There are dense open world games, and then there are games like Dragon’s Dogma 2. It is a massive experience that stuffs its open world full of a bevy of interacting and interweaving systems to deliver emergent gameplay, but with everything that it’s got going on, and with the game’s own aversion to hold players’ hands, there’s plenty here that can be a bit difficult to grasp, especially in your early hours.

To that end, from a multitude of systems and mechanics to master both in and out of combat to figuring out how best to deal with the many perils of the open world, here in this guide, we’re going to list out a few handy tips and tricks that you should keep in mind in the early hours of your journey.