Dragon Age 2

Kiith

So, the first review of Dragon Age 2 is out in this month's pc gamer and...it's apparently awesome. They gave it 94% and are saying it has the best RPG combat ever, and say while it's not the best story ever, it's got the best storytelling in any game ever.

Pretty high praise. Below are some key points, copied from another forum. No story spoilers btw.

OK looking over the review and trying to pick out some points.

quote:
Dragon age 2 does it right, It's still an RPG epic, it still takes upwards of 50 hours to finish, it's still got a deep complex combat system and it's still got a well-defined supporting cast
- He praises the frame narrative and mentions this is part of the reason the game hangs together so well.

- Praises the Hawke Character (played as a male), says he comes across as awesome most of the time.

- Mentions the wheel, only very occasionally did he feel neutered by his choice, on the whole he praises it.

- He has a lot of praise for the game and the serious moral choices you have to make and how having the 10 year arc means your actions might have some very real consequences down the line, this adds to the burden of the choices you make, decisions might come back to bite you on the ass. Mentions wronged people might not even target you but your family etc

quote:
Dragon age 2's story is driven by these moments of tension and forced choice. They always feel organic and truly contextual
- Felt a little let down at first by lack of escape from the city but in the end found benefits to knowing the city backwards, allowed him to get a complete grasp on the games "complicated political system"

- Most impressive attempt he has seen at making player choices in a game mean something.

- Romantic options unconstrained, you meet a party member chances are you can "bone" them. his words not mine. Your siblings being the obvious exceptions.

- Incidental conversations are splendid, ruder, funnier and just plain better than Origins.

- Most of the companions are excellent, Bethany being the only dud as she lacks in personality

- Combat is rapid and satisfying but more intricate than Origins.

- Party members abilities a lot of fun, found himself rotating his party a lot.

- Basically says the game is not what you expect, didn't expect it to be as much of a tradition sequel as it is but by having Bioware lock down the context (the world and the politics) they were free to fill their creation with more character and vitality than any title in recent memory.

That's basically the jist of it, doesn't mention graphics at all or importing your save. He does at one point mention equipping Aveline with the best armour, I figured he meant rings and whatnot. Hopefully that was OK to post.

50+ hours to finish? I ****ing love you Bioware.

sink

I must have spent 100 hours on DAO + DLC + Awakenings as I played through it twice, same with ME2. Two of my favorite games of recent memory. Really looking forward to DA2 now. I fucking love you too Bioware.

quarryman

I should really get my act together and complete DA:O

the untitled user

Playing through awakenings at the mo, really putting me in the mood for DA2. I want it NAO!

Creature

Ah very good. It's reassuring to know it's been well received so far. In case anyone didn't know there'll be a demo of the game released on the 22nd of this month.

http://dragonage.bioware.com/da2/demo

Varik

Bioware were the only reason i ever turned my 360 on when i couldn't have the pc version, that's changed now so it's PS3 or PC.

Seifer

First one was a giant let down and I imagine this will be no different.
I miss you Baldur's gate

Hopefully the Witcher 2 will fill the void.

Stev_o

I dunno i sort of take PC Gamer with a pinch of salt these days. They'v seemed to go downhill in their review of games. Nearly every AAA game from a major publisher gets in the very high 80's 90's bracket.

Now of course this is just pure speculation it could be worth 93% but something tells me that it actually will receive some pretty harsh scores from the more rigid media.

TiGeR KiNgS

16 years of gaming have told me to be very sceptical about the first reviewers score as there prime candidates for the brown envelope. So I'll wait and see.

quarryman

Its gonna be DA:O with some polish - it'll get 90%+ everywhere.

WolfForager

Absolutely loved DA:O, played through it twice. Only problem is that my save files were on my old PS3, so if there's any links via past decisions between the two games i'm left in the cold

Magill

yeah really enjoyed the first game so im looking forward to this aswel....

Don't know if this has been covered yet, but will there be the option to import your character from DA:O to DA2, like you could with DA:A?

Kiith

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't know if this has been covered yet, but will there be the option to import your character from DA:O to DA2, like you could with DA:A?

Not this time, as you play a pre-defined character called Hawke. You can change your class, and decisions you made in the the original can be imported/selected in this, but you can't play your old character.

pwd

Dragon Age was great.

My tank character did become unhurtable in Awakenings though, without any conscious use of exploits etc. This did reduce the fun factor, to say the least!

Hopefully the difficulty/complexity will be in line with the original. Bioware have a frustrating habit of dumbing down sequels. [eg Mass Effect 2].

Sephiroth_dude

Will the combat be more or less the same at the 1st game?

Antar Bolaeisk

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Will the combat be more or less the same at the 1st game?

Less from the looks of things.

Burning Eclipse

I only played Dragon Age and the excellent Awakenings around Christmas. I had put it off for quite a while, but really enjoyed the experience when I did get around to playing it. Looking forward to the demo of this when it does release!

Also pleasantly surprised by the challenge the first game offered. I had to drop to easy difficulty in the Fade part of the Tower of Mages. I played as a rogue and ran out of potions. If anyone had a similar experience they'll know what I mean.

Sephiroth_dude

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Less from the looks of things.

Dumbed down then?I couldn't get use to the combat in the last game,no matter how hard I tryed.

tonydude

Really looking forward to this, first one was a classic, i pre ordered the signature edition months ago. It'll be interesting to see how the games saves affect the game

Sephiroth_dude

tonydude wrote: »

Really looking forward to this, first one was a classic, i pre ordered the signature edition months ago. It'll be interesting to see how the games saves affect the game

You can transfer your saved games over?

tonydude

The choices you made in origins will be seen through out dragon age 2. Not character saves.

Captain Chaos

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Dumbed down then?I couldn't get use to the combat in the last game,no matter how hard I tryed.

More complex actually, all in real time and you have alot more control over the action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEX8isxsmK8&feature=player_embedded

calex71

Demo out today , you'll get free items unlocked in game if it hits half a million downloads.

WolfForager

Is there a PC demo, want to try it out and compare it to the ps3s..

calex71

WolfForager wrote: »

Is there a PC demo, want to try it out and compare it to the ps3s..

from the bioware site http://dragonage.bioware.com/da2/demo/

February 22, 2011 marks the launch of the Dragon Age II Demo and a Call to Arms for all BioWare fans. We are actively recruiting an army of Champions, and if we get over 1 million demo downloads and logins on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 combined before March 1st, we will unlock two in-game items for the entire community to use in Dragon Age II. Demo download progress will be tracked on this page, so check back often!

To get your download counted, you will need to log into your EA account while playing the demo.

The items that will be unlocked are*:
The Far Cliffs of Kirkwall

The Far Cliffs of Kirkwall - Written by a Fereldan refugee as she fled the Blight, this book of poems describes her dreams of a new start in Kirkwall, the city across the sea. Readers will surely be enriched by her insights. (Gives money when read.)
Lothering's Lament

Lothering's Lament - Written by a Fereldan refugee as she fled the Blight, this book of poems contains touching reminiscences of all she had to leave behind. Readers will surely benefit from her experience. (Gives XP boost when read.)

WolfForager

Fantastic! I have sometime to look forward to today then so!

Kiith

Must. Not. Download!

Gummy Panda

So demo is up later for PC?

Don't see any link on their site for it.

tonydude

great must download it, is it 1.9 gb ?

Kiith

Gummy Panda wrote: »

So demo is up later for PC?

Don't see any link on their site for it.

It's supposed to be up later this afternoon.

Varik

calex71 wrote: »

Demo out today , you'll get free items unlocked in game if it hits half a million downloads.

When is this happening for PS3 as the store won't update today.

If anyone is using the 360 or PS3 version sign up to an ea account and set your PSN id or Xbox live tag to make sure it counts.

YouSavedMyLife

Wow its so...dumbed down. I hope there is some exploration and more RPG staple elements to be had in the full game, because the demo is basically showing me that the game is a hack n slash game. It feel likes a JRPG in a WRPG's clothing...That being said i kinda liked it. I didnt load it expecting Dragon Age 1.5. Still on the fence about it, i may buy it when it gets reduced in price or second hand as there is a hell of lot of other games coming out over the next while that im really looking forward to

Kiith

From what i've read so far, most people seem to think streamlined is a better word then dumbed down. Having replayed Origins and Awakenings over the last week or so, the combat is awfully slow. And not slow in a tactical way. Slow as in slow. I still enjoy it, but things like Shield Bash or any special melee move are stupidly slow to take effect.

So speeding up things is definitely a good thing in my book (i havent played the demo btw).

I really hope they change the interactions between characters. It just really annoyed me when you're running away in a hurry and you click "A" accidentally on one of your companions and it enters the dialogue screen.

Spunge

Although i loved the first one to bits, if they change the combat to be less difficult and strategic im gonna be mad, coz the story and exploration in general were pretty pants.

EDIT: And the recommended CPU is a quad core? damn

Jilm

DA2 PC demo is now available...

http://dragonage.bioware.com/info/demo/

Blowfish

Gummy Panda wrote: »

So demo is up later for PC?

Don't see any link on their site for it.

Here she be.

Jilm

For those finding downloading from the Bioware site a bit slow, here's an alternative.

the incredible pudding

Jilm wrote: »

For those finding downloading from the Bioware site a bit slow, here's an alternative.

That one started nice and quickly for me before plummeting to a meager speed.:(
But thanks for the choice nonetheless!

Skerries

they are also making an online browser game called Dragon Age Legends like they did before DA with DA Journeys
DA Journeys was supposed to continue on but looks like they abandoned it for DA Legends which you can sign up for the beta here
http://eu.dragonage.com/dragonageii/extra/?id=15303

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

i feel like im playing devil may cry or something instead of dragon age.

not very far into the demo, but i dont have much interest in completing it either. think ill wait for a few weeks for reviews and general opinions of the full game before I decide whether or not to make a purchase

Mr. K

Looking forward to playing this later. I actually played a DA2 demo last October at the Eurogamer Expo, I'm hoping that this isn't the same one!

I haven't actually finished the first one, I'm right at the end. Waiting for a block of free time so I can enjoy it.

Captain Chaos

One question, will the full game have an auto attack option. My controller won't take 50+ hrs of tapping the **** out of the A button.

Mass Effect 2 went all Gears of War but the game mechanic still worked. DA2 has gone all God of War, if they are going that route for combat at least have combos and blocking like Assassins Creed instead of just pressing A a fast as you can, run away, rince and repeat until all are dead, maybe pause a few times to issue orders. The Warrior and Rogue class combat is just button jamming with little to no skill needed of required.

I'm in shock at this demo. Graphics are nice but the characters move about like they are floating in the world, they don't feel, or move as if they are connected to it in anyway. The speed they move compared to their legs is just terrible, kills the whole immersion of it for me.

Sephiroth_dude

So is it anygood?worth downloading?

degrassinoel

it felt like an arcade version of the original as far as combat is concerned, its about 100 times (or feels that way) faster than before, bloodier.. better? not sure if its better or just different but i do like it. Even if it ends quicker than it should.

The levelling system looks familiar, overall i think this part is better than the original, allowing you to access more different trees for specific group roles.

The voice acting seems a little better than most, possibly on a par with ME2( so far at least).
Flemeth is back good ol' Janeway.. and she looks hawt! lol

Nicely animated (stock) main character, I chose a female rogue. Some animations look odd, though could just be the demo being unfinished.

I got about an hour out of the Demo, so yeah i'd get it if you enjoy the whole action-rpg thing.

Will definetly be forking out the cash on the 11th or if its released early on steam for pre-orders will pay the extra few euro for it there.

titan18

Captain Chaos wrote: »

One question, will the full game have an auto attack option. My controller won't take 50+ hrs of tapping the **** out of the A button.

Not sure, but I heard it was taken out of the console versions. It's in the PC version though.

Also, game seemed pretty good on PC. Hard to get a feel for it in the demo, but will probably get it

Captain Chaos

titan18 wrote: »

Not sure, but I heard it was taken out of the console versions. It's in the PC version though.

Sad to hear, I won't be touching it if this is true. Well done to Bioware for messing up two perfectly good console "RPG"s, DA and Mass Effect.

Mass Effect 2 became Gears of War light with conversation options and DA2 is now God Of War with conversation options. They are killing what little is left of have decent RPG games on consoles by going all action and overly simplified menues and options for the ADHD gamers out there.

ME2 I can just about live with it as a half decent 3rd person shooter, I don't consider it an RPG anymore as the story is gone and it's all about recruiting for 1 mission at the end.

DA, is now a hack and slash game, a one button h&S game where you every so often pres another one to try and make it interesting, but even worse is that there is no sense of hits connecting at all or even being blocked. I can't believe Bioware would make something like this after DA:O, I really can't.

calex71

Agree with you there Captain, I liked mass effect but it left a bitter after taste from it's rpg liteness . This appears to be the same route adopted by bioware.

The critics can laud it all they like as they did with mass effect 2 but it really bugs me that they are dumbing down rgp elements in their sequels

Fair few rpgs on the horizon though, just got an email from square enix with preorder details for DS3 in May

Dcully

Hmm busy nights downloading me thinks, this demo and Rift headstart client.
Really hoping DA2 isnt as dumbed down as people are saying, if so then The Witcher 2 becomes instantly more appealing.

YouSavedMyLife

Dcully wrote: »

Hmm busy nights downloading me thinks, this demo and Rift headstart client.
Really hoping DA2 isnt as dumbed down as people are saying, if so then The Witcher 2 becomes instantly more appealing.

If you loved DA:O and are looking for more of the same then yeah its dumbed down. If not then i suppose its a decent game for what its trying to be, as far as I can tell from the demo. But they defo pulled a Mass Effect 2 on this series. Just hope they didnt sabotage the RPG elements and its just the combat that has changed. They seem to be trying to appeal to the console generation with what they did with Mass Effect 2 and what they are doing with DA2.