The gameplay and control mechanics for the console version are awesome. They have a smooth feel when selecting spells or actions. The dialogue choices in my opinion are an improvement my biggest annoyance with DA:O was cycling through what felt like hundreds of options just to tell Alastair your a cool guy. Graphics are still PC but smooth not as rough as Origins was. Story is great for me since I knew vaguely what it was. A figure known as the champion who changed history. The sounds are the best I have heard in any game to date. My only problem is that sometimes the background noise drowns out the conversations going on between my party members. I like the new talent tree addition I always felt there were an overabundant amount of spells to choose from in Origins; why put worthless spells into a game. That is a definite plus for me especially since each spell or talent I have chosen is useful in its own way. I like thay I make it attack but I agree with adding an option to auto attack. The reused dungeons and areas in the game is a downfall but what game doesn't reuse unless its openworld and even then its 5 areas thay look different but are large in size. I see no difference here overall this game standing alone is phenomenal addition to the Dragon Age world it isn't Origins, but that isn't a bad thing. Addtional note I do wish armor and weapons found could be used for all characters.
Your Dragon Age II Review *NO SPOILERS PLEASE*
Débuté par
javierabegazo
, mars 08 2011 04:02
Retour en haut
#2003
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 09:24
Tristam25
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This game is fantastic! Any doubts I had about the smaller world or anything else about the game vanished within the first few hours. The gameplay is much improved over DA:O, and the story is just as good, if not better. It's dynamic storyline was amazing, and things from the past did change the future in a very noticeable and interesting way. The ending was also very good, just like in the previous title. Also, just like DA:O, questions were answered at the end, but many more remained. I can't wait for the sequel. I might erase my first profile and start over though, as for some reason I didn't find Isabela. While it didn't really matter to me overall, I don't want that to negatively affect potential import data. Besides, it'll be fun to play it again. I would give this game 9.5 out of 10 (I believe no game should ever get a 10/10, as nothing is perfect. But Bioware, you came close, and thats all anything can do). The story is amazing and the gameplay is a refeshing change from other RPGs I've played. It was somewhat of a letdown to lose a portion of the depth you could get to know your companions, but it wasn't drastically reduced. Most glitches I encountered were graphical ones that affected cutscenes, so they didn't spoil the game . I believe Bioware can make the best RPGs in terms of story; and for RPGs, that's what should really matter. I can't wait for DA III, and I kinda hope I'll get to be Hawke again in that game and see resolution to this epic story.
Modifié par Tristam25, 16 mars 2011 - 09:30 .
#2004
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 09:29
wildannie
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Just finished my first playthrough (PC) and will shortly create Hawke II.
Basically I love the game, was not sure at first (same as at the start of my first playthrough of Origins) but was totally hooked by Act II.
Of course I have some niggles.
Camera - I did miss the iso camera from origins, especially when hawke was pinned near a wall/door and I could not get a good view.
Conversations - Although I like that there was some pacing, I would have liked for there to be some conversations that could be inintiated at companions homes at any time, especially LIs. For me, this would have added to the illusion of freedom within the game. Ideally I would like something somewhere between Origins and II.
Elves - I really don't like the new look (I do like the new height though). My biggest problem is that they are supposed to be attractive to humans, with the exception of Fenris and Merrill, they were really quite...er... ugly. If elves were supposed to be a bit ugly that would be fine, but they're not. One particular elf had really gone very wrong facially (I really hope that they will have found their face again if they are to appear in a future title - fortunately their voice was as good as ever)
bugs - Only one dogged me throughout and that was losing my ability to attack (fixed by switching character and back again) This was especially prevalent when using rogue talent 'back to back'.
Only crashed once... I had been playing it for a very very long time though.
As I said, LOVE the game, thanks BIOWARE x
Basically I love the game, was not sure at first (same as at the start of my first playthrough of Origins) but was totally hooked by Act II.
Of course I have some niggles.
Camera - I did miss the iso camera from origins, especially when hawke was pinned near a wall/door and I could not get a good view.
Conversations - Although I like that there was some pacing, I would have liked for there to be some conversations that could be inintiated at companions homes at any time, especially LIs. For me, this would have added to the illusion of freedom within the game. Ideally I would like something somewhere between Origins and II.
Elves - I really don't like the new look (I do like the new height though). My biggest problem is that they are supposed to be attractive to humans, with the exception of Fenris and Merrill, they were really quite...er... ugly. If elves were supposed to be a bit ugly that would be fine, but they're not. One particular elf had really gone very wrong facially (I really hope that they will have found their face again if they are to appear in a future title - fortunately their voice was as good as ever)
bugs - Only one dogged me throughout and that was losing my ability to attack (fixed by switching character and back again) This was especially prevalent when using rogue talent 'back to back'.
Only crashed once... I had been playing it for a very very long time though.
As I said, LOVE the game, thanks BIOWARE x
#2005
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 10:22
Evelane
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wildannie wrote...
Just finished my first playthrough (PC) and will shortly create Hawke II.
Basically I love the game, was not sure at first (same as at the start of my first playthrough of Origins) but was totally hooked by Act II.
Of course I have some niggles.
Camera - I did miss the iso camera from origins, especially when hawke was pinned near a wall/door and I could not get a good view.
Conversations - Although I like that there was some pacing, I would have liked for there to be some conversations that could be inintiated at companions homes at any time, especially LIs. For me, this would have added to the illusion of freedom within the game. Ideally I would like something somewhere between Origins and II.
Elves - I really don't like the new look (I do like the new height though). My biggest problem is that they are supposed to be attractive to humans, with the exception of Fenris and Merrill, they were really quite...er... ugly. If elves were supposed to be a bit ugly that would be fine, but they're not. One particular elf had really gone very wrong facially (I really hope that they will have found their face again if they are to appear in a future title - fortunately their voice was as good as ever)
bugs - Only one dogged me throughout and that was losing my ability to attack (fixed by switching character and back again) This was especially prevalent when using rogue talent 'back to back'.
Only crashed once... I had been playing it for a very very long time though.
As I said, LOVE the game, thanks BIOWARE x
Exactly what i think! Conversation are nice but in the futur i would love to see a mix between dragon age origins and dragon age 2 ,Got the same bug... on my rogue.. and on my mage.. im sometime not abble to move for a short time... and its not because im casting a spell...Act 2 is definitly my favorite act ^^ and yeah.. Elves look like they got rapped by a horse... exept fenris and merril who look good..
#2006
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 10:43
Caelaias
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Here is my short review
Apart from the fact that you can only play as a human ( which pisses me off ) and all the god damn Copy ****ing paste area's I actually do love the game..
Its a good story and have some very neat plots.
Also merril is just a favorit to have in the party if you want ****s and giggles..
Apart from the fact that you can only play as a human ( which pisses me off ) and all the god damn Copy ****ing paste area's I actually do love the game..
Its a good story and have some very neat plots.
Also merril is just a favorit to have in the party if you want ****s and giggles..
#2007
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 10:44
Vicious
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Short review
Great story.
Great protagonist
Great voice Acting
Combat too fast
Game too short
Act 3 feels rushed
Companions really don't have enough to say.
Great story.
Great protagonist
Great voice Acting
Combat too fast
Game too short
Act 3 feels rushed
Companions really don't have enough to say.
Modifié par Vicious, 16 mars 2011 - 10:45 .
#2008
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 10:45
legolaslady
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Well, here's my review:
I'm not quite sure what to say. I feel like crying? I waited month after agonizing month for this game, so sure it was going to be FANTASTIC. The first one was sooooo engaging, the characters, you knew them (almost personally! lol) The interaction between them was what really made the game immersive for me and the gift giving was such fun. I loved pissing Morrigan off and then winning her back with presents. I'm 25 hours into the game and I feel like I don't even know who I'm travelling with. You can't click on them and have a conversation with them whenever you want. I think I have had at the most 2 conversations with all the major characters and I just feel like it's missing a very important part the first one had. That aside, the classes are all improved, and the overall visual of the game is better. *sigh* just dissappointed is all..............
I'm not quite sure what to say. I feel like crying? I waited month after agonizing month for this game, so sure it was going to be FANTASTIC. The first one was sooooo engaging, the characters, you knew them (almost personally! lol) The interaction between them was what really made the game immersive for me and the gift giving was such fun. I loved pissing Morrigan off and then winning her back with presents. I'm 25 hours into the game and I feel like I don't even know who I'm travelling with. You can't click on them and have a conversation with them whenever you want. I think I have had at the most 2 conversations with all the major characters and I just feel like it's missing a very important part the first one had. That aside, the classes are all improved, and the overall visual of the game is better. *sigh* just dissappointed is all..............
#2009
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 10:47
arnett001
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The ONLY thing worse about DA2 is relationships. Holy crap is it annoying trying to keep all your buddies with you at the end.
#2011
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 11:43
hondalover
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The game is very enjoyable but also very contidicting.Why do they bring back characters from the original dragon age.What i mean characters that could of been killed in dragon age origins,like zeveran.also you cant upgrade armor to your friends because it is all restricted to hawke.I dont like the way they did the gift thing either.there is no guessing to who it may go.They tell you who the gift is for,no fun in that.Love scenes are terrible,atleast not as good as DaO.
#2012
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:01
Nyreen
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javierabegazo wrote...
Evil Chris here. I am hijacking this thread to be more than just initial impressions.
We would like your DragonA ge II reviews here. The good and the bad. What you liked and what you disliked. We want to hear from you.
Please keep in mind that simply posting "BEST GAME EVAR!1!1" is not useful neitehr is "THIS GAME SUCKS!".
Also, please do not post spoilers here. There will be a thread in the Gameplay Discussion forum for detailed, "spoilerific" reviews
So please, post your SPOILER FREE reviews of Dragon Age II here.
Thanks
IF YOU TAKE ANYTHING FROM THIS REVIEW, JUST PLEASE FIX THE DIALOGUE SYSTEM. THE WHEEL IS SO MISLEADING. And Alistair is sorely missed.
Reviewer Background: I am a young female student who enjoys playing RPGS. I want to see women represented equally as men in video games, without oversized breasts that would normally impede on their combat abilities.
Favorite Things: Character creation options, character's facial expression, humor, modest but cool-looking armor for female Hawke
Least Favorite Things: Getting lost in areas, Small, illegible font, misleading dialogue wheel, confusing ability branches, a misleading dialogue wheel, difficulty leveling up companions and confusing ability trees,
Long Review:
I played through DAO twice, so I expected to understand the lore and in-world history better than a newcomer. However I so still lost as far as the game goes. There are all these specific lore references going on and I don't feel like readings pages and pages of the Codex just to understand a side quest (Shepherding Wolves stands out the most as one of those that left myself and my other DA2 playing friends totally stumped). I want to be a good character and do what is best, but that's impossible because the game is making it so difficult to discern what the situation is. The most frustrating aspect of this game is the dialogue system. When I click on a dialogue option that says "Everyone makes mistakes" I don't want my character to say "I'm sure you did your best". Those are two entirely different sentiments and to represent the spoken Hawke lines with something like "Everyone makes mistakes" confuses the player.
I miss being able to talk to companions whenever I feel like it. I loved having conversations with Alistair, Zevran, Ohgren during Camp. It's so difficult now just to talk to companions because they are all over the place. It's so difficult to hunt them down and know when to do that. In order to romance one character, I learned I needed to have NEVER flirted with any other character. That is so unrealistic. Just because I made ONE suggestive comment to a companion that is not YOU, you are never going to consider loving my character? WTF.
Also, is Bioware bribing professional critics of the game? Because on metacritic average gamers and the public are mostly really really angry and the critics lying like sodding nug-trudders. <_<
Look here --> http://www.metacriti...0/dragon-age-ii
#2013
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:04
Nyreen
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legolaslady wrote...
Well, here's my review:
I'm not quite sure what to say. I feel like crying? I waited month after agonizing month for this game, so sure it was going to be FANTASTIC. The first one was sooooo engaging, the characters, you knew them (almost personally! lol) The interaction between them was what really made the game immersive for me and the gift giving was such fun. I loved pissing Morrigan off and then winning her back with presents. I'm 25 hours into the game and I feel like I don't even know who I'm travelling with. You can't click on them and have a conversation with them whenever you want. I think I have had at the most 2 conversations with all the major characters and I just feel like it's missing a very important part the first one had. That aside, the classes are all improved, and the overall visual of the game is better. *sigh* just dissappointed is all..............
Exactly my feelings. I can't even talk to the people in my party anymore. They feel like strangers and they get mad at me without warning!
#2014
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:09
Champion1
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Honestly I love this game. It keeps the essence of Dragon Age going in the story, even though it's only loosely related to the first game. Some parts were a bit dark, but that's to be expected from "dark fantasy", and it wasn't like it was anything that made it hard to sleep at night. Some plot developments did feel a bit rushed, like a character that you just met dying and the other characters acting like it was a huge deal. I expect this was especially true for people that hadn't played DAO and saw returning characters die. It was also a bit more (or in some cases, a lot more) linear then DAO though. Some of the "big" choices didn't seem to matter at all in the end.
On the actual characters, it felt like they definitely fit into the Dragon Age universe as well as the ones from DAO (and the expansions). They all felt very alive, voicing their viewpoints, but also reacting realistically to other characters, not just saying one thing and completely ignoring what was going on around them. Varric, Fenris, and Merrill were my personal favorites. I especially liked how the party banter would build on itself, effected by what two characters said to each other before, even over a time-skip. I do wish you could ask them more questions to get to know them faster/better, but that wasn't a huge loss to me once you got to Act 2 and did a Companion Quest.
The time-skip system itself felt a bit less developed though. Why always three years? For some of the quests, it didn't make sense for such a long time to pass with no developments, and then have everything happen at once along with the huge plot points. It felt like things were forcefully jammed together sometimes and being made to fit so there were only a few time-skips, especially on secondary quests.
The new armor system didn't bother me. It worked and it stuck to the character's class so they were a viable combat addition. I gotten to Act 3 but haven't gotten the upgrades for everyone yet so sorry if Bioware did this, but I was hoping for changes in the outfits over the years, or at least a new outfit appearance once a character had all the upgrades. Seeing everyone (except Aveline) wearing the same thing for 7 years felt very unrealistic, especially with the clothing that didn't look anything like armor or a jacket.
I like the new combat system. I don't even care about the lack of auto-attack, it kept you moving and thinking. It felt like you mixed in a dash of newer Legend of Zelda games into the original DAO combat, and that's awesome to me! I especially liked how the environment (walls, etc) was incorporated into some encounters (an ogre getting its head stuck in a wall it just ran into for example), that made the fight feel more alive. It was a bit weird with melee classes how they kept bouncing themselves to just outside the range of their abilities, like I would attack and be moved back so I couldn't shield bash without actually moving myself forward, but once I figured out what was going on it was easy enough to compensate. The fights are also hard enough, not too easy or stupidly difficult, while the harder encounters still require a thought-out party balance to survive.
Overall, I love this game. While I hope future Dragon Age games aren't exactly the same, I hope they stay very close!
On the actual characters, it felt like they definitely fit into the Dragon Age universe as well as the ones from DAO (and the expansions). They all felt very alive, voicing their viewpoints, but also reacting realistically to other characters, not just saying one thing and completely ignoring what was going on around them. Varric, Fenris, and Merrill were my personal favorites. I especially liked how the party banter would build on itself, effected by what two characters said to each other before, even over a time-skip. I do wish you could ask them more questions to get to know them faster/better, but that wasn't a huge loss to me once you got to Act 2 and did a Companion Quest.
The time-skip system itself felt a bit less developed though. Why always three years? For some of the quests, it didn't make sense for such a long time to pass with no developments, and then have everything happen at once along with the huge plot points. It felt like things were forcefully jammed together sometimes and being made to fit so there were only a few time-skips, especially on secondary quests.
The new armor system didn't bother me. It worked and it stuck to the character's class so they were a viable combat addition. I gotten to Act 3 but haven't gotten the upgrades for everyone yet so sorry if Bioware did this, but I was hoping for changes in the outfits over the years, or at least a new outfit appearance once a character had all the upgrades. Seeing everyone (except Aveline) wearing the same thing for 7 years felt very unrealistic, especially with the clothing that didn't look anything like armor or a jacket.
I like the new combat system. I don't even care about the lack of auto-attack, it kept you moving and thinking. It felt like you mixed in a dash of newer Legend of Zelda games into the original DAO combat, and that's awesome to me! I especially liked how the environment (walls, etc) was incorporated into some encounters (an ogre getting its head stuck in a wall it just ran into for example), that made the fight feel more alive. It was a bit weird with melee classes how they kept bouncing themselves to just outside the range of their abilities, like I would attack and be moved back so I couldn't shield bash without actually moving myself forward, but once I figured out what was going on it was easy enough to compensate. The fights are also hard enough, not too easy or stupidly difficult, while the harder encounters still require a thought-out party balance to survive.
Overall, I love this game. While I hope future Dragon Age games aren't exactly the same, I hope they stay very close!
Modifié par Champion1, 17 mars 2011 - 12:32 .
#2015
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:10
Mir5
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Does anyone else think that the characters are a bit too over the top?
They're great, but but some go so close to being bland stereotypes that it starts breaking logic. Especially Merrill, no one would continue being so damn ignorant for so many years.
They're great, but but some go so close to being bland stereotypes that it starts breaking logic. Especially Merrill, no one would continue being so damn ignorant for so many years.
#2016
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:25
da2rs
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No Spoilers?..... this "sequel" IS a spoiler!!
I'm a huge DAO fan and spent months playing that game. Then Dragon Age 2 was going to be released, searched the internet for news and found nothing but GREAT comment and reviews/previews of how this game was better than Origins. (this was before release date) Pre ordered the game and after playing it for a few hours felt utterly ripped off.
I searched the internet for reviews AFTER release date to see if there was anyone that felt just as ripped of as me.
I found one that expresses my anger, dissapointment, and more.
No need to write my own review, this one says it all, I completely agree with this guy (except for the bad language).
http://www.videogame.../review437.html
I'm a huge DAO fan and spent months playing that game. Then Dragon Age 2 was going to be released, searched the internet for news and found nothing but GREAT comment and reviews/previews of how this game was better than Origins. (this was before release date) Pre ordered the game and after playing it for a few hours felt utterly ripped off.
I searched the internet for reviews AFTER release date to see if there was anyone that felt just as ripped of as me.
I found one that expresses my anger, dissapointment, and more.
No need to write my own review, this one says it all, I completely agree with this guy (except for the bad language).
http://www.videogame.../review437.html
#2017
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:34
yblikeu
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ArcanistLibram wrote...
The character creation screen is extremely poorly designed. It's so dark I can barely see the cursors. I thought my copy of the game was bugged and stuck on the default Hawke.
I had the same problem at first, you have to fix the brightness in the game settings
#2018
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:51
BarkingMad1
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The thing I miss the most from DA1 is the real ability to customise the characters by not only what they had on but by the weapons they carried. For example I had Wynne turn into a Arcane warrior by wearing armour and wielding one of Duncan’s swords and Redcliffe Elite Shield. She rocked and could easily hold her own in a fight. But DA2 doesn’t seem to have that same customisation feel. Tanks are tanks, rogues are rogues and mages are mages and you don’t seem to have the flexibility to create a hybrid class of your own. I know some might disagree with that but however hard I tried to spend attribute points in other disciplines other than the ones for a specific class I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It felt like I would be wasting the points away.
I’m a console player but even I had to pause and say “they made this for a five year old right?” The game has been reduced to a bit of a parody of its former glory and it s a shame. There are some really positive things in it that I like but they are just not enough.
Oh well DA2 has made me pause and think carefully if I want to pre-order DA3 when it inevitably turns up.
I’m a console player but even I had to pause and say “they made this for a five year old right?” The game has been reduced to a bit of a parody of its former glory and it s a shame. There are some really positive things in it that I like but they are just not enough.
Oh well DA2 has made me pause and think carefully if I want to pre-order DA3 when it inevitably turns up.
#2019
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 12:54
jcj64200031
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Alright, I've played for about 10-14 hours now (I'd have to look it up) on the 360, and this is my honest review:
Graphics:
In terms of textures and such, there's a minor improvement over DAO, but not much. In terms of the actual look of the world, it's utterly horrible. Maps are reused, over, and over. After having gone through the same cave for the 6th or 7th time, it became routine for me to check which doors on the map will and will not open so I know just how restriected the place is.
Storyline:
This was pretty solid until about 30 minutes after you're finished with what I'd call the "tutorial" maps. I have constantly had to ask myself "wasn't there something important I was supposed to be doing?"
let me point out how the DOA storyline went:
you chose one of three races each of which could have different paths themselves. you'd then eventually converged to the same set of tutorial/storyline quests for a short time and then were set free to choose your own path. All of your primary quests were clear and stuck with you "Hey, I think I'll go here first, and what I have to do here is this.". This continues for about 3 or 4 primary quest "hubs" and then you finish the game in the same general ending no matter what path you took.
How the DA2 storyline is going so far: (keep in mind, I haven't beaten it yet, and I'm not even sure I want to, I came upon this board when I googled "Why is Dragon Age 2 so boring?" the very first link will bring you to a thread on this board)
you pick one of three classes and can only change your gender primarily. You get to pick some background that will change little to nothing in terms of gameplay other than the occasional speech and some small events. The obvious happens everywhere you turn "hey, this person just did this, and now this will happen." or "hey, you just said this, so obviously this should be true." and then 15-30 later or so the game finally reveals that what you suspected was true. There's some minor twists, but nothing game changing.
Want to know the problem for the storyline in DA2? there's no solid connection between you and the hero, and there's no solid villain. You get very little actual customization of your hero, and there's so little background or personal tragedy (I don't find what happens at the beginning of the game to be very compelling) so you can't really get into the seat of the character, not to mention the loading screens break up the immersion so much you never get the chance to feel like you are the character. As for the lack of villain, it's true. In DAO, you had 2 villains, you had whats-his-name who abandoned that guy at whats-it-place (I both can't remember the names and I don't want to put out spoilers) and is doing very little to actually stem the spread of villain #2, the darkspawn. They're your enemies all throughout DAO, and it's your goal to defeat them eventually.
Where's the villain in DA2? For the first set of quests I was doing, there was no villain, just a goal. When I got to the 2nd set of quests, still no villain, just a goal. Sure, there are villainous characters, but none that stay longer than 2-4 quests at the most.
I'll be able to comment further when I complete the game, and I'm only completing it so I can complain further about the storyline.
Gameplay:
This is harder to actually classify, so I'll do sub-sections.
minimap: I both love it and hate it. I love it because the maps and areas are confusing. I love it because it makes finding quests easier. I hate it because for half the game, all I'm doing is looking at the minimap. I'll glance at my character occasionally, but almost all movement can be done via minimap. I also hate that it completely controls you when it comes to quests. yes, there's an option to turn that function off, but then you'd never get quests done because everything looks exactly the same. a doorway that leads to a room used for a quest looks exactly the same as 4 other unused doorways right next to it.
Equipment: why did you make it so we can't equip actual armor on our party members? sure, you can do trinkets and such, but they're such minor benefits that I bassically deck out my main character and then make sure my party members are simply wearing whatever has the most stars attached to it. If you're going to limit the customization of party members at all, limit it completely. allow us to only customize ourselves. all or nothing. The upgrade system for them is nice, and it would have worked best if we had no control over what they wore. hell, I wouldn't even have mind if they would steal equipment they want and auto-equip stuff from my inventory. it would beat what they currently make us do.
As for our own equipment, it seems fine. there's not as much choice as before, but that probably just goes in line with the dumbing down you already did for our party members.
Combat: it's an odd thing. I know off the bat that warriors are pretty useless unless controlled by a bot, and even then I have them strictly edited for tactics. (my warriors are bassically buff bots/bad tanks, give me and the party all your buffs and then just sit there looking pretty while keeping aggro on whatever I'm not attacking at the moment, which is generally nothing as per the next point I'm about to make). AoE is still overpowered. It has become routine in DAO to just spam any AoEs you have until everything is dead, and that hasn't changed much in DA2. the only thing that change was when I use them. combat is so repetitive, I can describe exactly what happens in about 80% of all battles: initial wave, send some weaklings at us and we'll kill them, 2nd wave, oh look, they sent a larger group of them at us through that narrow corridor or around that bend, looks like it's time for a cone of cold followed by every AoE in game. my rotation is pretty basica at this point: run around till the majority of mobs are near you, cone of cold followed by fireball. if anything is left alive, nuke it with single target spells and you win.
The occasional "boss" fights are interesting, but they've almost all ended the same way for me. If it's a mini-boss with no special abilities, just nuke it till it's dead. if it somehow kills everyone but me, fine I'll kite it for 5 minutes while wittling it down. if it has a special ability, it often is too weak to even matter.
Quests:
after having played this game for so long, I feel like a mailman with weapons. Sure, I can do the main storyline, but not without constantly going to do these side quests that honestly feel they detract more from the game than they add.
The last thing I can think to mention that can pretty much sum up this game is that every 30 minutes or so I find myself asking myself "why am I playing this 'game' if I'm not having fun?" because it's true, I'm not having fun. At this point I'm playing the game to finish it and move onto other better games.
can't think of much else. oh well. that's my rant.
P.S. Really, google "Why is Dragon Age 2 so Boring?" and click the first link. it leads you to this message board.
Graphics:
In terms of textures and such, there's a minor improvement over DAO, but not much. In terms of the actual look of the world, it's utterly horrible. Maps are reused, over, and over. After having gone through the same cave for the 6th or 7th time, it became routine for me to check which doors on the map will and will not open so I know just how restriected the place is.
Storyline:
This was pretty solid until about 30 minutes after you're finished with what I'd call the "tutorial" maps. I have constantly had to ask myself "wasn't there something important I was supposed to be doing?"
let me point out how the DOA storyline went:
you chose one of three races each of which could have different paths themselves. you'd then eventually converged to the same set of tutorial/storyline quests for a short time and then were set free to choose your own path. All of your primary quests were clear and stuck with you "Hey, I think I'll go here first, and what I have to do here is this.". This continues for about 3 or 4 primary quest "hubs" and then you finish the game in the same general ending no matter what path you took.
How the DA2 storyline is going so far: (keep in mind, I haven't beaten it yet, and I'm not even sure I want to, I came upon this board when I googled "Why is Dragon Age 2 so boring?" the very first link will bring you to a thread on this board)
you pick one of three classes and can only change your gender primarily. You get to pick some background that will change little to nothing in terms of gameplay other than the occasional speech and some small events. The obvious happens everywhere you turn "hey, this person just did this, and now this will happen." or "hey, you just said this, so obviously this should be true." and then 15-30 later or so the game finally reveals that what you suspected was true. There's some minor twists, but nothing game changing.
Want to know the problem for the storyline in DA2? there's no solid connection between you and the hero, and there's no solid villain. You get very little actual customization of your hero, and there's so little background or personal tragedy (I don't find what happens at the beginning of the game to be very compelling) so you can't really get into the seat of the character, not to mention the loading screens break up the immersion so much you never get the chance to feel like you are the character. As for the lack of villain, it's true. In DAO, you had 2 villains, you had whats-his-name who abandoned that guy at whats-it-place (I both can't remember the names and I don't want to put out spoilers) and is doing very little to actually stem the spread of villain #2, the darkspawn. They're your enemies all throughout DAO, and it's your goal to defeat them eventually.
Where's the villain in DA2? For the first set of quests I was doing, there was no villain, just a goal. When I got to the 2nd set of quests, still no villain, just a goal. Sure, there are villainous characters, but none that stay longer than 2-4 quests at the most.
I'll be able to comment further when I complete the game, and I'm only completing it so I can complain further about the storyline.
Gameplay:
This is harder to actually classify, so I'll do sub-sections.
minimap: I both love it and hate it. I love it because the maps and areas are confusing. I love it because it makes finding quests easier. I hate it because for half the game, all I'm doing is looking at the minimap. I'll glance at my character occasionally, but almost all movement can be done via minimap. I also hate that it completely controls you when it comes to quests. yes, there's an option to turn that function off, but then you'd never get quests done because everything looks exactly the same. a doorway that leads to a room used for a quest looks exactly the same as 4 other unused doorways right next to it.
Equipment: why did you make it so we can't equip actual armor on our party members? sure, you can do trinkets and such, but they're such minor benefits that I bassically deck out my main character and then make sure my party members are simply wearing whatever has the most stars attached to it. If you're going to limit the customization of party members at all, limit it completely. allow us to only customize ourselves. all or nothing. The upgrade system for them is nice, and it would have worked best if we had no control over what they wore. hell, I wouldn't even have mind if they would steal equipment they want and auto-equip stuff from my inventory. it would beat what they currently make us do.
As for our own equipment, it seems fine. there's not as much choice as before, but that probably just goes in line with the dumbing down you already did for our party members.
Combat: it's an odd thing. I know off the bat that warriors are pretty useless unless controlled by a bot, and even then I have them strictly edited for tactics. (my warriors are bassically buff bots/bad tanks, give me and the party all your buffs and then just sit there looking pretty while keeping aggro on whatever I'm not attacking at the moment, which is generally nothing as per the next point I'm about to make). AoE is still overpowered. It has become routine in DAO to just spam any AoEs you have until everything is dead, and that hasn't changed much in DA2. the only thing that change was when I use them. combat is so repetitive, I can describe exactly what happens in about 80% of all battles: initial wave, send some weaklings at us and we'll kill them, 2nd wave, oh look, they sent a larger group of them at us through that narrow corridor or around that bend, looks like it's time for a cone of cold followed by every AoE in game. my rotation is pretty basica at this point: run around till the majority of mobs are near you, cone of cold followed by fireball. if anything is left alive, nuke it with single target spells and you win.
The occasional "boss" fights are interesting, but they've almost all ended the same way for me. If it's a mini-boss with no special abilities, just nuke it till it's dead. if it somehow kills everyone but me, fine I'll kite it for 5 minutes while wittling it down. if it has a special ability, it often is too weak to even matter.
Quests:
after having played this game for so long, I feel like a mailman with weapons. Sure, I can do the main storyline, but not without constantly going to do these side quests that honestly feel they detract more from the game than they add.
The last thing I can think to mention that can pretty much sum up this game is that every 30 minutes or so I find myself asking myself "why am I playing this 'game' if I'm not having fun?" because it's true, I'm not having fun. At this point I'm playing the game to finish it and move onto other better games.
can't think of much else. oh well. that's my rant.
P.S. Really, google "Why is Dragon Age 2 so Boring?" and click the first link. it leads you to this message board.
#2020
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 01:20
Skwervin
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- Members
- 25 messages
Ok I finished it last night and immediately took the disc out. I cannot BEAR to play this game again.
While there are some improvements there is much more that disappoints than impresses me in this game. Yes combat is better but somehow unrealistic, DA:O you had to watch your stamina more and tatics were of greater importance in fights. I miss the slo-mo ultimate moves against ogres and what's with the exploding bodies? The talents changes seems like a good idea but badly executed with a WOW style "must spend X number of points in this tree to get Y talent" The rumes are cheap but not as useful and not interchangeable. Its harder to outfit your companions to cover various resistances and situations and do not get me started on the waste of gear - next time just give me the coin. Don't give a warrior mage robes and rogue gear you can't use.
When I first started playing DA:O I started all possible races and class combos and got the to level 7 or so before settling down to play through on my Human Noble and taking her through to the end game and all the DLC. Now with DA2 I cannot be bothered going and doing the other classes...because the end doesn't change, there is no reason behind my actions. I don't care about Hawke, their family or most of the people they run with, they are pawns to do the job, not PEOPLE. When I played DA:O, I loved seeing the changes in Alister's behaviour, finding out about Sten and why he was there and why he couldn't go home, Zev, Wynne and the rest.
I bought this game to play as an RPG.... not a shoot-em-up. If I want that I'll go play Call of Duty (not that I would but you get the idea). There isn't any real interaction with the companions (or should I callt hem hirelings perhaps?) and as for where I am going and what I am doing - I can understand my reason for being in the first Act but the other two? At least with DA:O I had an idea who I was and what I was doing there - I was a Human/dwarf/elf who was a mage/rogue/warrior who had to go forth and pull together an army to save my country. My actions had sometimes serious repercussions in the final outcomes of who I got to play with and what actually happened in the epliogue. This time I got the provibial "they all lived hapily ever after" without being told what actually happened to everyone. I mean GET REAL!!! Even with basic DA:O we had resolution for the party and yourself regardless but I suppose that would have required some planning and thinking and oh no ... WRITING from the developers.
Can someone tell me what the plot was? I don't think I ever found it. The companion quests were fine but the stupid retrieved flag/book/wine quests...yuk. I spent most of my time playing follow the glowing arrow. There didn't seem much real choice in when I did quests but restrictions on who I needed to have with me when I did them which was confusing at time having to swap folk around constantly.
Having had a whole realm to wander over and through, being tied to one town and a small area outside sucked. The reuse of maps and dungeons WITHOUT altering said maps is just plain laziness. The loot drops were even in the same places, the baddies spawned in the same places the doors were in the same places, the traps were in the same places.
As for the (choke) romances they reminded me of my mums Mills and Boons of 40 years ago (yes I am female and THAT old and I still play MMO's and RPG's and have for years) where at the vital moment when he puts his arms around her "the fire in the the fireplace flickered and died" and we skip forward to the breakfast table the next morning. That might be fine for 12 year olds but at least give us something! The little movies/cutscenes we got before at least gave you some idea what went on and the idea that two conversations = romance and life long love (chokes again) PUHLEASE! At least before I had to do more than side with one faction but had to watch what I said and how I acted - much more lifelike and RPG like. And considering this all takes place over 6 years and at the end I know not a lot more than I did about each person in my group than I did when I met them.
In all honesty I cannot say this game is what I expect for a decent RPG - its more like and action game with a little RPG on the side for light relief. I play these games in order to think and have fun, to immerse myself in this world...not to be spoonfed like a baby! I miss the party camp and being able to catch up with everyone in one place, be able to go over all the loot I had picked up and rekit people or tweak their rumes or gear before the next bit, being able to easily sell up and buy stuff from people and not little boxes. To be able to interact, make and lose friends and give gifts or get drunk. Sigh... I even miss Ogrehn and his story of the "schleets..." from Awakenings. And what gives with Anders? I know there is a time dilation thing happening but surely his sense of humour and wit can't have been sucked out completely?
With DA:O I would play for hours and have to literally drag myself away from it, DA2 I could easily walk away from and not be in a rush to get back and find out "what happens next?"
Going back to play DA:O now, and yes I do have all the DLC for it and won't be bothering to get any upgrades or anything for this mess of a product until they fix it.
This feels almost like DA2 is the original and DA:O is the upgrade.
DA:O 9/10
DA2 5/10
While there are some improvements there is much more that disappoints than impresses me in this game. Yes combat is better but somehow unrealistic, DA:O you had to watch your stamina more and tatics were of greater importance in fights. I miss the slo-mo ultimate moves against ogres and what's with the exploding bodies? The talents changes seems like a good idea but badly executed with a WOW style "must spend X number of points in this tree to get Y talent" The rumes are cheap but not as useful and not interchangeable. Its harder to outfit your companions to cover various resistances and situations and do not get me started on the waste of gear - next time just give me the coin. Don't give a warrior mage robes and rogue gear you can't use.
When I first started playing DA:O I started all possible races and class combos and got the to level 7 or so before settling down to play through on my Human Noble and taking her through to the end game and all the DLC. Now with DA2 I cannot be bothered going and doing the other classes...because the end doesn't change, there is no reason behind my actions. I don't care about Hawke, their family or most of the people they run with, they are pawns to do the job, not PEOPLE. When I played DA:O, I loved seeing the changes in Alister's behaviour, finding out about Sten and why he was there and why he couldn't go home, Zev, Wynne and the rest.
I bought this game to play as an RPG.... not a shoot-em-up. If I want that I'll go play Call of Duty (not that I would but you get the idea). There isn't any real interaction with the companions (or should I callt hem hirelings perhaps?) and as for where I am going and what I am doing - I can understand my reason for being in the first Act but the other two? At least with DA:O I had an idea who I was and what I was doing there - I was a Human/dwarf/elf who was a mage/rogue/warrior who had to go forth and pull together an army to save my country. My actions had sometimes serious repercussions in the final outcomes of who I got to play with and what actually happened in the epliogue. This time I got the provibial "they all lived hapily ever after" without being told what actually happened to everyone. I mean GET REAL!!! Even with basic DA:O we had resolution for the party and yourself regardless but I suppose that would have required some planning and thinking and oh no ... WRITING from the developers.
Can someone tell me what the plot was? I don't think I ever found it. The companion quests were fine but the stupid retrieved flag/book/wine quests...yuk. I spent most of my time playing follow the glowing arrow. There didn't seem much real choice in when I did quests but restrictions on who I needed to have with me when I did them which was confusing at time having to swap folk around constantly.
Having had a whole realm to wander over and through, being tied to one town and a small area outside sucked. The reuse of maps and dungeons WITHOUT altering said maps is just plain laziness. The loot drops were even in the same places, the baddies spawned in the same places the doors were in the same places, the traps were in the same places.
As for the (choke) romances they reminded me of my mums Mills and Boons of 40 years ago (yes I am female and THAT old and I still play MMO's and RPG's and have for years) where at the vital moment when he puts his arms around her "the fire in the the fireplace flickered and died" and we skip forward to the breakfast table the next morning. That might be fine for 12 year olds but at least give us something! The little movies/cutscenes we got before at least gave you some idea what went on and the idea that two conversations = romance and life long love (chokes again) PUHLEASE! At least before I had to do more than side with one faction but had to watch what I said and how I acted - much more lifelike and RPG like. And considering this all takes place over 6 years and at the end I know not a lot more than I did about each person in my group than I did when I met them.
In all honesty I cannot say this game is what I expect for a decent RPG - its more like and action game with a little RPG on the side for light relief. I play these games in order to think and have fun, to immerse myself in this world...not to be spoonfed like a baby! I miss the party camp and being able to catch up with everyone in one place, be able to go over all the loot I had picked up and rekit people or tweak their rumes or gear before the next bit, being able to easily sell up and buy stuff from people and not little boxes. To be able to interact, make and lose friends and give gifts or get drunk. Sigh... I even miss Ogrehn and his story of the "schleets..." from Awakenings. And what gives with Anders? I know there is a time dilation thing happening but surely his sense of humour and wit can't have been sucked out completely?
With DA:O I would play for hours and have to literally drag myself away from it, DA2 I could easily walk away from and not be in a rush to get back and find out "what happens next?"
Going back to play DA:O now, and yes I do have all the DLC for it and won't be bothering to get any upgrades or anything for this mess of a product until they fix it.
This feels almost like DA2 is the original and DA:O is the upgrade.
DA:O 9/10
DA2 5/10
#2021
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 01:23
simsurf
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- Members
- 4 messages
I give this game 0.5/10. The 0.5 is for loading up without crashing. After that everything is downhill. Copy and paste levels, dumbed down for 12 yo console players, bland characters, crap story.Combat, mindless and pointless. Would play DAO and Baldurs all day and night with barely a break for food. Unistalled this game after one hour. A mixture of mass effect and wow, with both of those game far superior than this rubbish. Glad I downloaded and tried before wasting money. Bought shogun 2 with my gaming budget instead and I am now very happy.
#2022
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 01:34
Haley Starshine
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- Members
- 43 messages
I am so disappointed that Dragon Age Origins, being the first ever REALISTIC rpg game with REALISTIC graphics, REALISTIC movements and IMMERSIVE story (therefore AMAZING game) was followed by a ridiculously non-sense hack-and-slash retarded anime game with total fake and ridiculous anime fantasy "weapons", where everyone is a power ranger with special magical powers (really, those "magical" fighting movements are as close to RIDICULOUS as a 1996 game would ever get) and no realistic ability to choose from, just 100 different magical adds to attack/stamina/defense with different names.. Also, over 1 whole hour or so of game there is simply no story! Just hack-n-slash-n-hack-n-slash-ridiculous-anime-graphics-hack-n-slash...
I won't play any further of this practical joke.. And I feel lucky I didn't pay for this
Really, no one can do such a thing accidently... What did we players do to deserve such a terribly lousy kiddy game as the following of the best RPG game ever released?
I won't play any further of this practical joke.. And I feel lucky I didn't pay for this
Really, no one can do such a thing accidently... What did we players do to deserve such a terribly lousy kiddy game as the following of the best RPG game ever released?
Modifié par Haley Starshine, 17 mars 2011 - 01:36 .
#2023
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 02:16
Krissy920
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- Members
- 6 messages
Beautiful game,great story line, love the game play.. i hate more then anything i love in this game the fact i cannot have conversations with my party members unless i have a quest for them. I miss walking around in DAO clicking on a companion and hearing a beautiful story for leilana or a silly joke from allistair or even morrigan and her snide remarks. It feels so one dimensional and its sad, my favorite aspect of DAO ( which happends to be my fav thing in any game ive played) is gone.
Patch this some how, give us companions with personal interactions at any time take away the dark ages awakening feel and give us the dark ages origons aspect back
Patch this some how, give us companions with personal interactions at any time take away the dark ages awakening feel and give us the dark ages origons aspect back
#2024
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 02:17
Hatchetman77
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- Members
- 706 messages
BarkingMad1 wrote...
The thing I miss the most from DA1 is the real ability to customise the characters by not only what they had on but by the weapons they carried. For example I had Wynne turn into a Arcane warrior by wearing armour and wielding one of Duncan’s swords and Redcliffe Elite Shield. She rocked and could easily hold her own in a fight. But DA2 doesn’t seem to have that same customisation feel. Tanks are tanks, rogues are rogues and mages are mages and you don’t seem to have the flexibility to create a hybrid class of your own.
YESS!!! I spent so much time and more than a few playthroughs of DA:O just seeing if I could make a class do something that it was not intended to do, especially when I had a specific character concept in mind. My pride and joy was my mage specced as a black knight arcane warrior tank, who would suck the life out of you with spells and weaken anyone who got near him with auras using his entrophy spells. Plus he looked totally badass in that demonic looking armor you get from the marsh in Awakenings. He left a trail of destruction wherever he went, leaving Redcliff to be ravaged by the undead and demon, destroying the mages in the circle tower, threatening to kill the villagers' families in the revolt at Vigil's keep and burning Amaranthine to the ground during the darkspawn invasion. If he makes an appearance in DA3 they better have him appropriatly badass. If I see him wearing robes and weilding a staff I'll be so pissed off.
<sigh> But I guess the prefab character makes it easier to tell a more involved story. Or mabey it doesn't, depending on who you listen to on here....
#2025
Posté 17 mars 2011 - 02:22
backrow
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- Members
- 41 messages
da2rs wrote...
No Spoilers?..... this "sequel" IS a spoiler!!
I'm a huge DAO fan and spent months playing that game. Then Dragon Age 2 was going to be released, searched the internet for news and found nothing but GREAT comment and reviews/previews of how this game was better than Origins. (this was before release date) Pre ordered the game and after playing it for a few hours felt utterly ripped off.
I searched the internet for reviews AFTER release date to see if there was anyone that felt just as ripped of as me.
I found one that expresses my anger, dissapointment, and more.
No need to write my own review, this one says it all, I completely agree with this guy (except for the bad language).
http://www.videogame.../review437.html
hahaha, this review you linked is priceless!
"Woefully (BAD) OTT Animations: Dragon Age Origins had excellent combat animations with the standard fighting moves being fancy enough to look actually real and vicious while still keeping a gritty tone to them. THIS GAME ****S THAT IN THE ASS. Now you get mages shooting fireballs from between their legs while doing blackflips and Hawke is doing whirlwinds left and right and hitting thousands of enemies at once in ridiculous flashy and stupid looking animations. Yeah, way to keep the serious tone of the game when my rogue is jumping around the game like a monkey stabbing people all around the map."
the language is a bit much but i understand the frustration, it can be annoying and is way over the top.
Modifié par backrow, 17 mars 2011 - 06:02 .
