Dragon Age II Review

Recommended Videos

Dana22

New member
Sep 10, 2008
1,274
0
0
DracoSuave said:
3) The mass-effect wheel. Cause lists are better than circles?
Yes. Because in Dragon Age, you would make dialogue choice based on WHAT would your character say. In Dragon Age 2, its based on HOW would you like to say it ("roleplay dialogue options are genuinely funny" - Greg T.). You are not even presented with an full answer, only one sentence sum up.

4) The amount of pause-and-go you will have in your game is exactly what you want it to be. Want to pause-and-go? Play it on a harder setting
I would like pause-and-go on easy setting as well.
 

spartandude

New member
Nov 24, 2009
2,721
0
0
I must say i'm very dissapointed with my retailer, i pre ordered the Signiture edition with the exiled prince DLC for £25 at Game, they have just emailed me to say that they can no longer meet this order and have canceled it, while i have been refunded they are no longer doing the signiture edition and the regular edition is like £30 now, i think its just bollucks tbh

tbh, i wasnt too impressed with the demo and the only reason i was still going to play it was because i though the Sig edition with free DLC was a pretty sweet deal tbh, but now im not too sure im gonna bother with this game
 

silasbufu

New member
Aug 5, 2009
1,095
0
0
The game is very good. Maybe the reviewer praised it a bit too much, but those of you who just throw a huge list of bad things about this game are crying for attention by hating a popular much expected game or you are just too much of a baldur's game fan ( I'm not bashing BG, just your nostalgia attacks ).
 

BlindChance

Librarian
Sep 8, 2009
442
0
0
jonyboy13 said:
Well I don't know which comments you read exactly but I refered to, as some others, to the simplicity of the option wheel. It is not misleading but it is very simple and quite boring.
I admit, for me it's just odd. There's no real difference in a list of options in a radial menu, and a list of options in a straight list. I don't think the choices are any more (or less) boring than the first game's. There were lots of dialogue lines there that also neatly fit the 'good guy response' vs. 'jerk response' dichotomy, they just weren't so clearly flagged by position or icon. Still, they were unmissable if you simply read the line.

I'm pretty sure that when people say that it is "paragon" like, they mean that the basic options are simple: Good - Kind, Evil - mean and for some reason they added Jerk - Tries to be funny.
I think the better comparison than Mass Effect is Alpha Protocol, and its three stances: Suave, Professional and Aggressive. This system is a bit more sophisticated, I counted at least six stances in DA2's demo, and you don't get to use each stance in each conversation. But the basic idea remains: You get to define the idea of your character's personality from a set of rough archetypes, and it interprets that for dialogue. I'm willing to entertain the idea that it's a bad system (I didn't like Alpha Protocol's system much, but DA2's seems to have a bit more welcome complexity)

I understand your point that it doesn't really mean that your character is evil if you choose the evil option but the point is that the choices are bland. While some games (BG, NWN) choices could reach 5+ diffrent choices that doesn't necessery translate to good, evil etc', with the choice wheel you got only 3 which you can probably guess what they will be just from listening to the cutscene.
Perhaps, but I felt the choices in the demo were for the most part OK. My issues with the dialogue aren't actually related to the wheel -- I think it worked fine -- but to a certain, I dunno, machoness to a particular moment. (It's right after the ogre dies.) I was struck, really struck, by the fact that I couldn't grieve. I couldn't cry, I couldn't be weak, I couldn't break down. I had options of 'strong and comforting' 'strong and angry' or 'strong and urgent'. That's it. I really wanted to let my character cry.

I also worry about the moral choice the game gives you, after that. (It's the moral decision involving Aveline.) There's one choice there which gains the most 'friendliness' toward that character, and to me it seemed mind-boggling that that's the way it went. I kind of wished they'd had the wit to make all three choices gain 'rivalry' toward your character there, but to different amounts, and then maybe to open up a conversation later that could push you back to friendly when you explain your choice. Maybe that happens.
 

pepitko

New member
Sep 23, 2009
126
0
0
Great review, this looks like a game with a great story, something I've been longing for in quite some time now. The year of 2011 looks promising so far with DA2, MA3, LA Noire, ES:Skyrim. I will have to leave some of them for 2012, which could otherwise be a dry year.
 

Carne

New member
Jul 27, 2008
59
0
0
Honestly I don't really care about the camera. And people who complain about the main quest being fifteen hours must not have been playing the same game as me as I seem to remember killing the archdemon, and completing most side quests in about twenty. The stylization of the art and animations don't really bug me, however I can understand why they might bug some.

As for the pause and play issue that people have I'm rather annoyed. You don't /have/ to, that doesn't mean you can't. It's obviously trying to bring in new players. Hell the new elf warrior you get looks straight ripped from a JPG. While I loved to play Dragon Age tactically it got annoying during my fourth play through. Being able to mix it up will be nice.

What bugs me? I will admit that the armor being dumbed down frustrates me. I can live with it though. In the same way that the radial menu bugs me. I'd much rather have more dialogue choices, but I can deal. The number one annoyance for me is that I have to play a human. But once again most games don't give me the option to be anything other than the preset protagonist anyway. I'm not going to make a huge fuss.

Over all I know I'm going to like the game regardless of these flaws. Bioware has a good writing team and makes fun characters. 15 hours is still pretty good when most games these days run between 5 - 8. I can't help but think a lot of this unfounded whining is just hipster nonsense. You gotta hate it to be cool am I right?

As for people who are trying to say Skyrim will be better I can't help but chuckle. Let's face it. Oblivion sucked, Fallout 3 was decent and Morrowind was good in it's prime. The only reason I ever even play Bethesda games is for the modding communities. Without mods I probably wouldn't even touch one of their games.
 

Edli1

New member
Mar 8, 2011
5
0
0
I can't take this review seriously. The guy said you can turn on auto attack on consoles and that's not true. That means he didn't check for it because he played on normal like a button masher alla Bayonetta.
More tactical? Did you ever play DA:O on pc? They removed the isometric view and the detachable camera.
 

Canadish

New member
Jul 15, 2010
675
0
0
That review sounded a little over generous if you ask me...
Some of the best graphics this generation? Get real, they're only slightly less dated then DA:O.

And how is Fable meets WOW meant to be a positive point!?
 

BlindChance

Librarian
Sep 8, 2009
442
0
0
Lillowh said:
Oh! Plus we found out just recently that the import feature is screwed up so there will be no importing of save files for decisions from DA:O and DA:A.
Oh, WHAT? That's just insane! That was a major selling point!
 

Triangulon

New member
Nov 20, 2009
477
0
0
The big question really is 'is it like the demo?'The demo was utter pants. If the full game is substantially better I may get it, otherwise I'll just play Origins again.
 

Carne

New member
Jul 27, 2008
59
0
0
BlindChance said:
Lillowh said:
Oh! Plus we found out just recently that the import feature is screwed up so there will be no importing of save files for decisions from DA:O and DA:A.
Oh, WHAT? That's just insane! That was a major selling point!
It's apparently one of the bugs Bioware already knows about, has informed us about, and intends to fix. Apparently bugs =! a feature that we will never have.
 

BlindChance

Librarian
Sep 8, 2009
442
0
0
Carne said:
It's apparently one of the bugs Bioware already knows about, has informed us about, and intends to fix. Apparently bugs =! a feature that we will never have.
I'm just stunned I'd not heard about this. Frankly, that's a pretty big deal.
 

Carne

New member
Jul 27, 2008
59
0
0
Skyweir said:
The main problem with the dialog wheel combined with a voiced protagonist is that you will never be sure what your character will say or do. Then it ceases to be your character and becomes something else. Bioware has been moving this way for years, and frankly I find it a step back for my enjoyment of their games. With the old lists, at least you have more options to interpret your characters personality instead of relying on icons and hard-coded "personality" types.

However, at least you have more freedom than in the Witcher, were you "roleplay" a character which has been the main character in several books and is so deeply defined that anything you do must by defintion be either extremely limited or grossly out of character.

And save me from Oblivionesque "freedom", were you have the freedom to do anything and it means nothing. No one cares,and so it makes no difference.

So if those are my choices, my pick is still Dragon Age and Bioware. At least they seem to grasp that the essence of roleplay is choice, meaningful consequences and character development.
I totally agree with you. Honestly they could even have the old lists and voice acting. The radial menu with just a sentence makes me feel I'm playing Fable. God, how I hate the expressions.
 

HapexIndustries

New member
Mar 8, 2011
190
0
0
I hated Dragon Age Origins far too much to even give this sequel a try, which is a shame because it sounds pretty good. However I can't bring myself to play a sequel without beating the original and I can't even IMAGINE playing the original again. I've never played a game with more annoying party NPCs or a more boring, generic story (ok maybe I have but not from Bioware). The reviews for the first game were ecstatic, and almost everyone loved it, so I am hesitant to believe anything about the sequel until someone says "I hated the first game but this second one is awesome." I'll be waiting.
 

SFMB

New member
May 13, 2009
218
0
0
I liked the bit with "it's good until Skyrim comes out". That's propably true. Didn't like the first installment of Dragon Age, but still played it. Might get this one from Steam summersale...
 

Madkipz

New member
Apr 25, 2009
284
0
0
DracoSuave said:
Madkipz said:
FlyAwayAutumn said:
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!

Madkipz said:
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. ^_^
Let's tackle your issues one at a time, because you sound like this fine article [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/video-game-article/dragon-age-reaction.php] except with absolutely less reason.

1) When talking about a game that has inventory items available based on whether you pre-ordered, have other games, looked at facebook, or whatever, it is absolutely stupid to make the claim that there is no inventory management. You are clearly not paying attention to the existance of an inventory menu in the demo, nor are you paying attention to the fact that there's a crafting system entirely based on improving your inventory, or an achivement for maximizing parts of your inventory on your teammates. You sir, are sounding like a fool with this post alone. It's a statement that is based not on evidence, but on fearmongering you pulled from your ass. It's an ass-borne statement.

2) Streamlined is not bad. But let's compare it to Dragon ages' talents which are, instead of being streamlined, are in the following formation:
X - X - X - X. As we all are aware, four things in a row are not linear, they are some other thing other than a line, and clearly, setting them up to look more like molecules of benzene with multiple entry points is absolutely linear when compared to a straight line. Stop failing at observing reality. And you compare it to Baldurs gate which had what for 'talent trees?' Oh yeah, the second edition D&D character creation system. Level based. With set features as you gain levels. Do you know what linear means? Clearly not.

3) The mass-effect wheel. Cause lists are better than circles? Cause clear intentions of what your character wants to mean is better than guessing at what the connotation will be? Because making choices matter is bad?

4) The amount of pause-and-go you will have in your game is exactly what you want it to be. Want to pause-and-go? Play it on a harder setting, and knock yourself out. The experience is what you want it to be. For someone who bitches about having choices taken away from him, you'd think you'd actually embrace being able to play the game how you want to play it. OPTIONS ARE BAD OMG!

5) Don't play on easy then. Play on hard. Whatever, you've already made up your mind on this game based on your crazy world expectations that do not match anything remotely resembling given evidence. So long as you believe Balder's Gate has non-linear character building, that wheels are somehow magically worse or different than lists, and that a straight line is less linear than a branching tree with multiple entry points, then you'll never believe this game can be good. No big loss. Looks to me like it's going to be an awesome blast.
:) In the words of ancient trolls past, You mad bro? I could have reduced the amount of troll though, didnt know if that last sentence would fly. It served no practical purpose.

1)I could have said something similar to: inventory management is easier or reduced to a lesser evil but i didnt, because it does not make anyone see red.
2)Did i ever say it was bad to have linear progression?
3)Did i say it was bad to have streamlined talents? He even mention a combo system, its great.
4)Well to be fair i will have to play it on nightmare at the getgo, since hard is now the new normal. Sadly there is no "very hard" option.

I never said anything of what dragonage 2 provides is bad, i said it falls flat on its face at providing actually challenging gameplay and that baldurs gate would be insulted. To compare it with movies Dragon age 2 is The expendables and baldurs gate is inception.
 

OptimisticPessimist

New member
Nov 15, 2010
622
0
0
I get the feeling that this is going to be a fable 3 for me. That is to say, it'll be a vast disappointment. Could be wrong. Hope I'm wrong. I'm usually not wrong.
 

BlindChance

Librarian
Sep 8, 2009
442
0
0
Yeah, to chime in on Skyweir's point here: The reason why people get excited over Bioware's RPGs isn't that hard to see. They do exceptionally good dialogue (and some clunkingly bad dialogue; as Shamus Young observed they write in both heaven and hell) and get some of the best voice acting in the industry. To quote Shamus [http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=6293]:

BioWare is getting away with murder here. Their games are formulaic and their game mechanics are often wobbly or frustrating. Yet they sell like crazy because their writing is top-notch. [Other companies] should try hiring some talented writers yourselves. [They] think the quality of writing doesn?t matter, but you?re wrong.