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Post by Mister Buch on Apr 26, 2011 16:46:58 GMT 1
So I had quite the angry rant yesterday! I'll modify that post heavily... the short version is - I think the ending of Dragon Age 2 is appaling. After absolutely loving most of the game, it felt like a deep, personal disappointment. There is a more sensible critique and general review on my blog - here! buchnknight.blogspot.com/2011/04/dragon-age-2s-ending-last-straw.htmlPlug. What I've done there is talk (for hours) about the kind of ending I would have preferred - or rather, what I expected. If you lot are game, I'd be very curious to hear about what changes you would have made, to the endgame or to the game in general. What would it take for this game to have impressed you as much as Origins?
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Post by Knightfall on Apr 28, 2011 0:02:20 GMT 1
I know I'm probably sounding like a broken record, but I could've done without the voiced protagonist. It sucks up too many resources that could be used for other things, and I don't think it lends itself to a deep RPG like it does to the ME series. In that regard, if it doesn't work, then it's just a gimmick.
But all that aside, having an Origin in general would've been nice. Linders brought up (on the BioWare forums, I think) that having the game start out in Lothering would've been a good start, and I agree on that front. It would've been a nice opportunity for you to get to know your siblings (before they get ogre'd), to show what you're actually losing, and I think it would've been a great way to work in a cameo of your Warden and his/her companions while they were in Lothering. It could've been a nice passing of the torch moment there, and it would've spared us the forced cameos later on.
More decisions would've been AMAZING. Decisions that actually made an impact on the story; I played the game two completely different ways and still got the same story + a different romance. If they were gonna take so much inspiration from Alpha Protocol, they should've gone all the way with it.
The game needs another class just for archery/bards instead of merging them with the rogue class.
More locations outside of Kirkwall, and they should've made it so that there were no loading screens between zones. I can fly 100 scale miles in Just Cause 2 without hitting a loading screen, but I can't walk down to the docks without hitting like three?
Being able to equip party members should've been in the game to begin with. Giving armor stats and unique names would be preferable over having seven different kinds of "Ring." I'll live with Hawke if I have to (but I don't want to), but I'd much rather be able to choose my race.
Eh... that's all I can think of right now. I'll probably think of more later.
Oh! Actually have Kirkwall change over the course of a decade! If they're not going to let us change our companions' armor, have their armor change every few years (depending on decisions). In Fable 2, the whole damn city got remade after the time shift. Why couldn't BioWare even do that?
I should stop. xD
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Post by Mr. Glow on Apr 28, 2011 1:06:58 GMT 1
I know I'm probably sounding like a broken record, but I could've done without the voiced protagonist. It sucks up too many resources that could be used for other things, and I don't think it lends itself to a deep RPG like it does to the ME series. In that regard, if it doesn't work, then it's just a gimmick. Definitely. Mass Effect did it, and there, it was innovative. BioWare are doing it here and it just looks like they copy/pasted it from Mass Effect. Definitely. I remember thinking the same thing myself when I played the demo. Though knowing the amount of retcon between DA:O and DA2, Lothering would've been a technologically advanced cityscape with strip clubs. It would have been nice to see Alistair and Morrigan or something similar. The Warden would've been out of the question, due to the facial data being impossible to carry over, or something. It's probably for the best, seeing what they did to Alistair. Our Wardens would probably have the same puffed-up facial features as he did. Indeed. What annoyed me more wasn't the lack of choice in the end, it's that they gave us the illusion of choice. In any other game (especially a BioWare game) choosing Mages or Templars would've actually mattered. There's no excuse. I also missed the funny/interesting weapon/armour descriptions from Origins. Those missing was just another sign of the corner-cutting philosophy they needed to make this game. Oh, and Dwarves forever. Hawke can suck a raw egg.
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Post by jklinders on Apr 29, 2011 5:13:43 GMT 1
Knight, you actually read that wall o' text I posted on the Bioware forum? Given how poorly formatted it was I hope you did not need an eye test afterwards.
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Post by Knightfall on Apr 29, 2011 6:28:01 GMT 1
Went cross-eyed for a bit. Nothing too crazy. xD
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Post by Mr. Glow on Apr 30, 2011 4:16:39 GMT 1
Hands up, after you beat Meredith, and she got petrified in all that red lyium goop, who expected her to come back to life for a final final bossfight?
Luckily BioWare have some small measure of mercy.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on Apr 30, 2011 7:22:46 GMT 1
*Hands Up, cue the One Wing Angel theme*
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Post by Cali on May 1, 2011 2:23:21 GMT 1
Finally beat it. After all these months diddling about.
I sided with the mages and spared Anders (reluctantly). The ending song, at least the first one, was SO much better than the shitty one they did for Dragon Age Origin's marketing campaign or whatever. It wasn't exactly classic quality, but it fit the setting extremely well, and I liked it.
That said, I really do believe they're setting this up for an expansion pack or something. Most of me keeps wishing they would have stuck to Origins elements rather than ride in Mass Effect's coattails, but I still liked the game nonetheless.
That said, I'm going to replay DA: Origins sometime soon. Mainly because I haven't yet completed the game (my hard drive crashed before I had a chance to complete it), and mainly because it would be interesting to revisit it.
All in all, I'd say I'd give the game a B- or a C+ if I was really serious about reviewing this stuff, which I'm obviously not. Let's just hope Bioware learns from their wrongdoings for the third installment in the series...
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Post by Mister Buch on May 3, 2011 19:47:46 GMT 1
That sounds pretty good to me. I didn;t care for the ending song at all though.
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Post by jklinders on May 3, 2011 19:50:28 GMT 1
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on May 17, 2011 14:58:57 GMT 1
Facepalm baby.
/facepalm
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Post by Mister Buch on May 19, 2011 0:42:27 GMT 1
Multiplayer....
You know, I'm sure it will suck, mostly because Bioware are doing it and it's posr 2010. But I would like to play a story-driven RPG with friends.
I have absolutely no idea how that would work, but if it could be done I bet I'd have fun with it.
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Post by Knightfall on May 19, 2011 10:50:45 GMT 1
The Old Republic seems to be going for that. Story-driven (for the most part) and you and your friends get to roll to see who responds to NPCs. I like the sound of that.
Someone made a good point that most of the classic RPGs that BioWare are known for (Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights) all have multiplayer. With their current model, I don't think it would work as well, but I'd be willing to give it a try if it doesn't detract from the actual game. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood had a fantastic singleplayer story, so the multiplayer (which was excellent) was just icing on the cake.
But yeah, I agree, it'll probably end up sucking. The demand really isn't there, I don't think.
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Post by Tillian Panthesis on May 19, 2011 11:28:38 GMT 1
Seriously, I wish BioWare stick to their strengths... which is making good RPGs, for the love of badgers!
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