Dragon Age
Platform: Xbox360/PS3/PC
Genre: RPG
Developer/Publisher: Bioware/EA
Release: 08/03/2011
Once again, developers Bioware bring you back to their fantasy world of Dragons, sorcery and swords. As a follow up to the 2009 cult hit Dragon Age: Origins, the sequel does a fantastic job of retaining the original games charm and adds a layer of shiny looking polish.
You play Hawke, a female or male character that is completely customisable in appearance, but limited to three character classes. Just like most RPG’s they come in the form of a mage, rogue or warrior. Each class has their own unique set of abilities and progression trees; this ensures you can really sculpt the game to play how you feel most comfortable. The story takes place on a much smaller playing field, as you attempt to bring order to the city of Kirkwall; the last refuge of those fleeing from the Blight in Ferelden. Brilliant references are regularly made to the previous games, and very much in the same way that Bioware did with Mass Effect 2, save files can be imported to let the story flow.
This is where it becomes difficult to review Dragon Age 2, because the most important aspect of the game is not the combat system (though it is vastly improved and entertaining), but rather the story. Everyone who plays this game will have a slightly different experience, while there will be a few set endings the journey there will be different for every player. The game has been criticised by the community for seeming smaller, or making it feel as if your character does not have as big an impact on the world around him or her. My experience, as a male mage, did not reflect this criticism at all. The first few hours I could relate to the communities qualm, but the closing moments of the game made my jaw drop; the consequences of my decisions became gapingly clear, and they were absolutely massive. After this moment, every choice I had to make was incredibly difficult, taking me minutes at a time to finally decide.
the closing moments of the game made my jaw drop; the consequences of my decisions became gapingly clear, and they were absolutely massive
My version of Hawke had drastically altered the goings on in the world; it left me feeling very excited for the next Dragon Age instalment. It wouldn’t be fair to go into too much detail about the storyline, as that’s what makes this franchise so great. Although at first you may feel your actions are having little effect, Hawke’s original fight to ‘just get by’, eventually develops into something just as important as the Warden in Dragon Age: Origins.
As the game is set in the city of Kirkwall and not Ferelden (the land you explored in Origins), it does feel a little claustrophobic at first. However, the game does something that very few RPGs have done before, and very clearly lays out for you where in the city an active quest remains. When you leave an area, a diagram of the city is shown with symbols marking out each area you can go to. If there is a flashing gold symbol above the symbol, it means there is an active quest available in that part of the city. This means very little time is spent walking around feeling confused about where to go next; it helps the storyline flow, and the decade that you spend in Kirkwall feel like a coherent adventure.
The combat is fresh and exciting, the new system allows you to pick spells or skills at the press of one or two buttons; the resultant explosions or flying body parts never get boring. You can take control of any of your team mates at any time, and you will always have four (including your lead character) to pick from. Experimenting with different character combinations leads to satisfying results, but eventually you will pick a team that works for you. More often than not, I found myself choosing the characters that I had a storyline connection with rather than choosing them for their combat merits; another indication that the storyline is a key part in making this game special.
For any fans of Loot; Dragon Age 2 has an abundance of it. You very rarely have to worry about being over-encumbered with robes swords or boots as there are always plenty of shops. The trading system has a tiny wall to get over at first, but once you make the jump it becomes second nature. The side quests, which can become very tedious in other RPGs of the same ilk, will always have a satisfying twist; fetching new materials for potion orders has never been so much fun. Armour and weapons are customisable, with the premium items having slots that you can craft runes on to; the only disappointment concerning equipment is that you can only equip the secondary characters with weapons, so their armour remains unchangeable for the most part.
The dialogue system has been lifted straight from Mass Effect 2, a dialogue wheel gives you the option to give a positive/agreeing response, a negative/forceful response or an in-between cocky response. I would often choose the jokey middle ground, not just because the choices were difficult to make (which they were), but because it was always fun to hear what cocky response would come from Hawkes’ mouth. The voice acting in the game is brilliant, and the writing is just as good. Responses are interesting, and they are all relevant to the over-arching theme that surrounds the plot. A brilliant score, straight out of a Lord of the Rings film sits behind the voices, and frames the battle to make the fights an exciting experience. Although, the overused voice actors start to blend over one another in the game, you’re never confused about which character is talking.
Although the game has been given a spit polish shine, and does look better than Origins, it still doesn’t look as good as a next-gen console game should look. Mass effect 2 was one of the most stunningly beautiful games of the last few years, and this game should have looked just as good if not better. The campaign lasts at least 20 hours and the ability to play different character classes and see the different consequences of different actions, means that you can play it through at least three times; in terms of lastability, you can never really go wrong with a Bioware RPG.
I only finished the game once, and to give a true indication of how good this game is I think it requires more than one play through. Writing about my Dragon Age 2 experience has really inspired me to play it again, I only put it down yesterday, but already I have some fond memories of a great game. The plot does take quite some time to a) give you a sense of what you are actually doing and b) actually do anything at all, but in the end it is ultimately rewarding. Though the game doesn’t look as amazing as it should, it is an improvement on the previous instalment and shows promise for the third Dragon Age. The combat is completely addictive; once you have a strong team and a strategy sorted out, you won’t be able to put the controller (or mouse if you’re playing on pc!) down.
Verdict: 8/10
Female First Edward Lewis
Platform: Xbox360/PS3/PC
Genre: RPG
Developer/Publisher: Bioware/EA
Release: 08/03/2011
Once again, developers Bioware bring you back to their fantasy world of Dragons, sorcery and swords. As a follow up to the 2009 cult hit Dragon Age: Origins, the sequel does a fantastic job of retaining the original games charm and adds a layer of shiny looking polish.
You play Hawke, a female or male character that is completely customisable in appearance, but limited to three character classes. Just like most RPG’s they come in the form of a mage, rogue or warrior. Each class has their own unique set of abilities and progression trees; this ensures you can really sculpt the game to play how you feel most comfortable. The story takes place on a much smaller playing field, as you attempt to bring order to the city of Kirkwall; the last refuge of those fleeing from the Blight in Ferelden. Brilliant references are regularly made to the previous games, and very much in the same way that Bioware did with Mass Effect 2, save files can be imported to let the story flow.
This is where it becomes difficult to review Dragon Age 2, because the most important aspect of the game is not the combat system (though it is vastly improved and entertaining), but rather the story. Everyone who plays this game will have a slightly different experience, while there will be a few set endings the journey there will be different for every player. The game has been criticised by the community for seeming smaller, or making it feel as if your character does not have as big an impact on the world around him or her. My experience, as a male mage, did not reflect this criticism at all. The first few hours I could relate to the communities qualm, but the closing moments of the game made my jaw drop; the consequences of my decisions became gapingly clear, and they were absolutely massive. After this moment, every choice I had to make was incredibly difficult, taking me minutes at a time to finally decide.
My version of Hawke had drastically altered the goings on in the world; it left me feeling very excited for the next Dragon Age instalment. It wouldn’t be fair to go into too much detail about the storyline, as that’s what makes this franchise so great. Although at first you may feel your actions are having little effect, Hawke’s original fight to ‘just get by’, eventually develops into something just as important as the Warden in Dragon Age: Origins.
As the game is set in the city of Kirkwall and not Ferelden (the land you explored in Origins), it does feel a little claustrophobic at first. However, the game does something that very few RPGs have done before, and very clearly lays out for you where in the city an active quest remains. When you leave an area, a diagram of the city is shown with symbols marking out each area you can go to. If there is a flashing gold symbol above the symbol, it means there is an active quest available in that part of the city. This means very little time is spent walking around feeling confused about where to go next; it helps the storyline flow, and the decade that you spend in Kirkwall feel like a coherent adventure.
The combat is fresh and exciting, the new system allows you to pick spells or skills at the press of one or two buttons; the resultant explosions or flying body parts never get boring. You can take control of any of your team mates at any time, and you will always have four (including your lead character) to pick from. Experimenting with different character combinations leads to satisfying results, but eventually you will pick a team that works for you. More often than not, I found myself choosing the characters that I had a storyline connection with rather than choosing them for their combat merits; another indication that the storyline is a key part in making this game special.