Was Dragon's Dogma Actually GOOD? | REVIEW

#dragonsdogma
With Capcom's highly anticipated Dragon's Dogma 2 being right around the corner, I decided to play Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, 100% it for the first time, and share my experience in this review. I have obtained the game's platinum trophy, and I'll be discussing Dragon's Dogma's gameplay, story, pawn system and other such things and how they shaped my experience. The chapters and timestamps of this video are shown below.
0:00 Intro
1:22 Magic
5:41 Vocations
9:29 Pawns
13:36 Gransys
19:11 Character
25:08 Story
32:29 Dark Arisen
36:47 Conclusion
Here are the OSTs used in order:
Local Forecast - Elevator
The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim - Combat
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-10 Gransys
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-19 Elysion's Warning
The Witcher 3： Wild Hunt OST ｜ Gwent Music - Drink up there's more!
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-42 Griffin Roars In The Heavens
Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen OST Battle Dark Bishop
Dragon's Dogma OST： 2-37 Selection Of Fate
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-16 Witchwood
Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen OST Imprisoned Cyclops Battle
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-21 Road To Gran Soren
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-30 Fort Of Bandits
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-23 Gran Soren
TES V Skyrim Soundtrack - The Jerall Mountains
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-17 Tense Combat
Dragon's Dogma OST： 2-38 The Last Straw
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-18 Witch Selene
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-31 Sepulcher
Dragon's Dogma OST： 2-16 Choice
Dragon's Dogma OST： 2-12 The Greatwall
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-43 End Of The Struggle
Dragon's Dogma OST： 2-37 Selection Of Fate
Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen OST Fighting
Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen OST Daimon 2nd Form Theme
Dragon's Dogma OST： 2-34 Truth
Dragon's Dogma OST： 1-02 Main Title

[@Pie_Smacker]

Short answer: yes Long answer: wolves travel in packs

[@OpportuneAttack]

They're masterworks all. You can't go wrong.

[@That_Puppet]

Goblins ill like fire

[@tickledpickle5671]

Honestly, I think the Duke is doing some gymnastic betrayal. HE keeps up appearances in public. He stays out of your way (supposedly) through most of your 'grocery lists' of quests before the finale. But giving you the best cape in the game to fight the dragon? I see that gesture as insincere, and somewhat patronizing. He doesn't expect you to be capable of anything. Much less even *REACH* the dragon. And if by some miracle you DID get to him, he expects you to take the coward's choice, as he did. He was SO convinced that it was impossible to fight the Dragon, that he couldn't conceive of any other solution. This is why, I have never actually given him the actual ring. I've always had a fake made and given it to him as a nice big *middle finger* to his 'gesture'.

[@oOInferno1992Oo]

Demon periapt x4 + holly focused bolt obliterates everything in game, especially daimon. Those sigils are indeed pain, but still can be destroyed by mage, either by heavy attack of the staff or by spells doing partly physical damage, like gicel or meteor. And yes, you can use conquerors periapts, since that physical part is relatively small and it takes too long otherwise. There is also cheat code by the name of throwblast. Game gives you a lot of options.

[@collinfortner8402]

I like that at the beginning I was like “oh he’s cute” then I was like “oh he’s gay?” Then I was like “damn this video is greatly formatted and worded very well.

[@dwarvenpony120]

I've been playing DD since the 360 and I still didn't know I could make the not-beholder hit itself, so that's nice to learn.

[@Rannockh]

Haha tell me about it. From comments I learned there was a way to make casting faster by having 2 mages/sorcerer with the same spell. Pretty wild how much stuff is hidden.

[@joshcarter11]

Haven't watched all of it yet I'm legit like 2mins in, but being a filthy magic user automatically makes your opinion at least 50% more irrelevant in my eyes, can never trust a mage

[@Rannockh]

The game already punished me for being a mage enjoyer, trust me. I don't even know if I want to play mage in dragon's dogma 2 💀

[@TherealBigblue22]

Sorcery

[@kelbynhernandez2071]

Cringe

[@gautapari764]

@@Rannockh but then u did in the beginning because it's awesome

[@shrouded_sh4dow241]

​@@Rannockh it's much better in dragons dogma 2

[@nomercy8989]

The joke that everyone becomes a stealth archer by the end of their playthrough is too accurate

[@TherealBigblue22]

Is that Skyrim tho. I have no context I have no finished the video

[@k--music]

@@TherealBigblue22 bro didn't watch the first 20 seconds

[@MR-oy5yt]

But if I summon the bow I'm technically a magic class - GOT 'EM

[@flurb3285]

Yes, my strider became a ranger, my fighter became an assassin, my mage became a Magic archer 🤦 now i m doing a run with only archers in my team 👌 theives team

[@Lancia444]

wat? I always ended up being an assassin or strider.....

[@SwedetasticGames]

Also in regards to the Seneschal and why the Cycle is what it is: the World, as you see at the start, is a Story. Meaning that at it''s end, lies Oblivion. So, in an effort to prevent the worlds from forming and then ending, the "God" of the "real" universe, turned Oblivion into the concept of the Dragon. Each time it strikes forth, it brings destruction until somebody defies thier instincts of flight, and against impossible odds decide to go into 1-on-1 with the Dragon. Someone with a true, steeled will and own purpose. This is why, when you, a random fisherman, does this in Cassardis, the dragon's dead auto-pilot eyes light up as it has found someone with the POTENTIAL to defeat not just it, but the previous Seneschal. Like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Grigori tells you, during your fight with him, about this cycle. If you overcome the fight with him, you get a chance to ascend and watch over the world, as a silently observing narrator or "passive" reader. If you fall to him, he will seek out a new Arisen to test thier resolve until one succeeds. If you fall against the Seneschal, your iron will is molded by one even greater and you become the next Dragon. If you slay the Seneschal, you have two options: serve as it until somebody challenges you, or start an entirely NEW cycle by ending yourself, effectively forcing the "neverending story" to end, whereupon the "author" steps in, and turns your Main Pawn into you, giving it a new will and new purpose for a new story.

[@Loewenphilosoph]

Late comment: I respect his opinion about not liking the entire Seneschal-reveal, but to me he missed the whole meaning behind the story. There is a good chunk of Asian-hinduistic pessimism behind the idea of the eternal return and the cycle, and also some Nietzschian Will to Power thoughts as a main-driving force for the human psyche (which also works on a meta-level, as the world of Dragon's Dogma doesn't do anything until the Arisen/player starts the game). Things just don't happen because some god wants it.

[@SpartanAnaru]

I just want to add this since I assume you will be playing DD2. Golems, and the special Metal Golems (the ones where the sigils are not on the body), are only immune to spells that deal only magical damage. Spells that deal physical damage can still be used on their sigils. The one that summons ice spikes deals split cold/physical damage. Obviously bolide summoning meteors is also physical, though less useful for the metal variant since it auto targets enemies. This is carrying over to DD2 as well. There are clips of the Magic Archer shooting an arrow that turns into a giant block of ice, and it's confirmed to deal damage to golems. They are also making Sorcerer gameplay smoother in the second one. Their class ability lets you consume more stamina to cast spells quicker, and you can also cast spells while levitating now as both Mage and Sorcerer. If you decide to play a Sorcerer in either game you should also have a second one in your party. If two Sorcerers cast the same spell then they spell sync which makes the casts faster as well.

[@Rannockh]

That's a lot of really useful info I didn't come across. Thank you very much for sharing that!

[@SpartanAnaru]

It's been a long time so I don't remember, but I don't think the game ever actually mentions spell sync being a thing. You'll know when it happens as a pawn usually says something like "I'll combine my magic with yours master!". You can also sync off of their casts if you recognize the symbol while they are channeling their spells. Hopefully the AI spell casters will be better in the second game. In the first the meta was to never teach them spells higher than the first tier for most things. If a pawn knows the "improved" version they will only ever cast that version. Tends to make them less reliable in getting those spells off since the longer the cast the more likely something is to stop it. Though I will admit, seeing a High Bolide be cast for a simple pack of goblins was fun.@@Rannockh

[@Rannockh]

I was thinking about that too - genuinely thought I missed reading about spell syncing being a thing somewhere.

[@SpartanAnaru]

I don't think it was, but it has been 12 years lol. It's not really something you actively think about after having learned it. Spell sync is a pretty common thing that is missed. Another is Augments being character bound, and not class bound. Even if you only wanted to play 1 vocation it was useful to get them all to rank 9. That way you could unlock all the Augments, and switch in what you needed at the time. Forgeries are also a system that gets overlooked a lot. The Duke's ring for example also increases casting speed, and it doesn't take up an equipment slot. So over two cycles you can get one for yourself, and then a second for your pawn. You get the boost as long as it's in your backpack. Forgeries are also useful for upgrading equipment. Some upgrade materials are extremely rare, but all you need to find is one. Once you have one you can make forgeries of it, and they can be used to upgrade your gear funnily enough.@@Rannockh

[@SwedetasticGames]

In regards to how Pawns change thier combat style once they figure out the enemy, it is quite insane. Depending on Vocation + Tendency ("personality") the pawn has, such as a combat-focused Strider pawn, they will jump up along a cyclops or gore-cyclops and shred it's eye in like... 10-15 seconds. Before that? stand at range and shoot random places, or it's feet or arms. Same for pretty much every single enemy in the game. It's dope.

[@alsaiduq4363]

8:23 It's not told you clearly but some spell actually have a physical component to them. For example Glicel, the strongest ice spel, deals physical damage, so you can actually deal with those crystal and magic resistance enemies. So every thats resistance to magic, you just use glicel. About the casting time is slow but theres a lot of ways around. In one of the main quest you can forge a fake wyrm ring that reduces your casting time by another 10% , so you can cast 20% faster. There's also a thing called Spell Synch, that allow you cast faster if you one or more pawns are casting the same high level spell as you. So if you teach your pawn how to properly use Spell synch , you can cast multiples spell because the cast time progress is cut short. Also make spell stronger. For example, if you pawn is casting a bolide and its at 50% of casting time , half of the bar and if you spell synch, you start at 50% too. All of this is not explained directly to you. So you need external help to learn. I had to learn all of this because I did a Mage/Sorcerer run recently.

[@Rannockh]

It's something another commented made me aware of. It is pretty wild that the game doesn't really communicate those things to you. Of course, some are hidden interactons and I get that - but I wouldn've really wanted to experiment with stuff like spell syncing. Definitely gonna see if that holds up in dragon's dogma 2.

[@alsaiduq4363]

​@@RannockhDD2 looks like made some real good improvements for sorcerer. For example they add Casting while floating. I actually plan to do my first run to be a Magick only again, but now including Maigck Archer.

[@AyameAkito]

A bit of a correction, you actually can't damage golems with magic, not even by hitting the medallions because they are completely immune to magic, which is pretty normal when you have some experience with older editions of D&D and notice the obvious inspiration the game takes from it.

[@Rannockh]

Can't damage them at all? I really thought that the golem with its sigils on was getting damaged by my magic. Didn't get to play D&D sadly, those references weren't something I got.

[@alsaiduq4363]

​@@RannockhGlicel is a Magic spell with a physical component, it's the only spell that I aware that can kill golems effectively

[@pussdesutroyer9481]

@@alsaiduq4363 bolid sesim and necromancy can damage it as well

[@Daniel_Parke]

Commenting for the algo, liking and subscribing as this channel needs to grow. Only 2 minutes into the video and loving it so far. Keep up the good work man, will update when I am finished the video to confirm if I still feel the same way 👍

[@Rannockh]

Thank you so much for saying that. It really warms my heart to read something like this!

[@-joker2010]

the thing that i really want in relation with pawns is advanced commands. like ordering your strider pawn to snipe. advanced version of come command which is hurry. or activate some skills manually for support. or just when you say help mage pawns heals you (inclinations skill)

[@miguelangelus959]

In regards to classes, while I agree with your critique on tasks that can only be completed by certain classes because of lack of qol features, I don't on the enemies that are harder to beat depending on your vocation or selected skills. The game is not made for you to play a single vocation all the way through. The game expects you to change your and your pawns' vocations to better match certain encounters, though even as a sorcerer you can select spells with quicker casting times instead of the more powerful ones. Some things are still harder to deal with, but ypu're still equipped to deal with them, and some others will be much easier. That's a satisfying back and forth that makes your choices in game matter

[@Sickliff]

At first I was like "yeah it's good" but I watched the video and it's all valid criticism.

[@Noxiddar]

Really enjoyed the time and energy you put into this. I've barely started Dragon's Dogma 1 and this definitely highlighted some things that I think I would have encountered as pain points. That being said, I'm very much looking forward to starting fresh with everyone else in Dragon's Dogma 2. Great review!

[@Rannockh]

Thank you so much! Also, looking forward to it, might even stream it (if I manage to get my setup right)

[@yosh1562]

great vid cant wait for dogma 2 video! subbed.

[@AlxPliakas]

Great video, waiting for the DD2 one. The Skyrimmed joke killed me.

[@pyroclasim]

24:39 it was the Jester because I thought he had a quest and interacted with him a lot and this happened

[@knavenformed9436]

For the Sorcerer you have a lot of quick cast strong options to support your big natural disasters And with Dark and Holy enchants you get one of the best auto attacks in the game It's a matter of combining the snapcasting spells in combat to make room for your instant kill ultimate spells

[@Tangeffect]

I love your video style bro! Hope you get big soon!

[@Rannockh]

Thank you!

[@finalbladecrisis]

Imporant note about the seneshal. That fight only sucks the first time through. If you play through again, the seneshal is your previous Arisen, with all stats, skills and gear. So if you were a beast when you killef him, have fun with fighting said beast next time.

[@Rannockh]

That's not completely true - the Seneschal is replaced by the most recent online player to have finished the game.

[@finalbladecrisis]

@@Rannockh is it? Its been a long time since i played all the way through the main story, and i always turned off online features, so maybe i never sae that.

[@jolteon345]

The thing with playing mage/sorcerer is that you almost need a pawn that’s designed to aggro/tank. If you consistently have 1-2 pawns drawing the aggro, you’re usually free to do your thing (because sometimes an enemy spawns behind you. I’ve dealt with this ruining battles on a side quest multiple times because my escort dies or I die). The game also heavily incentivizes having a varied party, there’s literally a quest in the first encampment that teaches you this. As for pawns, I’ve noticed that they perform better and give useful tips as they learn. That means that not only do you want your pawn to be used but you also want to keep using other pawns so they get exponentially more useful. The big flaw with the game is the storytelling. The story is there and isn’t bad, but you need to work for it, so people who don’t work for it and/or dislike how it’s told will say it’s “bad”. A story isn’t bad when it’s told poorly, just like how a story isn’t bad if you dislike it, but when a story is communicated terribly *and* you need to work for it, it will give you the perspective that it’s bad.

[@smefgrimstae7845]

I look forward to more videos by you :) .

[@adventurersitem-shop3050]

Comment to help engagement! Great video man :D

[@Rannockh]

Thank you 😄

[@TrashTawk]

12:42 "I was spamming the 'Come' command, and they would just take their sweet time" ...Been there before, _amiright, fellas_

[@Rannockh]

Right? 💀

[@wajs1000]

Commenting for the algorithm nice video mate

[@Rannockh]

Thank you! I really appreciate it 😊

[@jeramyneeley3351]

Subbed, first Dragons dogma recap/review in recent times that isnt made by a spurg.

[@feraldrgn]

Yes, it was fantastic (with the introduction of Hard mode for early New Game Plus and Bitterblack Isle for the extra challenge). I think the base game was good too, though the lack of early-game challenge in the OG put most of the worthwhile content in the latter half of the game.

[@revolver2750]

The shenezal is base game so of course it will be easy after you have done dark arisen? At the point you will be 150+? while base game perhaps 70? It's a optional area but yea.

[@Rannockh]

That's fair, thought I do think he's really not that difficult even if you were below that

[@NN-mh4bj]

funnily enough ive played skyrim like 5 times, i always slide back into some magic gish build is stealth archer that fun? ive never leveled archery or stealth past 40 in any run

[@TherealBigblue22]

It’s not about it being fun that’s not why it’s the ultimate in game build… it’s very effective, not saying it isn’t fun either but it really does outshine other play styles

[@tbonejmac09]

Hi there. New to your channel, but this (and a couple of other videos I've watched on your playlist) was a well thought out analysis and a pretty entertaining video. Got me thinking about some stuff. I personally find that your assessment of the Seneschal is not entirely accurate. "Seneschal" means "servant" or "steward". The origin of the word translates most accurately to "old servant". The Seneschal is not meant to be a "god", but more of an overseer. The Seneschal is as equally bound to the eternal ring as the Dragon and the Arisen. The boss fight itself thematically reveals this. If the player pays attention, the current Seneschal is the former Arisen from the prologue who presumably defeated the dragon and replaced the Seneschal who came before him. This implies that the Seneschal eventually grows weary of baring the burden and seeks a new Arisen to take their place when their will is at its weakest. It isn't meant to be an epic "final showdown" kind of fight. The "fight" is framed as a test of the Arisen's will, not a test of their might. (The Dragon already proved the Arisen's might.) The test of will ultimately culminates with the Arisen plunging the Godsbane blade into their own heart as a spit in the face of the Eternal Ring. As if to say, "It is my will and my will alone that dictates what I do." Ultimately, the story of the Arisen is tragedy. Even through all the adversity the Arisen had to face, there is no indication that their actions put a stop to the cycle. However, it can be inferred from the sequel that the cycle did continue on. And it did so WITHOUT a Seneschal, at least, for a time. So, again, I respectfully disagree with your assessment of the game's story. It's simply a story that is left for the player to discover thematically rather than mechanically.

[@Rannockh]

In a way, I get the idea that the seneschal is not literally a word that describes godhood. It was more about the semantics of it considering his power over life and death which is quite god-like. I do get that the final boss can be interpreted to mean different things, as in the fight wasn't necessarily the focus as much as making your decisions during the encounter (I.e. not going back when they give you the opportunity). It's just that in a game design sense, I would've hoped it's more intense as a fight to keep up the momentum it set itself. But in the end I doubt that the cycle was really ended. It is kind of hard to interpect because if you use the godbane, it looks as if you die while your pawn becomes you. But the previous seneschal still gives you the godsbane from within themselves, so that might just be the ritual of it, and you're actually still alive. Especially since you still face previous arisen on subsequent playthroughs. It's pretty vague and unclear in the end.

[@tbonejmac09]

@@Rannockh I think the vagueness of the ending is just a result of the cultural differences between Japan and the West. I have noticed in lots of Japanese media, writers tend to leave things relatively open-ended, as if to give their audience the opportunity to decide where the story goes from there. Although it could simply be a marketing tool used as a way to ensure that a monetarily successful series can continue on, and admittedly, this does seem like the more realistic (albeit, the more cynical) explanation of it. As for the Seneschal's boss fight, your point about gameplay standards and expectations definitely holds some merit. Throughout the course of the game, boss fights are treated with a sense of grandiosity. The background music is different for boss enemies, and there is even a fanfare upon victory. To subvert that expectation in the final fight of the playthrough, seems like a bit of a let down, especially so coming off of one of the most cinematic fights of the game with Grigori. So from a gameplay perspective, we totally agree. Actually, most of the points you made in the video I agree with on a gameplay perspective. I have played the game on basically every platform its available, and I got 100% of the achievements on Xbox 360, and got the platinum trophy on the ps4 version, and it is just as frustrating to me that a game with such promise falls short in so many little areas that are simple fixes... Although Gransys never felt like it lacked an identity for me, I will fully admit that the gameworld is pretty barren outside of the main city, but from a thematic perspective it fits into the story. Imagine a country where its ruler is an immortal haunted by the guilt of his past actions. The apathy of Duke Edmon is felt all around the game world. It may not be great in terms of gameplay, but it does help to illustrate the story. And personally, I think that is the biggest failure of Dragon's Dogma. It tells a deep story, but but does so with far less focus on what makes the game fun to play, and that is without a doubt, its combat. If the game got anything right, its the combat system. Its extremely satisfying. But that came at the expense of wooden characters with wooden dialog, a TERRIBLE affinity system, repetitive enemy encounters, repetitive and monotonous side quests, and a pawn system that feels half-baked. I still stand by my original point: The story is better than most people give it credit for. It is simply a story that is discovered by the player rather than told to the player. You mentioned in your video that it would make sense that the Duke would be giving you meaningless busy work, but then turns around and gives you items later. You claimed this to be a misstep, however, at this point in the game, the player character is known throughout Gransys as a hero having completed all of those quests and even defended the city from an attack. Thematically, it makes sense that the Duke would reward the Arisen for their efforts, then immediately send them on a mission he doesn't expect them to return from in order to keep up appearances. Again, the game doesn't do the best job of conveying these ideas and basically leaves it up to the player to discover, which isn't exactly the best way to tell the story, but the story is worth discovering, and I think that was the basic idea. Not that I can really substantiate it, its more or less just my opinion.

[@Rannockh]

@@tbonejmac09 Funny you should mention the difference between western and Easter cultures. I don't know if you've played the sequel, but it seems that a lot of stuff is lost in translation there and it affects the storytelling a lot. I've looked it up and the story makes so much more sense after what I've read about the actual translation missed. It would be interesting to see how the original may have also been affected by it.

[@tbonejmac09]

@@Rannockh I am currently in the process of playing DD2. So far, unfortunately, a lot of the same things that apply to the first game do apply to the second as well... But I still find myself enjoying it. Combat feels like Dragon's Dogma combat; just better. The classes are still just as fun and dynamic. The region is more diverse and thus, better for exploration...... There's a lot to say about it, but ultimately I think series is an example of a game that a lot of people like/will enjoy, but it had the potential to be something truly amazing. And I'm just not sure if it will ever reach that potential.

[@Rannockh]

@@tbonejmac09 oop- then I won't say more about it, do enjoy though. There's a lot of fun to be had with its combat!

[@teckkratos388]

7:02 is this friezas voice?

[@TrashTawk]

Yep, from the abridged series

[@vargsang2518]

I recently finished this game... it was ok and it really felt like middle to end of the game they realized they get out of money. I recently got through skyrim too... wich is worse in my opinion. Gameplay is much better and interesting in Dragons Dogma. Nice Review.

[@theAlchemyst11]

Honestly, I disagree with a lot of your points of contention in this video. A lot of what you found to be a bad thing was a good thing in my eyes. And that's totally okay, everyone is entitled to their opinions and shouldn't be disrespected for them. I love Gransys and the entire vibe of the setting. It reminds me of a classic D&D module, simple and straightforward but with surprising depth beneath the surface if you look for it. I enjoyed the hell out of the magic classes in this game to the point that outside of trying to unlock an abilty here and there to use in my magic archer or mystic knight build I solely played magickally inclined classes (mage, sorc, magick archer and mystic knight) because there was so much tactical nuance needed to play it and so much hidden beneath the surface you needed to experiment with and discover that it was never not interesting to me. Like, I can take a sleep spell for x enemy, and an enchantment for y. If I do this as a sorcerer, I'll need to balance it by getting a pawn that specializes in crowd control and distractions. If I want to be more down in front I'll use mystic knight to cover both magic and swordsplay so I'll need a support mage to pick up for my healing. So on and so forth. Characters, while not overly complex in some areas did have varying interesting facets to them that made them memorable in my opinion. Sure it was never going to be dragon age levels of backstory and writing but in many ways it didn't need to be. It was how I chose to interact with a character and how those interactions could change quests later on that defined my relationship to them and that was so interesting to me. And honestly, everyhting about bitterblack island was just glorious- it felt like playing through the tomb of anihilation all over again! Now obviously the game isn't without flaws, and everyone sees different things as good or bad, but the "flaws" you describe are boons in my eyes. That being said, I'm not going to begrudge you for you opinions or say you're wrong for thinking them. It's just certainly one of those things where it feels like the game wasn't made in a way that fits your sensibilities or preferences. Which, again, is totally fine. It is absolutely not a game for everyone and I would be an idiot to pretend that it is. That being said, as having played almost 150 hours of dragon's dogma 2 since it came out I can say that if you didn't like the first game you probably aren't gonna like the second and I'll leave it at that. It really is a sequel that was made for the people who liked the first game I feel, which any good sequel should be in my opinion but it's certainly gonna not vibe with a lot of people (as I have seen numerous times already in online discourse about 2). Either way, good on you for giving Dragon's Dogma a solid chance. That's more than can be said for a lot of people lol.

[@sleipner11]

I didn't have those issues with Sorcerer. You can make your pawn into a very good tank for you. Usually you wait for your pawns to draw agro and THEN you start casting. If you´re the first to act, of course they'll go for the mage casting the nuke. Besides, plenty of ways to reduce casting time, like augments and items, and spell synching. The world does have it's personality. In what other game do you see a winged shadow on sunny days and get ready for an epic Griffin fight? There's lots of depth to the store, although it was unfinished. Obviously it was meant to be much more but was cut short. I think what you disliked the most was you not being a good sorcerer...

[@RaidenKaiser]

I also agree sorcerer is not that fun but cmon theres so many other vocations to try surely one of them will be fun for you unless youre min maxing than that kinda explains why you are having this experience.

[@Rannockh]

That's true. I wish I had approached the game in a way that I'd get to try out all the classes, I'll keep it in mind for dd2

[@Kindlesmith70]

I leveled out the different first vocations so I could reach the second tier, but the moment I got to Assassin, that what I kept playing as. Melee Assassin..Not for stealth, just to get in there and really go for those grapple attacks against the large beasts. Honestly, if I knew how much of a joke the Mystic Knight was I would have played it. That frame rate destroying vocation was bloody hilarious to watch. I loved the game. I had a pawn that used the biggest heal spell to heal the tiniest of scartches, and used the biggest damage spells to -assist with finishing an almost dead target- kill steal! It would also shout the weakness of a foe, and then use spells that the creature is resistant to. 🤣 Dark Arisen expansion was kinda meh. It doesn't really add anything new. You just get to fight a lot of enemies of gradual increased difficulty, while practically spoiling what is going on in the lore. I had already beaten the main game prior to the expansion being a thing, so for me this expansion didn't add anything of value. I was pretty hyped for Dragon's Dogma 2, and then saw it was a reboot. 😭 With furries, and elves. 🤮

[@th.ratzicha]

This video is good, as the Seneschal willed it. Keep up the good job

[@Rannockh]

It's 👏 always 👏 the 👏 darn 👏 Seneschal 👏

[@frozentyger]

10/10 vid

[@primuspilushb]

Yes. It is.

[@CodeAndGin]

"If i can make a beast of a man, I'll make a beast of a man" "💕because he's a top 💕" I completely understand, I do the same thing

[@Rannockh]

You know it 💅✨️💖

[@allandm]

These had me 😂😂

[@rixyl7475]

The cast time complaint is fair, but also casting Maelstrom twice and Killing Grigori (and he has to take one of them due to phases) is just comically overtuned. At level 60 mind you.

[@ce5122]

this vid has a better thumbnail than your past ones 👍

[@Rannockh]

Thanks! I've started experimenting a bit more with them and I'm happy it's paying off!

[@itchyt2997]

You can manual aim by pressing L3 while charging

[@voltaireSsus]

To be honest, i actually liked the excuse at the end of the game. It shows that pawns and common folk are barelly different from each other, which can easily be interpreted as why people act like npcs, making you feel isolated in a stagnated world.

[@charleswilliam8335]

Playing DD2 now and I WAS pumped to play this game but now, not really at all. Good video though, well done.

[@RaidenKaiser]

I love this game but I cannot recommend being a completionist with it especially if you hate escort quests cuz 80% of the quests are escort. (Though unlike most games escort quests in this game are cheeseable with riftstones and fast traveling lol.)

[@Rannockh]

As a completionist, probably not great. But the platinum trophy doesn't require the all the board quests, just like 50 of them across multiple playthroughs

[@GrizzledRanger]

You missed out on the most OP thing sorcerers have that can be spammed. Holy affinity and spamming focused bolt. Massive range, fast cast, homing capability, uses almost no stamina, and can heal you while doing damage, causes massive stun to enemies. Just saying, you also didn’t mention Miasma which is incredibly powerful and the use of Torpor from rusted weapons to slow and poison tougher enemies. Just pointing out that there are many ways to be OP with every vocation.

[@creditianistani6474]

is it just me that actually like how gransys feels like an actual medieval world instead of video game world? like a fantasy setting imagined by people in medieval era not a modern concept art team. then again i also feel skyrim is the most boring generic modern fantasy world lmao

[@Lancia444]

Shortcut to the end? Yes, yes it is actually good!

[@LazarusBell]

So... How are you enjoying Dragon's Dogma 2 so far?

[@ravenroc1784]

Yes yes and yes!

[@jimadkins5758]

That's the way caster is in most games unless the game is turn based

[@net_spider]

Love the game, but to be honest, the overall story isn't that great and is very obscure unless you pay very close attention, find some very hidden things, and piece together things through context clues. The driving force of Dragon's Dogma isn't the Seneschal, but of Stagnation and the Cycle. Of course they are a part of it, but they are also only a cog in the Cycle. What is the Cycle and why does it exist? No F'ing clue as the game doesn't go too deep into it, but it does have a big effect on the world. Every cycle starts with a Seneschal... a Seneschal is "God," but not what you would think a god is. They are a prisoner to the cycle and their actions are quite limited. During the existence of a Seneschal, there is an "Age," a step forward for the world, but only a step. Time doesn't pause or anything overt like that, but the world will quickly stagnate while a Seneschal exists... things don't move forward, the same things inevitably repeat, and the world relatively stays the same... A time of "Peace," but also at the same time stagnation occurs. Every Seneschal realizes this at one point or another... they need to be replaced, but as I said before, they are "God," but are also quite limited in what they can do. A ritual/trial must commence for the selection of the new Seneschal and the current one can't bypass this. This ritual/trial always involves a Dragon, always involves the Dragon choosing an Arisen based on their bravery and willingness to fight/slay the Dragon (at least at the start) and the Arisen must prove they are worthy and slay the Dragon or the cycle continues till an Arisen is chosen that does just that. Once an Arisen defeats the current Seneschal, a new "Age" occurs, the world takes a step forward and the "Cycle" continues. Most Seneschal are incapable of breaking the cycle, because the only way to do that is to remove "God" from the picture and destroy the cycle by removing one of its fundamental pieces. Problem is they are almost completely immortal and unchanging, with only one item, as far as we know, capable of killing the Seneschal. This disruption to the Cycle allows the world to continue on its own and hopefully not stagnate in the future. At least this comes from quite a few theories and evidence gathering and this doesn't factor in what the Dark Arisen means in the grand scheme of things (including the malevolent force), but not much we can do with how little that presents us.

[@BoloJolo]

From what I understood (although years ago, my memory may be wrong, never played through the DA expansion), it's more like the world and the Age is sustained by the Seneschal's will / life force. The reason the Age stagnates is because the Seneschal gets burnt out, which is why they need to be replaced by a new Seneschal etc etc, kind of like Dark Souls and linking the flame.

[@emma..gamingmovies9091]

The 360 servers shut down because the xbox one servers still work for dark arison

[@taylorm841]

Honestly I didn't expect much from dd2 because I'd played the first one. The action combat isn't that technically deep or challenging and if you're going to make a single player rpg, you NEED good characters and a story. Otherwise, why play? I think they really shot themselves in the foot with the pawn system, too. We don't have AI in videogames yet to give characters interesting personalities and you can only make 1 per save file. I think the game is just ultimately a shallow attempt from the suits at capcom. They throw a specific amount resources into a game and just settle for any money they make out of it.

[@DavidHutchison-ig6bk]

12:42 lol

[@allandm]

I can't believe they still won't give us a horse in the sequel

[@Rannockh]

I hadn't even thought of the idea of horseback spell-casting

[@allandm]

@@Rannockh omg neither have I xD I mentioned a horse because of how boring and slow it was to go from place to place in this game. If they don't want to give us fast travel THE LEAST they could do is give us a horse

[@crustytoe92]

@@allandmYou do know there is fast travel right?

[@crustytoe92]

@@allandm also I don't think horses exist in the universe, just oxes lol.

[@allandm]

@@crustytoe92 Well yes, but it's not easily obtainable right? And I just like to travel around fast, running around just isn't fun

[@oleole3753]

It's alright. If I wanted cool climbing on monster fights without lame mob fights to waste my time, I would play Shadow of the Colossus.

[@lovelydumpling]

Yeah I did not enjoy the magic classes very much either. They're fantastic for pawns, but yeah they're just way too slow. As the player you want to take a more active role in the fight, while mages and summoners are better off hanging back and are very limited. Dragon's Dogma first impressions can differ massively depending on whether the person playing wants to be a mage, fighter, or rogue.

[@GhostOfficial-0187]

Ain’t no way in hell you only got 58 subscribers.. SMH we in the same boat, highly skilled at what we do but not getting the recognition we deserve…YET.💯

[@Ds117]

Short answer. Hell yes. Lol

[@norske5000]

Really good review. Hopefully alot of people will see this!

[@Rannockh]

Awh, thank you so much for your kind words!

[@VonBoche]

It's so saddening that with the opportunity given with a 2nd game, capcom still makes what looks to me "medieval fantasy : the game 2" instead of a more unique world. I want to be wrong, to be surprised when I eventually play it but so far, knowing the sequel runs like barbecued ass all to show me the most stock standard medieval fantasy visual just kills me inside.

[@Rannockh]

Well, if you think about it, back in medieval times they didn't have 60 fps so it makes sense 😩

[@VonBoche]

@@Rannockh I can't wait for renaissance fantasy for that glorious sistine frames per second

[@itchyt2997]

Pressing square is a normal attack. Its useful in situations where you need to be able to react

[@baneintherain]

Yes, it was and is. Next question.

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

I dont think you know what the word "Dogma". Like to complain about the ending being about a test from God, in a game called Dragon's Dogma, is pretty crazy like are you mad that Sauron was after the Ring of Power in Lord of the Rings

[@Rannockh]

So, poor storytelling is justified as long as the title's right?

[@GiantDad553]

I think you just don't know what being a wizzard means. If you want to be less passive play mystic knight.

[@devinbahm]

That's why you gave a party with 3 sorcerers and 1 mage. Have a wyrmking ring and a fake wrymking ring in your inventory. The rings will give you faster cast speed. And if sorcerers are casting the same spell, cast time is drastically faster. Lol I cleared all of dragon's dogma dark arisen enemies as a sorcerer with above party. There is no enemy you can't kill as a sorcerer. You just lack skill and understanding of the class. Git gud.guy. and ffs focus holy blast through pillars at the gorgon eye. Maybe 4 to 7 shots and it's dead. Any staff is overpowered more so than and skills. With holy enchantment you can slaughter all but 1 enemy. That includes awakened daimon.

[@noiminoimi1179]

75 percent of the game waa cut.

[@MrMonklad]

Dragons Dogma is often mentioned as "not for everyone", but ultimately a lot of your struggles just seem like a skill issue lol, Sorcerer is probably my third favorite vocation but i didn't have any of these issues you mentioned having while playing sorcerer. Also the King guy WAS trying to sabotage you by sending you away for an expedition so you cant face the dragon, though I do agree that the characters could have done more then just being surface fillers and a lot of lore isn't necessarily explained but also kinda does that dark souls thing where tidbits of actually important lore are hidden in item descriptions.

[@SN-mf9gw]

Hell no I'm not gonna sit here and leave your subscriber count at 130.

[@prinzpraiz6630]

The truth is that the game is more realistic, so if Ur spell take time, that how it should be. In movies magician don't just cast spell any how they do need time and space to do that. Ur review is not that good. The game more of how life is than how game is. Games make things easy but life not easy😢. That makes it a good game. The game want players to discover their game world not just play through and have fun. Try and understand the game better 😂

[@eddie788]

No

[@berng3870]

And they made dragon's dogma somehow worse

[@talus9663]

Update: the sequel has many of the same problems as the first one. Performance is rough too. Worth just waiting for a discount. I regret paying $70 for it.

[@dr.calibrations7984]

As an aside, One of my playthroughs had my VERY adult character sleep with Selene, the loli. Because I helped her out. Granted shes a heccin 10,000 year old vamparino meme but yeah, the game made my character a p3do because I was nice to the abandoned child.

[@Rannockh]

Darn, you spun the Dragon's dogma beloved wheel and it did not go well...

[@dr.calibrations7984]

@@Rannockh Still not as bad as when I rolled "masterworks all you can't go wrong" guy. I envy you for rolling Mercedes as dark-skinned tomboy GF with an accent just happens to be my fetish. Doesn't hurt that she's basically modeled after Casca. But as far as I can tell, if you finish the Duchess quest line she becomes locked in as the love interests no matter what. While I disagree with your views on the game, I can understand your perspective, and share some. The negatives just aren't enough to make me not love the game and excited as hell for DD2

[@gravewalker9162]

me when short person = child

[@phataldestroyer]

​@dr.calibrations7984 It's the last person you talk too with high affinity. I romanced duchess, Madeleine, and meecedes.. but stuck with my merchant babe at the end. Free in home store.

[@dr.calibrations7984]

@phataldestroyer I'll have to remember that if I ever go back to DDDA. Doubtful as DD2 is basically just the first one but more, and Warrior is actually really strong now

[@VelvetPrince]

Might aswel wait and watch it through asmon

[@matheuskerr9222]

would also suggest watching someone like Wolfheart FPS or Zara :P

[@alexanderson4497]

Playing through 2, in tandem with the performance issues, I don't think they improved much on the world-building and that makes me sad. I'm not sure what Itsuno's "vision" was supposed to be but if DD2 is it then he needs to go back to the drawing board on why he seems unable to build any meaning to this universe. Gameplay regressed as well, with everyone getting 4 skills only, Sorcerer LOSING spells and some vocations being straight up gone. I hope you like fighting Goblins, wolves, Saurians and Harpies all game long, because that's the bulk of the enemy variety as well!

[@potatopower2144]

What a strange title

[@silentkonami8056]

this game just gives the vibe of Meh

[@crustytoe92]

Actually good? No it is very good. Do people not like dragons dogma? From the people that played it including me all say its legendary. It came out around the same time as skyrim so it was a little overlooked, but i don't think anyone said it was bad. Very very click bait title, and I will not be watching your video because of it, but hey you got a comment out of it.

[@Rannockh]

Is it really click bait when thats exactly the question I explore in the video?

[@crustytoe92]

@@Rannockh Yeah because whether or not this game is ACTUAWALLY GOOD, is not in question.

[@Rannockh]

@@crustytoe92 Sure it is

[@crustytoe92]

@@Rannockh This title would make sense if you were making it about a game that gets a bad rap but has some good elements. Like is two worlds actually a good game. Dragons dogma is a cult classic, it's place as a good game isn't in question people who play this game absolutely love it. It is at a 85% on steam the general consensuses it IS a good game.

[@crustytoe92]

also i'm not saying two worlds is a good game lol.

[@mpo48]

no its not.

[@loneber8773]

Don't play the sequel then and let the enjoyers be enjoyers

[@Rannockh]

Oh do I have some bad news for you

[@MuddyMiszt]

5 mins in and i cant bear to watch anymore. Is this 40 mins of skill issue ranting ?

[@JimmyJacpots]

you need 2 mages to cast faster noob

[@user-os7ec4dm8x]

Of course it was good, it was amazing in fact, no need to ask the question at this point.

[@pussdesutroyer9481]

alot of the mage/sorcerer complaints in this video can be best described as skill issue