When I first played and reviewed Dragon’s Dogma 2 for The Escapist, it was pretty much everything I expected as a fan of the first game. Sure, there were maybe fewer boss and enemy types than in its predecessor, but for the most part, it was an ambitious sequel that sought to build on the foundations of the original, and I think it nailed that on most fronts.
With the Dark Arisen expansion dropping this year and Dragon’s Dogma 2 coming to the Switch 2, this seemed like the perfect time to revisit the game and see if my sentiment has changed at all. Spoiler: it hasn’t. And another spoiler: it runs beautifully on the Switch 2. Surprise, surprise.
At the time of writing, I’ve only just started dabbling in the Dark Arisen content. Capcom provided me with a review code on launch day, and given that I had to start a new game on Switch 2, it’s taken me a bit of time to get to the level required to handle Norgan, and I get way distracted with random quests and monsters that come at you in Dragon’s Dogma 2… You know how it is.
But I still have things of value to say! Despite the fact that the Switch 2 version of Dragon’s Dogma 2 has been out for weeks at this point! Even though I’m sure you all already know the game runs well on Switch 2! Let me contribute!
Alright, in all seriousness, I think there’s something to say about Capcom’s commitment to the Switch 2. Aside from Dragon’s Dogma 2, we’ve seen games like Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, and Onimusha (among many others) release on Nintendo’s hybrid console. I haven’t actually played any of these other games on the Switch 2, but if the reports are to be believed, they all run pretty smoothly, even if they do end up taking a bit of a graphical hit. Having played the first Dragon’s Dogma on the original Switch and thoroughly enjoying that version of the game, though, I already knew this was probably going to be good. And it is.
Big picture: Dragon’s Dogma 2 runs at a very consistent framerate, both docked and handheld. As you may know, I primarily enjoy my Switch 2 games in handheld mode, so that’s how I’ve mostly been playing. Visually, there’s quite a bit of pop-in, but nothing severe. We’re talking patches of grass that pop into existence as I’m sprinting, but nothing crazy like a tree or a whole ass building. That would be very immersion-breaking, wouldn’t it? To my untrained eye — I’m no Digital Foundry — it seems to run at a consistent 30fps, which is more than enough for me for an expansive open-world game like this. No hiccups whatsoever across my 20 hours of play so far, and I’m pleased with how it runs.
The character models do look a bit muddy and a little less detailed in handheld mode, but the resolution gets bumped up significantly to 1,600×900 when docked, and it looks almost on par with the PS5 version. It’s definitely good enough on the Switch 2’s smaller screen though, and considering that this is pretty much the perfect game to take with you on the go, I’m more than happy with its handheld performance.
It’s worth noting that Capcom has not rested on its laurels since the game’s original launch. Dragon’s Dogma 2 now comes packed with tons of quality-of-life updates and improvements. Most of them are in service of the Dark Arisen launch, but even base game enjoyers will get to partake in some of the new features, such as the Eternal Ferrystone, which becomes available to everyone from the moment you start the game. I can see this being a bit contentious among the hardcore players, as making fast travel easy and instantaneous can take away some of the game’s charm, but for me, who’s already experienced everything the base game has to offer, the Eternal Ferrystone makes everything much breezier and allows me to get to the new content quicker.
I’d still recommend tucking it away if you’re experiencing this game for the first time though. Think of it as a hazing ritual of sorts. A rite of passage, if you would.
Still, revisiting this game two years later has brought back some pleasant memories and created new ones, as I’ve gotten the chance to experience certain questlines I didn’t get to complete before. Ulrika’s romance plot was a big one that I missed, though I have to say I’m surprised by how random and sudden it is.
Save a girl’s village one time from a dragon and help her gain control of another one, and apparently that’s all it takes for her to throw herself at you. Actually, you know what? I’ve simped for less. I get it.
I’ll have much more to say about Dark Arisen once I’ve actually completed it, but for now, I’m really pleased with how the game runs on Switch 2. I’ve found myself gravitating towards the Switch 2 more and more in the past year and a half, often opting for Switch 2 review codes whenever that’s an option available to me. The portability factor just trumps everything, and the fact that the hardware is now powerful enough to run massive games with fewer compromises, I’m finding that I have less of a reason to even touch my PS5 unless it’s for an exclusive.
A review code for the game was provided by the publisher. You can check out our review policy here.
