‘Dragon’s Dogma Quest’ revealed as free-to-play RPG for PS Vita

By Michael Rougeau June 5, 2013

Dragons Dogma Quest — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The next Dragon’s Dogma game won’t be a triple-A sequel like fans may have hoped for, but rather a free-to-play, downloadable 2D role-playing game. exclusive to Sony’s PS Vita called Dragon’s Dogma Quest. Dragon’s Dogma Quest, a PlayStation Vita exclusive, comes to Japan in fall 2013, as the latest issue of Japanese gaming mag Famitsu revealed (via Polygon).

Capcom’s Hideaki Itsuno and Masanori Komine describe the game as a scaled-down version of the original Dragon’s Dogma, with a similar structure but “more approachable” play. The player still controls the Arisen, protagonist of the console game, and still directs numerous pawns in battle.

Quest differs in that the Arisen doesn’t fight, instead issuing orders to his or her pawns in battle – four in all, with the potential for another four from a friend’s game – and managing their stat progression. The Arisen levels up as well, earning more health and action points for the party in the process. Like in the original game, everything you do leads up to an epic confrontation with a dragon.

Komine told Famitsu that the dev team arrived at this changed format because they wanted to make something accessible, but also challenging. As for the decision to go free-to-play, Itsuno said that was made early on: while Dragon’s Dogma Quest is “a serious, full-on RPG,” he said, some people may want to pay their way through it to make it easier.

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Michael Rougeau

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mike Rougeau is a journalist and writer who lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs. He specializes in video…

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All sphinx riddle solutions in Dragon’s Dogma 2

A sphinx in Dragon's Dogma 2.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is full of mythological monsters and beasts. During your travels, you will encounter many classics like Cyclopses, Griffins, and Dragons, but a more obscure creature is hidden away in a cave waiting to challenge you in a different way. The Sphinx is found in the Mountain Shrine at the top of the hill once you go through Wordlsend Cave. It won't attack you when you approach, but instead, it will challenge you to a test of intellect. There are a total of 10 riddles to be solved, with a reward given for each one you manage to crack. Dragon's Dogma 2 never holds your hand with anything, so we'll help you unravel these riddles.
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The first half of the riddles are given at the location mentioned above. Once you solve this first batch, the Sphinx will move, and you will need to find it again to continue. Here are the first five riddles, their solutions, and rewards.
Riddle of the Eyes
“Our eyes are our allies, yet oft do they betray, for eyes tell lies, so I advise, and thence do lead astray. Yet how will your eyes advise you? Venture through yonder door and retrieve that which is of greatest value.“

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A character with a bow and arrow in Dragon's Dogma 2.

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Gaming

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A sphinx in Dragon's Dogma 2.

Open-world RPGs can be anywhere from around a dozen hours long to well over 100. Dragon's Dogma 2 is very unique, even among others in the genre, for not adhering to a lot of traditional design philosophies, such as how it handles fast travel. If anything, that will only add to your total playtime, plus there are all the optional quests to do, Vocations to try out and level up, and more if you're a completionist. If you're wondering if you have the time to fit Dragon's Dogma 2 into your schedule among all the other games releasing, here's how long you can expect this adventure to last.
How long is Dragon's Dogma 2?

For the main quest, Dragon's Dogma 2 can probably be beaten in around 25 hours, give or take. That's assuming you mainline the story as efficiently as possible and don't get stuck on any boss fights being under-leveled. A more realistic playthrough where you explore a bit, do some side content, and maybe go for the true ending will push you into the 30 to 35-hour range, as it did for us.