I'm about 8-10 hours in now and I'm not too disappointed...or too impressed for that matter. The graphics are an improvement to me, although the scenery seems boring. The world is clearer with more attention to detail, but it seems bland. I generally like the changes made to combat, though it does seem a little grandiose. I agree with other posts about the menu screen being too dark, I had to jack up the brightness just to read some of the screens. The biggest let down to me so far is the relationships with your companions. I don't feel particularly attached to any of them, even my family. Hopefully that will change the further I progress. In Origins, I actually cared about my party members. I felt protective of them and enjoyed their side quests. And perhaps I'm just being silly but the romance options are not looking impressive which is something I actually enjoy in an RPG. All that being said, I will reserve my final judgment till after I have finished the game.
Your Dragon Age II Review *NO SPOILERS PLEASE*
Débuté par
javierabegazo
, mars 08 2011 04:02
Retour en haut
#1027
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:33
mnemonick
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Cons:
I have played for 5+ hours, and have the same opinion as several others. Why did they take so much out of DA:O I loved the upgrade/skill set. Lockpicking/crafting is a joke, how do i upgrade it? I can't customize my fellows at all it seems. The UI has allot to be desired, infact i didnt even see the small black/gray menu on the left side of the screen for several hours of gameplay! I loved the beautiful buttons at the top from DA:O! I was upset i could not "gift" to my fellows, or talk to them to make them happy. As another reviewer noted, i feel VERY unconnected. And yes EVERYONE will notice the HORRID use of copy/paste maps! C'MON! That is like a newspaper man recycling his old stories for a new one!
Pros: Graphics, char movements.
Overall i am disappointed compared to DA: Origins
!!!!Please make another GOOD storyline using the DA:O engine!!!!
I have played for 5+ hours, and have the same opinion as several others. Why did they take so much out of DA:O I loved the upgrade/skill set. Lockpicking/crafting is a joke, how do i upgrade it? I can't customize my fellows at all it seems. The UI has allot to be desired, infact i didnt even see the small black/gray menu on the left side of the screen for several hours of gameplay! I loved the beautiful buttons at the top from DA:O! I was upset i could not "gift" to my fellows, or talk to them to make them happy. As another reviewer noted, i feel VERY unconnected. And yes EVERYONE will notice the HORRID use of copy/paste maps! C'MON! That is like a newspaper man recycling his old stories for a new one!
Pros: Graphics, char movements.
Overall i am disappointed compared to DA: Origins
!!!!Please make another GOOD storyline using the DA:O engine!!!!
#1028
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:35
Fehyd
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- 4 messages
cryo99 wrote...
what happened here with the spinoff Dragon Age: Kirkwall
a bioware touched story driven diablo.
it is so unbelievable what is going on here, everything what makes a good rpg is thrown away with this spinoff.
positive
+ Quests
negative
- combat like CAT3 hong kong instant action, unrealistic flying party members and splattered monsters with fire
- leveldesign is copy & paste recycled after another
- like a MMORPG, beside quest relevant things there is nothing to do, everything is like a OP room with combat
- every women has 90-60-90, sister, mother ... mono cultures
- every location is like a teleportinbg from one room to another, maybe the rest will filled with dlc's
- no softskills , attributes only comabt oriented, skills only combat oriented, ok it is an hack&slay action-rpg<_<
- animations like a puppet theater , in house mass effect do it better
- dialogues with mass effect wheel , feels like interactive movie , no more skill / attribute oriented answers
- time saving item design, everything have the same icon
- daytime to go feature, athmosphere killer
- kirkwall is like a ghost town, where are they ?
- playtime really short.
the whole game looks like a fast, cheap produced spinoff to fullfill contracts with EA without the heartblood of bioware.
this ist not an attack from me, or flaming or something else.
it is the truth, so please do this not again, i play bioware games since baldurs gate and dragon age:origin was not perfect at all but a good bioware typical game and now all the things you do right is thrown away... i can't understand why, and I am really shocked
so don't betrayal your fans and the people that play your games since a decade , it is ok when you want to find new fans in the casual sector, but not at cost of us.
sry from my english, iam not a native speaker.
I have to agree with this. This game sums it up perfectly. DA2 is a disappointment. How this could be called the successor of BG is completely beyond me.
#1029
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:44
TheLastAwakening
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This is not my full review of DA 2 since I have not completed the game yet. However, I played the game long enough to give feedback on certain aspects.
Graphics: I don't care about graphics when it comes to Rpg so for me DA 2 delivered.
Combat: 8/10 very good, some things missing-- too much hack and slash-- I miss the old style of death blows.
I enjoy the combat however, at certain points the combat becomes too fast paced. Let me explain: for me the greatest thing about DA:O was the strategy elements mixed in with the rpg elements, and I'm using strategy loosely. For example, I could cast grease, allow the enemy to walk into the grease and then cast fireball on top of what I just did. DA:O required certain strategies for defeating the enemies. In DA 2 I feel like most of the strategy aspect is lost--funny I did not get this feeling in the demo 0.o-- As of now I did not need to switch between characters as often as I did on DA:O with the exception of playing on harder difficulty in DA 2.
UI and other aspects: 3/10
Everything is gone, DA 2 is too oversimplified. Rings, armor everything is gone, not removed from the game but there is no uniqueness to anything anymore.
-- I'll be back going to go play some more da 2--
Graphics: I don't care about graphics when it comes to Rpg so for me DA 2 delivered.
Combat: 8/10 very good, some things missing-- too much hack and slash-- I miss the old style of death blows.
I enjoy the combat however, at certain points the combat becomes too fast paced. Let me explain: for me the greatest thing about DA:O was the strategy elements mixed in with the rpg elements, and I'm using strategy loosely. For example, I could cast grease, allow the enemy to walk into the grease and then cast fireball on top of what I just did. DA:O required certain strategies for defeating the enemies. In DA 2 I feel like most of the strategy aspect is lost--funny I did not get this feeling in the demo 0.o-- As of now I did not need to switch between characters as often as I did on DA:O with the exception of playing on harder difficulty in DA 2.
UI and other aspects: 3/10
Everything is gone, DA 2 is too oversimplified. Rings, armor everything is gone, not removed from the game but there is no uniqueness to anything anymore.
-- I'll be back going to go play some more da 2--
#1030
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:44
StephenZ69
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The new art style is really nice. It's too bad that there's really nothing to look at besides the lovingly rendered breasts. (thanks for that I guess) Back and forth through the same tilesets over and over again gets really old.
I do not feel involved in the story at all. It's not that the writing is *bad* it's just that the progression feels rushed. The game is a series of load screens between short battles. I think this is mostly due to the conversations being severely limited. The combat system revamp is fun, but the battles themselves are very predictable.
I have always loved your games Bioware but DA2 is barely a shadow of anything you've ever released. It feels like a quickly done DLC delivery device because that's exactly what it is.
I do not feel involved in the story at all. It's not that the writing is *bad* it's just that the progression feels rushed. The game is a series of load screens between short battles. I think this is mostly due to the conversations being severely limited. The combat system revamp is fun, but the battles themselves are very predictable.
I have always loved your games Bioware but DA2 is barely a shadow of anything you've ever released. It feels like a quickly done DLC delivery device because that's exactly what it is.
#1031
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:45
mnemonick
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PERFECT Explanation of how i feel!mr.chicken wrote...
joshy_boy wrote...
Let me first begin by saying that Dragon Age Origins is one of my all time favorite games. I've sunk over 400 hours in many play through's across all three platforms. I've been a Bioware fan since the min-late 90's ever since I played Shattered Steel. Baulder's Gate and BGII, KotOR and ME are all amazing experiences. So when I say that Dragon Age II broke my little Bioware RPG loving heart, I want you to understand my full meaning.
I can only guess at the pressure a publisher like EA puts on Devs. EA's hammer of sh*t has really taken it's toll on Bioware, that much is obvious. To go through the creative process to create a whole world, a story and characters like the world of Dragon Age took years. But apparently it only takes a fraction of that time to tear it all down. Everything that made DA:O a great RPG experience has been striped away in favor of appeasing the console crowd. The gamer that likes everything fast pace and flashy. Everything from story and characters, character development, side quests, combat, skill system and complexity are all gone. Replaced with lazy design, uninspired drab characters, a story that isn't engaging and so much call of duty HUD blood its hilarious.
If Dragon Age II was simply an off shoot of the franchise made specifically for the console crowd, maybe named Dragon Age: Hawk's Story or something than this travesty could have been avoided. But to lobotomize Dragon Age this badly is a slap to the face of Biowares oldest PC fan base. I suffered through just over twelve hours of DA2 before I uninstalled it. I couldn't take any more of it. As an action JRPG without the DA name, I'd give it a 6.5/10. It's not a bad game. But it's a terrible Dragon Age game and a terrible Bioware game. I blame EA for this, not Bioware.
You guys seriously dropped the ball on this one. The truly sad part is you'll most likely make a financial killing riding on the coat tales of a game that actually deserved it's praise. Damn you EA.
I had to quote this as well because this was more eloquently put than I could have managed. Perfectly said.
#1032
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:58
Falstad007
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I’m not up there with the people that fervently hate the game, but I’m not rating it a perfect 10 either. I feel like Bioware designed DA II with the console demographic in mind, and not the PC gamers. It still fares well on the PC, but you often feel out of place.
The story is a much more focused scope, taking place mainly in Kirkwall and the surrounding areas. Instead of focusing on a hero leading a party to fell some great evil, it’s instead more of a life story, with events happening around the hero, and him/her getting swept up in it. Granted it doesn’t have the scope and epic feeling of it’s predecessor, but it’s still a worthy addition to the Dragon Age cannon.
The gameplay is one of the few things that have me feeling a bit unnerved. It’s catered to a much more “hack and slash” and consolegoer demographic. It’s also dumbed down the customization of companions, and made combat be more about surviving waves of incoming enemies instead of using tactics and cunning to take out a roomful of enemies. The feature to zoom our completely and get an overhead view of battles is also absent from the PC versions, which takes the intimacy of battle down a couple notches. While this has benefited and opened up Dragon Age to console players, it still leaves us PC gamers feeling neglected.
The user interface is another thing that bothers me. DA:O had a beautiful interface that was fit for a fantasy game, but DA II has a much more bare and stripped down interface. While this helps by not distracting from the gameplay too much, it’s also visually unappealing, and very opposite of what you might expect from a Bioware game.
Dragon Age II is a great looking game that builds upon the style from DA:O. There are many beautiful looking locations, and the problem of low-res textures have been taken care of for the most part, though that doesn’t mean they’re entirely absent. Bioware has provided PC players with a high-res texture pack that fixes almost all and any low textures present in the initial release. However, at some points in the game you can really start to tell where the developers started recycling areas to the point of intense deja vu.
The stiff and wooden NPC movements from DA:O have been fixed for the most part. The overall movement of the characters is top notch, especially combatwise. My only complaint is that a warrior using a two handed weapon seems much too quick and sharp for someone using a weapon of that size. But the new casting animations for mages are fantastic.
Bioware hasn’t lost it’s touch when it comes to designing characters at all however. The men and women that accompany the hero still have that Bioware quality to them. The voice acting is stellar, and It’s still very entertaining to hear the banter among your party members, or have one on one chats with them (Varric, Isabella, and Fenris are some of my favorites). You’ll also see some familiar faces from DA:O and Awakening, but I won’t spoil that for you.
One of the bigger complaints from critics and players alike is Hawke. More or less the fact that you’re stuck with Hawke, and cannot make an elf or dwarf like DA:O. While it is a little dissapointing, it provides a lot more focus for the narration, and brings a level of interactivity into the game. In DA:O, when you conversed with someone, it always felt a little odd that all the Warden would do is stare blankly and the other person would respond. Giving Hawke a voice really fleshes out conversations more than before.
But while that’s a neat addition to the game, the addition of Mass Effect’s conversation wheel feels a little unnatural, especially for an RPG, and restricts players to more narrow dialogue choices. I can see how the wheel would benefit console players, but the PC platform should have had the standard dialogue choices.
Bioware certainly took a leap with DA II, and I respect them for not being afraid to try something different. I believe that Dragon Age II and Bioware do not deserve all the flak they’ve been receiving since release day.
I’ve been playing Bioware games since their 1998 release of Baldur’s Gate, and if Bioware has shown anything since those days, it’s that they can learn from their mistakes, and that they listen to their community*.
Wrapping up, if you’re a fan of Bioware games or casual RPG’s, pick it up. But if you’re a fan of the more suited to table top games and hardcore RPG’s, than this might not be for you.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Graphics: 9.3/10
Story: 9.0/10
Extras: 8.3/10
FINAL SCORE: 8.7/10
(Stanley Woo told me to go here:mellow:)
The story is a much more focused scope, taking place mainly in Kirkwall and the surrounding areas. Instead of focusing on a hero leading a party to fell some great evil, it’s instead more of a life story, with events happening around the hero, and him/her getting swept up in it. Granted it doesn’t have the scope and epic feeling of it’s predecessor, but it’s still a worthy addition to the Dragon Age cannon.
The gameplay is one of the few things that have me feeling a bit unnerved. It’s catered to a much more “hack and slash” and consolegoer demographic. It’s also dumbed down the customization of companions, and made combat be more about surviving waves of incoming enemies instead of using tactics and cunning to take out a roomful of enemies. The feature to zoom our completely and get an overhead view of battles is also absent from the PC versions, which takes the intimacy of battle down a couple notches. While this has benefited and opened up Dragon Age to console players, it still leaves us PC gamers feeling neglected.
The user interface is another thing that bothers me. DA:O had a beautiful interface that was fit for a fantasy game, but DA II has a much more bare and stripped down interface. While this helps by not distracting from the gameplay too much, it’s also visually unappealing, and very opposite of what you might expect from a Bioware game.
Dragon Age II is a great looking game that builds upon the style from DA:O. There are many beautiful looking locations, and the problem of low-res textures have been taken care of for the most part, though that doesn’t mean they’re entirely absent. Bioware has provided PC players with a high-res texture pack that fixes almost all and any low textures present in the initial release. However, at some points in the game you can really start to tell where the developers started recycling areas to the point of intense deja vu.
The stiff and wooden NPC movements from DA:O have been fixed for the most part. The overall movement of the characters is top notch, especially combatwise. My only complaint is that a warrior using a two handed weapon seems much too quick and sharp for someone using a weapon of that size. But the new casting animations for mages are fantastic.
Bioware hasn’t lost it’s touch when it comes to designing characters at all however. The men and women that accompany the hero still have that Bioware quality to them. The voice acting is stellar, and It’s still very entertaining to hear the banter among your party members, or have one on one chats with them (Varric, Isabella, and Fenris are some of my favorites). You’ll also see some familiar faces from DA:O and Awakening, but I won’t spoil that for you.
One of the bigger complaints from critics and players alike is Hawke. More or less the fact that you’re stuck with Hawke, and cannot make an elf or dwarf like DA:O. While it is a little dissapointing, it provides a lot more focus for the narration, and brings a level of interactivity into the game. In DA:O, when you conversed with someone, it always felt a little odd that all the Warden would do is stare blankly and the other person would respond. Giving Hawke a voice really fleshes out conversations more than before.
But while that’s a neat addition to the game, the addition of Mass Effect’s conversation wheel feels a little unnatural, especially for an RPG, and restricts players to more narrow dialogue choices. I can see how the wheel would benefit console players, but the PC platform should have had the standard dialogue choices.
Bioware certainly took a leap with DA II, and I respect them for not being afraid to try something different. I believe that Dragon Age II and Bioware do not deserve all the flak they’ve been receiving since release day.
I’ve been playing Bioware games since their 1998 release of Baldur’s Gate, and if Bioware has shown anything since those days, it’s that they can learn from their mistakes, and that they listen to their community*.
Wrapping up, if you’re a fan of Bioware games or casual RPG’s, pick it up. But if you’re a fan of the more suited to table top games and hardcore RPG’s, than this might not be for you.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Graphics: 9.3/10
Story: 9.0/10
Extras: 8.3/10
FINAL SCORE: 8.7/10
(Stanley Woo told me to go here:mellow:)
#1033
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:58
DarkLink77
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I've only put about 10 hours into the game so far, but I'll drop my impressions:
Pros:
+ New art style is better overall, I think, save for the way the Darkspawn look. I preferred how they looked in Origins.
+ Better graphics (obviously).
+ I like the characters so far.
+ Combat flows better, but feels like Origins (playing it on PC). However, it wants to be too faced paced for it's own good a lot of the time.
+ The conversation wheel is better than Mass Effect's.
+ The game seems to remember my previous dialogue choices, and adjusts my character's tone/what I say (again, I'm guessing) to match what I have been saying. End result: Snarky mage is always snarky, even when trying to be nice. This is a good thing.
Negatives:
- Level design is recycled a LOT from what I've seen.
- If they don't have a quest, you can't talk to them. The city doesn't actually feel like people live in it.
- No persuade, no crafting skills, none of that stuff. All gone. Every skill is combat based now.
- The animations still aren't that great.
- Why do things that A) Look the same and
Have the same name have different stats?
- Why can't I equip my characters with what I want them to use. I can really only equip Hawke, so all of that fancy armor I have is useless because I'm a mage. Upgrading their default armor is a nice option, but that's what it should be. An option. I should be able to deck them out in whatever I want.
- Why can't I change the type of weapons a character uses? Maybe I don't want to use Aveline as my tank. I think she's boring. Unfortunately, I can't give anyone else I've met yet a sword and shield. Varric is perhaps the only allowable exception, because he named his crossbow. And I like Varric.
- The game takes so long to get going. I didn't feel like I had any direction for the longest time. Just "Go here, do quests, get money." Hour after hour after hour of that gets old VERY quickly.
- I don't care about my family. At all. Why should I? I don't know these people. When my sister gets killed, I assume I'm supposed to be sad, but she's had zero character development, so why should I? All I could think of was, "God, why didn't it kill the rest of these people I don't care about?" And ten hours later, it's not any better.
- The game is way too easy. I don't feel like I need to do much of anything in combat except tell someone to pop the occasional potion.
- The framed narrative skips some of the parts I want to play. I would have enjoyed being a smuggler, for instance, early on, instead of skipping that and having to do mountains of side-quests instead.
- The character creator needs some work.
- The dialogue wheel is still the dialogue wheel, and I still don't like it.
- I feel like I've been a bit ripped off DLC wise, but that happened in DA:O, too, so I'm not surprised.
Overall, I'm having fun, but the bad changes definitely outweigh the good. Dragon Age still tastes great, but it's a lot less filling this time around. Mods/patches can't come quickly enough for some of this stuff.
Pros:
+ New art style is better overall, I think, save for the way the Darkspawn look. I preferred how they looked in Origins.
+ Better graphics (obviously).
+ I like the characters so far.
+ Combat flows better, but feels like Origins (playing it on PC). However, it wants to be too faced paced for it's own good a lot of the time.
+ The conversation wheel is better than Mass Effect's.
+ The game seems to remember my previous dialogue choices, and adjusts my character's tone/what I say (again, I'm guessing) to match what I have been saying. End result: Snarky mage is always snarky, even when trying to be nice. This is a good thing.
Negatives:
- Level design is recycled a LOT from what I've seen.
- If they don't have a quest, you can't talk to them. The city doesn't actually feel like people live in it.
- No persuade, no crafting skills, none of that stuff. All gone. Every skill is combat based now.
- The animations still aren't that great.
- Why do things that A) Look the same and
Have the same name have different stats? - Why can't I equip my characters with what I want them to use. I can really only equip Hawke, so all of that fancy armor I have is useless because I'm a mage. Upgrading their default armor is a nice option, but that's what it should be. An option. I should be able to deck them out in whatever I want.
- Why can't I change the type of weapons a character uses? Maybe I don't want to use Aveline as my tank. I think she's boring. Unfortunately, I can't give anyone else I've met yet a sword and shield. Varric is perhaps the only allowable exception, because he named his crossbow. And I like Varric.
- The game takes so long to get going. I didn't feel like I had any direction for the longest time. Just "Go here, do quests, get money." Hour after hour after hour of that gets old VERY quickly.
- I don't care about my family. At all. Why should I? I don't know these people. When my sister gets killed, I assume I'm supposed to be sad, but she's had zero character development, so why should I? All I could think of was, "God, why didn't it kill the rest of these people I don't care about?" And ten hours later, it's not any better.
- The game is way too easy. I don't feel like I need to do much of anything in combat except tell someone to pop the occasional potion.
- The framed narrative skips some of the parts I want to play. I would have enjoyed being a smuggler, for instance, early on, instead of skipping that and having to do mountains of side-quests instead.
- The character creator needs some work.
- The dialogue wheel is still the dialogue wheel, and I still don't like it.
- I feel like I've been a bit ripped off DLC wise, but that happened in DA:O, too, so I'm not surprised.
Overall, I'm having fun, but the bad changes definitely outweigh the good. Dragon Age still tastes great, but it's a lot less filling this time around. Mods/patches can't come quickly enough for some of this stuff.
Modifié par DarkLink77, 10 mars 2011 - 10:02 .
#1034
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 09:59
Fredericol
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Starting off (I'm trying Nightmare)
Starts off nicely, doable just gotta watch it.
Ogre: Feasible some running, why the HELL my teammates ignore my "run to there" commands as soon as I leave their view is beyond me, but meh, a few tries and I made it.
Cutscene after Ogre... but wha? Insta spawn 953850928352903 hurloc archers that all target the last guy you were controlling after ogre? My mage gets instagibbed... ok, thanks for not saving, lets have at that ogre again... and remember to select the tank before the cutscene (I mean really!!!)
So basically:
Guys don't do what you tell them to. If you tell them to STAND THE HECK THERE AND DON'T FREAKING MOVE. They will move. (or stand there rotating through impossible tactics trying to do them, not moving, not doing crap (not even attacking stuff next to them)
Disable all tactics? Well then they move.
Un****g believable.
Nevermind the insanity of trying to play with a mage but ALWAYS having to switch to a tank before you get hit by an attack or you're staring at an instagibbed mage corpse... (so basically you get to see those cutscenes/attack spawns twice) Don't even get me started on having to do all fights twice till you figure out where the waves spawn... out of freaking thin air to boot. Wasn't there some codex entry about not being able to teleport?
Obviously this game will go into my "played it through once, meh" corner.
And obviously no pre-order on DA3, until it is reviewed. Yes the DA universe is intresting, but just no... imagine a Mass Effect game that I direct from top view... won't work will it...
Starts off nicely, doable just gotta watch it.
Ogre: Feasible some running, why the HELL my teammates ignore my "run to there" commands as soon as I leave their view is beyond me, but meh, a few tries and I made it.
Cutscene after Ogre... but wha? Insta spawn 953850928352903 hurloc archers that all target the last guy you were controlling after ogre? My mage gets instagibbed... ok, thanks for not saving, lets have at that ogre again... and remember to select the tank before the cutscene (I mean really!!!)
So basically:
Guys don't do what you tell them to. If you tell them to STAND THE HECK THERE AND DON'T FREAKING MOVE. They will move. (or stand there rotating through impossible tactics trying to do them, not moving, not doing crap (not even attacking stuff next to them)
Disable all tactics? Well then they move.
Un****g believable.
Nevermind the insanity of trying to play with a mage but ALWAYS having to switch to a tank before you get hit by an attack or you're staring at an instagibbed mage corpse... (so basically you get to see those cutscenes/attack spawns twice) Don't even get me started on having to do all fights twice till you figure out where the waves spawn... out of freaking thin air to boot. Wasn't there some codex entry about not being able to teleport?
Obviously this game will go into my "played it through once, meh" corner.
And obviously no pre-order on DA3, until it is reviewed. Yes the DA universe is intresting, but just no... imagine a Mass Effect game that I direct from top view... won't work will it...
Modifié par Fredericol, 10 mars 2011 - 10:01 .
#1035
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:00
Oliver Sudden
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I'm sorry, but this is the first game I've played where I'm afraid to take any quests or venture out for fear of getting involved in another combat.
Nope, it's not dying I mind, it's having to watch the silly whirling, bouncing, flying moves that go on during the combat I dread. Too bad this game doesn't have an auto-resolve button so I could avoid all that silly looking fighting stuff.
Nope, it's not dying I mind, it's having to watch the silly whirling, bouncing, flying moves that go on during the combat I dread. Too bad this game doesn't have an auto-resolve button so I could avoid all that silly looking fighting stuff.
#1036
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:02
ShadowAudsley
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- 19 messages
I have played game for 6 hours and i have to say the story is not as good as Dragon age origins. Missions i have done r abit boring. i was expecting game to be like what mass effect 2 was to mass effect a great improvement but so far im not seeing it. lets hope it gets better
#1037
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:04
Kendaric Varkellen
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- 347 messages
I'm largely disappointed with DA2. It's not a sequel to DA:O at all, it rather feels and plays like a spin-off game set in the same world (much like what Bethesda did with a number of older Elder Scrolls games).
The good:
+ I love the soundtrack
+ Cutscenes are well done
+ Voice acting is good so far, none of the voice actors are annoying
+ Flemeth's new look
+ Qunari redesign
+ Dungeons seem to be smaller than in DA:O
The mediocre:
> Conversation wheel. It's not as bad as I feared but I prefer the DA:O approach if given the choice.
> The story and story telling is ok, however I feel largely detached from Hawke. There is no real emotional involvement for me at all so far.
> The bad:
- Elf redesign. Flesh-colored, anorexic Na'vi? Are you serious?
- Oversized and often non-functional looking weapons (again...)
- Attacks with a two-handed weapon are ridiculously fast which makes it look like a bad LARP player is fighting.
- Constantly causing enemies to explode/getting cleaved in halves looks goofy not gritty
- The whole UI and icons look too modern, DA:O was much better in that regard
- Feels like a console game even on the PC
- Lack of customization options
- Lack of non-combat skills
- The enemy reinforcements in fights are annoying as hell
The good:
+ I love the soundtrack
+ Cutscenes are well done
+ Voice acting is good so far, none of the voice actors are annoying
+ Flemeth's new look
+ Qunari redesign
+ Dungeons seem to be smaller than in DA:O
The mediocre:
> Conversation wheel. It's not as bad as I feared but I prefer the DA:O approach if given the choice.
> The story and story telling is ok, however I feel largely detached from Hawke. There is no real emotional involvement for me at all so far.
> The bad:
- Elf redesign. Flesh-colored, anorexic Na'vi? Are you serious?
- Oversized and often non-functional looking weapons (again...)
- Attacks with a two-handed weapon are ridiculously fast which makes it look like a bad LARP player is fighting.
- Constantly causing enemies to explode/getting cleaved in halves looks goofy not gritty
- The whole UI and icons look too modern, DA:O was much better in that regard
- Feels like a console game even on the PC
- Lack of customization options
- Lack of non-combat skills
- The enemy reinforcements in fights are annoying as hell
Modifié par Kendaric Varkellen, 10 mars 2011 - 10:09 .
#1038
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:15
cjzeddy
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- Members
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Jaulen wrote...
cjzeddy wrote...
I've played 7-8 hours so far and I am absolutely loving it!
I felt Dragon Age Origins was the most emotionally engaging game I had ever played, but Dragon Age 2 is even more engaging - I think in large part due to you having a family with you. For me it gets to be a very personal experience with the inclusion of your family. The voiceover, the dialouge, the music...it all adds to the incredible emotion I felt for my mother and my sister - I really want to help my mother and move us out of that ****-hole of a home.
Speaking of voiceover, the voice of Lady Hawke (Jo Wyatt I believe?) is fantastic, she does an excellent job of delievering her dialouge!
The combat is faster and more fun, and looks better too, and you still have all the tactical aspects of DAO - setting up tactics, pausing and switching between your characters etc.
I went with Hard difficulty right from the start, since I felt I had a good understanding of how the game works since I played Origins. I had some concerns about the fights not being very challenging, but I was pleased to see that Hard difficulty is proving to be a solid challenge for me. I am looking forward to trying out Nightmare as well once I've played through the game 2 or 3 times and really understand how to build an effective party.
So all in all I am loving it so far and I expect I will continue to enjoy the game even more as the "plot thickens".
Can you please tell me how, 7 hours into the game you are feeling emotionally connected? Because I was like, "Man, wish the ogre had gotten my whole family....."
Now if we had actually had the emotional hook developed through the horror of trying to escpae Lothering at the beginning, I think I would have been more invested in them, but *bam,* all of a sudden thrown into combat with three people tagging along? I felt worse about Wesley than my sib.
I am not refering to the escape of Lothering. Carver getting squashed by an Ogre doesn't really provoke much emotion since I don't know much about him, except for what you can read in the codex. In my eyes you're running for your life, survival is the primary concern at that moment. And I believe that is exactly what a developer from Bioware said on the forums a while back (I think it was David Gaider) - it isn't meant to provoke emotion but more to set up the game-scene for what is to come later.
It's when the family arrives in Kirkwall and in conversations with both Bethany and your mother that you start to understand that the grief is starting to settle in.
What I am getting at I guess is that to me Dragon Age 2 so far succeeds in helping me to get to know the different characters and start to feel something for them - especially my family - (then again that's something that Bioware games have always been able to do for me, and I am pleased to see that Dragon Age 2 succeeds in the same way).
What kind of emotion you get from playing a game like this is very personal and differs from person to person. Just because I feel emotionally connected to the game so far doesn't mean that you do. We're all different, and that's fine.
#1039
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:16
senjukannon
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- 35 messages
I've been playing for 20 hrs and this is how I feel:
+Pros:
-Graphics look better than DAO.
-Combats are exciting and challenging (on Nightmare difficulty).
-Sound effects and voice actings are awesome.
-The story is great so far.
+Cons:
-Can't customize your party's equipments. This is important because it's what makes RPGs so addicting and fun.
-Companions aren't as memorable as those in DAO such as Morrigan, Leliana
-No tactical view camera.
+Pros:
-Graphics look better than DAO.
-Combats are exciting and challenging (on Nightmare difficulty).
-Sound effects and voice actings are awesome.
-The story is great so far.
+Cons:
-Can't customize your party's equipments. This is important because it's what makes RPGs so addicting and fun.
-Companions aren't as memorable as those in DAO such as Morrigan, Leliana
-No tactical view camera.
#1040
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:16
Fornale The Elf
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So far, I agree with Darklink77. Though I would like to add 'the font size is too small' to his list. Admittedly, I don't have a HD-TV (poor student). Nevertheless I've never had a problem with the font size with any other (xbox360) game. I understand most people have a HD-TV nowadays but I don't, so for me this is really annoying.
#1041
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:22
YuniSticksitDeep
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- Members
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Dragon Age II
PC
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
Release Date:
Mar 8, 2011
Also On:
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
[/list]
Summary
Critic Reviews
User Reviews
Details & Credits
Trailers & Videos
[/list]
See the trailer
Metascore
84
out of 100
Generally favorable reviews
- based on
16 Critics
What's this?
User Score
3.7
out of 10
Generally unfavorable- based on 642 Ratings
Critic Reviews
Score distribution:
Positive:
15
out of 16
Mixed:
1
out of 16
Negative:
0
out of 16
PC GamerFeb 26, 2011
94
The best RPG combat ever. Not
gaming's best story, but maybe its best storytelling. Darker, sexier,
better. [Mar 2011, p.64]
All this publication's reviews
GameTrailersMar 9, 2011
92
Though it doesn't hold a candle to
its predecessor when it comes to sheer breadth, Dragon Age II has quite a
bit more soul.
All this publication's reviewsRead full review
IncGamersMar 8, 2011
72
While the gameplay is far from
perfect, Dragon Age II is an absolute must for anyone interested in the
world, the lore and a good story - but anyone hoping for something that
feels and plays like Origins might want to adjust their expectations
accordingly.
All this publication's reviewsRead full review[/list]
[/list] See all 16 Critic Reviews
User Reviews
Write a Review
Score distribution:
Positive:
72
out of 326
Mixed:
16
out of 326
Negative:
238
out of 326
You can buy reviews but only from so many people.
Yuni was Right!
"A bullet dodged" Waiting for Dragons Age Origins 2
PC
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
Release Date:
Mar 8, 2011
Also On:
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
[/list]
Summary
Critic Reviews
User Reviews
Details & Credits
Trailers & Videos
[/list]
See the trailer
Metascore
84
out of 100
Generally favorable reviews
- based on
16 Critics
What's this?
User Score
3.7
out of 10
Generally unfavorable- based on 642 Ratings
Critic Reviews
Score distribution:
Positive:
15
out of 16
Mixed:
1
out of 16
Negative:
0
out of 16
PC GamerFeb 26, 2011
94
The best RPG combat ever. Not
gaming's best story, but maybe its best storytelling. Darker, sexier,
better. [Mar 2011, p.64]
All this publication's reviews
GameTrailersMar 9, 2011
92
Though it doesn't hold a candle to
its predecessor when it comes to sheer breadth, Dragon Age II has quite a
bit more soul.
All this publication's reviewsRead full review
IncGamersMar 8, 2011
72
While the gameplay is far from
perfect, Dragon Age II is an absolute must for anyone interested in the
world, the lore and a good story - but anyone hoping for something that
feels and plays like Origins might want to adjust their expectations
accordingly.
All this publication's reviewsRead full review[/list]
[/list] See all 16 Critic Reviews
User Reviews
Write a Review
Score distribution:
Positive:
72
out of 326
Mixed:
16
out of 326
Negative:
238
out of 326
You can buy reviews but only from so many people.
Yuni was Right!
"A bullet dodged" Waiting for Dragons Age Origins 2
#1042
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:32
Demonhoopa
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- 702 messages
Like the improved smoothness of gameplay and combat. I found the stiff jerky combat in the first game nearly intolerable after about 2 playthroughs.
Love the voice acting. Male Hawke is great and female Hawke is just plain EPIC.
Love the volume of quests. Quite a few very good side quests.
Opening story/connection to the characters and story just PALES in comparison to City Elf and Human Noble IMO.
Relationships between Hawke and the companions and between the companions themselves is just plain dry compared to DA Origins. I couldn't WAIT to get back to camp for conversations before. The whole dynamic is much weaker in this game and I haven't any interest in persuing any of the romance options so far. Also, the knowlege that Bioware really wussed out in that area in ME2, and the suspicion that it will continue in that direction also leaves me disinterested in that option (Giving the family values crowd input in ANY kind of art rarely leads to a good result).
I'll say this in defense of the main story. The scenario in DA 2 makes it FAR more plausible to be doing petty errands for people for coin.
I had a very difficult time role playing some of those side missions in the Mass Effect games and DA Origins because of the urgent save the world/universe business at hand for the main character.
The errand running/questing in DA 2 meshes with the main story much better. At least so far, I haven't beaten the game yet.
Love the voice acting. Male Hawke is great and female Hawke is just plain EPIC.
Love the volume of quests. Quite a few very good side quests.
Opening story/connection to the characters and story just PALES in comparison to City Elf and Human Noble IMO.
Relationships between Hawke and the companions and between the companions themselves is just plain dry compared to DA Origins. I couldn't WAIT to get back to camp for conversations before. The whole dynamic is much weaker in this game and I haven't any interest in persuing any of the romance options so far. Also, the knowlege that Bioware really wussed out in that area in ME2, and the suspicion that it will continue in that direction also leaves me disinterested in that option (Giving the family values crowd input in ANY kind of art rarely leads to a good result).
I'll say this in defense of the main story. The scenario in DA 2 makes it FAR more plausible to be doing petty errands for people for coin.
I had a very difficult time role playing some of those side missions in the Mass Effect games and DA Origins because of the urgent save the world/universe business at hand for the main character.
The errand running/questing in DA 2 meshes with the main story much better. At least so far, I haven't beaten the game yet.
Modifié par Demonhoopa, 10 mars 2011 - 10:33 .
#1043
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:39
rolson00
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- 1 500 messages
iv only played the demo but the camra view did my nut in
didnt like combat
prefer dao leveling and skill system
however liked the graphics
but didnt like the darkspawn old better
also when ur brother dyes y do u talk normally to flemath? makes no sense
i really hate being forced to play human always play elves(known this long before it came out but needs saying)
not keen on voiced main charecter
this game is clearly good but not great like origens in my view but i really think they should have done another 1-2 years on this game
also like to thank YuniSticksitDeep that post very helpful thankyou
didnt like combat
prefer dao leveling and skill system
however liked the graphics
but didnt like the darkspawn old better
also when ur brother dyes y do u talk normally to flemath? makes no sense
i really hate being forced to play human always play elves(known this long before it came out but needs saying)
not keen on voiced main charecter
this game is clearly good but not great like origens in my view but i really think they should have done another 1-2 years on this game
also like to thank YuniSticksitDeep that post very helpful thankyou
Modifié par rolson00, 10 mars 2011 - 10:52 .
#1044
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:45
sassperella
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- 838 messages
OK well I'm still enjoying it overall. It has things I prefer to origins and things that are not as good. Combat is pretty easy on the first two difficulties which I'm not complaining about as I suck at combat in games normally 
But my only real major disappointment is the huge cut in character interaction. I'm 11 hours into the game and have had about three lines of conversation with each of my party members outside of any personal quests. I know they wanted to save money on voice acting but I think as far as party members are concerned they cut it way too much. I'm hoping it improves as you get further into the game but tbh I'm not holding my breath on that one.
For me character interaction was one of the big things that DA:O had over a lot of games I've played, it was one of it's trademarks and I think in the budget cuts they've just hacked it all back far too much. it's a real shame as I love all the companions - unlike origins where I nearly always had the same party as there were a few I really didn't like. But for me, so far I had more dialogue in Awakening than I'm getting in DA 2 and that is very disappointing.
I love everything else so far, even the new combat, I have to say I don't really notice repeatedly pressing A but then I kinda did it with origins lol. I've had no bugs so far and from what I've seen my import has been perfect. I don't mind the lack of armor for companions, tbh I spend half my time juggling weapons and accessories on them anyway so it doesn't really feel a lot different and I like that they have a unique look.
In summary, still love it overall, but disappointed at the gutted party interaction.
But my only real major disappointment is the huge cut in character interaction. I'm 11 hours into the game and have had about three lines of conversation with each of my party members outside of any personal quests. I know they wanted to save money on voice acting but I think as far as party members are concerned they cut it way too much. I'm hoping it improves as you get further into the game but tbh I'm not holding my breath on that one. For me character interaction was one of the big things that DA:O had over a lot of games I've played, it was one of it's trademarks and I think in the budget cuts they've just hacked it all back far too much. it's a real shame as I love all the companions - unlike origins where I nearly always had the same party as there were a few I really didn't like. But for me, so far I had more dialogue in Awakening than I'm getting in DA 2 and that is very disappointing.
I love everything else so far, even the new combat, I have to say I don't really notice repeatedly pressing A but then I kinda did it with origins lol. I've had no bugs so far and from what I've seen my import has been perfect. I don't mind the lack of armor for companions, tbh I spend half my time juggling weapons and accessories on them anyway so it doesn't really feel a lot different and I like that they have a unique look.
In summary, still love it overall, but disappointed at the gutted party interaction.
#1045
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:46
mornegroth
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- Members
- 191 messages
I normally can't put my thoughts in a way everyone can understand, so I'll try to keep it short.
Speaking of my overall experience, this game was a disappointment. I can't stop thinking about this and trying to understand what happened to the team of developers at Bioware. It feels like they picked up DA:O, broke it apart and started triaging the features, some were thrown away while others were changed (and all without reason I guess).Uninteresting companions, boring side quests, too few armor and weapons. The main story was interesting, although very predictable, and filled with some memorable characters here and there (but the end got me, [spoiler]it was left open and the the conversation between the two Seekers left me wondering if The Warden will be back for an expansion [end of spoiler]).
Continuing... There are no genlocks, there are no shrieks, there are no female dwarves, you spend 10 ****ing years traveling between Kirkwall and the Sundermount area. You go to the Deep Roads twice, visit the fade once, and although once in a while new minor areas will unlock they are all uninteresting and hollow. Dungeons are all the same map basically (very much like in DA:O, but nothing compared to this one), much of the human women are similar to the Champion's mother...
I dunno what else to say. Bioware wanted to do something which I don't understand, the game doesn't feel rushed but it sure does look empty and emotionless in the most basic things.
Overal, a week 7 out of 10.
Wishes: The story hit the climax at the middle of Act 3 and kept going on until the end leaving me waiting for some new interesting expansions.
Speaking of my overall experience, this game was a disappointment. I can't stop thinking about this and trying to understand what happened to the team of developers at Bioware. It feels like they picked up DA:O, broke it apart and started triaging the features, some were thrown away while others were changed (and all without reason I guess).Uninteresting companions, boring side quests, too few armor and weapons. The main story was interesting, although very predictable, and filled with some memorable characters here and there (but the end got me, [spoiler]
Continuing... There are no genlocks, there are no shrieks, there are no female dwarves, you spend 10 ****ing years traveling between Kirkwall and the Sundermount area. You go to the Deep Roads twice, visit the fade once, and although once in a while new minor areas will unlock they are all uninteresting and hollow. Dungeons are all the same map basically (very much like in DA:O, but nothing compared to this one), much of the human women are similar to the Champion's mother...
I dunno what else to say. Bioware wanted to do something which I don't understand, the game doesn't feel rushed but it sure does look empty and emotionless in the most basic things.
Overal, a week 7 out of 10.
Wishes: The story hit the climax at the middle of Act 3 and kept going on until the end leaving me waiting for some new interesting expansions.
#1046
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:49
Feirefiz1972
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- Members
- 198 messages
Played for several hours and i am really liking most of the changes, the visuals, the new faster combat (wich is still very tactical in my opinion(playing it on hard because i've got my ass kicked on nightmare)). In origens i played mostly mage and sometimes rogue because i thought the warrior class was simply to dull to play, the two handed warrior class in dragon age 2 is actually fun to play this time arround, i am excited to play through dragon age 2 with all classes because each class feels like a blast to play.
So a lot is to my liking but not all, the lack of different armor and robes for my party members for instance is somewhat of a let down for me, everything seems to be restricted to Garret Hawke.
One of the best feelings in a rpg is finding exquisit armor an gear, i want to able to customise my party to my liking and max out there stats and resistances, finding loot and better gear is second only to leveling up and in my opinion should not be thumbed down or streamlined to near none existent.
So a lot is to my liking but not all, the lack of different armor and robes for my party members for instance is somewhat of a let down for me, everything seems to be restricted to Garret Hawke.
One of the best feelings in a rpg is finding exquisit armor an gear, i want to able to customise my party to my liking and max out there stats and resistances, finding loot and better gear is second only to leveling up and in my opinion should not be thumbed down or streamlined to near none existent.
#1047
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:49
Dewnis
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- Members
- 112 messages
Been playing for about 14 hours so far. And i'm gonna start with my rating so far, and i'd put it at 9/10.
I think that if people weren't expecting too much from the beginning they'd not be as disappointed. If this wasn't comming out in the shadow of DA:O the game would have gotten a lot higher ratings. But since everyone was so excited over DA:O they dreamed up a game of their own inside their minds. And like very often they get disappointed when the game isn't what they've dreamed up.
Anyway my pros and cons.
PROS-
- Combat: The speed and new style of combat is just fantastic. It's such an improvement over the last over used style (Same style as it was in KoToR and other older bioware games) This new fast paced combat gives a much better feel to it all and it pull you into the action much better.
- Quests: There are many interesting quests within this game, and they're quite uniqe as well which is a very good thing.
- Story: I personally find the story of this game to be marvelous, without saying too much i like how they've gone away from the old used up storyline of superhero gathering strength to fight the super villian that's been in your face all evily from the beginning and thus allowing you to have known your enemy all along.
-Graphics: The graphics are over all marvelous, apart from the characters hands.
-Companions: I actually find these companions interesting and quite as memorable as the ones in the original. I never cared for Morrigan in the first one, neither did i for sten, actually the only memorable characters for me from DA:O was Leliana, Ohgren and Alistair. And without spoiling this game i can say i've found at least 2 characters equally memorable(Even if none can top the so ever charmful Leliana). I do wish i could talk to the more though
-New skill system: I Actually find this system to be quite a lot better with the different trees and upgrades for skills.
-Voiced hero!
-Conversation system: I like how there are many different thing to say within the conversations. The more options the better really.
CONS:
-Maps, maps, maps, i say this three times because that's how repetative they get. A map should never be used more than once for each location. And the city could have been larger as well with more districts within it.
-Playtime: I know i can't fully put a standpoint on this one, but from i've heard the game still don't have 30 hours of playtime in one go. Which isn't even half of the first one with all sidequests done, this is not something to be taken lightly and will cut replayabillity.
-None-living city: As stated before, if you can't talk about a quest with someone, you can't talk with them at all. This is horrible if you ask me. I'd enjoy talking about with different characters within the game from time to time to get a feel on how the public in different areas feel about things that take place.
-Party Equipment: I'm split in two by this. I'd enjoy if you could swap the armour and such of your companions. But I'd also understand the viewpoint of them being their own individuals who pick their own gear. But in that case you shouldn't be able to pick their weapons or level them so it doesn't hold.
-New darkspawn skin is horrible.
-Removal of social skills to convince players
-Conversation system: It shouldn't be as obvious as this wheter what you pick say is good or bad. You shouldn't be influenced by the game to pick one thing over the other only because one has a sign saying I'm peaceful and nice and the other says I'll bash their faces in. You are supposed to pick what you feel like and then live with the decission and the response of whomever you're talking to, may it be good or bad.
-Party Socializing: I Could spend hours talking to the different characters before and listening to Lelianas songs. This time i go back to where they are again and again hoping they'd have something more to say to me but each time i find nothing to be had.
Oh right and the biggest con of all.
Electronic Arts
I also would have liked more playtime during the first year of kirkwall, that part alone could have been made into a couple of hours of gameplay.
I think that if people weren't expecting too much from the beginning they'd not be as disappointed. If this wasn't comming out in the shadow of DA:O the game would have gotten a lot higher ratings. But since everyone was so excited over DA:O they dreamed up a game of their own inside their minds. And like very often they get disappointed when the game isn't what they've dreamed up.
Anyway my pros and cons.
PROS-
- Combat: The speed and new style of combat is just fantastic. It's such an improvement over the last over used style (Same style as it was in KoToR and other older bioware games) This new fast paced combat gives a much better feel to it all and it pull you into the action much better.
- Quests: There are many interesting quests within this game, and they're quite uniqe as well which is a very good thing.
- Story: I personally find the story of this game to be marvelous, without saying too much i like how they've gone away from the old used up storyline of superhero gathering strength to fight the super villian that's been in your face all evily from the beginning and thus allowing you to have known your enemy all along.
-Graphics: The graphics are over all marvelous, apart from the characters hands.
-Companions: I actually find these companions interesting and quite as memorable as the ones in the original. I never cared for Morrigan in the first one, neither did i for sten, actually the only memorable characters for me from DA:O was Leliana, Ohgren and Alistair. And without spoiling this game i can say i've found at least 2 characters equally memorable(Even if none can top the so ever charmful Leliana). I do wish i could talk to the more though
-New skill system: I Actually find this system to be quite a lot better with the different trees and upgrades for skills.
-Voiced hero!
-Conversation system: I like how there are many different thing to say within the conversations. The more options the better really.
CONS:
-Maps, maps, maps, i say this three times because that's how repetative they get. A map should never be used more than once for each location. And the city could have been larger as well with more districts within it.
-Playtime: I know i can't fully put a standpoint on this one, but from i've heard the game still don't have 30 hours of playtime in one go. Which isn't even half of the first one with all sidequests done, this is not something to be taken lightly and will cut replayabillity.
-None-living city: As stated before, if you can't talk about a quest with someone, you can't talk with them at all. This is horrible if you ask me. I'd enjoy talking about with different characters within the game from time to time to get a feel on how the public in different areas feel about things that take place.
-Party Equipment: I'm split in two by this. I'd enjoy if you could swap the armour and such of your companions. But I'd also understand the viewpoint of them being their own individuals who pick their own gear. But in that case you shouldn't be able to pick their weapons or level them so it doesn't hold.
-New darkspawn skin is horrible.
-Removal of social skills to convince players
-Conversation system: It shouldn't be as obvious as this wheter what you pick say is good or bad. You shouldn't be influenced by the game to pick one thing over the other only because one has a sign saying I'm peaceful and nice and the other says I'll bash their faces in. You are supposed to pick what you feel like and then live with the decission and the response of whomever you're talking to, may it be good or bad.
-Party Socializing: I Could spend hours talking to the different characters before and listening to Lelianas songs. This time i go back to where they are again and again hoping they'd have something more to say to me but each time i find nothing to be had.
Oh right and the biggest con of all.
Electronic Arts
I also would have liked more playtime during the first year of kirkwall, that part alone could have been made into a couple of hours of gameplay.
Modifié par Dewnis, 10 mars 2011 - 11:00 .
#1048
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:50
Diegofsv
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- Members
- 74 messages
mnemonick wrote...
PERFECT Explanation of how i feel!mr.chicken wrote...
joshy_boy wrote...
Let me first begin by saying that Dragon Age Origins is one of my all time favorite games. I've sunk over 400 hours in many play through's across all three platforms. I've been a Bioware fan since the min-late 90's ever since I played Shattered Steel. Baulder's Gate and BGII, KotOR and ME are all amazing experiences. So when I say that Dragon Age II broke my little Bioware RPG loving heart, I want you to understand my full meaning.
I can only guess at the pressure a publisher like EA puts on Devs. EA's hammer of sh*t has really taken it's toll on Bioware, that much is obvious. To go through the creative process to create a whole world, a story and characters like the world of Dragon Age took years. But apparently it only takes a fraction of that time to tear it all down. Everything that made DA:O a great RPG experience has been striped away in favor of appeasing the console crowd. The gamer that likes everything fast pace and flashy. Everything from story and characters, character development, side quests, combat, skill system and complexity are all gone. Replaced with lazy design, uninspired drab characters, a story that isn't engaging and so much call of duty HUD blood its hilarious.
If Dragon Age II was simply an off shoot of the franchise made specifically for the console crowd, maybe named Dragon Age: Hawk's Story or something than this travesty could have been avoided. But to lobotomize Dragon Age this badly is a slap to the face of Biowares oldest PC fan base. I suffered through just over twelve hours of DA2 before I uninstalled it. I couldn't take any more of it. As an action JRPG without the DA name, I'd give it a 6.5/10. It's not a bad game. But it's a terrible Dragon Age game and a terrible Bioware game. I blame EA for this, not Bioware.
You guys seriously dropped the ball on this one. The truly sad part is you'll most likely make a financial killing riding on the coat tales of a game that actually deserved it's praise. Damn you EA.
I had to quote this as well because this was more eloquently put than I could have managed. Perfectly said.
This is perfect. QFT.
#1049
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:51
nightlordv
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- Members
- 132 messages
You know I am pretty far into the game already, Chapter 3, and I am really astounded that many people are posting comments and so called "reviews" after only playing it for 5, or even 10 hours.
This is definately not Dragon Age Origins, but then, I don't think Bioware ever intended it to be. I am disappointed they didn't carry the story from your main char in the first game and the whole angle with Morrigan to the sequel, but honestly, Dragon Age 2 is NOT as bad as everyone is claiming.
Here are my thoughts after playing through a lot of the game for anyone who cares.
Character models are definately more improved then the original. Clothing and armor also looks more realistic. This a plus, BUT the enviroments are still bland and unexciting. Kirkwall is more lively then Denerim, for example, because people will walk around and even make comments as you pass by. It still feels hallow and pretty drab though, but then, I felt this way in Origins so not much improvement. There are many cut and paste enviroments such as caves, and being stuck only Kirkwall is disappointing, but I ignored this for the most part because I was enjoying the story.
On my rig, with some adjusting with the Nvidia control panel, I can run the game on max settings with X8 anti liasing with no issues. This is after installing the new beta Nvidia drivers however, but before that on Direct X 11 the game was practically unplayable as it was stuttering like crazy. If I had not taken the time to make those adjustments with my Nvidia control panel, i would have consider this unexcusable but because I got it to work, i am willing to let it slide.
Having your main character have a voice is very nice, as it makes you feel more involved in the game instead of just having a character standing there blankly. The voice actor for male Hawke is adequate, but the voice acting on the other characters in the game is far better (Varric for example is well done).
Characters in your party are pretty good. In my opinion, i believe that they are just as good if not in SOME cases better then characters in the original. There were many times doing side quests and party specific quests where I really felt either bad or happy for them. Two of my favorites are Merril, who has a quirky and cute kind of charm and Varric, who's one liners and smart ass remarks are priceless at times.
There is no option to change character armor or clothing, this really does diminsh the feel of having a party at all. You CAN still change their weapons, but their armor is set and on some characters they may change it during portions of the game but it was a big let down when I found this out.
Combat, in my opinion, is pretty good. Bioware's changes to the two handed warrior are far better then they were in the original. In Dragon Age Origins it looked ridiculous seeing my character swing this massive weapon so slowly it was almost painful. In Dragon Age 2 I actually felt like a two handed powerful warrior. Rogues also now feel and play like rogues instead of just a dual wielding warrior. They have some cool abilities and if you trick them out right they can be quite formdible. The combat is more flashy and fast paced, but I like it. The original game had clunky and slow combat that was tedious at times. Although I do believe Bioware could have toned down with some of moves that make your character look like Inuashya when swinging your sword, and the fact that enemies just explode in bloody pieces (i'm sure they thought it would look cool for the teenage kids but in fact, it looks silly), to me I enjoyed the combat.
Some of the side quests are very well done (there is one with a serial killer that is awesome) and are even better then the original plot line. But such is the case in many RPGs, the main plot DOES seem all over the place and disjointed. There is no build up climax that makes you feel a sense of urgency and importance to complete it, unlike in origins where the whole land was teaming with vicious dark spawn that were wiping people out left and right and you, as the gray warden, had to stop it.
The game for me was challenging on normal mode, and there were even times I had to nerf it down to casual to beat 2 bosses that were simply impossible for me to bring down otherwise. I would hate to have played it on nightmare, but there STILL is tactics here. You can't just rush in and hope to beat down a boss, you do have to pause and move your party around to avoid wiping. Unfortunately, the AI of your party can be downright stupid because there were many times i pulled them back only to have them immdiately turn around and engage again. I had to keep hitting the "hold position" button to get them to stay and then unclick it when I wanted them to attack again. This was annoying, and with no auto attack it made it even more frustrating at times.
Party member interaction and banter is very amusing and I enjoy listening to it. Have Isabela and Varric in your party at the same time and you will see what I mean. Also, party story quests are well done, though some of them are kinda bland, there are a few that were really done well. It seems the quests for your party members span the length of the game which is also a nice touch because it keeps you engaged with them.
Having your story told from Varric's perspective makes the game less personal and involved. I still do not know what bioware was thinking here by doing this, but to me instead of making the story feel more epic it cheapens the whole experience.
Dark spawn have certainly gone down hill from the original. There only seems to be two different dark spawn these days in Dragon Age 2, the occassional ogre and hurlocks. Where ogres actually look better, the hurlocs looks like humans wearing scary halloween masks and wide brim hats (Seriously Bioware were the hats really necessary?). Since the dark spawn aren't the main focus of the game, this is minor, but it still deflates and diminishes the monstrous blood thirsty creatures your character fought in the original.
I for one find the game engaging, but I am taking it for what it IS, not what it was suppose to be. If i did that, then I would be more diasspointed because Bioware completely failed to make a sequel based on your character from the main game and coming to any conclusion with Morrigan. So with that in mind I give my final score:
Graphics: 7/10 (Character models are improved but enviroments are still flat)
Sound: 8/10 (Very good score)
Game Play 7/10 (No auto attack and some bad AI hamper this score)
Story 8/10 (I am giving the side quests and party quest stories this score, for main plot I would give it a 7/10)
Overall: Roughly an 8 out of 10.
If you read this I hope it helps you determine if you want to play the game.
This is definately not Dragon Age Origins, but then, I don't think Bioware ever intended it to be. I am disappointed they didn't carry the story from your main char in the first game and the whole angle with Morrigan to the sequel, but honestly, Dragon Age 2 is NOT as bad as everyone is claiming.
Here are my thoughts after playing through a lot of the game for anyone who cares.
Character models are definately more improved then the original. Clothing and armor also looks more realistic. This a plus, BUT the enviroments are still bland and unexciting. Kirkwall is more lively then Denerim, for example, because people will walk around and even make comments as you pass by. It still feels hallow and pretty drab though, but then, I felt this way in Origins so not much improvement. There are many cut and paste enviroments such as caves, and being stuck only Kirkwall is disappointing, but I ignored this for the most part because I was enjoying the story.
On my rig, with some adjusting with the Nvidia control panel, I can run the game on max settings with X8 anti liasing with no issues. This is after installing the new beta Nvidia drivers however, but before that on Direct X 11 the game was practically unplayable as it was stuttering like crazy. If I had not taken the time to make those adjustments with my Nvidia control panel, i would have consider this unexcusable but because I got it to work, i am willing to let it slide.
Having your main character have a voice is very nice, as it makes you feel more involved in the game instead of just having a character standing there blankly. The voice actor for male Hawke is adequate, but the voice acting on the other characters in the game is far better (Varric for example is well done).
Characters in your party are pretty good. In my opinion, i believe that they are just as good if not in SOME cases better then characters in the original. There were many times doing side quests and party specific quests where I really felt either bad or happy for them. Two of my favorites are Merril, who has a quirky and cute kind of charm and Varric, who's one liners and smart ass remarks are priceless at times.
There is no option to change character armor or clothing, this really does diminsh the feel of having a party at all. You CAN still change their weapons, but their armor is set and on some characters they may change it during portions of the game but it was a big let down when I found this out.
Combat, in my opinion, is pretty good. Bioware's changes to the two handed warrior are far better then they were in the original. In Dragon Age Origins it looked ridiculous seeing my character swing this massive weapon so slowly it was almost painful. In Dragon Age 2 I actually felt like a two handed powerful warrior. Rogues also now feel and play like rogues instead of just a dual wielding warrior. They have some cool abilities and if you trick them out right they can be quite formdible. The combat is more flashy and fast paced, but I like it. The original game had clunky and slow combat that was tedious at times. Although I do believe Bioware could have toned down with some of moves that make your character look like Inuashya when swinging your sword, and the fact that enemies just explode in bloody pieces (i'm sure they thought it would look cool for the teenage kids but in fact, it looks silly), to me I enjoyed the combat.
Some of the side quests are very well done (there is one with a serial killer that is awesome) and are even better then the original plot line. But such is the case in many RPGs, the main plot DOES seem all over the place and disjointed. There is no build up climax that makes you feel a sense of urgency and importance to complete it, unlike in origins where the whole land was teaming with vicious dark spawn that were wiping people out left and right and you, as the gray warden, had to stop it.
The game for me was challenging on normal mode, and there were even times I had to nerf it down to casual to beat 2 bosses that were simply impossible for me to bring down otherwise. I would hate to have played it on nightmare, but there STILL is tactics here. You can't just rush in and hope to beat down a boss, you do have to pause and move your party around to avoid wiping. Unfortunately, the AI of your party can be downright stupid because there were many times i pulled them back only to have them immdiately turn around and engage again. I had to keep hitting the "hold position" button to get them to stay and then unclick it when I wanted them to attack again. This was annoying, and with no auto attack it made it even more frustrating at times.
Party member interaction and banter is very amusing and I enjoy listening to it. Have Isabela and Varric in your party at the same time and you will see what I mean. Also, party story quests are well done, though some of them are kinda bland, there are a few that were really done well. It seems the quests for your party members span the length of the game which is also a nice touch because it keeps you engaged with them.
Having your story told from Varric's perspective makes the game less personal and involved. I still do not know what bioware was thinking here by doing this, but to me instead of making the story feel more epic it cheapens the whole experience.
Dark spawn have certainly gone down hill from the original. There only seems to be two different dark spawn these days in Dragon Age 2, the occassional ogre and hurlocks. Where ogres actually look better, the hurlocs looks like humans wearing scary halloween masks and wide brim hats (Seriously Bioware were the hats really necessary?). Since the dark spawn aren't the main focus of the game, this is minor, but it still deflates and diminishes the monstrous blood thirsty creatures your character fought in the original.
I for one find the game engaging, but I am taking it for what it IS, not what it was suppose to be. If i did that, then I would be more diasspointed because Bioware completely failed to make a sequel based on your character from the main game and coming to any conclusion with Morrigan. So with that in mind I give my final score:
Graphics: 7/10 (Character models are improved but enviroments are still flat)
Sound: 8/10 (Very good score)
Game Play 7/10 (No auto attack and some bad AI hamper this score)
Story 8/10 (I am giving the side quests and party quest stories this score, for main plot I would give it a 7/10)
Overall: Roughly an 8 out of 10.
If you read this I hope it helps you determine if you want to play the game.
#1050
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 10:55
Morrigans God son
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- Members
- 483 messages
Disapointed.
MaleHawke's voice was terrible but FemHawke's voice was brill. So you got something right!
Story was boring. Companions were boring too, well Merrill and Isabela gave me a few laughs and that was it... both of them were my favourites. I found myself actually continuing through the rubbish that is DA2...only because of those two companions. Which is just pure sad.
I sat up straight in my chair everytime an old character from Origins/Awakening appeared or was mentioned. Doesn't that say something?
The game just didn't get me hooked like the first one....BioWare should of made a real Origin's sequel! Instead we get this rushed trashed.
MaleHawke's voice was terrible but FemHawke's voice was brill. So you got something right!
Story was boring. Companions were boring too, well Merrill and Isabela gave me a few laughs and that was it... both of them were my favourites. I found myself actually continuing through the rubbish that is DA2...only because of those two companions. Which is just pure sad.
I sat up straight in my chair everytime an old character from Origins/Awakening appeared or was mentioned. Doesn't that say something?
The game just didn't get me hooked like the first one....BioWare should of made a real Origin's sequel! Instead we get this rushed trashed.
Modifié par Morrigans God son, 10 mars 2011 - 10:57 .
