120°
7.5

USA Today Review: Strong story masks combat flaws in Dragon Age 2

As players have likely learned from games such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, studio BioWare has a knack for creating tales of a grand scale.

Their latest endeavor takes them to Kirkwall, the setting for fantasy role-playing adventure Dragon Age II, a journey with a great story that suffers from a few combat flaws.

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Urmomlol4814d ago

Oddly, this is the exact opposite of what Game Informer said.

BeaArthur4814d ago

Yeah the reviews have been all over the place. Sounds like everyone will have to try this for themselves.

Neckbear4814d ago

Skipping a seemingly unconvincing game is also an option, for the matter.

NukaCola4814d ago

If you liked Mass Effect more this is something you may enjoy, if you were a hardcore DA:O fanatic, you may be a bit dissapointed. I personally didn't enjoy the demo, but I only dabbled in DA:A and I also love the hell out of Mass Effect. I just thought it wasn't that great, the dialog interface felt clunkier, and the overall combat wasn't as nice. But the game vids look pretty good. I hope Bioware isn't slipping.

joydestroy4814d ago (Edited 4814d ago )

iunno, i guess i agree sometimes it can be frustrating when you want a character to attack a certain enemy while in a large battle. i haven't used tactics at all so far lol i've been doing it all on the fly. at first this wasn't working but i've gotten better at it with lots of pausing, switching to different characters and activating certain abilities with that character to further help the team out.

i think combat is satisfying and the story is good as well. i play on PC though so i'm not sure how horrible the combat button mashing is on consoles

Blad3star4814d ago (Edited 4814d ago )

Please bring back the ENCHANTMENT guy.

Enchantment!!

SnakeMustDie4814d ago (Edited 4814d ago )

He's in and also will be residing in Hawke's house during middle parts of the game.

Sandal is badass in DA2.

saumer4814d ago

yeah. This is the exact opposite of each review I have read as well. And people wonder why their is always bitching about scores.

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jrbeerman114814d ago

ya i actually prefer combat as it takes away some of the "crutches" from first one. ie you cannot make 100 potions for cheap with herbalism, you cannot spam heal on tank and let everyone else roam free, you cannot turn mage into a tank etc.

Myst4814d ago

I agree it is in that instant that some battles are actually a bit challenging in that respect. Makes you think a bit about what you may be running into especially if you'd play on hard or nightmare.

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
TinkerNation668d 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-Nest668d 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
Orbilator827d 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

autobotdan827d ago

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

chicken_in_the_corn827d ago

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

827d ago Replies(1)
Michiel1989827d 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.

Snakeeater25950d ago

All dragon age games are terribly boring

Kerppamaister950d ago

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

Snakeeater25950d ago

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

spss11950d 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.

arkard950d ago

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

jeromeface950d 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.

spss11950d ago (Edited 950d 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_Suzumiya950d ago (Edited 950d 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.

SegaSaturn669950d 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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phoenixwing950d ago

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

IanTH950d ago (Edited 950d 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.

melons950d 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.

IanTH949d ago

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

jznrpg950d ago (Edited 950d 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_Suzumiya950d ago

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

ElvisHuxley950d ago (Edited 950d 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.

moomoo319950d ago (Edited 950d 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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