Dragon’s Dogma has nothing to work with and that’s good

No lore means no limits for Netflix’s Dragon’s Dogma

Netflix is bringing us another one of its anime shows. Their latest effort, however, is based on a video game: Dragon’s Dogma.

Released by Capcom, this 2012 role-playing title is a medieval fantasy adventure with a simple premise. A dragon attacks your home and consumes your heart. You miraculously survive and are dubbed “The Arisen.” To save the land, you must gather a party, sally forth, and slay the dragon.

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Now, it’s no secret that video game adaptations don’t have the best record. So many things can and have gone wrong. On top of the usual cinematic hurdles, these adaptations can botch the lore, omit too much of it, or completely miss the point of the game. The only good ones that come to mind are Castlevania and The Witcher (kind of), both Netflix projects.

That may not be enough for you, but, believe it or not, I actually have some hope for Dragon’s Dogma. It’s not at the top of my list or anything, but it does have a better shot than most video game adaptations. This may sound strange, but the reason for my passing optimism is simple: it has virtually nothing to work with.

Adapting an uninspired world

You know that pesky lore that many adaptations struggle with? Don’t you hate it when filmmakers fail to translate the world that you love so much? Well, what if I told you that there was none of that to screw up?

Seriously, have you played Dragon’s Dogma? The story and setting are the most generic medieval fantasy schlock you can possibly imagine, and that’s coming from a huge fan of the genre.

The game comes with all the trite conventions we’ve come to expect. You have humans, elves, dwarves, and wizards making up the civilized societies. They’re constantly under threat from dragons, orcs, trolls, griffins, and all manner of other monsters that spend their time killing townsfolk and destroying villages.

These meager lodgings pepper the countryside and forests which make up the majority of the standard landscape. The only noteworthy exceptions are a few generic castles and the occasional rocky, volcanic terrain where the bad guys live.

The lack of imagination or personality of any kind is astounding. Nothing stands out about the world, its people, or its culture. Barring the odd foreign stereotype, most of the inhabitants are bland variations on Ye Olde English knights, noblemen, or peasants. The designs and architecture are painfully uninspired, undermining the thrill of exploring a new locale. It’s about as cookie-cutter as you can get.

Add on the fact that the story is bare bones. It’s hard to care about anything due to the cliched dialogue, and the stilted presentation eliminates any sense of urgency or significance that the narrative might have had. It mostly boils down to a series of side quests, and what little plot we get has nary a single unique or interesting thing about it outside of the “Arisen” premise.

Incidentally, the writers do very little with that concept other than boring “chosen one” tropes and “end of the world” prophesizing. Suffice it to say that a humanoid becoming connected to a dragon was executed much better in titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Perhaps you could chalk this up to the Japanese developers not being used to crafting a western fantasy saga. Whatever the case, Dragon’s Dogma pales in comparison to the wealth of other settings in this genre.

Mommy, I want to visit these fantasy worlds instead.

That’s largely because it lacks any novelty. The world doesn’t have any special qualities or advantages to distinguish it from the crowd. Take The Lord of the Rings, arguably the greatest and most respected fantasy of all time. Why is that still the case decades after it was created?

On top of the emotional depth and thematic weight of the narrative, J. R. R. Tolkien’s work has such a rich history, alluring mythology, and detail in its various cultures that it feels like a fully drawn world. No other fantasy setting has been this meticulously crafted, and that is what sets it apart to this day.

Then, you have something like The Witcher. It comes with many genre staples, but it also delves more into racial tensions and the ethics of conquest and colonization.

In addition, the stories lean more into dark, gothic fantasy and dryly cynical humor than what’s typical, openly spitting on heroic quests and other cliches.

There’s also Game of Thrones with its political machinations. If that’s too nihilistic, you could try The Chronicles of Narnia, a series known for its childlike wonder and biblical undertones.

Alternatively, you can even go for something more stylized, such as The Legend of Zelda, Warcraft, or Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The list goes on.

So, does Dragon’s Dogma have anything to offer?

The world of Dragon’s Dogma has none of these defining features. Its novelty lies, instead, in its gameplay. Though the RPG aspects like character classes, crafting, stat boosts, and party members have a decent amount of depth, they’re nothing compared climbing on enormous monsters a la Shadow of the Colossus.

Whenever you encounter a dragon or other giant creature in most games, you mainly swat at their feet or jump for a midair attack until they die. Dragon’s Dogma lets you climb the massive beasts, strike them from all sides, and systematically cripple them.

Not only do you gain a whole new perspective on the battlefield, but you also feel the scale and power of the monster as it furiously tries to shake you off. Sometimes, it will even take flight, leaving you holding on for dear life.

These skirmishes might make for some truly thrilling action scenes in the show, especially given the anime format. After all, look at how well that style has suited Castlevania. The fights in that series are a sight to behold, and the ones in Dragon’s Dogma have the potential to be just as enjoyable.

Aside from that, however, there’s little to no lore, narrative, or characters that the creators have to stick to. These elements are either utterly forgettable or nonexistent. As such, fans likely won’t complain about any liberties taken.

The writers practically have a blank slate. They can throw in virtually whatever they want, and it wouldn’t be considered sacrilege. They can take the story, particularly the subplots, in whichever direction tickles their fancy. Most artists adapting a property would kill for that kind of leeway.

That’s the irony here. Having nothing to work with means that Dragon’s Dogma also has the greatest amount of freedom.

Are you excited for this show? Have you played the game? What are some of your favorite fantasy worlds?

Dragon’s Dogma is available to stream on Netflix starting Sept. 17. The game can be purchased at various retail stores.