If there is to be any vitriol, I'd rather it be based on what the game actually is
Well, after playing it for about 40 hours, definitely no vitriol from me
.
I may be not 100% content with every aspect of the game, but I find all aspects to be at least good, with majority being great. And Dragon Age is simply overflowing with aspects! There´s just a lot of different ways how to be entertained.
Along with the overall great attention to detail, it makes for really rich and multifaceted experience and I think that there wasn´t a game this stuffed with various kinds of well crafted content since Baldur´s Gate 2.
Probably what surprised me the most is that you guys really took no prisoners at making combat difficult at harder settings which I´m really glad for.
While I enjoy the art direction, reading codex, dialogues etc, these things are more-or-less passive kinds of entertainment so it´s really great there´s demanding combat with well designed encounters to balance it out, and the game thus doesn´t fall into the AAA interactive movie trap.
Also, based on previews I was pretty sure voice acting will be sub par and, well, now I actually think it´s best since Bloodlines
. Given the sheer amount of it, this is really a remarkable feature.
Finally, since you´re the Bioware writing guy, I´d like to add that writing rocks too.
While I don´t think there´s a lot of provocative uniqueness to the characters and stories, it´s all written in a way that, as Dhruin put it, just sucks player in.
Every companion is interesting and has distinctive "voice", side quests and the main storyline feel very natural and sufficiently intriguing and, along with a boatload of lore, make for a highly immersive experience.
To sorta sum it up, I have a strong feeling this game was created by enthusiasts who had a lot of genuine fun during a process which I consider a real wonder given the game´s AAAness.
Anyway, big thanks and thumbs up from me!
P.S.: Ditch the saboteurs from the marketing.