Dragon’s Dogma 2 now has a ‘casual mode’ that softens the experience

Capcom’s latest update for Dragon’s Dogma 2 brings with it a host of bug fixes, balance changes, and performance improvements. It also includes an entirely new difficulty option known as Casual Mode, which is aimed at players who found Dragon’s Dogma 2’s systems too unforgiving.

But the easier Casual Mode comes with its own caveats, and probably isn’t for players who’ve been immersed in Dragon’s Dogma 2 since it launched in March. Casual Mode instead appears to be for potential Dragon’s Dogma 2 players who balked at some of the game’s systems, including the focus on slow travel and the calamitous Dragonsplague that could infect players’ Pawns and wreck progress.

Here’s what choosing Casual Mode, which players can switch to at any point in their playthrough, does in Dragon’s Dogma 2, according to Capcom’s patch notes:

• Reduced inn fees for staying at an inn.
• Reduced price of Ferrystones.
• More difficult for weight carried to become “Heavy” or “Very Heavy.”
• Less Stamina expended when dashing outside of battle.
• Loss gauge will not increase when selecting “Load from Last Save” after the Arisen dies.
• Pawns will recover from dragonsplague without a “devastating calamity” occurring, even if the symptoms progress to a terminal stage.

In short, Casual Mode makes dying less punishing, makes traveling and recovering at inns less expensive, and reduces some of the grind seen in the standard version of the game. Outside of Casual Mode, Capcom has also made fast travel more convenient by adding a Portcrystal to Bakbattahl, a location that players visit often throughout the game.

Casual Mode appears to be Capcom’s way of addressing complaints about Dragon’s Dogma 2’s rigid rules. But its implementation conflicts with another contentious design decision: There’s still only one save file, and if players turn on Casual Mode, they can’t turn it off. Playing in Casual Mode also blocks some trophy and achievement progression, though Capcom doesn’t specify which in-game accomplishments are affected.

Beyond Casual Mode, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s new patch should make combat slightly easier, thanks to a long list of buffs to underperforming skills and vocations. The update also includes “fixes to issues around CPU overload in certain situations,” which translates to improved frame-rate performance in instances where the game could get pretty chunky.

While Casual Mode may be a welcome addition for the Dragon’s Dogma 2-curious who wanted a speedier, more forgiving experience, it also feels antithetical to what made Capcom’s fantasy-action game feel so unique. But for players who bounced off the game when faced with yet another long hike through monster-filled forests, it might be just the thing they needed.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is available now on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.