Summary
Dragon’s Dogma 2is a game that’s not afraid to break norms and stick to its guns even when standard gaming doesn’t necessarily agree with it. The biggest indicator of this is how infrequently the game tries to do anything resembling player guidance.
From the story to the quests to the monster hunting, it’s all about the players figuring out for themselves what the game wants them to do and how to do it. However, what this inevitably results in is tons and tons of mechanics, interactions, and secrets that go unnoticed by the majority of the player base. Here are some of the more notable interactions that often slip under the radar.
6Teleportation While Carrying
Throw NPCs Over Shoulders
One of the nifty mechanics thatDragon’s Dogma 2doesn’t tell players about is that if players pick an NPC up - or an inanimate object for that matter - anduse a ferrystone to teleportto aPortcrystal, whoever is in their arms fast travels with them. Using this method, players are free to bring the Battahl Empress Nadinia over to Vernworth to show her the sites or teleport with Sven over to the Volcanic Camp. The NPCs will just walk back to their original location and noone will blame the Arisen.
Where this mechanic comes into playduring the Sphinx trials. First, in the Riddle of Futility, players are asked to bring a vase from the Frontier Shrine to Bakbattahl. If players carry the vase and teleport to a Portcrystal placed in Bakbattahl, they’ll save themselves an impossibly long trip across regions. Second, during the Riddle of Differentiation, players are asked to bring an NPC to the Sphinx. The only way to do so is either by sealing the NPC inside the Sealing Phial or simply carrying them and teleporting to the shrine.
5Master Gaol Key
Escape Any Prison
During the quest, The Caged Magistrate, Captain Brant will give players an item called the Master Gaol Key. The purpose of this quest item is to free Magistrate Waldhar from prison and whisk him away to safety by unlocking his Gaol Cell.
What the game doesn’t tell players is that this item doesn’t only work for Waldhar’s Cell. It’s an unbreakable master key that works to open all prison doors in Vermundandin Battahl. Unfortunately, when the quest ends, Captain Brant will ask for this key back, and players will be forced to hand it back to him. To circumvent this, players cancreate a fake copy of the Master Gaol Keyat Ibrahim’s Scrap Store in Checkpoint Rest Town, give Brant the fake one, and keep the real one for future use.
4The Medusa’s Head
Petrify Anything
The Medusa is a unique monster inDD2that can be found in the western section of Battahl, just north of the Drabnir’s Grotto. Other than exacting revenge on this monster for killing the player at the start of the story, players can also obtain a Withered Medusa Head by killing her. The withered version of this head cannot be used for anything, but there is a way to obtain a functioning head.
To obtain a Preserved Medusa Head, players will need to equip a slashing weapon, climb on top of the Medusa, and only target her head with slashing damage. The Lightning Imbued Daggers, Bolt from the Blue, work wonders for this method, but any slashing will do. If done correctly, Medusa’s head will fall off before her health bar depletes, and players will be able to pick up a Preserved Medusa Head. Using this head on any monster - even the Medusa herself - will petrify it, killing it instantly.
3Warrior’s Movement Hack
Sprint Across The Map
TheWarrior Vocationhas one of the most satisfying playstyles inDragon’s Dogma 2. But players might not know that hard-hitting sword swings are not all the Warrior has to offer. No, one of Warrior’s best skills is Goring Lunge, which, in addition to being an excellent damage ability, is one of the fastest ways a character can move in the game.
The way Goring Lunge works is that it locks the Warrior in an animation where they charge forward until they hit something. If they don’t hit something, they keep going until theirstamina runs out. When Goring Lunge is upgraded to Ravening Lunge, this stamina cost is lowered, allowing the Warrior to continue their lunge for much longer. Used smartly, this can allow players to chew through distance like nothing else, making the vast open expanse ofDD2a little easier to traverse.
2Use Pawns To Catch You
Throw Them Off Cliffs
One of the biggest improvements seen inDragon’s Dogmacompared to the original game is how smart the Pawn AI is now. From knowing which enemies to target to saving downed companions to be revived, it’s incredible to see how much more dynamic the Pawns are in the sequel. One of the best examples of this is the way Pawns will catch the player character if they fall to them from a height.
While this happens mostly by accident, like when players accidentally fall off a cliff or are thrown down while climbing a griffin, this mechanic can actually be weaponized to make traveling much quicker. Players can pick up Pawns and throw them off cliffs so that they land somewhere down below. If they then jump towards the Pawn, they’ll naturally be caught, saving themselves from fall damage. To take it a step further, if the player has theMagick Archer vocation, they don’t even need to worry about the Pawn surviving the fall. They can simply use the Recovery Arrow ability to revive the dead Pawn from above and then fall down into their arms for safety. This trick can be used to get to low ground incredibly quickly.
1Get The True Ending
Use The Empowered Godsbane Blade
One of the biggest secretsDragon’s Dogma 2is hiding is the fact that there are, in fact,three endings. The first ending is when the Arisen defeats the Dragon, plain and simple. They’ll have a celebration, be crowned king, and live happily ever after. The second ending is if they choose to sacrifice their companion when prompted to do so by the Dragon. They’ll still be crowned king but there will be no happy ever afters.
The last - and true ending - is when players kill the Dragon and themselves in one single blow, triggering the start of theUnmoored World, the game’s version of New Game Plus. The Unmoored World is a new way of experiencing the game, with new weapons and armor to equip, new monsters to defeat, and a whole new section of the story to uncover.
