On November 11, 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim changed the fantasy RPG genre irrevocably. It became the fantasy video game, selling tens of millions across its many, many re-releases. Unashamedly, a games director at Capcom, Hideaki Itsuno, wanted to make his own kind of Skyrim in the RPG space, and in some ways – particularly with followers and combat – Dragon’s Dogma (2012) exceeded the bar set by the Bethesda game. Both of their sequels have now been announced, but the consensus thinking is that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be able to capitalise.
Fantasy Fascinations Endure
While Skyrim certainly isn’t the catalyst for the overall success of the fantasy genre in gaming or any realm of entertainment, it’s certainly one of the most prominent inspirations. So revered, in fact, that its popularity arguably helped to popularise many other fantasy productions to come. You could easily think of the likes of Game of Thrones, but it’s even more specifically seen at the brand new sweeps casinos, such as Fortune Coins. Here, their three distinctly fantasy games rank among the most popular: Dragon’s Nest, Collapsed Castle, and For the Realm!
In terms of fantasy in gaming, we’ve been treated to several world-class, fantasy-driven releases. In 2022, God of War: Ragnarök and Elden Ring leaned heavily into their forms of fantasy, with the former being entrenched in Norse mythology and the latter offering a newly created dark fantasy world. This year, the top two best-sellers are essentially fantasy games: Hogwarts Legacy and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Still, none of these offers quite the same aesthetic, setting, or drive as Dragon’s Dogma or Skyrim.
A Chance For Dragon’s Dogma To Usurp Its Idol
Bethesda’s head, Todd Howard, has suggested that the focus will be on Starfield for at least the next year, and even though an unnecessary teaser shot for The Elder Scrolls VI was unveiled in 2018, it doesn’t look to be released before 2026 by most estimates. Dragon’s Dogma 2, on the other hand, could well come out at some point in 2024 if the gameplay video from the Capcom Showcase is anything to go by. The reveal was impressive, and the development team clearly knew what fans wanted, looking at the monsters, Pawns, and sprawling open world.
Setting the stage is that Dragon’s Dogma is now a well-known gem in gaming. Perhaps overlooked by the majority of players who were still on their third playthrough of Skyrim or completing all of the DLC side quests, the Capcom game still sold quite well. In fact, their fiscal year statements of 2013 saw it eclipsing one million in sales were “unprecedented,”, especially as a new IP. With new editions coming later to refine the experience, it’s only become more revered and shipped more copies.
As the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X run PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games, the captivating reveal and subsequent hype for Dragon’s Dogma 2 likely have even more people now playing the first title. So, if it can land polished and with enhanced versions of the mechanics that made the original a superb experience, perhaps Dragon’s Dogma 2 can fill the void being felt by Skyrim fans – and sell far better than its predecessor.
