Editorial Dragon Age - Gamasutra's Top of 2009

[Burning Bridges]

Call of Pripyat is quite good though. And there were a few others that I have yet to play (Arma2, Rise of Flight, King Arthur, Solium Infernum, ..)

 

[Azrael the cat]

DA is art.

Yes. But so was an upside-down toilet seat.

 

[Tycn]

Very professional Gamasutra.

I'm not a huge fan of too much slobber-toning but at least "game of the year" awards are the spot for this.

I'm not sure what there'd be to protest otherwise. Dragon Age is a clear RPG of the Year, and as far as I can see clear PC Game of the Year too. Does anybody see any competitors?

Still having not played Trine, I'd say Zeno Clash is the only competitor, and it's too short.

Nice of them to give a nod to AAaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!!

Zeno Clash as contender for GOTY? Sure it has a unique art direction and great first person hand to hand, but I found everything else to be totally forgettable. The 'trippy' storyline reminded me of Torment without what made it good.

Though I agree that DA is probably the best mainstream game this year. Risen was awesome but I uninstalled an hour into Chapter 3. DA was at least tolerable after the better parts were over.

 

[Volourn]

"Risen was awesome but I uninstalled an hour into Chapter 3."

EPIC FAIL. Can't be THAT awesome if you threw it in the trash.

 

[Tycn]

Still awesome for the first 20 hours.

 

[Elzair]

I noticed this year was a lot better to RPGs (and PC games in general) than the last year (or maybe several years).

 

[Burning Bridges]

Can you explain that a bit further?

I would say this was the first year that multiplatform releases and retarded console interfaces have become the norm.

 

[relootz]

Like Fallout 3, last year's winner

Well atleast things are looking up. DA is in a whole other class then Fallout 3.

 

[circ]

Right. Cat shit or dog shit. C&C.

 

[Gragt]

DA is art.

Yes. But so was an upside-down toilet seat.

Yup, same thing: repeat it a few times and people will believe it at some point.

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

Can you explain that a bit further?

I would say this was the first year that multiplatform releases and retarded console interfaces have become the norm.

"But the platform (PC) is increasingly emerging as fertile ground for an astonishingly wide breadth of games that don't fit that particular mold."

"This year, the strongest case yet has been made for the PC as the affordable gaming platform, despite its costly image. Cutthroat competition between digital distribution operators (with more on the way) has resulted in nonstop rotating deep discounts, without the permanent devaluation that comes with retail's bargain bins. At any given moment, the PC gamer has access to amazing deals on a wide array of games, from the most mainstream to the most obscure.
"

"Finally, it's worth pointing out the originality on display this year; of the 15 games highlighted here, more than half hail from newly-created properties. And take heart, PC fans: nearly all had PC as the lead development platform, with the majority exclusive."




" multiplatform releases and retarded console interfaces" - That is your problem. Stop playing those.

 

[Rhalle]

Having followed it from its inception years ago, I just now started playing DA.

Origin story was pretty good. Lothering was entertaining. The game is hard-- please don't tell me I suck or that you soloed it on Nightmare with no pots because neither are true.

Now in Brecillian forest; and honestly, I'm getting bored.

Right down to all but the most detailed of details, it's the same old Bioware thing: play the role of a wandering psychotherapist who listens to NPCs complain about their lore-drenched difficulties and be hypersensitive good-guy enough to solve them-- or, be 'evil' by choosing the last dialogue option which tells them to FYAD, and thereby miss out on completing whatever you were supposed to complete. There's a werewolf menace? Turns out that things aren't as they seem? I must choose? Meh. Same old, same old.

 

[Xor]

Right down to all but the most detailed of details, it's the same old Bioware thing: play the role of a wandering psychotherapist who listens to NPCs complain about their lore-drenched difficulties and be hypersensitive good-guy enough to solve them-- or, be 'evil' by choosing the last dialogue option which tells them to FYAD, and thereby miss out on completing whatever you were supposed to complete. There's a werewolf menace? Turns out that things aren't as they seem? I must choose? Meh. Same old, same old.

This is perhaps the best description of every bioware game since Baldur's Gate 2 I've ever read.

 

[Volourn]

Describes pretty much every RPG ever created. *shrug*

 

[circ]

"Describes pretty much every RPG ever created. *shrug*"

Why do you lie?

Roofles!

 

[Volourn]

Yes, I lie down beside your mother. Your point?

R00fles!

 

[Xor]

Don't ever change, volourn.

 

[Zeros]

DA is art.

Yes. But so was an upside-down toilet seat.

You deserve at leas 20 public whippings for that.

Though I agree that DA aint' "art".

 

[Burning Bridges]

Can you explain that a bit further?

I would say this was the first year that multiplatform releases and retarded console interfaces have become the norm.

"But the platform (PC) is increasingly emerging as fertile ground for an astonishingly wide breadth of games that don't fit that particular mold."

"This year, the strongest case yet has been made for the PC as the affordable gaming platform, despite its costly image. Cutthroat competition between digital distribution operators (with more on the way) has resulted in nonstop rotating deep discounts, without the permanent devaluation that comes with retail's bargain bins. At any given moment, the PC gamer has access to amazing deals on a wide array of games, from the most mainstream to the most obscure."

"Finally, it's worth pointing out the originality on display this year; of the 15 games highlighted here, more than half hail from newly-created properties. And take heart, PC fans: nearly all had PC as the lead development platform, with the majority exclusive."

Sorry. But what is this? The text is in quotes, but no source? As it is now it is just words copied from somewhere.

And, I mean this may all sound nice, but where are the games? If you showed what you mean, do you want me to counter with any year between 1990 and 2000 that has seen 10x as many outstanding PC releases?

multiplatform releases and retarded console interfaces" - That is your problem. Stop playing those.

Is it really just my problem? Inventories reduced to fucking listboxes? Menus reduced to three options in retarded large fonts and primary colors? One must have missed the complete 90s to not know what I am talking about.

 

[Crolug]

Does anybody see any competitors?

*cough*Machinarium*cough*

 

[Longshanks]

Truly we live in a golden age for RPGs.

 

[Xor]

No, the golden age was last decade. This is the platinum age!

 

[Crolug]

No, the golden age was last decade. This is the platinum age!

Damn right!!

Can I go back playing my Torment and Fallout 2 now?