While Capcom’s highly anticipated sequel to Dragon’s Dogma immerses players in a fantastical realm, Hideaki Itsuno, the game’s director, has disclosed that Rockstar Games’ iconic title, Grand Theft Auto 5, has influenced the approach to crafting a vibrant and dynamic in-game world.
In a recent interview with VGC, Itsuno shared insights into the development of Dragon’s Dogma 2, emphasizing the ambition to realize elements that were beyond reach when the original Dragon’s Dogma was launched. However, he also pointed to Rockstar’s perennially popular 2013 release as a source of external inspiration.
Itsuno explained, “If I had to pick one other game that came out in the meantime, I would actually say GTA 5. I kind of admired how they were able to create a world in which it really felt like the NPCs were going about their lives independently of the player.”
He went on to highlight the allure of GTA 5’s meticulously crafted cityscape, where various unpredictable events and interactions occurred organically, whether the player was present or not. This dynamic quality of a “living world” served as a model that Itsuno and the Dragon’s Dogma 2 team aspired to replicate.
For fans of the Dragon’s Dogma franchise, this revelation offers exciting prospects. During the Capcom Showcase held in June, it was disclosed that the forthcoming sequel’s game world will be approximately four times the size of the original setting, Gransys, which was already considerable in scale.
While the exact release date for Dragon’s Dogma 2 remains undisclosed, it is slated to launch on PC and current-generation consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S) in 2024. With the influence of GTA 5’s dynamic world-building, the sequel promises to immerse players in a living and evolving fantasy realm, offering a fresh and expansive gaming experience.
