Dragon's Dogma 2 director says the secret ingredient to the sublime action combat in Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter and Dragon's Dogma is simple: Capcom's arcade DNA

GamesRPGDragon’s Dogma 2Dragon’s Dogma 2 director says the secret ingredient to the sublime action combat in Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter and Dragon’s Dogma is simple: Capcom’s arcade DNAWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Capcom)

Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Dragon�s Dogma

It’s not just that Capcom is synonymous with action games that feel incredibly good to play—it’s that each game manages to carve out its own style while still making us go “Ahh, now there’s the Capcom magic.” In the Resident Evil 4 remake, it’s the basic knife attack turnedlifesaving pinpoint parry. In Monster Hunter, it’s the staggering range of weapons and how intricate each feels, from the acrobatic aerial combos of the insect glaive tosmashing a dino’s face with a greatsword. In Devil May Cry, it’s the way combos allow you to string together dozens, hundreds, of continuous attacks as ssstylishly as possible. In Dragon’s Dogma, it’s applying the freedom of RPG gear and skill choices to the classic fantasy of climbing on a cyclop’s back and stabbing him in his one giant eyeball.

When I asked Capcom veteran Hideaki Itsuno what the common ingredient is between all these action games, he had a quicker answer than I expected: It all goes back to Capcom’s long history in the arcade.

“Those teachings are something I’m very consciously aware of and try to put in action games, and probably some of the people who make Monster Hunter are also conscious of it, because we have this background in common.”

Itsuno has been at Capcom since 1994, when the company was already well-known for fighting games but much smaller than it is today. Over the last 30 years Capcom has grown but arcades have waned, to the point that likely few of the younger developers at Capcom today have that grounding in the pick-up-and-play games that defined Itsuno’s early career.

“For the younger generation that didn’t experience arcade games, we try to explain the logic that got us there: ‘this is what you want to achieve, and this is what you do,'” Itsuno said. “We’re conscious of trying to convey this to the younger generation. This arcade logic translates into all these details, like this motion when you’re about to punch someone—”

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Itsuno throws his fist out to mime an exaggerated punch, holding it in place for a couple seconds

“How much time do you want to put on the fist that goes back before punching? After punching, how long do you want to keep the fight straight before retrieving it? When you jump, how much do you want to bend the leg to create the motion of jumping? All these little details are the result of the logic that we have [from arcades].”

Beginner tips: Arise ArisenDragon’s Dogma 2 fast travel: Take an ox cartHow to start a new game:Start againDragon’s Dogma 2 pawns:Build your partyHow to change appearance: Makeover

Beginner tips
Dragon’s Dogma 2 fast travel
How to start a new game
Dragon’s Dogma 2 pawns
How to change appearance

Beginner tips: Arise ArisenDragon’s Dogma 2 fast travel: Take an ox cartHow to start a new game:Start againDragon’s Dogma 2 pawns:Build your partyHow to change appearance: Makeover

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