80 réponses à ce sujet

[AshenSugar]

I've never had such a love/hate relationship with a video game in my life before playing Dragon Age 2.

There's so many aspects of the game that cause my face to contort like someone chewing a lemon, so many missed opportunities, partially, or badly implemented scenarios, and things I desperately wanted to do but was prevented from doing so via the game's slough of (arbitrary) restrictions and player limitations. So many frustrating moments and scenes where I felt railroaded through the game on autopilot without the opportunity to shape things and interact properly. So much of the gorgeous and compelling opportunities for customisation inherent to DA:O was either removed altogether or 'streamlined' into oblivion.

But at the same time there were many areas aspects and developments that thoroughly gripped me, and totally immersed me within the world. I personally liked every single one of the companions, and, like the OP, felt that the Act 2 Qunari plot was s superb potboiler, with a very memorable antagonist. I even thought Act 1 was generally OK in terms of setting up the story and the characters.

Act 3 was a complete debacle! If the Dragon Age series-to-date were movies rather than games, Origins would be something like Citizen Kane, The Raging Bull, or Casablanca.

Dragon Age 2 would in part be a reasonably-to-decently made Ridley Scott-like production; choppy and often shallow, in the vein of Prometheus; but with memorable moments and good action scenes... occasionally rising to something greater... but sometimes sinking down to the level of Michael bay dross.

The whole thing then deteriorates into Uwe Boll territory within Act 3.


It frustrates me when I pause to imagine what the game could have been like if allowed just another twelve months of development. We all know why that didn't happen, so no use reheating old coals, but I can't help imagining a parallel universe, one in which Bioware were assimilated by Valve or even Microsoft.. rather than EA. If that had been the case I'm sure we'd have seen a radically different Dragon Age 2.

Oh well.

BTW, why on earth do you regard Isabella as 'sexist'? I don't follow the logic of that.

Modifié par AshenSugar, 07 janvier 2013 - 12:54 .

[Rxdiaz]

What DA2 could have been and what it actually was are 2 completely different things.

DA2 is like Windows 8, some love it, most hate it, it sells like crap and most people just wonder what they were thinking....

[Chashan]

AshenSugar wrote...

I've never had such a love/hate relationship with a video game in my life before playing Dragon Age 2.

There's so many aspects of the game that cause my face to contort like someone chewing a lemon, so many missed opportunities, partially, or badly implemented scenarios, and things I desperately wanted to do but was prevented from doing so via the game's slough of (arbitrary) restrictions and player limitations. So many frustrating moments and scenes where I felt railroaded through the game on autopilot without the opportunity to shape things and interact properly. So much of the gorgeous and compelling opportunities for customisation inherent to DA:O was either removed altogether or 'streamlined' into oblivion.

But at the same time there were many areas aspects and developments that thoroughly gripped me, and totally immersed me within the world. I personally liked every single one of the companions, and, like the OP, felt that the Act 2 Qunari plot was s superb potboiler, with a very memorable antagonist. I even thought Act 1 was generally OK in terms of setting up the story and the characters.

Act 3 was a complete debacle! If the Dragon Age series-to-date were movies rather than games, Origins would be something like Citizen Kane, The Raging Bull, or Casablanca.

Dragon Age 2 would in part be a reasonably-to-decently made Ridley Scott-like production; choppy and often shallow, in the vein of Prometheus; but with memorable moments and good action scenes... occasionally rising to something greater... but sometimes sinking down to the level of Michael bay dross.

The whole thing then deteriorates into Uwe Boll territory within Act 3.


It frustrates me when I pause to imagine what the game could have been like if allowed just another twelve months of development. We all know why that didn't happen, so no use reheating old coals, but I can't help imagining a parallel universe, one in which Bioware were assimilated by Valve or even Microsoft.. rather than EA. If that had been the case I'm sure we'd have seen a radically different Dragon Age 2.

Oh well.

BTW, why on earth do you regard Isabella as 'sexist'? I don't follow the logic of that.

I have got to agree with this one, particularly the bolded part concerning act III. Although my opinion of the overall game did not quite devolve to love/hate - except for "loving to hate" certain characters, which I consider to be a good thing - act III's proceedings had me dumbstruck from Orsino's request onward first time around, nearly face-palming the second time. Entirely too many moments where a lot more sensible approaches and scenarios were very much possible, far too many character-assassinations for next to no reason - mainly looking at Orsino...just, why?

Having that said, I like the game overall. Lots of replayability-value - the ending may be "vague", but at least it is not the train-wreck a more recent BW-production offered -, nice fluid combat, an interesting approach to narrative, overall simply a "game with a soul", as I thought with the credits rolling at the end after first playthrough.
By no means perfect, but I certainly hope DA:I will pick up the pace, learn from its predecessors' mistakes - primarily in the writing-department - and be given enough time and reasonable allocation of ressources to improve.

[Rxdiaz]

Krul2k, you need to play it another 10 times. Maybe then you'll become numb to its suckitude....

[calvinien]

DA2 is really one of those games that I feel get's better as you play it. It has its issues (my biggest ones were the fact that the dialog was clearly not written with the wheel in mind so some conversations seem rather forced and the music is never given enough time to shine. How many hours did we heard the hawkje theme when you only hear mage pride like once.). It was what got me into dragon age. Just glad bioware actually has time to make the third one.

[Asch Lavigne]

I'm in the each time I play the game it reminds me how much I dislike it/it gets even worse camp.

Glad to see some people liked it. Wish I were one of them.

Modifié par Asch Lavigne, 15 janvier 2013 - 05:26 .

[ioannisdenton]

Asch Lavigne wrote...

I'm in the each time I play the game it reminds me how much I dislike it/it gets even worse camp.

Glad to see some people liked it. Wish I were one of them.

it's been 4 months since i played DA2 for the last time and i have the urge to play it again soon. The atmosphere of the game hits me. maybe it is the music , i do not know. I really hated this game so bad. I had writen a review in gamespot bashing it beyond hell after my 2 playthrough but after my 3rd i went back and rewrote it. The characters i hated so much i grew to really like them. Ofcourse they are no Alistair or leliana or Morrigan or Oghren or Sten or Zevran (love the ENTIRE cast of DAO) but they too became my nerdy self's friends.

I won't argue to those who bash DA2 at all.
These are tastes and preferences after all and they have a point when bashing the game. Rushed,same enviroments and too fast wave combat is a big turn off.
Still i 'd propose for them to aproach it again with a more open mind (they know what flaws to expect) if they haven't yet and try to get into Hawke; i think the game ages well unlike let's say Me1.

[Cyne]

Dragon age 2 is one of those rare games that gets better with repeated playthroughs.

[SoSolaris]

Despite the heavy criticism, I went into DA:2 without any expectations. I wanted to judge for myself whether it was good or bad; gauge my own level of enjoyment without the weight of others' opinions. And turns out I liked DA:2. A lot. I had fun, and that is all that matters to me.

I won't deny that the game did have its various shortcomings--the rehashed environments being a large complaint. And my poor, poor Zevran. But overall, the characters and voice work were done wonderfully. I laughed out loud many times, mostly due to the lines my humorous Hawke would spout. The party banter was well done--a small thing seemingly, but it is highly appreciated.

DA:2 also introduced my new favourite white haired, gigantic-sword-wielding brooder. I can never get enough of those.

[SirJoeofthePub]

Cyne wrote...

Dragon age 2 is one of those rare games that gets better with repeated playthroughs.

Kinda like getting used to the smell of crap the longer you are around it.

[Carmin_Steele]

Most people went into DA2 expecting DAO. That's the problem, their expectations and what they were WANTING from the game was not what the game delivered. I personally love DA2 and wish they hadn't canned the DLC's and expansion that was planned.

As Mrs.Malandro, I went into DA2 merely expecting more Dragon Age STORY. I played it for that, after having read all of the DA books. I loved it, though, I did feel 'railroaded' at times it was intentional. Hawke was along for the ride, merely swept up in events. Varric tells Cassandra that at the beginning of the game and the story bears it out. Hawke was someone that merely was in the right and wrong places at the right time and became famous for it.

I've honestly only made it through DAO once, part way through it twice more, never finished Awakening, but I've played through DA2 at least three times.

[Hatchetman77]

My theory is that DA2 was BioWare seeing if they could make DA games cheap and fast and crank one out every year or so. I'm glad the playerbase gave them the resounding "NO!" that they did to let them know that this practicve is not acceptable.

That being said even with the rushed working conditions there are markes of quality here and there within the game. It was obviously a work done by talented people who were not given the time and/or resources they needed to work to their potential.

[Chiramu]

Blowfish64 wrote...

So basically you're saying that once you accept the fact that it's terrible, you start to notice and like the few things done right? Talk about begging for table-scraps.

The game's not terrible actually, it is quite a fun game to play; and best of all it doesn't dump crap in your RAM while you're playing the game like Origins does (I can't play Origins anymore even though I have cravings to because of that issue, takes up so much room on my PC). 

I came back to it after a long hiatus because I read all of Gaiders Dragon Age comics and I had a massive Dragon Age craving.

Once you pick it up after a long time you do forget why you didn't like certain aspects of the game :/. I've liked my newest playthrough so much I've become friends with every single one of my companions. Although Merrills voice still sounds odd up against the rest of the elves O_o, the rest of the elves should all have Welsh accents so Merrills doesn't sound so alien. 

[KotorEffect3]

I have always maintained that DA2 is not the horrible game people make it out to be. It may have fallen short in areas and no where as good as DAO but that does not make it a bad game in and of itself. Just because a game isn't a 10 doesn't necessarily make it a 1 either.

[AudioEpics]

Carmin_Steele wrote...

Most people went into DA2 expecting DAO. That's the problem, their expectations and what they were WANTING from the game was not what the game delivered. I personally love DA2 and wish they hadn't canned the DLC's and expansion that was planned.

As Mrs.Malandro, I went into DA2 merely expecting more Dragon Age STORY. I played it for that, after having read all of the DA books. I loved it, though, I did feel 'railroaded' at times it was intentional. Hawke was along for the ride, merely swept up in events. Varric tells Cassandra that at the beginning of the game and the story bears it out. Hawke was someone that merely was in the right and wrong places at the right time and became famous for it.

I've honestly only made it through DAO once, part way through it twice more, never finished Awakening, but I've played through DA2 at least three times.

Interesting! I'm in exactly the same position!

[Lintanis]

SirJoeofthePub wrote...

Cyne wrote...

Dragon age 2 is one of those rare games that gets better with repeated playthroughs.

Kinda like getting used to the smell of crap the longer you are around it.

You have to get use to it in the BSN with all the crap spewing out of moaning mouths 

[Gnaeus.Silvanus]

Got a third playthrough a month ago, and it was absolutely perfect specially when using the Rogue class, can easily own the Arishok without too much healing potions and what not.

[ironcreed2]

LOL, you hated it so much you played it 3 times and then finally realized that you actually like it. Good stuff.

Anyway, I feel the hate was so strong because the bar that Origins set was just so damn high. Yes, it could have been more of a dark epic that continued where Origins left off and it no doubt would have been received much better. Especially if they had more time and gave us more environments, lol. But still, just accepting it for what it is and weighing the game on the whole, it is still a very good game on it's own.

[ioannisdenton]

ironcreed2 wrote...

LOL, you hated it so much you played it 3 times and then finally realized that you actually like it. Good stuff.

Anyway, I feel the hate was so strong because the bar that Origins set was just so damn high. Yes, it could have been more of a dark epic that continued where Origins left off and it no doubt would have been received much better. Especially if they had more time and gave us more environments, lol. But still, just accepting it for what it is and weighing the game on the whole, it is still a very good game on it's own.

this Plus it is the norm nowadays that people hate and bash everything. Like ME3 (which i do not found neither superb nor awful). I am currently on one ME trilogy playthroghu and i Already have a strong compulsion-urge  to play Da2.
I think i like it more than DAO , i mean ive played DAO 3 times and Da2 3 times, but i want to play DA2 again instead of DAO!!!

[zeypher]

hey after playing me3, da2 seems a lot better. Thats why im installing it again as got nothing to play.

[ioannisdenton]

about to start a 4 playthorugh on Da2 after my Mass Effect trilogy playthrough!!!
Bioware i love you!

[elrofrost]

I just finished this game as a rogue. And loved it. I remember playing DAO years ago, and that was a stunning game. But I didn't go in to DA2 thinking it would be like DAO.

One question, after seeing the DA3 trailer is it safe to assume I'll be importing DA2 saved games into DA3?

[Face of Evil]

elrofrost wrote...

One question, after seeing the DA3 trailer is it safe to assume I'll be importing DA2 saved games into DA3?

We don't know how the save import mechanic will work yet. They're spitballing some ideas on that front. Likely yes, but I can't say for certain.

Modifié par Face of Evil, 07 juillet 2013 - 08:55 .