Watch Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen running on Nintendo Switch 2
The new expansion will be released in October
VGC can today share new footage of Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen running on Nintendo Switch 2.
The game, which will debut on Nintendo Switch 2 this year, will receive its first major expansion, Dark Arisen. The new Dark Arisen content will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on October 9, alongside a Nintendo Switch 2 port of the game (which will also include the Dark Arisen expansion).
VGC recently played an hour of the expansion, getting to grips with a new system that’s not unlike Destiny‘s engram system. In Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen discover weapons and armor that first must be taken back to a specific NPC who will then reveal what the newly discovered item actually is. This random chance element comes with all the highs and lows you expect.
You can watch Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen running on Nintendo Switch 2 below.
Our demo concluded with an impressive dragon battle. While demoing a game of this scale is rarely conducive to showing off the best bits, our demo certainly reminded us why we were so passionate about the original game. There’s a sense of intrigue and eccentricity to Dragon’s Dogma 2 that made new fans fall in love, and left older fans feeling very smug about the prospect of the franchise returning.
In a recent interview about the game earlier this year with Automaton, the game’s producer Naoto Oyama was asked about the overall scope of the DLC, and how long it would take to complete.
“The new story takes place in a new region called Norgan,” Oyama replied. “We expect players to spend around 15 to 20 hours completing that scenario.
“In addition, twelve unique dungeons will be added to the base game. Each dungeon is designed to take roughly 30 minutes to an hour to clear. With twelve of them in total, we believe players will be able to enjoy more than 25 hours of additional content with this expansion.
“The base game itself offers around 30 to 40 hours of gameplay, so players who purchase both titles for the first time will get a substantial experience.”
Dragon’s Dogma 2 received a strong critical reception from reviewers when it released in March 2024, though it didn’t resonate with every player. The game has a Metacritic score of 86 from critics, compared to a user score of 6.5.
Last year, VGC asked the main game’s director, Hideaki Itsuno, about the reception to Dragon’s Dogma 2. Itsuno said he was proud of the game but not surprised to see a mixed reaction from some players, since he designed it that way.
