Players don't need to play Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen for the sequl, director confirms

[John Elden Ring]

In an interview with GamesRadar, Hideaki Itsuno pointed out that while the sequel borrows elements from its predecessor, including the plot and the Pawns who follow the player, no prior knowledge of the series will be necessary before playing.

According to Itsuno, the protagonist will start the game with amnesia, meaning they have no idea what happened during the events of the first game. As such, the player will learn the backstory of the first Dragon’s Dogma as the hero does.

The game starts off with a main character who has lost their memory,” Itsuno explained, adding that the game will have characters around you [explaining] things to get you up to speed.

So even if this is your first time playing Dragon’s Dogma, you can safely dive in

Source