Dragon's Dogma

Name: Dragon's Dogma
Item: Dragon's Dogma
Rating: 3
Author: Marc Saltzman

Game review by

Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 18+

(i)

Mature role-playing adventure with action, blood, and gore.

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
$59.99
2012

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Parents recommend

Parents say

age 14+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 5 reviews

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X of Y

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Educational Value

Dragon's Dogma wasn't created with educational intent, and we don't recommend it for learning.

Positive Messages

This role-playing game is about defeating evil -- and while that sounds noble and "positive," there is so much violence, blood, and gore in the game, along with other mature themes and imagery, that it doesn't have a positive message overall. Note: it's possible to kill civilians, but you're penalized with lower "charisma" levels.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Not much is known about the protagonist but you play as Glynn, a warrior on a quest to kill an evil dragon that is ravaging the lands and killing innocent people. You can customize your character in a number of different ways to tweak the look and abilities of the hero. You can also play as a woman, which makes your female love interest a same-sex relationship. There is no option to play as a woman and have a male love interest.

Ease of Play

Despite some camera issues that can plague your view, the game is fairly easy to control -- especially for those who've played other third-person Capcom games. The game eases you in slowly, though, and teaches you the core mechanics before the action intensifies.

Violence

DRAGON'S DOGMA is quite bloody and gory, as the character takes on various enemies throughout the game. You can use swords, a bow, and magic attacks (such as fireballs) to kill humans and creatures. It's possible to dismember an enemy, plus some cut-scene sequences are gory, like a dragon taking your heart out and eating it, or a man strangling a woman.

Sex

The game has some partial nudity, including topless women (harpies), plus there is some suggestive dialogue with references to having sex, accessing someone's "privates," and bedding someone's wife. If you choose to play as a woman, you will have a same-sex love interest.

Language

Consumerism

Capcom is using this game to advertise for other upcoming games.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Dragon's Dogma is a role-playing game designed for mature players, primarily because of the intense action, blood, and gore. Both the in-game and cinematic scenes can be very violent, including limb dismemberment, impaling, and even a dragon who can rip your heart out and eat it. Players use all kinds of weapons and magic spells to kill enemies, some of which are human; it's possible to kill unarmed civilians but there are repercussions for doing so. Some scenes also have partial nudity and have sexually suggestive dialogue in some of the sequences.

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written byBestreviewerever123 January 12, 2014

age 12+

Great amazing game.

This is one of the best medieval games out in the video game world! It's basically a Japanese Skyrim. It does have some blood and gore but its a medieval g... Continue reading

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Adult Written byTomBoyGuy September 2, 2013

age 13+

Playing as a Female, and Choosing Love Interests

There are some incorrect comments on the details of playing as a female character. One says that, while playing as a woman, you "will", have a same-s... Continue reading

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Teen, 14 years old Written bypopcar2 August 9, 2012

age 18+

not THAT great.

its actully not for kids. 18+ is recommended. its filled with bloody gore and death, but even though. i recommend anyone not purchasing the game. (why?) because... Continue reading

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Kid, 12 years old September 7, 2013

age 12+

Awesome game

I think you should stick with the original age rating which is 12. I mean in every single game there's death and it would be boring without it, coz it woul... Continue reading

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What's it about?

An all-new franchise, Capcom's DRAGON'S DOGMA is an action-heavy role-playing game (RPG) set in a huge and expansive open world. The single-player adventure has you venture out to find and destroy an ancient dragon that has awakened, and along the way you will meet friends and foes, overcome obstacles, use might and magic to defeat baddies, and \"level up\" your character over time and experience. Unlike most other single-player RPGs, this game employs a \"pawn\" system, where you're adventuring with a party of three A.I. (artificial intelligence) characters, who fight independently of you, and they can be created by other players and downloaded to your console.

Is it any good?

While far from perfect, Dragon's Dogma is a compelling fusion between RPG and hack-and-slash action games. The stylized fighting is reminiscent of other third-person Capcom games, like Resident Evil and Devil May Cry games, but with a fantasy RPG backdrop, leveling up mechanic, and an interesting pawn system to help defeat enemies (including the option to download a friend's pawns). While the combat is quite fun, albeit very tough at times, three cornerstones of a good RPG -- story, characters, and dialogue -- are all lacking terribly in this game. All three are uninteresting, to say the least, so hopefully future versions of this game will make you care more about the world and its inhabitants (like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or the Mass Effect franchise). But the open-ended world, intense action, and clever pawn system make this an interesting pick for fans of Japanese RPGs.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about how Capcom has added "pawns," or companions -- and the ability to upload and download ones from other characters -- to give this single-player role-playing game (RPG) a bit of what makes massively multiplayer online (MMO) RPGs so compelling. Does this system work? Is it a good idea?
Families can also discuss the impact of violence in media.

Game details

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions, reading
Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, problem solving
Responsibility & Ethics: following codes of conduct, learning from consequences
Collaboration: teamwork
Price: $59.99
Available online? Not available online
Developer: Capcom
Release date: May 22, 2012
Genre: Role-Playing
Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence