Dragon’s Dogma II director Hideaki Itsuno did not beat around the bush when he criticized the idea of fast travel in open world games.
Dragon’s Dogma II (2024), Capcom
Speaking with IGN, Itsuno said, “Just give it a try. Travel is boring? That’s not true. It’s only an issue because your game is boring. All you have to do is make travel fun.”
He then shared what developers can do to make it fun, “That’s why you place things in the right location for players to discover, or come up with enemy appearance methods that create different experiences each time, or force players into blind situations where they don’t know whether it’s safe or not ten meters in front of them.”
Dragon’s Dogma II (2024), Capcom
He went on to share this is something the Dragon’s Dogma 2 team really worked on, “We’ve put a lot of work into designing a game where you can stumble across someone and something will happen, so while it’s fine if it does have fast travel, we decided to design the map in a way that the journey [itself] could be enjoyed.”
“In the same kind of way [in real life] that you may deliberately choose to go by bike or on foot when travelling [instead of taking faster options],” he shared.
Dragon’s Dogma II (2024), Capcom
READ: Sega Announces Sonic X Shadow Generations, Will Arrive In Fall 2024
The game doesn’t remove fast travel options, but it does put a twist on them. It still contains Ferrystones that allow you to teleport to Port Crystals, but it’s also added Oxcarts. The Oxcarts appear to act similar to the taxi system in Star Wars: The Old Republic; however, players can be ambushed along the route.
Itsuno explained, “While riding one, you might find the path blocked by goblins and have no choice but to get off and join the battle. Then as you do, a Griffin might swoop in and destroy the entire cart with one blow, forcing you to walk the rest of the way while cursing its name.”
He continued, “But none of that has been set up by us in advance. Instead, Griffins naturally have an inclination toward attacking cows they discover as they move, and these pieces all just happen to work together to naturally create the situation. So yes, an oxcart ride in this world may be cheap, but a lot can come as a result of that cheapness. I think that’s the kind of world we’ve managed to create.”
Dragon’s Dogma II (2024), Capcom
Dragon’s Dogma II is described as “a single-player, narrative driven action-RPG that challenges players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more. On your journey, you’ll be joined by Pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.”
As for the narrative, “The story begins in an underground gaol where the Dragon’s voice echoes in the fog of lost memories. Ascend, Arisen, and best me, in accordance with the dogma of this world. Betwixt the domains of human and beastren, A hero must fulfill their forgotten destiny. What dogma does your heart see through your eyes? ‘Tis a tale of one who shall slay the Dragon and claim the throne.”
The game features 10 different vocations or classes including Fighter, Archer, Thief, Mage, Warrior, Sorcerer, Magick Archer, Mystic Spearhand, Trickster, and Warfarer.
Dragon’s Dogma II (2024), Capcom
The game arrives on March 22, 2024 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
What do you make of Itsuno’s comments about fast travel?
[…] NEXT: ‘Dragon’s Dogma 2’ Director Criticizes Games Relying On Fast Travel: “It’s Only An Issue B… […]