3274 réponses à ce sujet

[stonbw1]

Quick question for those that have started the game: does your dialogue choices seem have any noticeable/lasting effects? i.e. Does it matter in normal conversation whether one chooses the 'good' reponse over the 'bad' or 'snide' remarks? Thanks

[Nathan Redgrave]

I'd rather play the game than endlessly debate what "decent" means, myself.

[Xaltar81]

I feel I should outline my dislikes in more detail after reading this thread from the begining. I hope this will help prevent a lot of these mistakes occuring again in future titles.

RPG Elements: 3/10

I saw a comment somewhere that said DA:O was an "Epic tale" whereas DA2 is "Dark Fantasy". They went on to say that epic entails saving the world, a large final battle and a near invincible, albeit unlikely hero. Dark fantasy consists more of the mundane more personal achievements of an individual that do not effect the world much beyond thier limited field of influence and obiously involves the "darker" elements of such interactions.

This does somewhat fit with what I experienced in my 8 hour marathon on a friends PC. However, DA2 keeps hinting at a more epic tale yet repeatedly fails to deliver the goods. I found the dialoge to be weak and unintuitive. I could not stand the voiced protaganist, she never said what I thought she would and I really do prefer having more direct controll over what my character says even if the result is still the same. This is not a gripe with voiced protaganists, its a gripe with DA2, if you are going to voice the protaganist then for heavens sake make it say what it looks like they should. The whole 3 word summary thing I find to be a total immersoin breaker. Even if the games dialogue is worthy of awards, I totaly fail to apreciate it with this stupid wheel system. I felt almost no desire to reload a save and try a different approach as I often did in origins. In fact, more often than not I found my finger itching to press the esc key rather than listen to what was going on. That is bad, very bad as I have always been the one who goes through all the possible dialogue options and tries to find the ammusing or different responses often hidden there by the game designers.

That asside we come to the quests and plot. I really am finding it hard to put my dissapointment into words here. As I said before, the whole game really does feel like an MMO without all the benefits of actually being one. Its like logging in to world of warcraft just after a server check only to discover that you are the only one online and all you have to do is quests untill more people come on. Except there are no more people to come on. The quests are disconnected and often completely random seeming. "Go here, kill this and bring me its goodies" > hand in > thank you hero you are awesome > next quest. It really does feel that impersonal, I tried for all I was worth to feel some sort of attachment to my character but I found myself just mindlessly grinding the quests like I do in WoW. Shut off your brain and get to it because if you don't you will never be ready for raiding by this weekend, except wait, this isn't an MMO....

To sum up, the story, quests and NPCs are all very flat and under developed. The only thing left to enjoy is the combat which brings me to my next point.

Combat: 4/10

The actual combat itself was a lot of fun at first, very fluid and dynamic feeling with quite a bit going on visually to make it feel "epic". However it quickly gets old when wave after wave of randomly generated cannon fodder keep swarming you. This was perhaps one of the other major factors contributing to my overall feeling of playing an MMO. I do like most of the changes to the combat, even the warroir not having dual wield but that unfortuneatly does not make up for the poorly designed encounters. Combat itself is fun, the fights.... not so much. Not enough tactical focus, too many "copy paste" mobs and no real sense of urgency left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed.

Graphics: 7/10

Technically? A lot better than DA:O, epecially once I convinced my friend to download the high res pack. Artisticly? Well, thats where the dissapointment kicks in. I am all for updating graphics in a sequal, completely changing them however I find to be rather silly. The hurlocks look stupid as well as the ogres and the number of repatitions of the same clothing and coloring was to be honest almost sickening. My mage basicly wore the same exact robe for most of my 8 hour stint, except that she didn't, it just looked exactly the same as all the others. Only once in a while did I pick up something different looking and to be frank, they are all ugly as hell and made my rather atractive mage look in turns fat or dressed like a space pirate.

Environments, reused to death as they were, did look markedly better than DA:O although still lacking clutter and signs of wear to make them look plausable. The same was true of origins but origins was more about the characters and interactions than the environments so it was forgiveable. DA2 however almost completely lacks in those departments so I will have to penalise it here.

Sound: 9/10

Not much to say here really, the music was fantastic. The sound effects were a little to heavy on the reverb in some places but overall nothing to complain about.

Overall: 3/10

I always do my first playthrough of an RPG on easy, it is the best way to see how well the RPG elements draw you into the game. With DA2 however I found myself turning up the difficulty to hard just to make it a little less unenjoyable. When I finaly exited the game and called it a night I had a headache, felt like I had just wasted 8 hours and was left with an overall feeling of dissapointment. This game is nothing like DA:O, in fact it really should have been called something else and steered away from being associated with Origins in any way. As a game on its own merit I may even give it as high as 5/10 but as a sequal I feel it just steers too far from what I believe DA:O braught to the table.

These are all simply my own opinon, I don't expect that everyone will agree with them. I do however feel that I am not alone in my assesments. Here's hoping that DA3 will not let me down this badly, I am not going to hold my breath however.

[Nathan Redgrave]

stonbw1 wrote...

Quick question for those that have started the game: does your dialogue choices seem have any noticeable/lasting effects? i.e. Does it matter in normal conversation whether one chooses the 'good' reponse over the 'bad' or 'snide' remarks? Thanks

The only thing I'm aware of is that your very first dialogue option in the game ("Then we fight." / "Neither can they." / whatever the aggressive response is) determines Hawke's base personality, causing him to either be honorable, smartasstastic, or aggressive whenever the game doesn't give you free reign over your dialogue, i.e. when Hawke response automatically ("Kirkwall? Are you sure that's wise?" / "Well, that wouldn't be my *first* choice..." / whatever the aggressive response is).

[Vesperz]

stonbw1 wrote...

Quick question for those that have started the game: does your dialogue choices seem have any noticeable/lasting effects? i.e. Does it matter in normal conversation whether one chooses the 'good' reponse over the 'bad' or 'snide' remarks? Thanks

I've been going with constant snide comments and snarky remarks and find that now, even the dialogues I have no control over, my Hawke seems to have that tone, it's quite amusing and feels like I personalised Hawke.

Some convos will have the same outcome no matter what you say, others will ****** off the person you'Re talking to or your companions.  There seems to be more repercussions then in DA:O.  I tend to pause and look at the options as opposed to just picking at random or too quickly.

[marcus48]

Well im really pissed about this game! My frist 8 hrs in and have yet to die.
Ok let me make things harder and see what happens... im now at 17hrs in the game and
yup still kicking. Im sorry but when u make combat this easy its just no longer fun to play.

Now i knew there would only be 1 city but dam! ITS THE CITY OF THE DEAD.
Sorry all about the rant im just pissed. Think i'll just pack it in till the witcher 2 comes out.

[sharkh2o]

Xaltar's review is pretty much exactly how I feel about this game too. Gave it a good 10 hours, but I don't plan on playing it anymore.

Modifié par sharkh2o, 09 mars 2011 - 06:56 .

[stonbw1]

Thanks guys. That's a very interesting/neat dialogue adaption. That was a forum argument from ME2: "why don't I just choose an alignment at the onset, since you had to choose the same alignment throughout the game for it to matter." It seems DA2 actually somewhat incorporates that notion.

[jommy911]

read this thread and making me worry lol . my copy is coming and i can play on friday as im in UK.

[Nathan Redgrave]

stonbw1 wrote...

Thanks guys. That's a very interesting/neat dialogue adaption. That was a forum argument from ME2: "why don't I just choose an alignment at the onset, since you had to choose the same alignment throughout the game for it to matter." It seems DA2 actually somewhat incorporates that notion.

It allows for shades of gray in your Hawke's persona, as well. You could have a gruff disposition, but be a softie at heart. You could be a jesting fool with a heart of gold (or of stone), and you can subscribe to the "speak softly but carry a REALLY BIG BATTERING RAM" school of discipline. It also at least partly solves the basic issue with the "Shepard" style of roleplay, i.e. the character having to be voiced as a bit more of a blank slate half the time in order to gracefully work as whatever person you try to make them. Since you can determine a base personality at the outset, that obstacle is removed--they can be voiced with character, without removing the player's freedom to *make* the character.

[waijai]

The storyline is very interesting. Taking a different approach than the DA:O of having actually different Origins was a slight dismantlement.
Having the story overlap with the DA:O timeline gives a sense of familiarity, and gives context to the dialogue.
Changing the appearance of other NPCs because your main character changes is really good and gives me a more believable environment. Since moving around with family, it is great to see that the family is of the same skin tone and attributes.
The gameplay is about the same as DA:O with some modifications on more emphasis on button mashing to attack.
Again, the graphics on the console is far less appealing than the PC version, but since I got the PS3 DA:O, I wanted to continue the saga with my saved file and opted for the PS3 version. Wish we could have done cross platform imports.

[Shadowcrazy4]

over 20+ pages and still no reply from Bioware for all these reviews..smh

[mfmaxpower]

DA2 might in the end be an okay experience but so far I can't help but feel it's neither a good RPG or good action/adventure game.

It simply can't be a quality RPG when it's so devoid of fundamental RPG features, like strategic combat, character creation, deep inventory and crafting systems, etc. They removed so much of what makes a RPG a RPG, and it's just sad that Bioware has apparently abandoned the genre after temporarily re-committing to it wit DA:O.

On the other hand, while I love quality action games like the most recent two Assassin's Creeds, DA2 is not robust enough in combat to provide a satisfying experience over hours of play. A shift to a more action-focused game worked in Mass Effect 2 because the combat was actually done well. Sadly it's just not the case with DA2: it's neither a fun button-masher nor a challenging strategic combat system.

In the end, DA2 appears to be trying to be two different games at once - an action game and a RPG - but it fails at both, providing neither a quality action RPG or an action/adventure game with RPG elements. The story may prove worth it in the end, and visually it's certainly an upgrade, but so far I can't help but feeling massively let down by Bioware, a first for me.

[Volleyjeff]

I agree with Xaltar's review. I no longer believe that Bioware is the juggernaut that I once did. Change is fine, as long as it is an improvement. But DA2 is a completely different game, and therefore it should have been called something else.

[spatrck]

I'm very disappointed.  I loved Origins. 

The combat could not be any more boring.  It is like a million other hack and slash console games.  I thought this was going to be a PC game?  It looked exciting for the first 5 minutes.  Then it gets silly.  Instead of the occassional gory finishing move, enemies explode for no reason.  It is very cartoonish and interrupts the story instead of embellishing it.  I try to enjoy the cutscenes and just tune-out for the combat sequences.  I'm about 10 hours into the game and I doubt I'll be able to finish it.  

So far I care nothing for my character and any of the others.  That was what was great about Origins and KOTOR games.  I really felt like I was getting to know the main character and watching them develop.  Because the combat is so pointless the story keeps getting interrupted.  The side missions are so numerous and disjointed they too are becoming meaningless, adding nothing to the story or the character.

Usually by the time I'm this far into the game I want to at least see what happens.  I don't think I care enough to muddle through.  I used to buy a game just because it had BioWare on the label.  Unfortunately, I guess that is not true anymore.  

This is only game I have ever pre-ordered, and I think it will be the last.

[Cloaking_Thane]

Volleyjeff wrote...

I agree with Xaltar's review. I no longer believe that Bioware is the juggernaut that I once did. Change is fine, as long as it is an improvement. But DA2 is a completely different game, and therefore it should have been called something else.

Dragon Age: Kirkwall ?

Should they have taken the elder Scrolls approach?

Would this have made the game better to you?

[Classicismo]

'METACRITIC' review data, for those that are interested:

83/100 (29 critics) - 3.8/10 (user score)

http://www.metacriti...0/dragon-age-ii

This is for the xbox360 version, the PC version gets an understandably worse score (texture problems etc caused by the sloppy porting) It seems as if the fans and the critics are divided, only agreeing that DA:2 is NOT as good as DA:O. (see DA:O meta score)

CAVEAT: It's worth noting that we should probably actually wait a few weeks for the meta's to settle and for the rest of the gaming world to get a chance to review, but in my opinion, they won't change much - I agree with the overall suggetion that DA:2 isn't as good as the first one.

Anyway, there it is for those who care about Meta.

[spatrck]

...Oh, and the cursing is stupid, too. And all the women with huge chests. Have game developers realized most people buying and playing this game are over the age of 13?

[zDD]

Euno17 wrote...

I find it rather interesting that both DA:O and ME were created BEFORE EA 'took' over. There are HUGE differences between the two era's. People are insane if they think EA would EVER let Bioware spend 3-4 years making a proper sequel.

Straight-Hallways? Check
Little to no items to handle? Check
Faster pace and linear story? Check

Coincidence that we are seeing more stream-lined things coming into play AFTER EA's involvement? Unlikely. Here is an example of the quickened Development cycle:

Mass Effect:
ME 1 was released in Jan of 07.
ME 2 was released in February of 2010 (First Game in the ME Franchise to be tagged with EA on it but they only came on board half-way through the development cycle).
ME 3 will be released in December of 2011.

So it was a three year cycle between 1 and 2 but it will be LESS then two years for ME 3? Come on now.

Dragon Age: Orgins: November 2009
Awakening: March 2010

DA: 2: March 2011

ONLY a two year cycle for a sequel that took the orginal Seven years to make? 

EA operates on a 2 year cycle or less for freaking everything. Everything they touch goes from good to bad in quick succession.

The fact of the matter is, Bioware will never be as great as they were before EA came into the picture. Look at ME 2 as a prime example as to how things will be done for here on out.  Look at the pay to play content with ME 2 (which is something that EA increasingly does with their games).

The sad truth is, ME 2 and DA 2 ARE dumbed down. The games WILL be rushed to an extent ergo the games won't be EVER as great before EA's involvement.  The quicker/less choices to make, the more appealing it will be to action type players. Hell, I won't be surprised if ME 3 lowers the RPG aspect of the game down even further. 

What do you guys think?

I agree 100%  *thumbs up*

I think gaming as whole is going in the wrong direction for the sake of making $$$$

In a few years, real good quality games will be harder to find than a virgin in the playboy mansion.

[Oliver Sudden]

I could be wrong (just guessing), but not being able to change outfits for the companions is, as I see it, another way to cater to the animation and graphics fans at the expense of RPG. It's gotta be easier not to have to program in how mages etc look when doing things if you only have to account for the limited number of outfits the NPC will choose for himself.

I'd rather have them look the way I want them to look and ignore clipping.

[imnar]

it bothers me that the companion gear is so limited. You spend a lot of the game collecting armor, but it's only good for the PC. I made a rogue, off the bat that eliminates me from wearing many of the special release items. many of the swords and armor is warrior specific. so i can't even give the armor to my companions. this is a fantasy "rpg". armor is a huge part. why have armor drops at all?

[YesItsRob]

1/10

Complete and utter console garbage.

[kcman5]

 DAO was revolutionary when it came out.. Pretty head and shoulders above the rest as far as I'm concerned. BUT this sequel, if you really want to call it that, well what can I say? Terrible, just terrible. I'll try to analogize it this way.It looks like the number 1 team in the nation overlooked who they were playing next, until their nextbig game.
 Honestly what can I say? Nothing has been improved in this 2nd installment. If any thing Jack kept rolling downhill and Jill went to play catch. This DAO: 2 is nothing but a dumbed down hack and slash which anyone can put out. What I can't concieve is how they let this thing out the door to store shelves, when THEY knew it was not even remotely on par with its predessessor.
 I'm not going to go  into specific game details, just an overall generalization. I've been a gamer for over 30 years and I know when a game either steps up to the plate or "no show's." To put it bluntly, you can't hit the ball, if you don 't bring a bat to the plate. Bioware you are better than this, but this, this thing you call a game, sure missed its mark. Personally it feels that the game was sliced and diced, hacked and slashed, gutted like a fish on the dock, but doesn't put food in anyones belly.. Just sad.

[Martris]

YES!!!! this game is awsome, just played for a little bit, decided mage my first playthrough, for one...better hats, thanks. i like the armour system for the companions, the combat is smooth and the mages finally look like theyre attacking something and my new favourite spell has to be rock armour, it looks awsome

[NeroAngelo50]

Story line is very interesting. Love the fast paced battle style they used, the one on Dragon Age: Origins was like a chess game, one player moves then the enemy moves then you move again. Would be better if they made it to where you could customize your party's gear instead of yours alone. That and also they could make the map bigger and the random encounters more frequent. I've heard so many people complaining about the dialogue wheel options being too much like Mass Effect, but when i was playing DA:O it took forever trying to go down the list of things to say, with the dialogue wheel it is much faster and simpler to get through the conversation. On DA:O I always accidentally made the wrong dialogue option that i wanted, either because i didn't hit the up analog stick enough or for some other reason.

To me Dragon Age II is much more action pact and better combat styles than DA:O. Most of the other people just don't know a good game even if it fell out of the sky and hit them. Some are mad about the bugs, others compare it to WoW too much when WoW itself is going down hill. Literally I see more than half the people that played WoW go on to play something else, either because the game doesn't seem to be all that it used to be, or because WoW is slacking off. I personally quit WoW so i could wait for SWTOR. Bioware did a remarkable job on DA2, anyone that cant see how good of a game DA2 is blind.

I have talked to 20 people who actually bought DA2 and asked them how it was, they all said it was amazing. I would give it a 9/10. There maybe some defects in the game now but seriously, thats what patches are for. WoW and all other games didn't start out perfect, they all had bugs, and they had patches to fix those bugs.

Some people just don't know what a good game really is anymore. Thanks BioWare for a great game.