Poll: Dragon Age 2 Demo Impressions
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Well I played the PC version, and honestly, I feel like my opinion flipped around with this game. While I definitely am going to buy the game now, I think that it doesn't play nearly as well as Origins did as far as combat goes on the PC. The interface doesn't seem as suited to tactical play anymore, ironically I'd rather it not have auto-attack and make it more like a hack and slash? Why, I don't know, it just seems like it would play better and the new art style would seem more suited to it.
I hate the dialogue wheel, it's even more simplified than Mass Effect's. Graphics on the first part are pretty terrible, I hate the way the darkspawn look now, but the second part of the demo looks quite nice.
I hate the dialogue wheel, it's even more simplified than Mass Effect's. Graphics on the first part are pretty terrible, I hate the way the darkspawn look now, but the second part of the demo looks quite nice.
I don't like it. There was nothing wrong with combat in DAO. At least not on the PC version. I knew I wouldn't like the fact that we have a character with voice as well. I knew I wouldn't like the wheel dialogue system. It takes so much away from the game and immersion drops by 90%. It's awful. I don't think I'll be able to connect with the characters at all. I know it's just a demo but it just feels wrong. And the interface sucks. Overall I'm very disappointed. I'm not so sure I'm gonna like the full game even.
I couldnt give two hoots about 'too many botton presses'. If your not playing a bioware game for the story ou should probably be going off to play something else.
The PC version has auto-attacking enabled. Press R and it automatically goes and whacks away at the nearest target. I imagine this is an option somewhere in the final game.
Someone said they get smaller when the dwarf stops telling the fake version of the story(I see what they did thar)... but I have no idea since I wasn't paying attention to her chest sooooo.Korten12 said:
It was pretty good but it still felt lacking compared to the original, but ah well it's only the demo. I also wish it hadn't focused so heavily on combat since it doesn't give a very good idea of well... anything besides combat.
The combat felt smooth and rich, with eye candy to boot. The class revamp of the rogue was the major selling point.
And while the hordes are bigger and combat a tad bit more confusing I can't see how someone can say it's less tactical. Spamming the basic attack button just made me misclick a lot. I paused all the time to target the archers or backstab opponents that got up from knock-downs. It felt true to the original but without the clunky animations and repetitive swinging. And hey! I can actually dodge manually without having the stats to back it up.
And while the hordes are bigger and combat a tad bit more confusing I can't see how someone can say it's less tactical. Spamming the basic attack button just made me misclick a lot. I paused all the time to target the archers or backstab opponents that got up from knock-downs. It felt true to the original but without the clunky animations and repetitive swinging. And hey! I can actually dodge manually without having the stats to back it up.
Mostly good, a little bad. The combat animations lacked fluidity. The rogue looked like Nightcrawler when he was fighting. Things were more over the top in general. At the same time, combat had a much faster pace, which is fine since I can still pause when I need to.
The overall system seems similar, but stats seem to be more evenly relevant. Time will tell if that matters, since the problem with Origins was that it was almost always most efficient to dump all of your points into a single stat to the exclusion of everything else. I'm hoping that's fixed, because having RPG elements only makes sense when it encourages diversity.
I'm hoping that nothing in the real game looks as ridiculous as the weird double bladed dagger things the rogue uses in the opening "legend" scene. The overall design of things doesn't leave me with much hope of seeing actual realistic looking weapons.
Hurlocks look... different. I imagine this is in response to the complaints that the old version of darkspawn just looked like uglier orcs and goblins. Now they just kind of look like ghouls.
Flemeth raided Disney... Well I guess anything would be an improvement over the Origins version. Still, I think they could have toned it down a bit.
It seems that Bioware is finally branching out from the usual morality meter, and is instead going for something more like a personality meter. Saint and Asshole are still options, of course, but you can also go comedian if you want. And then there are occasionally options that I don't understand the theme for. Any idea what the hell that diamond icon that occasionally pops up in dialogue is?
In the end, the demo did it's job. I got a feel for things I'm likely to like and dislike about it, and I will definitely be buying this game when it comes out.
The overall system seems similar, but stats seem to be more evenly relevant. Time will tell if that matters, since the problem with Origins was that it was almost always most efficient to dump all of your points into a single stat to the exclusion of everything else. I'm hoping that's fixed, because having RPG elements only makes sense when it encourages diversity.
I'm hoping that nothing in the real game looks as ridiculous as the weird double bladed dagger things the rogue uses in the opening "legend" scene. The overall design of things doesn't leave me with much hope of seeing actual realistic looking weapons.
Hurlocks look... different. I imagine this is in response to the complaints that the old version of darkspawn just looked like uglier orcs and goblins. Now they just kind of look like ghouls.
Flemeth raided Disney... Well I guess anything would be an improvement over the Origins version. Still, I think they could have toned it down a bit.
It seems that Bioware is finally branching out from the usual morality meter, and is instead going for something more like a personality meter. Saint and Asshole are still options, of course, but you can also go comedian if you want. And then there are occasionally options that I don't understand the theme for. Any idea what the hell that diamond icon that occasionally pops up in dialogue is?
In the end, the demo did it's job. I got a feel for things I'm likely to like and dislike about it, and I will definitely be buying this game when it comes out.
Everything about that Demo screams "Hey, lets take this awesome game we made for PC gamers and dumb it down for consoles to cash in."
-The interface is simpler and therefore less detailed.
-The dialog system is the dreaded summary, which means you don't really know what you're saying.
-The combat system makes it feel like a hack and slash. During a fight with an Ogre or whatever that big thing was, I was actually able to avoid being hit by moving away once he threw his rock. That's not RPG combat, that's arcade combat.
-I think it looks like crap too. Even with everything maxxed out on my PC it looked like a cheap Xbox game. I thought the original had a dark earthy realistic look to it. This looks terrible.
-It performed terrible. I have an extremely high end rig and this game lagged to hell while barely even using my system resources.
I know I'll have people screaming at me about how it's "Just a demo." but all of the above observations are easily gained by playing the first 40 minutes of the game.
I'll still play simply because of my love for the world and story, but I am deeply deeply disappointed by the direction they went. I thought Mass Effect 2 was bad compared to ME1, but that is nothing compared to what they did here
-The interface is simpler and therefore less detailed.
-The dialog system is the dreaded summary, which means you don't really know what you're saying.
-The combat system makes it feel like a hack and slash. During a fight with an Ogre or whatever that big thing was, I was actually able to avoid being hit by moving away once he threw his rock. That's not RPG combat, that's arcade combat.
-I think it looks like crap too. Even with everything maxxed out on my PC it looked like a cheap Xbox game. I thought the original had a dark earthy realistic look to it. This looks terrible.
-It performed terrible. I have an extremely high end rig and this game lagged to hell while barely even using my system resources.
I know I'll have people screaming at me about how it's "Just a demo." but all of the above observations are easily gained by playing the first 40 minutes of the game.
I'll still play simply because of my love for the world and story, but I am deeply deeply disappointed by the direction they went. I thought Mass Effect 2 was bad compared to ME1, but that is nothing compared to what they did here
hahaha highly agreed. i did get wide eyes going "HOLY SHIT"Korten12 said:This may be perveted but when they first show Hawke, and the girl with him: Holy Big Boobs Batman! I mean seriously, those things are huge. O_O
But besides that the game is fun, the graphics are way better.
OT: i played it again, this time on my pc, and honestly i loved it even more (actually the control scheme was a bit of a pain..i missed having the auto snap so i didn't have to keep clicking on the bad guy in his exact location)
you must be trying to hard then..my computer is not that high end and i pumped up everything to max, literally, while running a few other things, and my pc hummed while laughing at my pathetic attempt to make it actually stress out. the thing ran flawlessly for me, even better than the first game.Sabiancym said:
Gee i don't know. Maybe because everyone realizes games will never be perfect? Maybe everyone has grown to the point that everyone can appreciate the good bits and overlook minor flaws. Maybe it is cuz everyone knows that being a hater on a forum doesn't make you edgy or some crusader. Maybe everybody doesn't lead a sad existence and want to drag everyone down with them.Zaik said:
The tech problems are well documented on the dragon age forums. They've already got a team working on an emergency patch.gmaverick019 said:hahaha highly agreed. i did get wide eyes going "HOLY SHIT"Korten12 said:This may be perveted but when they first show Hawke, and the girl with him: Holy Big Boobs Batman! I mean seriously, those things are huge. O_O
But besides that the game is fun, the graphics are way better.
OT: i played it again, this time on my pc, and honestly i loved it even more (actually the control scheme was a bit of a pain..i missed having the auto snap so i didn't have to keep clicking on the bad guy in his exact location)
you must be trying to hard then..my computer is not that high end and i pumped up everything to max, literally, while running a few other things, and my pc hummed while laughing at my pathetic attempt to make it actually stress out. the thing ran flawlessly for me, even better than the first game.Sabiancym said:
I did notice I was mashing A a lot more when I played through as a warrior, however I noticed it less when I played as a mage. Overall I don't find it that annoying. Oh and for those that are curious the mage still blows through everything like kleenex.
Edit: I take it back. Now that I have tried all the classes. I'm content with the new combat system.
Edit: I take it back. Now that I have tried all the classes. I'm content with the new combat system.
I'll just copy what I wrote on the steam forums:
Remember how DA:O was supposed to be a return to the glory days of PC RPG's?
Well if this demo is anything like the game, I take this as Bioware saying "I DIDN'T MEAN IT LOL". The lack of overhead camera is a huge deal breaker for me. That's how I played DA:O, that's how I played Baulder's Gate, Diablo, Dungeon Siege, Sacred, etc, etc.
It feels so strange and wrong to me. I also notice a numerous assortment of UI glitches. Like in the level up screen if you don't click the bottom right of a characters portrait the screen just exits for some reason. That's sure what I wanted to do.
I also feel the graphics are somehow worse than DA:O. Things seem cleaner, no doubt, but the world feels lifeless somehow, the animations seem odd or something. I also notice the armor basically looks like it' just painted onto the characters. At some cases, it even acts like it too. What's the point of armor if
pretty disappointed, and I was one of the hugest DA:O fans you'll meet.
Also, here is an artist's rendition of Flemeth
Remember how DA:O was supposed to be a return to the glory days of PC RPG's?
Well if this demo is anything like the game, I take this as Bioware saying "I DIDN'T MEAN IT LOL". The lack of overhead camera is a huge deal breaker for me. That's how I played DA:O, that's how I played Baulder's Gate, Diablo, Dungeon Siege, Sacred, etc, etc.
It feels so strange and wrong to me. I also notice a numerous assortment of UI glitches. Like in the level up screen if you don't click the bottom right of a characters portrait the screen just exits for some reason. That's sure what I wanted to do.
I also feel the graphics are somehow worse than DA:O. Things seem cleaner, no doubt, but the world feels lifeless somehow, the animations seem odd or something. I also notice the armor basically looks like it' just painted onto the characters. At some cases, it even acts like it too. What's the point of armor if
you can just slip a dagger right through it somehow, a-la Wesley?
pretty disappointed, and I was one of the hugest DA:O fans you'll meet.
Also, here is an artist's rendition of Flemeth
I just finished playing through the demo. There's good and bad, ultimately I think it's about the same level as the previous game, just a different tone. The best way I can describe it - Dragon Age: Origins is to GRR Martin as Dragon Age II is to Robert E. Howard. It's replaced gritty low/high fantasy with sword and sorcery.
Bioware games do have problems. And we as paying customers can make a complaint about a product with issues. This can lead to improvement. If it does not improve, we stop buying and the company goes out of business. That's basic economics.squid5580 said:
Telling someone off for making a complaint about a product, who did so in a very reasonable way, does not make you edgy or some crusader. You look silly. And have probably been watching too much Movie Bob, without actually understanding what he was talking about.
Anyway.
Yeah, Dragon Age 2, very stylish. A little hard to follow combat when it gets crazy. Very fun.
Some of the voice acting is stiff, found Hawke's voice was very good.
I'm worried about being stuck on a plot rail road like in Mass Effect 2, as well as the inventory being simplified. Demo didnt show us anything on that though.
Overall, it was fun and dumb.
Oh and because it needs to be said. The boobs are ridiculous. "DD's for all!" seems to have been the motto in the Bioware offices...
I won't go into too much depth but...
Overall I can't say I was too disappointed, nor too impressed. Graphically this feels like a step down from Origins, things are less shiny and textures feel more bland than before. Usually this isn't a big problem in games, but here it is just too obviously different from Origins to not notice and ask yourself "why?"
Combat wasn't too bad, though it has a much quicker pace than Origins did. I played as a rogue and damn is Hawke quick and nimble with those knives.
Cinematic sequences are not too different, except for the fact that now there is the Mass Effect style dialogue wheel in place, which works fairly well though was a bit weird at first to get used to. I think it will grow on me.
I was kinda pissed at how they changed the hurlocks to look. Now instead of happy orc look alikes, they feel more like locust drones (Gears of War) and fighting them hardly seems fun anymore. Like they had what little life still present in their souls sucked out of them. I mean come on, you liked those constantly smiling hurlocks and genlocks from before right?
I'm hoping this shapes up to be a bit more polished by release date, so far I have to say it could go either way for many fans.
Overall I can't say I was too disappointed, nor too impressed. Graphically this feels like a step down from Origins, things are less shiny and textures feel more bland than before. Usually this isn't a big problem in games, but here it is just too obviously different from Origins to not notice and ask yourself "why?"
Combat wasn't too bad, though it has a much quicker pace than Origins did. I played as a rogue and damn is Hawke quick and nimble with those knives.
Cinematic sequences are not too different, except for the fact that now there is the Mass Effect style dialogue wheel in place, which works fairly well though was a bit weird at first to get used to. I think it will grow on me.
I was kinda pissed at how they changed the hurlocks to look. Now instead of happy orc look alikes, they feel more like locust drones (Gears of War) and fighting them hardly seems fun anymore. Like they had what little life still present in their souls sucked out of them. I mean come on, you liked those constantly smiling hurlocks and genlocks from before right?
I'm hoping this shapes up to be a bit more polished by release date, so far I have to say it could go either way for many fans.
My largest problem (graphically) is probably the absolutely dead background environments. Look at the skyline at the start of the demo. It's just... like nothing. It's basically a static picture we used in the 1990s because technology prohibited.Hader said:
Also, what's the deal with the diablo-esque class picker? They sure splurged on the background in that one; A SOLID BLACK FILL! You're blowing my mind Bioware, don't put them in a nicely rendered castle courtroom or anything, a quick old screen fill will be just as good.