I kinda liked Dragon Age 2 after I played it a few times. If it still matters, my biggest beef's were:
-recycled environments (which has been made well aware)
-lack of interest in my companions. Most characters didn't interest me. Some I hated. I miss Liliana. Don't force me to take a companion I don't want.
- No equiping of companions. I really think this needs to be put back in. TOO MUCH JUNK!
- Skills. Again, I'm not sure why this was taken out. I really enjoyed it.
- Hawk didn't feel like my character. I need to be able to change my race, sex and class. This all makes for solid replay value. No origin to get me into his plight.
- I dislike the voiced character and the dialog wheel. Yech! Hawke never seemed to say what I was intending to say.
- Regardless of what I choose throughout the game, my choices didn't seem to matter. This also took away from my immersion into Hawke as my character. I was just watching him go through the motions.
- The elves... Not very attractive. I think I know what the designers were aiming for, but they didn't get there.
- Combat animations overall were TOO quick and over the top. A little more realism would have been nice.
Now for what I enjoyed:
- The graphic upgrade was nice. Smoother looking characters.
- Spell combinations.
- Legacy was good. Anything to do with the Wardens is good.
- The Qunari. Their looks were awesome. Keep for sure.
- The Mage animations were nice. I hated pointing at people with a pointy stick...
- Flemith's new look. Very good.
Thanks for the effort on the game, but It would have made more sense to call this Dragon Age: Champion of Kirkwall or something. Not Dragon Age 2. That was kinda missleading. I think that's why a lot of people seem to be upset.
Your Dragon Age II Review *NO SPOILERS PLEASE*
Débuté par
javierabegazo
, mars 08 2011 04:02
Retour en haut
#3102
Posté 23 août 2011 - 07:12
masimo034
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The main thing I don't like is it has little to do with the first game. The playing character from Origins, has no continuity, it's like you did a reboot of Dragon Age right on the first sequel. I don't get it, especially when the first one was so good, I'd think you'd like to build on that success, and improve it instead of coming up with something entirely different.
The fact that many RPG elements where removed, (Can only be human, no customization for your companions, everything happens in one city, etc) is very disappointing coming from a Bioware game. Still can't get to finish it, since the story has very little appeal. Zero depth, to sum it up.
If you guys don't make actual RPGs anymore, then who is. I'm not saying go back to Baldur's Gate, (I've given up on that), but at least go back to NeverWinter Nights!
I did like the graphics, the fact that it runs much better than DA:O, and the new combat system.
The fact that many RPG elements where removed, (Can only be human, no customization for your companions, everything happens in one city, etc) is very disappointing coming from a Bioware game. Still can't get to finish it, since the story has very little appeal. Zero depth, to sum it up.
If you guys don't make actual RPGs anymore, then who is. I'm not saying go back to Baldur's Gate, (I've given up on that), but at least go back to NeverWinter Nights!
I did like the graphics, the fact that it runs much better than DA:O, and the new combat system.
Modifié par masimo034, 23 août 2011 - 07:24 .
#3103
Posté 23 août 2011 - 11:53
sleeping heart
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Liked:
- I liked the the mages new basic attack with the staff.
- Liked some of the new skills and spells.
- Graphics.
Disliked:
- the choices i made in Origins/Awakening where almost completely ignored.
- couldn't change my companions armor.
- I didn't really like Hawke as much as i liked The Warden.
- I also didn't much like the weapon restrictions.
- I liked the the mages new basic attack with the staff.
- Liked some of the new skills and spells.
- Graphics.
Disliked:
- the choices i made in Origins/Awakening where almost completely ignored.
- couldn't change my companions armor.
- I didn't really like Hawke as much as i liked The Warden.
- I also didn't much like the weapon restrictions.
Modifié par sleeping heart, 23 août 2011 - 12:38 .
#3104
Posté 23 août 2011 - 10:29
j0hnnypa1n
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Hi,
Origins, Awakening, and DA2 are all great in relation and by virtue of one another. From the heroic elegy/epic of Origins/Awakening that feels as ancient as a relic, to the deeply personal, brooding film noir tone of DA2, each interrelates & contributes to the complex & brilliant tapestry that is the DA series, a series that has fully elevated video games to the level of art- a place where a person may experience the sublime... where somehow, the term "video game" no longer does justice. I've broken down my review of DA2 into the three main elements that make it, along with DA:O, my favourite game of all time.
First, I loved the story and mood. There's a great maturity in a narrative and mood that departs from the formula of the 1st and creates such a juxtaposition in the 2nd. It was nice to have a break from the darkspawn, and to feel that the history of Origins had passed and made and impact. The 3rd would ideally have all of those elements coming together, and there would be some of that "old, parchment" feel of the first. It was so meaningful that the intimate story and interactions in DA2 that were presented amidst and surrounded by the lore of Origins, with the consequences of the Origins story weaving in and out of the sequel. We often experience the narrative sequence of myth or epic, but rarely do we take a glimpse deeper into that world, and examine the path of a character who is insignificant and only non-visibly present in the first story, as he/she rises to become the hero of the story's second part. We see a version of that in the Illiad/Odyssey and perhaps Beowulf (Beowulf/Wiglaf), whose two protagonists explore the same "heroic inheritance." In all, the characters and story were extremely compelling. The character design and animations were lush and beautiful. The whole drama was breathtaking in its merciless confrontation with all the elements of real tragedy and comedy. And of course, Inon Zur is a master.
I couldn't imagine the world of Dragon Age without his music.
Second, I loved Hawke and the cast. The relationships between the characters and the development paths for Hawke were so well-crafted. While the Warden was a fairy-tale ideal, which was perfectly done for Origins. Hawke was appropriately much more personal to the player, which was perfect for the sequel. It was genius to have these two as successive protagonists. I remember reading once that in a trilogy (assuming DA would be a trilogy), the first part should be hopeful and heroic, like the stories of our childhood, the second should be darker and more introspective, and the third should bring it all together. I do hope to see Hawke and her/his friends again as the story continues, and I would like to see characters from the first return, especially Alistair, Leliana, and Morrigan. The two protagonist Wardens from Origins and Awakenings (Grey and Orlesian) both seem appropriately situated in the past, and in the lore and legend of that world. Of course, I chose the ultimate sacrifice ending. As a final point, I wasn't too compelled by the potential love interests in DA2, which (in part) led me to play Hawke as a Sherlock Holmes type who didn't bother to interest himself in romantic relationships, but rather deep friendships. All the characters in DA2 were great friend material, but I certainly wouldn't want to date any of them.
Third, as far as mechanics, I liked both game mechanics equally, though there was a very exciting, dynamic quality to DA2. It's a tough call since the DA2 style is preferable for console, while the DA:O style is probably preferable for PC play. I did appreciate less clutter with items, and didn't miss being able to customize Hawke's friends' appearances that much. Of all the mechanics differences, it was really significant for me that Hawke spoke. The participation of the protagonist in the dialogue really enriched the experience.
Bravo with the Dragon Age saga BioWare. You've created a series of masterpieces, in the truest sense of the word.
Mike
Origins, Awakening, and DA2 are all great in relation and by virtue of one another. From the heroic elegy/epic of Origins/Awakening that feels as ancient as a relic, to the deeply personal, brooding film noir tone of DA2, each interrelates & contributes to the complex & brilliant tapestry that is the DA series, a series that has fully elevated video games to the level of art- a place where a person may experience the sublime... where somehow, the term "video game" no longer does justice. I've broken down my review of DA2 into the three main elements that make it, along with DA:O, my favourite game of all time.
First, I loved the story and mood. There's a great maturity in a narrative and mood that departs from the formula of the 1st and creates such a juxtaposition in the 2nd. It was nice to have a break from the darkspawn, and to feel that the history of Origins had passed and made and impact. The 3rd would ideally have all of those elements coming together, and there would be some of that "old, parchment" feel of the first. It was so meaningful that the intimate story and interactions in DA2 that were presented amidst and surrounded by the lore of Origins, with the consequences of the Origins story weaving in and out of the sequel. We often experience the narrative sequence of myth or epic, but rarely do we take a glimpse deeper into that world, and examine the path of a character who is insignificant and only non-visibly present in the first story, as he/she rises to become the hero of the story's second part. We see a version of that in the Illiad/Odyssey and perhaps Beowulf (Beowulf/Wiglaf), whose two protagonists explore the same "heroic inheritance." In all, the characters and story were extremely compelling. The character design and animations were lush and beautiful. The whole drama was breathtaking in its merciless confrontation with all the elements of real tragedy and comedy. And of course, Inon Zur is a master.
I couldn't imagine the world of Dragon Age without his music. Second, I loved Hawke and the cast. The relationships between the characters and the development paths for Hawke were so well-crafted. While the Warden was a fairy-tale ideal, which was perfectly done for Origins. Hawke was appropriately much more personal to the player, which was perfect for the sequel. It was genius to have these two as successive protagonists. I remember reading once that in a trilogy (assuming DA would be a trilogy), the first part should be hopeful and heroic, like the stories of our childhood, the second should be darker and more introspective, and the third should bring it all together. I do hope to see Hawke and her/his friends again as the story continues, and I would like to see characters from the first return, especially Alistair, Leliana, and Morrigan. The two protagonist Wardens from Origins and Awakenings (Grey and Orlesian) both seem appropriately situated in the past, and in the lore and legend of that world. Of course, I chose the ultimate sacrifice ending. As a final point, I wasn't too compelled by the potential love interests in DA2, which (in part) led me to play Hawke as a Sherlock Holmes type who didn't bother to interest himself in romantic relationships, but rather deep friendships. All the characters in DA2 were great friend material, but I certainly wouldn't want to date any of them.
Third, as far as mechanics, I liked both game mechanics equally, though there was a very exciting, dynamic quality to DA2. It's a tough call since the DA2 style is preferable for console, while the DA:O style is probably preferable for PC play. I did appreciate less clutter with items, and didn't miss being able to customize Hawke's friends' appearances that much. Of all the mechanics differences, it was really significant for me that Hawke spoke. The participation of the protagonist in the dialogue really enriched the experience.
Bravo with the Dragon Age saga BioWare. You've created a series of masterpieces, in the truest sense of the word.
Mike
#3105
Posté 24 août 2011 - 01:18
Garrus24
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Ok so for what it's worth here is my opinion. I'm afraid I disliked this game greatly (and I'm being polite there). It honestly feels like it was made by people who didn't like Origins and wanted to change absolutely everything to make it into an action, hack and slash, arcade game. Here are my thoughts on the various aspects...
Companions
I couldn't talk to my companions whenever I wanted, or even half the time. All I ever got was the same line unless we were at their house or in a cut scene so I didn't care about my companions at all. I never got the chance to know them, find out about them or understand them. Therefore I honestly couldn't have cared less if a dragon had flown past and burnt them all to a crisp at any time in the game. Where was the chance to chat, lighten the mood, talk about cookies or boots or hair, to have a laugh and a joke with them? Gone, and with it any chance for me to care about any of them. You got this so right in Origins Bioware that I had tears in my eyes when they came to wish me well before the Archdemon fight, and that has never happened to me with a video game before.
Romance
Suffered from the same as above. No chance to develop a romance with someone just push the right button when the heart icon shows up now and again and at the end you'll get a sex scene. Where was the chance to actually develop a friendship first, then a deeper friendship, then a deeper romantic bond and finally fall in love. Again it felt like lip service, (no pun intended)
was paid to the whole thing.
Dialogue
I prefer the silent character from Origins but I understand that some like the voiced option. Is there no way to turn off the voice for those who don't like it? At the very least though you need more dialogue choices for a fantasy RPG than kind, funny and nasty. Also I think it's best when we can see exactly what our character is going to say and not a short version which is nothing like the final sentence half the time. And please do we really need a little symbol to hammer home which version is the nice one, nasty one etc. Surely people playing a game rated mature can work out which is which.
Kirkwall
Being stuck in the same city for 80% of the game was painful. There's nothing wrong with a game being set in one city if that city is huge, detailed, and feels alive. Kirkwall felt dead, claustrophobic, and I couldn't talk or interact with 90% of the people in it.
Combat
I again prefer the combat of Origins but I realise some people found it slow. Therefore is there no middle ground between the two. Instead here we got ninja warriors jumping and back flipping around like super humans. It was far too fast and far too flashy, instead of being gritty and realistic. The waves popping out of the air have been mentioned to death and also do we really need to have enemies exploding from a single hit? Origins was guilty of this too sometimes and it's just silly.
Map
Please could we have a proper map again. Even the city of Denerim had a map so there's really no excuse for not having a proper one.
Sidequests
Some sidequests in this game were taking something to someone but a lot of the time I didn't know why I was taking it to them, who they were, or why they needed it. I just followed yellow arrows. At least have some device like the chantry board, or blackstone chests that tell me these details.
Other points
Why can't I equip my team with armour I pick up anymore? The story feels disjointed and most of the time I don't feel important, I just feel like I'm doing chores for money. Where's the overall objective except making money? Why don't my choices mean anything? Theres no chance to persuade or intimidate, so every situation ends in combat. Also the music wasn't as memorable and didn't add to the environment, Leliana's song anyone?
Unfortunately there were very little things I liked in this game but there were one or two. I think the way the characters ran looked better and was smoother, I liked some of the spells and the way they pulled enemies around and I liked Merril. However I wasn't given enough of a chance to get to know her, and talk with her so again an opportunity missed.
I think this game is a huge dissapointment and a massive step back which has made me feel really sad. My biggest problem with the game overall though is the art style. I like realistic, detailed environments (think Witcher, Oblivion) but this games art style felt bland, cartoonish in places (darkspawn) and slightly Japanese anime. Perhaps we don't notice every book and bottle in games but like someone else said we sure notice when the details are not there. This game was made in a much, much shorter time frame than Origins and it shows badly.
I have to say that in interviews Bioware have said the art style is unlikely to change for DA3 and personally I think they are going to base their next game on DA2 with maybe the odd thing from Origins thrown in to try to please fans of the first game. For me, if this is true, I won't be buying or following the DA franchise anymore. I hope I'm wrong and Bioware prove me wrong but I doubt it. I'm not saying those that like DA2 are wrong, I'm just saying I loved Origins and this new direction isn't for me so I'll be looking elsewhere for my RPG's if the new direction stays.
Companions
I couldn't talk to my companions whenever I wanted, or even half the time. All I ever got was the same line unless we were at their house or in a cut scene so I didn't care about my companions at all. I never got the chance to know them, find out about them or understand them. Therefore I honestly couldn't have cared less if a dragon had flown past and burnt them all to a crisp at any time in the game. Where was the chance to chat, lighten the mood, talk about cookies or boots or hair, to have a laugh and a joke with them? Gone, and with it any chance for me to care about any of them. You got this so right in Origins Bioware that I had tears in my eyes when they came to wish me well before the Archdemon fight, and that has never happened to me with a video game before.
Romance
Suffered from the same as above. No chance to develop a romance with someone just push the right button when the heart icon shows up now and again and at the end you'll get a sex scene. Where was the chance to actually develop a friendship first, then a deeper friendship, then a deeper romantic bond and finally fall in love. Again it felt like lip service, (no pun intended)
was paid to the whole thing.Dialogue
I prefer the silent character from Origins but I understand that some like the voiced option. Is there no way to turn off the voice for those who don't like it? At the very least though you need more dialogue choices for a fantasy RPG than kind, funny and nasty. Also I think it's best when we can see exactly what our character is going to say and not a short version which is nothing like the final sentence half the time. And please do we really need a little symbol to hammer home which version is the nice one, nasty one etc. Surely people playing a game rated mature can work out which is which.
Kirkwall
Being stuck in the same city for 80% of the game was painful. There's nothing wrong with a game being set in one city if that city is huge, detailed, and feels alive. Kirkwall felt dead, claustrophobic, and I couldn't talk or interact with 90% of the people in it.
Combat
I again prefer the combat of Origins but I realise some people found it slow. Therefore is there no middle ground between the two. Instead here we got ninja warriors jumping and back flipping around like super humans. It was far too fast and far too flashy, instead of being gritty and realistic. The waves popping out of the air have been mentioned to death and also do we really need to have enemies exploding from a single hit? Origins was guilty of this too sometimes and it's just silly.
Map
Please could we have a proper map again. Even the city of Denerim had a map so there's really no excuse for not having a proper one.
Sidequests
Some sidequests in this game were taking something to someone but a lot of the time I didn't know why I was taking it to them, who they were, or why they needed it. I just followed yellow arrows. At least have some device like the chantry board, or blackstone chests that tell me these details.
Other points
Why can't I equip my team with armour I pick up anymore? The story feels disjointed and most of the time I don't feel important, I just feel like I'm doing chores for money. Where's the overall objective except making money? Why don't my choices mean anything? Theres no chance to persuade or intimidate, so every situation ends in combat. Also the music wasn't as memorable and didn't add to the environment, Leliana's song anyone?
Unfortunately there were very little things I liked in this game but there were one or two. I think the way the characters ran looked better and was smoother, I liked some of the spells and the way they pulled enemies around and I liked Merril. However I wasn't given enough of a chance to get to know her, and talk with her so again an opportunity missed.
I think this game is a huge dissapointment and a massive step back which has made me feel really sad. My biggest problem with the game overall though is the art style. I like realistic, detailed environments (think Witcher, Oblivion) but this games art style felt bland, cartoonish in places (darkspawn) and slightly Japanese anime. Perhaps we don't notice every book and bottle in games but like someone else said we sure notice when the details are not there. This game was made in a much, much shorter time frame than Origins and it shows badly.
I have to say that in interviews Bioware have said the art style is unlikely to change for DA3 and personally I think they are going to base their next game on DA2 with maybe the odd thing from Origins thrown in to try to please fans of the first game. For me, if this is true, I won't be buying or following the DA franchise anymore. I hope I'm wrong and Bioware prove me wrong but I doubt it. I'm not saying those that like DA2 are wrong, I'm just saying I loved Origins and this new direction isn't for me so I'll be looking elsewhere for my RPG's if the new direction stays.
#3106
Posté 24 août 2011 - 03:21
Ragnar Aeducan
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I bought the game the day it came out and played it over and over again. The first time I played it i was completely blown away from how much darker the game is and from how fast the combat is now. After a few times through I was more critical, comparing Dragon Age II to the first one and considered which changes i liked and disliked.
Firstly the combat speed is a massive improvement for me, after playing through the second one six or seven times and then going back to Origins the difference was surprising, to be honest I just couldnt play Origins after that. I also love that the main character now talks.
Secondly the new autosave is a great change , the amount of times i forgot to save in Origins , got my whole party killed and then have to go miles back in the game was really annoying.
To be honest im not brilliant at this game , although i love it , I cant manage beyong normal difficulty ( although im really trying to ). I dont really enjoy stopping and starting during the fighting too much. But on Origins it really took me a a long time to adjust on even Normal difficulty. I think a few people may say Dragon Age II was too easy in comparison but in my opinion I prefered it.
I do like all the new skills and talents for classes , at first i didnt , but it really gives you a good reason to playthrough a class more than once , I created a few warriors and personally , with the right talents put together were wrecking machines. I disliked the warrior classes in Origins , just a little boring if honest.
One big criticism though , I felt that one or two characters in Dragon Age are too be frank, just drips. I mean really boring and very wooden and Im not really interested in exploring them too much. Sometimes I completely ignore them throughout the whole game. I also found all the writing to small but i blame my tiny tv for that, im really not that worried
One last thing too , i was a little disappointed in the ending , no matter what side you chose , it didnt seem to make a lot of difference. Iv already said about the difficulty however I did feel that the last bosses were actually a little too easy, in comparison to the Archdemon who was an absolute monster at times though because its the big boss ,the final showdown, i didnt mind it being really difficult. Loving the cliff hanger though.
On the whole though Dragon Age II is awesome !!
Firstly the combat speed is a massive improvement for me, after playing through the second one six or seven times and then going back to Origins the difference was surprising, to be honest I just couldnt play Origins after that. I also love that the main character now talks.
Secondly the new autosave is a great change , the amount of times i forgot to save in Origins , got my whole party killed and then have to go miles back in the game was really annoying.
To be honest im not brilliant at this game , although i love it , I cant manage beyong normal difficulty ( although im really trying to ). I dont really enjoy stopping and starting during the fighting too much. But on Origins it really took me a a long time to adjust on even Normal difficulty. I think a few people may say Dragon Age II was too easy in comparison but in my opinion I prefered it.
I do like all the new skills and talents for classes , at first i didnt , but it really gives you a good reason to playthrough a class more than once , I created a few warriors and personally , with the right talents put together were wrecking machines. I disliked the warrior classes in Origins , just a little boring if honest.
One big criticism though , I felt that one or two characters in Dragon Age are too be frank, just drips. I mean really boring and very wooden and Im not really interested in exploring them too much. Sometimes I completely ignore them throughout the whole game. I also found all the writing to small but i blame my tiny tv for that, im really not that worried
One last thing too , i was a little disappointed in the ending , no matter what side you chose , it didnt seem to make a lot of difference. Iv already said about the difficulty however I did feel that the last bosses were actually a little too easy, in comparison to the Archdemon who was an absolute monster at times though because its the big boss ,the final showdown, i didnt mind it being really difficult. Loving the cliff hanger though.
On the whole though Dragon Age II is awesome !!
#3107
Posté 24 août 2011 - 09:11
Safunel
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- Members
- 4 messages
Frankly said - I got little disappoineted 
The Story was again perfect but the implementation was horrible this time.... the same places over and over again. There was no love in game design... Come on guys you cant put one type of dungeon and telling 1000 different stories happening inside....
Third Game in life where I said "oh no not here the same place again"
There was NO DIVERSITY IN LOCATIONS!!!
I am not sure to give a chance for further sequels... if any...
DAO and DAA were just perfect... I dont know why you guys messed it up that much with DA2
The Story was again perfect but the implementation was horrible this time.... the same places over and over again. There was no love in game design... Come on guys you cant put one type of dungeon and telling 1000 different stories happening inside....
Third Game in life where I said "oh no not here the same place again"
There was NO DIVERSITY IN LOCATIONS!!!
I am not sure to give a chance for further sequels... if any...
DAO and DAA were just perfect... I dont know why you guys messed it up that much with DA2
#3108
Posté 25 août 2011 - 06:50
2Nasty
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- Members
- 1 messages
My turn 
lol
Pros:
- The new combat system, ive played DAO and it seems too slow i like how they've made it faster but i do see what people mean when they say its too fast i like it the way it is now but would mind the slow down
-The Art style, i like the new look everything doesnt seem so.....ugly
-Gore, to some point
- i did like how the main now has a voice
Cons:
-Same Cave!!!, nuff said
-i cant customize my companions armour which is annoying considering that ive just found perfect boots for isabella that i dont need because im a warrior :/
- Being in the dull city the entire campaign i honestly dont know how i managed to stick through it but i did
- Gore, the some point ends where you can completly destroy someone in a single attack thats just overkill
- I did realize that no matter what i picked as my dialogue it didnt really matter cause they would never actually say these things when i press "I hate you" i want him to say "i hate you" not " I dislike you strongly".
i think thats it. If i can suggest anything to the developers it would be it keep the mostly everything from DAO
and change the art and combat. which seem to be the only two things going for DA2 it may only be two but it excelled tremendously the visuals were stunning
btw putting in the voice was a great idea but if your going to make a line for your character i would hope he actually says these things. its less work for you if you think about it. DA3 has already been spoken and saying these things are easy but you are the ones making the game and you have to consider the amount of resources you have and then amount of money you want to pour into this project while thinking of making a profit i will be buying this game no matter what you do im just hoping you make this game wonderful and not a waste of my money
lolPros:
- The new combat system, ive played DAO and it seems too slow i like how they've made it faster but i do see what people mean when they say its too fast i like it the way it is now but would mind the slow down
-The Art style, i like the new look everything doesnt seem so.....ugly
-Gore, to some point
- i did like how the main now has a voice
Cons:
-Same Cave!!!, nuff said
-i cant customize my companions armour which is annoying considering that ive just found perfect boots for isabella that i dont need because im a warrior :/
- Being in the dull city the entire campaign i honestly dont know how i managed to stick through it but i did
- Gore, the some point ends where you can completly destroy someone in a single attack thats just overkill
- I did realize that no matter what i picked as my dialogue it didnt really matter cause they would never actually say these things when i press "I hate you" i want him to say "i hate you" not " I dislike you strongly".
i think thats it. If i can suggest anything to the developers it would be it keep the mostly everything from DAO
and change the art and combat. which seem to be the only two things going for DA2 it may only be two but it excelled tremendously the visuals were stunning
btw putting in the voice was a great idea but if your going to make a line for your character i would hope he actually says these things. its less work for you if you think about it. DA3 has already been spoken and saying these things are easy but you are the ones making the game and you have to consider the amount of resources you have and then amount of money you want to pour into this project while thinking of making a profit i will be buying this game no matter what you do im just hoping you make this game wonderful and not a waste of my money
Modifié par 2Nasty, 25 août 2011 - 07:08 .
#3109
Posté 25 août 2011 - 06:11
j0hnnypa1n
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- 2 messages
[quote]Garrus24 wrote...
Companions
I couldn't talk to my companions whenever I wanted, or even half the time. All I ever got was the same line unless we were at their house or in a cut scene so I didn't care about my companions at all. I never got the chance to know them, find out about them or understand them. Therefore I honestly couldn't have cared less if a dragon had flown past and burnt them all to a crisp at any time in the game. Where was the chance to chat, lighten the mood, talk about cookies or boots or hair, to have a laugh and a joke with them? Gone, and with it any chance for me to care about any of them. You got this so right in Origins Bioware that I had tears in my eyes when they came to wish me well before the Archdemon fight, and that has never happened to me with a video game before.
Romance
Suffered from the same as above. No chance to develop a romance with someone just push the right button when the heart icon shows up now and again and at the end you'll get a sex scene. Where was the chance to actually develop a friendship first, then a deeper friendship, then a deeper romantic bond and finally fall in love. Again it felt like lip service, (no pun intended) was paid to the whole thing.
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Really awesome points Garrus24. Very well put.
Companions
I couldn't talk to my companions whenever I wanted, or even half the time. All I ever got was the same line unless we were at their house or in a cut scene so I didn't care about my companions at all. I never got the chance to know them, find out about them or understand them. Therefore I honestly couldn't have cared less if a dragon had flown past and burnt them all to a crisp at any time in the game. Where was the chance to chat, lighten the mood, talk about cookies or boots or hair, to have a laugh and a joke with them? Gone, and with it any chance for me to care about any of them. You got this so right in Origins Bioware that I had tears in my eyes when they came to wish me well before the Archdemon fight, and that has never happened to me with a video game before.
Romance
Suffered from the same as above. No chance to develop a romance with someone just push the right button when the heart icon shows up now and again and at the end you'll get a sex scene. Where was the chance to actually develop a friendship first, then a deeper friendship, then a deeper romantic bond and finally fall in love. Again it felt like lip service, (no pun intended)
was paid to the whole thing.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Really awesome points Garrus24. Very well put.
#3110
Posté 26 août 2011 - 11:48
The Closet Geek
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- 66 messages
Liked:
Disliked:
[*]Waves of enemies. Reused dungeons. This has been covered multiple times, so I'll leave it at that.
[*]I felt distanced from my companions this time. I understand that you were trying to show they had their own lives separate from the PC, but I got nowhere near as attached to them as I did the characters of DA1. Don't think you pulled this one off quite right.[*]Inventory: Not being able to equip my companions with armor was frustrating, especially when it came to armor not suited for my class which therefore became vendor trash. Also WTH at the junk? Why not just give me money instead of filling my inventory with spam?[*]Voiced PC: Don't give me three options that basically say the same thing in different tones. I like the voice, not the Mass Effect-style wheel. Give me back the choice of lines from DA1. Keep or ditch the voice, I won't be fussed either way, but if you give me a voiceless protagonist again, put some expressions on that face, for Pete's sake.[*]Illusion of Choice: You lied to me, Bioware. You said my choices would matter. The ability to shape my protagonist's story is why I keep buying your games, from KOTOR right up to ME2. In this game, what I chose didn't matter a damn jot. I've put this one last because it was my biggest disappointment with this game. I could have easily forgiven everything else if you had just got this right, but you dangled the possibilities in front of me then snatched them away. I hope to god you don't pull this stunt with ME3.[/list]
Overall, I feel like a parent who has a straight-A student that's just
brought home a report card full of Bs. Technically it's not bad,
and you don't want to be angry because no-one gets it right all the
time, but you can't help but be disappointed and ask: what went wrong?
- The new skill trees were well designed. Much easier to understand at a glance when levelling up, and much better looking, too.
- The simplification of the inventory system - I never paid much attention to the armour value or fatigue costs in the first game. That said, I have a few cavaets with this one, which I'll outline below.
- The visual design in this game was fantastic. One of the drawbacks of DA1 was that its visual design felt very generic.
- I personally liked having a voiced protagonist - the blank, unchanging expression on my Warden in DA1 was just creepy. Again, this has a few caveats attached.
- I very much enjoyed the faster pace of combat in this game. The mage's basic melee attack was particular improvement.
- I enjoyed my PC just being an everday schmuck caught up in events bigger than they are. A more coherent plot arc wouldn't have gone amiss, though.
Disliked:
[*]Waves of enemies. Reused dungeons. This has been covered multiple times, so I'll leave it at that.
[*]I felt distanced from my companions this time. I understand that you were trying to show they had their own lives separate from the PC, but I got nowhere near as attached to them as I did the characters of DA1. Don't think you pulled this one off quite right.[*]Inventory: Not being able to equip my companions with armor was frustrating, especially when it came to armor not suited for my class which therefore became vendor trash. Also WTH at the junk? Why not just give me money instead of filling my inventory with spam?[*]Voiced PC: Don't give me three options that basically say the same thing in different tones. I like the voice, not the Mass Effect-style wheel. Give me back the choice of lines from DA1. Keep or ditch the voice, I won't be fussed either way, but if you give me a voiceless protagonist again, put some expressions on that face, for Pete's sake.[*]Illusion of Choice: You lied to me, Bioware. You said my choices would matter. The ability to shape my protagonist's story is why I keep buying your games, from KOTOR right up to ME2. In this game, what I chose didn't matter a damn jot. I've put this one last because it was my biggest disappointment with this game. I could have easily forgiven everything else if you had just got this right, but you dangled the possibilities in front of me then snatched them away. I hope to god you don't pull this stunt with ME3.[/list]
Overall, I feel like a parent who has a straight-A student that's just
brought home a report card full of Bs. Technically it's not bad,
and you don't want to be angry because no-one gets it right all the
time, but you can't help but be disappointed and ask: what went wrong?
Modifié par The Closet Geek, 26 août 2011 - 12:03 .
#3111
Posté 26 août 2011 - 07:25
eroeru
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Dragon Age 2 was a huge success as an experiment in social psychology and in researching many aspects of the game industry / fan relation. Otherwise, it is disappointing in cutting DA's promise of a modern D&D styled experience of epic proportions.
I'm struggling with the idea of finishing it for a save to import into the next game.
Probably gonna have to wait and see what kind of a crazy sequel DA3's going to be...
A personal effect of this game-experiment: I strongly feel I don't want to give any money to Bioware, ever. Though unlikely, this could change - but not with the merit of DA2 DLC nor any other scam.
I'm struggling with the idea of finishing it for a save to import into the next game.
Probably gonna have to wait and see what kind of a crazy sequel DA3's going to be...
A personal effect of this game-experiment: I strongly feel I don't want to give any money to Bioware, ever. Though unlikely, this could change - but not with the merit of DA2 DLC nor any other scam.
Modifié par eroeru, 26 août 2011 - 07:28 .
#3112
Posté 28 août 2011 - 12:54
molech322
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- 18 messages
I was a huge fan of Origins even though it took me a while to get into it, primarily to overwhelming interface which was intimidating at times. I soon discovered that Origins was the best Bioware game since Kotor so naturally I looked forward to the sequel but it would soon garner disappointment. I understand the game taking place in the city state of Kirkwall but the drab environment, reuse of 5 or 6 preset dungeon maps, and no interaction with the common folk made the city seem dead. I was hoping for expansive environments, interaction, and unique locales one would associate with a large city, as for the story it was good but my choices did not really alter the story that much unlike in Origins and felt disconnected at times. The combat was improved but felt more like a hack n slash at times along with enemies that spawn, moreover my favorite specializations such as Arcane Warrior from Origins are not in game. The inability to change your companions armor or engage in a conversation anytime made the characters feel detached and unimportant. The inventory system and lack of skill sets did not carry over well with me, at least in Origins when you picked up a common weapon there would be a description of the item. Overall the game is not bad, however certain aforementioned aspects such as the convoluted story, uninteresting characters, along with environment reuse made it a letdown for me. I hope Bioware takes the best of both games and gives us a quality product.
#3113
Posté 28 août 2011 - 04:21
Mark of the Dragon
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- 702 messages
Overall I felt that DAII was a satisfying installment in the series (especially with the new Legacy download). However thats not to say it didn't have it flaws or specific strong points.
LIKES
The storyline was pretty good, at least after you got past the first act. The ending was especially good even though I hate cliff hangers like that.
The fast paced combat I loved. I enjoyed always being in control and never having to wait around on my character to do what I told him. (People who complain this takes away from the strategy need to shut it. It still gives u all the strategic control and if its not hard enough and you want more, play it on a higher difficulty.
The graphics were nice but like always the graphic system will need to be improved for the next game.
I loved the mage and rogue classes. The mages were insane while the rogue was just fun to zoom around killing everyone.
The characters were well developed and fun to have around.
Music was amazing as always.
Voice work was excellent for the most part (especially lady Hawke).
Cool spells
Romances felt well done and the romance scenes were fun to watch.
Rivalry friendship meter worked well.[/list]
DISLIKES
I did not like the wave combat at all. It took away from the fun of the game. IT WAS TEDIOUS. However I don’t think its much of a problem since you already fixed it with the incredible Legacy download,
I did not like how you could only communicate with companions at certain times. One of my favorite things about Origins was being able to just take a break whenever and chat up one of your companions.
The sarcastic voice options were lame most the time.
Repeated dungeons (I’m sure your tired of hearing this).
It seemed like your choices didn’t have any huge significance outside of your class decision and who you stand with in the end. Nothing else really changed the outcome.
The mages were poorly portrayed. The mages feared blood mages but the mages claimed they weren’t all bad. However almost every time a mage was involved in the game they were a blood mage. I mean I understand how the templar’s feel.
Didn't feel like decisions in Origins had much affect on the game.
I want to be able to customize my companion armor, not just find upgrades.
I didn’t really like the customization. It seemed I had to spend hard earned points on crappy talents or passive abilities to get what I wanted. That being said the trees worked better then origins.
Darkspawn look awful, make them look like them old selves (huge disappointment) [/list]
The narrative was nice for a onetime thing. Varric telling Hawke’s story was cool. However don’t do it again or it will get boring. It was a different way to portray it so now let’s move on.
LIKES
The storyline was pretty good, at least after you got past the first act. The ending was especially good even though I hate cliff hangers like that.
The fast paced combat I loved. I enjoyed always being in control and never having to wait around on my character to do what I told him. (People who complain this takes away from the strategy need to shut it. It still gives u all the strategic control and if its not hard enough and you want more, play it on a higher difficulty.
The graphics were nice but like always the graphic system will need to be improved for the next game.
I loved the mage and rogue classes. The mages were insane while the rogue was just fun to zoom around killing everyone.
The characters were well developed and fun to have around.
Music was amazing as always.
Voice work was excellent for the most part (especially lady Hawke).
Cool spells
Romances felt well done and the romance scenes were fun to watch.
Rivalry friendship meter worked well.[/list]
DISLIKES
I did not like the wave combat at all. It took away from the fun of the game. IT WAS TEDIOUS. However I don’t think its much of a problem since you already fixed it with the incredible Legacy download,
I did not like how you could only communicate with companions at certain times. One of my favorite things about Origins was being able to just take a break whenever and chat up one of your companions.
The sarcastic voice options were lame most the time.
Repeated dungeons (I’m sure your tired of hearing this).
It seemed like your choices didn’t have any huge significance outside of your class decision and who you stand with in the end. Nothing else really changed the outcome.
The mages were poorly portrayed. The mages feared blood mages but the mages claimed they weren’t all bad. However almost every time a mage was involved in the game they were a blood mage. I mean I understand how the templar’s feel.
Didn't feel like decisions in Origins had much affect on the game.
I want to be able to customize my companion armor, not just find upgrades.
I didn’t really like the customization. It seemed I had to spend hard earned points on crappy talents or passive abilities to get what I wanted. That being said the trees worked better then origins.
Darkspawn look awful, make them look like them old selves (huge disappointment) [/list]
The narrative was nice for a onetime thing. Varric telling Hawke’s story was cool. However don’t do it again or it will get boring. It was a different way to portray it so now let’s move on.
#3114
Posté 28 août 2011 - 04:37
Complistic
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- 1 518 messages
My review is I'm never buying anything Dragon Age related again. Which really really sucks because Origins is one of my favorite games ever.
#3115
Posté 29 août 2011 - 02:39
Vasiliii
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- Members
- 30 messages
Ok so I know this is very late for a review, but I've just finished playing the prequel to Deus Ex (Deus Ex: HR) and thought this needed to be thrown out there..
Dragon Age 2 was probably the biggest let down of all game sequels. While I didn't like DA:O initially, (because I had grown accustomed to fast-paced combat), once I became immersed in the story and characters I disregarded the choppy combat mechanics and grew fond of the 'pause and think' mechanics. I am a person who loves to play competitively, constantly thinking of ways to maximise a characters efficiency/beat my opponents; Yet for DA:O I didn't care about that - I just wanted to progress through the game and see where my adventures would take me, I was always exiting the game with a feeling of 'I wonder what will happen next!?'. Furthermore, all the characters of Origins were memorable, yet those of DA2 were just plain uninteresting (save for Varric, of course). I didn't mind Hawke having his own dialogue either. Also, the hardest difficulty of DA2 is easy. The combat is predictable and there's little planning to do.. It feels like you're trying to cater combat to 5 year olds..
The plot in DA:O was badass. The scene where *SPOILER ALERT* the grey wardens are betrayed and Cailan (see, I STILL remember this name even though he was killed early and the last time I played was probably a year ago!) was slaughtered stuck in my head. IN DA2 I never felt ANY scene as particularly epic. Not to mention the direction the art style took; while it looks more polished than DA:O it certainly became extremely cartoony - as if to try and inject the wide success of ME2 into a completely different game.
The combat in DA2 was just terrible. Seriously Bioware didn't even try. You kill 1 wave, and another magically materialises. Then you win. Although the mechanics were seriously optimised a great deal (I loved diving from one enemy to another) and this was probably the only good thing about the game at all (save for the fact that there's no more friendly fire you had to plan around?)
The level design in DA2 was friggin shoddy. Seriously. Recycling levels? Confining the player to Kirkwall? I think Bioware should take a leaf out of Eidos Montreal's Deus Ex:HR game with the level design. There are about 3 cities you can visit in HR, and each is laid out with rich complexity. Even though the cities themselves might be easily traversable in a short amount of time - and missions occur within the same settings, it spreads it across a nice range of sub-levels within the city. I mean, Bioware KIND OF tried to do this, with the underground or whatever the hell area it was (I don't even care, it was terrible), but you revisit it and perform retarded kill quests there several times thus eventually making it stale (and crap :/).
I won't be pre-ordering or buying ME3 until I get to test it first through legal (i.e. play a friends copy for the first few hours) or non-legal means (yeah I said it, but I'd rather not try and finish a worthless time sink that I wasted money on, ala' DA2). If the game is good, I'll 110% buy it as I have with all games tested through either means (for example, I tried the Witcher 2 before I purchased it: AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE!)
I can understand trying to draw in more people to the series, but to completely destroy the series, AND THEN to have the audacity to OBVIOUSLY have biased reviews from popular websites be the only form of communication to prospective buyers is just dirrrrrtttyyyy (come on, how the hell did this crap even break the 90s or get editor's choice?). The game was released among a midst of deceit where you tainted it as all the good of the original, made better (it really didn't happen though).
Also one of my biggest gripes with the story was just how rushed it felt: 'OMG so many years later you are now ZEE CHAMPYUNNN OF KIRKWALLL LOLOLOL!' wtf is that? I was playing and just thinking, errr ok then - I guess I'm now the champion of Kirkwall? Seriously, thats just total bs. Perhaps what was nice was the tensions between the Mages and the Templars, but even then the rest of the game just detracted from this.
I like how following release Bioware tried to justify this garbage they created through methods of weak propositions that sounded like: "hai old fanz, dis is better den 0rig1nalz, pl0x stp compla1ning". Ironically they now have virtually rescinded this position implying that they know they ****ed over their fans that bought the damn original in the first place...
I have lost all faith in BW as a company and I wish that game companies stopped following this trend of completely destroying a series because of the profit/business centric ethos and mass market foci of production... Why can't they just make a good sequel without completely gutting the original of all the stuff that made it great.. Why can't companies acknowledge the people that helped them get established right from the beginning?
I hate purchasing sequels now, because MOST (save for Deus Ex: HR) have been utter crap. I'm worried to see how Skyrim will turn out also (yet not so worried about BF3, because that looks awesome). Get your act together Bioware, or else your just going to be another failed game developer that tried too hard to appeal to a mass market that will eventually get sick of you.. This game gets a 2/10 from me.
"[Dragon Age is a] spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate," (Darrah), while Dragon Age 2 is a spiritual successor to a sack of diseased potatoes.
Dragon Age 2 was probably the biggest let down of all game sequels. While I didn't like DA:O initially, (because I had grown accustomed to fast-paced combat), once I became immersed in the story and characters I disregarded the choppy combat mechanics and grew fond of the 'pause and think' mechanics. I am a person who loves to play competitively, constantly thinking of ways to maximise a characters efficiency/beat my opponents; Yet for DA:O I didn't care about that - I just wanted to progress through the game and see where my adventures would take me, I was always exiting the game with a feeling of 'I wonder what will happen next!?'. Furthermore, all the characters of Origins were memorable, yet those of DA2 were just plain uninteresting (save for Varric, of course). I didn't mind Hawke having his own dialogue either. Also, the hardest difficulty of DA2 is easy. The combat is predictable and there's little planning to do.. It feels like you're trying to cater combat to 5 year olds..
The plot in DA:O was badass. The scene where *SPOILER ALERT* the grey wardens are betrayed and Cailan (see, I STILL remember this name even though he was killed early and the last time I played was probably a year ago!) was slaughtered stuck in my head. IN DA2 I never felt ANY scene as particularly epic. Not to mention the direction the art style took; while it looks more polished than DA:O it certainly became extremely cartoony - as if to try and inject the wide success of ME2 into a completely different game.
The combat in DA2 was just terrible. Seriously Bioware didn't even try. You kill 1 wave, and another magically materialises. Then you win. Although the mechanics were seriously optimised a great deal (I loved diving from one enemy to another) and this was probably the only good thing about the game at all (save for the fact that there's no more friendly fire you had to plan around?)
The level design in DA2 was friggin shoddy. Seriously. Recycling levels? Confining the player to Kirkwall? I think Bioware should take a leaf out of Eidos Montreal's Deus Ex:HR game with the level design. There are about 3 cities you can visit in HR, and each is laid out with rich complexity. Even though the cities themselves might be easily traversable in a short amount of time - and missions occur within the same settings, it spreads it across a nice range of sub-levels within the city. I mean, Bioware KIND OF tried to do this, with the underground or whatever the hell area it was (I don't even care, it was terrible), but you revisit it and perform retarded kill quests there several times thus eventually making it stale (and crap :/).
I won't be pre-ordering or buying ME3 until I get to test it first through legal (i.e. play a friends copy for the first few hours) or non-legal means (yeah I said it, but I'd rather not try and finish a worthless time sink that I wasted money on, ala' DA2). If the game is good, I'll 110% buy it as I have with all games tested through either means (for example, I tried the Witcher 2 before I purchased it: AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE!
)I can understand trying to draw in more people to the series, but to completely destroy the series, AND THEN to have the audacity to OBVIOUSLY have biased reviews from popular websites be the only form of communication to prospective buyers is just dirrrrrtttyyyy (come on, how the hell did this crap even break the 90s or get editor's choice?). The game was released among a midst of deceit where you tainted it as all the good of the original, made better (it really didn't happen though).
Also one of my biggest gripes with the story was just how rushed it felt: 'OMG so many years later you are now ZEE CHAMPYUNNN OF KIRKWALLL LOLOLOL!' wtf is that? I was playing and just thinking, errr ok then - I guess I'm now the champion of Kirkwall? Seriously, thats just total bs. Perhaps what was nice was the tensions between the Mages and the Templars, but even then the rest of the game just detracted from this.
I like how following release Bioware tried to justify this garbage they created through methods of weak propositions that sounded like: "hai old fanz, dis is better den 0rig1nalz, pl0x stp compla1ning". Ironically they now have virtually rescinded this position implying that they know they ****ed over their fans that bought the damn original in the first place...
I have lost all faith in BW as a company and I wish that game companies stopped following this trend of completely destroying a series because of the profit/business centric ethos and mass market foci of production... Why can't they just make a good sequel without completely gutting the original of all the stuff that made it great.. Why can't companies acknowledge the people that helped them get established right from the beginning?
I hate purchasing sequels now, because MOST (save for Deus Ex: HR) have been utter crap. I'm worried to see how Skyrim will turn out also (yet not so worried about BF3, because that looks awesome). Get your act together Bioware, or else your just going to be another failed game developer that tried too hard to appeal to a mass market that will eventually get sick of you.. This game gets a 2/10 from me.
"[Dragon Age is a] spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate," (Darrah), while Dragon Age 2 is a spiritual successor to a sack of diseased potatoes.
#3116
Posté 29 août 2011 - 06:26
LadyBeta
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- 1 messages
Okay....this is my opinion on DAO and DA2. They are both epic and original. The biggest difference I see is how DAO is built on many different origin stories (hence the name) and DA2 is really one big origin story about the champion of Kirkwall. If you look at the big picture, the world of Thedas is in conflict with itself. Look at the religion, and how everyone seems to be at war with each other in one way or another. It's going to take A LOT of DA games to try and make peace with the world. There's going to be a lot of different and possibly new characters and races in the future, not to mention worlds and cities. We shouldn't base our opinion on this franchise as a whole from just one game....especially when it was about one person who has been described as the "most important person in the world of Dragon Age"! Let's look at the big picture and see where Dragon Age takes us. This is why I am soooo excited about this game series. There is so much that has been lost that we have yet to uncover. Bioware is definitely on the right track with Dragon Age. I'm hoping for many, many more games to play in the future. Very excited about Dragon Age 3. And if I might add, I know many are disappointed with how Bioware is releasing DA games annually. This is not to say how long they have been working on them, especially the stories and artwork. I know that once I finish a game, I cannot wait for the next sequel. I'm sure Bioware understands the demand that fans have for their incredible games. I am also sure a lot of effort is put into this franchise to make everyone happy. Let them do their job as incredible story tellers, and let's stop trying to bully them into making a mish mash of how WE want the game written. If that is the case, no one wins...and the series would surely die.
Modifié par LadyBeta, 29 août 2011 - 06:42 .
#3117
Posté 29 août 2011 - 08:44
Garrus94
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- Members
- 37 messages
Pros
1. Good action, feels smooth something Origins had trouble with at times.
2. The scope of the story. It takes along time ,and makes the relationships you build feel real.
3. Varric
Cons
1. The story is boring at times. The mage is the best, (small spoiler)but the mage conflict was just bad and never felt personal until the end. Like how you can kill countless mages and all the sudden you can take their side.
2. The small text.
3. The charcters are not as intresting as the first. I don't if everyone would agree ,but I hated most of them.Anders who I thought was one of the best in Awakeing seemingly heard none of my wardens lessons and just doesn't stop B**ching like Carver.
4. The caves.
5. The ending being a cliff hanger.
6. Human race only.
7. Poor graphics (To be fair old republic doesn't bother me and it's the same idea, but having just played DAO it felt wrong playing a game that looked worse.
8. The replay value. To demonstrate my point here are my full runs for rpg games.
KOTOR: 4
KOTOR 2:5
Jade Empire:1
DAO:4.5
DAA:3
Mass Effect:9 (I rushed through it. It was my first RPG, side quests were new to me at the time
Mass Effect 2:4.5
DA2:2.8 (which makes it just above Jade Empire)I'm struggling to finish my last one.
1. Good action, feels smooth something Origins had trouble with at times.
2. The scope of the story. It takes along time ,and makes the relationships you build feel real.
3. Varric
Cons
1. The story is boring at times. The mage is the best, (small spoiler)but the mage conflict was just bad and never felt personal until the end. Like how you can kill countless mages and all the sudden you can take their side.
2. The small text.
3. The charcters are not as intresting as the first. I don't if everyone would agree ,but I hated most of them.Anders who I thought was one of the best in Awakeing seemingly heard none of my wardens lessons and just doesn't stop B**ching like Carver.
4. The caves.
5. The ending being a cliff hanger.
6. Human race only.
7. Poor graphics (To be fair old republic doesn't bother me and it's the same idea, but having just played DAO it felt wrong playing a game that looked worse.
8. The replay value. To demonstrate my point here are my full runs for rpg games.
KOTOR: 4
KOTOR 2:5
Jade Empire:1
DAO:4.5
DAA:3
Mass Effect:9 (I rushed through it. It was my first RPG, side quests were new to me at the time
Mass Effect 2:4.5
DA2:2.8 (which makes it just above Jade Empire)I'm struggling to finish my last one.
#3118
Posté 31 août 2011 - 06:42
JamesDRobbins
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- Members
- 2 messages
My thoughts on Dragon age 2 Good,bad and Ideas For Dragon Age 3!
Let me start off 1st with mentioning that i am not one for rpgs i usually hate them lol but became fond of this one and ill explain with my list of reasons.
Good:
-I liked the whole control of my guy being able to keep fighting while waiting on my ability's to cool down so while waiting you can keep slashing away i loved it that is what i have been waiting for in an RPG.
-The other thing i liked was how good the story was.
-Also liked how every time there was a quest you could look on the map and itd tell you where to go and what quest were left.
Now The BAD!
-I hate how every time you went into a cave you guys used the same caves over and over just diff paths try some new art and variation i mean seriously make it very unique an scenic.
-i dont like how there are not many diff creatures to fight need more variation and on top of that the darkspawn where not cool looking make them better and more evil looking keep the ogres tho they were cool.
-the Dragons i mean really guys they all look the same add! MORE DRAGONS! hence the name Dragon Age i mean seriously make some element dragons and differentiate them make a variety.
-the armor got kinda lame
-need a better gift system and be able to talk to your freinds again but keep the system of how easy it is to make them friendly.
NOW FOR DA3 IDEAS!
-Mounts be cool to get mounts and ride a dragon say the next game we can choose an elemental dragon and raise it up to be a big dragon and can use it to fight
-Also be nice to change the colors of our armor
-Be fun to have co-op
-better looking armor and weapons
- more variety of creatures
-better art and scenes not the same caves being used over and over herbs be as easy as they were to collect before also make it so we can collect basically all the armor off a guy and weapons so we can basically strip the people of there clothes
- if you use the fade again keep it the way you guys used it in DA2 way easy and not bad the 1st was annoying.
Let me start off 1st with mentioning that i am not one for rpgs i usually hate them lol but became fond of this one and ill explain with my list of reasons.
Good:
-I liked the whole control of my guy being able to keep fighting while waiting on my ability's to cool down so while waiting you can keep slashing away i loved it that is what i have been waiting for in an RPG.
-The other thing i liked was how good the story was.
-Also liked how every time there was a quest you could look on the map and itd tell you where to go and what quest were left.
Now The BAD!
-I hate how every time you went into a cave you guys used the same caves over and over just diff paths try some new art and variation i mean seriously make it very unique an scenic.
-i dont like how there are not many diff creatures to fight need more variation and on top of that the darkspawn where not cool looking make them better and more evil looking keep the ogres tho they were cool.
-the Dragons i mean really guys they all look the same add! MORE DRAGONS! hence the name Dragon Age i mean seriously make some element dragons and differentiate them make a variety.
-the armor got kinda lame
-need a better gift system and be able to talk to your freinds again but keep the system of how easy it is to make them friendly.
NOW FOR DA3 IDEAS!
-Mounts be cool to get mounts and ride a dragon say the next game we can choose an elemental dragon and raise it up to be a big dragon and can use it to fight
-Also be nice to change the colors of our armor
-Be fun to have co-op
-better looking armor and weapons
- more variety of creatures
-better art and scenes not the same caves being used over and over herbs be as easy as they were to collect before also make it so we can collect basically all the armor off a guy and weapons so we can basically strip the people of there clothes
- if you use the fade again keep it the way you guys used it in DA2 way easy and not bad the 1st was annoying.
#3119
Posté 01 septembre 2011 - 07:08
missmayhem
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- Members
- 2 messages
just wanted to comment on dragon age 2, amazing game so far just rented it, first game was pretty good, but the second looks way better. better characters, classes look alot cooler in their design both male and female characters look strong and great! I enjoy them alot. The fighting in the game is more controlable and alot more pleasurable great job on that. The trailer would not have dragged me into playing, was kind of plain compared to the first one witch displayed more characters. Why didnt you show the female characters as well, since they look awesome, alot of girls want to play so make the trailers look more promising for everyone. Already pretty far into the game, armour looks badass as hell and I am having a ton of fun. great job Bioware. Great game.
#3120
Posté 01 septembre 2011 - 07:52
missmayhem
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- Members
- 2 messages
would also like to add to my recent post, that i love the way the armour and weapons all look, this game is very creative, from interesting loading screens! to the pause anolog option menu! very cool. Love the way my character runs with her two hand sword, i can just run around for like 20 minutes just enjoying the posture of the characters and how they run, im simple, this game is amazing in its creativity. I can see myself buying this in the future. Some of the stories are very interesting and some people say the combat is "weak" and mobs die to fast well, I think its a great relaxing enjoyment of combat that still has a challange, I have been close to deaths a few times. You rely on your abilities. and I love the spec tree's.
#3121
Posté 02 septembre 2011 - 02:14
AxemanYako
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- Members
- 8 messages
When I first started playing Dragon Age II I liked it better than Origins. I regret to say that I don't feel the same way now that I've beaten it. After I watched the ending I felt kind of empty and unimpressed. I thought that both the combat, and the dialog wheel were both improvements, but that was pretty much it. The first game felt a lot more epic, and it just had more to offer as a game. In Dragon Age II doing the quests felt more like a drag as it sends you to a lot of the same areas over and over again. Dragon Age II wasn't a bad game. I still liked it and plan to play it again to pick up a few more achievements. It's just that I feel they took a step backward rather then a step forward. The combat alone is not enough.
Pros:
Improved combat and dialog
Some interesting and fun characters
A nice change from the popular "the world is depending on me" approach
Current DLC isn't bad "I loved Legacy"
Cons:
Repeated visits to a few bland and uninspiring environments
Simplified character customization
Music was highly lacking
Bottom line:
Am I happy with my purchase? Yes
Did I get the same wow factor that I have gotten from other BioWare titles? No
Pros:
Improved combat and dialog
Some interesting and fun characters
A nice change from the popular "the world is depending on me" approach
Current DLC isn't bad "I loved Legacy"
Cons:
Repeated visits to a few bland and uninspiring environments
Simplified character customization
Music was highly lacking
Bottom line:
Am I happy with my purchase? Yes
Did I get the same wow factor that I have gotten from other BioWare titles? No
Modifié par AxemanYako, 02 septembre 2011 - 03:42 .
#3122
Posté 02 septembre 2011 - 10:02
Relic98784
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- Members
- 2 messages
As a game, from a purely gaming stand point, DA2 is a success. It has all the key elements required of a game to make it successful, yes it has flaws and obvious shortcuts that probably shouldn't have made it out of a game studio as prestigious as BioWare's QA, but we can put all those aside. The problem with DA2 is the culture nurtured and generated around it.
DA:O had massive marketing centered around the game being a spiritual revival of the old RPG's that I played when I was younger, like Baulder's Gate, Neverwinter, Icewindale, games that had deep stories, that took hours and hours to play. Games that you could start, play a few hours on the weekend, and by the time you completed the game the exceedingly long production cycle on the next game you were going to play was just about up. And, minus small quirks, DA:O was just that. It was widely successful and shown as a bright begining for a franchise.
Then you have DA2. To describe DA2, rotate the game view to isometeric, you have Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction with with slightly updated graphics, a combat interface that isn't reliant on right click/ left click to use special abilities and fewer NPC's to talk and barter with.
In short, DA2 is wildly successful from a marketing standpoint. During the press releases prior to release, DA2 was marketed as the sequel to DA:O, naturally, referancing the interviews about DA:O, one would expect the game to be a continuation of some grand story line started in Origions (seems strange that a game entitled origions would start a story line, and even marketed in the pre-release hype as the starting of a trillogy in the same niche feel...) and have the same feel and character as DA:O. I have to say, the apple has fallen far from the tree indeed.
This insult to the player base is almost on par with CoD players going out to by the latest installment of the game and finding out that its a top - down RTS instead of a FPS. Yes, DA:O needed polish, it needed tweaks, it needed changes in its game design. That is why you tweak, modify, take a look at those problems that you make concessions on to meet release dates and fix. You add carefully thought out additions to features. But mostly with an RPG like this, you spend most of your time developing an engrossing storyline and epic moments that set the tone for the entire game. DA2 lacked that entirely.
I have now played through DA2 and frankly cannot tell you quite what happens though the game. However, it has been nearly 2 years since I have picked up my copy of DA:O ( and I could not tell you where it is at this moment) and played it, but I could tell you the story line, the main characters, and moments that are esspecially memoral. This aura of an RPG is missing from DA2, without it, you do not have a game title worthy of note, you have an elaborate dungeon crawler that isn't even sophisticated enough to use randomly generated dungeons (Runic games has you beat BioWare, their latest game has randomly generated dungeons, and they look better as well)
Now down to the itemized problems with your game.
-Graphics. Please, do not insult me. The snub offering you have given PC players, the bread and butter for ANY RPG like the DA franchise, is rediculous. A patch on launch day to implement a graphics engine that should have been the baseline development? Not excusable. I realize that it is easier to code in a .NET framework with XNA and develop on consoles, or just import you ME2 engine, which I am fairly confident you have done, but to ignore the full capability of PC's and the rendering tools available is just insulting. Definately not worth any standing as a AAA developer of PC games. The only advantage to your failed attempt is to illustrate the rediculous gap between hardware capability of PC's and consoles.
- World enviroments. How many unique dungeons did you actually design? I think you put more time into developing the enviroment in the first chapter of DA:O (the character origionation part) than you did for all of DA2. The fact that you return to the same warehouse 3 times, for different reasons each time, none of them interlinking, is just downright crazy. At least try to hide the blatant redundancy a little bit more (Again, game priced at $20 at least had random dungeons providing some sense of immersion)
-Storyline. Um, what exactly did this story line mean to the world that you saved from the torch in the last game? The first act was shallow as can be, no relavancy except to set the stage for the back story for the introduction to the second act? It is painfully obvious that key elements are not developed through the story, key referances, things that are important, or feel important are never develope and left hanging. It reminds me of a D rated moving that I watched the other night with more plot holes than a caulander. The failed plot, lack of depth and intriege that was offered is remeniciant of another recent failed franchise, though this one through THQ another outstanding developer, Red Faction: Armageddon is plagued by the same problems that DA2 is plaged by. The story line doesn't make sense and seems almost fivilous.
-Character Development. Simple, there is none. The character leveling engine in DA:O was lacking, one of many things that could easily have been improved on. However, the direction taken simply simplified it instead of adding more depth to it. A warrior who can't dual weild? Seriously? Lets take a character development system that was criticised for pigion-holing people into specific builts for the synergies and lets remove all incentives for diversity. Lets take the innovative cross class/ability combo system and lets eliminate it for a much simpler damage effect by class system with nice neat over head effects to tell the guy not paying any attention to his abilities that he can make big numbers roll up his screen. (I think you developers never learned what pigion holed meant). We live in a gaming enviroment where MMO's, often criticized for lacking indepth character development and well established min/max, do/don't cultures, have evolved into highly complex class archtype/subclass systems (Rift's souls), and your direction was a simpler approach. I guess when your target audiance has a load in his pants that makes sense.
-Combat System. Worst change to the game yet. For those who simply wanted to play reskinned version of ME, I'm sorry. DA:O had its problems with its combat system. It wasn't that it was slow (often complained about), it was that it took a lot of planning and fore thought. It was often you had to go through the encounter prior to actually going through the encounter. The pause and issue commands method consumed alot of time, but simply reducing time between swings, modifiying variables, could have resolved alot of the lengthy combat system. The fact that the encounter usually had to be played through several times to come out with an acceptable outcome also had its downfalls. These though could have been modified through different ( not necesserially better) encounter/level design that allowed the player a full glimpse of what he was going to face prior to the encounter starting. For example the emplementation of terrain locations such as high points and natural choke points and barriers for ranged/casters that wouldn't cause more harm than good by allowing the player to observe the terrain around it to ensure it is clear of mobs. The emplementation of more choke points or natural barriers to allow for more tactical movement on the battlefield, things that can be observed by the player prior. That way the player doesn't have to solve a puzzle for the best possible approach, or an approach that doesn't involve them dying. The new combat system lost all of the subtleties that made DA:O combat awesome. Yes the adaptation for players who want the engrossing RPG story but want something closer to a hack and slash should be there, but it is far easier to go from a complex tactical game of party member deployment and target/cc choice to a mindless hack and slash than it is to take a game that was designed around hack and slash and make it tactical. Whom ever you put in charge of designing the combat system and the encounters should probably be fired, or put to an apprentice status, maybe go work for Blizzard on their new raid encounters.
In short, DA:O was an awsome game. Won game of the year. ME was awesome, ME2 was awesome, but ME2withswordsandarrows was not so awesome. All of the qualities that defined DA:O were removed, leaving an empty shell of a game craving for more, having a slight glimpse at what could have been if more time was taken to develope the game further. A small glipse at the raw awesomeness that would have been unleashed ont he gaming world if the flaws with DA:O were corrected. adjusted, new, small, elegant features added to an already elegant game. But alas, that was a small glimmer, and the light has officially died. I have no doubt that EA had a fair amount to do with it. They have a nasty habit of turning things that have glimpses, glimmers, and small hopes of being something truely groundbreaking and genre defining into marketing marvels of complete garbage fit only for the lowliest of garbage bins at your local used game trading center. It is a shame that BioWare has had it creativity and development so stiffled by the ROI for a collection of investors who likely do no even play video games, and those developers who put their life and souls into their games do not reap those benefits.
I pray that your next installment of this series breaks free from that vicious cycle, and somehow you move away from publishing through EA (if a 2 man company can produce a relatively successful game I am sure BioWare is capable of getting on board with a publisher who is willing to wait ont he development of a truely groundbreaking game). My faith in BioWare has been shaken, likely a faith that will never be restored.
DA:O had massive marketing centered around the game being a spiritual revival of the old RPG's that I played when I was younger, like Baulder's Gate, Neverwinter, Icewindale, games that had deep stories, that took hours and hours to play. Games that you could start, play a few hours on the weekend, and by the time you completed the game the exceedingly long production cycle on the next game you were going to play was just about up. And, minus small quirks, DA:O was just that. It was widely successful and shown as a bright begining for a franchise.
Then you have DA2. To describe DA2, rotate the game view to isometeric, you have Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction with with slightly updated graphics, a combat interface that isn't reliant on right click/ left click to use special abilities and fewer NPC's to talk and barter with.
In short, DA2 is wildly successful from a marketing standpoint. During the press releases prior to release, DA2 was marketed as the sequel to DA:O, naturally, referancing the interviews about DA:O, one would expect the game to be a continuation of some grand story line started in Origions (seems strange that a game entitled origions would start a story line, and even marketed in the pre-release hype as the starting of a trillogy in the same niche feel...) and have the same feel and character as DA:O. I have to say, the apple has fallen far from the tree indeed.
This insult to the player base is almost on par with CoD players going out to by the latest installment of the game and finding out that its a top - down RTS instead of a FPS. Yes, DA:O needed polish, it needed tweaks, it needed changes in its game design. That is why you tweak, modify, take a look at those problems that you make concessions on to meet release dates and fix. You add carefully thought out additions to features. But mostly with an RPG like this, you spend most of your time developing an engrossing storyline and epic moments that set the tone for the entire game. DA2 lacked that entirely.
I have now played through DA2 and frankly cannot tell you quite what happens though the game. However, it has been nearly 2 years since I have picked up my copy of DA:O ( and I could not tell you where it is at this moment) and played it, but I could tell you the story line, the main characters, and moments that are esspecially memoral. This aura of an RPG is missing from DA2, without it, you do not have a game title worthy of note, you have an elaborate dungeon crawler that isn't even sophisticated enough to use randomly generated dungeons (Runic games has you beat BioWare, their latest game has randomly generated dungeons, and they look better as well)
Now down to the itemized problems with your game.
-Graphics. Please, do not insult me. The snub offering you have given PC players, the bread and butter for ANY RPG like the DA franchise, is rediculous. A patch on launch day to implement a graphics engine that should have been the baseline development? Not excusable. I realize that it is easier to code in a .NET framework with XNA and develop on consoles, or just import you ME2 engine, which I am fairly confident you have done, but to ignore the full capability of PC's and the rendering tools available is just insulting. Definately not worth any standing as a AAA developer of PC games. The only advantage to your failed attempt is to illustrate the rediculous gap between hardware capability of PC's and consoles.
- World enviroments. How many unique dungeons did you actually design? I think you put more time into developing the enviroment in the first chapter of DA:O (the character origionation part) than you did for all of DA2. The fact that you return to the same warehouse 3 times, for different reasons each time, none of them interlinking, is just downright crazy. At least try to hide the blatant redundancy a little bit more (Again, game priced at $20 at least had random dungeons providing some sense of immersion)
-Storyline. Um, what exactly did this story line mean to the world that you saved from the torch in the last game? The first act was shallow as can be, no relavancy except to set the stage for the back story for the introduction to the second act? It is painfully obvious that key elements are not developed through the story, key referances, things that are important, or feel important are never develope and left hanging. It reminds me of a D rated moving that I watched the other night with more plot holes than a caulander. The failed plot, lack of depth and intriege that was offered is remeniciant of another recent failed franchise, though this one through THQ another outstanding developer, Red Faction: Armageddon is plagued by the same problems that DA2 is plaged by. The story line doesn't make sense and seems almost fivilous.
-Character Development. Simple, there is none. The character leveling engine in DA:O was lacking, one of many things that could easily have been improved on. However, the direction taken simply simplified it instead of adding more depth to it. A warrior who can't dual weild? Seriously? Lets take a character development system that was criticised for pigion-holing people into specific builts for the synergies and lets remove all incentives for diversity. Lets take the innovative cross class/ability combo system and lets eliminate it for a much simpler damage effect by class system with nice neat over head effects to tell the guy not paying any attention to his abilities that he can make big numbers roll up his screen. (I think you developers never learned what pigion holed meant). We live in a gaming enviroment where MMO's, often criticized for lacking indepth character development and well established min/max, do/don't cultures, have evolved into highly complex class archtype/subclass systems (Rift's souls), and your direction was a simpler approach. I guess when your target audiance has a load in his pants that makes sense.
-Combat System. Worst change to the game yet. For those who simply wanted to play reskinned version of ME, I'm sorry. DA:O had its problems with its combat system. It wasn't that it was slow (often complained about), it was that it took a lot of planning and fore thought. It was often you had to go through the encounter prior to actually going through the encounter. The pause and issue commands method consumed alot of time, but simply reducing time between swings, modifiying variables, could have resolved alot of the lengthy combat system. The fact that the encounter usually had to be played through several times to come out with an acceptable outcome also had its downfalls. These though could have been modified through different ( not necesserially better) encounter/level design that allowed the player a full glimpse of what he was going to face prior to the encounter starting. For example the emplementation of terrain locations such as high points and natural choke points and barriers for ranged/casters that wouldn't cause more harm than good by allowing the player to observe the terrain around it to ensure it is clear of mobs. The emplementation of more choke points or natural barriers to allow for more tactical movement on the battlefield, things that can be observed by the player prior. That way the player doesn't have to solve a puzzle for the best possible approach, or an approach that doesn't involve them dying. The new combat system lost all of the subtleties that made DA:O combat awesome. Yes the adaptation for players who want the engrossing RPG story but want something closer to a hack and slash should be there, but it is far easier to go from a complex tactical game of party member deployment and target/cc choice to a mindless hack and slash than it is to take a game that was designed around hack and slash and make it tactical. Whom ever you put in charge of designing the combat system and the encounters should probably be fired, or put to an apprentice status, maybe go work for Blizzard on their new raid encounters.
In short, DA:O was an awsome game. Won game of the year. ME was awesome, ME2 was awesome, but ME2withswordsandarrows was not so awesome. All of the qualities that defined DA:O were removed, leaving an empty shell of a game craving for more, having a slight glimpse at what could have been if more time was taken to develope the game further. A small glipse at the raw awesomeness that would have been unleashed ont he gaming world if the flaws with DA:O were corrected. adjusted, new, small, elegant features added to an already elegant game. But alas, that was a small glimmer, and the light has officially died. I have no doubt that EA had a fair amount to do with it. They have a nasty habit of turning things that have glimpses, glimmers, and small hopes of being something truely groundbreaking and genre defining into marketing marvels of complete garbage fit only for the lowliest of garbage bins at your local used game trading center. It is a shame that BioWare has had it creativity and development so stiffled by the ROI for a collection of investors who likely do no even play video games, and those developers who put their life and souls into their games do not reap those benefits.
I pray that your next installment of this series breaks free from that vicious cycle, and somehow you move away from publishing through EA (if a 2 man company can produce a relatively successful game I am sure BioWare is capable of getting on board with a publisher who is willing to wait ont he development of a truely groundbreaking game). My faith in BioWare has been shaken, likely a faith that will never be restored.
#3123
Posté 02 septembre 2011 - 12:49
ColGali
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- Members
- 115 messages
Platform: Xbox360
Likes
Combat: system, speed, motions... almost perfect, could be a bit more realistic.
Skills: upgrades and cross class combos are really fun.
Story: narrative is good, but the choices have no impact on the story.
Family: Finally you have private life, family, house etc... You are a human being, not just a superhero, who only cares about the next quest. I'm glad that I see something like the "strongholds" in BG2.
Night/Day: very nice but still no weather... (we had it in BG2.... again!)
Music: This is one of the few areas where this game beats Origins.
Dislikes
Locations: boring... Compairing to Athkatla, Kirkwall is boring. There is only one (??!!!!) tavern, no graveyard etc. If we compaire the Copper Coronet to the Hanged Man...well let's not do that... Recycled areas are boring too.
Characters: lot of clichés and boring personlities. Origins was far more better.
Dialogue system: voice acting is good, but there are only a few choices and you'll never know what your charcter is really going to say.
Romances: too easy, too shallow. I miss BG2 again. How many dialogues did you have with Jaheira? 70? Even Origins was much better in this area.
Bugs!!!!: There are still some, after the patches and after 7 months from the release. 'Nuff said.
Overall: 7/10
For me RPG is much more important than action. And imo the next DA should be more RPG oriented.
Likes
Combat: system, speed, motions... almost perfect, could be a bit more realistic.
Skills: upgrades and cross class combos are really fun.
Story: narrative is good, but the choices have no impact on the story.
Family: Finally you have private life, family, house etc... You are a human being, not just a superhero, who only cares about the next quest. I'm glad that I see something like the "strongholds" in BG2.
Night/Day: very nice but still no weather... (we had it in BG2.... again!)
Music: This is one of the few areas where this game beats Origins.
Dislikes
Locations: boring... Compairing to Athkatla, Kirkwall is boring. There is only one (??!!!!) tavern, no graveyard etc. If we compaire the Copper Coronet to the Hanged Man...well let's not do that... Recycled areas are boring too.
Characters: lot of clichés and boring personlities. Origins was far more better.
Dialogue system: voice acting is good, but there are only a few choices and you'll never know what your charcter is really going to say.
Romances: too easy, too shallow. I miss BG2 again. How many dialogues did you have with Jaheira? 70? Even Origins was much better in this area.
Bugs!!!!: There are still some, after the patches and after 7 months from the release. 'Nuff said.
Overall: 7/10
For me RPG is much more important than action. And imo the next DA should be more RPG oriented.
Modifié par ColGali, 23 février 2012 - 02:15 .
#3124
Posté 04 septembre 2011 - 06:54
DrunkenMonkey
-
- Members
- 710 messages
6 months later.
Still havent finished it.
Still havent finished it.
#3125
Posté 05 septembre 2011 - 08:57
mpat_
-
- Members
- 5 messages
Wonder if anyone is still reading this, but I didn't get the game until now when I saw it cheap.
Likes:
* The concept and the idea behind the story. It could have been deeper in places, but having it take place over a decade in a limited location was a good idea.
* The hero was rooted in his environment in a way that I quite enjoyed. Instead of being the lone wanderer that shows up to save the world, he is a regular joe that tries the best he can.
* The non-human races were better used in this game than in DA:O.
Dislikes:
* Combat. I rightclick someone and sit back. That's IT. My guy swings a sword, and sometimes I have to support someone else, but really, it's boring and almost impossible to fail. I literally started playing on my iPhone waiting for the combat to finish.
* The waves - specifically, people coming from behind to attack my mages and archers. If they HAVE to be in waves, let them come from the front so they all have to push past my fighters. The mages should be fragile and I should need to protect them. Now they're always under attack, so they have to be tougher. This removes a lot of the tactic element.
* Reused environments. In some places it was beyond absurd, like those slave pens that looked like the deep roads. It breaks the suspension of disbelief. I think we all know that there is a lot of reuse going on, but try to hide it better than this.
* Reused monsters from DA:O. Were there any new monsters? Last time we killed Darkspawn, but now it's more or less a civil disorder situation and yet we still kill Darkspawn, Abominations and Shades. Why?
* The companions. Most were dull. Varric was good, your sister at least interesting, and Isabella had some enjoyable lines for being such a cliché, but the rest were boring.
* The development trees for warriors and rogues. It felt like I could have picked blindly and got just as good results.
At the end of the day, the broken combat system is what kills it. If it had been better, then I would have cared about that and not the copied environments.
Likes:
* The concept and the idea behind the story. It could have been deeper in places, but having it take place over a decade in a limited location was a good idea.
* The hero was rooted in his environment in a way that I quite enjoyed. Instead of being the lone wanderer that shows up to save the world, he is a regular joe that tries the best he can.
* The non-human races were better used in this game than in DA:O.
Dislikes:
* Combat. I rightclick someone and sit back. That's IT. My guy swings a sword, and sometimes I have to support someone else, but really, it's boring and almost impossible to fail. I literally started playing on my iPhone waiting for the combat to finish.
* The waves - specifically, people coming from behind to attack my mages and archers. If they HAVE to be in waves, let them come from the front so they all have to push past my fighters. The mages should be fragile and I should need to protect them. Now they're always under attack, so they have to be tougher. This removes a lot of the tactic element.
* Reused environments. In some places it was beyond absurd, like those slave pens that looked like the deep roads. It breaks the suspension of disbelief. I think we all know that there is a lot of reuse going on, but try to hide it better than this.
* Reused monsters from DA:O. Were there any new monsters? Last time we killed Darkspawn, but now it's more or less a civil disorder situation and yet we still kill Darkspawn, Abominations and Shades. Why?
* The companions. Most were dull. Varric was good, your sister at least interesting, and Isabella had some enjoyable lines for being such a cliché, but the rest were boring.
* The development trees for warriors and rogues. It felt like I could have picked blindly and got just as good results.
At the end of the day, the broken combat system is what kills it. If it had been better, then I would have cared about that and not the copied environments.
