E3 2011: Dragon's Dogma breaking out early 2012

LOS ANGELES--Capcom's library of IP will grow early next year when Dragon's Dogma arrives for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Today the Japanese game publisher narrowed the release window for Dragon's Dogma--which it expects to sell 1.5 million copies--from a vague 2012 date, to "early 2012." Unfortunately, that's the only new detail announced for the open-world action game. However, the publisher did show off a new gameplay trailer for Dragon's Dogma, which is embedded below.

Dragon's Dogma will see players fight a whole assortment of mythological creatures, including goblins, griffins, and hydras. Players will lead a party of three fighters and will control their primary character while their companions engage in independent action.

As for gameplay, Capcom said that it would be combat-focused, with an emphasis on a player's reactions to a foe's attacks. Also important will be the characteristics of items, with weight and material playing a crucial role. The game will be based on Capcom's MT Framework and sport lighting effects and graphics similar to those seen in Lost Planet 2 and Resident Evil 5.

For more on the title, check out GameSpot's hands-on preview with Dragon's Dogma.