*Spoilers*
** I should rid of the 'again' of the title as KOTOR II is not developed by Bioware.**
'Failed' might be a strong word. So before anybody rages over my slightly negative review, I must say that I actually semi-enjoyed DAI. Not enjoying it wouldn't have allowed me to play it for whopping 70 hours.
I LOVED the characters (both the companions and the advisers). Their story gave multiple angles and quite a good twist for me to keep wanting more. I actually enjoyed the combat mechanisms. Although I prefer the old school RPG fighting screens (such that of Baldurs gate, or one used in DAO) the hybrid of this real-time-tactical fighting style seems to be the right choice for the game to be more 'acceptable' for the new era of gaming community. It worked in KOTOR and mass effect, and It does here as well.
I also loved the vast world they have created. They've managed to make the pacing of the semi-open-world-elements quite well. Just as you think the developers ran out of ideas, you find new caves, new missions, new story arch, just enough to get you sayin 'yes I want to save this town. I will do this quest.'. I also liked how much my actions actually affected the world. You could see the change the terrain. Your operations will open up new areas, and NPCs will act accordingly to your actions.
What I greatly appreciate are the 'little bits'. The tarot companion cards changing in design when you activate certain aspects of the game were a nice touch. Easter eggs were cute. The application of 'the keep' was a fine way to tune the DAI inquisition story relevant to your previous play-through. And the Grand scale customization available in this game is just staggering.
SADLY, DAI developers succeeded in everything except for one, which is the MAIN STORY.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against 'fighting the BIG BAD'. Unlike most of the complaints, I actually had *NO problem* with Corypheus. He caused the first Blight! He has a dragon! He wants to become a GOD! what's not to like? In fact, Bioware built up their reputation over this very story arch. KOTOR, Mass effect, DAO and Baldurs gate were all great games. They knew how to make this very simple, 1000 year old formula ( I'm looking at you Norse mythologies ) interesting. You knew that the world was at stake. You had to bring together the divided factions, make tough choices, discover forgotten technology, and in the end, with all odds at stake, you return victorious. ( and Yes I chose the Destruction path in Mass Effect 3 with maxed out Military strength, cause that's how Bioware stories should be. *grumph*)
The problem here, however, is that DAI fails to make the story as fulfilling as it's successful counterparts. During my play-through, I couldn't understand why. Cause I enjoyed much part of the story until Haven's destruction. As corny as it sounds, I had chills when they were singing hymns in the midst of failure. But as soon as I saw Flemeth's face, I knew, I just knew that this was KOTOR II all over again, and when I saw the post-epilogue with Solas, I was certain, that DAI was KOTOR II , and Bioware failed the same story again.
Lemme explain, KOTOR I is arguably one of the most beloved RPGs in the 00's. Story is simple : Big bad destroying the galaxy. You're a talented Jedi with *SPOILERS* amnesia, and you gotta unite the galaxy and gather relics to destroy the big bad. Simple.
The follow-up story KOTOR II was a much grimmer, yet advanced take on that same story. It is remarkable how the story arch between KOTOR I and KOTOR II is similar to that of DAO and DAI.
After the hero or KOTOR I (DAO) saves the world, he is gone and the world is ripped with Civil war . So a new hero with amnesia arises, and this hero is with mis-understood power. This hero put an end to this civil war and destroys the bad guy. But in the end you know that there is a even bigger threat ready to rise.
The story itself was not bad. But KOTOR II was a flop that damaged the franchise so bad, that it had to be stocked away in some Lucas arts garage for the following 10 years. The reason why KOTOR II was hated by much were due to several reason. The buggy-ass game play and non cohesive companion quest were the start. And Majority of the game was cut from the game due to rushed release. With all this half-assedness, many of the loyal fans of the series still played the game, and by 2013 or so, a major restoration project of the game by team gizka, restored much of the original content of the game and made it much more coherent than of the original release.
But to me (and to other fans of the series as well .), the bugs and the unfinished game development was never a problem, there was just some kinda of a bad taste in the game that I couldn't understand. Recently, i revisited KOTOR II thourgh the team gizka restoration project, and came to under stand the core of it's problem.
The biggest problem of KOTOR II was the story.Because you were not dealing the 'real threat' it felt as if you were going through a side quest throughout the game. the pacing of the game was terrible, in that you really didn't have much time to indulge what is going on. You first think that the zombie sith lord is the bad guy,, then you learn of this guy with eternal hunger, and then you get to know that they're not the real threat. YadaYadaYada. Trust me, playing the game hardly makes in better. Because of this, your 'main quest' seems minuscule at best and the choices you make rarely means anything.
It seems that DAI has taken a similar path. Although they did a good job up to Haven, they aimed the story in wrong direction.
It never should have aimed at Corypheus. Or if it had, It never should have indulged in the story with the Elluvian. Because the direction is all over the place, the ending feels rushed and imperfect.
While I was thinking this, one game came into my mind, and that was Mass effect 2. I always considered ME as a 're-booted' KOTOR. So naturally I considered ME2 as the re-vised version of KOTOR II. ME2, KOTOR 2 and DAI all have very similar main story. Yet, ME 2 was a superior game over KOTOR II or DAI. The reason being 'HOW' the story is presented. In ME 2, you don't just find out about this 'bigger threat' hastily in the end. The bigger threat is the theme of the whole story. You get to understand it through out the missions, and the game ends with a cliffhanger that gets us pumped up for ME3.
Similar concept, yet radically different results. DAI would have benefited much more if it followed the steps of ME2.
Get the hero of Ferelden or Hawke or the inquisitor ambushed, make them bound to the secret society in the world of Thedas(Seekers or make up somthing like the apostates of Elluvians or the inquisition perhaps? ). You get resources and recruit old friends in the free marches/Val Royeux/Denerim/Red cliff. Make the companion quests tied in to the state of Thedas, and make the choices decide both the fate of your companions, and factions(friends/allies/deminished). But let your primary missions be at the realm of Fade, or Elluvian, and you gather information about the source of the many corruption in Thedas. In the end you find out Flemeth is trying to come back to the world as a vengeful god. Through the forces you have gathered through companion quests, it decides the fate of your companions in the final assault. You escape while defeating her champion/friend god and diminish just enough power of hers to make an escape, and show in the epilogue that Flemeth plotting revenge.
If you think about it, it's almost the same story as DAI as is, but the small touches would have made a world of difference.
It would have made much of the elements of the game cohesive, and the ending wouldn't feel as 'rushed'.
Especially, the final showdown would have been much more awesome then just fighting basically 'one guy' and his pet dragon.
Other aspects of the Main story suffer as well.
1) Except for the main quest choices, Almost non of your other actions change the outcome.
In ME 2 your choices of the companions decided weather they lived or died
In DAO your choices decided their fate. Hell, even KOTOR 2 gave that option.
In DAI, although majority of the companion quests are interesting, they seem to make little to no difference in the outcome of the game. Yes alliance with the Qun was awesome but does it have any affect on the game or the ending?. well.. NO. Do you get to know what happened to Bull..? NO.
I think this is because the game was made in mind for a sequel, or DLCs, so they really didn't want to make radical decisions. complications. But Because of this, You really lose all the enthusiasm and love of the characters and the story.
2) Majority of the 'open world' content feels irrelevant as well.
Throughout the game, I felt as if i was playing W.O.W or T.O.R. an MMORPG in the shape of a PC game. It actually reminded me much of Kindoms of Amalur as well.
If you've palyed K.O.A you'll know that its a game with very mixed reviews. But many critics agree that the much of what you do in the open world feels irrelevant, and that makes the game very dull.
You can make changes to the world of Thedas. And some of your mission completions may make some differences. But they are not reflected in the outcome of the game or the state of your companions. Yes, you may get some power points to unlock the main story plot, but you can basically do that by gathering some rocks on the plains.
Putting up some watch tower and making it stopping from raining is a nice cherry-on-top, but that should not be all. Bioware was the company that used to understand this.
There were some moments where I felt as if some had relevence. For example, When I killed a dragon and talked with bull, that gave out some interesting dialogue options. But by the middle of the game, those moments were rare to come by.
I think DAI should have sticked with Bioware's formula of DAO or KOTOR. Have a city, have a faction, have a town where you can interact and have fun with the people there, and feel the consequences of your decision. Instead, they make a MMOPRG ish town where players can hardly relate nor care of their fate.
I've been rambling on for hours now, so before this gets chaotic, I will try to wrap it up.
1) DAI is an enjoyable game. and some of the major choices you make are indeed engaging.
2) But the Main story is lacking at best. The ending and the pacing is just off. and much of it seems reminiscent of the mistakes done in KOTOR II
3) The characters are interesting however after finishing it all, I can't seem to get that closure or satisfaction I gained from KOTOR I ME2 DAO or the baldurs gate game
4) The MMORPG semi open world fools gamers in believing that there is more to it, but you later find out most of the missions relevant nor worth the time.
It seems that DAI is the embodiment of what bioware was and what it's trying to be.
Sadly, much of what it was reflects the mistakes which Bioware made
and What it's trying to be deviates from what used to make Bioware great.
I do think they tried harder then Dragon age II. And it is indeed an enjoyable game
However, I truly hope they search into their masterpieces, and try to go back to their roots for their next (maybe final) installment of DA series. MMORPGS and Slacky main stories cannot be tolerated, however interesting character plots and contents are.
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