120°

Game Rant: 'Dragon Age II' Hands-On Impressions

"In a bit of a surprise, Dragon Age II made its worldwide debut at San Diego Comic-Con this week. Instead of showing off the heavily-anticpated sequel at E3 last month, Bioware wanted the fans to be the first to experience the newest chapter since the reception at last year’s SDCC was so successful. In a bit of a surprise, Dragon Age II made its worldwide debut at San Diego Comic-Con this week. Instead of showing off the heavily-anticpated sequel at E3 last month, Bioware wanted the fans to be the first to experience the newest chapter since the reception at last year’s SDCC was so successful."

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gamerant.com
SeanRL5042d ago

Lot's of great changes in there. Personally I didn't enjoy the first game but this seems to have potential.

bluexy5042d ago

I definitely think their changes will make the game more accessible. Hopefully not to the point where they lose what made the original Dragon Age so unique.

Bobbykotickrulesz5042d ago

i didn't really like the first game either.

bobcostus5042d ago

I'm guessing you either A: Played it on console, B: didn't finish it, or C: both A & B.

Not trying to troll you, but Dragon Age: Origins (at least for the PC) is one of the best RPG's of all time. I can't speak for the console versions, because I didn't play them.

In my personal opinion, Bioware games are best on PC. Just my personal opinion.

SeanRL5042d ago

Nah, I just didn't enjoy it, it was a mix of different things. Bioware games are definitely very well made on PC.

Simon_Brezhnev5042d ago

well i played it on PC and it was an ok game The Witcher is a lot better.

RedSky5042d ago

The Witcher had a more focussed and involving story and definitely had a less generic and much more interesting ending but then Dragon Age had a HUGE scope. It wasn't so much the free world aspect, as there was just so much more content all up, and none of it was all that bad.

Anyway I think the worst change is the simplified dialogue options, everything else I generally don't mind. Single phrase options where half the time you don't know what you're really choosing just don't work in a game that pretty closely follows the classic RPG archetype. In Mass Effect 2 short and shrift works fine, because the game is much more action/event driven but not here.

Nihilism5042d ago (Edited 5042d ago )

Me too, that's the main problem. It's not that Dragon Age was a bad game, it's just that the Witcher was about 500x better. Way better story and combat, and I bought the witcher post enhanced edition, so I didn't experience any quest bugs or other gameplay flaws...not like the innumerable ones in the Witcher. Dragon Age is still bad ass though. It's a shame about those pre-rendered console-ized pre rendered clips that look 10 years behind the in game graphics though... as is the case in ME2

@RedSky
"Dragon Age had a HUGE scope"

That kind of becomes redundant when you walk through the dalish forest and you see that they spent half an hour on the level design. Usually in game editors they have 100 types of trees and they have some kind of randomisation when they are placed so that the size and orientation is slightly changed....I say 5 bushes in a row all the exact same clone and all the same orientation....Compared to orzammar that quest line...which was one of the main quests....looked like it was done by an amateur...and it really highlighted the dated engine.

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Rucury5042d ago

It seems Bioware is giving this game the "Mass Effect 2 treatment."

Tone down the "pure-RPG" mechanics, make them more user friendly, have a strong, full-voiced protagonist with a name and a background, etc.

I personally feel this is for the best, AT LEAST for the console versions, which I heard were under-par with the PC one.

Having played the original Dragon Age, I am genuinely excited for this, as I enjoyed Mass Effect 2 a lot...

I never got to finish DA:O... My PS3 broke down (I punched it while playing Modern Warfare 2 Online... Should've punched my router... Oh well.) and I had to send it in for repairs, and since I couldn't back up the save file...

5042d ago Replies(1)
ShadyDevil5042d ago

Pretty sure the hands on is embargoed until next week. I could be wrong.

NYC_Gamer5042d ago

these changes were needed for the console versions...

Spenok5040d ago

Agreed, im liking the new combat system.

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70°

EA Made Dragon Age and Mass Effect DLC Free On PC By Retiring The BioWare Points System

Immersed Gamer writes: "In order to replace the oppressive BioWare Points system, EA is making a large portion of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age DLC catalogs free for PC users.

For those of you blissfully unaware, EA and BioWare employed a payment system called BioWare Points on PC to pay for DLCs for titles like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. While PC gamers have been struggling with BioWare point’s unfair conversion rates and extremely scarce and cost-detrimental sales.

Console players have been allowed to purchase content in pieces through the appropriate Sony and Microsoft shops. For real money, and not BioWare monopoly bucks. In turn, console players missed out on some DLC content, such as Mass Effect 2 pre-order bonuses that have been repackaged into a DLC pack."

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immersedgamer.com
TinkerNation667d ago

Great response to Ubisoft and their disgusting behavior. Ubisoft decide to take away DLC from people who paid for it, while EA give it for free to everyone when they realize their system sucks. Who would have thought that EA of all companies would be showing Ubisoft how it should be done (even if this is EA fixing their own mistakes as well).

Mobis-New-Nest667d ago

What goes around comes around and I promise you, Ubisoft will see their actions blow back on them when their diminishing sales numbers and stock taking a hit downward. That's the only way a company learns when they decide to be reactive instead of proactive.

160°

All BioWare Games Ranked from Worst to Best

BLG writes: "There was a time that BioWare games were the biggest deal in gaming. The Canadian developer’s legacy of all-time classics is well known. Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, and Baldur’s Gate are some of the biggest names in gaming.

While BioWare’s quality has fallen off lately, there’s no denying the quality of titles in their portfolio. That’s why we’re going to dive in and rank every BioWare game from worst to best. By every, I do mean every BioWare game, even the ones you completely forgot about!"

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bosslevelgamer.com
Orbilator826d ago

Ranked from worse to even more worse more like, they been on free fall for a fair few years now and I personally don't think any of there earlier games have aged well

autobotdan826d ago

Wow to think at one point in their history they made a Sonic the Hedgehog game..crazy

chicken_in_the_corn825d ago

Anthem is crazy underrated. I really enjoyed it. ME1 is Bioware's best imo

825d ago Replies(1)
Michiel1989825d ago

I actually put quite a bit of hours into Anthem but i dont think its underrated. It was a huge mess, server issues, gameplay issues, crashes, no endgame loop, too few different enemies, uninteresting gear. too few dungeons.

It for sure had potential and if they could have managed to keep the same gameplay of the classes but without the rest of the issues, this game could have been huge, but in the state in which it launched it was such a letdown. They partly fixed some of the issues, but it took too long. A grinding game like this needs to hook players from day 1.

170°

'Dragon Age' and Why It Sucks to Play Cult Favorite Games

Delving into a well-loved game or series years after its release, when it already has an enthusiastic and devoted fanbase, can be incredibly difficult. People can be casually mean on the internet without intending to, and that happens a lot when you say you don’t like something they do. Fans of the franchise take their love of the game very seriously. They’re fervent and devoted, which has its charms, but it can also feel like you’re disappointing them when you decide their thing is not your thing.

Snakeeater25949d ago

All dragon age games are terribly boring

Kerppamaister949d ago

Why'd you play DA2 if you thought 1 was boring?

Snakeeater25949d ago

Because of the reviews, I thought they could do better specially gameplay wise and the third one was even worst

spss11949d ago

I've never been able to complete a Dragon Age game. They always felt too rigid in design. I eventually think "why am I playing this over Witcher 3?" or pretty much any other rpg.

arkard949d ago

The same reason you read a different book, or watch different movies. Different world, characters, lore and story.

jeromeface949d ago

Idk, because maybe you completed the witcher 3? Not all of us like repeating a game over and over just because its the best in genre.

spss11949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

@arkard
Never found the story or lore of DA interesting. Inquisition was just generic evil dude with demon army wants to conquer world and you're the chosen one.

@jeromeface
I've played through Witcher 3 once, at the same time I was playing DA Inquisition. Hence the example. I never finished Inquisition and went on to complete Witcher 3.

Yui_Suzumiya949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

Well the first bored me but I loved 2 and 3. I could never get into The Witcher or Elder Scrolls but I enjoyed those as far as medieval themed RPG's go.

SegaSaturn669949d ago

I played inquisition and thought the story was pretty well done. Voice acting as well.

Lost interest when i found an ultimate weapon that could only be wieldable postgame. Like wtf would they let me even obtain it for?

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phoenixwing949d ago

Is it really a cult following if it's in the millions?

IanTH949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

lol Definitely a fair point. When a game is made and published by one of the largest video game companies on Earth, has at least 12 million sales between DA:O/DA2/DA:I, DA:I noted as being BioWare's most successful launch, and made EA enough money to greenlight a 3rd game? I'm thinking it's tough to argue that's niche :-p

If you take cult following on the face of it - a group of people who are highly dedicated & passionate about something - the author wouldn't be wrong. But they have to know that term is most widely associated with the group being small/the object being obscure, so it can't really apply here.

melons949d ago

Yeah, in what universe is a series with three games, a fourth on the way that's sold millions and is published by EA a "cult favorite"? Next you'll be telling me The Witcher 3 is a plucky and underrated indie.

IanTH948d ago

I've heard about this hidden gem called GTA V...

jznrpg949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

Cult favorite? It’s well known and sold fairly well and they are making a fourth game . I don’t see it anywhere near cult favorite status . I really enjoyed the first game and the third was pretty good (with failed mmo faults you could notice) but the second game was lazily made garbage .

Yui_Suzumiya949d ago

Second was the best game which is the biggest hot take I've ever had, lol

ElvisHuxley949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

Loved the first one, second was pretty good. Couldn't even get through the third one. Don't have high hopes for 4, but hey, nowhere to go but up hopefully.

moomoo319949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

DA: Origins was cool, but I got Mass Effect 2 at the same time and goddayum there was no comparison imo.

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