Gameplay
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is an open world action RPG, which means that there are plenty of side quests for you to take on if you don’t want to do any of the main missions. Most of the game’s side quests can be found in the capital Gran Soren, and you can also take on special fetch quests and escort quests for certain NPCs at the city’s quest board.
Combat-wise, Dark Arisen features a pretty dynamic action combat system. You’ll get to choose a starter vocation (fighter, ranger, mage) at the beginning of the game, and this will determine your play style for the first few hours, at least until you reach Gran Soren. Your vocation also determines the kinds of weapons you can equip, and the skills you can learn. For instance, a ranger can’t wield a sword and shield like the fighter, but swords will be unlocked once you gain access to more advanced vocations like the mystic knight. Vocations also have a separate leveling system from your character, and switching vocations will require you to level them up from scratch.
There are many beasts to encounter in Gransys as well, and you can try to fight them if you’re feeling up to the challenge. Players have the ability to jump onto the back of these monsters to hack away at their weak points. Certain body parts can also be chopped off, weakening the beast, and forcing them to perform certain moves or attacks.
