They hold the advantage!
Why didn’t anyone tell me Dragon’s Dogma was so amazing?! I missed out on the original back in 2012, and I hadn’t really heard much about it in the first place. I knew, vaguely, what it was, and had even downloaded it via PS Plus at one point, but never got around to playing it.
Which seems like a good thing, in hindsight. The game evidently had awful technical issues that forced some players to stop playing completely. Perhaps that was their focus going in to this PC port, because any and all framerate issues have disappeared.
Tested on: Intel i7-4770k 3.50 GHz, 8GB of RAM, Geforce GTX 970, Windows 10. Framerate measured with RivaTuner.
First thing’s first: the PC version has an option to turn off all Pawn banter completely. In case you think you might be missing something, just know that its gibberish like “IT’S WEAK TO FIRE” and probably also “A FORMIDABLE FOE!” As an aside, I kind of like how annoying the Pawns are. For whatever reason, I get a huge chuckle out of their loud, uncalled for shouts. The PC Port also supports 4k resolution, but as I do not have the capabilities to test this, I cannot comment on how it looks. My bet is that it looks very good.
Most players who have played before will have one thing on their mind when it comes to the PC Port: the framerate. While I have not played the original, the framerate was evidently awful. There are three options for framerate in the options: 30, 60, and Variable. The PC port runs smooth as butter on my rig, easily going above 60 framer-per-second in towns and hovering around 60 FPS outside and in combat.
The texture quality is, well, the game is from 2012 and it shows. They’re a bit muddy, especially when viewed up close. Comparing screenshots and videos, I can’t say they are much better than the original, but it’s hard to tell without playing the other version myself. Regardless, I wouldn’t say it looks bad. Just…not great. There’s also some noticeable pop-in with objects. Generally they appear off in the distance, but occasionally when turning a corner, an NPC will magically appear right in front of your very eyes. Damn, this game does have some fancy magic!
Key bindings can be remapped to your heart’s content, but the same is not true when using a (non-Steam) controller. There are six different presets for controllers though, and you’re bound to find something that fits your playstyle between them. The Steam controller works just fine, either using it as a traditional controller or rebinding the keys to your heart’s content. I’ve found that binding “grab” to a back grip paddle makes fighting monsters as melee way more entertaining. It really feels like grabbing!
Consumables can be assigned to hotkeys, but only numbers 1-5. It’s incredibly simple to do: open up your inventory, select the consumable, then press the number key to assign it. Done! This makes things like pulling out a lantern or using flasks a breeze and is also an incentive to use a keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse controls feel very tight, and aiming bows has never been easier. When switching between keyboard controls and a controller, the game automatically changes the on-screen prompts and recognizes the new input device. I’ve tested with with both the Steam Controller and a wired Xbox One controller.
There are plenty of graphics options, including the ability to change the field-of-view, something not seen too often in PC ports, let alone ports of third-person action games! Regardless of FOV, the camera pans out while a weapon is active, so there’s always plenty of room to see what is happening on screen; the FOV slider affects non-combat view more than it does combat view, from what I can tell.
Other graphical options that PC players have come to expect are here and can be tuned to fits any player’s setup. Remember, Dragon’s Dogma is a few years old at this point and shouldn’t really be taxing to most gaming PCs these days. One issue is that the graphics can only be changed from the main menu. Once you load a save, most graphics settings are locked in.
As for the “double dippers” who are curious if this is worth a second investment, it depends. If you bought it and never spent much time with it because of technical issues, definitely pick it up again. The same goes if you never got a chance to play the Dark Arisen content for whatever reason. If you’ve had your fill of the game and its expansion originally, then I’m not sure there is much here, except the opportunity to play a smooth game and not a PowerPoint presentation.
This is a wonderful port from Capcom. It could have just easily just plopped this on the new platform with little to no care and called it a day. The fact is though, there are many features that are exclusive to the PC version and it runs at a stable framerate. Plus, it’s not being released at full price! No, it’s not perfect, but for $30 it’s hard to say no to such a great RPG.
[This PC Port Report is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
