Dragon Age 2 USE SPOILER TAGS

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Maynard
    stupid ass titles
    • Feb 2009
    • 17876

    [ALL] Dragon Age 2 USE SPOILER TAGS

    i cant wait for this game...Coming March 8th



    Dragon Age II: Everything You Need to Know
    What's the deal with combat, the storyline and importing your save file? We cover all this and more.

    There are only a couple months until Dragon Age II hits store shelves, and I was lucky enough to play the Xbox 360 version for several hours. Rather than give you a play by play of what I did and essentially ruin five hours of the game for you, I figured it would be more useful if I covered the main topics fans want to know.

    Here's what I learned.

    You are Hawke, the Champion. Either a female or male human, you have risen through the ranks of society and your influence has grown as a result. Told through a framed narrative (think the movie Princess Bride) by a Chantry member named Cassandra and a dwarf named Varric, the story of Dragon Age II is dictated backwards – you are already the champion in present day and Varric is re-telling your story.

    Killing is all in a day's work.

    What this means for players is that instead of spanning one year like Origins, the second covers 10 years of events. This also grants BioWare the freedom to skip over the "boring" sequences that don't offer compelling gameplay and means that your choices will have more of an immediate impact than in most titles.

    From what I saw, Dragon Age II is linear, yet open. Points A and B are predetermined, but how you get there is entirely up to you. During my time with the game I recruited people in the order I wanted to and completed missions the way I wished as well.


    Even though I'm a Dragon Age fan I didn't fully understand how the two games were connected in their respective timelines. Thankfully, the beginning chapters of the sequel explains everything clearly:

    The second installment begins around the same time as Origins did. Following the Battle of Ostagar, which claimed the lives of the majority of the Grey Wardens (people with the power to destroy Archdemons) and the king of Ferelden, the countryside is no longer safe. If you played Origins you might recall that as soon as you leave Lothering, Hawke's hometown, it is overcome by the Blight (a mass of evil Darkspawn). With the town destroyed and the country in despair, Hawke's family flees north to Kirkwall. However, in order to gain entry into the city there's a yearlong activity that must be completed first. During this year, which is only a cut-scene in Dragon Age II, all the events of Origins come to fruition and the threat of the Blight is over. From that point on, Dragon Age II's story is separate from Origins.

    These spiders are in for a fiery surprise.

    As the events of Dragon Age: Origins take place in a tiny fragment of the sequel's storyline you might be wondering what actually matters. Only a few choices happen to noticeably impact the story: Who you put on the throne and who killed the Archdemon.

    If you didn't play Origins, don't worry about needing to go back and play it just for a save file. At the starter menu you'll be able to pick one of three different backgrounds, so your game will have some slight customization.

    Now, I'm still unclear as to how your decisions from Dragon Age: Origins will affect the gameplay in the sequel, but we'll see in time.


    I've seen a lot of people voice concerns about the combat being "dumbed down" to be more like an action game. In truth, combat works largely the same – actions are mapped to the face buttons and by pulling on the right trigger or R2 you can switch to a different set of moves. There have been some modifications to the action wheel that you can pull up with the left trigger or L2, but for the most part it's similar too.

    Yes, the command wheel still exists.

    We haven't seen much of the PC version, but I was told that you will still be able to pause with the space bar and issue commands via the action bar. The biggest change is that the attack animations are sped up and much flashier than before, making battle scenes more visually interesting and visceral. So if you like instant gratification don't want to bother with babysitting your squad, that's an option. On the other hand, if you want to take a little more control over the situation you can do that as well.

    Another alternative is setting up specific tactics for your squad, which was also present in Origins. With tactics you can get down into the nitty gritty of your squad's behavior. Choose general stances like aggressive or a role like healer. You can also take it a step further and make sure your party is taking health potions at the appropriate times or using a specific spell or attack when surrounded, etc. Though that level of obsessiveness is reserved for a small portion of gamers, I'm happy that BioWare kept it in.


    Watch any dialogue focused cut-scene from Dragon Age: Origins and you'll notice one thing – a silent mannequin of a hero that looks completely spaced out. It's distracting and awkward. Who just stands there with a blank expression when a friend has just been attacked?

    My lady Hawke has an attitude.

    Dragon Age 2 addresses this problem by incorporating a more "Mass Effect like" hero that actually emotes in cinematic cut-scenes. Although the idea is the same and the dialogue wheel is present, this is clearly not Mass Effect. Besides the indicator icons in the center wheel that tell you if you're flirting, being a jerk or inquiring further, there's a dedicated sarcasm option that I fell in love with. Some of the lines are delightfully absurd and the voice acting is well performed.

    Was it a problem that your Grey Warden didn't speak in Origins? Personally, I don't think it was the lack of voice, but more the fact that the character was so lifeless compared to others. Still, I'm happy with the decision to include a fully voiced hero, especially when I have the opportunity to be a smart-ass.


    As with any role-playing game, when you earn experience points in Dragon Age II you will gain levels. If you've played Dragon Age: Origins you should feel right at home here – the attributes and abilities system makes a return. For the uninitiated, attributes are points you can divvy up between strength (attack power), willpower (stamina), constitution (health), etc. while abilities are specific powers you can choose.

    The new skill trees are pretty and functional.

    Selecting abilities looks vastly different from Origins – instead of a massive block of linear progressions, different spell sets or attack sets are bundled together. As you unlock the skill tree you can either choose to upgrade a specific move to make it more powerful or gain a new one. Visually, abilities are presented in a much more digestible way than they were before, which is a nice change.


    It's no secret that Dragon Age: Origins was not a good-looking game. Even on the PC, which was the best of all the versions, there was no real visual flair to it. That's changed this time around. There's a really cool gothic comic art style to jazz up the cut-scenes and the scenery I've witnessed has all been much more impressive than the bland sets of Origins.

    Even the map has had a nice overhaul, though I do wonder if there'll still be random battle encounters outside of cities.

    I love the way the new map system works and looks.

    After my session with the game I fired up a new character in Origins, a Dalish elf warrior. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that they had redone the elf character models. Instead of a human with different ears the elves now have a distinct look – large, wide-set eyes and more petite features actually make them stand out from the crowd.

    Another nice touch is that your family's physical features will change depending on how you model your Hawke. So, if your hero is a red head with super fair skin, your family will be altered to match that. You know, so there won't have to be any awkward discussions about adoption.


    I won't name names, but yes, you will run into characters from the previous game and expansion packs in Dragon Age 2. It's a nice touch for hardcore fans to see familiar faces, but newcomers don't need to know their backstories in order to appreciate them.

    Look who's back!

    In terms of your new crew, gone are the days where people will leave if they don't like your actions. Now you can be as awful or as kind as you'd like without worrying about being abandoned by certain party members. Instead of a "dislike" or "like" relationship status, party members will be noted as a "friend" or a "rival."

    I was told that being a rival with a party member does not mean you can't pursue a romance (hot hate sex anybody?), though I do imagine it will be harder to woo them.


    The more I play Dragon Age II the more I realize that this is still very much a Dragon Age game. Unlike the Mass Effect series, no major RPG features like loot or inventory have been pulled for the sequel and instead everything has been refined. I don't know about you, but for me, March 8 can't come soon enough.
  • JayDizzle
    Let's Go All The Way...
    • Nov 2008
    • 14215

    #2
    Originally posted by Chalk for TheEscapistMagazine
    The Dragon Age 2 Preorder Bonus Cavalcade Continues

    The Dragon Age 2 preorder saga continues as BioWare and Electronic Arts have come up with yet another bonus for those who missed the last one as well as a little something extra to keep people away from used copies.

    Have you got your Dragon Age 2 preorder in yet? Those who put some money on the game before January 11 will be automatically upgraded to the "Signature Edition" of the game, which includes among other things The Exiled Prince, a Stone Prisoner-style add-on revealed last week as the game's first DLC. It's too late now to take advantage of that deal but EA has come up with another opportunity for people who just can't wait to throw money at the game to score some free loot.

    Customers who preorder anytime prior to the game's release will receive the Lion of Orlais shield, a legendary shield with two rune slots that adds a bonus to health and experience; the Fadeshear sword, an ancient blade that does extra damage to demons and undead and becomes more powerful as players level up; and The Black Emporium, a store that offers some of the most powerful equipment in the game, including a Mabari war hound that will join you in battle, the Mirror of Transformation and other unique, mysterious artifacts.

    Don't want to preorder? You can still pick up a little extra just by staying away from the preowned section of the store, as all brand-new copies of Dragon Age 2 will come with The Black Emporium. And no worries if you preordered the game prior to January 11 and were automatically upgraded to the Signature Edition, because you'll get all of this stuff too. For those who miss the boat completely, The Exiled Prince will be available for separate purchase for 560 Microsoft points - about seven bucks - but there's no indication that the second-stage preorder stuff will be on offer.

    Can you keep all that straight? Head over to dragonage.bioware.com if you need a little help making sense of it all. Dragon Age 2 comes out on March 8 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
    So much shit you can get for this game...

    Comment

    • JayDizzle
      Let's Go All The Way...
      • Nov 2008
      • 14215

      #3
      [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyR1fGMCLXo"]...[/ame]

      Comment

      • JayDizzle
        Let's Go All The Way...
        • Nov 2008
        • 14215

        #4
        [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxRZbj2a6YA"]...[/ame]

        Comment

        • JayDizzle
          Let's Go All The Way...
          • Nov 2008
          • 14215

          #5
          [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF_Er1nygZI"]In case you wanted to play as a chick[/ame]

          Comment

          • jms493
            Junior Member
            • Feb 2009
            • 11248

            #6
            u can play as action rpg........sweet. I need to beat the first one....going to get back to it.

            Comment

            • JayDizzle
              Let's Go All The Way...
              • Nov 2008
              • 14215

              #7
              [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iJRKIfGUuE"]...[/ame]

              Comment

              • JayDizzle
                Let's Go All The Way...
                • Nov 2008
                • 14215

                #8
                [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAMkzz0hKww"]What you missed out on by waiting until now to get the game[/ame]

                Signature Edition got:

                The Exiled Prince DLC (w/ the archer Sebastian)
                A soundtrack
                Apostate's Courage
                Seeker's Bulwark
                Adder of Antiva
                Might of the Sten
                The Black Emporium DLC
                The Lion of Orlais Sheild
                The Fadeshear Sword
                A fighting Mabari War Hound
                The Mirror of Transformation
                Access to exclusive Magic and Crafting Stores

                Preorder before March 8th and you get:

                The Black Emporium DLC
                The Lion of Orlais Sheild
                The Fadeshear Sword
                A fighting Mabari War Hound
                The Mirror of Transformation
                Access to exclusive Magic and Crafting Stores

                Buy new and you get:

                The Black Emporium DLC
                A fighting Mabari War Hound
                The Mirror of Transformation
                Access to exclusive Magic and Crafting Stores

                And they've already said the 'Exiled Prince' DLC will be available for seperate purchase for $7.

                Comment

                • JayDizzle
                  Let's Go All The Way...
                  • Nov 2008
                  • 14215

                  #9
                  [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S6eMcUBe0Y"]You can get this and a spear/stave combo for free if you sign-up for the newsletter[/ame]

                  Spear/stave combo = "Staff of Parthalan"

                  Comment

                  • JayDizzle
                    Let's Go All The Way...
                    • Nov 2008
                    • 14215

                    #10


                    The Fadeshear sword and Lion of Orlais Shield.

                    Comment

                    • red33
                      Junior Member
                      • Feb 2009
                      • 5065

                      #11
                      to me this looks like the future of RPGs evolving from the JRPGs.

                      JRPGs to me are boring now and games like Fallout arent real RPGs to me. I passed on the first one but i think im def picking this one up.

                      But i never played Mass effect. For someone who really enjoyed the FF series growing up but has been getting tired of them lately which one is betetr for me?

                      I dont got time to get 2 60 hour + gaes.

                      Comment

                      • JayDizzle
                        Let's Go All The Way...
                        • Nov 2008
                        • 14215

                        #12
                        Originally posted by red33
                        to me this looks like the future of RPGs evolving from the JRPGs.

                        JRPGs to me are boring now and games like Fallout arent real RPGs to me. I passed on the first one but i think im def picking this one up.

                        But i never played Mass effect. For someone who really enjoyed the FF series growing up but has been getting tired of them lately which one is betetr for me?

                        I dont got time to get 2 60 hour + gaes.
                        Go with Mass Effect if you want to trade swords, ability buffing runes and armor for future guns, biotic upgrades and force fields.

                        You're still going to grind for XP, loot and group approval but it'll be across an entire Universe versus just one rock in space.

                        Also, the DLC's better overall...

                        I'd say rent both and whichever one you'd like more, buy that one.

                        Comment

                        • Maynard
                          stupid ass titles
                          • Feb 2009
                          • 17876

                          #13
                          Originally posted by jms493
                          u can play as action rpg........sweet. I need to beat the first one....going to get back to it.
                          the first one is awesome. i always bitch about sequels that are really like version 1.5. But they could have used DA1 and slapped on a new story and I would have been fine with that. I am gladd they have made the improvements where they have, because it was needed. But I also worry that they may have taken away what was so wonderful about Origins. Its bioware so i assume not, but they changed ME2 so much that it didnt feel like an rpg anymore.

                          The game is excellent and what an rpg should be imo. Do you have 100 hours to spare? if so then u must play

                          Originally posted by America's Wang
                          You're still going to grind for XP, loot and group approval but it'll be across an entire Universe versus just one rock in space.
                          grinding it out...i know what u mean but i think casual rpg players see that as cheesing the system or even a long tedious process to level up. But its not. this game is about exploring and finding loot while playing thru the world and the story so u dont grind out XP. It all happens thru the natural flow of playing the game.

                          Exploring and looting is all part of the fun so if you choose not to do this then you may not be able to level up like others who do.

                          i just wanted to clarify that for people like twigg who have such a negative view of RPG's. not that his view is wrong...but i think the DA and ME series would change that view

                          Comment

                          • JayDizzle
                            Let's Go All The Way...
                            • Nov 2008
                            • 14215

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Maynard
                            grinding it out...i know what u mean but i think casual rpg players see that as cheesing the system or even a long tedious process to level up. But its not. this game is about exploring and finding loot while playing thru the world and the story so u dont grind out XP. It all happens thru the natural flow of playing the game.

                            Exploring and looting is all part of the fun so if you choose not to do this then you may not be able to level up like others who do.

                            i just wanted to clarify that for people like twigg who have such a negative view of RPG's. not that his view is wrong...but i think the DA and ME series would change that view
                            If he gets Dragon Age, be sure to tell him to avoid going to the Mage's Tower after Ostagar then.

                            It may not be the same "grind" as I have mentioned (I may have misspoke as there are differing definitions of what said "grind" is... the old school "grind" where you go to the same dungeon over and over until you're satisfied AND playing a game to the point where it feels like a grind) but after you've been to that point of the game a bunch of times...

                            Either way, Red's going to have to sit there and kill dudes to get the best shit in the game.

                            ...whether he wants to fight this:



                            or this:



                            *I know it's a high level encounter versus something that becomes trivial after a while...

                            To get there is up to him.

                            Comment

                            • Maynard
                              stupid ass titles
                              • Feb 2009
                              • 17876

                              #15
                              Originally posted by America's Wang
                              If he gets Dragon Age, be sure to tell him to avoid going to the Mage's Tower after Ostagar then.
                              what do u mean?

                              Comment

                              Working...