Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is what I hoped it'd be coming from the original — but after an hour, I still need to see more

I played an hour of Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion and was impressed by its gameplay loop and enhanced performance on PlayStation 5. Players must explore Norgan, an abandoned region, and team up with a mysterious new character to uncover the secrets of a Fallen Dragon. The expansion features a similar appraisal system to Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, but with a larger explorable map.

The major patch included in the preview addressed some pain points from the base game, and enemy encounters were less frequent, allowing for a more enjoyable exploration experience. Performance on the PS5 was notably improved, with smooth and consistent frame rates. Norgan offers a variety of points of interest, such as acquiring a pet dire wolf, encountering a frost-breathing giant, and discovering level 3 skill spoils for new vocations.

Magick Archer now has an enhanced version of Arctic Bolt that becomes available through appraising skill spoils. Harpies are also present in Norgan, with new designs and attack patterns. The expansion's main boss encounter, fighting the Fallen Dragon, was an epic experience that left me wanting more. Additionally, there are twelve new dungeon challenges to explore in the base game.

While I found Norgan engaging, I'm cautiously optimistic about the full experience, as I hope the additional content will emphasize closed-space environments and provide a more diverse set of enemies and bosses. The expansion is set to launch on October 9, 2026.