Determined to improve Dragon's Dogma 2 performance by any means necessary, framerate fiends plot murder spree of RPG's "inconsequential" and CPU-hungry NPCs

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(Image credit: Capcom)

A screenshot of a character in Dragon's Dogma 2.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is almost upon us, andearly review scoreshave already placed it significantly higher than its predecessor – an enticing thought for fans of the original. While critics have been full of praise for it, however, some concerns have been raised about the RPG’s framerate on PC, which is reportedly a bit shaky in places.

Over on the RPG’s subreddit, some players are already planning to collaborate on producing a list of"inconsequential NPCs"to kill off without potentially missing out on quests and content, while others havesuggestedmurdering NPCs after completing quests for them. It all sounds very evil if we’re being honest, but the concept has inspired plenty of cursed memes as players come to terms with the idea of carrying out a murder spree for the sake of a few more juicy frames per second.

Meanwhile, others are just wondering how far this is going to be taken: “Can’t wait for a week to go and someone posts the game running at 60fps after slaughtering everyone,” one Reddit userwrites.

“I’m giggling just imagining early Dragon’s Dogma 2 speedruns that include killing certain NPCs when you pass them to improve the framerate as the run progresses,“addsanother.

At this point, it remains to be seen if killing off the NPCs will actually make a noticeable difference to the game’s performance, but as we approach the RPG’s release date tomorrow, there’s no doubt that someone will test it. Someone might want to warn those NPCs in advance.

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

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5

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

1

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

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1

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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

Contents