This is gonna be long, mostly because of the multitude of problems I had with the end.
There has GOT to be an Act 4. Honestly, DA:O's written epilogue felt like a more complete end than this. Aside from there being too many minor plot lines left unfinished, the major plot line just kind of ends after one climactic battle. No aftermath, no feeling of accomplishment, no reflection. After a pretty good game (plot wise, at least), the ending just felt incredibly anticlimactic. All we learn after picking your side at the end is that Hawke ain't around anymore. What? Why? No hints? You may be going for fan speculation to lead into DA3, but we don't even have any evidence so start speculating with!
So, here is how you do Act 4:
Solid wrap-up to the story: This is hard to do without spoilers, but I'm assuming everybody commenting here played the game. So.... if you sided at the end with a certain group of mage hunters, then maybe the last act is you trying to crush the remnants of the rebellion and build support for your side. If you sided with a particular group of magic wielding people, maybe you are trying to build your underground rebellion and revolutionary force. Either way, we end the game unsure of exactly what happened to Kirkwall. Chaos, violence, but no conclusion. We knew exactly how Ferelden ended in DA:O. And that was great. As it stands, DA2 suffers seriously from middle child syndrome. It doesn't really "end", and not in a good way like Empire Strikes Back. There is no "Luke, I am your father" moment that makes you feel like at least it was worth it. Because when you try to summarize your experience with the game, all you come up with was "I played this game for 20+ hours to get to one final battle which lasted all off thirty minutes so I could learn that I'm gonna have to wait for DA3 to see how it all ends." Which sounds better to you: watching a movie about how Bruce Lee learned kung fu, or watching Bruce Lee kick faces in after he masters it? I bet you would prefer to watch both. Me too. We got the first half. We only got a brief taste of the second, which is the way-more-fun half. Personally, I'd really like to see Hawke becoming the leader for whatever side was chosen at the end. This could lead into other DLC, where Hawke (now established as the big boss for his faction) could travel to other city states in the Free Marches gathering support. We were promised that we'd see Hawke become one of the most important people in Thedas. We didn't. We saw him become the most important person in Kirkwall. What he does AFTER this battle in Kirkwall is what could make him the most important person in Thedas. Of course, it's your story. That's just my thought. Take it wherever you want, just give us a sense of closure. It's like you got us to slowly climb up the ladder on the high dive, and you even got us to leap off. But you aren't going to show us the splash at the end.
Companion development: Lots of people clambering for more back-story on their favorite character. Some people want to learn more about Fenris when he was a slave, or Isabela as a pirate. Sure, those could be fun DLC down the line. But I'd rather the immediate focus be on wrapping up their stories. Maybe one final companion quest for each character that deals with wrapping up a certain part of the companion's story (eluvian, idol shard, spirit possession, etc). Perhaps tie the quest into the companions' reaction to the massive, world shattering event that just happened. We know because of Varric that all the companions that survive drift away from Hawke eventually (except romance). Why? I know one particularly broody elf that should have been a lot more pissed off with how I ended it, rival or no. Maybe now that the heat of the moment is over, we can discuss what he does next? Maybe my choice is the reason he leaves? He fought out of respect for me: I hardly believe simply respecting me will keep him fighting for something he whole-heartedly disagrees with again and again and again. We know Varric has to eventually leave the Champion's side: why? He was my little dwarf buddy. What happened that made him go? A lot of people want a continuation of the romance. I'd at least like the "plans for the future" part to be elaborated. I don't need to see a wedding (as has been suggested). That's a bit much. But I got to admit, people who ask for those things are right to feel it was cut short. I personally found the Merrill romance fascinating, and would like a bit more of end to the story other than what we got prior to the last battle: "I love you, don't die, kthnxbye." Even in DA:O, if you romanced Leliana, Zevran, or Alistair, you at least got to talk about your plans for the future, even if they didn't turn out exactly as planned.
More Origins references: I agree with others that say too many cameos are cheap. But in an expansion, where sides have been chosen and war is imminent, wouldn't alliances be important? Talking to Alistair, or Loghain and Anora (two people I definitely wanted to hear more about if they were alive), only because you want to go "I remember them!" is a cop out. But many Origins characters would definitely further the plot. Maybe talk to Bhelen/Harrowmount, or an ambassador of sorts, about where the Dwarves will stand? They stand to make a lot of money on lyrium in this war; both sides kinda require it. Forcing them to pick a side could be influential in how it ends, and could segway nicely in DA3. What about the Dalish? They might be willing to ally with one side or another for certain guarantees, as they did with Andraste. These could also provide nice scenery changes, allowing one to visit the Dalish lands given by Alistair/Warden/Anora, or visiting Orzammar. Or, like I said, send an Ambassador to Kirkwall if you want to keep it contained there. What about the Warden's? Can they really stay neutral? A massive civil war would make fighting the darkspawn impossible. What about the Architect? If he's alive, talk about a missed opportunity!
Phew... finished. Sorry for the length. But since I know developers are reading, I want to make sure we get a chance for a real conclusion.
Modifié par dkgeroexboxlive, 06 avril 2011 - 07:38 .
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