Dragon Age 2 - Demo impressions
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GoodSarmatian
Jokerfied Western Male
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Qunari were always supposed to have horns, but Bioware couldn't figure out how to show Sten wearing a helmet (they didn't have a problem though making every armor equipable for Sten and Ogren).
You can see this on Ogres. They are born from Qunari broodmothers and always have horns. The canon explanation why the Qunari in Origins don't have horns is that a few are born without and they are usually chosen for for missions in human lands because they look less threatening.
PhroX
Deity
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This sums up my thoughts so far (~halfway through act 2). It does have it's flaws, most of which could probably have been solved with a longer development cycle - reused areas*, some parts of the story/characters/setting lacking a bit of depth (the "new" stuff generally works well) - but it's still an enjoyable game. So far I'd give it something like 80-82% overall (in comparison, I'd've given DA:O somewhere in the region of 85%).
*Just to clarify on the reused areas point, I don't have a problem revisiting locations later in the story, this makes sense for a game that travels more in time than position. It's the fact that all the caves around Kirkwall are the same...
I do really like the new combat though. Much more exciting, and, despite the whining coming from much of the internet, not at all dumbed down - in fact, I'd say it's more tactical than the first game. Much of this is probably down to the massively increased cooldowns on healing/potions - you can't just spam them anymore, instead you have to rely much more on controls, buffs and debuffs to mitigate damage. Which, IMO, is a very good thing (and, as a side note, something more MMOs should do....). Sure, the basic enemies are numerous and die very very quickly, but hey, I'm a big damn hero, mooks should explode merely from me looking at them, and their sheer number, plus the inclusion of a few tough foes, keeps me on my toes. This is mainly on hard difficulty btw (had to turn it down for the odd boss fight).
Kozmos
Jew Detective
Maniacal
the green Napoleon
Interestingly enough (except for the graphics) I've heard the opposite from several people ( a couple of whom's opinions I highly value when it comes to games). It also looks like the combat is a lot more fun on the console, where it is more hack and slash.
Also Angry Joe Review (X-Box 360 version) where, while he likes the game, he points out what seems to be the major flaws.
I should get my copy in a day or two according to the tracker, can't wait to play this... after essays and exams. So, like, June :/
Also Angry Joe Review (X-Box 360 version) where, while he likes the game, he points out what seems to be the major flaws.
I should get my copy in a day or two according to the tracker, can't wait to play this... after essays and exams. So, like, June :/
Akka
Moody old mage.
Urgh, please...
Fighting is the WORST part of the game - unless you want to play a beat-them-all with special moves on cooldown.
It's over-the-top to the point of laughability (seriously, the mage and rogue animations can just be described as "clownesque", there is no other word for it), the constantly spawning-out-of-thin-air destroy any attempt at playing tactically, and the slaughtering of hundred of mooks at every corner of every street, under every rock and at every creek is just mind-numbingly boring.
Not to add that there is NO F-ING FRIENDLY FIRE UNLESS YOU'RE PLAYING NIGHTMARE ! And seeing their horrible combats design based around countless adds joining the battle non-stop, I see why they practically removed it...
The only things I like are the new stat distribution, which make every stat (save magic for non-mages) interesting, and the new talent trees. I was surprised, because I thought I would hate them, but they are, in fact, quite refined and the only part that I feel that was not dumbed down, but on the contrary opening countless opportunity.
Eat_Up_Martha
Prince
I agree 100% with his review. From what he liked, to what he didn't, to the final score, he hit it all.
Also, I just have to complain about something that really bothered me. In spoilers due to spoilers.
Spoiler :
Maniacal
the green Napoleon
Spoiler :
aelf
Ashen One
The lack of camera controls doesn't greatly bother most people? Wow, this seems to confirm just how accepting or undiscerning the average gamer is. That's pretty damn important, much more so than the much-vaunted cool moves and crap.
Maniacal
the green Napoleon
The vast majority of games don't give you a choice in what camera you can use, and I didn't really use the "tactical" camera anyway. While its sad the isometric view is gone, the camera in the game works just fine and I haven't had a real problem with it.
Maniacal
the green Napoleon
You could also hold TAB to get all interactive stuff highlighted, it was also removed because the artists and mappers have to do extra work to accommodate it's viewing angle and as it was the game had a short development time. Not having it isn't a reason to not play the game.
DirtyFinger
Prince
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Mad Man
Your lord and master
Spoiler :
Maniacal
the green Napoleon
DirtyFinger
Prince
- Joined
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Shale was certainly fun to have around. Even though I didn't find much use for her.
Spoiler :
aelf
Ashen One
In the case of Dragon Age 2, this seems to turn the game into some kind of combat Tetris, with enemies becoming visible only as they filter into the screen. It's one thing to say that maximum zoom is unnecessary and another to say that it's not important to be able to see any further than a few metres in front of you in a game like this.
Benefactor
Beneficial
At least Athkatla was big and diverse and full of people. Dragon Age 2 would be fine(ish) if Kirkwall was like Athkatla.
Maniacal
the green Napoleon
I finished Dragon Age II earlier today and here is an imperfect review. The game took me about 35 or so hours to finish on normal. While this is shorter than DAO I really enjoyed it and do not have a problem with the length.
The game is definitely a little bit different than Origins with a focus on the city state of Kirkwall and its surrounding area rather than an entire kingdom and in terms of the gameplay. I didn't have any major issues with the game and many of the changes are fine and certainly it is no worse than Origins (which was great but had its flaws). Many of the issues I found in DA2 are most likely caused by a shorter development time (1.5 years afaik).
Most noticeably the combat is different, it is faster and flashier. For the most part I didn't mind it, though I do miss the killing blow moves and most of the time (at least as a rogue) your swords don't actually hit the enemy which is kind of silly but I easily ignored it. Abilities are similar to Origins but more streamlined and for the better and I found myself relying on them a lot more. While not perfect it is more interesting than Origins. I played through most of the game on Normal as I wasn't very interested in micromanaging my companions during the battle which you definitely need to do on the higher difficulties. It still wasn't always a cake walk and the boss battles weren't easy.
Again like Origins you don't have a wide variety of enemies to fight and to be honest I'm really sick and tired of fighting shades and random mercenaries and bandits in games. The Qunari were a nice change of pace though and Act III begins to involve even more Templars and Mages (except that means more bloody shades) as the conflict between the two groups intensifies.
The game looks better than origins graphically, though a few armours which were reused from Origins (and there is less of a variety than in Origins though that isn't necessarily a bad thing) were oddly low res (especially on a few characters from Origins who make brief reappearances). With the tactical camera gone (and while some bemoan this it really isn't a big deal especially if you didn't use it) you are encouraged to look up to see some of the main buildings in Kirkwall tower overhead with the mountains in the background. The Gallows (former slave prison now home of the Kirkwall Circle of Mages and the Chantry cathedral) are especially ominous. The game and characters look oddly clean however I stopped caring about that pretty quickly. It can also be explained away due to the game actually being a story told by Varric to a seeker (or something) of the Chantry who is trying to find Hawke (aka the Champion [of Kirkwall])..
The new skill trees are a huge improvement over the linear advancements in Origins.
Your companions all have personalized armour which they keep throughout the game and while you can find a few add ones which increases their stats most of them do not change. Anders in my playthrough did slightly change with more dark colouring and Merrill donned a suit of armour after she and Hawke had awkward sex when I was romancing her. I think having a personal armour/clothing is a nice change and while I would like to see more additions to them as they get upgraded it makes more sense than constantly finding them new armour and helps define them as a character.
The game itself crashed to desktop only once and runs extremely smoothly (in DX9, apparently it runs like crap in DX11 (if at all) and hopefully that will be fixed soon). Load times are not instantaneous but quick and painless and the menus are easily navigated (though the colour scheme doesn't really fit into the fantasy genre).
There are still a lot of small things that really help improve the game, like various objects/places in your house you can interact with (well, Hawke says some lines and some of them are pretty funny) and the banter between party members can be priceless (Aveline and Isabela are quite hilarious).
My favourite characters are probably Aveline (since they develop her throughout the game as she joins the city guard in Kirkwall), Varric (a highly entertaining dwarf who will tell tall tales about you to whoever will listen and indeed is technically narrating the entire game), Isabela (though she is possibly too bluntly sexual she is still entertaining has some minor character growth), and Merrill (cute accent though probably not appealing to everyone). Sebastien is the character from the Exiled Prince DLC which came with the pre-order "Signature Edition" and is definitely a main character who was cut from the game to be DLC. However he is actually a neat character and part of the main story (as well the only character who uses bows)so for this reason I highly recommend waiting until a Complete or Gold edition is released with the DLC as he is worth getting but not paying extra for. I didn't particularly like or remember Anders personally but rather do remember some of his actions (which can be morally questionable). There have been complaints about only being able to flirt with him OR reject him and gain a few rivalry points, but you don't need to worry about the few rivalry points you gain by rejecting him right off the bat as there are plenty of chances later on to gain friendship points. I was NOT fond of Fenris when he first joined my party. His first impression is some lame final fantasy/jrpg-esque emo elf and while he improved and became more likable he still had severe emotional issues. Anders starts off interesting (probably more so if you played Awakenings, which I didn't) but grows ever more dark, angry and just bloody mad by the end.
There are other things I can say but I forget them right now. Over all I found Dragon Age II to still be a good game though I would wait until to buy it until a gold or complete edition is out in order to get the Exiled Prince DLC and any other DLC that comes out. I do not regret pre-ordering it for the Signature Edition at full price ($59 CAD) but now if any of the DLC is actually worth getting (which is doubtful, the Origins DLC was a complete waste of money) it will raise the price more :/
The game is definitely a little bit different than Origins with a focus on the city state of Kirkwall and its surrounding area rather than an entire kingdom and in terms of the gameplay. I didn't have any major issues with the game and many of the changes are fine and certainly it is no worse than Origins (which was great but had its flaws). Many of the issues I found in DA2 are most likely caused by a shorter development time (1.5 years afaik).
Most noticeably the combat is different, it is faster and flashier. For the most part I didn't mind it, though I do miss the killing blow moves and most of the time (at least as a rogue) your swords don't actually hit the enemy which is kind of silly but I easily ignored it. Abilities are similar to Origins but more streamlined and for the better and I found myself relying on them a lot more. While not perfect it is more interesting than Origins. I played through most of the game on Normal as I wasn't very interested in micromanaging my companions during the battle which you definitely need to do on the higher difficulties. It still wasn't always a cake walk and the boss battles weren't easy.
Again like Origins you don't have a wide variety of enemies to fight and to be honest I'm really sick and tired of fighting shades and random mercenaries and bandits in games. The Qunari were a nice change of pace though and Act III begins to involve even more Templars and Mages (except that means more bloody shades) as the conflict between the two groups intensifies.
The game looks better than origins graphically, though a few armours which were reused from Origins (and there is less of a variety than in Origins though that isn't necessarily a bad thing) were oddly low res (especially on a few characters from Origins who make brief reappearances). With the tactical camera gone (and while some bemoan this it really isn't a big deal especially if you didn't use it) you are encouraged to look up to see some of the main buildings in Kirkwall tower overhead with the mountains in the background. The Gallows (former slave prison now home of the Kirkwall Circle of Mages and the Chantry cathedral) are especially ominous. The game and characters look oddly clean however I stopped caring about that pretty quickly. It can also be explained away due to the game actually being a story told by Varric to a seeker (or something) of the Chantry who is trying to find Hawke (aka the Champion [of Kirkwall])..
The new skill trees are a huge improvement over the linear advancements in Origins.
Your companions all have personalized armour which they keep throughout the game and while you can find a few add ones which increases their stats most of them do not change. Anders in my playthrough did slightly change with more dark colouring and Merrill donned a suit of armour after she and Hawke had awkward sex when I was romancing her. I think having a personal armour/clothing is a nice change and while I would like to see more additions to them as they get upgraded it makes more sense than constantly finding them new armour and helps define them as a character.
The game itself crashed to desktop only once and runs extremely smoothly (in DX9, apparently it runs like crap in DX11 (if at all) and hopefully that will be fixed soon). Load times are not instantaneous but quick and painless and the menus are easily navigated (though the colour scheme doesn't really fit into the fantasy genre).
There are still a lot of small things that really help improve the game, like various objects/places in your house you can interact with (well, Hawke says some lines and some of them are pretty funny) and the banter between party members can be priceless (Aveline and Isabela are quite hilarious).
My favourite characters are probably Aveline (since they develop her throughout the game as she joins the city guard in Kirkwall), Varric (a highly entertaining dwarf who will tell tall tales about you to whoever will listen and indeed is technically narrating the entire game), Isabela (though she is possibly too bluntly sexual she is still entertaining has some minor character growth), and Merrill (cute accent though probably not appealing to everyone). Sebastien is the character from the Exiled Prince DLC which came with the pre-order "Signature Edition" and is definitely a main character who was cut from the game to be DLC. However he is actually a neat character and part of the main story (as well the only character who uses bows)so for this reason I highly recommend waiting until a Complete or Gold edition is released with the DLC as he is worth getting but not paying extra for. I didn't particularly like or remember Anders personally but rather do remember some of his actions (which can be morally questionable). There have been complaints about only being able to flirt with him OR reject him and gain a few rivalry points, but you don't need to worry about the few rivalry points you gain by rejecting him right off the bat as there are plenty of chances later on to gain friendship points. I was NOT fond of Fenris when he first joined my party. His first impression is some lame final fantasy/jrpg-esque emo elf and while he improved and became more likable he still had severe emotional issues. Anders starts off interesting (probably more so if you played Awakenings, which I didn't) but grows ever more dark, angry and just bloody mad by the end.
There are other things I can say but I forget them right now. Over all I found Dragon Age II to still be a good game though I would wait until to buy it until a gold or complete edition is out in order to get the Exiled Prince DLC and any other DLC that comes out. I do not regret pre-ordering it for the Signature Edition at full price ($59 CAD) but now if any of the DLC is actually worth getting (which is doubtful, the Origins DLC was a complete waste of money) it will raise the price more :/
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