Summary
Since its debut in 2011,The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s map has been a standard for the open-world genre of video games. Despite now being over twelve years old, it still functions as a great example of what an open world should be, and many developers are not ashamed to admit that their influences date back to the days ofSkyrim. Each year, more and moreopen-world gamesare released that resembleSkyrimin terms of size, layout, and design, further cementing Bethesda’s pride and joy as a great example of what works in an open-world game and what doesn’t. Capcom’sDragon’s Dogma 2is one of the more recent games to adopt an open-world approach similar toSkyrim’s, though the two of them are still different in their own ways.
Dragon’s Dogma 2has become one of 2024’s most successful games, despite some controversy involving its microtransactions. Additionally,Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open world has been criticized on account of its restrictive fast-travel system. Nevertheless, it still holds up as one of the better open worlds to date, as the industry continues to get bogged down by open-world games that generally believe bigger and more is almost always better. It accomplishes this by following inSkyrim’s footsteps and providing players with an open world fueled by self-imposed exploration and discovery, rather than map icons.
How Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Open-World Map Compares to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Like Skyrim’s, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Map Has Limited Icons
The open-world maps ofDragon’s Dogma 2andThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimare both alike in that they have limited icons. Unlike many other open-world maps, which show icons for every activity and collectible in the game,Dragon’s Dogma 2andSkyrimonly show icons for locations players have either discovered or visited previously. Still,Dragon’s Dogma 2’s open-worldmap arguably encourages exploration a bit more thanSkyrim’s with its limited fast-travel and fewer map icons.
InSkyrim, players can see nearby locations they have yet to visit via the game’s compass. The compass will show these locations as dark icons, which will become white upon visiting them. However,inDragon’s Dogma 2, map iconsfor locations will not appear in the game until players visit them. In other words, there is no compass, and players can only discover optional locations such as caves and small villages by encountering them first. This encourages players to explore the world on their own, rather than having their hands held throughout their journey.
Unlike in Skyrim, Players Can Only Fast-Travel to Specific Locations in Dragon’s Dogma 2
One ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s most divisive featuresis its fast-travel system, and this is largely due to some fans feeling that the game’s open world doesn’t justify extended walks. Even so, walking from location to location inDragon’s Dogma 2can be a rewarding venture, as it’s very easy to find areas that have yet to be explored that wouldn’t be found fast-traveling. InSkyrim, players can fast-travel to any location they have visited previously, so long as enemies are not nearby. On the other hand, inDragon’s Dogma 2, players can only fast-travel to Portcrystals, which are very limited in number and also require the use of an extremely rare resource called Ferrystones.
It’s currently unclear howDragon’s Dogma 2’s open-world map size compares toSkyrim’s, as an official size has not been released forDragon’s Dogma 2and many fans are still divided onthe size ofSkyrim. That being said,Dragon’s Dogma 2’s map can certainly feel larger at times, simply due to the restrictions placed on fast travel and the amount of time it takes to get from one location to the next. As far as everything else goes,Dragon’s Dogma 2seems to have the upper hand, as it encourages self-imposed discovery more thanSkyrim’s and has less clutter.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Set forth on your grand adventure, Arisen!Dragon’s Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG series that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. Now, in this long-awaited sequel, the deep, explorable fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 awaits.On your journey, you’ll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.All of these elements are elevated further through physics technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest in graphics, to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
