Like many I was worried Dragon Age 2 would be a hack n' slash videogame based on the early developer comments about streamlining, accessibility and "something awesome happens." The demo has come out though and I for one think the tactical gameplay shines as much as before, if not more so, and the changes are for the better (other than the lack of "isometric" camera distance).
The speed of animations and positioning does a lot to make combat more fun while not at all watering down tactics. The menu system's clear and simple layout offers all the same options as before but in a more concise manner. The focus on fun, while still being a tactical RPG, is felt with every powerful backstab or twirl of a wizard's staff. The unique art style remings me of Team Fortress 2 in how it allows for instant recognition and clean lines, distinctive and unique in a crowded (for 20+ years now) genre of medievil fantasy.
For years I have been seeing "accessible" and "streamlining" as horrible buzzwords that actually mean simplification and dumber. One could argue Bioware's last game, Mass Effect 2, lost a little too much of the RPG aspects in order to streamline and become more accessible. Dragon Age 2 though? It seems to me that it is the model to follow for making RPGs more accessible and fun without losing what they are. Fun combat, easy to understand but challenging to master. Fast and exciting animations, yet a deep tactical base. It's more broad in appeal yet still the same core game, and it loses very little complexity.
Thoughts?
Does Dragon Age 2 prove you can streamline without dumbing down?
Débuté par
StingingVelvet
, févr. 28 2011 05:19
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#2
Posté 28 février 2011 - 11:27
Michael Hamilton
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- BioWare Employees
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- 37 messages
*edit: Whoopse, had to fix the quote.AngryFrozenWater wrote...
BioWare have removed all skills,
reduced the number of talents/spells in the lower levels which reduced
the overall number at higher levels by about 8, there seems to be only
one type of healing potion that fits in the quick heal slot (I assume
all other types are gone), the same goes for lyrium potions, no signs of
stamina potions, the over the top combat animations seem to be designed
for an age group which is not supposed to play the game, because that
same age group wants action they have increased to cooldown times of
healing spells and potions, the dialogue wheel was designed for people
who are not willing to read text (they now can click on icons instead).
So, no. I don't think they have succeeded at all. The word streamlined
doesn't seem to come close. It is just dumbed down.
Saw this and had to respond (as I worked on the crafting interface, though our designers did up the potions) there are several different potions you can make. One in particular heals and removes injury. These other kinds of potions need to be slotted on the quickbar(pc)/battle menu(console) or manually used in another fashion.
Modifié par Michael Hamilton, 28 février 2011 - 11:27 .
