Players control a customizable character through the game's open world while hunting a dragon that chose them as the "Arisen" amid a geopolitical conflict by completing quests and gaining new equipment on the way with the aid of allies known as "Pawns".

These characters are AI-controlled, but function like player-controlled avatars, able to assist in fights, provide information on enemies, and give guidance to active quests.

The game features several different vocations to choose from; several from Dragon's Dogma make a return, whilst Strider and Ranger have been changed to Thief and Archer respectively.

Fast travel is available through ferrystones and oxcarts, with Dragon's Dogma 2 allowing players to set up camps at night at campsites around the game world.

Emergent events may occur, forcing players to react and adapt,[6] such as making use of destructible environments to defeat enemies, with a day–night cycle that impacts what creatures are encountered and how strong they are.

One of the main goals for the team was to introduce improvements to the gameplay mechanics of its predecessor, and include features that were cut due to technology not being readily available at the time.

As a result, Itsuno added that "the sequel may not include as many things that feel completely new or different, but will be more polished and enhanced in order to achieve a more immersive RPG and action adventure for the player".

[32][33][34][35] PC Gamer's Harvey Randall called the inclusion of microtransactions "bafflingly silly", noting that many items are easily acquired just by playing the game.