Summary
After 12 long years, theDragon’s Dogmafranchise is back, and for the most part, fans have gotten exactly what they asked for. Though it may stray a little too close to its 2012 predecessor at times,Dragon’s Dogma 2is a fantasy open-world RPG that puts a number of refreshing spins on the genre, from its player-led exploration, to its rewarding progression and class systems, to its challenging combat. There’s a lot thatDragon’s Dogma 2is going to be remembered for, and there’s a lot it can teach the rest of the video game industry.
While it may be one of the current leaders of the video game landscape,theGod of Warfranchiseshouldn’t be averse to learning from its competition, especially whenGod of War2018 clearly borrowed quite a bit from its contemporaries. And thoughGod of WarandDragon’s Dogma 2are two very different video games, there’s one big feature in the latter thatGod of Warmight want to take for its own.
The Next God of War Should Borrow Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Approach to Mythology
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Isn’t Afraid to Mix and Match Mythologies
The world ofDragon’s Dogma 2is an intriguing one. Set in the fantasykingdoms of Vermund and Battahl,Dragon’s Dogma 2makes it abundantly clear that this world is not Earth, though much like many other fantasy RPGs like it,Dragon’s Dogma 2borrows heavily from human mythology, particularly when it comes to its enemy design. ThroughoutDragon’s Dogma 2, players will often run into a range of monsters, most of which come from Greek mythology. Cyclopes, Harpies, Chimeras, Minotaurs, and Griffins all appear consistently throughoutDragon’s Dogma 2’s open-world.
However,Dragon’s Dogma 2’s enemies aren’t limited to just Greek mythology. As players continue to explore the vast kingdoms of Vermund and Battahl, they’ll begin encountering more varied monsters, a handful of which come from mythologies other than Greek. The Sphinx is probably one of the most memorable examples of this, appearing at both the Mountain Shrine and the Frontier Shrine. UnlikeDragon’s Dogma 2’s other monsters, the Egyptian creature isn’t hostile, instead choosing to ask the player a series of riddles as opposed to fighting them off the bat.
On top of the Sphinx,Dragon’s Dogma 2also borrows some monsters from Irish, Jewish, and Norse mythology. Some of these monsters include the Dullahan, the Golem, and the Wight, all of which put up quite a tough fight.
God of War Could Blend Its Mythologies Together
TheGod of Warfranchise has already dabbled in bothGreek and Norse mythologyin their own separate series, but perhaps it’s time forGod of Warto take a page out ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s playbook and join its mythologies together.God of War Ragnarok: Valhallaactually got quite close to delivering on this concept, with Kratos having to face off against past foes like Cyclopes while also facing off against Norse-themed enemies. But the nextGod of Warshould fully embrace this premise, and bring together enemies from across multiple mythologies.
Along with offering an unparaleled level of enemy variety, this concept would also pave the way for some incredibly intriguing potential narratives. For instance, the nextGod of Warcould see gods from different pantheons joining forces to try and hunt Kratos down, or seeKratos hopping between various mythologiesto try and restore some kind of peace and order.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Set forth on your grand adventure, Arisen!Dragon’s Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG series that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. Now, in this long-awaited sequel, the deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 awaits.On your journey, you’ll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.All of these elements are elevated further through physics technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest in graphics, to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
