Dragon's Dogma 2 is the first role-playing game from Capcom in many years. The project is praised for its combat system, giant bosses, and large open world, but criticized for optimization and aggressive monetization. If you haven't played the first part, you might make several wrong actions that will cost you time and possibly money. Our guide will help you avoid these mistakes.
If you don't like the main character and want to replay Dragon's Dogma 2 as a different character, you're in for a surprise. The game does not provide an option to start a new game from scratch. You will have to manually delete saved files. We have explained how to do this in a separate guide.
In theory, it is possible to change the appearance of the character during the game. This requires purchasing a Metamorphosis Book for 500 rift crystals, which is expensive. You probably won't want to spend such a valuable resource. Therefore, we recommend setting up the appearance of the character from the beginning to your liking and in accordance with the chosen tactic.
In most games, the main character's physical build does not reflect on their skills. In Dragon's Dogma 2, it's different. For example, shorter characters recover stamina faster, while taller ones have a larger inventory size.
If you've been playing as a warrior but suddenly decide to become a mage, or vice versa, you don't need to start the game over. Just visit the Vocation Guild, which can be found in all major cities. Typically, it's located inside the inn or nearby.
Moreover, some quests require you to play a specific class. For example, in Vernworth, there's a quest chain related to Glindur. You can only start it if your main character is an Archer. Therefore, you'll occasionally need to change your class. This is completely free.
While the first equipment upgrades are made with gold, subsequent ones will require rare resources. We recommend not selling them but keeping them in storage, even if you don't need them right now. For weapon upgrades, you'll need a blacksmith, and different craftsmen offer unique types of upgrades.
All your pawns, except for the first one, will not level up with you. Therefore, it's advisable to switch them out for more effective ones. Besides, it's important to assemble an ultimate team of pawns that are effective in combat and exploration.
For instance, in the first city, you can gather a decent squad. Ideally, it should include a Warrior, an Archer, a Mage, and a Thief. Later, once you've settled on your tactics, you can change the group's composition.
Keep in mind that pawns have passive skills. It's advisable to find a character with the Quest Guide perk. It will help you immediately find your target without wasting time searching in the open world. Another useful skill is Shield Summons, which can help hold off the most aggressive enemies. This is especially useful if you're playing as a Mage.
And if your companions have diametrically opposed character traits, they will periodically argue with each other. This is not only amusing but also useful for understanding the local lore. For example, during their conversations, they might mention important events from the past.
Rift Crystals (RC) are a special resource needed for hiring new pawns. Moreover, some merchants only accept this currency. You can find particularly rare and valuable items with them. Therefore, we recommend spending Rift Crystals sparingly. It's advisable to first make sure that a potential ally is really needed, and only then pay for them.
How to quickly farm crystals in the early stages will be discussed in this guide.
Each pawn has its own backpack where you can leave your items. This can be useful during long journeys, especially if you are used to picking up enemy equipment from the battlefield and selling it to local merchants. And if your inventory becomes overloaded, you will move and fight slower, as well as use up stamina more quickly.
You can increase the carried weight with the help of special rings and golden beetles. The latter are often found on tree trunks and glow brightly at night.
Each pawn has its own set of equipment. If you no longer need the person, open their inventory and take the contents for yourself. Then confidently send the character home.
In the game, there might be situations where you cannot find the necessary resource for completing a quest, even though you have thoroughly explored the territory. Most likely, to obtain one item, you will need to combine two others. Before such experiments, it is advisable to remember what exactly you found in the quest location to reduce the number of details that will need to be combined.
The game automatically saves all progress. But if you fail a quest and want to reload, you will have to use manual saving. It can only be done in hotels. However, you have to pay for the rest. We recommend staying there overnight only before important missions.
In the early stages of the game, it's advisable to explore the world only during the day. At night, you may encounter extremely powerful monsters that can easily kill you and your pawns. Therefore, it's better to spend the night in a safe place, for example, a city. Go to sleep to fast-forward time.
Large monsters such as cyclopes or dragons have an impressive health bar. Sometimes, it's even difficult to deal damage to them, especially if you're playing as a melee warrior. But you have the opportunity to jump on their back and deal several critical hits. It's important to keep an eye on your stamina. It's advisable to jump off the giant's back before it throws you off itself.
In the same way, you can climb onto flying enemies. You can even control the direction of their flight.
Using consumables, you can only partially replenish your life force bar. To fully heal, you need to rest in a camp. Fortunately, you can set it up in any safe place. For this, you will need a camping kit. Note that they differ from each other, and some have passive bonuses that work in specific locations. The kit itself is heavy, so it's better to have a pawn carry it.
During rest, you can cook meat on a fire and fast-forward time. For example, change the night to a safer day.
In the game, there are two ways to heal allies:
The game offers two ways to fast travel — using a consumable called Ferrystone or traveling by carriage. The latter option is free but not without risks, as you may be attacked along the way. In such cases, you must first fend off the aggressive enemies before continuing your journey.
During battles, an NPC can die from an enemy attack. In this case, you can revive them. You will need a Wakestone. But keep in mind, if you don't use it within the allotted time, the character will die permanently, and you won't have a way to bring them back to life.
A Wakestone can also be used for your own resurrection. But here, think twice about whether it's worth spending such a valuable resource or whether it's better to load the last save. For instance, it makes sense to use the stone if you almost defeated a boss but died from its attack.
The ability to throw objects will be useful for melee fighters if they can't reach an enemy with their sword. This is especially true for flying monsters. Moreover, you can throw not just a stone but also a small living creature at them. To increase the damage dealt, douse it in oil and set it on fire.
It's crucial not to accept every quest you come across blindly. Some quests come with a time limit. Failing to complete these quests within the specified timeframe will result in failure. It's advisable to check if a quest has a time limit beforehand and then decide whether you are ready to undertake it immediately.