Dragon’s Dogma 2’s microtransactions aren’t as pay-to-win as you think

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has some strange microtransactions that net players a variety of items that can help them along their journey. Many people make them out to be pay-to-win, but these purchases aren’t half as necessary as many would make you believe.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is yet another big hit in Capcom’s incredible, almost unbroken (sorry, Exoprimal) hot streak of incredibly successful, high-quality games. They’ve really been knocking it out of the park, though the user reviews on Dragon’s Dogma 2 tell a different story.

While there are a number of completely valid criticisms of Dragon’s Dogma 2, like its incredibly poor performance on PC, there are a number of people who have never played the game, looked at the microtransactions, and assumed that the game locks features behind paywalls.

This is a fair assumption considering the laundry list of purchases available on the game’s store page, but how bad are Dragon’s Dogma’s 2 microtransactions really? Are there parts of the game you can only access by paying for them? The short answer is (mostly) no, but the longer answer is a bit more complicated.

First, let’s take a look at the microtransactions available to you as a player. What do they actually give you?

13 out of 21 of these purchase options are in-game currency or wakestones that give you a one-time revive. These items and currencies are relatively easy to come by in-game, and the game gives you Rift Crystals at a steady enough rate to easily afford higher-level pawns as you progress.

Most of the other DLC simply doesn’t make sense to buy if you’ve spent any amount of time learning the game.

The Gaol Key, for instance, is a one-time-use item. Not only is it fairly easy to find these lying around or available for purchase, but it’s also possible to create a key with unlimited uses.

You can accept an early quest in the game that gives you a key that doesn’t break, go to the Forger to create a copy of that key, and have a working key for jail cells for the rest of your playthrough that never breaks. Why would you spend a dollar on a key that just breaks after one use?

Every item on this list is either obtainable or has equivalent counterparts that can be obtained in-game other than the music collection (something most players seem fine with paying for) and the Heartfelt Pendant, which is essentially a way to shortcut building relationships with other characters. It’s pretty unnecessary.

This begs the question: Who is this DLC for?

Capcom’s old MTX habits die hard in Dragon’s Dogma 2

For those familiar with many of Capcom’s games in recent years, their single-player offerings have had some strange DLC. Devil May Cry 5 serves as a good example.

While character DLC and some costumes are entirely acceptable in the eyes of most players, the ability to purchase in-game currency and levels in a similar manner to Dragon’s Dogma 2. But, considering it’s possible to unlock some really strong moves from the get-go, it’s arguable DMC 5’s microtransactions are much worse and throw off the balance of the game entirely.

This isn’t a new issue for Capcom.

So, when it comes to a game like Dragon’s Dogma 2, it seems that those who play games regularly and are well-versed enough with how to play have no problem accessing the content these MTX give you without paying a cent.

Meanwhile, there’s a good chance those who play games casually and run into a roadblock with Dragon’s Dogma 2 will just quit playing the game instead of buying their way past an issue.

So, now that Capcom has a bit of a PR nightmare on their hands with players lambasting microtransactions and their bizarre inclusion, it’s hard not to wonder why they were implemented in the first place.

That said, if you’re on the fence about buying Dragon’s Dogma 2, know that the game isn’t loaded with pay-to-win mechanics that force more money out of your wallet.

There are many reasons not to jump into Dragon’s Dogma 2 at launch, most of them performance-related. And if the sheer principle of having microtransactions in a single-player game like this leaves a bad taste in your mouth, then passing on this game is understandable.

But don’t let some poorly implemented microtransactions keep you from experiencing a great game that plays just fine without them.