Dragon’s Dogma 2 has finally launched, that too with glowing reviews. However, to the dismay of the community, Capcom has sneakily included 21 microtransactions that allow buyers to obtain rare currency and gameplay features.
Thanks to this, player reception has been a storm of negativity, but the story’s developed in an interesting way since. It turns out the microtransactions don’t lock anything out, and every item for sale can be obtained via just playing the game. This revelation has allowed many to look past the purchasable items and see the action-RPG for what it is: a potential Game of the Year winner.
Microtransactions Are Bad, But Blown Out Of Proportion
The microtransactions, mostly single-use consumables, offer gameplay advantages like unlocking new fast-travel locations, altering character appearances, and reviving fallen characters mid-combat.
This has caused a huge stir on Steam, where Dragon’s Dogma 2 was a hotly anticipated title. User reviews currently sit at ‘Mostly Negative’ at the time of writing. On top of the microtransactions, disgruntled players cite the game’s technical woes on PC and point fingers at the use of Denuvo, an anti-piracy software, as the culprit.
Capcom has a history of attracting criticism for peppering largely single-player experiences with microtransactions, as seen in 2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake and Monster Hunter: Rise. Dragon’s Dogma 2 seems to be eliciting a stronger-than-usual negative response, possibly due to how these purchasable items clash with the game’s intentionally challenging and restrictive design.
It’s important to note that all these items can be obtained through regular gameplay. In theory, Capcom is simply offering an optional convenience layer. Dedicating enough time will eventually net you most of these items. However, some items are inherently rare, expensive, or arduous to acquire within the game.
Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s Stellar Quality Makes It GOTY-Worthy
After fans calmed down a bit from the initial backlash to the MTX, and the truth about their usage came out, DD2 seems to be enjoying a resurgence of well-deserved praise.
The best thing Dragon’s Dogma 2 does is NOT focusing on quality of life features, & instead making a quality game.
I don’t want to fast travel & skim through the world – I don’t want the journey to end faster. I want the journey to be exciting & feel a sense of adventure.#DD2 pic.twitter.com/7ppIeDjTbk
— Videogame Wonderland (@LamerThanAGamer) March 24, 2024
dragon's dogma 2 is such a good game holy fuck pic.twitter.com/ML7thHYNgA
— Three (@ThreeDaybreaker) March 24, 2024
24 hours into Dragon’s Dogma 2
Was skeptical the first two or so hours but needless to say it’s fuckin peak. 🔥
All the classes are so much fun man and the combat is sick. Also exploring is so good
I wouldn’t even know this game has micros if I wasn’t on twitter lol. pic.twitter.com/ZPwD2u3lVh
— 🎮👾𝙆𝘼𝙄👾🎮 (@Eight249) March 23, 2024
It’s more than evident from player impressions that the microtransactions aren’t going to be required for someone who just dedicates some time to the game. Since the MTX was the biggest point of contention post-launch, clearing that has allowed gamers to see exactly what DD2 offers, and it’s staggering.
The game’s world has received the highest amount of praise so far, thanks to its intelligent and dynamic nature. Many say that DD2‘s world doesn’t react to you, you react to it. It’s obvious when you see the gameplay clips that the legwork that’s gone into coding NPC behavior has paid dividends. Some even believing it surpasses Elden Ring‘s world design, which would be an astonishing feat for Capcom.
Capcom has briefly acknowledged the MTX situation in a recent Steam post, stating that players could acquire the items “in-game or as paid DLC items”, while also working on fixes for major PC optimization issues.
Regardless of the reasoning, Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s microtransactions are unlikely to permanently tarnish its reputation. The game itself is engrossing, high quality, and likely to captivate an even larger audience than its cult classic predecessor. A potential GOTY may be on our hands.
