Lustful Butchery
Throwing Some Justice!
http://www.1up.com/previews/new-capcom-game-dragons-dogma
Trailer and screenshots can be seen in the link. Anyone interested in this game?
Capcom's modern-day action reputation has been built heavily on the back of horror and science fiction fare, so the revelation of a new IP based on very traditional-looking fantasy elements like dragons and knights is particularly surprising, especially with a Japanese team working on the game. At first glance, Dragon's Dogma hints strongly at beloved role playing experiences like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Dragon Age, but Capcom is looking to take that kind of aesthetic and shift the emphasis more towards the action side of things, in the hopes of providing an immersive combat experience amidst the medieval fantasy trappings.
Dragon's Dogma doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it's a fitting moniker for an adventure guided by the mysterious influence of one of the mythical beasts. When the dragon appears in the land, it begins randomly attacking villages and citizens -- that is, until it steals the heart (not literally, I presume) of your created male or female protagonist. From that point on, you're under the command of the dragon, which speaks to you along the way and initially kicks off the adventure by challenging you to find him and reclaim your heart. But the appearance of the dragon has thrown the balance of the world into chaos, prompting other quest opportunities and quite likely fleshing out the rest of the experience.
Unveiling the game for the first time at the recent Captivate press event, director Hideaki Itsuno -- a veteran of the last two Devil May Cry entries -- spoke of wanting to make this game since he was in junior high; one in which players can design their own hero and set out into a world full of quests and opportunities. He cites influences ranging from the Lord of the Rings books and Dungeons & Dragons to The Neverending Story, and claims, "I think the language and imagery of fantasy are pretty much understood around the world. It has a universal appeal." With the tech (and his own senior status) in place to realize his vision, Itsuno is currently guiding Capcom's biggest team -- with around 150 core members -- towards this large and ambitious project.
And it's definitely both, as evidenced by the seemingly vast open-world setting constructed for the game, which includes fields, mountains, forests, and cities of varying sizes ? --though I only saw a small bit of what it has to offer during the presentation and in the brief playable demo. Anything you see can reportedly be reached, and you'll be able to witness events in the world -- such as a massive boss destroying a far-off city -- and decide whether you want to intervene or let things simply happen as they will.
Of particular note was the game's largest city: a distinct, cobblestone-filled affair that recalls something from the Assassin's Creed series, albeit viewed entirely from the dirt. This city alone is filled with 200 distinct, fully voiced bystanders -- all of with whom you can hold worthwhile conversations -- that simply go about their day during the game's 24-hour cycle, and likely won't be standing around every time you waltz through the city gates. Interacting with these people is an essential part of the adventure, though, as your behavior towards certain citizens may affect the way they treat you later in the game, and could limit your access to information and items needed for certain, assumedly non-essential quests.
But while Dragon's Dogma looks to balance story and light role-playing elements, it's arguably more focused on the action side of things, and I had an opportunity to play through a battle that exemplified some of the unique aspects of the play experience. Playing as the Strider class, I entered combat in a bountiful field outside a castle and initially found myself fighting through a small group of beastly creatures. In addition to my light and heavy dagger attacks, I had access to a couple of "Dagger Skills" in the form of special moves called Lunging Slash and Blade Blitz. Meanwhile, my bow and arrow allowed me to launch a bevy of standard shots at foes, as well as "Bow Skills" that included a fiery Charge Shot and the powerful Arrow Storm, which lets you pick a nearby spot and rain down a hail of arrows from the sky.
You're not alone out there, though. Dragon's Dogma introduces a pawn party system, wherein you can recruit three A.I. controlled allies to fight by your side; and as with your created character, they can level up their skills through the campaign and equip enhanced weaponry along the way. Though the pawns can go about their business undirected, you can tap the D-pad in various directions to issue simple commands like "Go," "Help," or "Come," and the types of pawns you choose may determine your overall fighting style.
In addition to the Strider, the game also includes other available classes for your character and the pawns. Beyond an additional Fighter class, you can also play as a Mage and use offensive spells (like fire and ice), create a healing circle for allies to step into, and even infuse your party's weapons with a temporary elemental boost. However, the game doesn?t use a standard MP system, as the producers didn't want players taking time away from the action to manage their points. Instead, you'll simply need to chant longer -- presumably by holding or tapping a button in battle -- to unleash more powerful spells.
But the demo really picked up when a giant winged griffin descended onto the field, prompting my party to turn its attention towards the beast's downfall. Battles against large monsters like this (and even larger ones) can occur pretty regularly while exploring the world, and they offer an opportunity to try out the versatile grab mechanic. Not only can you pick up and throw smaller enemies in the game, but you can grab anywhere on larger ones and climb around their bodies, searching for weak spots as you attack anywhere you can reach. After sending the griffin crashing to the ground with burning arrows, I was able to grab hold of his arm and climb over to its neck to deliver several crushing blows as it made its last desperate flutters for life.
With that, the brief playable demo came to a close, but the presentation yielded other interesting moments, such as a battle against a massive four-headed hydra -- wherein you'll cut off the heads and have to protect your allies from ingestion -- and eerie pitch-dark nighttime scenarios where you'll need to attach a lantern to your side simply to navigate through the cities and countryside. At first glance, there's still plenty to learn about Dragon's Dogma in the coming months before its intended early 2012 release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, such as details on what's being pegged as an "all-new type" of multiplayer approach, but it's clear that Capcom is investing a lot of time and talent into a genre that falls outside its standard playbook. With luck, it'll pay off with a grand adventure that will pull players into this fantastical world early next year.
Trailer and screenshots can be seen in the link. Anyone interested in this game?
