A new Dragon’s Dogma game is on the way … but only in Japan.
Dragon’s Dogma Online is a free-to-play role-playing game coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC later this year. Developer Capcom is sharing more details on the title in next week’s Famitsu magazine, but Siliconera reports that it will enable four players to team up in online lobbies of up to 100. It’s a sort-of sequel to the single-player Dragon’s Dogma released back in 2012.
Dragon’s Dogma Online is part of a wave of free-to-play games that have hit this latest console generation. With Sony and Microsoft both keen to make an impact in new territories, most notably China, it’s a smart move to bring more free-to-play games to console. While some in the West may question the concept of free-to-play on console, gamers in Asia are more used to the model which relies on microtransactions to generate income, especially for PC and mobile games.
Dragon’s Dogma Online is initially slated for Japanese release, but it could cross over into other Asian territories, providing another selling point for Sony’s PlayStation 4.
Capcom will continually expand the world of Dragon’s Dogma Online, which sees players fighting huge monsters in a fantasy setting. It will feature in-game chat and quick-matching to form parties, and it offers A.I. companions to make up numbers if you’re short. Player roles include Fighter, Hunter, Priest, and the interestingly named Shield Sage.
Dragon’s Dogma Online will feature a crafting system along with extensive character customization, and Capcom plans to add larger missions that will support parties of eight.