Dragon Age Series - Retrospective

PopMatters is looking back to the Dragon Age games in a somewhat positive way. Here is a bit on Dragon Age 2:

All the little details that made up the grand world of Origins were replaced with a small, unchanging, and shallow world where a deeply personal—if disjointed—story was told. This game wasn’t about the last hope for the world; it was the story of a small group of people that (accidentally) put a revolution in place. Gone are the plethora of conversation options that put the player into a unique role of his or her own, now the player controlled Hawke, who fit into the role of paragon, renegade, or indecisive smartass when either of the other two extremes didn’t seem to fit. Hawke didn’t shape the world the way that the warden did, in fact, Hawke was just a set piece being swept up in all the other changes that the player had no control over. Unlike the warden, Hawke did not have several possible personalities. Hawke was just a bystander that benefited from the cultural hegemony. No matter what the player’s choice, Hawke would become wealthy, celebrated, and greatly respected, Hawke would be given extraordinary political influence, and everyone would agree that he deserved his laurels and none of that would mean a damn before the credits ended

More information.

I'll wait for the retrospective of this retrospective.

I still haven't played the 2nd Dragon Age game. I intend to play it someday, and I imagine it won't be nearly as bad as the internet would have you believe.

Has anyone here actually enjoyed their time with DA2?

“It’s fantastic, and it’s horrible. It’s brilliant, and it’s ridiculous. This is the best thing I’ve ever played. I want my money back.” (“Dragon Age II: Making the Case for “Quality” Games”, PopMatters,

Pretty much sums up how I felt also about the second part. One step forward two steps back that seemed to be the motto of the development team.

Originally Posted by Fluent
Has anyone here actually enjoyed their time with DA2?

I did enjoy it. It's typical BioWar fare though.

What does "typical Bioware fare" mean?

Originally Posted by Fluent
I still haven't played the 2nd Dragon Age game. I intend to play it someday, and I imagine it won't be nearly as bad as the internet would have you believe.

Has anyone here actually enjoyed their time with DA2?

It wasn't that bad, but really had the most ridiculous concept of side quests.

Essentially you find some random object in a chest in a dungeon, then hours later some random NPC with an exclamation mark on their head suddenly gives you money and you have no idea why. Congratulations, you just completed a quest!

I think the funniest one of was that you find bones of someone's Mrs and you return it to husband. I was like wtf?! lol

Originally Posted by Fluent
Has anyone here actually enjoyed their time with DA2?

Full disclosure - I hated it with a passion so intense it made me start believing in spiritual things all over again - that was enjoyable

(Half) joking aside, I think if you're under 20 and have no particular fondness for RPG's and did not especially love DA1 - this is not a terrible game. Alternatively, if you preferred ME2 to ME1 because ME1 was too 'ponderous', clunky' and 'busy', there is a chance you might like it too.

If DA2 was (say) a Ubisoft game, I think most of us would be OK with it. If BioWare had not done DA1 before, then again the reception would probably have been more muted.

However even with my best devil's hat on, I struggle to find any positive reasons to want to play it, even against the backdrop of modern "AAA" mediocrity. If I struggle a bit more, then I'd say some of the companions were well done, and the combat system is still real time with pause with some cool cross class synergies. But It would have to be <$10 with DLC (which reintroduced a lot of the stuff they cut).

Originally Posted by Gaxkang
(Half) joking aside, I think if you're under 20 and have no particular fondness for RPG's and did not especially love DA1 - this is not a terrible game. Alternatively, if you preferred ME2 to ME1 because ME1 was too 'ponderous', clunky' and 'busy', there is a chance you might like it too.

sad but true - the "evolution" by bioware

Originally Posted by azarhal
It's typical BioWar fare though.

I don't really agree with that statement to be honest. I've played almost all previous Bioware games (no Jade empire) and enjoyed all the ones I played, to the extent I've finished them all at least once. I got DA2 after a bargain price cut.. and I've still to finish it. It isn't typical Bioware fare, because while some of the games have had weaker gameplay mechanics, there was something driving me on either in lore, story or characterisation. I don't find any of those drawing me to DA2 unfortunately.

DA2 could've been good - the idea of seeing a city develop over a 10 year period is actually interesting. However, they clearly lacked development time/resources, as the actual game itself is not all that enjoyable. The amount of repetition and complete lack of actual changes ruin it I'm afraid.

I actually preferred the character mechanics of DA2 - but that's about the only thing that was worth anything.

It was clearly a rushed game made with a publisher mindset.

Originally Posted by kalniel
I don't really agree with that statement to be honest. I've played almost all previous Bioware games (no Jade empire) and enjoyed all the ones I played, to the extent I've finished them all at least once. I got DA2 after a bargain price cut.. and I've still to finish it. It isn't typical Bioware fare, because while some of the games have had weaker gameplay mechanics, there was something driving me on either in lore, story or characterisation. I don't find any of those drawing me to DA2 unfortunately.

Liking or not the writing have noting to do with it being typical Bioware fare. It's the presentation and the formula that matter. DA follow the KoTOR/JadeEmpire/MassEffect formula: cutscenes, fixed protagonists and lots of comic book imports (companions, overdose of humor, etc).

The fact that you don't get any drive by the writing might just mean that you are growing up too….

Originally Posted by Fluent
I still haven't played the 2nd Dragon Age game. I intend to play it someday, and I imagine it won't be nearly as bad as the internet would have you believe.

Has anyone here actually enjoyed their time with DA2?

Yes, I found it to be decent. It has some flaws, but I enjoyed it enough to play it through to the endgame. To me it's like a popcorn movie: if you go in without overinflated expectations then you'll have fun.

Originally Posted by rjshae
Yes, I found it to be decent. It has some flaws, but I enjoyed it enough to play it through to the endgame. To me it's like a popcorn movie: if you go in without overinflated expectations then you'll have fun.

This, exactly. DA2 is not a terrible game by itself, but compared to its predecessor it's a big let down. Definitely made for the console crowd with short attention spans and shallow thought processes.

I did enjoy the Qunari plot, though. And listening to the Arishok… *purr*

Originally Posted by azarhal
Liking or not the writing have noting to do with it being typical Bioware fare. It's the presentation and the formula that matter. DA follow the KoTOR/JadeEmpire/MassEffect formula: cutscenes, fixed protagonists and lots of comic book imports (companions, overdose of humor, etc).

Doesn't that describe lots of non-Bioware games as well?