Reading more of these posts and replaying DA:O then DA:2 again I have to agree with the common ones more and more.
No overhead view: In DA:O I spent a lot of time swearing as companion A:I started Yo Yo-ing in combat,- send a tank forward with aggressive setting click on target.
Change party member have combat start and assigned companions run back to selected member and forget their attacks.
This was solved pretty much in DA:2, however at the expense of overhead camera.
Then the fix for DA:2's A:I being a problem for the user, is just shifted rather than solved.
Pathing: in DA:O it was almost impossible to hold the line to protect a mage, as foes just slip through tiny gaps.
In DA:2 it's a tactic that is now possible...
Yet due to hordes and spawning is again not a fix that is needed now as there are no flanks to protect.
Mages: really the talent list is short, makes no sense and at best favours two schools.
There is no flavour to it, other classes can do the same as a mage pretty much but cheeper, faster and more often.
Only the two large AoE spells, and the two?? defensive buff spells are unique or fairly designed.
More better powered spells, fewer underpowered upgrades, more variety would go a long way.
Character / NPC Leveling: Honestly the system used makes Oblivions look balanced.
Level up you weaken, level up foes become stronger, level up equipment weakens.
Why level up at all tbh, apart from talents.
To quote ( probably mis quote )..
"The most fun encounters our players talked often about, were against other parties."
No one remembers a horde, few remember massive health bosses that are just clones of the last OP boss.
Another group that has the same strengths, the same weaknesses, the same but varied tactics and talents that you do is a challenge.
Face twenty bloodmages with three talents each it may be tough but only if you overpower them to the players character.
Face two a warrior and a rogue, each with ten+ talents that the player is capable of using.
Each looking to support, debilitate, buff or damage your group.
Mages have less health, warriors are strong and tough, rogues are crafty and exploitative.
DA:2 had none of this all foes were great at everything with no sense to explain why.
Constructive Criticism
Débuté par
HawXV2
, mars 15 2011 06:50
Retour en haut
#1952
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 05:43
naughty99
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I was waiting to post a review until finishing the game, but at this point I have played for almost 200 hours. 110 hrs on my first playthrough (currently at beginning of Act 3) and 71 hrs on my Patch 1.02 playthrough (started for beta testing 1.02, currently at the middle of Act 2). I have heard some complaints that your quest choices throughout the game don't have enough impact on the ending. If that is the case, I imagine I will be quite disappointed about it, but I can't comment on this yet.
To provide some background, I'm a very old school pen and paper RPG and RTS fan in my 30s, I generally find FPS games boring and I have never in my entire life played any game on Xbox or PS3. The last console I owned was the NES about 20 years ago. I loved DAO, and some of my other favorite PC games include Oblivion, Morrowind, the Civilization series, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas. I haven't tried ME1 yet. I liked ME2, but I don't know if I would consider it one my favs because the playthrough was very short IMO, and it doesn't have a great deal of replay appeal for me.
I haven't played Baldur's Gate, NWN, etc., or most of those cRPGs because I did not play any video games between the years 1990 - 2009. I read some review of DAO and watched the trailer and this is the game that got me back into gaming after a 20 year hiatus.
I found the combat in DA2 to be a huge improvement over DAO because it requires a lot more tactical thought and planning. Nightmare mode in DAO was a joke because you could simply spam cheap healing potions to get through anything. Nightmare in DA2 kicks my ass, repeatedly.
I don't use tactics, rather I control every party member through pausing and I have to do a lot more thinking to survive tough battles. And I die frequently! Most tough battles I have to reload many times and often barely survive with only one or two party members left. Love it!
I love the "waves" and the massive HP for enemies, as well as characters spawning on top of me, etc., because it makes the game a lot more challenging. I realize many people hate these very same elements, but in my case I found them to be a huge improvement over DAO because DAO combat was not challenging enough.
I also found the character progression and party member selection to be a lot more balanced than DAO (although I will admit Isabella is a bit underpowered on Nightmare). Mages are still very powerful, but all of the classes and each companion has some benefits and drawbacks and the most powerful attacks are only possible by careful tactical coordination with a balanced party composition.
The result is that the design of the skill trees, as well as factors like cooldowns and armor requirements make each level up decision more difficult, which is an improvement to balance IMO. In DAO I recall for my mages I would put all my points into Magic and end up with 100+ magic nuke spell combo monsters who would spam cheap lyrium potions for mana. The "total damage dealt" stats for mages were always orders of magnitude higher than other classes in DAO. In DA2 I have to think a bit more carefully how to progress each party member at level up.
Loved the art direction, the new companions, the more personal story with stakes relating to family instead of "saving the world." The dialogue writing and voice performances were solid across the board and in particular Jo Wyatt (FemHawke), Victoria Kruger (Isabela) and Eve Myles (Merril) were especially engaging. Merril's Welsh accent was cute and when she was in the party it felt a bit like hanging out with Torchwood. I was blown away by the character design for the new Qunari and the default FemHawke was simply stunning.
With the high res texture pack installed, at Very High Quality on 1920x1080, DX11, SSAO, Diffusion DOF, High Quality Blur, 16 x AF, 2 x AA, the game looked fantastic and I was surprised that I got excellent frame rates playing on my laptop. The detail in some of the scenes with shiny golden statues, grey clouds moving in the background, even a few birds in the sky, was incredible, even when projected huge on the wall with my 1080p projector.
There are also a couple of things I intensely disliked about DA2. The poorly executed fetch quests gave me a lot of grief. (The ones where you find some item in a chest and then a random person on the street gives you gold.) I would only read my journal description of the quest after the fact to figure out why the hell the guy just gave me gold. If only these quests could have been given by the quest giver in a dialogue, or at a minimum posted on a Mage's board or Chanter's board, then they would feel like "real" quests. I'm hoping this can be improved with an expansion or DLC at some point.
I felt that the Arishok duel needed an improvement to level design. Unless you have a carefully planned build like IN1's DW assassin build, the duel ends up being 45 minutes of kiting around the pillars.
I also dislike the choice to make all the loot generic. If I find or pick up a book, even if it is "junk" let me click on it and read it. I'd love to be able to discard items and see what they look like in-game. I don't have a problem with a "junk" inventory tab, but perhaps it is somthing psychological to do with the fact that all the icons for junk items looked so similar, it seemed that they were all not even worthy of having individual names or descriptions. It seemed to make no difference whether I found a diamond in a dragon's hoard or a torn pair of underwear, it was all boring "junk." I was really disappointed that Keeper Marathari gave me a book that turned out to be junk and not readable or clickable.
I really didn't mind the recycled area maps, although obviously, I'm looking forward to DLC and/or an expansion with new maps.
The only bug that really bugged me was the fact that Disorienting Shot does not work. Hopefully that will be fixed in Patch 1.03.
Overall, taking into account the massive amount of negative hype for this game I find it to be extremely underrated. The time for each playthrough and the amount of time I've enjoyed playing so far, is far longer than any of my
DAO playthroughs. I'm glad that I pre-ordered and if it were not for the fetch quests, I would say that I liked the game significantly more than DAO.
To provide some background, I'm a very old school pen and paper RPG and RTS fan in my 30s, I generally find FPS games boring and I have never in my entire life played any game on Xbox or PS3. The last console I owned was the NES about 20 years ago. I loved DAO, and some of my other favorite PC games include Oblivion, Morrowind, the Civilization series, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas. I haven't tried ME1 yet. I liked ME2, but I don't know if I would consider it one my favs because the playthrough was very short IMO, and it doesn't have a great deal of replay appeal for me.
I haven't played Baldur's Gate, NWN, etc., or most of those cRPGs because I did not play any video games between the years 1990 - 2009. I read some review of DAO and watched the trailer and this is the game that got me back into gaming after a 20 year hiatus.
I found the combat in DA2 to be a huge improvement over DAO because it requires a lot more tactical thought and planning. Nightmare mode in DAO was a joke because you could simply spam cheap healing potions to get through anything. Nightmare in DA2 kicks my ass, repeatedly.
I don't use tactics, rather I control every party member through pausing and I have to do a lot more thinking to survive tough battles. And I die frequently! Most tough battles I have to reload many times and often barely survive with only one or two party members left. Love it!
I love the "waves" and the massive HP for enemies, as well as characters spawning on top of me, etc., because it makes the game a lot more challenging. I realize many people hate these very same elements, but in my case I found them to be a huge improvement over DAO because DAO combat was not challenging enough.
I also found the character progression and party member selection to be a lot more balanced than DAO (although I will admit Isabella is a bit underpowered on Nightmare). Mages are still very powerful, but all of the classes and each companion has some benefits and drawbacks and the most powerful attacks are only possible by careful tactical coordination with a balanced party composition.
The result is that the design of the skill trees, as well as factors like cooldowns and armor requirements make each level up decision more difficult, which is an improvement to balance IMO. In DAO I recall for my mages I would put all my points into Magic and end up with 100+ magic nuke spell combo monsters who would spam cheap lyrium potions for mana. The "total damage dealt" stats for mages were always orders of magnitude higher than other classes in DAO. In DA2 I have to think a bit more carefully how to progress each party member at level up.
Loved the art direction, the new companions, the more personal story with stakes relating to family instead of "saving the world." The dialogue writing and voice performances were solid across the board and in particular Jo Wyatt (FemHawke), Victoria Kruger (Isabela) and Eve Myles (Merril) were especially engaging. Merril's Welsh accent was cute and when she was in the party it felt a bit like hanging out with Torchwood. I was blown away by the character design for the new Qunari and the default FemHawke was simply stunning.
With the high res texture pack installed, at Very High Quality on 1920x1080, DX11, SSAO, Diffusion DOF, High Quality Blur, 16 x AF, 2 x AA, the game looked fantastic and I was surprised that I got excellent frame rates playing on my laptop. The detail in some of the scenes with shiny golden statues, grey clouds moving in the background, even a few birds in the sky, was incredible, even when projected huge on the wall with my 1080p projector.
There are also a couple of things I intensely disliked about DA2. The poorly executed fetch quests gave me a lot of grief. (The ones where you find some item in a chest and then a random person on the street gives you gold.) I would only read my journal description of the quest after the fact to figure out why the hell the guy just gave me gold. If only these quests could have been given by the quest giver in a dialogue, or at a minimum posted on a Mage's board or Chanter's board, then they would feel like "real" quests. I'm hoping this can be improved with an expansion or DLC at some point.
I felt that the Arishok duel needed an improvement to level design. Unless you have a carefully planned build like IN1's DW assassin build, the duel ends up being 45 minutes of kiting around the pillars.
I also dislike the choice to make all the loot generic. If I find or pick up a book, even if it is "junk" let me click on it and read it. I'd love to be able to discard items and see what they look like in-game. I don't have a problem with a "junk" inventory tab, but perhaps it is somthing psychological to do with the fact that all the icons for junk items looked so similar, it seemed that they were all not even worthy of having individual names or descriptions. It seemed to make no difference whether I found a diamond in a dragon's hoard or a torn pair of underwear, it was all boring "junk." I was really disappointed that Keeper Marathari gave me a book that turned out to be junk and not readable or clickable.
I really didn't mind the recycled area maps, although obviously, I'm looking forward to DLC and/or an expansion with new maps.
The only bug that really bugged me was the fact that Disorienting Shot does not work. Hopefully that will be fixed in Patch 1.03.
Overall, taking into account the massive amount of negative hype for this game I find it to be extremely underrated. The time for each playthrough and the amount of time I've enjoyed playing so far, is far longer than any of my
DAO playthroughs. I'm glad that I pre-ordered and if it were not for the fetch quests, I would say that I liked the game significantly more than DAO.
Modifié par naughty99, 17 avril 2011 - 05:59 .
#1953
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 06:25
erynnar
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Okay...I really despise the argument of Mr. Laidlaw and others here of "just up the playing difficulty," so lets skip that when I say this... playing on casual or normal (which he did, and beat the game in 25:02, that includes walking away to do something else) should not mean not having someone in the group who heals at all. My husband played a mage, never speced for healing. He only took Anders on the quests for Anders, and left him behind the rest of the time. And when he did take Anders, whatever healing spell he came with he used. He never had him do panacea or group, heal, and my husband is loathe to use potions. Sorry, but when "easy" means cheap and easy like a $50 hooker, it cheapens the game playing also. Upping the difficulty levels only made game play more tedious with more waves killing and bosses with MMORPG type hit points which only meant longer kiting. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz. It still felt cheap if not always easy.
Oh and your economy system needs work. I spend the first half of the game getting 50 gold, I could spend it on better gear and still get to go the Deep Roads. And I can't save it to buy the supremely over priced good gear later in the game. Either way I'm screwed. I supposedly become rich after the DR, but funny enough I don't have any more money in my bank then I had after collecting loot and selling it. Junk gives me a piddly couple of coppers, and some bosses have some silver and crappy gear while their henchmen have better? I also don't get any money being part owner in a mine...yeah, this needs work.
Oh and your economy system needs work. I spend the first half of the game getting 50 gold, I could spend it on better gear and still get to go the Deep Roads. And I can't save it to buy the supremely over priced good gear later in the game. Either way I'm screwed. I supposedly become rich after the DR, but funny enough I don't have any more money in my bank then I had after collecting loot and selling it. Junk gives me a piddly couple of coppers, and some bosses have some silver and crappy gear while their henchmen have better? I also don't get any money being part owner in a mine...yeah, this needs work.
Modifié par erynnar, 17 avril 2011 - 06:27 .
#1954
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 06:42
k177sh0t
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Couldnt find my the post I made a couple of days a go so here goes*
Companion Progression
Isabela: Still wants to hump Zevran even though she's already fallen for Hawke - dunno if this is just Isabela or something else.
Merrill after killing the Dalish Keeper, there wasnt some kind of conversation regarding it.
Companion Progression
Isabela: Still wants to hump Zevran even though she's already fallen for Hawke - dunno if this is just Isabela or something else.
Merrill after killing the Dalish Keeper, there wasnt some kind of conversation regarding it.
#1955
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 07:30
Big I
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Being halfway through a 2nd playthrough I'd like to share my thoughts.
The Friendship/Rivalry system
Get rid of it, and replace it with a quest based system similar to Mass Effect 2. If the goal of having rivalry is to avoid players being forced to game the system (i.e only choosing options that characters approve of in DA:O) it fails. What happens is you plan out ahead of time whether you want rivalry or friendship, and then game towards that. Having a point system also makes it harder to control your character interactions the way you like; I found it annoying that even if I choose every option to give Carver friendship points he still interacts as a rival, or that it is far more difficult to rivalmance Isabella than to romance her. Just have conversation options in companion quests or conversations that set the relationship as rival or friendship, similar to Alistair's and Leliana's hardening mechanic from DA:O, and have "full" relationship status achieved after doing all their companion quests.
Act 3
Act 3 is the problem with the story. Up til then it proceeds in a familiar Bioware fashion - the game is about a unique individual who accomplishes things others cannot and gains power and privelege by doing so. You can affect the outcomes of NPCs, companions, and have several methods of resolving the main plot. Act 3 is the opposite, so much so that it feels like a bizarre expansion pack. The railroading is mind-boggling and ubiquitous. No matter what you chose to do earlier in the game, the NPCs will be in the same position. Hawke is always made into a bystander for the main conflict, both in what happens to the Chantry and how the endgame plays out. Nothing you choose matters, and a story that had been about one person's rise to power flips 180 degrees and becomes about how they're not that important, really.
Don't make us think we can affect things when we can't; provide multiple ways of resolving the endgame/main plot conflict; and don't use companions as a plot device in a way that invalidates out interaction with them.
Family
A game that was supposed to be about family took them away from you. They may as well have all died in Lothering for all the impact they had. The first sibling death rang completely hollow, and I don't even know what the fate of the second sibling was supposed to accomplish apart from being completely contrived. As for what happens to Leandra, I've never felt so underwhelmed by a character moment in my life. It was senseless, sensationalist rubbish about one of the least interesting characters in the game. If you want family to be a key theme, keep them around and make them more responsive to a player actions and choices. As it was, this whole aspect of the game fell flat for me.
The Friendship/Rivalry system
Get rid of it, and replace it with a quest based system similar to Mass Effect 2. If the goal of having rivalry is to avoid players being forced to game the system (i.e only choosing options that characters approve of in DA:O) it fails. What happens is you plan out ahead of time whether you want rivalry or friendship, and then game towards that. Having a point system also makes it harder to control your character interactions the way you like; I found it annoying that even if I choose every option to give Carver friendship points he still interacts as a rival, or that it is far more difficult to rivalmance Isabella than to romance her. Just have conversation options in companion quests or conversations that set the relationship as rival or friendship, similar to Alistair's and Leliana's hardening mechanic from DA:O, and have "full" relationship status achieved after doing all their companion quests.
Act 3
Act 3 is the problem with the story. Up til then it proceeds in a familiar Bioware fashion - the game is about a unique individual who accomplishes things others cannot and gains power and privelege by doing so. You can affect the outcomes of NPCs, companions, and have several methods of resolving the main plot. Act 3 is the opposite, so much so that it feels like a bizarre expansion pack. The railroading is mind-boggling and ubiquitous. No matter what you chose to do earlier in the game, the NPCs will be in the same position. Hawke is always made into a bystander for the main conflict, both in what happens to the Chantry and how the endgame plays out. Nothing you choose matters, and a story that had been about one person's rise to power flips 180 degrees and becomes about how they're not that important, really.
Don't make us think we can affect things when we can't; provide multiple ways of resolving the endgame/main plot conflict; and don't use companions as a plot device in a way that invalidates out interaction with them.
Family
A game that was supposed to be about family took them away from you. They may as well have all died in Lothering for all the impact they had. The first sibling death rang completely hollow, and I don't even know what the fate of the second sibling was supposed to accomplish apart from being completely contrived. As for what happens to Leandra, I've never felt so underwhelmed by a character moment in my life. It was senseless, sensationalist rubbish about one of the least interesting characters in the game. If you want family to be a key theme, keep them around and make them more responsive to a player actions and choices. As it was, this whole aspect of the game fell flat for me.
#1956
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 08:16
just_me
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So after 3 playthroughs here's what I think...
I guess the full text version is a little too long, so this has to do:
Story
- liked the general idea, since it was not a generic "save the world story"
- didn't hate the end... game had to tell the story how Hawke became champion and it did...
- some more "boring stuff" would have been goof to create a better connection to Hawke
- the "rich yet poor champion" issue should have been addressed (like Hawke had to spend ALL money to buy back the estate), how did they make so much money anyway? and why only Hawke?
- time skips were too long thus created awkward and noncredible situations like:
- Mage/Templar conflict in Act III was too short, too little interaction with Meredith and Orsino
- "grayscale decision" options at the end felt both kind of wrong instead of "both parties could be right"
- although there were decisions during each act they did not affect the "state of the world" in the next one thus felt unsatisfying
- One single conclusion to the story was a good idea
- more distinct ways to reach this conclusion would have been nice
Voiced Main Char/Dialog Wheel
- liked the talking Hawke especially the female voice
- dialog felt more realistic with 2 people talking
- wheel is better for navigation on console
- liked the icons, can't see a drawback if you can see the intent on the fly
- full sentence was sometimes surprising given the preview, so some way to see the full text would have been nice
- you clung too much to the "3 tone answer" paradigm
- no way to go "back and forth" in dialog
Companions
- Liked them in general
- missed the option to talk with them anytime (in their bases)
- with more "random" conversation and "small talk" they could keep up with their DA:O counterparts
- companion quests were enjoyable and better than in Origins
- some potential for character development was left untouched , since most significant quests happen in Act III, where the game is almost over (e.g. the extreme outcome of Merill's quest should effect her character)
- liked the companion specs, although they were not entirely unique
- family felt underdeveloped
- we lost "awkward sex in undies" and got "awkward foreplay in full clothing", which is not that much better
- right now it feels like "sex" is just there to claim "there is sex in the game"
- romances suffered from the lack of conversation possibilities with companions, I took every chance I got to flirt
- If you did not met requirements till certain events happened you might not be able to complete romances at all, nor change your mind
Kirkwall
- architecture was nice, although you had to look up to truly appreciate it
- e.g. Blooming Rose should have a more impressive door/entrance
- city felt lifeless not only due to a lack of NPCs, but also:
- Kirkwall did not change over the years, not even the rubble moved
- I expected more interaction with "secondary" factions like Coterie, Merchant Guild, Mage Underground etc. interaction with them could have shaped the city as well
-while Kirkwall was bigger than Denerim it was simply not big enough to serve as a satisfying main region
Area reuse
- the only undeniable bad thing about the game, there is just way too much reuse
- if you couldn't make enough varied locations (like different warehouses) at least do not make that many quests that lead into the same location (like a warehouse)...
- sometimes one ends up in surprising locations, like the lair of Hubris and Xebenkeck in Darktown, dwarven thaig/dungeon location did not really fit
- almost all regions were shown in Act I, so the game felt more repetitive
UI
- was nice, clean and functional
- style was too sci-fi themed, font was too modern
- style similar to the one shown in cutscenes between acts would have been better
Combat
- In general many good decisions like percentage based healing and sustainables, force system, cross class combos, talent trees, closing attacks, class overhauls
- animations are better for the most part, flow of battle is smoother
- but some animations are too fast and look to weak (2Handed, dual wield)
- gap between party speed and most opponents is too big -> looks "off"
- combo-string-enders should have been skill interruptible
- liked most skill animations, but a more realistic approach on some skills would have been better (e.g. evade... some sort of cartwheel/simple back flip instead of the "super somersault")
- animation and combat speed between DA2 and DA:O would be perfect
- violence is too exaggerated, looks hilarious
- exploding enemies are fine for explosive skills but not regular blows
- cutting enemies in half is OK for skills like mighty blow, whirlwind... but 2 pieces not a thousand...
- e.g. an enemy holding his wound than collapsing from a backstab looks better than a guy that just explodes if you stab him in the guts...
- cross class combos are great, but I still think having very few "single class combos" similar to spell combos in DA:O would be cool
- have a top down view at least to aim AoEs, it's hard to accurately target distant opponents
- tweak encounter length: often too many waves, bosses with too much health
- use waves only on some key encounters and with good opportunities to spawn new waves, not on nearly every battle
- sucks if a new wave spawns "right on your head" and you are suddenly surrounded
- lack of enemy types and lack of varied models for one enemy type + high enemy count per battle contributes to "same boring stuff" feeling( oh another 10 look alike shades/hurlocks)
- might redo the dmg calculation formula again, it starts with very low dmg but ends up with several hundred for simple auto attacks, this creates a huge gap between party health and enemy health
- non human-shaped enemies were not affected by force
Equipment
- maybe (re)allow any char to equip a weapon if requirements are met
- obviously deny the use of skills with wrong equipment and calculate dmg with appropriate stat
- I liked the unique looks provided by the companion armor, but one armor (at a time) is not enough, 2-3 interchangeable armors with unique stats to support certain builds could be sufficient
- maybe make the slots for hand and feet available again, this way only one slot for customization is lost + it's easiest to accept if armor of these slots is not properly reflected on the char model
- star rating is not a bad idea, but implementation was too simple to be truly effective (more of an indicator how long an item is in the inventory instead of it's quallity)
- graphical presentation with stars did not fit for DA... too modern
Skills/Crafting
- did not really miss the skills, thought they were not that well done and too restrictive in Origins (had to pick combat training for warriors/rogues, coercion for main char etc)
- substitute for coercion, the companion/dominant tone choices were nice, should have been used more often
- DA:O sometimes had special choices depending on other attributes (besides strength for intimidation, cunning for persuasion), this should return
Character Creation
- some customization to "standard Hawke" should have been possible, like hairstyle/color, skin, tattoos etc ( just not the shape), since they look pretty good
- missed the sliders for mouth width and full/shallow cheeks
- maybe offer different base lip shapes
- maybe some rather limited customization of the body (height, muscle tone, body volume... obviously boob size lol...)
- female skin textures: the last two were awful...
Misc
-trap detection range is too small
- too many junk items, with very little value
- lack of graphical representation+ description of many items
- not possible to check stats of loot on console before you pick it up
- final bossfight was my "OMG a JRPG" moment... just too much superhuman stuff^^
- solving conflicts with violence often leads to more xp than a peaceful approach... I think both options should be equal
- missing detail view for regular stats (base + x = current value information)
I still think DAII is a good game but had the potential to be great.
A lot of the issues could have been fixed/avoided with a longer development time.
The game just lacks the level of fine-tuning, detail and consistency DA:O had (for the most part)
I guess the full text version is a little too long, so this has to do:
Story
- liked the general idea, since it was not a generic "save the world story"
- didn't hate the end... game had to tell the story how Hawke became champion and it did...
- some more "boring stuff" would have been goof to create a better connection to Hawke
- like starting the game in Lothering to have more interaction with the family
- show some more of the first year in Kirkwall and the family's struggles to make the Deep Roads expedition more plausible
- the "rich yet poor champion" issue should have been addressed (like Hawke had to spend ALL money to buy back the estate), how did they make so much money anyway? and why only Hawke?
- time skips were too long thus created awkward and noncredible situations like:
- Bodhan thanks Hawke after 3 years
- Merills needs years to recognize the artifact is not enough to fix the mirror
- nothing interesting happens in three years and suddenly "everything" at once
- Mage/Templar conflict in Act III was too short, too little interaction with Meredith and Orsino
- "grayscale decision" options at the end felt both kind of wrong instead of "both parties could be right"
- although there were decisions during each act they did not affect the "state of the world" in the next one thus felt unsatisfying
- One single conclusion to the story was a good idea
- more distinct ways to reach this conclusion would have been nice
Voiced Main Char/Dialog Wheel
- liked the talking Hawke especially the female voice
- dialog felt more realistic with 2 people talking
- wheel is better for navigation on console
- liked the icons, can't see a drawback if you can see the intent on the fly
- full sentence was sometimes surprising given the preview, so some way to see the full text would have been nice
- you clung too much to the "3 tone answer" paradigm
- no way to go "back and forth" in dialog
Companions
- Liked them in general
- missed the option to talk with them anytime (in their bases)
- with more "random" conversation and "small talk" they could keep up with their DA:O counterparts
- companion quests were enjoyable and better than in Origins
- some potential for character development was left untouched , since most significant quests happen in Act III, where the game is almost over (e.g. the extreme outcome of Merill's quest should effect her character)
- liked the companion specs, although they were not entirely unique
- family felt underdeveloped
- sibling were not around for a huge part of the game
- siblings had no spec tree
- Mother should have had more involvement
- Hawke is a little too awesome
- we lost "awkward sex in undies" and got "awkward foreplay in full clothing", which is not that much better
- right now it feels like "sex" is just there to claim "there is sex in the game"
- romances suffered from the lack of conversation possibilities with companions, I took every chance I got to flirt
- If you did not met requirements till certain events happened you might not be able to complete romances at all, nor change your mind
Kirkwall
- architecture was nice, although you had to look up to truly appreciate it
- e.g. Blooming Rose should have a more impressive door/entrance
- city felt lifeless not only due to a lack of NPCs, but also:
- people hardly do anything (no one works, shops etc.)
- too little non functional/mandatory stuff, barely anyone to talk to if it's not quest related,
- e.g. 4 shops are not really a bazaar there should have been more even if you can't buy something
- Kirkwall did not change over the years, not even the rubble moved
- I expected more interaction with "secondary" factions like Coterie, Merchant Guild, Mage Underground etc. interaction with them could have shaped the city as well
-while Kirkwall was bigger than Denerim it was simply not big enough to serve as a satisfying main region
Area reuse
- the only undeniable bad thing about the game, there is just way too much reuse
- if you couldn't make enough varied locations (like different warehouses) at least do not make that many quests that lead into the same location (like a warehouse)...
- sometimes one ends up in surprising locations, like the lair of Hubris and Xebenkeck in Darktown, dwarven thaig/dungeon location did not really fit
- almost all regions were shown in Act I, so the game felt more repetitive
UI
- was nice, clean and functional
- style was too sci-fi themed, font was too modern
- style similar to the one shown in cutscenes between acts would have been better
Combat
- In general many good decisions like percentage based healing and sustainables, force system, cross class combos, talent trees, closing attacks, class overhauls
- animations are better for the most part, flow of battle is smoother
- but some animations are too fast and look to weak (2Handed, dual wield)
- gap between party speed and most opponents is too big -> looks "off"
- combo-string-enders should have been skill interruptible
- liked most skill animations, but a more realistic approach on some skills would have been better (e.g. evade... some sort of cartwheel/simple back flip instead of the "super somersault")
- animation and combat speed between DA2 and DA:O would be perfect
- violence is too exaggerated, looks hilarious
- exploding enemies are fine for explosive skills but not regular blows
- cutting enemies in half is OK for skills like mighty blow, whirlwind... but 2 pieces not a thousand...
- e.g. an enemy holding his wound than collapsing from a backstab looks better than a guy that just explodes if you stab him in the guts...
- cross class combos are great, but I still think having very few "single class combos" similar to spell combos in DA:O would be cool
- have a top down view at least to aim AoEs, it's hard to accurately target distant opponents
- tweak encounter length: often too many waves, bosses with too much health
- use waves only on some key encounters and with good opportunities to spawn new waves, not on nearly every battle
- sucks if a new wave spawns "right on your head" and you are suddenly surrounded
- lack of enemy types and lack of varied models for one enemy type + high enemy count per battle contributes to "same boring stuff" feeling( oh another 10 look alike shades/hurlocks)
- might redo the dmg calculation formula again, it starts with very low dmg but ends up with several hundred for simple auto attacks, this creates a huge gap between party health and enemy health
- non human-shaped enemies were not affected by force
Equipment
- maybe (re)allow any char to equip a weapon if requirements are met
- obviously deny the use of skills with wrong equipment and calculate dmg with appropriate stat
- I liked the unique looks provided by the companion armor, but one armor (at a time) is not enough, 2-3 interchangeable armors with unique stats to support certain builds could be sufficient
- maybe make the slots for hand and feet available again, this way only one slot for customization is lost + it's easiest to accept if armor of these slots is not properly reflected on the char model
- star rating is not a bad idea, but implementation was too simple to be truly effective (more of an indicator how long an item is in the inventory instead of it's quallity)
- graphical presentation with stars did not fit for DA... too modern
Skills/Crafting
- did not really miss the skills, thought they were not that well done and too restrictive in Origins (had to pick combat training for warriors/rogues, coercion for main char etc)
- substitute for coercion, the companion/dominant tone choices were nice, should have been used more often
- DA:O sometimes had special choices depending on other attributes (besides strength for intimidation, cunning for persuasion), this should return
Character Creation
- some customization to "standard Hawke" should have been possible, like hairstyle/color, skin, tattoos etc ( just not the shape), since they look pretty good
- missed the sliders for mouth width and full/shallow cheeks
- maybe offer different base lip shapes
- maybe some rather limited customization of the body (height, muscle tone, body volume... obviously boob size lol...)
- female skin textures: the last two were awful...
Misc
-trap detection range is too small
- too many junk items, with very little value
- lack of graphical representation+ description of many items
- not possible to check stats of loot on console before you pick it up
- final bossfight was my "OMG a JRPG" moment... just too much superhuman stuff^^
- solving conflicts with violence often leads to more xp than a peaceful approach... I think both options should be equal
- missing detail view for regular stats (base + x = current value information)
I still think DAII is a good game but had the potential to be great.
A lot of the issues could have been fixed/avoided with a longer development time.
The game just lacks the level of fine-tuning, detail and consistency DA:O had (for the most part)
Modifié par just_me, 17 avril 2011 - 08:21 .
#1957
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 10:43
attend
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Dragon age 2 was a good idea that was not completed. At least that was the way it felt as I played and these are the things that struck me hard.
1. Lothering was not in the middle of a desert. South of Lothering was a forest. Hello, it is on the map.
2. Carver or Bethany's death had no emotional impact. Hawke didn't throw anything in anger, hack the ogre's body in vengence, hug his/her distraught mother, or hang his/her head in dispair. That lack affected every conversation about them later.
3. Gamlen's home was worst than Merrill's in the alienage. It had zero personality. If Hawke was so renoun for his/her deeds then why had he not contributed to his/her mother's comfort. A patched quilt or a special chair. Even the mallet was not there until later.
4. I liked the sister Petrice Shephering Wolves storyline and how she kept popping up and causing trouble. It was better wrought than the WAY more personal First Sacrifice storyline. Aveline would not blow the templar off. The victims were health well to do women and their families would be screaming for justice. It fell flat. Why not have the person in question buying strange ingredients and have one of your mages mention the oddity or them passing by you muttering something strange and then lose them when your mugged by one of the nighttime gangs. How about your mother mentioning how she glad your home because lately she has had this strange feeling. That is one example. Too many of the storylines were too aburpt with little lead in or no closure. (Closure was better done than lead in on that one.)
5. Romances - Grrrrr. Someone want to tell me why, WHY, when Hawke gains a significant other they stand in the same place when they move in and say the same phrase time and time again! Or even better they never come see Hawke for dinner, cards, music and then ask other NPC for sex. REALLY?!
6. Fenris's mansion. How many years did undecayed bodies remain there? How about a quest/cutscene where Hawke helps him sink the bodies at the docks and other companions ( Merrill) help him clean up. Great quest and makes for a more immersive game.
7. Six years and our companions never change clothes other than the one time Aveline does. The upgrades should have changed the styles some or completely.
8. Why can Hawke not change/ remove his/her outfit in their own home?
9. Quests that do not activate or complete.
10. Not only the respawning dungeon crawls but the NPC clones drove me nuts. Bodahn was not kidding when he said all humans look alike. At least all the nobles and all the mages.
11. Where was the backstory for Hybris and Xebenkeck? In DA:O I liked where you could find the story of the soldier who lost his family and stumbled upon the camp in the forest only to die in a book in Lothering and then your character later falls into the same trap.
12. Treasure should be worth something. In DA:O killing a high dragon got you boatloads. Junk could have been better used for items that decorate your home. No one is going to pick up torn trousers/moldy dolls and sell them. Awakenings took items gained on adventures and used them to decorate the main hall. Would have been a better choice and could have been offered to companions to individualize their places also. Rather have received greater rewards for adventures and used "junk" in a better way.
13. Exploding bodies and crazy acrobactics. For a game touting a mature rating this type of battle seems written for young teenagers. Enough said.
14. No changing of the seasons and no animals in the wild. No bears, no nugs, no halla, no wolves, no deer, no rabbits. Exactly what did the Elves, spiders, dragons, mabari, Varterral, and Tal-Vashoth eat?
15. After a battle finishes, the characters should not have everything immediately reset. Healing, stamina, and cooldowns should have regained at the same pace as during a battle. Walk one room over and your completely refreshed from your battle you JUST finished.
I am sure many of these things have already been mentioned, but they bear repeating due to their annoyance. On the other hand, I did enjoy Varric telling the tale, the Qunari storyline, Flemeth, and the Feynriel storyline until act 3 with the bugged quest..
1. Lothering was not in the middle of a desert. South of Lothering was a forest. Hello, it is on the map.
2. Carver or Bethany's death had no emotional impact. Hawke didn't throw anything in anger, hack the ogre's body in vengence, hug his/her distraught mother, or hang his/her head in dispair. That lack affected every conversation about them later.
3. Gamlen's home was worst than Merrill's in the alienage. It had zero personality. If Hawke was so renoun for his/her deeds then why had he not contributed to his/her mother's comfort. A patched quilt or a special chair. Even the mallet was not there until later.
4. I liked the sister Petrice Shephering Wolves storyline and how she kept popping up and causing trouble. It was better wrought than the WAY more personal First Sacrifice storyline. Aveline would not blow the templar off. The victims were health well to do women and their families would be screaming for justice. It fell flat. Why not have the person in question buying strange ingredients and have one of your mages mention the oddity or them passing by you muttering something strange and then lose them when your mugged by one of the nighttime gangs. How about your mother mentioning how she glad your home because lately she has had this strange feeling. That is one example. Too many of the storylines were too aburpt with little lead in or no closure. (Closure was better done than lead in on that one.)
5. Romances - Grrrrr. Someone want to tell me why, WHY, when Hawke gains a significant other they stand in the same place when they move in and say the same phrase time and time again! Or even better they never come see Hawke for dinner, cards, music and then ask other NPC for sex. REALLY?!
6. Fenris's mansion. How many years did undecayed bodies remain there? How about a quest/cutscene where Hawke helps him sink the bodies at the docks and other companions ( Merrill) help him clean up. Great quest and makes for a more immersive game.
7. Six years and our companions never change clothes other than the one time Aveline does. The upgrades should have changed the styles some or completely.
8. Why can Hawke not change/ remove his/her outfit in their own home?
9. Quests that do not activate or complete.
10. Not only the respawning dungeon crawls but the NPC clones drove me nuts. Bodahn was not kidding when he said all humans look alike. At least all the nobles and all the mages.
11. Where was the backstory for Hybris and Xebenkeck? In DA:O I liked where you could find the story of the soldier who lost his family and stumbled upon the camp in the forest only to die in a book in Lothering and then your character later falls into the same trap.
12. Treasure should be worth something. In DA:O killing a high dragon got you boatloads. Junk could have been better used for items that decorate your home. No one is going to pick up torn trousers/moldy dolls and sell them. Awakenings took items gained on adventures and used them to decorate the main hall. Would have been a better choice and could have been offered to companions to individualize their places also. Rather have received greater rewards for adventures and used "junk" in a better way.
13. Exploding bodies and crazy acrobactics. For a game touting a mature rating this type of battle seems written for young teenagers. Enough said.
14. No changing of the seasons and no animals in the wild. No bears, no nugs, no halla, no wolves, no deer, no rabbits. Exactly what did the Elves, spiders, dragons, mabari, Varterral, and Tal-Vashoth eat?
15. After a battle finishes, the characters should not have everything immediately reset. Healing, stamina, and cooldowns should have regained at the same pace as during a battle. Walk one room over and your completely refreshed from your battle you JUST finished.
I am sure many of these things have already been mentioned, but they bear repeating due to their annoyance. On the other hand, I did enjoy Varric telling the tale, the Qunari storyline, Flemeth, and the Feynriel storyline until act 3 with the bugged quest..
#1958
Posté 17 avril 2011 - 10:48
Sen4lifE
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Mapping
I admit I was disappointed with whoever did the level designing in Dragon Age II. I'm not talking about the redundant usage of maps, as that didn't get at me as much as others, though I do realize you could have made that point a little better.
The inconsistancy is what I'm complaining about. First of all, when you're in a warehouse with windows, why is it white outside? Really, look out the window, it is blank white. I get it that you were going for a lighting effect, and normally that'd be ignorable but for example the doors have cracks in them, so beyond the door is just a blank white canvas also. Would it have been much to ask for a skybox?
Also, when it is dark out, it does not change. Really? It's pitch black when I enter the building, yet I look outside and it's blank and brightly white. Yet at other times when there is an open side to the building you can see the sky and moon. Why wasn't this consistant with all the maps? The maps seemed bland at many points in time, redundant and yes, I will say it, way, way over-used. You didn't even try that hard to cover it up. But again, I'm going to dismiss the recycling and criticism the poor design. For the first while, it was okay like I said. But then starting to pay attention, it lowered my opinion of the game a bit.
I admit I was disappointed with whoever did the level designing in Dragon Age II. I'm not talking about the redundant usage of maps, as that didn't get at me as much as others, though I do realize you could have made that point a little better.
The inconsistancy is what I'm complaining about. First of all, when you're in a warehouse with windows, why is it white outside? Really, look out the window, it is blank white. I get it that you were going for a lighting effect, and normally that'd be ignorable but for example the doors have cracks in them, so beyond the door is just a blank white canvas also. Would it have been much to ask for a skybox?
Also, when it is dark out, it does not change. Really? It's pitch black when I enter the building, yet I look outside and it's blank and brightly white. Yet at other times when there is an open side to the building you can see the sky and moon. Why wasn't this consistant with all the maps? The maps seemed bland at many points in time, redundant and yes, I will say it, way, way over-used. You didn't even try that hard to cover it up. But again, I'm going to dismiss the recycling and criticism the poor design. For the first while, it was okay like I said. But then starting to pay attention, it lowered my opinion of the game a bit.
#1959
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 12:38
BluGirl1968
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Okay, this iteration with Anders was imperfect because of the new cut scenes ( I did not have some of the same planned outcomes - my fault ), but I cried when I killed him this time. I am still sniffling. I had to have a friend on IM tell me to do it too. Since I complained about not feeling a connection after my first game, I feel it is just fair to let you know that the connection was present this time. I did not think I was going to react but it suprised me.
I am gonna go kill Meradith now. >.>
I am gonna go kill Meradith now. >.>
#1960
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 03:19
Kas Minus One
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April 6, I downloaded the demo to find out if Dragon Age II would run on my computer. Glad to find it did, I subsequently went to buy it from a retail store. I played through over the next couple days, realized I missed half the content in Act II, started a new character, and played through the entire game from beginning to end in 53 hours, 29 minutes. I even watched through the entire credits. Fortunately, patch 1.02 came out just in time for me to start Act III, and fix Merrill's story line.
Keeping all of this in mind, I would like to say that my single favorite thing about any RPG is character interaction and dialogue. In fact, 60% of my reason for playing this game was to see the dialogue between myself and my party members, or between the party members while moving through the world. In this regard, I find myself sadly disappointed. While I love that all dialogue is fully voiced, the game feels like it has too few options on what to say, too little immersion in knowing what things other characters will appreciate, and most of all, too few dialogues. The only time when I can speak with party members is when there's a micro-quest assigned to speaking with them, which seems to happen far too rarely for my taste. Worst of all, romances are incredibly short and seem to have almost no impact on the game.
Don't get me wrong - they've made a wonderful game here. However, I express concern over where this is going. It feels like modern RPGs are focusing too much on making things fast paced, getting through the story quickly, with less content overall, and not enough on immersion, making the player feel like part of the world, and having a real impact on what happens. Dragon Age: Origins had almost 1/4 of the level of character interaction that I'd prefer, and about 2/3 of what I expected from Dragon Age II. We need more story, more interaction and more immersion.
As a final note, both Origins and Dragon Age II started much better than they ended. At the beginning there were more side quests (especially in II), more dialogue (in Origins), and more involvement. I wish that at least the same level of diversity were present for the full span of the game. Bioware: if you make an expansion pack for Dragon Age II, please keep these comments in mind, and for ataash and the love of sataareth, include whatever companion stayed with Hawke (romantic interest) at the end as a party member again!
In short: Game's total story was too short, needs more dialogue, needs longer, more immersive romance and character interaction, and admittedly it's kind of annoying to be forced to raise Willpower when playing a Blood Mage.
Edit: I'd also like to add that I wholeheartedly support the idea of adding cats to the game. I wish Black Emporium hadn't come with a stupid dog that changes what you say when looking at things in the house...
Keeping all of this in mind, I would like to say that my single favorite thing about any RPG is character interaction and dialogue. In fact, 60% of my reason for playing this game was to see the dialogue between myself and my party members, or between the party members while moving through the world. In this regard, I find myself sadly disappointed. While I love that all dialogue is fully voiced, the game feels like it has too few options on what to say, too little immersion in knowing what things other characters will appreciate, and most of all, too few dialogues. The only time when I can speak with party members is when there's a micro-quest assigned to speaking with them, which seems to happen far too rarely for my taste. Worst of all, romances are incredibly short and seem to have almost no impact on the game.
Don't get me wrong - they've made a wonderful game here. However, I express concern over where this is going. It feels like modern RPGs are focusing too much on making things fast paced, getting through the story quickly, with less content overall, and not enough on immersion, making the player feel like part of the world, and having a real impact on what happens. Dragon Age: Origins had almost 1/4 of the level of character interaction that I'd prefer, and about 2/3 of what I expected from Dragon Age II. We need more story, more interaction and more immersion.
As a final note, both Origins and Dragon Age II started much better than they ended. At the beginning there were more side quests (especially in II), more dialogue (in Origins), and more involvement. I wish that at least the same level of diversity were present for the full span of the game. Bioware: if you make an expansion pack for Dragon Age II, please keep these comments in mind, and for ataash and the love of sataareth, include whatever companion stayed with Hawke (romantic interest) at the end as a party member again!
In short: Game's total story was too short, needs more dialogue, needs longer, more immersive romance and character interaction, and admittedly it's kind of annoying to be forced to raise Willpower when playing a Blood Mage.
Edit: I'd also like to add that I wholeheartedly support the idea of adding cats to the game. I wish Black Emporium hadn't come with a stupid dog that changes what you say when looking at things in the house...
Modifié par Kas Minus One, 18 avril 2011 - 03:20 .
#1961
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 10:36
rayvioletta
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I've given most of my criticisms elsewhere but just in case they weren't noticed I'll pop them here too, although most has probably been said by others already...
my single biggest fault with DA2 is the lack of replay value. on the first play through we have a few points that appear to be key decision moments which will have a big impact on the game. however on repeat playthroughs we soon discover that no matter what decision we make the consequences are inevitably the same, the only difference usually being a couple of lines of dialogue if anything. it doesn't matter how well written those lines are, it's not a strong enough incentive to replay the game over and over
in Origins we could feel like we were actually shaping the story by our actions. in DA2 we're just along for the ride
DA2 also lacks the sheer depth of Origins. in Origins every item you could pick up had a little bit of text on the tooltip, but in DA2 nothing does. sure some have codex entries but so did Origins, as well as the descriptions. it may seem like a small thing but it's all these little things that add up and really draw us into the game
and where's the conversation log? it's inevitable that sometimes we'll be distracted by the phone or the doorbell or something and miss a bit of conversation. or perhaps we're replaying a scene we've done a dozen times already so we're skipping a bit and accidentally skip one of the rare bits of different dialogue... no conversation log means having to load up an earlier save to catch what we missed. incredibly annoying
and what about our poor neglected Mabari? not only is he rather weak in combat, he doesn't automatically resummon when entering a new area and gets completely ignored by party banter, npc conversations and everything. apart from a few scenes in Hawke's home it's like he doesn't even exist. I miss scenes like dog running into Denerim market and finding a child to play with. or having companions banter to or about the dog while walking around
and the timeskips? sorry to say but they're horribly implemented. you arrive in Kirkwall and pick a side to work with, all the while thinking this is going to be one of those key decisions that'll be fun to try a different way next time. but no, you do one short quest and then skip over an entire year filled with the potential fun of quests for your chosen faction, exploring the new city and getting to know the NPCs. instead we find ourselves One Year Later... with Hawke greeting everyone in a "oh hello person I met earlier but I must tell you who you are and how we met for the players benefit" manner that doesn't so much break immersion as shatter it into tiny pieces, stamp up and down on it and throw whats left of immersion into the wind
the party banter is good though, but the trigger points couldn't have been worse. so many of them seem to be in doorways or near quest triggers that it's almost more common to hear the first bit of banter and have the rest cut off by a loading screen or cut scene than it is to hear complete banter
then we have the re-used dungeons. it's bad enough in games like WoW but at least they have the excuse of it being a huge, huge world with thousands of quests. in DA2 the only excuse is "we didn't have time" well I'm sorry to say but the answer to that is obvious, don't release the game until it's ready. I'd rather wait another year for a great game than have a disappointingly average game. but if you're going to reuse dungeons at least take the effort to disguise it. cut off the unused bits instead of leaving them on the map. block off the unused doorways with rockfalls or walls instead of unopenable doors
I briefly mentioned quests above so let's look at that. main quests are ok apart from the lack of consequences we've already covered. but side quests? I'll admit some of the chantry board/mage collective etc quests in Origins were a bit tedious but at least every last one of them had a story to them. in DA2 we find a pair of pants in a crate or the corpse of a chantry sister just lying on the ground and we automatically somehow know exactly who wants them, deliver them and get an almost always completely inappropriate line and a pitiful amount of money and that's it. where's the story? where's the immersion? at very least why doesn't it make sense?
and where's the female dwarves while we're at it? Origins comes along and proves that, contrary to pretty much every other game in existence, female dwarves can be cute and then they're completely absent from the sequel. it was bad enough our beloved Dagna didn't show up in Witch Hunt but not a single female dwarf in all of Kirkwall? poor, poor Varric
and let's not get started on the timeline contradictions. no, actually let's. so apparently the entire span of Origins, Awakening, Golems AND Witch Hunt takes place in one year? despite earlier information, some of which is within those games/dlc stating otherwise? But if not in one year then how can Anders, Bodhan and Sandal be in Kirkwall? But yet, if it is after Witch Hunt how can the Hero of Fereldan not have vanished yet if you import a save where they go through the mirror in Witch Hunt? either somebody's invented time travel or the continuity is even more screwed up than in Red Dwarf
finally, the waves. it's a nice idea in theory. rather than have tough enmies who take a long time to kill, have a lot of enemies but they don't all come at once (otherwise AOE would make short work of them). really, this IS a good idea. the execution however is awful. there's a few fights where it's done well, we see the next wave on a ledge above and they jump down, or they run out of a doorway... that kind of works. but most of the time they appear out of thin air. and it's not like we get waves of adds sometimes, it's every single fight. waves should have been one of several methods used to make different fights... different. have some fights be tough mobs who take a lot to kill, have some fights be waves of adds, have some require different kinds of strategies, have some where you need to make use of your surroundings... but no, with the exception of maybe one or two boss encounters, every single fight in DA2 is the same
I know it sounds from the above like I hate the game, but I don't. I like DA2, and that's part of why I care so much about all the flaws in it. I really wanted to love the game though, I wanted it to be a work of art like Origins, not a horribly rushed attempt to cash in on the popularity of it's predecessor
my single biggest fault with DA2 is the lack of replay value. on the first play through we have a few points that appear to be key decision moments which will have a big impact on the game. however on repeat playthroughs we soon discover that no matter what decision we make the consequences are inevitably the same, the only difference usually being a couple of lines of dialogue if anything. it doesn't matter how well written those lines are, it's not a strong enough incentive to replay the game over and over
in Origins we could feel like we were actually shaping the story by our actions. in DA2 we're just along for the ride
DA2 also lacks the sheer depth of Origins. in Origins every item you could pick up had a little bit of text on the tooltip, but in DA2 nothing does. sure some have codex entries but so did Origins, as well as the descriptions. it may seem like a small thing but it's all these little things that add up and really draw us into the game
and where's the conversation log? it's inevitable that sometimes we'll be distracted by the phone or the doorbell or something and miss a bit of conversation. or perhaps we're replaying a scene we've done a dozen times already so we're skipping a bit and accidentally skip one of the rare bits of different dialogue... no conversation log means having to load up an earlier save to catch what we missed. incredibly annoying
and what about our poor neglected Mabari? not only is he rather weak in combat, he doesn't automatically resummon when entering a new area and gets completely ignored by party banter, npc conversations and everything. apart from a few scenes in Hawke's home it's like he doesn't even exist. I miss scenes like dog running into Denerim market and finding a child to play with. or having companions banter to or about the dog while walking around
and the timeskips? sorry to say but they're horribly implemented. you arrive in Kirkwall and pick a side to work with, all the while thinking this is going to be one of those key decisions that'll be fun to try a different way next time. but no, you do one short quest and then skip over an entire year filled with the potential fun of quests for your chosen faction, exploring the new city and getting to know the NPCs. instead we find ourselves One Year Later... with Hawke greeting everyone in a "oh hello person I met earlier but I must tell you who you are and how we met for the players benefit" manner that doesn't so much break immersion as shatter it into tiny pieces, stamp up and down on it and throw whats left of immersion into the wind
the party banter is good though, but the trigger points couldn't have been worse. so many of them seem to be in doorways or near quest triggers that it's almost more common to hear the first bit of banter and have the rest cut off by a loading screen or cut scene than it is to hear complete banter
then we have the re-used dungeons. it's bad enough in games like WoW but at least they have the excuse of it being a huge, huge world with thousands of quests. in DA2 the only excuse is "we didn't have time" well I'm sorry to say but the answer to that is obvious, don't release the game until it's ready. I'd rather wait another year for a great game than have a disappointingly average game. but if you're going to reuse dungeons at least take the effort to disguise it. cut off the unused bits instead of leaving them on the map. block off the unused doorways with rockfalls or walls instead of unopenable doors
I briefly mentioned quests above so let's look at that. main quests are ok apart from the lack of consequences we've already covered. but side quests? I'll admit some of the chantry board/mage collective etc quests in Origins were a bit tedious but at least every last one of them had a story to them. in DA2 we find a pair of pants in a crate or the corpse of a chantry sister just lying on the ground and we automatically somehow know exactly who wants them, deliver them and get an almost always completely inappropriate line and a pitiful amount of money and that's it. where's the story? where's the immersion? at very least why doesn't it make sense?
and where's the female dwarves while we're at it? Origins comes along and proves that, contrary to pretty much every other game in existence, female dwarves can be cute and then they're completely absent from the sequel. it was bad enough our beloved Dagna didn't show up in Witch Hunt but not a single female dwarf in all of Kirkwall? poor, poor Varric
and let's not get started on the timeline contradictions. no, actually let's. so apparently the entire span of Origins, Awakening, Golems AND Witch Hunt takes place in one year? despite earlier information, some of which is within those games/dlc stating otherwise? But if not in one year then how can Anders, Bodhan and Sandal be in Kirkwall? But yet, if it is after Witch Hunt how can the Hero of Fereldan not have vanished yet if you import a save where they go through the mirror in Witch Hunt? either somebody's invented time travel or the continuity is even more screwed up than in Red Dwarf
finally, the waves. it's a nice idea in theory. rather than have tough enmies who take a long time to kill, have a lot of enemies but they don't all come at once (otherwise AOE would make short work of them). really, this IS a good idea. the execution however is awful. there's a few fights where it's done well, we see the next wave on a ledge above and they jump down, or they run out of a doorway... that kind of works. but most of the time they appear out of thin air. and it's not like we get waves of adds sometimes, it's every single fight. waves should have been one of several methods used to make different fights... different. have some fights be tough mobs who take a lot to kill, have some fights be waves of adds, have some require different kinds of strategies, have some where you need to make use of your surroundings... but no, with the exception of maybe one or two boss encounters, every single fight in DA2 is the same
I know it sounds from the above like I hate the game, but I don't. I like DA2, and that's part of why I care so much about all the flaws in it. I really wanted to love the game though, I wanted it to be a work of art like Origins, not a horribly rushed attempt to cash in on the popularity of it's predecessor
#1962
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 03:56
zeejay21
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Overall DA2 is a great, refreshing, different game. It lacks in certain parts that it doesn't engage the player - these has been touched numerous times in previous posts such the NPC reactions, companions interactions and their story, linear gameplay etc.
I, however, would like to see a more grandeur, epic final battle just like in DA:O. I was disappointed that I didn't get to slay a dragon in the end, just two bosses that I felt it was ripped from Awakenings.
To me, DA2 felt a little weak compared to DA:O or Mass Effect 2. I do hope DLCs or an expansion pack will fill in the blanks.
Still, it's a great game with a good story - just lacking in parts; something that I hope BioWare would fix in either the DLCs, expansion pack(s) or DA3.
I, however, would like to see a more grandeur, epic final battle just like in DA:O. I was disappointed that I didn't get to slay a dragon in the end, just two bosses that I felt it was ripped from Awakenings.
To me, DA2 felt a little weak compared to DA:O or Mass Effect 2. I do hope DLCs or an expansion pack will fill in the blanks.
Still, it's a great game with a good story - just lacking in parts; something that I hope BioWare would fix in either the DLCs, expansion pack(s) or DA3.
#1963
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 04:18
mmatrix05
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I'm OK with the story which is focused around fight of one individual for his place under the sun. But also there is his family and that is one of the problems in this game. I just didn't connect with them. There should be part before the blight involving your family so you can connect with them.
I play as mage and I am apostate and I never got that felling of prosecution everybody talks about. I just walk thru Kirkwall with 2 meters long magic stick and none of the templars care. I know it is hard to implement some special rules for one class but few special quests involving getting away from templars would be nice.
I play as mage and I am apostate and I never got that felling of prosecution everybody talks about. I just walk thru Kirkwall with 2 meters long magic stick and none of the templars care. I know it is hard to implement some special rules for one class but few special quests involving getting away from templars would be nice.
#1964
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 05:07
erynnar
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mmatrix05 wrote...
I'm OK with the story which is focused around fight of one individual for his place under the sun. But also there is his family and that is one of the problems in this game. I just didn't connect with them. There should be part before the blight involving your family so you can connect with them.
I play as mage and I am apostate and I never got that felling of prosecution everybody talks about. I just walk thru Kirkwall with 2 meters long magic stick and none of the templars care. I know it is hard to implement some special rules for one class but few special quests involving getting away from templars would be nice.
It doesn't help immersion when you can do spells right in front of Templars (right off the boat as a nobody immigrant) and later walking free around Kirkwall and even in front of Templars at their headquarters. *does blood magic spell in front of Thrask then in front of Cullen* Nope, no mage here!
#1965
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 05:40
Jills Toy
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I've had a few playthroughs and still feel it is a great game despite flaws being addressed in the recent patch (thanks) and hopefully more patches and DLCs on the way.
Like I said, I really like the story especially the narrative approach and cut scenes with Varrick and the Seeker as major milestones are met within the game. Really leads into DA3. I really like the banter between the companions to include Hawke chiming in once in awhile. Pretty witty and funny stuff at times. However, there are times when a companion is only having a one-sided conversation with someone not in the current party (Aveline seems to have this quirk the most) or right in the middle of some NPC banter your attacked by some group of thugs or whomever and the banter will continue during all the yelling, screaming and death throes of the attackers.
I like junk being identified as junk and immediately going into the trash but like what many others have commented on, I would like to know what it was that went into the trash! What I didn't like is opening a chest only to find a moth eaten rag. Junk in a sack, barrels, rubble or even the torn trousers on a pile of bones makes sense. Chests (especially those needing a Rogue to open) should have something more valuable than worthless junk or junk only worth one silver.
I like the characters and their individual personalities (Isabella, Merrill, Bethany and Varrick being my favorites). I would have liked Bethany to play a larger role as a companion in Acts II and III no matter the choice of her fate (one where she survives) given to us in the game.
Romancing isn't the same as it was in DA:O, at least in my opinion. I felt the cut scenes were brief and rated for the teen genre unlike previous Bioware games plus it wasn't that hard to work at succeeding in romancing. Always liked the side-play in ME 1 and 2 and DA:O on who to romance, who to play along only to later drop or continue the relationship due to jealousy or their preferred monogamous relationship.
I won't repeat some of the negative feedback already voiced numerous times over by others posting to this forum. Such as the reptitive mansions, caves and hideout layouts which, as I said in an earlier post, detracts from being a more adventurous game. Oops, I guess I did.
No matter how one reacts to conversations/events, we're pretty much driven to the same conclusion no matter if we side with the Templars or Mages. That pretty much is apparent in many of the side quests and relationships. Takes away from giving one a more decisive role in how the story progesses.
I think its a great game and better than most I've played. Bioware has re-written what an RPG really is and should be. Its not as near as great as DA:O or ME2 was but still better than most.
Like I said, I really like the story especially the narrative approach and cut scenes with Varrick and the Seeker as major milestones are met within the game. Really leads into DA3. I really like the banter between the companions to include Hawke chiming in once in awhile. Pretty witty and funny stuff at times. However, there are times when a companion is only having a one-sided conversation with someone not in the current party (Aveline seems to have this quirk the most) or right in the middle of some NPC banter your attacked by some group of thugs or whomever and the banter will continue during all the yelling, screaming and death throes of the attackers.
I like junk being identified as junk and immediately going into the trash but like what many others have commented on, I would like to know what it was that went into the trash! What I didn't like is opening a chest only to find a moth eaten rag. Junk in a sack, barrels, rubble or even the torn trousers on a pile of bones makes sense. Chests (especially those needing a Rogue to open) should have something more valuable than worthless junk or junk only worth one silver.
I like the characters and their individual personalities (Isabella, Merrill, Bethany and Varrick being my favorites). I would have liked Bethany to play a larger role as a companion in Acts II and III no matter the choice of her fate (one where she survives) given to us in the game.
Romancing isn't the same as it was in DA:O, at least in my opinion. I felt the cut scenes were brief and rated for the teen genre unlike previous Bioware games plus it wasn't that hard to work at succeeding in romancing. Always liked the side-play in ME 1 and 2 and DA:O on who to romance, who to play along only to later drop or continue the relationship due to jealousy or their preferred monogamous relationship.
I won't repeat some of the negative feedback already voiced numerous times over by others posting to this forum. Such as the reptitive mansions, caves and hideout layouts which, as I said in an earlier post, detracts from being a more adventurous game. Oops, I guess I did.
No matter how one reacts to conversations/events, we're pretty much driven to the same conclusion no matter if we side with the Templars or Mages. That pretty much is apparent in many of the side quests and relationships. Takes away from giving one a more decisive role in how the story progesses.
I think its a great game and better than most I've played. Bioware has re-written what an RPG really is and should be. Its not as near as great as DA:O or ME2 was but still better than most.
#1966
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 06:17
bigSarg
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I have to say after playing through DA2 multiple times that the concept was really good but the implementation was very poor. I didn't feel any connection to anyone in the game, even the "family members", I don't really get the whole point of even having them in the game, after Act 1 your siblings are forgotten for the most part, you don't have any choice on which of your siblings accompanies you to Kirkwall, if you play a mage its Carver (who will never like you) or if you play a rogue or warrior its Bethany, it makes no difference if they like you or not.
I really like the combat system and animations, but I would like to have seen some finishing moves.
The AI of your companions is still bad, whats the point of a party member pointing out a trap and then stepping on it, there should be some kind of alert that triggers your companions NOT to step on the trap. I don't really like sending my rogue right in the middle of a mob to disarm a trap and then before he/she gets to it someone has run ahead and stepped on it, even after it is noticed and announced. I think a better way would be if your rogue notices a trap they automatically disarm it or unlock a chest, especially if they notice it or comment on it, or set that as an UI option.
I won't bother commenting on the reused maps-hated it !
I didn't like that nothing changed at all in Kirkwall over the whole timeframe of the game and the weather never changed. It was very boring. All NPC's are still in the same place doing the exact same things in Act 3 as they were in Act 1, That region has the most boring climate ever, it never rains or snows or anything there.
I liked the companion armor upgrades, but the upgrades should show some kind of change to their armor.
I didn't like the fact that it didn't matter at all what gender or class you played, you got treated the exact same if you played an apostate mage as you do if you play a warrior, which makes no sense at all and totally invalidates the whole storyline.
When I played a warrior and rogue I felt that I had very few attacks options compared to the arsenal of a mage character.
I was totally disappointed with the lack of companion interaction and dialogue, IMHO, that was what set DA:O apart from other RPG games and it was missing in DA2.
I loved the companion banter and the variety of personalities.
I did not like the lack of History behind the main character, DA:O you knew exacly who your character was and where they came from and how they became a Warden, in DA2 you really know next to nothing about your character, other than they came from Lothering, its difficult to identify and really get immersed in your character if you know nothing about them. The starting sequence should have started in Lothering at the main charactes house instead of some unimportant place on the border of the Wilds.
I disliked the amount of "junk" found in the game and the exceptionally high prices for vendor items. Most chests that are opened have nothing more than junk in them and your bag fills up with useless garbage. I also disliked the amount of useful boss drops, most boss drops were less than what you could buy from a vendor, if you could afford it. I also didn't understand Act 2, once you get to that point why do you still have to pay for enchantments and potions. I also wonder what the point is that all the really good armor drops happen after you get your champion armor, you can't use the drops nor are they worth anything to sell, very pointless.
I loved the total voiceovers for everyone, including the main character, that was a big improvement over DA:O.
I disliked the options in Act 1, pretty much every option you had was illegal and Aveline and Carver would disapprove, unless you refused to do it in the dialogue but then did it anyways, which should still cause them to disapprove but doesn't, doesn't make alot of sense.
I also disliked the lack of exploration, for me the thing about RPG's is the ability to explore and find new caves or dungeons and kool gear, but that is not the case in DA2 especially since all caves are the same, the only exploration avaiable is in Act 3 ( i think it starts there), and thats only if you pick up a couple quests to look for certain items. Caves you go into in Act 1 are mysteriously closed after you leave and same with the sewers in Kirkwall, you can't access areas unless its pretaining to a quest.
The romance scenes are anti-climatic, its nothing more than a PG-13 scene. No reason to make this a mature rated game. It really subtracts from the whole romance part of the game. its really nothing more than a bunch of make-out scessions and then nothing, it doesn't have any impact on the game or your companions. I personally liked the point in DA:O where if you tried to romance more than 1 companion the other one would get jealous, I don't see that in DA2, maybe I just missed it but even so I don't see any real interaction, Although I do recall after romancing Isabela and then romancing Merrill that Isabela said something about it, which seemed kind of strange coming from her, didn't fit her personality or that fact that she didn't want to be tied down and that she didn't have a problem sleeping with someone else when she was in a romance with you.
So thats my 2 cents on the game, I hope that DA3 is more polished and complete. I think that the mods saved this game a great deal and hopefully if there are some DLC's and they will at least look finished and give the impression that some actual thought and time went into the creation.
I really like the combat system and animations, but I would like to have seen some finishing moves.
The AI of your companions is still bad, whats the point of a party member pointing out a trap and then stepping on it, there should be some kind of alert that triggers your companions NOT to step on the trap. I don't really like sending my rogue right in the middle of a mob to disarm a trap and then before he/she gets to it someone has run ahead and stepped on it, even after it is noticed and announced. I think a better way would be if your rogue notices a trap they automatically disarm it or unlock a chest, especially if they notice it or comment on it, or set that as an UI option.
I won't bother commenting on the reused maps-hated it !
I didn't like that nothing changed at all in Kirkwall over the whole timeframe of the game and the weather never changed. It was very boring. All NPC's are still in the same place doing the exact same things in Act 3 as they were in Act 1, That region has the most boring climate ever, it never rains or snows or anything there.
I liked the companion armor upgrades, but the upgrades should show some kind of change to their armor.
I didn't like the fact that it didn't matter at all what gender or class you played, you got treated the exact same if you played an apostate mage as you do if you play a warrior, which makes no sense at all and totally invalidates the whole storyline.
When I played a warrior and rogue I felt that I had very few attacks options compared to the arsenal of a mage character.
I was totally disappointed with the lack of companion interaction and dialogue, IMHO, that was what set DA:O apart from other RPG games and it was missing in DA2.
I loved the companion banter and the variety of personalities.
I did not like the lack of History behind the main character, DA:O you knew exacly who your character was and where they came from and how they became a Warden, in DA2 you really know next to nothing about your character, other than they came from Lothering, its difficult to identify and really get immersed in your character if you know nothing about them. The starting sequence should have started in Lothering at the main charactes house instead of some unimportant place on the border of the Wilds.
I disliked the amount of "junk" found in the game and the exceptionally high prices for vendor items. Most chests that are opened have nothing more than junk in them and your bag fills up with useless garbage. I also disliked the amount of useful boss drops, most boss drops were less than what you could buy from a vendor, if you could afford it. I also didn't understand Act 2, once you get to that point why do you still have to pay for enchantments and potions. I also wonder what the point is that all the really good armor drops happen after you get your champion armor, you can't use the drops nor are they worth anything to sell, very pointless.
I loved the total voiceovers for everyone, including the main character, that was a big improvement over DA:O.
I disliked the options in Act 1, pretty much every option you had was illegal and Aveline and Carver would disapprove, unless you refused to do it in the dialogue but then did it anyways, which should still cause them to disapprove but doesn't, doesn't make alot of sense.
I also disliked the lack of exploration, for me the thing about RPG's is the ability to explore and find new caves or dungeons and kool gear, but that is not the case in DA2 especially since all caves are the same, the only exploration avaiable is in Act 3 ( i think it starts there), and thats only if you pick up a couple quests to look for certain items. Caves you go into in Act 1 are mysteriously closed after you leave and same with the sewers in Kirkwall, you can't access areas unless its pretaining to a quest.
The romance scenes are anti-climatic, its nothing more than a PG-13 scene. No reason to make this a mature rated game. It really subtracts from the whole romance part of the game. its really nothing more than a bunch of make-out scessions and then nothing, it doesn't have any impact on the game or your companions. I personally liked the point in DA:O where if you tried to romance more than 1 companion the other one would get jealous, I don't see that in DA2, maybe I just missed it but even so I don't see any real interaction, Although I do recall after romancing Isabela and then romancing Merrill that Isabela said something about it, which seemed kind of strange coming from her, didn't fit her personality or that fact that she didn't want to be tied down and that she didn't have a problem sleeping with someone else when she was in a romance with you.
So thats my 2 cents on the game, I hope that DA3 is more polished and complete. I think that the mods saved this game a great deal and hopefully if there are some DLC's and they will at least look finished and give the impression that some actual thought and time went into the creation.
#1967
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 07:00
Xanfaus
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attend wrote...
4. I liked the sister Petrice Shephering Wolves storyline and how she kept popping up and causing trouble. It was better wrought than the WAY more personal First Sacrifice storyline. Aveline would not blow the templar off. The victims were health well to do women and their families would be screaming for justice. It fell flat.
I agree with all your points, but I wanted to highlight this one specifically since I could not pinpoint what bothered me so much about the beginning of the First Sacrifice questline or about the otherwise excellent Aveline. I believe that, at several points in the game, various characters establish that the rich and powerful in Kirkwall get better protection from guards than that poorer denizens (i.e. elves in the Alienage or Darktown), and yet the guards under Aveline's command seem to accomplish remarkably little despite the guard captain being nearly constantly praised for keeping the streets of Kirkwall safe. Canon-wise, Aveline is respected by the citizenry, the streets are safer than ever before, and guards actually have patrols. Gameplay-wise, every section is overflowing with bandits, bloodmages, demons, and abominations waiting to ambush any travelers with astonishing force, all the while one or two lone guardsmen relax comfortably alongside a wall proclaiming "All good here, Guard-Captain!"
There is a lack of consistency within this game's story and between its story and its gameplay. To head off likely comments, other games, including Origins, are not blameless, but that does not let DA2 off the hook either.
#1968
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 07:29
PaulSX
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No Aerial tactical camera is the major problem of dragon age 2 on PC. At first I thought the main flaw of DA2 is the recycled maps. but after two more playthroughs, I found the camera is really the weakness of this game on PC. due to the restricted camera view, it's hard to exploit area effects spells in nightmare which makes the game really repetitive in most battles.
#1969
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 10:43
BluGirl1968
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So, I have been thinking about the latest game where I went with Anders as love interest and in the end killed him. One thing kind of bothers me about this set of events. When they went to bed togeather, before the cut scene- I was resting rather comfortably about midpoint in the friend/rival meter. After sexy time with him - it was all the way pegged to friend. I used to have a boyfriend who claimed sex cured the common cold so I can buy this result from Anders, however, it bothered me a little bit because it makes it so hard to make him a rival after happy fun sex time.
Hawke is a hero in any permutation and the best heros are not air brushed and perfect flawless creatures; no matter how hollywood will protest this notion. The best heros are deeply flawed. I shall use Achilles as my example.
Achilles was a hero who sulked in a tent over an argument with Agamemnon over a slave girl named Briseis. Held his grudge even though Odysseus was sent with gifts and then as a result of this his cousin was killed when he put on Achilles' armor to rally the losing Greeks.
He was petty and mean spirited- but he was also a hero of the nth degree.
Although Hawke is allowed to make many many mistakes, the thought of being restricted from allowing the character to make even more mistakes distresses me a little. Please keep this in mind.
Hawke is a hero in any permutation and the best heros are not air brushed and perfect flawless creatures; no matter how hollywood will protest this notion. The best heros are deeply flawed. I shall use Achilles as my example.
Achilles was a hero who sulked in a tent over an argument with Agamemnon over a slave girl named Briseis. Held his grudge even though Odysseus was sent with gifts and then as a result of this his cousin was killed when he put on Achilles' armor to rally the losing Greeks.
He was petty and mean spirited- but he was also a hero of the nth degree.
Although Hawke is allowed to make many many mistakes, the thought of being restricted from allowing the character to make even more mistakes distresses me a little. Please keep this in mind.
#1970
Posté 18 avril 2011 - 11:46
TimeLordCat
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Dragon Age II just does not have the charm of Dragon Age Origins. When I hit square (PS3) wait there is no inspect the chest and examine the loot I mean JUNK. A master lock and its junk inside. Good grief. Just compare the trophies. Where is the lore and charm of the Dragon Age.
#1971
Posté 19 avril 2011 - 12:45
attend
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TimeLordCat wrote...
Dragon Age II just does not have the charm of Dragon Age Origins. When I hit square (PS3) wait there is no inspect the chest and examine the loot I mean JUNK. A master lock and its junk inside. Good grief. Just compare the trophies. Where is the lore and charm of the Dragon Age.
THIS.
All the little easter eggs and jokes in DA:O were very funny such as the superman scene. In DA2 they were sometimes annoying. The most annoying was JUNK. When I received two or three times the request form for a fire rod as my reward for defeating emenies or a precious book from the keeper that was JUNK I was gritting my teeth. Bioware has a brillant team of writers and that is what we got? Isabela even suggested once that we could steal gold teeth from the corpses but did we ever get too? No.
#1972
Posté 19 avril 2011 - 12:58
Jack Devlish
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It is apparent to me after making and reviewing comments by other players over the last few weeks, that just about every good and negetive thing right and wrong with the Dragon Age 2 game has been flushed out thoughly. This is a good thing, and hopefuly that is what this forum is for, to help the developers improve the next faze of the franchaise development. There has been quiet an indepth and well thought out analysis done by most parties commenting in this forum over the last month. The creators of this game should take these discussions as they are intended, concerned constructive criticism from players that really only want what everyone wants, a better game in the end.
#1973
Posté 19 avril 2011 - 01:36
thegrimfandango
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Having just finished the game for the second time, I have to conclude that the ending was pretty weak. The cutscenes at the very end seem pretty poor quality - to me, the ingame cutscenes looked better.
I found myself almost contemplating not bothering with the final fights because the parts I was enjoying were all over with by then & it didn't feel like there was any kind of closure with Hawke at all. I understand that the ending is basically a big sequel ****tease and a load of foreshadowing, but even a brief moment of control with Hawke, a small dialogue scene with your companions or even just the LI or something shortly after the fight before it skips to the Varric epilogue telling you everyone disappeared eventually and you don't get to say goodbye or anything would have helped add some finality you'd think you'd all have met immediately to discuss 'what next?'. Instead, the fight ends and that's it. It was the point of the game where I really didn't feel like Hawke was my character for some reason.
I enjoyed a lot about Dragon Age 2, largely the dialogue and companions, and to get no interaction with either for quite some time before the end (since the last point you get to interact with them and the ending are quite far apart) made it feel like the game didn't END, it just...stopped.
I found myself almost contemplating not bothering with the final fights because the parts I was enjoying were all over with by then & it didn't feel like there was any kind of closure with Hawke at all. I understand that the ending is basically a big sequel ****tease and a load of foreshadowing, but even a brief moment of control with Hawke, a small dialogue scene with your companions or even just the LI or something shortly after the fight before it skips to the Varric epilogue telling you everyone disappeared eventually and you don't get to say goodbye or anything would have helped add some finality you'd think you'd all have met immediately to discuss 'what next?'. Instead, the fight ends and that's it. It was the point of the game where I really didn't feel like Hawke was my character for some reason.
I enjoyed a lot about Dragon Age 2, largely the dialogue and companions, and to get no interaction with either for quite some time before the end (since the last point you get to interact with them and the ending are quite far apart) made it feel like the game didn't END, it just...stopped.
#1974
Posté 19 avril 2011 - 01:48
JadeDragonEffect
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Origins had such painful decisions (in a good way), such as deciding whether to kill that boy or not (Eamon's son I think).
Such strong choices I didn't find in DA2.
Such strong choices I didn't find in DA2.
#1975
Posté 19 avril 2011 - 02:13
thegrimfandango
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JadeDragonEffect wrote...
Origins had such painful decisions (in a good way), such as deciding whether to kill that boy or not (Eamon's son I think).
Such strong choices I didn't find in DA2.
I found some choices in DA2 really quite difficult in my first playthrough, I think the problem is they don't seem to affect anything much at all. (I agonised over the Magistrates Orders quest, for example, but it didn't seem to make any difference in the end)
