3274 réponses à ce sujet

[Iecerint]

+ Great art style
+ Good battle system changes
+ The plot structure contains lots of little Baldur's Gate 2 homages, which I appreciate.

- Recycled areas + mini-maps unchanged really makes the area recycling more obvious than it needs to be. Mini-map editing and removing some extra doors would have fixed this issue considerably with minimal effort.
- Character interaction is very limited. It's basically 1 conversation per block + occasional one-off conversations after major events, and each conversation will have maybe 2-3 choices
- MHawke gives each of the three "personalities" with a different accent. This makes it REALLY jarring if the player tries to deviate at all from a cookie-cutter good/funny/bad approach. Hawke is schizophrenic. Not sure if FHawke comes off better.

I'd say 8/10 as is. Fixing the mini-maps and using other tools to make the recycled areas slightly better-disguised would perhaps bump it a little (for example, Fenris's mansion is the same as the brothel, but the player doesn't notice because the lighting is so different in the two environments); that's the most bang-for-buck thing that's missing, I think.

[Iecerint]

(I'm toward the start of Act 2, so the character interaction angle still has a chance to change.)

[rooky91]

Thus far I'm really enjoying it, I'm in the first Year of being in Kirkwall and 6 hours in. If the rest are this long then its gonna be great.

[mornegroth]

One off topic little question if you guys don't mind.
Is there any place where you can see in what Act are you? I already finished the game but I would like to know it nonetheless.
Thanks in advance.

[Bad Gamer 83]

Iecerint wrote...


I'd say 8/10 as is. Fixing the mini-maps and using other tools to make the recycled areas slightly better-disguised would perhaps bump it a little (for example, Fenris's mansion is the same as the brothel, but the player doesn't notice because the lighting is so different in the two environments); that's the most bang-for-buck thing that's missing, I think.

Hear, hear...

[joshy_boy]

Diegofsv wrote...

mnemonick wrote...

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.

PERFECT Explanation of how i feel!

This is perfect. QFT.

I'm glad you guys agree! Although I truely feel all of that, I still have every faith in Bioware and I'm sure I'll enjoy thier future products every bit as much as their classics. However I believe Dragon Age 2 to be a disservice to not only the Dragon Age world, but to Bioware itself.

[nightlordv]

mornegroth wrote...

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.

Bioware now being under the EA banner is what happened. Nuff said

[Rockpopple]

Haven't finished the game yet, so this is more of a "First Impression Continuation" than a Review.

Platform: PS3

Characters - So far excellently well voiced and very engaging. People keep talking about how the siblings death in the prologue (not a spoiler, we all played the demo) was underplayed, or not emotionally critical... but if you keep playing you see how that sibling's death continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of the Hawke family, especially the mother. I really care about these characters.

CC - Only 100 times better than in DA:O. My first guy is suffering from "baby face", but I figure this will be remedied with more practice. And the family taking on the traits of the MC? Brilliant.

Inventory System - Don't like it. Feels clunky and slow. DA:O's is better. Heck, most JRPGs handle inventory better than here. It really feels like a chore to enter your inventory to switch weapons. I'm actually glad they streamlined it for your companions, otherwise it'd be worse. My biggest problem with the game so far.

Ability System - Very cool. I only noticed last night that the shapes the abilities are corresponds with whether they're passive, or sustained or activated. That's a small but excellent change. I can tell with a glance now what abilities I want to concentrate on. AND THERE ARE SO MANY. What's with people saying there are less abilities now? Are they high?

Kirkwall - Freaking HUGE. It's about 3 times the size of Denerim so far, and I haven't even explored half of it. It looks like except for a few huge areas in DA:O, like the Circle, for example, they took most of the areas from DA:O and put them in one city. So the locations are less, but in a way, not much less. And I don't understand people who claim the city is empty. Kirkwall is full of life. The only annoying bit is listening to my PS3 turn the disk whenever I approach an NPC that's about to say something.

Battle system - Much better than DA:O. I don't mind the button mashing, as you only need to do that in battle. Battles at first were a simple matter of button mashing, but I'm only a few hours in and I frequently pause the game to give my companions orders so I won't be curb-stomped by enemy mages and two-handers. The fighting can get real intense at times, and mages are a lot more threatening in DA:2. In DA:O, I laughed at Mages. I'd be like, "Oh, a mage? Ho ho ho ho" (Japanese old woman laugh), zap them with Mana Clash, and it's ova. In DA2, mages can and will kill off 3 of my companions if I'm not careful, even if I spot them a mile away and make a bee-line for them. Oh, I'm playing as a sword and board warrior.

Story - So far, it's pretty interesting, but I can't talk too much about this yet. I haven't progressed that far in the story. I'm the kinda guy that likes to go questing on my first playthrough, and man are there a lot of quests. I have a feeling that there'll be a lot more quests in this game than there were in DA:O, and I gotta love that.

Music - The music is just okay so far. Some very good tunes, but I can't compare it to say, Mass Effect 2. But I'm early in. There's been a few weird glitches with the sound, but they're very rare and hopefully will stay that way.

Conversation system - Are you kidding me? People complaining that they can no longer role-play because of the ME-style wheel? Conversations are long, involving, and they can go multiple ways. I'm having a hard time deciding what personality my 1st Hawke will go. I'm leaning towards "Paragon", but sometimes I go sarcastic. This is a huge improvement from the silent, motionless protagonist.

These are my impressions. So far, so very, very good.

EDIT: Oh, and forgot to add that so far, the game import is working for me. My 1st Warden did the ritual, put Alistair on the throne and made Loghain a Grey Warden because I DIDN'T KNOW!!!!!!! Anyway, certain people in Kirkwall talk as if my Warden lived, so that at least is working.

Modifié par Rockpopple, 10 mars 2011 - 11:30 .

[Trickshaw]

I never post on this thing. Ever. After playing DAII I felt I HAD to.

1.) The extreme that they reused the maps in DA2 is just obscene. I am, I'm assuming, 2/3rds done with the game. Given my level and the time that's lapsed in game I'm guessing I'm about right.

Problem #1:

I've visited the coast at least a dozen times. I've seen the same "corner coast" minimap I've no idea how many times and every single time it was for an ambush or what not. They reused the same two house maps for every interior I swear. The level of lack of creativity is absolutely staggering... I simply can't believe that Bioware actually let this out the door given the clear lack of detail given. I don't know what to say.

I'm GUESSING this is because of the pressure for the release of SWTOR. So Bioware had to reallocate resources to keep that project on schedule and DA2 suffered for it. It's the only reason I can possibly accept. Bioware has NEVER produced a copy and paste game. It literally gives me a headache playing this game. If it weren't for the exceptional story telling I would probably never play this again nor recommend it to anyone.

Problem #2

Continuity is huge. HUGE. And Bioware is normally extremely good at this. Why, WHY were they able to devote so much detail to flora and fauna but couldn't take the time to clean up these maps? Courtyards with no entrances. Area's with people in them with no visible means for them to have gotten there to begin with. Rooms that are no bigger than 20x20 but for some reason have 40 foot ceilings? Couldn't you have covered up some of these "doorways" in the caves with, Oh I dunno, rubble or something instead of just making them greyed out? Seriously... the game was hackjobed to get it out the door on time.

The action is predictable 95% of the time.  Oh look... skeletons on the ground.  Yeah, they're going to attack.  Oh, they didn't?  Well that means they will on my way out.

Every

Single

Time.

The other 5% of the time it is pretty surprising.  I've jumped at least 4 times because I was taken off guard.  Those encounters, very well done.  The rest of them?  Total crap.

Why is it, and I'm not even exaggerating, that 95% of the chests in this game contain crap.  And I don't mean useless or poor loot.  I mean literal crap.  Torn pants.  Bag of rocks?  Really?  REALLY?  The actual chest is worth more than the contents.  Can I just pick up the ****ing chest and leave the bag of rocks?  Continuity people.  Stop using chests to store crap.  I don't care if there are a gand total of 5 chests in the whole game.

5 chests with awesome loot > 500 chests with bags of rocks.

I am so terribly TERRIBLY disappointed in Bioware right now. SWTOR *BETTER* be the reason for this ****** poor delivery. Because if it's not, and this is the quality that Bioware is planning on pumping out from now on, I will no longer be a Bioware Fan or supporter.

Things you did well:

Conversations are way WAY better than they were.

Isabella is friggin awesome and hysterical.

I like that you now have cursing in your dialogue.  Adds realism and more of an "adult" feel to the game.  Simple addition that had profound effect on the drama.

Varric is bad a**.  'nuff said.

I like the new skill system.

Story is great, as usual.

Fix the presentation and this game would be tops.

Modifié par XFracture, 10 mars 2011 - 11:39 .

[nightlordv]

Rockpopple wrote...

Haven't finished the game yet, so this is more of a "First Impression Continuation" than a Review.

Platform: PS3

Characters - So far excellently well voiced and very engaging. People keep talking about how the siblings death in the prologue (not a spoiler, we all played the demo) was underplayed, or not emotionally critical... but if you keep playing you see how that sibling's death continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of the Hawke family, especially the mother. I really care about these characters.

CC - Only 100 times better than in DA:O. My first guy is suffering from "baby face", but I figure this will be remedied with more practice. And the family taking on the traits of the MC? Brilliant.

Inventory System - Don't like it. Feels clunky and slow. DA:O's is better. Heck, most JRPGs handle inventory better than here. It really feels like a chore to enter your inventory to switch weapons. I'm actually glad they streamlined it for your companions, otherwise it'd be worse. My biggest problem with the game so far.

Ability System - Very cool. I only noticed last night that the shapes the abilities are corresponds with whether they're passive, or sustained or activated. That's a small but excellent change. I can tell with a glance now what abilities I want to concentrate on. AND THERE ARE SO MANY. What's with people saying there are less abilities now? Are they high?

Kirkwall - Freaking HUGE. It's about 3 times the size of Denerim so far, and I haven't even explored half of it. It looks like except for a few huge areas in DA:O, like the Circle, for example, they took most of the areas from DA:O and put them in one city. So the locations are less, but in a way, not much less. And I don't understand people who claim the city is empty. Kirkwall is full of life. The only annoying bit is listening to my PS3 turn the disk whenever I approach an NPC that's about to say something.

Battle system - Much better than DA:O. I don't mind the button mashing, as you only need to do that in battle. Battles at first were a simple matter of button mashing, but I'm only a few hours in and I frequently pause the game to give my companions orders so I won't be curb-stomped by enemy mages and two-handers. The fighting can get real intense at times, and mages are a lot more threatening in DA:2. In DA:O, I laughed at Mages. I'd be like, "Oh, a mage? Ho ho ho ho" (Japanese old woman laugh), zap them with Mana Clash, and it's ova. In DA2, mages can and will kill off 3 of my companions if I'm not careful, even if I spot them a mile away and make a bee-line for them. Oh, I'm playing as a sword and board warrior.

Story - So far, it's pretty interesting, but I can't talk too much about this yet. I haven't progressed that far in the story. I'm the kinda guy that likes to go questing on my first playthrough, and man are there a lot of quests. I have a feeling that there'll be a lot more quests in this game than there were in DA:O, and I gotta love that.

Music - The music is just okay so far. Some very good tunes, but I can't compare it to say, Mass Effect 2. But I'm early in. There's been a few weird glitches with the sound, but they're very rare and hopefully will stay that way.

Conversation system - Are you kidding me? People complaining that they can no longer role-play because of the ME-style wheel? Conversations are long, involving, and they can go multiple ways. I'm having a hard time deciding what personality my 1st Hawke will go. I'm leaning towards "Paragon", but sometimes I go sarcastic. This is a huge improvement from the silent, motionless protagonist.

These are my impressions. So far, so very, very good.

I also agree with this. Well put

[AssassinKing]

Just started playing Dragon Age 2. I found it kinda boring.. I am a newcomer... But I enjoyed Mass Effect 2... Don't know how to make this game fun..?

[Shepard of Death]

I just don't see how so many people look at this game as if it's gold. It feels like Bioware will gather the idea from them that making a mess of a game like this is okay with everyone.

[Trickshaw]

Forgot a couple things:

- The fact that there's only one tank in this game unless you roll one yourself. I don't like that. Maybe there's another character somewhere along the way. But so far I'm looking at 3 mages, 2 rogues, 1 *laugh* "dps warrior". You can get another tank but you have to roll a mage to get him. So if you don't roll a mage you're stuck with the stuck up guard chick that gets pissed at you for 1/2 the decisions you make in the game.

*rolleyes* Awesome...

- I really like how the map reveals what quests are available in what areas. That was a really nice change.

[Raiynna]

The game is okay... but not what it could be by any means. Was definitely not worth getting as excited over it as I was. I felt like I just kept repeating the same maps over and over -- that grew tiresome. 3-4 outfits no matter how many different items you found?!! It can't be that hard to give variety! And why was my female character the worst dressed female? The conversation with companions was awful, and that was such fun in DA:O. I only laughed a few times, and didn't feel the emotional roller coaster I felt in DA:O. There is no stopping for a conversation if you get bored with hack/slash mission running. I guess I was looking forward to the things that made DA:O so much different from all the other games out there and held my expectations too high. For the people who say to stop comparing it to DA:O -- it is called DA"2" what were we supposed to hope for??!! Ahh well.... Maybe next time, but I will read the forums first!!! For now... I'm off to play DA:O again and let Alistair make me laugh for a while

[polishpimptime]

PC Platform Alienware M17X
Rather disappointed w. all the lag too date.
Must say DA I loved it so much, I played it 19hrs straight the 1st day I owned it.
DA2 I have actually fallen asleep 3 times, and I barely sleep so I guess thats a thank you.
So far, it feels very cold and impersonal.
I think that the combat has been tuned to be more like a gamebox type game.
Too date, just not feeling it...I was so excited for the release of this game too.
I am a older gamer I am sure to this post, plus 40 yrs old, just loved storyline of DA....DA2 missing something.

I am going to increase to a harder setting, and hope at some point I will figure out why my SE bonus Prince and Black market not included.

Not giving up on game, but not as excited to play it either..

Guess I'll still have a life with DA2......8-)

[android654]

I have yet to be dissatisfied from a bioware title, and this time is no different. Granted there could have been a lot of things I would've added or changed, but I've been playing for every opportunity since tuesday and I don't feel cheated at all. I can definitely see having multiple playthroughs, just like Mass Effect 2. I truly believe this game started in the right direction from where DA: O went wrong, and I believe Dragon Age 3 will be done much better.

FYI, its hinted at in this game that there's more story in this world to be told.

[Melduran]

A month ago I would have sold my mother to even step inside the great halls of BIoware to taste the creative processes of their development of games. However

DAO had the making to be something close to Tolkens universe, from the remarks of the maker to the scrutiny of the templars watching the mages, it all seemed so real and believable. My companions had dark storys and lifes of their own, they expressed and felt no different then a real life friend or family member. Their problems made you want to make them yours, the writing of these fellas made every time going back to camp exciting that perhaps something else can be exchanged.

Feraldin was beautiful it had its nobility its crime and the troubles you would expect. But Kirkwall is a bland, brown, 2 demensional city where to interact to people you click on the perspective box near them to buy, or to spend company with your companions its completely moderated by A to B enject dialogue. I can not even count how many times I went to the same warehouse, cave, or beach to A. Kill a evil man B. Kill a blood mage C. rescue someone from A or B.

The fact nearly 4 maps are used for nearly all side quests is not only unreasonable but should of allowed for such a richer plot to free up the designers to create. The plot has no direction you are simply being in this city as a refugee how you even reach the end is hardly the role you control, this game could be considered a VPG what I call a view playing game, your not really in charge of Hawk your basicaly riding the crest to the end when choices like A. Spare the man B let him go or C. Let Free, are actually called a choice then who's kidding who?

What since does friend and rival mean either you like someone or you do not, what could possibly compel someone to stay with a person they despise and distrust yet feel confidant enough with that persons desiscions?

But its not all bad as a matter of fact I think the combat is the right direction and their were a few battles that were incredibly fun. But as you fight 20 people at a time you begin to think well who could possibly stand against this sort of person whos physical prowless is unmatched. DAOs combat wasn't the greatest but it was in such a way that tactics could be depolyed. For instance if you felt that the enemy ahead could be best dealt with range then everyone could be equiped a bow, yet somehow even a warrior can not string the simplist bow or crank back the easiest crossbow. Or a rogue that should have several aspects of fighting under his belt can not wield daggers if hes trained in range and vice versa.

Honestly the best thing I can say about this game is the combat for being more fluid in regards to two handed combat and the ability for mages to defend themselfs with their staff. Sadly as I have completed this game Im still trying to figure exactly wtf was going on with the plot, there was no archdemon to rally against yet you have companions with you for no other means then to drink with or to romance and the term romance is very loose word to use. I will not mention the bugs or the poor clipping in the clothing cause well things can be overlooked.

In closing Im just confused at this game it seems to just tear down the amazing world in the first and do nothing to improve. I knew what to expect when i purchased dragon age awakening for it was released shortly after Origins and all though that was a 1 time play through for me I could not of expected the same with this as well.

[Bad Gamer 83]

Shepard of Death wrote...

I just don't see how so many people look at this game as if it's gold. It feels like Bioware will gather the idea from them that making a mess of a game like this is okay with everyone.

The great thing about review is that they ARE peoples opinions. It's a collection of this story and that story to somehow make it all congeal into an overall plot, but it's still a very good game. People are expecting the feeling of reading an epic novel, but instead they changed it to be more like a series of things. I think it's gold. What I find the crime to be are people who turn cheek due to minor things. Not playing BECAUSE it's getting scores lower than a (gasp!) 9 is annoying and, if you're a fan, you should be willing to overlook this. There is an official Review forum as well that you can post your five cents.
There're a lotta reviews in here that say it's a bad game. The fact of the matter, is no one is neccesarily right or wrong. It's all in the individuals arguments and that's why they have forums like this.

[mornegroth]

Interesting review about the game, it's "ranty" but interesting nonetheless.
http://social.biowar...43737/1#6443737

Modifié par mornegroth, 11 mars 2011 - 12:00 .

[ChrisBen]

Preordered
this game for PC because I enjoyed Origins so much (had at least 350
hours logged on steam). Played the demo beforehand. Tried to ignore all
the negative press it was getting, as well as the hype EA was pushing
out. I felt I knew what to expect. I'm about half way through the game
so far, don't think I want to even try and finish it anymore. So far though, while there are some things
that it did a bit better than
Origins, the sum of its parts is leaving me frustrated and disappointed
on many levels, as a fan of Origins.



Pros:

- Aesthetic design is improved (Textures not included sadly). Some of
the character models feel better constructed as well, such as dwarves,
elves, Qunari. They feel like their own distinct races. Not a huge fan
of Hurlock redesign though, but it doesn't bother me too much. Overall,
the world has its own distinct feel now and not quite so much a mish
mash of undetermined Lord of the Rings/Baldur's Gate aesthetics.

- The environments (what few of them there are) look nicer, in terms of
design (again, not graphically or in terms of textures), than Origins.
-
Combat animations look nicer (some don't like them, I feel they're
better looking than Origins).

- Combat itself doesn't feel as chunky, and is, generally, more fluid.



In the Middle:

- Voice acting. Overall it's about the same as Origins. Generally it's
better in terms of differentiating races, and they sound a bit more
varied but I get annoyed with Hawke's voice though and a few other NPC
voices have made me cringe from time to time. Not really a Pro or Con.

- Music is pretty much the same quality as Origins. Not really a Pro or
Con.



Cons:

- Graphically, it looks worse than Origins due to lack of decent
textures and overlarge polygons. Bioware lied about this point
apparently (claiming it to be graphically superior to Origins).

- Tactically, combat is a nightmare, since Bioware removed isometric
view on the PC (apparently for no good reason). It's annoying trying to
place an area of effect spell or trying to position party members when
you can't see everything that's going on in a nice overhead picture.
Instead it makes you switch between characters to get a total view of
the combat which can be a bit confusing when trying to coordinate
attacks. Plus tanks don't hold aggro at all so enemies just attack whoever they want.

- Plot. There doesn't seem to be much of one. This is probably the most
frustrating thing of all for me. Origins was compelling, not because the
story itself was so original, but because the central conflict was
always apparent. In Dragon Age 2 there is no central conflict. It just
skips around to various side-quests that all feel equally unimportant.
As a result, the game itself feels messy, unorganized, uninteresting.
Which is a shame.

- There is hardly any interaction with characters. In Origins you could
interact with anyone at almost any given time and explore rather
detailed dialogue trees. Dragon Age 2 follows the model of Awakening
more closely in the sense that you can't really delve deep into
characters except at scripted events. It all feels very shallow and as a
result the characters seem completely uninteresting. It's almost like
your characters don't need to be there. They chime in at certain points
during certain quests but there's no exploration of personality to speak
of. Truly disappointing.

- There are too few environments. While the environments that do exist
feel nicely designed, it get's extremely tiring having to back track
constantly between the same few areas you've been to over and over again
(Kirkwall, Wounded Coast, Sundermount, etc.).
The same exact cave reused for everything, the same house interiors. It's just incredibly sloppy.
- The Dialogue wheel, surprisingly, felt very irritating in this game. I
didn't mind it at all in Mass Effect, but in this game it doesn't feel
satisfying at all. Hawke still doesn't say what you want him to, despite
the "helpful" chat icons that appear in the center of the wheel. By far
I would have preferred written out dialogue like in Origins. At least
then I could properly gauge others reactions towards my choices.



This game is quite disappointing. And the more I write the more annoyed I
get with it to be honest. There are some fun things about it, but
overall the game feels incredibly rushed. Bioware should be ashamed for
claiming such a game to be a "spiritual successor" to Baldur's Gate.
While that title may have been more pertinent to Origins, Dragon Age 2
doesn't feel like any Baldur's Gate game I've ever played. This game
definitely doesn't compare to the first. It's not satisfying. It's not
interesting. It doesn't feel very deep in any sense. I doubt I'm going
to get much replay value out of this game. Hell, I'll probably just
replay Origins after this... or sell it back so I can afford the Witcher
2.

Truly a shame. Wait for the price to drop significantly or just
rent it. Game isn't any way worth $60 new.

[Happypike23]

I already posted my review... But I thought I'd take a second to point out something interesting about the player reviews for this game. If you got to gamespot.com and look at the player reviews for DA2 on the PC, Xbox, and PS3 you will notice that players like the console version more then the PC version. Not a HUGE difference, but we are talking about a 7.1 rating on the PC side and a 8.5 on the console side. I guess Bioware really did cater to a specific audience/gamer. Nice.

[ShanaS4]

Still early in my play (I didn't buy a copy since someone else in house was getting it) Origins was a good game, this is better for they fixed combat

Like:
Combat is smoother to me, and seems like I'm actually in control of the one fighting.

Dislike:
When I set a quest as active, it should be the only one marked on any map I look at for directions.

[Ricochetmatt]

I think some of you are out of your damn minds. DAII is not THAT different from Origins. At least the PC version isn't. And if you're not playing it on the PC, shame on you. Everyone knows DA is a pc game. When I was picking my copy up at Gamestop, the clerk was laughing at some sucker who bought it for the 360.

This game is brilliant. It's not perfect, no. But neither was Origins.

Anyway - Some comments on the game itself:

- I'm only twenty-something hours in so I'm not quite done yet. But so far the story is very filling. The characters are interesting, fun and bring a lot to the game. I almost prefer these companion characters to the companions in Origins.

-The combat is a HUGE improvement from Origins. It's more exciting and fluid. Being a Mage was so dull in the last game. But after playing the demo and a few hours of the real game, the Mage is easily my favorite class in the game. I haven't put proper hours into the other classes, though. But judging on the Demo play-through, they were a lot of fun.

-The maps are linear, yes... And that is sometimes a little irritating. But it's a Bioware game. It was expected. But the story is fantastic enough to motivate you to get through the action to see what comes next. And in that sense, linear temples and caves don't hurt the game that much... Though they do need to be a little more open.

-Costumes/armor is another problem. There's not a huge variety to choose from. Luckily, the armor I've been stuck with for the last 6 hours or more is pretty decent. Oh and good looking, too.

-For a story that strays away from saving the world from a big bad, it sure is interesting. I was skeptical at first... But my fears have been destroyed. Everything about the story is fantastic and I love the direction it's heading in. I have a feeling I'll be making some HUGE choices soon enough. I'm eager to see how it all ends.

-As for the designs... I think they're great. The elves are a wee-bit funky looking, but I welcome it. The Darkspawn? Much needed change. The Darkspawn in Origins were fantastic, but they looked like something out of Lord of the Rings. Besides, they're creepier now. It's the paleness, I think.

The Qunari design is fantastic as well. No, they look nothing like Sten or those other Qunari from Origins... But that's a good thing. They have their own unique look and aren't just hefty men with pointed ears. They're stunning creatures in DAII and I definitely embrace this change.

-Now for the romance and other relationships. I saw a lot of complaints about how keeping a consistent flow with the ups and downs was difficult. But I've had no problems. Getting Fenris in bed was pretty easy and I have Anders begging for my love. Aveline and I have a fantastic relationship and Carver is... Well, he's a dick. They all pretty much went in the direction I wanted them to.

The only one I'm having issues with is Merrill. She's all over the damn place with her emotions. One minute she loves me, the next she hates me. I don't know what's going on there. I tend to avoid women like that in real life as well.

-Maps. The maps are gorgeous. Some of them were so nice that I had to stop and bask in their awesomeness. The Hanged Man? That place is something fierce in design and atmosphere.

My only problem is that many many MANY of the places I've been to are the same exact cave or mansion I adventured into twenty minutes ago. I think Bioware could have made a few other maps to throw around just to spread it out a little more. I got tired of walking into some mansion and saying "Oh, this is Fenris' place... Only with monsters."

But overall I'm enjoying this game greatly. It's a huge improvement over Origins... But lacks some of the finer things from that game. But I'm realistic and I wont pretend that it ruins a perfectly good game. Cause it doesn't. Dragon Age II is brilliant so far and I can't imagine is sucking anytime soon.

[Blackened25]

I've been playing DA2 frequently the last couple of days on PC, and have made it far enough where I feel a review would be useful.

Story:
I absoloutley love the story. The framed narrative is interesting and not intrusive, and does it's job. I love the progession of time, and I'd hope that in future years, more rpg's could be released that follow your character through large arcs of time. If DA3 follows this formula, I'm 100% buying it.  It's satisfying in a unique and new way, so for me the writers have absoloutely hit a home run.

Gameplay:
I thought I would be bothered more about exploding bodies and ninja rogues, but frankly I'm not. My first playthrough has been as a mage, and I find the higher responsiveness a nice change. There are still moments of "finishing last action" pauses, but it's not bad. It's nice to be able to quickly cast a spell when a melee type is barging down on me.
Mage powers are satisfying to use, though sometimes can feel underwhelming against a huge sack of hp type boss.

Dialogue Wheel:
It's been better than I thought it would be. The paraphrasing and symbology have served ok for the most part, though at times the dialogue I chose meant something differnt than what I assumed it did. This only happened a few times for me though, so not a big con. On a related note, I've enjyoed voiced Hawke alot. My first playthrough has been with a somewhat evil hardcore mage, and Hawke's male VA delivers nasty, biting lines very well.

Maps:
Not a huge fan of the massive reuse of maps. It seems like I've seen the same sewers and mansion layouts hundreds of times. It's not as big of a deal for me as it was in ME1, since there's usually at least an interesting conversation or cutscene to be had. I'd like to see more unique layots in the future though.

Inventory:
Every time I find a nice piece of armor I can't use, it's bothered me that I can't give the item to my party members. I'm also not happy that you can't change Varric's weapon at all, though in fairness Bianca is an awesome crossbow. It also seems to be the only crossbow in the game. All in all, I felt like there was too much restriction in item allowance. Why can't my rogue use a sword? Why can't the warrior in my party use bows as weapon switch? Not a fan of the "If you don't have a particular skill you can't equip this item" approach.

Overall:
I'm almost completely sold on this game, as it's been nothing but fun. The story is what makes all the small details I don't like manageable. Again, I hope you guys will consider taking the longterm storytelling approach again in the future, it's been the game's highpoint for me.

Modifié par Blackened25, 11 mars 2011 - 12:23 .

[Lee T]

XFracture wrote...

Bioware has NEVER produced a copy and paste game.

Unfortunately they did, Mass Effect's "dungeons" were either the (names mine) "underground complex", "colonization prefabs" and "mines" always the same floorplan and wall textures, ennemies in the same rooms enforcing rinse/repeat strategy etc... the dispositions of the "chests" the disposition of "cover material" some doors you may or may not open were about the only differences with very few exceptions (and two planets used the exact same topography).