Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an action RPG from Capcom that arrived on Xbox One as a remastered version of the original 2012 game, expanded with the Dark Arisen content. Playing as the Arisen, whose heart was torn out by a dragon, the player sets off across an open fantasy world accompanied by a party of Pawns, AI-controlled companions who learn from experience and can be shared with other players online. The combat system is famous for its physicality, with the player literally climbing onto giant monsters such as griffins or cyclopes and attacking their weak points, which remains one of the most striking combat experiences in the genre to this day.

On Xbox One the game ran at a smoother resolution and frame rate than the original release, while retaining all the depth of its vocation system, crafting, and nighttime survival, when the world turns into a far more dangerous place after dark. The atmosphere is heightened by dark fantasy aesthetics and orchestral music that underscores the epic scale of battles with giant beasts. Both contemporary and retrospective reviews praise above all the originality of the combat system and the AI companions, which has given the game a loyal fanbase even years after release. Dark Arisen is still regarded today as a cult classic and one of the most distinctive action RPGs of its generation.

The Dark Arisen expansion adds the vast underground area of Bitterblack Isle, full of particularly dangerous enemies and powerful gear, which functions as a kind of endgame content for players for whom the already lengthy main campaign wasn't enough. Pawns also carry knowledge of enemy weaknesses and can be hired from other players online, so even a solo player effectively benefits from the experience of the whole community. The unusual emphasis on physical interaction with the world, where the character can carry heavy objects or grab a giant monster's fur and climb it to reach its vulnerable spot, still stands out as one of the most distinctive combat systems in the genre and inspired a number of later games.

Why play it: For players craving the genre's most distinctive combat system, where you can climb a giant monster's fur to reach its vulnerable spot, Dark Arisen also offers the Bitterblack Isle endgame area and pawn knowledge shared with the whole community.