Dragon Age II Review

[Therumancer]

How heavy is the "future" narration, judging by the demo it seems like the story is told partially through cut scenes from the future just narrating your actions, for me that is probably the worst story telling method in games, and in a rpg thats a make or break for me, i was already bothered by the mass effect dialogue options, it seems like the only thing they didn't take from mass effect was the inventory system or lack thereof, which was the only thing i hoped they would use.

If they go easy on the future narration (there must be a better term for it) its still a must buy for me, otherwise i might get it once it goes on sale.

The impression I get from the demo is that it's probably going to work like "Alpha Protocol". In "Alpha Protocol" your character (Michael Thornton) was in the middle of a confrontation/debrief with a higher up in his goverment agency-gone rogue. You'd play through a game section and when you finished all the missions in that area, you'd have a sort of flash-forward talking about what you had done. Eventually the game catches up to that event and you take it from there.

The amount of jumping around the demo did seemed to be to show off differant portions of the game. I don't think they are actually going to narrate it that heavily. Looking inside the quest journals I notice later on that you have a bunch of quests you never did (and which were never mentioned) maked as "completed" which implies there was a lot of stuff you would have done in between some of the things that were shown.

That said the video is broken for me as well. I'm actually wondering if the video is actually disabled until tomorrow's release date (due to it showing game footage), and/or if perhaps this review was put up a day early when it was supposed to be posted tomorrow.

At any rate, it remains to be seen when I'll be playing "Dragon Age 2", I pre-ordered a signature edition from Amazon, but it hasn't shipped yet, and it doesn't look like they gave me the "release date delivery" as originally mentioned since there wasn't an option for it.

 

[Madkipz]

I can't wait for this game. I'm getting it tomorrow bitches! I played the console version of Origins and while I loved it the downfalls of the console version tended to get me down it also made me sad that I had to play on Casual that's just insulting. When I get Dragon Age 2 Imma gonna be a mage! I cast flare bitches!

You are calling it: A pinnacle of role-playing games with well-designed mechanics and excellent story-telling, Dragon Age II is what videogames are meant to be.


So it falls flat on its face on actual gameplay? that bad huh?

I feel like you were trying to make a joke but either I didn't get it or it wasn't funny.

inventory / gear management: gone
talents and abilities: linear and streamlined.
the mass effect wheel: top is paragon, middle is stupid and bottom is renegade.
Amount of pausing the game during a fight or putting actual thought into anything other than who you want to be friends with: 0
So basically anything that required you to do something is gone, its now an interactive movie with choice. Not much of a game.

Not that i dont mind movies nor complain but to call it the pinnacle of rpgs is an insult to baldurs gate. ^_^

 

[mireko]

The game will be released in seven hours. In the US, that is.

I still have to wait for the EU release and for Amazon to ship it. =|

Obviously the real question is whether or not the female on female make-out scenes are any better.

The real, real question is why BioWare has so little (if any) competition on that front.

inventory / gear management: gone
talents and abilities: linear and streamlined.
the mass effect wheel: top is paragon, middle is stupid and bottom is renegade.
Amount of pausing the game during a fight or putting actual thought into anything other than who you want to be friends with: 0
So basically anything that required you to do something is gone, its now an interactive movie with choice. Not much of a game.

I hope you're satirizing RPG purists and don't actually believe that.

 

[Brainst0rm]

Addendum: don't steal it.

This review says the game is everything which the demo promised it could be.

May the Lord preserve me in the midst of my midterms.

 

[BENZOOKA]

No controller support for PC =

Ha! Who needs controllers when there's mouse and keyboard!

I couldn't play the video at all. I guess it's broken or something, because it just tries to connect to a themismedia server and instantly: nothing.

I like the sound of it. Trying the demo was a bit of a shock and many things frustrated, but in the end of it, I would've began to like the combat if it weren't so easy. I'd say it was more than one setting below the level of Normal on the PC version of DA:O. And it was just a demo, after all.

Anywho. I was going to buy this anyway, but not pre-purchase because I didn't want those complimentary items they're offering me with it. +% XP and skill-leveling items? Bleh. But this review convinced me to get it over with and buy it now.

I still have to wait until the 11th though. The European release could've been mentioned as well in the end? I know very well that this is an American site, but it would still be nice, if things were handled more internationally. More in relation to the vast foreign percentage on The Escapist.

edit: The video works now.

 

[Swaki]

If they go easy on the future narration (there must be a better term for it) its still a must buy for me, otherwise i might get it once it goes on sale.

Framing Device. Obviously I haven't played it either, but the impression I got is that Dwarfy Pants basically introduces the highpoints on your storyline to becoming The Champion, and then you actually play through those stories as if he were narrating them to the Inquisitor Lady.

Makes sense to me, since in the timeline, those things (your story) already happened. No different than "A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away..."

Thanks it was bothering me ^^.

But i actually think there is a big difference, when I'm playing a rpg i like to think that what i'm going to spend the next 30+ hours on will make a difference, once they introduce all of it in a past sense i feel less like i'm creating and getting immersed in my own story and more like I'm just doing it because the games tells me to, i feel less like the hero living the story and more like the actor in the movie based on his life.

Usually its not a deal breaker for me, i still enjoyed bloodmoney and black ops, but in a rpg and especially a story heavy one such as DA it defeats the purpose for me.

 

[mireko]

No controller support for PC =

EDIT: Sorry, just wanted to post that pic. The video works now, yay!

 

[Greg Tito]

It's so good, they were too busy playing the game to actually do a video review of it.

This.

In all seriousness, the video should be working now. Enjoy!

Greg

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

You are calling it: A pinnacle of role-playing games with well-designed mechanics and excellent story-telling, Dragon Age II is what videogames are meant to be.


So it falls flat on its face on actual gameplay? that bad huh?

I feel like you were trying to make a joke but either I didn't get it or it wasn't funny.

inventory / gear management: gone
talents and abilities: linear and streamlined.
the mass effect wheel: top is paragon, middle is stupid and bottom is renegade.
Amount of pausing the game during a fight or putting actual thought into anything other than who you want to be friends with: 0
So basically anything that required you to do something is gone, its now an interactive movie with choice. Not much of a game.

Not that i dont mind movies nor complain but to call it the pinnacle of rpgs is an insult to baldurs gate. ^_^

O.K well what you said didn't make sense.

Dragon Age II is what videogames are meant to be.

So it falls flat on its face on actual gameplay?

Amount of pausing during the game, zero? I was under the impression if you play Dragon Age 2 on harder difficulties it'd be the same as Origins where you would need to pause constantly.

Interactive movie with choice? You have a point but that's what a video game is. You act like labeling a game as an interactive movie means it's bad. That's what a video game is the level of interactiveness depends on the game.

Final Fantasy interactiveness - zero

Dragon Age 2 - well if Mass Effect 2 is anything to compare it to then hopefully it's a happy medium.

However this is not the place to discuss this, and I reserve any real judgement until the game is out and I've had a chance to try it.

 

[Zhukov]

"Wait... I can't pick my characters boots anymore!? Waaah! Dragon Age is ruined forever!"

...

Seriously though, sounds good. Can't wait to get stuck into it.

(PS. The basic running animation looks kinda bad.)

 

[Dana22]

Improving every game mechanic ? Best looking game of this generation ? Pinnacle of computer RPGs ? Surely you jest.

 

[Baresark]

Not only does Dragon Age II play better, it looks absolutely gorgeous. Gone is the mess of pixels and aura bugs that were the graphics of Origins and in its place is a combination of environments that just sing -- the golden statues of Andraste in the Chantry, the ships docked in Lowtown, the eddies of the Wounded Coast and the dank caves and dungeons all look wonderful.

This game doesn't look that good to me. I played the demo. It's not really pretty. The only vast improvement over the last one is this time around, no one has wooden teeth. I don't really trust this review. It's all praise, and the negatives are downplayed. The textures are absolute shit. The environments seem brown(I have seen pictures of other parts of the game) and don't feel that vast or open to me. I remember when I first went into the Deep Roads in the first game. I was completely floored by the vastness of it. The demo didn't instill any of that, and you're running around what looked like a large open area, but it's as much a large open area as Final Fantasy 13 had large open areas. Also, I read somewhere that the mouths don't always move when people talk? What's up with that?

I hope that was just a shitty demo and the game is much better. But I am gonna have to read more reviews before I decide to put money on this. Either way, I can't imagine that it's worth $60. I hope I'm wrong, because I loved the living shit outta the first one. Also, I play mostly on the PC, and that is a chunk of change for something that I purchase through digital distribution. Why? Because the console versions are that much? This game better lick my balls for that much money. No matter what, I'm gonna have to wait till the price drops. GOD I WANT THIS TO BE GOOD.

 

[chinangel]

I hate you DA2 playing guy... three more fucking days.

Did you have the High-res texture packs or just the regular copy?

I get my pre-order tomorrow morning :3

 

[Avayu]

Yeah, it works now, but now that I've seen the video, I wish I hadn't.

Because, while the game will arrive on Friday, I have sworn myself not to play it until May 11th. Now, that won't be easy, but I'll have some very important exams the next few weeks. Determining my own future in some big, important trials or determining the future of Kirkwall, I don't think that decision is meant to be that hard ...

 

[DustyDrB]

I need to be playing this right now. Grrr! Grrrrr, I say!

I really love the way that dialogue system sounds. The worst thing about Mass Effect is being pigeon-holed into paragon or renegade options.

Video is working now, by the way.

 

[manythings]

I hate you DA2 playing guy... three more fucking days.

Did you have the High-res texture packs or just the regular copy?

I get my pre-order tomorrow morning :3

I hate you aswell.

 

[Icarion (aka Stockholm)]

Hey, are tehre spoilers in the review? Anything at all that might tarnish the game at all? I don't want to watch it if there are. Should I watch it? (Im getting the game anyways)

 

[murphy7801]

I can't wait for this game. I'm getting it tomorrow bitches! I played the console version of Origins and while I loved it the downfalls of the console version tended to get me down it also made me sad that I had to play on Casual that's just insulting. When I get Dragon Age 2 Imma gonna be a mage! I cast flare bitches!

You are calling it: A pinnacle of role-playing games with well-designed mechanics and excellent story-telling, Dragon Age II is what videogames are meant to be.


So it falls flat on its face on actual gameplay? that bad huh?

I feel like you were trying to make a joke but either I didn't get it or it wasn't funny.

inventory / gear management: gone
talents and abilities: linear and streamlined.
the mass effect wheel: top is paragon, middle is stupid and bottom is renegade.
Amount of pausing the game during a fight or putting actual thought into anything other than who you want to be friends with: 0
So basically anything that required you to do something is gone, its now an interactive movie with choice. Not much of a game.

Not that i dont mind movies nor complain but to call it the pinnacle of rpgs is an insult to baldurs gate. ^_^

Wow are you one of those people who think roleplay games are about siders and graphics and class management ? Iv played them demo theres plently game play really inst that different.

 

[mireko]

Hey, are tehre spoilers in the review? Anything at all that might tarnish the game at all? I don't want to watch it if there are. Should I watch it? (Im getting the game anyways)

None really unless you consider "you go to Kirkwall", "your surname is Hawke" and "there's a Dalish settlement nearby" to be spoilers.