Hands-on report: Mega Man: Dual Override and Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen

Mega Man: Dual Override

Eight years since Mega Man’s last new outing, Mega Man: Dual Override is a strong update to the Blue Bomber’s classic side-scrolling adventures.

Dual Override streamlines the traditional Mega Man controls by mapping the Slide ability to the Circle button, instead of requiring you to push down and X, the jump button, as in Mega Man 11. That makes it easier to string moves together and react to danger.

Dual Override also does away with extra lives and adds checkpoints throughout levels. Those changes help cut down on frustration as you fight through tough areas — they’ll still test you, but you won’t have to run through a whole stage to give a difficult spot another try.

At the start of a level, you can choose one of three Custom Chips to equip, which gives you a powerful ability you can activate with R2. The first generates a shield that protects you from damage, while the second automatically charges your Mega Buster for more powerful shots without needing to hold down Square, and fires a blast of two charged shots when activated.

The final chip lets you summon the robotic dog Rush with his Coil spring, so you can use him to bounce over large gaps or up to high ledges.

As you destroy enemies, you’ll also charge up your Override ability. When activated, Override switches your Mega Buster to rapid-fire, making it great for battling bosses.

You can charge up two full meters of Override, which can make the ability last for a very long time. When it runs out, though, it leaves Mega Man overheated and drained, and your Mega Buster fires more slowly while he recovers.

I blasted through three quick levels on the path to battling a robot named Twinkle Girl, each with a slightly different take on a World’s Fair exhibition-like theme.

Dual Override throws plenty of classic Mega Man obstacles in your way, from precision platforming to battling a variety of quick, tough robots, including mini-bosses standing guard at the end of each level.

At the end of the final stage, I took on Twinkle Girl, a quick boss whose fireworks theme translated into a few different pyrotechnic weapons. After I dished out enough damage, Twinkle Girl kicked into a second phase that added more fire-themed attacks to the fray. She put me through my paces before I took her down, with the help of Override.

Mega Man: Dual Override does a great job of feeling like an old-school Mega Man game, but with some smart, modern sensibilities. With more intuitive controls, checkpoints that get you back into the action fast, and smart abilities that can give you an advantage, you’re able to tune Dual Override’s challenge level to be to your liking, while still fighting your way through levels that will test your skills. Mega Man: Dual Override launches next year on PS5.

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen

The DLC addition to Dragon’s Dogma 2 expands the story with a new chapter that takes players and their pawns to the desolate north. The frozen region of Norgan has been abandoned by the people who once lived there, and is now littered with the remnants of past lives and conflicts.

Dropping me into the role of a high-level fighter, the first thing Dark Arisen 2 tasked me with was uncovering Spoils, a new type of loot that’s scattered across the region. These are lost artifacts and gear from past battles that have left Norgan in ruins. Fighting enemies, opening chests, and scrounging through buildings and villages can all yield Spoils, and they’re something you’ll want to look for wherever you go.

At the Norgandian settlement where the demo began, a woman offers to appraise your Spoils, transforming them into powerful Relics — weapons and armor from the past with enhanced stats, and even the ability to unlock new battle skills for your character. But you’ll need Rift Crystals to transform Spoils into Relics, so you’ll want to be discerning about which items you choose to invest in.

My team and I trekked across the wilderness and through some foothills toward a mountain stronghold, encountering some Norgan natives, including burly barbarians and direwolves.

Eventually, we came across a towering, wooly giant, wielding a tree trunk as a weapon and sporting a huge amount of health. The giant creature doesn’t just try to wail on you with a tree, though — it also breathes an icy torrent that slows and damages you.

While we spent plenty of time hacking away at the creature, the icy landscape also provided some environmental options for dealing with it. At one point, I hacked through some ice to trigger a small avalanche, sending frozen debris tumbling down toward the giant while my pawns distracted it. After a lengthy and pitched battle, we felled the beast and claimed some powerful Spoils for the trouble.

Soon after, we reached the stronghold, which stood just above a frozen river. Like the avalanche, it was possible to break chunks of ice to drop enemies into the waters below, and nearby icicles suspended from bridges and gates made convenient hazards to drop on enemies.

Inside the stronghold, we found the Fallen Dragon, a heartless, undead creature. My pawns and I fought the creature in a difficult boss fight, during which it would spew piles of undead creatures that could swarm and overwhelm our team.

The demo ended with the dragon still looming over us — even though I hacked off its head, it’s clear it won’t be defeated so easily.

The Dark Arisen preview provided plenty of combat and a quick look at the beautiful and sprawling world of Norgan, and I’m excited to uncover its mysteries when the DLC launches on October 9.

Both of Capcom’s demos made a big impression for Gamescom 2026, and suggest players have some exciting, intense battles waiting for them in the year ahead.