Dragon Age (or: Bioware focken' rock!)

[nub]

The soundtrack is cinematic, like strings and brass and such, with big percussion.


Anyway, there's no "getting lost" in this game, at all. You aren't given quests where you have to do all this ridiculous searching to find a specific item. All of the main quests are, obviously, meant as story progression. There are side quests of course, but me being all about the storyline, I don't even bother with them. Although if you want to make big cash, they're pretty much a necessity. All quest targets and destinations are marked on your map by arrows.

If there's one bad thing about DAO, it's the balancing. They released a couple of patches to try and even things up, but I never played the game before the first patch, and I haven't played it with the 2nd patch, so I can't give any testimony regarding the changes.


As for the environments, they are pretty generic, but games like World of Warcraft are totally different from Dragon Age. I think the way Fereldan was designed suits the storyline perfectly. If the game had a flurry of colors and bizzare landscaping and structures like WoW, it wouldn't match the feeling that the story gives off. WoW isn't as dark as DAO, not nearly.


PS: DAO should have never been made for console. The PC version is infinitely better. The controls are totally constricted on consoles, and you're stuck with a crappy camera. In the PC version, you can zoom all the way out in an overview angle like RTS games have. I, however, do not use this view ever (then again, I also only play the game on easy, since I'm a casual gamer).

[dewkl]

In retrospect, I'm disappointed with this game.

Some of the things that bother me are: the writing, setting, loots/item system, unbalance and slow combat.
The writing-part speaks for itself. The dialogue is awfully cheesy, unengaging "origin" stories that does nothing to help the story. As for the setting, I'm disappointed how they manage to go so mainstream and unoriginally about their design, it's almost a textbook-setting for a fantasy game/novel/movie. It's perfectly fine to play on some clichés, but to do such a shameless and lifeless representation of fantasy without even playing on any of the good elements?

It's not a bad game, it's just not worthy of the "RPG of the Year" and "RPG of the decade" awards that have been thrown after it lately.

[ad_hominem]

I don't agree with your comments about the setting. I think the fact that it is a traditional fantasy setting is one of the most interesting aspects. It's designed in such a way that the game doesn't go "Hey, look! It's an Dwarf! They don't really exist!", but instead moves past that to the point that the player feels like the world has existed before the game begins. This, for me at least, is far more interesting than having some new take on a fantasy setting were the world doesn't feel settled at all.

[Syphon]

This game and Fallout 3 are the two best RPG's I've ever played. Ticking around 30 hours and only just arrived in Denerim.

Is taking me a while because some of the fights are so. damn. hard.

It's like Mass Effect and WoW had a child...^^

[Zipfinator]

It's like Mass Effect and WoW had a child...^^

A half retarded ugly child... Some of the stuff in this game was awful. Half of the environments were not that well executed. They seemed empty and unplanned. Layouts were not so great. Some of the skills were useless and if you decided to switch your "spec" half way through the game then too bad. I couldn't find a way to reset my skills. Tactics also were awful. They didn't work 90% of the time for me so I had to choose every member of my groups moves instead of getting to play my main character. There's other stuff that was bad but I don't want to sort through it all. I did say it was a half retarded child also. I still had fun playing it most of the time.

[dragonfliet]

It's like Mass Effect and WoW had a child...^^

A half retarded ugly child... Some of the stuff in this game was awful. Half of the environments were not that well executed. They seemed empty and unplanned. Layouts were not so great. Some of the skills were useless and if you decided to switch your "spec" half way through the game then too bad. I couldn't find a way to reset my skills. Tactics also were awful. They didn't work 90% of the time for me so I had to choose every member of my groups moves instead of getting to play my main character. There's other stuff that was bad but I don't want to sort through it all. I did say it was a half retarded child also. I still had fun playing it most of the time.

While I agree that it isn't the best looking game and there were certainly some environments that were lacking (and seeing a pile of gold but only getting a chalice out of it was infuriating), not being able to reset skills just makes sense to me. If you decide after 2 years of architecture school to be an accountant, you can't just respec your education--I know it's a game, not reality, but it made sense to me. As for the tactics, I thought they were freaking great. With the exception of the really crowded battles of high level enemies and boss fights, I didn't have to pause that often. It takes a bit of thought and a little trial and error, but the tactics were brilliantly done, I thought. Easy to use and extremely useful.

~Jason

[Wills]

Finished it last night. Played for 44 hours in total and apparently I only completed 25% of the game.

I was so damn sure I'd engaged in as many side quests as I could find! I'm going to have to retread back to an earlier save game and go exploring more! But wow... The end-game is just incredible, the gravity of the decisions you have to make at the landsmeet and thereafter, and the feeling of saying the wrong thing at the wrong point is just intense. Each decision has ramifications on who with and how the whole end-game plays out, and the game makes you acutely aware of this.

Especially the part where I failed to convince Alastair to sleep with Morrigan to produce a demon child and she buggered off, never to be seen again, in a massive strop! She was my damage dealer!! Damn me not improving my characters persuasion abilities!

Definately one of the greatest games I've ever played and one of the best stories I've ever been privy to. Roll on Dragon Age 2! It's gotta be set in Orlais right?

[Zipfinator]

While I agree that it isn't the best looking game and there were certainly some environments that were lacking (and seeing a pile of gold but only getting a chalice out of it was infuriating), not being able to reset skills just makes sense to me. If you decide after 2 years of architecture school to be an accountant, you can't just respec your education--I know it's a game, not reality, but it made sense to me. As for the tactics, I thought they were freaking great. With the exception of the really crowded battles of high level enemies and boss fights, I didn't have to pause that often. It takes a bit of thought and a little trial and error, but the tactics were brilliantly done, I thought. Easy to use and extremely useful.

~Jason

I think you should be able to respec so you don't have to make a completely new character if you want to switch classes. I also had a few points in Dual Spec when I made my character but I went into 2 handed weapons so I lost those 2 points which is kind of annoying. There could have been some fee to respec which other games do and no one says it's not like real life. It's a design choice they made though and I respect that. I wish they wouldn't have put some points in a random spec when you start though.

Then there's the tactics that you said worked perfectly most of the time. I set up my tactics for everyone so that I could just play my main person the most and switch to the healer for harder battles, but even in small battles they wouldn't follow the order of the tactics. They'd either just stand there doing nothing (My tactics were set to on) or do their skills in the wrong order or way too late. Maybe it's something different between the 360 version that I played and the computer version that I'm guessing you played, but it got really annoying. I know other people have had this problem too. What's the point of having the tactics system if it doesn't even work.

[Habboi]

I haven't even used the tactics system. Too much for me and they handle themselves well with 2 healers and 2 warriors. I have to agree though that they take on many fantasy elements that I'd say are almost cliche.

I've yet to finish it but I'm nearly there and I feel that the pacing and level design is a little bland. Still, I can't wait for Mass Effect 2

[RefaelBA]

I can't wait for Mass Effect 2

I hear you Habboi...


Oh and by the way Dragon Age won the Best Pc Game of 2009 at Gamespot!

[Phott]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMOGMOGMOGOM

Pre-ordered Mass Effect 2 a while ago. *drool*

[RefaelBA]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMOGMOGMOGOM

Pre-ordered Mass Effect 2 a while ago. *drool*

Did you get a good price on it? I'm considering doing the same... Though I'm not sure.

[Phott]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMOGMOGMOGOM

Pre-ordered Mass Effect 2 a while ago. *drool*

Did you get a good price on it? I'm considering doing the same... Though I'm not sure.

Well, pretty much costs like any new game so I guess it's a good price. Depends if you want collectors edition ofcourse, then it gets a bit expensive.

[ad_hominem]

Dragon Age is one of the Today Only steam sale items, by the way. Definitely worth it!

[cheesemoo0]

Of course it is on sale considering I just got it yesterday.