In short? YES. Just... YES.
I never review games, but for this one, I had to!
If you're looking at this, thinking, "How does Dark Arisen differ from Dragon's Dogma?", well, Dark Arisen includes all kinds of DLC (downloadable content) that the original doesn't, and apparently some weapons and armor as well. But I loved DA so much that I bought the original DD a few days later!
Both versions are great, and if you import save data from DD into DA, you'll get some goodies like Rift Crystals and the Eternal Ferrystone. But if you've never played either game before, I recommend getting Dark Arisen first, honestly.
I've never had such a blast with an RPG before. The story is intriguing - maybe a slight letdown in some areas, but hey, no game is perfect. There aren't nearly as many quests as Skyrim (which is a popular point of comparison), and leveling works very differently, so don't expect an Elder Scrolls clone.
Perhaps less in depth, leveling in Dragon's Dogma doesn't allow you to allocate points towards specific areas like Lockpicking or Blocking, etc.
You just... level up. The main focus of leveling in this game is getting your Vocation Rank higher, which unlocks new skills to buy with your Discipline Points, and then assign to the three action buttons (triangle/square/circle). I love the skills, it adds a surprising amount of variety to how you play. You don't just slash, slash, slash at enemies - you can instead use skills like Hundred Kisses, Full Moon Slash, and Cutting Wind, all with really kick-ass animations! Sky Rapture is amazing.
There's quite a few vocations, my favorites being Assassin and Mystic Knight. Both are "Hybrid Vocations", meaning that they are crosses between two other vocations. Assassin is a Fighter/Strider, able to use a sword, daggers AND a bow, and Mystic Knight is a Fighter/Mage, able to use a sword and staff. I've only dabbled in the others briefly, but they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
And you may have heard of the Pawn System before, but I'll explain if you haven't. Basically, you are given the chance to create your "Main Pawn", a character that you can completely customize appearance-wise, and they will serve you the entire game. My main complaint is that your pawn cannot be a Hybrid Vocation, which limits you to Fighter, Warrior, Strider, Ranger, Mage, and Sorcerer, but that's only a few less than your Arisen, so it's not that bad. And you can hire two Support Pawns that either a) other players made and uploaded online or b) the game generates for you, for offline players.
This game boasts about customizing your Main Pawn's ways (speech rate and manner) a lot, but in truth, it's not that impressive. You can sit down with your Main Pawn and answer their questions, like "If I shall fall in battle and you see fit to help me, in what manner shall I thank you?", with answers like Meek, Confident, Reticent, Ordinary, and Arrogant. There's a few other questions that go similarly, but that's about it.
And I did find myself groaning each time the pawns chatter about the SAME thing when you pass certain areas. It does get old, but I have the Japanese voice acting on, and I HIGHLY recommend it. The English lines will grate on your nerves eventually.
You can use Rift Crystals to purchase potions from a guy named Jonathan (in the Encampment, by the Riftstone) that allow you to "re-incline" your Main Pawn's ways. A few examples are: Medicant, Pioneer, Scather, and Challenger. This is pretty important, as this will change your MP's behavior in, and out of, battle. If you want them to fight carefully and always keep themselves (or others, if they are a Mage) healed, then you want a Medicant pawn. If you want them to go after the strongest foes first, choose Challenger, etc. It's an okay system, but I would've liked something more in-depth.
I can't play online due to terrible internet, but if I could, I could upload my Main Pawn and other real players could hire them. Once hired, a clone of sorts would join that player in THEIR game, earning experience and acquiring items that they would bring back with them to your game. An interesting game mechanic that I wish I could partake in, for sure.
The music is amazing in this game! I LOVE the main theme, it's very solemn and fits perfectly, versus the original Dragon's Dogma theme... which kind of stinks, in my opinion. The battle music is great and always manages to get me pumped for whatever I'm fighting.
The graphics are also fantastic - not sure what people gripe about...
On the negative side, it's so straining to load after a while that my PS3 often gets very hot, very quickly. But if you have a fan and a well-ventilated area, and play for appropriate amounts of time, it's fine. (No 9-hour sessions, sorry!)
But hey: no freeze-ups! Ever! You have to like that in a game! *glares at Skyrim*
Lastly, the character creator. I didn't grow up with such an option, so when introduced to many PS3 games with it, I got spoiled fast. And this game's CC is VASTLY better than any Elder Scrolls game (again, it's a popular comparison, I can't help it!) I can actually make characters that DON'T look like elderly church-goers who stumbled and fell into a muddy ditch! Incredible. Bethesda, please learn from Capcom.
In fact, I accidentally made such a good-looking character that when I saw them brought to life in cutscenes, I uh... blushed...? Don't judge me! You'll see!
There really are many, many options, though. You can go for the scary and burly, I-just-killed-someone look, the too-beautiful-to-exist type (oops), or you can make an innocent blonde child with pigtails and make her wield a greatsword. Are you sold yet? (About the pigtails... they're not gender-specific. You are free to create a huge black man and give him adorable pigtails. You've got the power!)
In lesser words: get this game, but don't go in with mountainous expectations, because I can't say what kind of games you like. Maybe you'll love it like me, or hate it and opt to play Dark Souls instead. No judging here! Just give it a fair chance. It does take a while to REALLY pick up, depending on what quests you do first, so be patient and you'll be rewarded with one of the COOLEST dragons in RPG history (I really love him oh my god), great music, and a fresh experience.
***** Quick word of warning: there's a huge plot spoiler on the Amazon page for the original Dragon's Dogma game. AVOID IT. I would've enjoyed the ending more if some prick hadn't posted that. Avert your eyes completely if you visit that page!
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