Dragon's Dogma 2's Big, Controversial Launch. Microtransactions and Optimization Criticized on Steam

Capcom's latest game, the action RPG Dragon's Dogma 2, has debuted on Steam and consoles. And while crowds are playing, the publisher can't be entirely satisfied with the reception of its latest production.

Peter Doron

March 22, 2024 03:52

Source: Capcom / Steam

Dragon's Dogma II just released. Capcom's action RPG is now available on PC (Steam), as well as PlayStation 5 (PS Store) and Xbox Series X/S (Xbox Store). Although the game attracted crowds of players - the current record Steam is 184,724 people, which places the title high on the list of the most popular Capcom games there - a glance at the reviews and comments section shows that something might have gone wrong here, though.

Currently, Dragon's Dogma 2 has a "mostly negative" reception on Steam. Positive reviews constitute only 36%. What are the main complaints? Poor optimization (which is not surprising due to the fact that even the developers themselves announced it before the premiere - interestingly, there are many players praising the performance, too), the presence of Denuvo anti-piracy protection, but primarily due to the micropayments present in the game, about which Capcom hasn't mentioned anything so far.

Interestingly, PlayStation players are much more favorable and the game's rating in the PS Store is 4.51 out of 5.

Check out the list of available microtransactions.

On the Steam page or the game's PS Store page (linked above) On consoles, there's also the possibility of purchasing additional content from the Deluxe Edition (more about that below).
Microtransactions include, among others, fast travel (with the Portcrystals), Rift crystals used for renting Pawns and buying special items, Wakestones for reviving the dead, Ambivalent Rift Incense allowing for a one-time and random (!) change of Pawn's preferences, or a special Explorer's Camping Kit, which weighs less than usual.

Microtransactions in single-player games - what's the problem?

Generally, these are various types of aids that allow you to speed up your progress or make the challenge easier. Remember, this is a single-player game, so these purchases won't affect other players - they're just for your account and gameplay.

Of course, most items available for microtransactions can be found in-game. However, they are hard-to-find, costly, or available in limited quantities.

It should also be noted that if it were not for specific design decisions - whether regarding gameplay mechanics (e.g. character customization, port crystals allowing for a fast travel network), or the game's internal economy (relatively high cost of purchasing, for example, the mentioned port crystals) - the existence of microtransactions facilitating solo play wouldn't make much sense. This would be a positive aspect for the player, but less so for the publisher.

It is also worth noting that all Steam, PS Store and Xbox Store offer a slightly more expensive Deluxe Edition. It provides access to the New Journey pack, which includes some items and features from the microtransaction system, as well as 1500 Rift Crystals.

Dragons Dogma 2s Big, Controversial Launch. Micropayments and Optimization Criticized on Steam - picture #2

A list of Dragon's Dogma 2 microtransactions on the PS Store.Source: PS Store

Capcom offers other players buying what's available for an extra charge in the Deluxe Edition. The only downside is that some items (such as Wakestones) are single-use and disappear from your inventory after use. If you want to continue enhancing your gameplay with them, you'll need to keep buying.

Did Dragon's Dogma 2 reviewers know about micropayments? It turns out that the entire system was activated at the time of the premiere and it was simply not possible to access the internal store from within the game earlier.

Micropayments that facilitate gameplay in Capcom's single-player games are also present in the company's older games, such as Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry 5.

You can also check out Dragon's Dogma II system requirements:

Dragon's Dogma 2 - minimum system specs for PC (30 fps, 1080p)

Processor: Intel Core i5-10600 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT with 8 GB VRAM
RAM: 16 GB
DirectX: version 12
Operating system: Windows 10/11 64-bit