Dragon’s Dogma 2

Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2 is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC . Starting with the first game released in 2012, the expanded version ` Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen '' was released in 2013, and the online play-only `Dragon’s Dogma Online ” was released in 2015. This is a wide and popular series.

In this article, we interviewed Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, the producer of Dragon’s Dogma 2, and Hideaki Itsuno, the director. We asked both of them about a variety of things, including the development process, highlights, and what caught their attention during the trial play.

An authentic sequel created to accomplish everything left undone in the previous work.
――This is an official sequel that has been released approximately 10 years after the first game. Please tell us about the background and motivation behind creating this work, “Dragon’s Dogma 2”.

Hirabayashi : For our company, Dragon’s Dogma is a very large title. To produce a so-called blockbuster, it is necessary to have a sufficient number of team members and the director’s time to concentrate.

In that sense, the fact that we were able to secure enough time and energy to create Dragon’s Dogma 2 was a huge reason why we decided to start development.

Itsuno : When I finished making my previous work, there were a lot of things I left unfinished. At the time, it was about 10 years ago, and not only was it our first open world work, but there were also technical issues, so there were a lot of things we wanted to do but couldn’t do.

So this time I decided to do all of that. We started to think that with the excellent RE engine (*) and current technology, we could do something like this… It seems like the development came about at a time when various factors were increasing, including the aforementioned personnel and time issues, as well as technical issues.

–The previous game was from the PlayStation 3 era, and there was no RE Engine. Hardware performance and technology have caught up with what I wanted to do at the time.

Itsuno (RE Engine) Expression-wise, it has become quite sophisticated. Resident Evil '' allows for realistic expressions, and Devil May Cry ” allows for effects that don’t exist in reality. Now, while creating the open world structure, we have also updated the RE engine itself, and are getting closer and closer to completion. Now, it has become an engine that can create anything.

Hirabayashi : For this project, tools for creating open-world games have also been created.

–I see. When did the project itself begin?

Itsuno: After Devil May Cry 5 '' was released, we started working on Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition ” at the same time.

I feel like the timing was right for Itsuno Hirabayashi to get serious about Dragon’s Dogma 2.

–At the “Dragon’s Dogma 10th Anniversary Fan Meeting” held in June 2022, it was announced that it was under development.

Itsuno Yes, it was (lol). Actually, at that time it was already quite advanced in development.

Hirabayashi : Rather than saying I’m going to make it, I said, “I’ve already made it.”

–The first report was announced in June of this year, but what was the reaction from fans?

Itsuno :First of all, I would like to say to those who have been waiting, “Thank you very much for keeping me waiting.” In terms of feedback, many people said, “It hasn’t changed in a good way.”

Our top priority was to make sure that the same things we cherished in the previous work are the same in this one, so we were very happy that this information was conveyed to the fans in the first report. It was.

–We also played the TGS version, and it felt exactly like Dragon’s Dogma.

ItsunoActually , the order of production is the same as the previous work. At that time, he created Devil May Cry 4, '' and used the action-related know-how he gained from that time to create the open-worldDragon’s Dogma.” This time, they will create Devil May Cry 5'' and then createDragon’s Dogma 2” while incorporating new action know-how.

Since the production process is similar, I thought that the overall taste of the games would also be similar.

――I think the RE engine is evolving and the things it can do are increasing at an accelerating rate, but on the other hand, aren’t there some areas that are having trouble because of the increase?

Itsuno : No, this is it. I was wondering if we could do more, so we ended up asking them to add more functions and add more people (lol). Rather, I would say that you have a hard time with the high demands of the production side.

With the Hirabayashi Engine production team, we first have a title, and then we communicate and prepare what is needed for that title, so I get the impression that we have very good cooperation.

Nowadays, when someone says, I want this,'' they respond,But you also want that, right?” and they say, “Oh, that’s right!” In most cases, the other party can sense what you want first.

A pawn is a “friend who stands next to you and gives you advice.” A more advanced game system
――What kind of story will this work be? Please tell us what kind of relationship or connection it has with the previous work.

Itsuno: It’s a story set in another parallel world within the same Dragon’s Dogma setting. In the early stages, the main character has his heart taken by a dragon and wakes up as a slave with no memory.

Hirabayashi : Apart from that, there is a tradition in which the country in which the story is set has a wise man who becomes the king for generations. The main flow is to weave a heroic tale as the protagonist of a story about becoming a king.

Itsuno fans will be curious about his fate as a wise man, just like in the previous work. In other words, the two tasks of getting back the stolen heart from the dragon and becoming the king of the country will proceed in parallel.

–The world of this work is said to be about four times the size of the previous work, so it looks like it will be an adventure of an incredible scale.

Itsuno: I’m not measuring it strictly (lol). That’s about four times as much. However, it’s not just about the size; it’s also four times the size, including the density of play.

Hirabayashi : That’s something I want to convey clearly. This game is not about breadth, so the density of what you can experience is more important.

If it were only Hiro Itsuno , it would be possible to create a desert here, but instead of doing that, I made it consciously to minimize the amount of boring time.

–It seems like it will be a very immersive experience. I’m looking forward to it as there will be many detours.

Itsuno: There’s no strong guidance this time, so I think people can enjoy it freely.

Hirabayashi : I think there are two types of RPGs to enjoy: those who travel at their own pace and those who focus on the story, and this game is the former. The game is designed so that each player can enjoy their own unique journey.

Itsuno : It’s like, if you do what you want to do, the story will progress naturally.

–When I was playing the game, there was a scene where a pawn led the way.

Itsuno When someone playing a game gets stuck for some reason…for example, they can’t defeat a certain boss, or they can’t solve a gimmick. In such cases, I have set my pawns as “friends who have already played the game, who will give hints in a way that doesn’t take away from the fun.”

It’s starting to look just as good. I don’t even tell them the exact directions to my destination, I just say, “This is probably the way to go” (lol).

–Certainly, Pawn’s behavior is almost like a friend talking next to you.

If you go in the opposite direction from the direction indicated by Itsuno Pawn, he will say something like, “I’m not going that way this time.” I don’t say, “Let’s definitely go this way!”

Hirabayashi : Even though you’re playing solo, you can still feel like you’re enjoying the game with someone else, which is what the previous game was aiming for with its various approaches. The challenge for the entire team is to make it even stronger this time.

The key point here is that there are no obligations. If you make it stronger, the gameplay will feel more forced. That’s why “making it look good” is important.

–If you were guided through everything and followed a single path, it would lose the open-world feel.

Itsuno: That’s right. Our big challenge this time is to avoid introducing any kind of guide wire. Let’s do all of that with just the actions and dialogue of the pawns, and simple guidance from the NPCs. I worked especially hard here.

There are markers, but I try not to use markers to show information that the main character cannot know at that moment. The marker itself also has the function of marking information for those who have forgotten information they have already acquired during the game. Like a memorandum.

――You can truly enjoy your own journey freely. Pawn is probably an important position in many ways, but are there any changes from the previous work, or are there any parts that remain?

Itsuno : An element that has been retained from the previous work but has been further strengthened is the behavior and speech of each character. The content and tone of speech differ depending on the character, and different voice actors are used for each character.

Also, the behavior of each character has been heavily seasoned, and a considerable amount of time and effort has been put into making the adventures with pawns with personalities that match your personality even more enjoyable.

–oh. This also puts a lot of effort into the training and communication of pawns.

Itsuno : I think you’ll enjoy it. This time, we also had a policy of having the pawns do all the parts that the player might find troublesome during the game. You put a lot of different elements into your pawns.

The amount of information that the player would need, which the Hirabayashi pawn itself has, is completely different from the previous game. There were quite a lot of them in the previous work, but the difference is obvious.

The number of patterns is enormous, as Itsuno Pawn combines everything he has experienced in other players’ worlds, turning them on and off in detail.

Pawn’s keyword is “I want to see my parents’ faces.” Let’s make the pawn behave in a way that makes it want to see its parents’ faces. I’m traveling with a pawn, and I’ve packed in as many elements as I can to convey the feelings and policies of the person in the world who created the pawn. –What about jobs? In this trial version, there were three jobs to choose from. Itsuno Fighter, Archer, and Thief. In the trial version, the main pawn is assigned a mage job, and four of these jobs are available for selection at the beginning. After that, the number will gradually increase as the story progresses. Regarding new jobs, we also have “Magic Swordsman”. The method of changing jobs to those jobs is also a little different from previous series, so I hope people are looking forward to that as well. Hirabayashi Magic Swordsman is a job that fights using double-edged weapons. Itsuno A weapon called the “Dual Blade”, which is wielded like a long sword. You can use your right hand to attack, and your left hand to attack with magic. HirabayashiHe is an all-rounder who is very technical and can be used at both short and medium range, such as blowing away monsters and lifting monsters and throwing them. Itsuno, the person in charge of the player characters for Devil May Cry 5, is working hard to create them. –It looks stylish. Hirabayashi :I think it feels great to the touch. And from the previous work, the popular “Magic Archer” will also appear again. Itsuno Magic Archer has a huge number of fans. We’ve received a lot of requests from users who don’t really like intense action combat. I don’t think I should take it off. HirabayashiThe two jobs I just introduced are exclusive to enlightened people. Like the previous game, pawns also have jobs that can be changed, and jobs that are exclusive to enlightened people. –Are there any new jobs besides those two…? Itsuno Of course. Please look forward to it. –I see, I’m looking forward to it. Next, regarding the actions that players can perform, is there anything in particular that you would like users to see? Itsuno : You can hold onto a large monster and climb up. In this work, you can actually stand on a monster. –Does that mean you can let go of your hands and stand up? Itsuno: That’s right. You might think, Isn't that rather normal?'', but from a game perspective, it's quite amazing. You can use all techniques that can be used while standing, such as custom skills, and your stamina regenerates while you are standing. --ah I see! That you can rest and recover stamina while clinging. Itsuno That's right. This means that some people may be fantasizing about being able to do things that they couldn't do in the previous game. However, if you are standing on it, it is unstable and can fall easily, so you need to be careful about that. Hirabayashi : There were technical issues that made it impossible to do that in the previous work. Itsuno: This time, those restrictions have been cleared, so I hope you'll enjoy using the cling-related actions.Dragon’s Dogma 2” has undergone various and significant evolutions while retaining the colors of “Dragon’s Dogma.” Let’s look forward to the day when the long-awaited authentic sequel, which has infinite possibilities, will be released.