Alexandros said:
In my opinion, many people had such a negative reaction towards DA2 because of the following two reasons:
1) They expected Dragon Age Origins 2. That is a fair complaint, but (whether we like it or not) it was never going to be the case. DAO was a throwback to a different (better) era in gaming because of it's prolonged development, just as Duke Nukem Forever is going to be. There was no chance at all of DA2 (or Duke Nukem Forever 2 for that matter) following the same pattern. It's fucking sad, but it's also fact. Expecting old-school games from big companies is a fool's hope.
2) DA2 was worse in production values than people have come to expect from Bioware.
Hmmm, only partly. I would suggest the
hate was mostly due to 1), whereas a whole load of serious issues with the game (including your point 2) ) contributed to an overall 'meh' reaction, with a comparatively small number saying it did not feel any negative reaction at all (/liked). If I look at DA2, and try to assess it as say, a Blizzard game, without even the words "Dragon" or "Age" in the title (let alone II), or without reference to any RPG giants of yore, what do I see...
Well, without expectations, I find a combat system that is neither Diablo 2 -addictive clicky action, nor Heroes of M&M take-your time-and-strategize. Waves of enemies immersion-breakingly spawning in thin air, and whose build and positioning offer few unique challenges from the fight before. A story that takes place in one setting, and that one setting is rather bland/repetitive in art and lifeless in NPC activity. A story that had a good concept, yet failed to deliver. Not compelling enough to keep me focused, not told well enough for a sense of immersion, and lacking the depth of detail to get anyone really to care. Gaping plot holes, and ends on a 'cliffhanger'. Companions that were in the wrong emotional age range for most players over 25. Art that was too itchy & scratchy / anime. A tone that was a little too cheap and juvenile for most people over 25 (exploding Chantries and Zombie Mothers?). Far too many quests that were basically empty, generic fed-ex, in recycled areas. Sometimes I'd walk up to an NPC to be thanked for finding an item he never knew was missing, and I never knew I'd found. Almost zero diverging story arcs, 99% of all playthroughs will differ only in the tone of your Hawke's response. Boss battles that had some good ideas, but at 30 mins with pauses, 2 hours with reloads, were just a chore.
So without any 'Origins 2' expectations, I have little in this game to like. It had no charm, no unique endearing features, no soul. But not much to
hate either and it certainly wasn't broken or unplayable.
. These posts were made over a month after we knew that this period is over :D .
