118 réponses à ce sujet

[Ina]

I like both games pretty much equally. DA2 felt more personal and events affected me more whereas Origins felt more like I was part of this epic journey. Contrary to what it is for most people, I identified and related with Hawke more probably because he/she had a more or less set backstory that I liked and that is only enhanced with his early interactions with his family. The warden was more of a blank slate which is good if you really want to roleplay and the playable origins were really a neat idea that I very much enjoyed. They've said DAI will be the best of both games, I hope it lives up to my expectation!

[Muspade]

I find the lack of choice in DA2 lacking.

I find the lack of races in DA2 lacking.

I find the plot plays too fast and too loose during the third arc and partially the second arc.

I find that reinforcing the theme that "going with destiny" is the best and "struggling with it will kill you" to be poorly implemented, as you're rail roaded to the same ending. Not even a slight alteration. Same ending, every, time.

I find that some characters lack reason as to why they would do certain things....Grace.

[Willowhugger]

I think Dragon Age: Origins is technically superior in many respects. Also, it's extraordinarily well-written and fun.

 

But it's very very safe.

 

Basically, a grab bag of Game of Thrones, Tolkien, and Warhammer--all stuff we love.

 

Dragon Age 2 tried to do something different.

 

And didn't warn gamers they were doing something different.

 

Plus, the rushedness.

 

Still, DA2 holds up very well, IMHO.

[Sylvius the Mad]

I think Dragon Age: Origins is technically superior in many respects. Also, it's extraordinarily well-written and fun.

But it's very very safe.

Basically, a grab bag of Game of Thrones, Tolkien, and Warhammer--all stuff we love.

Dragon Age 2 tried to do something different.

And didn't warn gamers they were doing something different.

Plus, the rushedness.

Still, DA2 holds up very well, IMHO.

I think what DA2 tried to do with the plot was terrific.

I just wish the combat hadn't been so dull, and that I'd been allowed to roleplay Hawke.

If they'd built DA2 using DAO's systems (combat, inventory, dialogue), I'd have loved it. I probably would have thought it was the superior game.

But as it was, I didn't like it at all.

[Willowhugger]

What did you think you were denied as Hawke, may I ask?

[thruaglassdarkly]

I like both games, and find them a little difficult to compare because they're so different.  Comparing epic fantasy and fictional biography is a little odd.

 

I do think DA2 never got its due.  Fans reacted badly to it because it was so different from DAO, and it did have flaws like repeated environments.  DA2 rewards multiple playthroughs, though, and the story develops richly for it.

 

You know, DA2 is often referred to as episodic, because of its three-act structure.  Bu when you think of it, DAO was in its own way even more episodic.  What you do in the Brecilian forest has no impact on what happens in Orzammar, and the Landsmeet won't care what you did at the circle tower.  But your game is going to be deeply affected based on choices in early episodes in DA2 - starting with your sibling and what happened to them.  Choices build off choices, even choices across different storylines, though it sacrifices some open-worldedness for it.  

 

For that reason, DA2 looks more different from playthrough to playthrough than a game of of DAO.  No matter what you've done in DAO, you won't ever have to slaughter innocents and choose whether or not to kill your sister on the way up Fort Drakon, or find your brother instead fighting for the enemy.

 

As for the characters, the world is evenly split.  I think every main companion in Origins and DA2 is well-written, complex, and interesting, and whether you like Alistair or Fenris, Morrigan or Merrill probably depends on the kind of person you are more than the writers.  Awakening, though, is another story (I swear Velanna doesn't have the same personality or values in any two cutscenes or party banters...).

 

This sums up most of what I feel about the two.  I go back and forth on which I like more.  When playing DA:O I find myself wishing for a protagonist with a bit more personality, more fulfilling character quests, less binary character relationships (I am a huge fan of the frenemy mechanic in DA II), and more fluid combat.  Alternately, playing DA II, I find myself missing the character customization, the ability to impact the world in a palpable way (DA II does this more than it gets credit for, but on nowhere near the scale of the original), and some of the tactical elements of combat (spell combos in particular).  

 

I'm not sure I agree the consensus opinion that combat is easier in DA II.  Parts of the game certainly are, but there are several enemy types and situations where things can turn ugly in a hurry, particularly if you are not aware of your surroundings or focus on the wrong targets.  On the whole, I found the difficulty curve even for both games, and pretty standard fair for this type of rpg.  

 

Neither game is perfect, but each is damn entertaining in its own way.  And while I never want to discredit someone else's feelings toward a creative work (you've every right to hate something as much as I have a right to love it) I think I missed a lot of the anticipation/expectation and disappointment because I was introduced to both years after release (this is a big reason I'm metering my expectations for DA:I, and why I try to do so for creative works in general).

 

So, in answer to the original post, I don't think its at all strange that you have started to prefer DA II.  There is plenty to love in the game, and probably more people who feel the same than the average message board might account for.  The internet tends to be more vocal in frustration than praise.

[Ferretinabun]

I'm getting my saved world states ready in preparation for DA:I.

 

I have 6 DA:O wardens that I want to import (and several others who did not make the cut). They are all distinct characters with strong and hugely varied personalities.

 

By contrast, even though I've played DA2 though several times, I only (vaguely) remember two runthroughs - my first and my canon, and even they feel incredibly similar.

 

This, I think, is my biggest problem with DA2 in a nutshell.

[Sidney]

DA2 had the twins sins of trying to do something different and being rushed. Based on comments gamers are more reactionary than Luddites in wanting the cookie cutter game. The rush job was so sloppy it almost seems deliberate.

 

I compare DA2 to KOTORII in that in a lot of ways I find them superior to their more well regarded predecessors but both are very obviously deeply flawed games.

[Exile Isan]

I compare DA2 to KOTORII in that in a lot of ways I find them superior to their more well regarded predecessors but both are very obviously deeply flawed games.

 

I can agree with this. I enjoyed playing Hawke very much and the Exile is one of my favorite protagonists ever (hence the screen name). KotOR II was a much more personal journey. The Exile had a personal stake in what was happening in the galaxy. Hawke can be the same.

 

Hawke also had personality to spare (so does the Exile compared to the protagonist from KotOR. I mean that first conversation with Atris. Whew).

 

I also enjoyed the companions in DA2 more as crazy as they were.

[bEVEsthda]

Nothing to see here.

[ZeroPhoenix94]

I recently asked myself which one do I like more. My brain still hasn't decided! I love how Dragon Age: Origins feels so epic, but I also love how Dragon Age II feels so personal. They both have an outstanding cast. The settings of Origins are beautiful and Kirkwall eventually grew on me. I really can't decide at this point, so I'll just like them both equally. Settled!

[Johnsen1972]

DAO is a Triple A game while DA2 is just an A game.

 

I still prefer DAO because of the huge story. Played both games quite a lot with many playthroughs. What I like in DA2 over DAO is the combat animations. Really just the animations. Characters are good in both games, but I prefer DAO romances over DA2. Story and gameplay in DAO is far better then DA2 and I even like the graphic style more in DAO. 

 

DA2 is not bad, but its short and the reuse of maps and the overuse of backtracking in quests makes it really boring.

 

If DAI is more like DAO, I will keep preordering Dragon Age Deluxe Editions. If its more like DA2 I will probably stop preordering DA games and wait until you get them on sale after a year. DA2 hasn't been a triple A game on release and I regret that I preordered the Signature Edition and bought the DLC's.... 

[Wires_From_The_Wall]

I don't know about *preferring* it to DA:O, but I definitely got to like DA2 more on subsequent playthroughs. For this, I found, there are two essential things to keep in mind:

1) Do quests one at a time. This helps to keep clear in your head exactly what you are doing and why, instead of it being just a clusterf**k of sidequests where you just run about killing stuff but forget why. Which makes the plot so much more comprehensible.

2) Keep reminding yourself this is a framed narrative - told by Varric of all people. With this in mind, all plot holes (and least, ones internal to the game) are explained away and the overly sexualised women and cartoonish combat actively make a lot of sense - they're exactly the things Varrric would exaggerate. Even the recycled environments can be put down as a metaphor for Varric's lack of interest in describing background locations. Yes it is an ass-pull, but it's one that works amazing well.

 

 

EA should give you a medal. Your post is the best and most valid attempt I've ever seen in explaining why and how it is possible to play   DA2 and feel you are not playing a terrible game. 

 

Of course, your task is impossible - DA 2 remains a terrible, terribly disappointing game. Yet, A for effort. It almost made me want to think about what it was like to play DA2.

[KaiserShep]

Wait, is this opinion, or fact?

 

Gorrammit internet, why do you taunt me?

[IVI4RCU5]

You know, oddly enough, I feel quite similarly to the OP. 

When I originally played each game, I thought that Origins was far superior and found Dragon Age 2 very disappointing.  But in the course of replaying each in preparation for Inquisition, I found myself enjoying Dragon Age 2 a lot more than I did Origins.  Most of the problems I have with the game (recycled cave environments) can be put down to it being rushed out the gate too quickly.  There were some genuine design missteps, like the removal of the tactical camera from combat, but as others have said, combat isn't what makes the Dragon Age games exceptional in my eyes and thus it's a relatively minor gripe.  I find Dragon Age 2's characters more fully-drawn, more colorful, and more interesting to interact with and see evolve over the game's span, and I like the less conventional plot structure. 

However I disagree on principle with the OP's preference for seeing Bioware put out a flawed game every two years as opposed to a gem every 3-4 years.  I would much rather have a few truly great, memorable games that stick with me and which I can enjoy replaying than many games that do some things really well, but are marred by flaws that could have been avoided had more time been spent polishing them.  That's why I've welcomed each and every delay to Inquisition's release date.  I want them to take all the time they need to make the best game they can, because I know I'll enjoy it all the more when I do get to play it. 

[De1ta G]

The OP's opinion is definitely warranted. Personally, I prefer DA:O and I play on a console. However, despite the obvious flaws, DA2 doesn't deserve the hate it gets. My biggest issue with DA2 is the characters. I know I must be crazy right? It is the only BioWare game I've played in which I didn't like its cast of companions. Varric being the only exception. Another thing I prefer about DA:O is how you have long main quests located in distinct locations that you can do in any order that you want. With DA2 you have 3 acts with seemingly unlimited amounts of quests that pop up in the same locations you've been to 5 times before and it gets very old very fast. But Hawke is a lot more fun to play and more interesting than the Warden, mostly due to his/her voice, and I think the dialogue in general was improved.

 

Ok, I know I was all over the place in that paragraph but you get the gist of it. Fortunately, I feel that DA:I has brought the best of both games and made improvements to them as well.

[Hydwn]

Revisiting this thread after watching a lot of DAI trailers and twitch streams, I noticed something funny.

 

(Spoiler for those not watching DAI trailers and fan reactions to them)

 

Spoiler

Everyone - just everyone - is squeeing about seeing Hawke in Inquisition.  Everyone adores them.  Everyone is demanding that Keep reproduce their face, or that we have CC in DAI, so that we can get them perfect for DAI.  There are constant demands for their LI to show up to, for them to be recruitable, etc, etc, etc.

 

When I picked up DA2, I heard it was terrible, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and how wrong the peanut gallery was.  I loved it, but I felt like its only fan.  So I'm watching with amusement how excited everyone is to have a hero from a supposedly "terrible" game come back.  When did the fans decide that Hawke wasn't a terrible hero?  When did Hawke turn into a rockstar?  Is it just a nostalgia thing, and DA2 is now officially old enough to have the nimbus of nostalgia?

[IVI4RCU5]

I compare DA2 to KOTORII in that in a lot of ways I find them superior to their more well regarded predecessors but both are very obviously deeply flawed games.

 

 

I can agree with this. I enjoyed playing Hawke very much and the Exile is one of my favorite protagonists ever (hence the screen name). KotOR II was a much more personal journey. The Exile had a personal stake in what was happening in the galaxy. Hawke can be the same.

 

Hawke also had personality to spare (so does the Exile compared to the protagonist from KotOR. I mean that first conversation with Atris. Whew).

I'd like to get on the "Kotor II was far superior to Kotor I" train.  Also, I wanted to say that if either of you HAVEN'T played that game with the Restored Content Mod on PC you absolutely owe it to yourself to do so. 

[pablosplinter]

I tried replaying DA2 yesterday, and honestly I can't find anything to like about it. I got about 3 hours in. Even at its very best, It is barely average.

[SmilesJA]

 

Of course, your task is impossible - DA 2 remains a terrible, terribly disappointing game. Yet, A for effort. It almost made me want to think about what it was like to play DA2.

 

You left the part that said: "in my opinion".

[VikingDream]

Ogren > Varric, Morigan> meril, Leliana> isabela, sten>fenris, Alister> avilen Anders in awakening> DA2 that's just me though  

[Johnsen1972]

For me:

 

Ogren = Varric. Morrigan > Merril. Isabela > Leliana. Fenris > Sten. Alister > Aveline.

Yeah and I hated DA2 Anders. I loved him in Awakening.

 

So its pretty much balanced. I cant say the character in DA2 are bad or worse then in DAO.

 

The reuse of maps ist the most annoying thing in DA2. I started to get bored in my first playthrough because they do have like 3 cave maps they used in all acts. You have to clear EVERY MAP on day and night on every ACT, so each city map at least 9 times . And some cave maps up to 30 times in one playthrough.

 

Thats a new record in backtracking. Is there any other game where you have to clear the same map 30 time in one playthrough?

[robertmarilyn]

I played DA2 right after Origins and I was missing Alistair and his Queen (ME!) and my buddy Zevran so much that I had a hard time getting into DA2. But as I played DA2 longer, I began to love it. I've enjoyed playing it again as much as I enjoy re-playing Origins. I do think it helped that I had all the add-ons because those allowed me to use Carver even once he was a Grey Warder/Templar and made the game longer/better (although I could do without ever meeting Tallis again).

[ZeroPhoenix94]

Varric > Oghren
Morrigan > Merrill
Isabela = Leliana
Sten > Fenris
Wynne > Anders
Alistair > Aveline
Shale > Sebastian
Bethany > Anyone
Anyone > Carver

Hm.. okay, so maybe I like the Origins companions a little more.

[Isaidlunch]

I like DA2 and it may have been my favorite game if only things had been different. I can't really pinpoint my disappointment with to one specific thing - it's really just a combination of minor things e.g. lackluster soundtrack, personality/tone system, villains being crazy because the plot says so, certain conversations having awful writing. I remember being really upset when the Exalted March was cancelled but in hindsight I'm glad they decided to just move on.