The award for Dragon's Dogma 2's biggest jerks goes to the griffins

A Dragon's Dogma 2 party fights off again'st a griffin atop a grassy hill
(Image credit: Capcom)

Not since Elden Ring have players been posting as many Ls as they have with Dragon's Dogma 2. It's another open world RPG where everything can and will go wrong. If it's not pawns, the game's clumsy NPC party members, getting themselves killed, it's players minding their own business when a griffin swoops in for a surprise boss fight.

Actually, most of the clips are about the griffins, Dragon's Dogma 2's biggest jerks. They do not care what quest you are on, what state your party is in, or how long you've spent with your current pawns. They always find you when it's the least convenient.

I've fought a griffin. They're not particularly scary when everything is under control. They even fly off if their health gets low. I've not, however, been dive-bombed by one while peacefully riding in an oxcart like these players:

@abigtito

♬ original sound - Tito

Don't worry, griffins don't actually care whether or not you're in an oxcart. They will find you no matter what. 

Elevators, too. 

These heat-seeking missiles with claws are also rideable if you're lucky, and they can take you to places you've never been before. It's almost like fast travel except you could die at any moment and it's not particularly fast. But, hey, you don't have to spend a cent on fast travel items. 

In this clip, which currently has over three million views on TikTok, a player is "saved" from falling off a griffin by their pawn Frank. But if you roll back the tape, I'm pretty sure Frank shot the explosive arrow that caused them to fall off in the first place. You're not fooling anyone, Frank! 

@yautrek

♬ Holding out for a Hero (from "Footloose") - Bonnie Tyler

Maya here is an actual hero and wasn't simply doing it for the clip. (I'm not going to interrogate why Maya's minimap icon magically teleports underneath MissMikkaa as she falls.) 

Believe it or not, the griffins are mortal and you can kill them. They tend to flee from battle but they can't run away from you if you're already on their back. The trick is to take them out without taking yourself out at the same time. 

If you can get them to fall in water, you'll be the only one crawling back out as the "The Brine" can't kill your Arisen. It will kill your pawns, though, so be careful. 

The only nice thing I can say about griffins is that they won't infect your pawns with Dragonsplague. So, they're not the worst thing that can happen to you in Dragon's Dogma 2, they're the second worst thing that can happen to you in Dragon's Dogma 2. But the dragons don't spend all day thinking of pranks to pull on you like griffins, which, in my eyes, makes them easily Dragon's Dogma 2's biggest jerks. 

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 Arisen
Dragon's Dogma 2 fast travel: Take an ox cart
How to start a new game: Start again
Dragon's Dogma 2 pawns: Build your party
How to change appearance: Makeover

Tyler has covered videogames and PC hardware for 15 years. He regularly spends time playing and reporting on games like Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14. While his specialty is in action RPGs and MMOs, he's driven to cover all sorts of games whether they're broken, beautiful, or bizarre.

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