Dragon's Dogma Demo

Capcom’s demo for Dragon’s Dogma went live on PSN this afternoon, and I just spent the last few hours immersing myself neck-deep in it.

First off, I already had high expectations for this game going in. I’ve been keeping up on the development for awhile now, and anything I’ve heard has only reinforced the impression that this new IP is going to turn some heads. But on the other hand, I’ve had plenty of disappointments in my 20+ years of gaming, so I was fully prepared to find design elements that I might not agree with.

Surprisingly, though, the demo for Dragon’s Dogma not only met all of my expectations for the title, it actually managed to exceed them. And now I’m more excited than ever to pick up this game on day one of its launch.

The character creation is easily the most in-depth and versatile I’ve ever encountered. The usual elements you might expect of an open-world epic are all there, like choosing the precise dimensions of your nose, or trying out dozens of different hair styles. But there are also customization elements that I’ve never seen used before, like the ability to switch and swap different types of torsos, lower bodies and arms, not to mention being able to adjust your character’s posture, manner of standing, and exact height.

The character models are very realistic and beautifully done, and in a surprise twist that I wasn’t expecting, you can design a character that ranges anywhere from elderly to nearly child-like.

The demo gives you the option to play through two different scenarios, one taking place in a rather small, linear dungeon, and one that lets you tromp around in the outdoors for a bit. Both environs are beautifully rendered, with graphics easily comparable to something like Skyrim, and I was immediately left with the impression of a very solid, thoroughly tested game engine.

Combat was easy to grasp, incredibly satisfying and filled with fun animations, spectacular magical effects and martial arts-like choreographed moves. The ability to grab onto large enemies was just as much fun as I hoped it would be, and the game in general just felt really solid, well-made and polished to a high-degree of excellence.

If you haven’t been keeping up with Dragon’s Dogma so far, I would highly recommend that you start. Because if you’re anything like me, and you live for well-made, open-world RPGs, then Dragon’s Dogma should be at the top of your list for upcoming releases. Check this one out!