NPCs will approach players instead if they have side quests and Pawns can point out different points of interest to investigate while exploring.

Capcom is doing a lot to ensure players are immersed in Dragon’s Dogma 2, as seen with the fast travel restrictions. Adding to this further is the confirmation that there are no quest boards (unlike the original, which had notice boards for quests).

According to IGN’s final preview for the action RPG, you won’t even see NPCs with markers informing you of quests. They’ll approach you instead if something comes up. Even the icons indicating points of interest on the map are minimal. You’ll also have plenty of feedback from Pawns if there’s anything noteworthy, like a path to explore.

If you’re using a Pawn belonging to someone else and they know about a quest already, you can permit them to lead you to it. It’s a fascinating approach to exploration that encourages exploring the world and taking things as they come (with director Hideaki Itsuno promising plenty of side content). You’ll also feel the weight of that single save slot all the more.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches on March 22nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.