Summary
Dragon’s Dogma 2is swiftly approaching, and many of its features are coming into view to prepare for its release. The game has drawn many comparisons to its predecessor, which is likely intentional due to both story factors and how much content from the first game was cut. With most ofDD1’s monsters, classes, and even gameplay concepts still intact,Dragon’s Dogma 2has set out to be the best version of itself by building on all of its strengths.
One area fans want to see that philosophy applied to isDragon’s Dogma’s classes. Known as Vocations, most of these are standard fantasy classes that are later joined by prestige Vocations and mixed roles that all offer something unique. Only a couplenew Vocations have been confirmed forDragon’s Dogma 2so far, which is understandable given how much of the original game is worth working with. The first, Mystic Spearhand, is a new spellblade class using a spear instead of a sword, but the second, known as the Trickster, is set to offer the fantasy RPG genre a brand-new kind of experience.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Trickster Defies Normal Class Archetypes
At first, the Trickster’s core strategy appears to be supporting allies with powerful buff magic like Aromatic Resurgence, which increases Pawn damage to the point where the Trickster’s lack thereof is rendered moot. It makes sense for there to be at least one class concerned with support, asDragon’s Dogmarevolves around using Pawnsto simulate a full adventuring party. However, despite barely dealing damage, Trickster’s regular attacks and Suffocating Shroud ability also draw enemy aggression. That’s where its Effigial Incense comes in, as players can summon and position a misty Simulacrum that automatically attracts the accumulated aggro.
Even then, that’s not half of whatDragon’s Dogma 2’s Trickster can do. More so than protecting and strengthening its party, the Trickster excels at taking advantage ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s detailed environments and enemy AI. It can hide behind one-way walls, stun boss monsters with the image of one ofDragon’s Dogma’s dangerous Dragons, prepare fake floors over cliffs, and even project its soul with Visitant Aura to fly ahead and set its Simulacrum on said fake floors. A good Trickster can control an entire battlefield with its illusions, convincing enemies to chase its decoy off lethal heights without its allies lifting a finger.
The Trickster’s Limitations Make It Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Most Versatile Class
Players who think that sounds fascinating may want to keep a class change in their back pocket, as playing tricks on enemies is basically all that Tricksters can do. Unlike every otherDragon’s Dogma 2Vocation, Tricksters don’t have any conventional ways to deal anything more than scratch damage. This class uniquely serves players who seek out unorthodox Ultrahand solutions inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, orobscure elemental surface interactions inBaldur’s Gate 3, as it turnsDragon’s Dogma 2into nothing but that. For players that synergize with the Trickster’s lateral thinking, it will feel like playing a different game insideDragon’s Dogma.
Tricksters Were Built Around Rewarding Player Creativity
In this respect, the Trickster has no parallel in other fantasy games. Many RPGs have death traps, complex interactions, and ways to influence NPCs, likeSkyrim’s Illusion magic, but nothing else has assembled all of that into a class that treats every battle like a puzzle.Dragon’s Dogma 2gave Tricksters enough distinct mechanicsto essentially play their own game with the usual fantasy action-RPG still running in the background, providing a blueprint for other games to do the same. Play styles built around player knowledge and creativity have been seen in plenty of RPGs, butDragon’s Dogma 2’s Trickster is the first time raw ingenuity has been codified into a player’s primary weapon, and it shouldn’t be the last.
