Dragon Age 2

[Maria Caliban]

A short review of the demo

 

I was at Lucca Comics & Games fair (Italy) in the last few days and I was able to play DA2's demo a couple of times (once as a warrior and once as a mage). I've played DA:O on PC and the demo was on the XBox 360, so keep in mind that maybe my impression are influenced by my platform of choice.

 

Long way short: the game looks really good and I really enjoyed playing the demo.

 

Graphic: they are indeed more cartoonish and stylized than DA:O's realist and somewhat baroque approach. You could like the new graphics or not, but it sure feels more fresh, unique and recognizable than DAO's classic/lotresque style.

 

Writing and storytelling: excellent. If you liked DA:O, you are going to love DA2. I noted that there is a lot of difference between Hawke and Sheppard lines in terms of style: the writers must have payed a lot of attention on that aspect. Hawke feels like it's your charachter and it's not as fixed as Sheppard.

 

Voice Acting: there was a lot of confusion around DA2's platform, but as far as I can tell it was very good too. Btw, the icon system is a nice improvement over ME2's dialogue wheel.

 

Rule system: from what I was able to see and understand in the demo, the rule system has been streamlined and the ability/stat system was completely revisited in a simpler but more organic and deep way. The balance between classes is better than DA:O: as I've said before, I was lucky enough to play as a mage and a warrior on different occasions and both classes felt equally enjoyable and powerfull.

 

Gameplay: DA2 is an action RPG. No doubt about that. Mind, it's an RPG under every aspect: it's not Mass Effect with swords or Assassin Creed with stats. Only, it is clearly designed to be more actiony than DA:O. I mean, the game does not play itself on combat and asks costant imput from the player. The combat system is more responsive and engaging. It is quicker and more visceral. It is funnier to play. There is still room for tactics but they seem to be designed in a different way: honestly I could not tell if there was still some kind of aggro mechanic or if aggro was ruled out completely in favour of enemy behaviour. Honestly, I must say that I hope that there will be more need of party tactics in the rest of the game than the demo.

 

Last words: in my opionion, taken as itself DA2 is a better game than DA:O under every aspect (but consider that I do not love DA:O's rule/combat system and I prefer voice over for the protagonist in games where every charachter is voiced). But it's clearly a bold move from Bioware since it seems really different from DA:O. I mean, not to a point where you could say that DA2 is not DA:O's sequel. But still, there are a lot of differences. For sure, DA2 has not a lot to do with going "back to the roots" and it's not another "spiritual successor" to BG if not for being what seems a very good fantasy RPG designed by Bioware.

Edited November 1, 2010 by Maria Caliban

[sorophx]

yeah, a really "bold" move

[entrerix]

i know its not fair to judge the validity of a person's opinion by the quality of their writing, but I just can't help think that whoever wrote that lil piece is not to be trusted.

[HoonDing]

Maybe it's because I'm not a native English speaker myself, but I saw nothing wrong with that piece.

[Gorth]

Graphic: they are indeed more cartoonish and stylized than DA:O's realist and somewhat baroque approach.

Dark, not too dark?...

Writing and storytelling: excellent. If you liked DA:O, you are going to love DA2.

That's a two edged sword. Unlike ME2 where the characters and the writing was interesting IMO (and the combat sucked), it was the combat and game mechanics, not the writing that made DA good, at least for a while

Rule system: from what I was able to see and understand in the demo, the rule system has been streamlined and the ability/stat system was completely revisited in a simpler but more organic and deep way. The balance between classes is better than DA:O: as I've said before, I was lucky enough to play as a mage and a warrior on different occasions and both classes felt equally enjoyable and powerfull.

Going the path of Might and Magic? Anyway, if you pull the combat system out of DA, there is precious little left

Gameplay: DA2 is an action RPG. No doubt about that

I struggle getting beyond the starting levels of DMC4. Just too boring >_

[Thorton_AP]

i know its not fair to judge the validity of a person's opinion by the quality of their writing, but I just can't help think that whoever wrote that lil piece is not to be trusted.

 

 

Reading the article he was from Italy.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I may be wrong, but it seems to me that entrerix was pointing out that the piece sounds overly enthusiastic.

And I agree, it almost reads like a PR piece. Did he/she really get that much from his/her first impressions? Then the game is truly excellent!

[Guest Slinky]

I could not tell if there was still some kind of aggro mechanic or if aggro was ruled out completely in favour of enemy behaviour.

Heh, this reminded me that the items that add or lessens aggro has never worked in DA. Neither has items that add received healing. Neither has items that weaken nearby darkspawn. Neither has who knows what else.

 

Maybe simplifying things is a good thing after all? Less stuff to not work I guess

[Nepenthe]

I could not tell if there was still some kind of aggro mechanic or if aggro was ruled out completely in favour of enemy behaviour.

Heh, this reminded me that the items that add or lessens aggro has never worked in DA. Neither has items that add received healing. Neither has items that weaken nearby darkspawn. Neither has who knows what else.

 

Maybe simplifying things is a good thing after all? Less stuff to not work I guess

 

Never mind the multitude of non-working equipment drops.

[meomao]

I may be wrong, but it seems to me that entrerix was pointing out that the piece sounds overly enthusiastic.

And I agree, it almost reads like a PR piece. Did he/she really get that much from his/her first impressions? Then the game is truly excellent!

 

Since the person who has written the original post is me, I can assure you that it's not a PR piece and just suggesting it, it's a little bit insulting.

 

I'm not enthusiastic: too old for that. I've only said that the game look good and promising and that I like the general direction of design more than DA:O. For me DA2 seems to be better than DA:O under most aspect and I do not say it because of fanboysm (again, too old for that) but only because I do not like DA:O a lot in terms of gameplay (DA:O is a good game but not my favourite Bioware's title).

 

Having followed the development of DA:O and DA2 since the beginning, I allready know a lot of things and I was able to use the demo to test all the things I've read along the way. Moreover, I played the demo twice. They're just my opinions and you could have different ones: I'm not a journalist and I only express a very personal view.

 

Btw, I'm sorry for my english but english is not my native language. For the poster who has questioned the validity of my opinion because of my prose/gramatic, try to write in italian and we will se what you'll pull out...

Edited November 2, 2010 by meomao

[meomao]

yeah, a really "bold" move

 

It is bold because in my opinion it would have been simpler and more economic to do just more of the same. Yet another blight, some minor change here and there and the game would have been ready to ship.

 

It is bold because that game risks to loose the old BG crowd without gaining new players. I'm aware of that even if I like DA2 direction.

[sorophx]

It is bold because that game risks to loose the old BG crowd.

it already did

 

anyway, a bold move would be to make it more like BG2. and they're going in a completely opposite direction with DA2. they're playing it safe IMO. but it's a matter of one's perspective, no point in arguing about it

[meomao]

anyway, a bold move would be to make it more like BG2. and they're going in a completely opposite direction with DA2. they're playing it safe IMO. but it's a matter of one's perspective, no point in arguing about it

 

I don't know: as far as I know, DA:O is the best selling title in Bioware's history. Changing formula so much and causing so much trouble in the community it's a bold move in my book. I don't know the reason (greed, design or something in between) but still it's not playing safe. Making another BG2 would be bold? I don't know, I should understand what you consider to be "another BG2". DA:O was very close to be another BG2 under most aspects.

[Maria Caliban]

Since the person who has written the original post is me, I can assure you that it's not a PR piece and just suggesting it, it's a little bit insulting.

 

I agree it's insulting to suggest someone's a shill because they're enthusiastic about the game. I apologize for that, and would like to say I appreciate you posting your impressions of playing the game. It's useful for those of us who can't go to the various cons ourselves.

[Nepenthe]

Since the person who has written the original post is me, I can assure you that it's not a PR piece and just suggesting it, it's a little bit insulting.

 

I agree it's insulting to suggest someone's a shill because they're enthusiastic about the game. I apologize for that, and would like to say I appreciate you posting your impressions of playing the game. It's useful for those of us who can't go to the various cons ourselves.

 

Unfortunately, it's not the first time it has happened in this forum, I believe both of us have had that charge leveled at us, certainly in a semi-serious context. *shrug* I'm going to be playing the demo this weekend, I know I won't be writing my views of it here.

[Tale]

I wish I was a shill. :'(

[Volourn]

"I may be wrong, but it seems to me that entrerix was pointing out that the piece sounds overly enthusiastic."

 

As opposed to be overly negative which many here would gobble up (and have) and use it as 'evidence' that the game is gonna suck? People tend to only use prevuiews, reviews, and articles that 'prove' their opinions 'correct'.

 

 

"it already did "

 

No, no it didn't. No doubt that the BG2 crowd will be scooping up this game pronto. The biggest whiners are often the biggest suckers who will buy any game remotely tied to BIO.

Edited November 2, 2010 by Volourn

[meomao]

Since the person who has written the original post is me, I can assure you that it's not a PR piece and just suggesting it, it's a little bit insulting.

 

I agree it's insulting to suggest someone's a shill because they're enthusiastic about the game. I apologize for that, and would like to say I appreciate you posting your impressions of playing the game. It's useful for those of us who can't go to the various cons ourselves.

 

Don't worry: no problem. I understand why my review could be seen as enthusiastic (especially here...) but it's really a matter of perspective. I liked the demo because it seems to me that the devs have tried to address some of the most popular critics about DA:O wich I indeed considered founded criticism. If you considered DA:O to be a game that doesn't need any change, you won't like it.

Edited November 2, 2010 by meomao

[sorophx]

Making another BG2 would be bold? I don't know, I should understand what you consider to be "another BG2". DA:O was very close to be another BG2 under most aspects.

not in my book it wasn't.

[pmp10]

Making another BG2 would be bold? I don't know, I should understand what you consider to be "another BG2". DA:O was very close to be another BG2 under most aspects.

not in my book it wasn't.

That AND

"it already did "

 

No, no it didn't. No doubt that the BG2 crowd will be scooping up this game pronto. The biggest whiners are often the biggest suckers who will buy any game remotely tied to BIO.

you may be shocked to learn that there are people who really liked BG2 but have no interest in DA2.

At least not as an RPG game.

Whatever good will Bioware had among older gamers may be slowly coming to an end.

[Slowtrain]

Whatever good will Bioware had among older gamers may be slowly coming to an end.

 

There's plenty of younger gamers and casual gamers to make up for the loss though. Financially, you can't condemn Bioware for courting the kiddies and the soccer moms. That's where the money is.

[Volourn]

"Whatever good will Bioware had among older gamers may be slowly coming to an end."

 

These so called 'old timers' which i'm actually one of have been largely saying they are done with BIO for about 7 years now... yet they are still obsessed with BIO and their games. L0LZ

[pmp10]

Whatever good will Bioware had among older gamers may be slowly coming to an end.

 

There's plenty of younger gamers and casual gamers to make up for the loss though. Financially, you can't condemn Bioware for courting the kiddies and the soccer moms. That's where the money is.

While that may be the case as Nintendo found out with Wii - it still is beneficial to maintain a group of dedicated fans, if only for their predictability.

Whether Bioware build a new following that will complain in a decade how ME2 was their high point is impossible to tell.

Edited November 2, 2010 by pmp10

[sorophx]

they are still obsessed with BIO and their games.

where is this coming from? you keep talking about this global Bio obsession, I have yet to see a single adult person who plays Bioware games. maybe the people around me are just very strange, I don't know. but these "old timers who secretly love Bio games" are more of a myth

[Volourn]

Do you read this forum at all? This very thread is littered with them? Gusy who apparantly gave up on BIo 7 years ago yet still play/buy/steal their games. reminds me of the Codex as well. the BIO baords are also full of 'your new games suck BIO, you sbetrayed us all, your new gamesd suck BIO, theya ren't BG2, your newm game suck BIO, you betrayed your 'real' fans, i'll never play yanother game of yours again... hey, BIO your new games suck and i know this because I just spent $80 on your most recent release... your new games suck BIO." blah, blah, repetive.