Dragon’s Dogma 2 might be fun to play, but I find little reason to keep going. I never should have abandoned Aerith (and the rest, but mostly Aerith) in the first place. I tend to play video games in very intense bursts. In and out like a safecracker, that’s me.
I just did it with a laser focus. This way works for me, and I hate dragging games out too much. I also know that whichever one I don’t pick, I will struggle to go back to. And for me, the choice of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an easy one.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a great time with it, and expect it to be in the lower reaches of my GOTY list come December. But what is actually keeping me playing? I can write about it for work, I suppose, but actual in-game motivation? This is in stark contrast to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
I left the game in Chapter 11, close enough to the finish line that I can smell it now that I don’t have the thick, choking scent of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s smoky breath on my neck. But as these maps grew larger and Dragon’s Dogma 2 drew closer, I pressed the accelerator. I still want to reach the finish line, but I’d rather see everything I can than race to the end before speeding to Dragon’s Dogma 2’s ending too. But as Cloud, plot and purpose take centre stage.
Time away has seen my affection grow, no longer irritated at a dragging cutscene or inconveniently placed side activity that threatens my pacing. Now I just want to dive in deep and forget anything else exists. Sure, both are well-reviewed Japanese RPGs that were released in the early months of 2024, but neither are even my favourite Japanese RPG to release in the early months of 2024 (Like a Dragon takes that gong). But even without the added complications of turning your hobby into work and monetising your free time in a spiral of stress that saps the joy from that which you once loved and will send you to an early grave, a lot of people will be bouncing from Final Fantasy to Dragon’s Dogma and then into Stellar Blade.
When we’re up against time pressure, the choices we make can say a lot about where our priorities really lie. While the first half of 2024 is crammed with bigger games, the second half could be set to run out of gas. I love baseball. That might give me time to round off both and fall back in love with Balatro, so maybe whatever I choose doesn’t really matter.
I have enjoyed Dragon’s Dogma 2. But I love Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. And this time, I’m going to see every inch of it. It continues the story of Cloud Strife, a former SOLDIER turned mercenary who joins Avalanche, a group of eco-terrorists seeking to save the planet from the malevolent Sephiroth.
As the party pushes out of Midgar, leaving the Shinra Corporation devastated, where will their paths take them?
