Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Dragonsplague could have been in the first game, but ‘PS3 limitations’ pushed it to the sequel
Dragon dogma 2 director Hideaki Itsuno has shared that the game’s most devastating feature was already considered in the 2012 original of the series.
Itsuno confirmed this in a recent interview with Automatic mediaexplaining that deep systems like Dragonsplague – as well as two massive lands to explore – were simply not feasible on seventh-generation hardware.
“In Dragon’s Dogma 2we were able to introduce the two countries of Vermund and Battahl, as well as ‘Dragon Plague’, the contagious disease that infects Pawns,” says Itsuno. “These were also ideas that we could not implement in the previous title. AI behavior, which was simplified at the time due to the limitations of the PS3, will be simulated more realistically in the future.”
Current-generation hardware improvements also allowed Capcom to populate Dragon dogma 2 with a greater number of enemies and larger creatures. Itsuno explains: “In (the original) The dogma of the dragon, if two big boss monsters showed up, we’d have trouble getting the ‘little’ monsters there too. But in the sequel, it’s not even a problem to have three big bosses at the same time, so that the player can experience encountering the next boss while running away from the previous one.
A terrible night to catch the plague
If you don’t know, Dragonslague is coming in Dragon dogma 2 tests a player’s ability to really keep an eye on his group of pawns. The plague itself can infect them, something that is betrayed by the reddish-purple tint that appears in their eyes.
If left to its own devices, an infected pawn may become aggressive and refuse to follow orders. Ultimately, if the plague is not ‘passed on’ to another pawn, the infected pawn has the potential to literally wipe out the population of an entire city. And yes, that includes plot-crucial and quest-giving NPCs.
It’s a mechanic that I personally enjoy immensely, and adds an element of danger to your daily adventures. It’s far from unfair, as the game gives you plenty of warning beforehand. Still, the consequences of inaction can be serious, especially since Wakestones (items used to revive deceased NPCs) are somewhat rare.