Dragon Age II

[InsaneFool]

I figure now is as good a time as any to start this thread up since the demo just went live on Steam today.

I'm downloading it now and I'll post my thoughts later tonight.

At first I wasn't sure about the whole "set character" thing as opposed to the awesomeness that was Origins, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Besides, it looks like there are still plenty of opportunities to make decisions that effect the story-line.

[Trymantha]

considering i really need to finnish the first one still i think that this will have to wait until some full edition with all the dlc before i get around to picking it up

[falconknight06]

The demo has convinced me to buy this game. March 10th can't come fast enough (my next paycheck). It is a lot of fun

[InsaneFool]

Okay, I'm psyched now.

The combat is way more fluid than in Origins, and you feel way more badass. I only did one play-through as a Rogue and it was awesome, but I'm definitely gonna check out the other classes too.

I can't wait for March 8th

[falconknight06]

Rogue for the win dude. I do like some of the awesomeness that was mage though. I've never really liked playing fighter though

[GreigKM]

Yeah, no. I'll wait for Elder Scrolls V for my RPG fix...

[8bitmaster]

I got through the first battle before it crashed on me for some odd reason, but I did find it quite fun. Mages are quite op by the way. When at long range, you cast arcane, while at short range you slash while dealing good damage with both. All in all, I have to say, its not dragon age. Its way too different to be considered dragon age in my book, besides by name and world. Also, for those of you who do know what happens at the end of dragon age origins, if you fight the archdemon at the end of this one, I am so calling bullshit.

[InsaneFool]

Its way too different to be considered dragon age in my book, besides by name and world. Also, for those of you who do know what happens at the end of dragon age origins, if you fight the archdemon at the end of this one, I am so calling bullshit.

I know what happens, and I'm confused as to what you're talking about.

And if you're talking about the very FIRST battle at the beginning of the demo, trust me when I say that EVERYTHING is OP.

[Kheapathic]

I doubt it'll have you fighting the Archdemon. From what I've seen researching the achivements on it, the game takes place across ten years and starts with the Darkspawn attacking Lothering. So the game starts out paralleled to Dragon Age: Origins, but goes a different route. In the demo you also meet and help out Isabela, who teaches the Duelist specialization in Origins. It's the same world and can meet many of the same people, but I highly doubt you'll end up fighting an Archdemon.

[Gordon Fearman]

I never played Dragon Age, so I don't know how that is, but the combat in this demo is just boring and, from what I here, dumbed down. None of the strategic elements are there. I'm not really having fun right clicking on dudes once and then hitting '1' every second.

[GreigKM]

Yeah, I would highly recommend Dragon Age: Origins, although the game didn't have much in terms of an 'action combat system', it had a great deal of strategy in its combat, and a well crafted story with memorable characters, steeped in atmosphere. The demo for Dragon Age 2 had a moderately more action-packed combat system, no strategy, terrible dialog, no atmosphere and nothing in terms of story, even by demo standers. I plan on not getting it.

[Gordon Fearman]

BTW, I played the PC version.

[Drinnik]

It's more Mass Effect style combat, so it may work better on the Xbox than the PC, but on the whole I quite enjoyed it.

[falconknight06]

BTW, I played the PC version.

I actually think that may be why you didn't enjoy it as much as I did. The new combat system works well on the 360 because constantly pressing the a button isn't as irritating as constantly clicking a mouse button.

[Gordon Fearman]

You press the mouse button once. It's WoW style.

[falconknight06]

You press the mouse button once. It's WoW style.

That explains why you find it boring! ZING!!!

[LonelyAngel]

This demo has convinced me that Bioware know exactly how to take all my money.

I missed out of the first Dragon Age... I know, such a horror... until recently, when I rented to game to get a taste of the backstory before DA2 came along.

All the minor niggles that I had with the first instalment have been eliminated in this new version. I am looking forward to playing the game... although I may have to wait a little while before actually buying it... stupid money issues.

[RobertMc123]

I am big fan of the first game (played on 360) and had a bash at the demo of DA 2 and I am impressed. They have kept the strategic element of pausing combat and queing up attacks with your party (no really they have) in but have also made it more satisfying for those who play it on consoles.
I honestly think that Bioware have found their voice with RPGs and are moving in a different direction now. They were working on Dragon Age for years and when Mass Effect became the huge hit, they decided to push DA 2 in a more cinematic direction and I say "HELL YEAH". Don't get me wrong I like KOTOR and Dragon Age, but Mass Effect just did so many things right (and a few things wrong) and appealed to a wider audience with it being streamlined. A lot of console players will balk at dialogue trees like in KOTOR and DA, but not with the wheel in Mass Effect (I have no idea why, they just do).
So with Dragon Age 2 Bioware have gone in a different direction and a lot of old school rpg fans are throwing their hands up in disgust and saying they wont play it, and Bioware are saying "sorry? what? we can't hear you because these machines are counting all our money" because they are hooking a wider audience with this game and it will sell by the bucket-load.

I for one will be buying Dragon Age 2 on day 1 (my pre-order is in already) and will be happily playing away for many months to come.

[Smeghead]

Tried out the demo and... well it crashed on me after a while, but not before I got a bit into it. I'll try again later.

So far I have a complaint, and it is one that I had about DA1 as well. The graphics.

I ran on full graphics on the PC, and while the graphics have improved a bit from Origins it is still not as good looking as ME2. Does the ME2 team refuse to share their graphics engine with the rest of teh company or something?

Luckely the plasticy look is reduced (that annoyed the crap out of me with Origins; everything was shiny and reflected light), but it is still there, also faces looks ...wierd and I say that even after playing a lot of NWN2 reacently.

Still, I tried the warrior and the combat seems fun I guess but I'm not so sure yet...

[Kyogissun]

Okay so...

Played the Demo.
Loved it.
Cancelled my 3DS pre-order.
Put down pre-order on DAII and a CE Guide.

That's how much I'm excited for the game. Right now, I need to get back to my playthrough that I have to finish before tuesday night.

[RobertMc123]

A local shop near me got this game in early and have broken street date, they started selling PS3 copies of it today, I picked it up and gave it a whirl.

2 hours in here are my impressions - This ultimately feels like a shallow experience, almost like you want to think there is a lot under the surface but the game hasn't given me a chance to examine this in any detail. Combat is just bash A until things die, occasionally push another button and things die. Conversations lack the depth they had in the first game, and the whole "story over 10 years " thing is a case of "and so 2 years passed and the hero did this and that and the other". In the first hour you chose a cross roads of the game that I ultimately would have wanted to have played.

So in all honesty this game has failed to win me over the way the first game did. I was really excited to play this game and the demo seemed okay but after a couple of hours with the full game it is not doing it for me. I will keep going because I like the universe that has been created.

I think the fundamental problem for me is that you are not a Grey Warden, and a lot of loose plot threads are dangling around that I would like to see resolved, whether they will or not has yet to be seen but the game has given me no story reason to care about the characters, I have no idea where the game is heading and it all feels a little aimless. In Dragon Age it was all about stopping the Blight and destroying the Arch-Demon, in this game it's more just "we're not going to tell you what the story is until you have earned it, so play through more hours before we show you what is store."

Again this is all MY OPINION, a lot of people will probably love this game and maybe something will happen that will totally hook me into it, but this is just from the first 2 hours I had with it.

[RobertMc123]

Another 2 hours in and BAM the game drops a nice little plot bomb on you, I'm hooked. It was a slow start but now I am in 100%. Combat is still button bashing, I am hoping as I level up and going along the skill trees that it will improve, however i did choose warrior so I have myself to blame, when I a buy the 360 version and import my Dragon Age save I will go for a rogue in that playthrough.

[Jillers]

I still need to get up the motivation to start Dragon Age again, since my last computer needed seriously fixins and I lost the saved game.

Sigh.

[Kyogissun]

Another 2 hours in and BAM the game drops a nice little plot bomb on you, I'm hooked. It was a slow start but now I am in 100%. Combat is still button bashing, I am hoping as I level up and going along the skill trees that it will improve, however i did choose warrior so I have myself to blame, when I a buy the 360 version and import my Dragon Age save I will go for a rogue in that playthrough.

Warrior 'does' seem to be less of a combo/skill stringing class than rogue, that's for sure, just based on the demo alone.

Now, I know it's been mashing A for most of the combat, but is there any way to SPECIFICALLY improve your basic attack yet? I would like it if either I could a: extend my combo or b: execute a finisher after using certain attacks OR once the enemy is at a low health threshold.

Aside from that, even with the 2 year timeskip, how has the freedom of DAII felt in comparison to the first? Do you still have the ability to go and tackle whatever goals in whatever order you please? And how many 'decision points' have you tackled so far?

I still need to get up the motivation to start Dragon Age again, since my last computer needed seriously fixins and I lost the saved game.

Sigh.

Just start it up and grind through it man, that's what I did. Skip dialogue and cutscenes as often as possible.

[RobertMc123]

Specifically there is no way to extend your basic attack combo so far, again I am still in Act 1 so unsure if the game will reveal any more hidden depths. No finishers to speak of, just special attacks that deal more damage.
The game does allow you to deal with your objectives in any order you wish and even in the first act there is a lot of side missions to playthrough. Some of it is still a bit badly handled, a quest note will appear on screen and you will constantly be going to your quest log to figure out what is actually happening, but that is just for the really minor stuff.
Decision points so far.... I would say there have been 2 big decision points I have passed but also loads of little ones.

In another note a few of my favourite Dragon Age characters have shown up in this game, I will give you a hint who one of them is :
"Enchantment?..... Enchantment!"