gamehuntersupdatetipsandtricshub: Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Review

Featuring new tales and encounters alike, Capcom‘s Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen DLC arrives this very busy October.

Is the new area worth checking out, or should you play something else with our review…

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Review

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen kicks off with a mysterious Arisen sighting leading to the new area of Norgan.

A harsh winter area, Norgan is filled with lots of barbarians and monsters to fight. Your purpose is to find out what this other Arisen is up to, and to see how things are going up north.

With approximately 20 hours of play until the credits rolled, there was still plenty of side content left to do.

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen also provides a lot of time in the Norgandian Settlement to rest, cook, get side quests, and identify relics (more on that last one later).

It proves to be a cozy spot in a world that will toss players around like a rag doll after one wrong step.

It was also great seeing the Norgandian Settlement build up as new people and adventurers came through. Keep an eye out; I did find one person in the world who came to live in the village, so there could be more.

As mentioned, it can be savage out there. Combat in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is just as brutal as the base game.

Playing as a mage and magic archer, my moves took a little while to charge. However, players will be interrupted, frozen, knocked down, launched, and everything else when charging.

Enemies are fast and hit HARD.

Still, when calling down the meteors and blowing out an entire camp in a single move, it always feels good.

My skill build from Dragon’s Dogma 2 proper worked great in this Dark Arisen DLC.

One’s skills change a bit in Dark Arisen’s new Relic system.

Those that played Dark Arisen from the original release will find it’s similar here.

While doing quests, players can loot relics and ancient gear from enemies and chests.

These random pieces of equipment allow players to spend gift crystals to identify. These relics can also have moves on them, improving base moves. For instance, my Salamander skill improved and added explosions to its fire line. While not testing all classes, my Mage got a lot more options when getting a relic with two or three skill improvements on it.

Adding the relics also makes side quests and exploration more enjoyable. Some quests in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen are just escort and kill missions, so knowing you get the better loot makes them more tolerable.

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen also keeps things interesting with its weather. Since it’s up north, whiteouts and blizzards occasionally occur. This, in turn, requires players heat up, seek shelter, or use an item to keep warm to prevent stamina from draining to zero.

Keep items topped off and you’ll be fine.

While Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen did add new monsters, their knockdowns were insane. Later boss fights were beyond absurd with the amount of stuns, feeling like Monster Hunter at times while I waited for the daze to wear off.

As a mage who charges spells that take time, it’s really irritating when a roar cancels all your work – and likely even worse for melee though.

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is an excellent addition to an already meaty game. If you liked the base game, Dark Arisen offers even more difficult challenges alongside even greater rewards.

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Review

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5 (A digital code was provided)
Release Date: October 8, 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom