Dragons Dogma 2: Dark Arisen : the adventure that the game should have always been

Dragons Dogma 2 remains one of the most specific PRG shares in the market.

The confrontations are always based on vocations, pawns and this ability to transform an ordinary encounter into a completely unpredictable battle. Climbing on a gigantic monster, seeing a griffon take a companion or improvise in the face of a situation that degenerates remains extremely effective.

Dark Arisen mainly improves the depth of the progression. It is now possible to equip more skills, while the relics recovered in Norgan allow to get new equipment and bonuses capable of seriously modifying some buildings.

The difficulty is also growing up. Norgan is clearly designed for already well advanced characters and some encounters can be particularly violent.

The main regret is the absence of a new vocation, and for an extension of this scope, an additional class would have been particularly welcome.

Norgan offers exactly the change of scenery of which Dragons Dogma 2 Needed.

The large snowy plains, storms, mountains and ruins immediately give a much darker identity to the extension.

Working on the weather makes a huge contribution to the atmosphere and some areas become really worrying when visibility falls.

Technically, the game is also in a better state than at the launch. Performances have progressed considerably on consoles as well as on PC, even if the engine can still show its limits in some loaded situations.

Dark Arisen preserves the excellent sound work of the original game.

Creatures remain impressive, the impact of weapons is convincing and Norgan's storms give a real feeling of hostility.

Music intelligently accompanies the fights without becoming invasive and especially knows how to leave room for the noises of the world.

The result is very immersive, especially when exploring some isolated areas with reduced visibility.

The extension takes us to the Forsaken Dominion of Norgan alongside Eir, a character who seeks to pierce the secrets of the Fallen Dragon.

The scenario remains deliberately mysterious and takes advantage of a more direct rhythm than some parts of the original game.

Dark Arisen is especially successful in reviving the desire to explore. Every detour can lead to a battle, a relic, a dungeon or an important discovery.

Writing sometimes remains cryptic and some characters would have deserved more development, but history perfectly fulfils its role: giving an additional reason to sink ever deeper into Norgan.

Dark Arisen is a real big extension.

The new region represents about 15 to 20 hours to travel through the main campaign, to which are added exploration, relic hunting and the new Lost Rites dungeons scattered throughout the original world.

These 12 dungeons are an excellent reason to return to Vermund and Battahl, even if their quality is quite uneven. Some look like real labyrinths while others remain much simpler.

The new relic-based progression works very well and can become particularly addictive for those who like to optimize their equipment.

The quick trip was also greatly improved, eliminating some of the frustrations that had accompanied the original game.