GamesAction RpgDragon’s Dogma 2Dragon’s Dogma 2 has helped me tackle my anxiety in a way few RPGs have managed to, and it was completely unexpectedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAction RpgDragon’s Dogma 2Dragon’s Dogma 2 has helped me tackle my anxiety in a way few RPGs have managed to, and it was completely unexpectedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Capcom)
Adventurous Arisen
(Image credit: Capcom)
I’m a story-driven RPG player through and through, but I also adore getting swept up in virtual worlds that are ripe for discovery. Just as Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout: New Vegas, orRed Dead Redemption 2would so often pull me away from my intended path thanks to random encounters or a well placed cave that would serve as an unexpected diversion, running across Vermund in Dragon’s Dogma 2 has taken me on many adventures of my own making; laden with Cyclops battles, chest discoveries, and the occasional new town that draws me into more side quests. It’s not on quite the same scale as Skyrim in the discovery respect, but I’ve been enjoying my time simply ambling about with my pawns, and completing objectives I stumble upon as I go - which feels more organic than sticking to a fixed path.
Path less traveled(Image credit: Larian)Baldur’s Gate 3 made me break my lifelong RPG code to recruit a character – and I’m not sure I can ever forgive myself
Path less traveled
(Image credit: Larian)Baldur’s Gate 3 made me break my lifelong RPG code to recruit a character – and I’m not sure I can ever forgive myself
(Image credit: Larian)
Baldur’s Gate 3 made me break my lifelong RPG code to recruit a character – and I’m not sure I can ever forgive myself
As someone with generalized anxiety, my mind can often start to spiral when I have what I describe as a particularly bad spike. I’m usually always worrying about something outside of my control, and there isn’t always a rhyme or reason as to what I start fixating on, but I’ve learned lots of ways to help myself scale it back and calm myself down in recent years. It’s an ongoing process, but lately, when I start to feel that all too familiar restlessness and rising sense of panic, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s particular blend of action pushes my brain to focus on landing hits instead of whatever it is that’s worrying me at that moment. I couldn’t tell you the exact science behind it, or why it’s this game that’s doing it for me, but I’ve been finding the fantasy world and the companionship of the pawns oddly comforting.
(Image credit: Capcom)
I can’t say I’m all that invested in the story just yet, but the bigger surprise is actually just how okay I am with that. The exploration is just that good. I never expected to enjoy Dragon’s Dogma 2 half as much as I am, nor did I think it would actuallyhelpme. But isn’t that the beauty of video games sometimes? Something comes along at just the right moment in time and gives you something you didn’t know you needed? Just asBaldur’s Gate 3 made me feel more hopefulandDragon Age: Origins gave the space to navigate grief, Dragon’s Dogma 2 turns out to be just the kind of RPG I need right now. It’s scratching an exploration itch and helping put my worries to one side in the process. I guess I did click with it, after all… just not in any kind of way I was anticipating.
On the lookout for more adventures to get swept up in? Check out our pick of thebest RPGsyou can play right now.
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