Taking in various game trailers at TGS, the one that really impressed me was Dragon's Dogma in the Capcom booth.  In hindsight I really wish I'd taken the chance to try it out before the lines got too long.

From the gameplay footage itself I don't know what to say other than the graphics look spectacular and the developers seem to have really captured both an intensity and a cinematic flare in the action, not too mention having pegged the look of medieval mythological fantasy for me.  I remember specifically one clip brought back the feeling of watching Lord of the Rings, which is the first game I've noticed to do that.

Reading the previews (particularly this one at GameShard) has me hoping that there's also some depth to the player customization, questing, and online aspect.

After being let down by Konami in Castlevania Lords of Shadow (should update that thread with my thoughts sometime) I may put my faith in Capcom for my next big action-adventure outing.  Anyone else got their eye on this one?

I'm very skeptical of this one.  It reeks of an attempt to westernize Monster Honster by making it a little more visceral and replacing local multiplayer with AI.  If it has a real, compelling narrative, I might get some interest in it, but Capcom has yet to give any indication that one will be included.

I obviously don't know how the game will fare, but I have to say the plot reminded me of the movie Dragonheart, which was pretty bad...

I recently got a chance and started playing Dark Arisen, which is basically Dragon's Dogma + expansion. In one word, "excellent". I'm actually quite amused that two of the best Western RPGs I have recently played came from Japan (Dragon's Dogma + Dark Souls)! Of course, I have not gotten far into Dragon's Dogma, but it's been great thus far! It's challenging but not frustrating. The graphics are great in my opinion, the music is wonderful, the sounds are top, but most importantly it's just a fun and vibrant world. The battles are top-notch! The first time you take down a cyclops after climbing its back and slashing the head... epic! I have to say, it's been a while since I played a great game by Capcom, and I really hope they're working on Dragon's Dogma 2.

To be honest I'm not really surprised to hear such a view on this game. Dragon's Dogma was pretty much the only game Capcom brought over (or published) for a decent chunk of time back when this was released that didn't crash and burn.

I've been playing the original Dragon's Dogma regularly for the past couple months and have been enjoying it.  I've also come to realize that in many ways it's the Simon's Quest successor I've always longed for:

- Focus on overworld exploration
- Gameplay during day and night (with an accompanying increase in danger during the latter)
- Mythological monsters and massive bosses (just replace Dracula mythology with ancient Greek)
- Leveling up and item and weapon accumulation
- Occasionally cryptic clues leading to the next destination
- Good music

Granted many of these aren't uncommon among current-gen games, but this is the first game I've played that has captured the whole mythological action-adventure experience the same way that Simon's Quest did (despite its faults) all those years ago.

Comparisons aside, it really is a well-made action-adventure game.  The environment graphics are excellent and make venturing into new areas the great joy of the game - one often multiplied twice over when traveling during the opposite time of day.  Seeing the castle Gran Soren from afar at night following the hard-fought ascent of an enemy-infested cliff has been one of my more memorable gaming experiences.  And having traveled to Greece just over a year ago, it's felt genuinely nostalgic at times seeing the heavy inspiration they've taken from the landscapes there.

The other great joy is the boss encounters, which between the dynamic combat, cinematic camerawork, excellent boss music and sheer size of adversaries is a delightfully dramatic experience.

The game is not without its faults (I might go into those next post) but overall I've found time spent playing the game to be time well spent.

Simon's Quest has not come into my mind at all while playing Dragon's Dogma, but of course that's part of the beauty of video games -everyone has a unique and memorable experience! Many of the points Adam brought up have been a staple of Western RPGs for many years. That said, Dragon's Dogma is still one of my favorite RPGs in a long time. As for faults, it certainly has its share. However, I believe many of those were addressed in Dark Arisen. Thus, I encourage anyone who is interested in the game to get Dark Arisen. Furthermore, the new area in Dark Arisen is probably my favorite area of the entire game.

This is actually one game from the PS3 library that I'd be pretty interested in seeing re-released for the PS4.  The main reason being that pop-up and occasional slowdown is the only significant graphical weakness of the game and the most noticeable distraction in an otherwise immersive experience - and something that would pretty easily solved by a PS4 port.  If I had double-dipped on Dark Arisen I'm not sure whether I'd feel the same way, but with some added areas and enemies I think it'd make an attractive re-release.

And I'd gladly pay for a true sequel.

Games similar to Dragon's Dogma, and no less good include:

Divinity the Dragon Knight Saga
Witcher 2

both were released for the Xbox and PC. Two perfect reasons to get a 360.

Finished the game. Excellent. Lovely music, great gameplay, good story, just excellent all-around despite some flaws. The ending was both good and a bit iffy. It was definitely what I would consider a "typical" JRPG ending. Honestly, in many ways it was more or less the same ending you get in Dark Souls I and II. My favorite part of the game was Dark Arisen. It really was top. I'm curious does anyone have the Dark Arisen soundtrack? If so, is "Coils of Light" (my favorite track from the game) sung in Japanese or English? I'm guessing Japanese, but thought I would check. The English version of the song is very poetic

All riven, kith and kin,
All given for this, a never-ending riddle,
My flesh worn, heart betorn,
Mind, by mem'ry, begyved...

As I wander, cold and immane?
Whither now my mother, my flame?
And along the coils of light,
The life I desired?

"Anon must we part"?
Words like a dart, red and dire,
Eyne that accoyed with their heat,

O! How I have seen the Dragon's Dogma!
Unbound by time, all-binding, grand design,
Land and skies and seas yearn,
Finish the cycle of eternal return,

When thou pulledst this boy from the sand,
Didst thou see him bearded, with brand?
And within the coils of light, when our blades took flight-
What future didst thou envision?

As I keep this frozen demesne,
Whither now my mother, my flame?
And along the coils of light,
The life I desired?

Speculations abound

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2014/12/31 … iting-for/

Probably Smurfs 2 for mobile devices.