Dragons Dogma - whats the problem?

[briankoontz]

So in light of Dark Arisen being released, I decided it was time for me to give the game a bash. I had completed every other game I wanted to of the current releases, and found the original Dragons Dogma in the bargain bin so thought why not.

Now the reviews were quite up and down, and the general views were "meh", no outright hate, but no big praise either. hence why I avoided it for so long.

I am in act 2 now and I am loving it.
Its a very cool game, nice learning curve, challenging fights, massive exploration aspects, impressive visuals, generally a lot of fun.
I have maxed out Assassin and just switched over to magick archer for a new feel, and all the combat is really fun.
My only gripe as has been said before is the constant repeating of hints and facts from the pawns, and the pawn AI is rather retarded at times, but not game breaking or enough to make to quit.

So my main thought is, why did this game not receive the praise i think it was due?

Dragon's Dogma feels like it was made by a committee - it lacks heart. It takes a lot of good ideas from better games and stitches them into a very playable but not very fulfilling experience. Dragon's Dogma is not at all art in the way that Dark Souls or Skyrim is - it's more like a construct, an architectural building with toys which one can inhabit.

 

[white_wolf]

The AI in the original Dogma could get very annoying. I've yet to rebuy the game under the dark arisen but I hear they tried to fix things in this regard. The other problem I could come up with was how players felt about their arisn characters were they your friends from another realm? Fearless Kinights who pledge their service to you of their own will due to your powers? Or were they your slaves? I saw several post saying how you're engaging in slavery with the pawns they are a slave cast which the writes didn't intend for them to come off this way. I try to think of them as my friends from other dimensions otherwise it'll turn out like Shin Megami Tensei devil summoner where I can't stop thinking I'm euthanizing half my monsters to make new ones so I stopped playing it doesn't help that they look so cute before I laser them.