If there’s one game that has dominated my X (formerly Twitter) feed of late, it’s Dragon’s Dogma 2. As someone who is often slightly intimidated by the sheer size of sprawling open-world adventures, the hype has certainly infected me, and I’m halfway to pre-purchasing my own copy ahead of launch. But, when I noticed that the 2016 iteration of the original, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is currently going for the price of a coffee, I decided that might be a better place to start.
Currently sitting at the highly-coveted ‘very positive’ rating on Steam, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is the enhanced version of Capcom’s 2012 open-world game. Boasting improved graphics alongside all of the DLC content, retail-exclusives, and, of course, the Dark Arisen expansion, if you’re looking to get the complete experience ahead of the Dragon’s Dogma 2 release date, then it’s an absolute must.
And a whole lot of people would agree. Ever since the game went on sale its player count has been slowly increasing, with a burst on Sunday, March 3, and then again within the last 24 hours (Thursday, March 8). While initially hovering around the 2,500 mark, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen’s player count now sits at an impressive 5,660 – more than double where it was pre-sale.
Those numbers aren’t exactly hard to believe, given Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is currently available on Steam for $4.79 / £3.83. Upon a quick check, that’s less than a small Starbucks latte, and slightly more expensive than my favorite caramelized biscuit loaf cake. While I did miss it with my lunchtime coffee today, I’d argue Dragon’s Dogma is worth it.
If you’re looking to pick it up, you can do so here – while it downloads, I’d suggest checking out our Dragon’s Dogma 2 preview, which says that it may just be “the best open-world RPG since Elden Ring.” High praise.
Alternatively, if you want to be prepared, we have a list of all of the current Dragon’s Dogma 2 enemies, as well as a rundown of all of the different Dragon’s Dogma 2 Pawns that you’ll be able to recruit during your adventure.
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