GTA5 Served as Unlikely Inspiration for Dragon’s Dogma 2

Grand Theft Auto 5 has influenced many games in the years since its release, and it even played a role in the development of Dragon’s Dogma 2. Information on the unlikely inspiration comes from an interview VGC recently conducted with game director Hideaki Itsuno.

When asked what projects helped bring the immersive RPG sequel to life, Itsuno explained that the team’s original plan was to simply create a follow-up with features that weren’t possible during the development of the first Dragon’s Dogma. It seems hardware limitations and time kept the developers from fully achieving their vision back when the original game released in 2012. As a result, the Dragon’s Dogma 2 team was mostly inspired by itself and what it could finally accomplish.

However, in terms of external inspirations, you might think that the Capcom team would have other fantasy projects on their minds. Games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Divinity: Original Sin 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition have no doubt played a large role in the development of other swashbuckling adventures through the last decade. However, it’s GTA5 that Itsuno took the most from while making Dragon’s Dogma 2, as he specifically calls attention to the Rockstar Games title’s social atmosphere as inspiring.

“If I had to pick one other game that came out in the meantime, I would actually say GTA5,” he said when calling out inspirations for Dragon’s Dogma 2. “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.

Related: Dragon’s Dogma Wasn’t for Me, Yet I Have Faith in Capcom for Dragon’s Dogma 2

He continued: “All kinds of interesting emergent behavior could happen whenever you were exploring the city and all kinds of weird accidents felt like it would happen whether you were there or not.

Itsuno adds, “That feeling of a living world is something that I’ve definitely tried to achieve in Dragon’s Dogma 2.” It’s clear that Capcom’s fantasy sequel will bring an evolution of the immersive RPG gameplay that made the original a cult classic. However, if you’re exploring its world and feel especially attached to its organic-feeling NPCs, you’ll have none other than GTA5 to thank.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S sometime in the near future. Capcom has yet to reveal a release date for the project, so be sure to stay tuned for updates.