are promising. Beyond this, there's so much to explore, and even with a week under my belt, I?'ve only un??furled a small section of what looks to be a huge world map. I can't wait to see what's out there.

If you like Western open-world RPGs, please put this on your list of games to check out. A demo is coming on April 24, and that's certainly something to look forward to, I'm worried that even a lengthy demo is going to be too limited to show the full scope of the journey. I definitely recommend that players check out this upcoming demo, but I still think that only after you've spent some real time exploring will you get a real feeling of what Dragon's Dogma has to offer.

Get ready, though. I think y?ou're going to l?ike this.

The post Preview: Dragon’s Dogma is gooooood appeared first on Destructoid.

I actually took a break from playing a preview build of Dragon's Dogma to tell you that a demo is coming our way this month. Capcom has confirmed a demo release on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network for April 24 for North America, wi??th Europe getting theirs on PSN the next day, April 25.

The demo gives you a party of three Pawns ??and a choice of two different chara?cter classes: Fighter and Strider. If you dig the character you've created for either class, you'll be able to import them into the full game at release.

Speaking of release dates, Dragon's Dogma will be released on May 22 in North America.

I'm busy putting together a preview for next week. Oh? You want a preview of my preview? How's this: I'm pleasantly surprised at how deep Dragon's Dogma is, and at how much fun I'm having. It's really easy to ??get into, and then it sucks you in, keeping you there. 

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Dragon's Dogma may not be as exciting as Resident Evil 6 or DmC: Devil May Cry, but it's still the Capcom game I'm most intrigued by this year. With a unique co-op system, and a commitment to making you feel like a monster-bullying asshole, Dragon's Dogma really has me by the bollocks. 

Two new videos and a bunch of screens came out of that big Capcom preview event that all the posh people went to. You can look at them all right now if you like. I hav?e. I ?think they're pretty nifty.

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