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Game News Dragon Age II Gamestar Review Tidbits

VentilatorOfDoom

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Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age 2

<p>A more comprehensive summary of the german magazine reviews of <strong>Dragon Age II</strong> <a href="http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6238661" target="_blank">appears at the Bioboards</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>- Sub-header: Dragon Age 2 is a first class RPG, but not quite as good as its superb predecessor. This has multiple reasons. <br /><br /> -EA did not let them use their own screenshots for the article without explicit approval, even though they were given the final version. The reviewer calls this "inexplicable". Hence, the article uses a few stock screenshots and generally shows nothing even remotely new. <br /><br /> - If you choose not to import and use one of the 3 predefined "lore backgrounds" instead, the backstory is explained in a short cutscene of the final moments (Landsmeet+Archdemon fight) of DA:O. <br /><br /> - cameos: Alistair is available for an "inconsequential" 1-2 minute long chat if you imported the right DA:O ending <br /><br /> - the prologue is described the same way as the demo <br /><br /> -quest samples: break into a house at night to retrieve the will of Hawke's father, save a woman from her abusive husband, hunt an Abomination, and decide whether to turn in a dude using blood magic to impress his girlfriend <br /><br /> - Hawke has up to 9 companions, who generally feel alive and responsive. However, they have consistently less depth and weaker characterization than the cast in Origins. The only exception is Varric, whose frequent banter with Cassandra provides much of the game's tension and humour. He's described as "a d*mn cool sock" (don't ask) <br /><br /> - Main Quest takes 12-15 hours, you can double that number "if you take your time and explore everything the game has to offer". <br /><br /> -The game does not feel long or epic, and the central conflict (mages vs. chantry) is not as dramatic as the reviewer would have liked. But although it doesn't have anything comparable to the Battle of Ostagar or the final attack on Denerim, it still has some very tactical boss fights. <br /><br /> - ugly ("texture mud") and low-polygon graphics, especially in the areas outside of Kirkwall. Generally feeling of emptiness/lack of NPCs. Constant encounters with "clonecellars" and "clonecaves", which can be a huge source of frustration. However, beautiful spell effects and good character models that can graphically compete with ME2. <br /><br /> - combat is generally tactical, though frequently unbalanced. The lack of an iso-style camera was a huge problem for the reviewer. <br /><br /> - The number of talents is huge. The game offers class specific weapons and some crafting options. However, overall you generally have a small selection. (they don't expand on this) <br /><br /> - The ending is described as open ended and unresolved . <br /><br /> - final rating is 87%. "Although the fans' fears have partially come true, this is still a magnificent RPG"</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why is it a magnificent RPG? Because they've removed nerd crap like stat-based to-hit chance in favor of immediately exploding Darkspawn? Or because of the beautiful spell effects? Clone-caves? 2-metres wide corridor maps? 12 hours mainquest? Yes, one thing sounds better than the other.</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/101745-dragon-age-ii-german-review-tidbits.html">GB</a></p>
 
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-quest samples: break into a house at night to retrieve the will of
Hawke's father, save a woman from her abusive husband, hunt an
Abomination, and decide whether to turn in a dude using blood magic to
impress his girlfriend

...am I understanding this correctly? The reviewer is suggesting that the DAII side quests are inferior to the WoW jobs board of DAO? It must be pretty fucking difficult for sidequests to be worse than in origins...
 
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Biotard said:
I don't trust Germans.

Damn straight. If you turn your back on them just for a second they conspire against you and steal your country from beneath your feet :pollack:
 
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Also, regarding the length of the game: There's no need to despair! After all,

Biotard said:
In six months the game will probably have tonn of dlc to lenghten this number.
 
Unwanted

Scream Phoenix

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da2ot-04.gif
 

Xor

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Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Divinity: Original Sin 2
If you cut through the usual marketing bullshit the review sounds pretty harsh.

- If you choose not to import and use one of the 3 predefined "lore backgrounds" instead, the backstory is explained in a short cutscene of the final moments (Landsmeet+Archdemon fight) of DA:O.

What, it has a savegame import feature? I guess they decided that since it was a popular feature of ME they have to do that with every game now. I really hope this doesn't become a trend because I can't see most companies doing more than superficial crap with it.

-quest samples: break into a house at night to retrieve the will of Hawke's father, save a woman from her abusive husband, hunt an Abomination, and decide whether to turn in a dude using blood magic to impress his girlfriend

It's kind of pointless to list some sample quests. Their quality will depend entirely on how the quest is implemented and the writing. Knowing neo-Bioware, they'll suck.

- Hawke has up to 9 companions, who generally feel alive and responsive. However, they have consistently less depth and weaker characterization than the cast in Origins. The only exception is Varric, whose frequent banter with Cassandra provides much of the game's tension and humour. He's described as "a d*mn cool sock" (don't ask)

Oh, if the companions are worse than Origins, that's cause for concern.

- Main Quest takes 12-15 hours, you can double that number "if you take your time and explore everything the game has to offer".

And it takes four times as long if you leave the game alone for an hour after finishing a quest!

Also, Origins took me around 50 hours according to the ingame statistics. This doesn't even sound worth not removing from inventory.

- ugly ("texture mud") and low-polygon graphics, especially in the areas outside of Kirkwall. Generally feeling of emptiness/lack of NPCs. Constant encounters with "clonecellars" and "clonecaves", which can be a huge source of frustration. However, beautiful spell effects and good character models that can graphically compete with ME2.

I already bitched about low-polygon models and brown textures in another thread, but another theory has occurred to me since then. Maybe they used such ugly textures and models because they had to get DA2 out in a year. Making these low polygon count models is certainly easier than making complex ones, so maybe it was a time-saving measure.

- combat is generally tactical, though frequently unbalanced. The lack of an iso-style camera was a huge problem for the reviewer.

- The number of talents is huge. The game offers class specific weapons and some crafting options. However, overall you generally have a small selection. (they don't expand on this)

It seems like several of these points are contradictory.

- The ending is described as open ended and unresolved .

I hate shit like this. They're setting up for DA3 already.
 

Xor

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Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Fair here meaning it's impossible to lose unless you walk away from the computer/console.
 

ortucis

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Elhoim said:
Stainless Veteran said:

:lol:
:lol:


Also, the review sounds like they wanted to give it 60% but at the end moment realised that they won't get any special review copies from EA if they didn't give it a truly next-gen rating. Kinda obvious from the interviews that they designed the whole game around selling DLC's just like they did ME2 (and ME3 will be a step up for DLC's I am sure).
 

Shannow

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Xor said:
- Hawke has up to 9 companions, who generally feel alive and responsive. However, they have consistently less depth and weaker characterization than the cast in Origins. The only exception is Varric, whose frequent banter with Cassandra provides much of the game's tension and humour. He's described as "a d*mn cool sock" (don't ask)

Oh, if the companions are worse than Origins, that's cause for concern.
Actually "less depth and weaker characterization" could mean "less emo bullshitz" and would rather be a cause for hope (one of the very few positive things I've heard about Daatoo so far).
- Main Quest takes 12-15 hours, you can double that number "if you take your time and explore everything the game has to offer".

Also, Origins took me around 50 hours according to the ingame statistics. This doesn't even sound worth not removing from inventory.
Actually a short an trashy game is better than a long and trashy game.

I already bitched about low-polygon models and brown textures in another thread, but another theory has occurred to me since then. Maybe they used such ugly textures and models because they had to get DA2 out in a year. Making these low polygon count models is certainly easier than making complex ones, so maybe it was a time-saving measure.
It took you this long to think of that?

- The ending is described as open ended and unresolved .

I hate shit like this. They're setting up for DA3 already.
And/or DLC :M
 

J_C

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Although the review scores are too high so far, but it is good to see, that every review hints that the game is worse than DAO. Quite a bitch slap to Bioware.

I wonder if they will realize that they fucked up with this new style. Or maybe they are so dumb, that they will think, that the game is still not actiony enough, so DA3 will be a Devil May Cry clone.
 

T-T

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I'll probably end up buying DA2 to find out what they've done with the "wonderful new plot structure, spanning years of time" in practice. But the demo left me very weary. Could it be that Bioware has reached Bethesda F3 retardation levels? Oh well...

Guess that leaves me with only Risen 2 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution to anticipate in any way in the future. Would add TW2 to that list, but TW1 bored me and I stopped playing mid-game. Mostly because it was trying too hard to mimic and repeat themes from the books, to the point where playing it felt like reheating a week old dish. Yumyum, same shit all over again, just without Sapkowski's writing to make it worthwhile this time.
 

J_C

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T-T said:
I'll probably end up buying DA2 to find out what they've done with the "wonderful new plot structure, spanning years of time" in practice.
It will be an expensive experiment.
 

T-T

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Welp, if the plot and writing is better than the utter shit in F3 or the godforsaken gothic rape that is Arcania, I can play it.

I the worst case, I'll just never look at a Bio game again. If it's going to be as shitty as some people suspect, I wonder if it'll flop commercially. Probably not, oh the irony. If only Alpha Protocol was published under the Bio label. It deserves more praise than some of the other herp derp RPG crap of today. Now Bioware is headed towards releasing an Alpha Protocol of their own in the form of DA2, just without the redeeming parts.

But it'll still sell well. :roll:
 

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