Mega Man: Dual Override and Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen hands-on previews

From brutal 2.5D platforming to snowy role-playing fantasy, GameCentral goes hands-on with two very different Capcom releases.

It has been a banner year for Capcom in 2026, with Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata already out and Onimusha: Way Of The Sword just around the corner. You’re only as good as your last game though and the question is going to be whether they can continue their run into next year.

Resident Evil Veronica is their biggest headliner for 2027, at least in terms of what they’ve announced so far, but we recently played two of their other upcoming games, with fantasy RPG expansion Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen – which is actually out in October – and the currently undated 2.5D platformer Mega Man: Dual Override.

Capcom’s twelfth mainline Mega Man game since the series began in 1987 brings bold new powers, fiendishly creative bosses, and inventive hazards to push your platforming skills. But the question is whether it’s appealing to those that didn’t grow up on the old NES games.

Mega Man: Dual Override hands-on preview

Despite its signature futurism and smiling heroics, Mega Man is another classically tough entry not so much made to be enjoyed as conquered. Capcom doesn’t pull its punches and seems convinced that sky high difficulty is central to the franchise’s appeal.

The demo we played was set across a vibrant robot convention, where bots fire missiles out of gaping mouths, buzzing insectoids swarm, and malfunctioning boxes of fireworks explode in your face. Any one of which is enough to force you back to a checkpoint.

In fact, enemies respawn after you exit then re-enter the screen, so progression demands pixel perfect platforming. Skill is also crucial in mastering Mega Man’s returning arm cannon which, after all these years, still only shoots left and right. As a result, you’ll often need to put yourself in harm’s way to land a shot.

What initially feels restrictively retro soon reveals its more modern features. For example, the ‘dual override’ of the title refers to powerful special abilities you can activate with the right shoulder button. One of these is the Jet Stinger. It sees Mega Man sprout a pair of F-16 like wings from his head then fire a rapid stream of projectiles until he overheats.

Another is the Mega Buster. Press R1 to turn, Transformers style, into a souped-up variant able to blast a single, screen-filling plasma ball. With nine specials in total, you’ve plenty of freedom to forge your own strategy.

We preferred to save the specials for the end-of-level bosses, which are jarringly difficult. One, called Big Press Don, is essentially a giant hydraulic press with eyes you have to slide under before blasting. A prancing K-Pop idol called Twinkle Girl, meanwhile, gives Cuphead levels of vex by sending out wave after wave of projectiles to test your bullet hell instincts.

Imaginatively designed bosses have always been a Mega Man staple. In Dual Override, Capcom even let fans design them in a competition, that apparently saw over 10,000 entries. They’re a highlight, but only if you’re up to the challenge.

Adding to the player choice, before each stage you can select a custom chip. One is a shield capable of tanking damage, while another is a faster recharge of your special. These custom chips give you an alternate way to approach challenges instead of merely butting your head against them.

Nothing substitutes skill, however, which you’ll need in abundance to fully enjoy Mega Man: Dual Override.

Formats: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 2027

Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen hands-on preview

Expansion Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen has a slightly lower barrier to entry, although you will need the 2025 base game to access it. The DLC (confusingly using the same name as the first game’s DLC, back in 2016) takes you to Norgan, a snowy wasteland populated by fierce wolves, hostile tribes, and the odd giant mammoth fond of ripping whole trees out of the ground and battering you over the head with them.

Your aim is to bring peace to this frostbitten Northern realm. It’s a huge new area, one packed with plenty of interactive moments. You can use snow itself as a weapon, by rolling chunks down hills so they gather mass and become wintery wrecking balls. Elsewhere, sharp shards of ice can be knocked loose onto opponents.

Along the way are numerous side quests and 12 new dungeon challenges containing relics. Appraising these at settlements unlocks powerful weapons and gear.

Add to that dozens of new hairstyles, tattoos, and clothing options, and you’ve got plenty more ways to style you and your party.

During our hands-on the pawns (the game’s AI-controlled allies) provided plenty of help against a terrifying new boss – an undead dragon with rotting skin hanging off visible bones, who summons zombie hordes from the ground.

Using the right trigger to climb its scaly hide and swing at its face is a returning delight, as is targeting limbs and dealing severe enough damage to cut them clean off. After the demo, it’s clear the spectacle of the expansion is just as impressive as the base game.

Together with Mega Man: Dual Override, Capcom has found just enough freshness in what could otherwise be seen as filler release. If nothing else, they’re enough to draw your attention until its sleeping giants are once again raised from their slumber.

Formats: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Price: £44.99
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 9th October 2026
Age Rating: 18

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