BioWare's continually refined storytelling abilities
BioWare's continually refined storytelling abilities
Preview - posted by DarkUnderlord on Mon 5 October 2009, 05:12:07
Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age: OriginsTake it away GameInformer:
The most impressive aspect of Dragon Age thus far is BioWare’s continually refined storytelling abilities. Usually, the more narrative freedom a game offers players, the more diluted that story becomes, with generic cutscenes and a series of isolated plot points. Dragon Age seems like a prime candidate for such a problem, with its six different introductions to the game via the Origin stories and the continued effects that your race and class choices have on your interactions with NPCs – not to mention the innumerable decisions you make throughout the game. But in our time with Dragon Age, something strange happened; BioWare somehow kept the plot potent, the characters unique, and cutscenes cinematic – all to a level usually reserved for highly linear games. We’ve yet to see everything Dragon Age has to offer, but ultimately the game’s biggest success might be the balance between telling you a story and letting you meaningfully affect that story with the choices you make.
[...]
Trust us, it all comes in handy; some of the enemies you face are as cunning as they are dastardly, employing traps, ambushes, and powerful spells. The game successfully endows a real sense of survival. The first few missions we played outside of the main camp not only left our party (and gaming ego) mortally wounded, but imparted a sense of urgency to get back to safety so they could rest and recover – and to give us a break from the tense and tactically heavy battles. While the combat can feel overwhelming at times, health and stamina quickly regenerate after battles, and a forgiving autosave staves off any feeling of frustration. So far Dragon Age has just been *** fun."The adventure starts November 3rd." Meanwhile, if you want the history of BioWare, head to GameCloud [via google translator]:
Within one years was the first BioWare game on the market, the PC-mech action game Shattered Steel. The development of this game BioWare hired its first employees, who are also still working with the company. Eventually the game was 200,000 on the counter, which was not a success but enough to continue. Augustine Yip in 1997 left the company to still return to the medical world. This Greg and Ray were still only at the helm of the growing company.From little things big things grow. Finally on the BioWare / Dragon Age front, an interview with voice-over girl Kate Mulgrew:
How did you become involved with Dragon Age: Origins?
Mulgrew: I was just offered the part and I thought she was so splendid. Flemeth is a really interesting character and a very unusual kind of character for me. And I love to use my voice in that way, that sort of harmonic way. I also thought the people at BioWare were particularly professional. I love their approach.Spotted @ GameBanshee
The most impressive aspect of Dragon Age thus far is BioWare’s continually refined storytelling abilities. Usually, the more narrative freedom a game offers players, the more diluted that story becomes, with generic cutscenes and a series of isolated plot points. Dragon Age seems like a prime candidate for such a problem, with its six different introductions to the game via the Origin stories and the continued effects that your race and class choices have on your interactions with NPCs – not to mention the innumerable decisions you make throughout the game. But in our time with Dragon Age, something strange happened; BioWare somehow kept the plot potent, the characters unique, and cutscenes cinematic – all to a level usually reserved for highly linear games. We’ve yet to see everything Dragon Age has to offer, but ultimately the game’s biggest success might be the balance between telling you a story and letting you meaningfully affect that story with the choices you make.
[...]
Trust us, it all comes in handy; some of the enemies you face are as cunning as they are dastardly, employing traps, ambushes, and powerful spells. The game successfully endows a real sense of survival. The first few missions we played outside of the main camp not only left our party (and gaming ego) mortally wounded, but imparted a sense of urgency to get back to safety so they could rest and recover – and to give us a break from the tense and tactically heavy battles. While the combat can feel overwhelming at times, health and stamina quickly regenerate after battles, and a forgiving autosave staves off any feeling of frustration. So far Dragon Age has just been *** fun.
Within one years was the first BioWare game on the market, the PC-mech action game Shattered Steel. The development of this game BioWare hired its first employees, who are also still working with the company. Eventually the game was 200,000 on the counter, which was not a success but enough to continue. Augustine Yip in 1997 left the company to still return to the medical world. This Greg and Ray were still only at the helm of the growing company.
How did you become involved with Dragon Age: Origins?
Mulgrew: I was just offered the part and I thought she was so splendid. Flemeth is a really interesting character and a very unusual kind of character for me. And I love to use my voice in that way, that sort of harmonic way. I also thought the people at BioWare were particularly professional. I love their approach.
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