Shacknews Best Open World Game of 2024 - Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2's bustling open world brought excitement and surprise at every corner.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 gave us exactly what we want in an open-world game: a constantly evolving world where anything can happen. The land is packed with characters and creatures that bring unique encounters at every turn.

Traveling from one city to another in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an adventure on its own. Fast traveling is expensive, so you’ll need to walk or take a carriage to reach your destination. During the trip, you’ll undoubtedly run into goblins, bandits, or other creatures who wish you harm. If you take the carriage, there’s a decent chance you’ll be suddenly awakened by an attacking troll halfway through the trip.

The world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is also enhanced by Pawns, the NPC allies that accompany players on their adventure. Pawns are intelligent companions, offering unique insight into quests, items, and enemies. While exploring, you’ll find them walking the roads or battling monsters. You can interact with them to check their stats and recruit them to your team. In one instance, I ran into an old companion of mine just as I was being overwhelmed by a group of enemies.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 presents a persistent universe that’s constantly moving forward independent of your actions. Take too long to finish a quest? That guy that was stuck in a cave is probably dead now. Let an important NPC die during an attack on the city? You can find their body at the morgue. One could argue that the game is at its most interesting when you’re not in the middle of a mission, but instead on your way to the next one.

Be sure to read over the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2024 feature.