Every RPG should pre-release a free character creator like Dragon’s Dogma 2 has

08.03.2024 - 14:59 / polygon.com

Here’s one of those things that, as soon as you hear about it, you can’t understand why it’s not common practice. Capcom has released a demo for Dragon’s Dogma 2 which takes the simple but genius form of a free, full-featured character creator.

Every game with an in-depth character creator should do this in advance of release. If you’re looking forward to playing the game, or just curious, you get to enjoy a little prep work as a taster, tinkering and getting your character’s look just right. And you can take your time doing it, without the unspoken pressure of the whole game sitting there, waiting to be played. You can obsess over the details of your cheekbones, hairstyle, and eye color to your heart’s content.

By the same token, come launch day — which, for Dragon’s Dogma 2, is March 22 — you’ll be ready to dive straight in, potentially saving you hours before you can begin your quest. (Be honest, how long did you spend in the character creator before starting Baldur’s Gate 3?)

Prepare for your grand adventure!

Get ready for launch on March 22 by downloading Dragon's Dogma 2 Character Creator ＆ Storage to create your Arisen and main Pawn.

Data can be transferred to the main game.<a href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/DD2?src=hash&ref_src=» https:>#DD2

<a href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/DragonsDogma2?src=hash&ref_src=» https:>#DragonsDogma2 pic.twitter.com/9yx8PtxpvW

The Dragon’s Dogma 2 Character Creator & Storage is available now as a free download on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. You can use it to create and store up to five Arisen player characters, and also customize the looks and inclination of up to five Main Pawn companion characters. The character data created in the app can then be transferred to the main game when it launches.

For the Arisen, you can choose from human and cat-like Beastren races and an admirably wide range of body types, and select your vocation from fighter, archer, mage, or thief. For Main Pawns, you can do all the above as well as choose their inclination: kindhearted (good for support characters), calm (defense and survival), simple (exploration and gathering), or straightforward (charges straight into combat). The detailed customization options are pretty impressive; as well as every cosmetic alteration you can think of, you can alter the character’s posture and movement style down to the angle of their elbows and knees, giving them a confident swagger or a more hunched, cautious look.

I’ve downloaded the character creator on Steam and it’s pretty fun to tinker with. I can easily imagine having a few finely crafted Arisen and Pawns ready for adventure before the game arrives. This app is a win-win: it’s effective promotion and hype-building for the game,