Summary
Capcom’s lore can sometimes be difficult to parse, which is especially true for the developer’s most recent title,Dragon’s Dogma 2. The firstDragon’s Dogmawas also weighed down with convoluted lore, to the point where much of it was left up to interpretation. The fundamental principles ofDragon’s Dogmaare fairly easy to understand, so long as players pay attention to every bit of dialogue and regularly engage with the world’s NPCs. However, its lore goes much deeper than what can be understood on a surface level, andDragon’s Dogma 2happens to take that even further with its truly mind-bending endings and some of the most cryptic characters the franchise has ever seen.
As with the first game,fans have already flooded the internet with theories of their own, attempting to explain the game’s many mysteries, such as the true identity and history of characters liketheDragon’s Dogma 2’s Pathfinderand Rothais, the Mad Sovran. Still, regardless of how fun it may be to speculate on the narrative depths ofDragon’s Dogma 2, it might have been right for Capcom to be a little more transparent with the game’s lore. In fact, Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 16introduced an innovative lore tool thatDragon’s Dogma 2could have benefited from, and it might have made Capcom’s latest title more accessible in the process.
How Dragon’s Dogma 2 Could Have Benefited From Final Fantasy 16’s Active Time Lore
Final Fantasy 16’s Active Time Lore Helps Players Track Lore in Real-Time
Active Time Lore is arguably one of the most innovative RPG tools ever created, and it made its debut inFinal Fantasy 16. With Active Time Lore, players could access updates to the game’s lore in real-time, as they were added during cinematics and conversations with NPCs. If they happened to miss out on checking it in real-time, players could still access it from one of the most extensive logbooks ever seen in a video game, with each entry providing chronological developmental details aboutFinal Fantasy 16’s worldand characters.
The reason Active Time Lore was created is that theFinal Fantasy 16devs had a difficult time keeping up with the game’s lore, and they didn’t want players to end up in the same boat. In the same way,Dragon’s Dogma 2’s lore is so convoluted and complex that a tool like Active Time Lore might have accomplished the same purpose. Without it, many players are left with dozens of questions, even after completingDragon’s Dogma 2’s true ending.
Active Time Lore Would Have Helped Explain a Lot in Dragon’s Dogma 2
It’s safe to say that an innovative and highly beneficial feature likeActive Time Lore should be incorporated into every RPG, but it might have been especially useful inDragon’s Dogma 2. Many ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s most important characters don’t reveal the full extent of their history and purpose, and Active Time Lore could have shed some light on those mysteries. Even in the game’s menu, which has a section labeled “History,” players can only find a list of NPCs with very minimal information about them.
Most lore-heavy RPGs at least have a logbook section in their menus dedicated to filling the player in on important information about the game’s lore and world.
It’s a shame more RPGs have yet to take advantage ofFinal Fantasy 16’s greatest innovation, but it may just need more time to catch on.Dragon’s Dogma 2’s complicated lore certainly could have benefited from a little more transparency, andFF16’s Active Time Lorecould have helped with that. Even so, the convoluted nature ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s lore leaves it open to fan theories, which often prove to be one of the most entertaining aspects of intricate game worlds.
