Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen Reviews
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IGN gives it a 7.9/10:
It's difficult to argue that Dragon's Dogma is a universally great game. It's great at combat and exploration, but the quests are often boring, the fiction is turgid and its technical problems are unignorable. But it's a very good game, and it's so interesting that I'm inclined to forgive most of its problems because it succeeds in such important ways. The Dark Arisen expansion content pushes the boundaries of fairness towards the end and saves its best rewards for the most dedicated, but in terms of design and ambience it's an encouraging indication of what this talented team might come up with next. At this budget price, Dragon's Dogma is absolutely worth a try.
Gaming Trend gives it a 93/100:
Still, original owners clearly weren't the primary target of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, hence it being released as a stand-alone title. The real target, for better or for worse, are brand new players who haven't been introduced to Capcom's newest fantasy property. To those of you who love third person action and open-world exploration and who haven't yet gone on a dragon-slaying quest, the answer is easy: this is a great buy that chances are you will not regret. Be sure to at least check out the online demo if you haven't yet, and if you like it, pick this one up as soon as you can.
Destructoid gives it a 7.5/10:
While I can't wholly recommend Dark Arisen to anyone but the most hardcore of Dragon's Dogma fans, if you haven't touched the franchise yet, this is a perfect opportunity to do so. Despite the issues, the series is an intriguing prospect that does many things right, and shouldn't be missed by action or RPG fans alike. While Capcom could have done a whole lot more with this expansion, the fact of the matter is the solid game underneath is still faithfully preserved.
ZTGD gives it a 7.5/10:
The bittersweet reality is that Dark Arisen is an incredible package for the price tag, just know what you are getting into. The new area is only for the hardest of the hardcore, so be prepared to die. Those new to the series are getting a fantastic deal on all that content, so if you have been window shopping Dragon's Dogma, now is the time to jump in. I will continue to level my character and pawn, and one day finally be able to take down these uber bosses. Until then it is back to climbing Cockatrices and listening to my pawns groan on about long boss battles.
GameGrin gives it an 8/10:
Regardless of the few missteps that Capcom took with Dark Arisen, the whole expansion adds too much to be ignored, and when you take this into account with the myriad of other small tweaks that streamline the whole game and not just Bitterblack, Dragon's Dogma is undeniably brilliant value for money. If you're new to the series or a veteran, you get the original game in addition to the all-new areas for a bargain that you'll easily find yourself sinking hundreds of hours into. What are you waiting for? Gransys awaits.
Hardcore Gamer gives it a 3.5/5:
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is technically the best version of 2012's RPG, but the new content leaves something to be desired. It only becomes interesting after the dungeon is cleared, when enemies are both strengthened and varied, leaving the first playthrough to be lackluster. Regardless, packing it in with the main game is a solid move and the imaginative gameplay mechanics still remain some of the best in any action-RPG. If you're a newcomer to Dragon's Dogma, then this is the edition to get; otherwise, you'll have to be an incredibly dedicated fan as there isn't enough here to justify an upgrade.
And BlogCritics gives it a 4/5:
Releasing a new version of Dragon's Dogma was a somewhat controversial choice for Capcom to make. There are no new trophies for PlayStation owners or achievements on the Xbox 360, and some confusion about the included DLC from the original version is also present. That is all fine for those that didn't play the original. Not that this game is perfect, but if you like action RPGs and you're looking for a challenge, you should definitely give this game a spin. Those who played this game last year should weigh the fact that it does contain about 20 extra hours of content and there are plenty of six and eight hour games that cost more. Additionally, It is not like there's anything comparable coming out in the near future.
