Summary
After months of release window speculation, it turns out thatDragon’s Dogma 2is nearly ready. Capcom presented a tightly-packedDragon’s Dogma 2developer showcase on June 14, 2025, and among its many reveals was an approaching March 2024 launch date. Thanks to other details from the stream and subsequent PlayStation Blog, it’s clear thatDragon’s Dogma 2has made good use of its development time and intends to fully realize its predecessor’s sky-high ambitions.
Monsters, magic, and mechanics are returning in bulk from the firstDragon’s Dogma, and they are complemented by many new features as well. Essentially,Dragon’s Dogma 2will be bigger and betterthan its predecessor, incorporating all the ideas that time, money, and contemporary hardware forcedDragon’s Dogma 1to cut. Magnifying the already-detailedDragon’s Dogma’s scope has had the side effect of making some of its inspirations more visible, and nowhere is this more apparent than seeing a player climbing up the colossal bronze golem Talos.
A Dragon’s Dogma 2 Boss Directly Parallels Shadow of the Colossus' Own
Dragon’s Dogmawas always a unique blend of traditional Western RPG aesthetics and Japanese action-RPG systems, and even among those, its climbing system stood out. Players could grapple objects and NPCs, hold on to many surfaces, and continually scale larger foes. Climbing will be even more vital in the sequel, as the scale ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s mythological beastshas increased dramatically. Revealed in theDD2showcase, the setpiece boss Talos is based on the Greek Colossus of Rhodes, a real, if long-gone, colossal statue. With a massive spear at the ready, players will have to figure out how to even approach this colossus — and their solutions will likely bring another game to mind.
How Talos Relates To Shadow of the Colossus’ Colossi
Confronting and climbing Colossi formed the core ofShadow of the Colossus, with players required to solve environmental and platforming puzzles to expose their weak points.Dragon’s Dogma’s stamina-based climbing on colossal creaturesalready recalledShadow of the Colossus’ own, but Talos strongly hints at a more deliberate homage. The bronze colossus sports many weak points that gush a dark liquid when broken, similar to weak points inSotC. Bows and a variety of mounting positions can aid players’ efforts, and the latter, combined with Talos’ long-yet-detailed warpath, evokes the fifteenth Colossus, Argus. In all of this, it seemsDragon’s Dogma 2has decided to emulate one of its main inspirations to achieve its goals.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Increased Scale Means More Shadow of the Colossus Moments
By bringingShadow of the Colossus’ strengths into its repertoire,Dragon’s Dogma 2has given itself even more range in both the monsters it presents and the dynamic ways in which they can be fought. Having more fights that involve adjusting to the environment andenemy’s unique properties like inShadow of the Colossuswould add even more player choice toDragon’s Dogma 2’s already wide-open combat system. Hitching a ride on aerial or aquatic monsters, or even on horseback, is only the start ofDD2andSotC’s potential collaboration.
Ways Dragon’s Dogma 2 Can Borrow From Shadow of the Colossus
For example, foes in specific environments, likeDragon’s Dogma 2’s newly-introduced Sphinxin an Egyptian pyramid, could be made more vulnerable by solving an environmental puzzle. Some enemies could use armor, awkward positioning, or even speed to their advantage, and players would be well-rewarded by countering and disabling them like inShadow of the Colossus. Complete with player actions like using Pawns as springboards, casting spells, or potentially summoning platforms to modify a battlefield,Dragon’s Dogma 2could useShadow of the Colossus’ help to set a new standard for epic-scale action in fantasy adventure games.
