Capcom says you can play Dragon’s Dogma 2 first thanks to amnesia

Ignorance is bliss – and saves you 35 hours of catch-up playing

Capcom says you can play Dragon’s Dogma 2 without playing Dragon’s Dogma first thanks to that gold-standard RPG tradition, amnesia. Director Hideaki Itsuno made the comments in a recent interview with GamesRadar, where he said that amnesia creates a natural way for the narrative team to introduce some recaps.

"The game starts off with a main character who has lost their memory," Itsuno said. “[so we] have characters around you explain things to get you up to speed. So even if this is your first time playing Dragon's Dogma, you can safely dive in."

Those characters are the Pawns who fight and quest alongside you.

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That recap is handy for newcomers, but also a little confusing. Capcom previously said Dragon’s Dogma 2 takes place in a different plane of the same world, but I guess these two dimensions have more in common than we thought. Either way, at least it means one less meaty RPG to try and find time for in the midst of yet another video game release frenzy.

Whatever the case with shared story threads, it sounds like Dragon’s Dogma 2 goes heavier on narrative than its predecessor. You, an Arisen whose heart belongs to a dragon, are stuck in the middle of two kingdoms with clashing philosophies and plenty of ideas about what you should be doing with your life. 

Disa, queen regent of the human kingdom, wants to get her son on the throne and uses a fake Arisen to do it. The beast nation, led by Empress Nadinia, thinks Pawns are the source of the world’s misfortune, which is bound to cause problems once you stop by for a friendly visit.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on March 21, 2024, and we think it's going to be one of the year's biggest games.