Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen launched today, Capcom has advised. The game is an all-new release on the Nintendo Switch 2, and is available as a separate expansion on other platforms where the original Dragon's Dogma 2 was already available.

Released on Mar. 22, 2024, Dragon's Dogma 2 introduced players to the Arisen, an unlikely hero who escaped from a prison camp and embarked on a quest to save the world from a fearsome dragon. It was the unexpected sequel to the original Dragon's Dogma, which reached PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 22, 2012. Some sequels just don't happen right away.

In my review of Dragon's Dogma 2, I wrote that the game shouldn't be as awesome as it is, and I stand by that statement. Capcom clearly left room for improvement. For starters, there were basically only three distinct regions. A person could run across them rather quickly if so inclined (though I tended to ride by wagon). Also, fast travel required an expensive item that disappeared once you used it, forcing players to endure a lot of pointless backtracking.

The expansion takes everything that already existed in Dragon's Dogma 2 and adds "new tales and thrilling encounters," according to the press release. The biggest addition is the new region of Norgan, which sounds intriguing. Just check out this description:

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Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen summons the Arisen to the long-abandoned Northern region of Norgan, an entirely new in-game region where they must join forces with the enigmatic Eir and unravel the secrets of the undying Fallen Dragon.

It sounds promising, right? There also are 12 new Lost Rites Dungeon Challenges, featuring trials by the Pathfinder that can be cleared to claim rare equipment. And there are new options in the Character Creator, the better to make your in-game avatar look more like your bad self.

The Arisen faces a monster with flaming arms and horns that towers above him.Credit: Capcom
The Arisen faces a monster with flaming arms and horns that towers above him.In a frozen environment, with a sword over their back, the Arisen faces a large monster with a gaping maw and thick furry coat.The Arisen faces bandits and fires a series of arrows from their bow.A closeup of a woman adventurer with a cliched fist, standing in front of some cliffs with snowflakes.The Arisen prepares to unleash an arrow from their bow, in the direction of a leathery demon foe.A character development screen shows a female avatar with elven ears, with a selection of hairstyle options visible.

Apparently, the base game has also received free updates that current owners can enjoy without spending anything at all. An update on June 9th even made fast travel simpler (which comes as welcome news to me), thanks to the new Eternal Ferrystone item. There have been other quality-of-life enhancements, as well, along with improved frame rates, extra save slots, and more assignable weapon skill slots for combat. I won't lie. All of that sounds terrific, and I'm totally on board with getting it for free.

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is newly available for $49.99 USD on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. If you already own the base game on a platform that isn't the Switch 2, as I do, you can purchase the expanded content separately for $29.99 USD. Are you tempted?