Dragon’s Dogma II: Dark Arisen expands Capcom’s action RPG with a new northern region, additional challenges across the original map and more ways to customize its existing Vocations. Reviewer James Beckett awarded the expansion an A-, describing it as a substantial, polished addition to the game.

Before travelling to Norgan, players can take on around a dozen new dungeons called Lost Rites, scattered across Vermund and Battahl. These activities offer upgraded encounters and valuable rewards, with some imposing specific restrictions on party members, weapons or Vocations. Completing them also provides currencies and tools that can be used during the journey north.

Norgan is a large, frozen wilderness filled with hidden routes, treasure and new enemies. The review praises its distinctive scenery and map design, noting that exploring away from the main paths often leads to discoveries. New randomized loot drops from treasure and enemies, with equipment appraised at the region’s base camp. Some items also include bonuses that affect Vocation skills.

Obelisks found throughout Norgan let players spend rewards from Lost Rites to unlock skills, buffs and modifiers for most of the game’s Vocations. Although the expansion does not introduce a new class, it adds enough options to the existing ten that the reviewer found build experimentation worthwhile, even after spending dozens of hours with the main game.

The review also credits recent patches with improving console performance and Pawn behavior, alongside other refinements to the base game. On a standard PlayStation 5, the reviewer noticed occasional screen tearing, though they could not determine whether the game or the television was responsible. They also felt that additions such as an Eternal Ferrystone reduce some of the series’ deliberate travel friction.

Despite those reservations, Beckett concludes that Dark Arisen strengthens an already compelling action RPG. The expansion is available for PC, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Sources: Anime News Network.