Summary
One ofDragon’s Dogma’s most iconic features is its Pawn system, which essentially allows players to have a full party of characters consisting of one of their own creations and two from other players. This is Capcom’s attempt atimplementing multiplayer aspects intoDragon’s Dogma, and, for the most part, it succeeds. However, in the firstDragon’s Dogmagame, Pawns were notorious for not being as helpful as they could have been due to malfunctioning AI and certain gameplay mechanics. Thankfully,Dragon’s Dogma 2brings its famous Pawn system back with some improvements this time, though some remnants of the past still remain.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns have been improved in many ways over the first game. InDragon’s Dogma, Pawns were largely unpredictable and unhelpful in both exploration and combat. Many times, they would be found acting on their own or simply not acting at all, rather than in support of the player. Furthermore, their dialogue was heavily criticized, as it became repetitive rather quickly. Despite some of these frustrations continuing to show themselves in minor ways inDragon’s Dogma 2, Pawns as a whole have been updated to serve as a better support and advice system for players.
How Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns Have Improved
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns Double as Navigators
Unlike mostopen-world games,Dragon’s Dogma 2doesn’t have a navigational UI, so there is no compass, and map markers can’t be seen unless the map is actually open. This is where the game’s Pawns come into play. In the first game, Pawns occasionally provided players with advice, butDragon’s Dogma 2takes that feature to an entirely different level. Now, Pawns point out objects of interest like chests, ladders, resource nodes, and even unique statues that lead to valuable discoveries.
Additionally,when a player hires another player’s Pawn, that Pawn can assist the player with things that they have learned during their time with their original owner. For example, if a player discovers a Riftstone while exploring with their Pawn, once another player hires their Pawn, they will offer to lead that player to the location of that Riftstone. Overall,Dragon’s Dogma 2Pawns are much more intelligent than they were in the first game, and their updated AI mechanics allow them to learn new information over time, making them much more efficient at giving navigational and situational advice.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns Have More Personality
One of the more noteworthy characteristics ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawnsis that they have more personality. While they could certainly use even more, they act a little more like real people in the sequel than they did in the first game. InDragon’s Dogma, Pawns were repetitive, bland companions who frequently talked over one another. InDragon’s Dogma 2, however, they interact with one another and even occasionally throw out passive-aggressive, snide remarks. They still eventually engage in repetitive conversations inDragon’s Dogma 2, but that much has been significantly improved since the first game.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns Can Learn Specializations
Perhaps the most significant new feature ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns is that they can now learn specializations. Essentially, specializations allow Pawns to concentrate on a specific form of gameplay, whether it be by using curatives on the player and the other Pawns or by seeking out materials and resources. One of the main gripes about Pawns in the first game is that there was little players could do to “direct” them, soDragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawn specializations are a welcome feature.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Pawns aren’t perfect by any means. Players will find that Pawns can still be a bit unpredictable at times — falling off cliffs and into the water where the Brine swallows them whole — but that doesn’t discount the improvements that have been made to them. At the very least,Dragon’s Dogma 2remains faithfulto one of its predecessor’s most iconic features.
