Review Dragon Age 2 Review

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

Their video review claims DAO looked like something from 2002 while DA2 is one of the best looking games this console generation. Lord all-mighty.

 

[Country_Gravy]

Bioware's check cleared.

 

[Vibalist]

The dialogue options inspired by BioWare's work on Mass Effect allow you to roleplay the voiced character of Hawke however you want. Thanks to handy symbols in the radial menu, you can be a snippy prig, a righteous hero, or a wiseass depending on your mood and the situation presented to you.

So this is what qualifies as roleplaying these days. Not only have Bioware removed the good/evil choices (that at least gave some semblance of roleplaying in their older titles) and replaced them with three different shades of good where you only choose between the tone of your answers. There is also no semblance whatsoever of what made the RPG's of old good, which would be the ability to make your own character rather than controlling a premade one. Great.
Remember back in the good old days when roleplaying meant creating your own unique character build who could focus on whatever the fuck he wanted, like speech skills, diplomatic solutions and thievery instead of combat? Escapist Magazine clearly don't. Today, good roleplaying is guiding a premade character through a billion cinematics while choosing between being either a "wiseass" or a righteous hero in a bunch of dialogues that most likely, despite the hype, lead to roughly the same outcome.
Fuck, I need a new MoTB soon. It's the only worthwhile game I've played in a long time.

 

[Brother None]

Huh. From the Escapist review:
The party-based combat is frenetic, with no auto-attack making you feel in the thick of it with constant button-pressing. (If the no auto-attack annoys you, it's possible to turn this feature back on in the options.
That's a pretty ugly error to leave in on an Xbox 360 review when it's just been confirmed there is no auto-attack feature in the console release.

Games Master UK
Mar 7, 2011
90
BioWare have comprehensively hit back at detractors of the original game and Dragon Age II delivers a distinctive fantasy RPG with far broader appeal and personality than before. Mega-nerds may feel slighted that they can't dig into the mechanics quite so easily but few would argue that this slicker, more streamlined approach isn't a vast improvement. [Apr 2011, p.73]

That's just wonderful. They (not Games Master but "they" in general) used exactly the sames lines vis-a-vis Fallout 3.

Just shut up, mega-nerds, your incessant refusal to blindly lap up whatever the industry barfs out is making the journos nervous.

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

I have to say I love DA2, not even Oblivion provided this much entertainment.

 

[Linden]

VoD, you didn't quote the best part of the escapist review:

The advancements in RPG mechanics would be enough to set it apart, but the real achievement of Dragon Age II is in the story-telling. I could point out the improved combat and graphics till there's blood covering my face, but BioWare is one of the few companies that uses the advanced computing power available to modern game designers to let you actually play a role.

ADVANCED COMPUTING POWER!

I will be very disappointed f that doesn't become a new catchphrase on the Codex.

 

[Shannow]

I have to say I love DA2, not even Oblivion provided this much entertainment.

Pft, newfag.
Oblivion provided fanboys coming in to defend it. Wonderful hangings and pyres ensued. Oblivion was cited for years to be the non-plus-ultra that the RPG-genre should adhere to. The Paragon RPG.
There'll be nothing of that kind with Daatoo. It will get a few paid for reviews that'll change their minds as soon as Dathree come knocking. And as long as it's not the failure to break Bio's neck (and I don't think it will be) the codex will only remember it as one of Bio's steps down the shitter.

A flurry of threads that'll last for 2-3 months about a crappy generic Bio game will never compare to the years of hatred and entertainment Oblivion provided.

 

[Satori (original)]

Must say I'm liking better than the first. Origins bored me to tears with it's bottom of the barrel dialogues, insipid combat and nonexistant atnmosphere. Haven't entered the Deep Roads yet but it trumps it's predesseor in all of the aforementioned areas, just like ME2 did.

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

Bottom line is, if you're gonna go and tear DA2 a new one for its faults, don't make it sound like DAO was something to aspire to, FFS.

Here's the proof why I would call it dumbed down from DA:O (which itself was dumbed down version of BG)

Hmm, it would seem that DA2 sucked and lacked even in comparison to a shitty game is the actual bottom line. You're a retard.

Considering the comparison was against DAO and not BG, I'm not sure you could embarass yourself any further. I'd come up with a counter-insult, but nature's apparently done plenty of that to you, already.

the whole point of having crafting skills is having to choose between those and combat/dialogue-oriented ones, at least early game. now while I am not saying DAO gave you difficult choices regarding those at least not every character can have/do everything.

And what would a crafter have to offer in DAO, except some more of what you already have a metric fuckton? Not LARPing, I hope?

also, crafting skills were actually used in a couple (not sure about actual number) of quests if i remember correctly.

Indeed. Both of which had you fetch two ingredients from 50m away, press a button and turn in. I was wishing that fun would never end.

but wth, im sure you prefer ea/bio's way of doing it - if it ain't good, remove it.

Of course, you are. Just don't do stock broking and you'll be fine.
On a completely unrelated note, would you have preferred they kept doing what they suck at (e.g. cRPGs)? The further they move into the derp territory, the more there is room for someone better to fill the quality void. At least, that is my hope.

 

[Victor Dosev]

Look what I found on Gay-o-Ware forums:

Top Gun volleyball wrote:

I don't have high standards for my games.
I will support this rush job from BioWare and buy all DLC so EA can milk me for the cash cow I am!

No, friends this isn't irony. Lovely.

 

[Brother None]

Opening day reviews are relatively low.
A quick comparison on Metacritic
DA:O 91 PC, 87 PS3, 86 Xbox360
DAII 86 PC, 87 PS3, 86 Xbox360

 

[Hamster]

Opening day reviews are relatively low.
A quick comparison on Metacritic
DA:O 91 PC, 87 PS3, 86 Xbox360
DAII 86 PC, 87 PS3, 86 Xbox360

Apparently a 6/10 review already came out and a 5/10 one is coming out soon.

 

[Xor]

How could EA let this happen? Did they waste the journalist bribery budget on hookers and blow?

 

[Noddy]

Apparently they did. Down to 84 now.

 

[easychord]

84? Shit, that's like 2/10 on the 8-10 scale of allowable review scores.

 

[Reptilian Shapeshifter]

8.0 seems to be Gamespot's minimum passing score for a big name title.

And that's what they gave DA2.

In other words: "U R shit, but you seriously can't expect us to say that out loud."

 

[flushfire]

The further they move into the derp territory, the more there is room for someone better to fill the quality void. At least, that is my hope.

Then you have more reason to insist bioware could have tried fixing what was wrong with DA:O instead of thinking further dumbing it down helps the genre whatsoever. Whether you like it or not what bioware puts out influences what the mainstream audience believe RPGs should be, just like bethesda did with oblivion. So no, bioware moving into derp territory will not cause incline, only decline.

 

[Black]

How could EA let this happen? Did they waste the journalist bribery budget on hookers and blow?

They paid them alright. It would've been 30s and 40s all around, otherwise.

 

[a budda]

84? Shit, that's like 2/10 on the 8-10 scale of allowable review scores.

 

[Brother None]

All this talk of payola always make me wistful. If only we lived in a world where game journalists actually had to be paid to be sycophants, rather than it just being in their nature.

 

[Animeadam]

My favourtie part is that he doesn't fucking explain why he thinks that. He's just saying what he THINKS the game did. I also thought a review was subjective opinons based on universally agreed apon facts. Guess that's why I'm not a gaming journalist

 

[Brother None]

Ahaahahah...

Hawke...Hawke kept the streak of blood during sex...

Ahahaha...

That's as good as the blood spatters.

 

[taxalot]

A major french gaming site gave it 12/20 , blaming the dumbing down and the lack of effort.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I keep faith in my country.

 

[BelisariuS.F]

Comment from the escapist. The dude is talking about that lead designer who left Bioware.

so... a fanboy elitist quit his job when he realized his game was getting muddled up with "style"? wow, that's a REALLY stupid reason to quit a paying, stable job which would allow him to create more games and realize his artistic vision in the future.

besides that, you practically DO have to have OCD to do all that micro-management. and besides, the easier a game is, the more immersive the experience can be because there will be less "You died" screens breaking up the flow of the narrative and gameplay for more people.

Someone have posted this gem:

 

[Gondolin]

besides that, you practically DO have to have OCD to do all that micro-management. and besides, the easier a game is, the more immersive the experience can be because there will be less "You died" screens breaking up the flow of the narrative and gameplay for more people.

See, if you have to stop and think for a bit, it kinda breaks the flow of the narrative. Your average Bioware fanlord drooling at the screen is the pinnacle of immersion.