Dragon’s Dogma 2 deemphasizes the mechanic of fast travel, which is a welcome and common improvement to open-world gaming. To my surprise, I’ve enjoyed the game more because of it.
There are a few fast-travel options available in the game but they’re very limited. Oxcarts offer the fastest and most economical option. However, they are only available in certain locations, with only two routes per route. The oxcarts are also vulnerable to attack. One extreme instance was when I got out of the cart in order to kill some goblins. When I turned back to board the cart again, the cart had been completely decimated by an attack from a griffin, which left me stuck on a deserted island. Ferrystones are another expensive option for fast travel. They can be used as a means to reach a very rare magical landmark known as a portcrystal.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 was the subject of some controversy when it launched because certain items such as portcrystals could be bought via microtransactions. This frustrates me too, and not just because it’s a paid option. It shouldn’t even be available. Capcom is making money in a way that’s frustrating and misses out on the whole point of the game. Dragon’s Dogma 2 was designed to take advantage of the fact that you can’t move around quickly in the game world. It is stronger for it.
NPCs claim that the world in this game is dangerous, but lack of quick travel makes it clear to players how inconvenient and hazardous the environment is. As you travel into the wilderness, you will be fighting enemies. The more damage you receive, the lower your maximum health bar. You can get dangerously close to death if you have too many battles. Sleeping is the only way to fully heal, and you can do this in an inn or at a campsite in the wild. The right camping gear is required to sleep in the wilderness. However, it can be heavy and you will need space for your equipment. The more gear you carry, the slower your movement will be.
It’s still worth it to have a space, even if you’re not going to need healing. The monsters at night are more dangerous. Even in tents, unfortunate adventurers may be attacked in the middle night and forced to defend themselves or flee. Even with a flashlight, visibility is low at night, so it’s important to find a safe campsite.
This sounds awful on paper
This game sounds so punishing that no one in their right minds would ever play it. The harsh system is what makes the game rewarding. It’s thrilling to survive all those challenges, to defeat giant monsters and to barely make it back to the town. Once you become strong enough and intelligent to be able to do expeditions easily, that feeling of accomplishment is much greater. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a game that I have fond memories from. They all revolve around narrowly surviving dangerous trips. These memories would not exist if the option to fast travel were available.
The world is also a bigger place. It’s not easy to reach other cities, so it is a huge deal when you leave your town and travel to the capital city of another country. It’s an enormous request when someone asks to see another town. This could take several in-game hours and multiple real-world days. Imagine you are in Berlin and someone asks for a favor that requires a trip to Paris. This is a huge task, which is why someone like you needs your help. You’re making a big decision when you help someone.
Fast travel would have ruined an experience that I had. I spend the majority of a game day in order to get from a quest marker where an alleged band of bandits are based. Even though I am not fully armed, I must follow the bandit as he runs inside. The next few minutes are a brutal gauntlet in which me and my team take on the entire party, with multiple members of their organization being knocked down repeatedly.
When I return to the open, however, two major problems await me. It’s dark and the nearest campfire has a fight going on between a group of travelers, an army magic skeletons and an ogre. After battling the entire bandit camp, I realize that I am way beyond my abilities. After my pawns die I am left to limp off alone into the darkness, in search of a fire. When I find a campfire, I realize that my pawn is carrying all the camping equipment. I could not rest if I tried. As if it couldn’t be worse, the lantern goes out and I am left in the middle without friends or light.
Despite everything, I managed to survive. Then I used my dash skill from my profession to get away from enemies and made it to the closest town as the sun was rising. It was not scripted and it would have been less meaningful if it had been. Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open world isn’t an obstacle that you have to overcome to get to the core of the game. Open world is game. The game is a complex symphony that includes hostile systems, which, when defeated, produce unique stories. A simple, fast and free travel system could negate this. It is the friction that makes the end so satisfying. Why would I want to avoid it?