Dragon Age 2

[ray_MAN]

I am under the impression that a lot of people is talking without having really played the game. So my question is to buyers and players: are you enjoying the game? No haters or fanboys, please.

The game is "enjoyable", yes. However, it is FAR different from DA: O in many aspects. And I'm not sure how I like that.

The entire first act, you're wondering if you should bump up the difficulty. If you remember from DA: O, the game was difficult even on "Normal". That's not the case in this game, in which you end up one-shotting many enemies and never really struggling in any fights. The game does ramp up in difficulty as time goes by though, and now that I'm about 12 hours into the game, I am being challenged a lot more.

The combat is fun, but I'm starting to get slightly bored with doing the same keystrokes every time. It's like they took the combat from DA: O, and then decided to make it more flashy. It has lost its tactical feeling for me, so you will find a formula to kill enemies and you'll generally stick to that.

The graphics are fine, but they definitely could be better. I'm not playing with everything on their highest settings (I have AA and anisotropic off), but you can really tell that the engine is old when you see the low-res textures and low-polygon counts. The next DA could really benefit from a graphics upgrade.

And now the story - the most important part of an RPG in my opinion. For me, the story is a bit meh. I really don't feel like I'm playing the game for a purpose, like I was in DA: O. I'm forced and strung along to do side quests that I probably would do anyway, but I'd like to have the choice. At my point in the game currently, I can sort of see that I might become a more integral part to the story, but I can only hope. The storytelling is pretty good though, and I like the direction that Bioware took in order to achieve that.

Some other notes:
-The dialogue wheel does let you make choices and be an ass-hole, but it's really not revolutionary. Some choices are completely inconsequential, whereas the ones that matter pretty obvious. It's been done before in most of Bioware's games, so don't expect anything different.

-The character models look pretty good, but they too can benefit from a graphics upgrade. The facial animations are great though.

- My biggest gripe with this game is that every single cave, dungeon, and house is EXACTLY the same. It is the same map, but some doors are shut in one instance while they may not be in another. It's to the point that I know where almost all of the crevasses are where you can find loot (tip: if there is a dead-end, there is some sort of loot there).

 

[Mirage]

BioWare deserves credit for having the cajones to completely overhaul an award-winning tactical RPG and eschew stereotypical fantasy narratives and characters to create one of the most impressive video game tales ever told.

Not sure if I believe that.

 

[B_MAN]

can someone post screens whit the hihgest settings?

I like the art style of the game

some are on the highest setting, others are without some dx11 effects and lower AA
all have high res textures though:

http://img28.imageshack.us/i/2011031200001.jpg/
http://img834.imageshack.us/i/2011031200002.jpg/
http://img97.imageshack.us/i/2011031200003.jpg/
http://img218.imageshack.us/i/2011031200004.jpg/
http://img821.imageshack.us/i/2011031200005.jpg/
http://img16.imageshack.us/i/2011031200006.jpg/

 

[Nabobalis]

What about the high-res texture pack that you can download?

Anyone get any pictures of that?

 

[B_MAN]

What about the high-res texture pack that you can download?

Anyone get any pictures of that?

see my post above

 

[Kadayi]

Dragon Age 2 was rushed.

I'm fascinated as to how, the music composer saying he rushed the score, translates to the game was rushed.

@Twixx

Having looked into the whole 'dude' banned thing, the conclusion I've reached, having done my due diligence and considered all the evidence as well as walked the virtual footsteps necessary to see what he did (unlike a bunch of Journos I know), I've concluded that the guy is a retard. The correct course of action he needed to undertake was to raise a support ticket with EA accounts as he was advised to by the bioware mods (It was someone from EA who suspended his account, not bioware). He did anything but this when you look into it in detail. Live chat is for installer issues, not account support (there's not even a link to live chat on the EA support page). If he'd raised a ticket, it would of been dealt with by the proper people, and no doubt promptly. But instead of doing that he went whining to the press about how unfairly he was being treated.

As for DA2. 11 hours in and really enjoying it. It's a different beast from the first game, and personally that's no bad thing in my view. Playing as a female rogue and loving the flow of the combat much more. Also I'm digging the characters and conversations.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I'm fascinated as to how, the music composer saying he rushed the score, translates to the game was rushed.

Because he knows his way around game composing?

The name Inon Zur may not be familiar to you, but odds are you've heard his music a number of times. With more than 40 game scores under his belt, including hits like Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, EverQuest, and Dragon Age, Zur has become a staple on the game music scene.

Not to mention all the reports of reused and recycled content in DA2, and it's comparatively short length.

Having looked into the whole 'dude' banned thing, the conclusion I've reached, having done my due diligence and considered all the evidence as well as walked the virtual footsteps necessary to see what he did (unlike a bunch of Journos I know), I've concluded that the guy is a retard. The correct course of action he needed to undertake was to raise a support ticket with EA accounts as he was advised to by the bioware mods (It was someone from EA who suspended his account, not bioware). He did anything but this when you look into it in detail. Live chat is for installer issues, not account support (there's not even a link to live chat on the EA support page). If he'd raised a ticket, it would of been dealt with by the proper people, and no doubt promptly. But instead of doing that he went whining to the press about how unfairly he was being treated.

And yet none of this addresses the point that they shouldn't have that power to begin with. Granted, I disagree with Valve's draconian VAC bans on principle, but at least there's precedent for those. In what way does misbehaving on an internet forum justify denying access to a single player game? It ****ing shouldn't, and this one guy's conduct has nothing to with that.

Oh yeah, and they chickened out anyway: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/ea-retracts-game-ban-for-forum-violation/

An "error in the system." Uh huh.

 

[Kadayi]

Because he knows his way around game composing?

Even in the IGN article the interviewers qualify that he's referring to the musical score, and not the game (he has no hands on role in the actual development process). 18 months between games on an existing IP isn't that unusual. Consider L4D2 or ACB.

Not to mention all the reports of reused and recycled content in DA2, and it's comparatively short length.

Stylistically things look similar (as they should given the game is set in the same universe), but I personally haven't yet seen any recycling of direct content as you claim. Also I've heard some people have poop socked their way through the game in a few days, but I'm 11 hours in and I'm still yet to go to the deep roads.

And yet none of this addresses the point that they shouldn't have that power to begin with. Granted, I disagree with Valve's draconian VAC bans on principle, but at least there's precedent for those. In what way does misbehaving on an internet forum justify denying access to a single player game? It ****ing shouldn't, and this one guy's conduct has nothing to with that.

Why is it so hard to believe that someone maybe hit the wrong button in this case? Every day errors happen in real life. They have an account support system in case you think you've been wrongfully suspended. The guy was told where to go to get help as it was an EA account issue (something the bioware guys couldn't deal with), and he completely failed to do that.

Oh yeah, and they chickened out anyway: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/ea-retracts-game-ban-for-forum-violation/

An "error in the system." Uh huh.

John Walker is the Boris Johnson of RPS (IE not very good at anything to put it bluntly). In his original article he sensationalised the whole affair, for example he said 'threads' had been closed where as the reality is just one thread had been closed (the very thread that pointed Arno in the direction of where he needed to go in order to address his problem namely EA support). Putting a spin on it makes it seem like the guy is being somehow suppressed and garner sympathy from gullible types such as yourself who take everything on face value.

 

[Yorick]

I never finished the original because I got bored with it, and even though I'm only 5(ish?) hours into the second one, I can see the same thing is going to happen.

Also, they're thinking about multiplayer for [DA3].

Now that I would buy/love. Even if it was only coop.

 

[Lucid]

It would have potential to be great if it played like DAO and not this recent abortion.

BiowarEA needs to get their heads out of their ass... as do a few of you guys.(not directing this at anyone in particular)
There is really nothing good about any of this and you're just letting them dump this shit on you without even caring that they've essentially ruined the series.

Though, I know that plenty of you didn't think DAO was that great to begin but come on, it was a decent homage to the RPGs of yesteryear and now Bioware has turned it into just another mindless hack and slash with no love put into it whatsoever.

 

[Kadayi]

Here's a thought Lucid, rather than floundering around using garbage terms like 'abortion' and 'shit' (which communicate nothing to the reader) why not actually put some articulation into your posts instead? I see a lot of this whining 'consolization' chatter, but very little considered criticism.

I liked DAO, however from I've played of DA2 so far I like a lot of what they've done, with regard to streamlining the experience. DAO had a great story, but it was incredibly clunky in terms of interface, and time consuming micro management. Having to manually drag the potions, poisons & bombs to action slots for example, as well as the buying and selling of goods. I also really like having a voice to my character as well, and the fact that the NPC call me by name (none of this poe faced 'grey warden' yak). If I want endless inventory management I'd play Diablo, personally I'm more interested in storyline and characters and DA2 keeps the focus of the game on that.

 

[Lucid]

I have no idea what you mean by the UI quips you made in regards to DAO but I can only think that you played it on a console to have any issues with it.
And having a voice for the character is a matter of personal preference, that can't be argued with really.

As far as DA2 being streamlined, that's pretty much my issue with it as a whole.
Everything is far too simple now especially in comparison with the original game.

I felt that the Game Informer review summed up my feelings towards DA2 perfectly

"On all platforms, Dragon Age II caters to an audience that didn’t connect with Origins, while alienating those who did"

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/d...ii-pc-review-a-port-caught-in-the-middle.aspx

 

[Mirage]

GI review does state that DA2 has a less satisfying story than the original, but that it still has "excellent writing" and that "your companions are more interesting characters than those in Dragon Age: Origins."

 

[Lucid]

The review isn't perfect.
I mostly just liked that quote.

 

[Paulaner]

BiowarEA needs to get their heads out of their ass... as do a few of you guys.(not directing this at anyone in particular)
There is really nothing good about any of this and you're just letting them dump this shit on you without even caring that they've essentially ruined the series.

If you don't like it, that doesn't mean others won't. There are no absolute values in videogames; it's always a matter of personal taste.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Am I really the only one who thinks the voice acting is atrocious and completely ruins my immersion in the game? I literally cannot play this for any stretch of time because I hnnnng every time someone tries to say something dramatic. I'm not even a big critic of voice acting(ie, I didn't think male shepard was that bad), but jesus christ I can't look over this.

Meanwhile the game plays like a shitty diablo clone. Which wouldn't be that bad if they had actually done it well and the game was meant to be played like a diablo clone(it isn't.).

I didn't much care for DAO but I was hoping they would take what could have been a great game and make it better in the sequel. Apparently I expected too much of Bioware.

 

[Cpt Tenacious]

Yeah voice acting is pretty awful, but I like male Shepard's voice

 

[Gargantou]

From all the feedback in this thread I guess I'll pass on DA2 and instead just replay KoTOR1.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Even in the IGN article the interviewers qualify that he's referring to the musical score, and not the game (he has no hands on role in the actual development process). 18 months between games on an existing IP isn't that unusual. Consider L4D2 or ACB.

Neither of those games are full-length RPGs. Anyway, yeah, it's not entirely indicative of the state of development, but it does match up with what I've heard of the game elsewhere. Haven't had any hands-on experience though, so I'll drop it.

Why is it so hard to believe that someone maybe hit the wrong button in this case? Every day errors happen in real life. They have an account support system in case you think you've been wrongfully suspended. The guy was told where to go to get help as it was an EA account issue (something the bioware guys couldn't deal with), and he completely failed to do that.

Because uhh...

"2. EA Community bans come down from a different department and are the result of someone hitting the REPORT POST button. These bans can affect access to your game and/or DLC."

From the mod reply in the thread in question. Not terribly ambiguous, is it? Again, the way the poster in question handled this is entirely irrelevant to whether or not they should have that power in the first place. If it's a once-off, fine, but it doesn't seem like anyone at Bioware or EA are rushing to clear it up.

John Walker is the Boris Johnson of RPS (IE not very good at anything to put it bluntly). In his original article he sensationalised the whole affair, for example he said 'threads' had been closed where as the reality is just one thread had been closed (the very thread that pointed Arno in the direction of where he needed to go in order to address his problem namely EA support).

Oh my, how sensationalist.

Could you point out where in the thread he was pointed to EA support? Maybe I'm just blind but I can't for the life of me find it.

Putting a spin on it makes it seem like the guy is being somehow suppressed and garner sympathy from gullible types such as yourself who take everything on face value.

Nice ad hominem. Never mind I've repeatedly said that I don't give a flying christ about the poster himself.

 

[Krynn72]

Meanwhile the game plays like a shitty diablo clone. Which wouldn't be that bad if they had actually done it well and the game was meant to be played like a diablo clone(it isn't.).

Can someone explain to me how the combat in DA2 is so much different than in the first one? What I've seen looks almost exactly the same as I recall the first on working.

 

[Bad^Hat]

It differs between PC and console, but the PC demo played largely like the first, minus some annoyance with the auto-attack turning itself off. Seemed a bit less strategic. On the plus side the animations are hilariously over the top, so that's amusing at least.

 

[GreatEmperor]

Am I really the only one who thinks the voice acting is atrocious and completely ruins my immersion in the game? I literally cannot play this for any stretch of time because I hnnnng every time someone tries to say something dramatic. I'm not even a big critic of voice acting(ie, I didn't think male shepard was that bad), but jesus christ I can't look over this.

Meanwhile the game plays like a shitty diablo clone. Which wouldn't be that bad if they had actually done it well and the game was meant to be played like a diablo clone(it isn't.).

I didn't much care for DAO but I was hoping they would take what could have been a great game and make it better in the sequel. Apparently I expected too much of Bioware.

Absolutely DA O just needed refinement really, it would have been better with more meaningless quests( I know I know but delivering the dagger to the barmaid was always how i boosted my character since I have the sickening urge to be a jack of all trades)

Making it into Fable is what these guys did, it doesnt fit and Fable is already here.

Diablo is my least favorite of all RPG types really, its so mindless and repetitive with no feeling of larger scope, just going around clicking on endless, meaningless monsters that mill around not doing much but overpopulating the place. They dont attack or swarm the friendly camp, they just sit there.

 

[Krynn72]

Dude, the game plays NOTHING like fable.

 

[taviow]

Bioware/EA fail to cover their tracks:

 

[Acepilotf14]

Hahahaha.

 

[GreatEmperor]

Dude, the game plays NOTHING like fable.

bad example, but they should stick to BG style a little more

 

[StarBob]

Wow... someone figured out that people fake profiles to give good reviews? What next... they find out that the big reviewers get money for good reviews? This is breaking news...

 

[Letters]

Ending spoiler

Spoiler

What a pile of shit. I chose the mages' side. The dude then resorts to blood magic and turns himself into a monster, and I was expecting him to attack the templars? But no. He attacks everyone. Well **** I thought I was on your side? And then then the expected blah blah blah with Meredith. Oh ****, didn't see that one coming... a gimmicky and easy final boss! It's pretty easy to tell it doesn't mean shit what choice you make, and that you end up fighting both of them in that order.

****, when's Guild Wars 2 coming out? Needs to be now.

 

[taviow]

Wow... someone figured out that people fake profiles to give good reviews? What next... they find out that the big reviewers get money for good reviews? This is breaking news...

The point is not to get caught.

 

[Combine Hybrid]

So... I just started this game as a warrior, but I've heard Rogue is so much fun to play as.

Should I restart the game as a Rogue?

ps. I don't care about Mage...

 

[Shem]

So... I just started this game as a warrior, but I've heard Rogue is so much fun to play as.

Should I restart the game as a Rogue?

ps. I don't care about Mage...

Whenever I create a character in an RPG, I always go with the Warrior/Soldier/Fighter class first since it's the easiest one to play and figure out. I guess if you're looking for more of a challenge you could start out as a Rogue, but personally, I would recommend staying with the guy you already have to get a feel for the game first.

 

[StarBob]

Whenever I create a character in an RPG, I always go with the Warrior/Soldier/Fighter class first since it's the easiest one to play and figure out. I guess if you're looking for more of a challenge you could start out as a Rogue, but personally, I would recommend staying with the guy you already have to get a feel for the game first.

I wish RPGs would make the Fighter type class more complicated. It never happens though...

 

[Shem]

I wish RPGs would make the Fighter type class more complicated. It never happens though...

Well, to me, I don't think the Fighter class is meant to be complicated. It's supposed to be a fallback for inexperienced players.

 

[Gargantou]

^It depends a bit on the RPG in my opinion, I've played some RPGs that become substantially harder if your character doesn't have any magic capabilities(I.e. you are playing as a pure fighter.)

 

[Bad^Hat]

Bit of clarification on the account banning business.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/15/biowhere-ea-working-on-fixing-game-bans/

There's every possibility this is an innocent mistake, but they really need to get their shit together if some of them are saying "whoops" while others are saying "working as intended!"

 

[Shem]

^It depends a bit on the RPG in my opinion, I've played some RPGs that become substantially harder if your character doesn't have any magic capabilities(I.e. you are playing as a pure fighter.)

And that's why we have companions. If you're a Fighter, recruit a Mage. If you're a Mage, recruit a Fighter. It's all the same idea, really. A Mage can't survive without the defense of a Fighter, and a Fighter can't survive without the healing and fighting assistance of a Mage.

 

[Gargantou]

And that's why we have companions. If you're a Fighter, recruit a Mage. If you're a Mage, recruit a Fighter. It's all the same idea, really. A Mage can't survive without the defense of a Fighter, and a Fighter can't survive without the healing and fighting assistance of a Mage.

There are RPGs that aren't multi-character party-based.

Such as the Gothic series for examlpes.

And besides, even in multi-party games it often requires you to play all the characters in your party because the party AI is usually craptacular.

I am looking at you, NWN2!

 

[Yorick]

Bioware/EA fail to cover their tracks:

I lol'd a lot.

I've hit level 10 or so, and the game doesn't seem to be showing any signs of improving whatsoever, so I think I'm just about done with it. For some reason it feels a lot less immersive than the first one. Combat isn't as fun, and even interactions with your own party seem more dumbed down. I've been hoping it would get better, but frankly I'm just not enjoying it.

 

[TheOneFreeMan]

I had fun playing the game for the most of it ... but that was mainly because I felt that it was going somewhere. Which it wasn't. The character development just kind of fizzled out. I was actually expecting another act, because none of the characters seemed to have reached any kind of satisfying conclusion to their story arcs, but instead it just said "gamesovernowbai". It's been how many years of RPGs being back in fashion, now? Why can't we have an RPG that focuses on the characters reacting in a realistic way instead of thinking that what we want as RPG players is "oh look, you can complete these quests in loads of DIFFERENT ORDERS! Wooo!"

Spoiler

I slept with Merrill, and then when she said "I love you" told her it was maybe a bit too soon for that ... I mean common, having sex with a woman, and then lying in bed afterwards and saying "yay, we had sex, move in with me!" Of course, I would expect this to come back on me (I had sex with a girl who was in love with me, and then didn't say it back ... awkward, much?), but instead that was apparantly that. Was never spoken of again. It sucks, and I know it's the same for every Bioware game, but that doesn't mean it's excusable.

 

[taviow]

Another person banned from playing the game. This time permanently (until they fix it).