Taipei Game Show 2024 was held in Taiwan from Thursday, January 25 to Sunday, January 28, 2024.
The Saiga NAK editorial team also conducted coverage on-site in Taiwan, and among the various stage events and demo booths for different games, one title that felt particularly high in attention was Dragon's Dogma 2.
This time, we bring you a translated report of the media interview where Hideaki Itsuno, the director of Dragon's Dogma 2, took the stage!
【TGS2024】ドラゴンズドグマ2やモンスターハンターなどが出展するJustdanブースレポート！
Director Hideaki Itsuno of Dragon's Dogma 2 Takes the Stage
Note: As this is a joint media interview, it includes questions from outlets other than the Saiga NAK editorial team.
First, we reviewed the setting and job system of Dragon's Dogma 2 using slides.
The overarching story, where the protagonist whose heart was stolen by a dragon stands up against the dragon to take their heart back, remains the same as the previous game.
Saiga NAKA game explanation by Itsuno was also conducted featuring live gameplay.
He mentioned that the version being used was a demo produced around last summer.
Saiga NAKA hallmark of Dragon's Dogma is the Pawn system, which allows players to enjoy a four-person party adventure despite being a single-player game.
In this title as well, touching a Riftstone allows you to recruit Pawns of various races and personalities.
As expected of next-generation hardware, it is great to be able to travel seamlessly without loading screens.
Saiga NAKIt has been publicly announced that Dragon's Dogma 2 has four times the map area compared to the previous game, but it slipped out that the development staff told him, "It's even wider!"
In this vast world, over 1,000 NPCs live their lives, each with their own goals.
While one might feel like they could lose sight of their objective, design efforts have been made for the flow of the game, such as NPCs who have business with you speaking to you themselves.
Saiga NAKA battle with the Griffin, a giant monster familiar from the previous game.
Since it excels at attacks from the air, climbing onto its back to attack is effective for melee jobs.
Saiga NAKThe grab action is effective against all sorts of monsters, but it cannot be maintained for a long time because stamina decreases continuously.
In such cases, it is possible to recover stamina by standing on top of the monster.
Saiga NAKNaturally, being shaken off leads to instant death.
Falling damage is quite severe in Dragon's Dogma, so pay close attention when standing on a monster!
Saiga NAKWe also challenged a nearby Cyclops.
By attacking weak points like the eye to make it go on all fours, you can cause a knockdown by pulling its hands or legs.
Pawns accumulate knowledge during the adventure, so they might teach you combat tips like these.
Saiga NAKQ. How do you feel after finishing the booth stage?
Itsuno: I was a little worried, but I feel relieved that so many users came to see us.
Q. More than 10 years have passed since the previous game.
Itsuno: To be honest, I was dying to make 2 right away, but I couldn't because other game projects came up.
It feels like I've finally been able to make it!
Q. Please tell us your impressions of Taiwan and the Taipei Game Show.
Itsuno: Japan and Taiwan are close in distance, and I think our hobbies and ways of thinking are also close, so I feel a sense of familiarity.
This is the same at other game shows, but everyone looked so happy, which left a very good impression on me.
Saiga NAKQ. How do you perceive the expectations from fans in Taiwan and other overseas regions?
Itsuno: The world has changed significantly over the last 10 years with the explosive spread of SNS and the expansion of the PC gaming market share.
Regarding the fact that CAPCOM in Japan is releasing an open-world game now, I feel a different kind of expectation compared to the previous title—or rather, something almost close to pressure (laughs).
Q. Please tell us how the AI used for the Pawns in the game is being utilized.
Itsuno: AI in the game industry is different from AI like ChatGPT, but in this title, the biggest difference from the previous game is that the Pawns make decisions using a massive amount of in-game information.
In the previous game, we were just "making them move as if they were doing so."
In addition to that, their specialties and personalities are all different, so the individuality of the person who created the Pawn comes out more.
Dragon's Dogma 2 Will Be Released on March 22, 2024!
台北ゲームショーに来てます！
I'm coming to Taipei Game Show!
我來台北電玩展！#dragonsdogma#DD2#DMC5 pic.twitter.com/axMvrD2iv9
— Hideaki Itsuno (@tomqe) January 25, 2024
With 12 years having passed since the first game, Dragon's Dogma 2 is finally nearing its long-awaited release.
As Itsuno mentioned, CAPCOM has released five global titles that have sold over 10 million copies in these last 10 years.
Can it become one of CAPCOM's representative works alongside Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Devil May Cry?
Dragon's Dogma 2 is scheduled for release on Friday, March 22, 2024!
