Dragon Age - Hands On @ Eurogamer
 

Jon Blyth writes his impressions on an early dungeon crawl in DA:O, while Ray Muzyka informs on the maturity of the game.
They've a batch of screens up also.
More information.

I must be missing something. The EB release date for this is late Nov, yet we are experiencing a barrage of coverage. Is there a closer release date out there that I should plan on? Thanks.

I guess the coverage was planned before the game was pushed back. I also guess what's being shown has been toned down a little because of the extended release date.

This is a great time of year to get people excited for the stuff coming all year, then lay off, then remind them again, lay off, then the full barrage.

That actually sounds a little bit interesting again. I like what they say about the death system -- not ideal, for sure, but a sight better than the "get up and dust yourself off" thing BW usually does. I also like the noises they're making about moral ambiguity, even if that's all they are at this point (noises, that is).

Interest rallies 220 bp.

I agree, they made some of the right noises in this preview. i can never get on the hype train with Bioware titles (although I tend to at least like them), but this sounds rather good. The Origins alone sound like an interesting feature.

Is this a common rule ? Why couldn't be low-fantasy light as well, and high-fantasy dark ?

One of the other previews mentioned a "tactics system" that sounds a whole lot like Final Fantasy 12's Gambit System, which provided a more streamlined rendition of Bioware's own AI scripting system they created for the Infinity Engine games. FF12's system was extremely deep and rewarding (by far, the best and most memorable thing about that game). If it is anything like that, I'll be quite pleased.

I know I won't be buying this game when it comes out because of this stupid delay.

No money deserved for a late console synchronised release.

I haven't cared about single player for years, so maybe I'm in the minority, but I can just not get interested the least in this.

I think what he's saying relates to black/white vs shades of gray fantasy. High being either/or and low being more "realistic" and open.

Either way, expect a strong story focus that doesn't allow for much gray ;)

Wake me up in November, that is, if the console versions don't suffer a delay which would obviously make the PC version be re-delayed.

I've never understood people who get all bunched up in the shorts over a delayed release. It's a game; who really cares? Play it when it comes out.

Sounds pretty nice so far imo.
Looking forward to it.

To bad they delayed it though, would have been nice with a new game earlier in the year.

1) we don't really know why they delayed it.
2) We don't know any of the changes to the game for consoles.
3) your loss.

Comments like that make absolutely no sense, unless you all have inside knowledge why it was delayed. I'll play it and have fun(remember fun is what games are about right?)

rune_74, can you categorically confirm you are not on the payroll of any major game developer, or perhaps of some shadowy behind-the-scenes conglomerate of AAA game developers? Why is it in any thread where a criticism, any criticism, is leveled at a big company you're always there to get their back (as the kids like to say)?

Regarding BW's promise to have tough choices, consequences, et al, I'll reserve judgment on that until I've played it. Why all the baby steps anyway? The people in charge have been making games for decades. If they wanted choice & consequences they could have implemented it at any time. It's a matter of writing, and that isn't restricted (I hope) by a game engine.

Official response is something like 'part we need time to polish, part because EA wanted a simultaneous release with the consoles'. My guess is that maybe they wanted an extra month to polish it, but EA wanted a simultaneous console release, so instead of 1 month it's now 9 months.
It wouldn't be a big deal if the devs hadn't originally said that the game was a PC exclusive first, then months later they said it would come also on consoles, but PC version first and foremost, now it seems more and more to be a console game first and foremost, but of course, only time will tell.

EDIT: BTW I'm still interested in the game, and will probably buy it when it comes out, being lied to still sucks though.

"So, we can expect a certain amount of heroism, but nothing like a couple of naive wee hobbits chucking rocks at a Nazgul."

Heroism? Naive? Those hobbits fought for their survival.

I wish I was on a payroll…I was just giving a voice of reason here. It seems on any RPG based website that any company not indie(and even some of them) have some hidden agenda to take away all things rpg from us….in reality its a business so they will do certain things that make sense to them. It has nothing to do with stabbing fans in the back or anything like that…alot of times (most times) its about money.

It just seems this is a mountain made out of a mole hill.

I'd like to know why the same people always seem to want to criticise any and all game development companies/publishers? Are they in the employ of the criminal underworld and pirates? ;)

I haven't time fto find the qoute from Chris P. right now, but I do believe that in either flem1's thread or Hawkeyed Cai Li's thread, he told them over beer (and dinner) in N.Y. that the development team were very releaved that the game's release date was push back (probably to around sept/oct -- don't tell anyone, though)

Also, in both threads you will get to know that the game crashed rather frequently, not for Cai LI or Flem1but for other people who played the game; in the videos you will also see 'invalid path' appearing. This is clearly a bug of some sorts….

As for naive Hobbits, yes, they might have been haive Hobbits when they left the SHIRE, but through the events of the books, they became much more than that; the truly became heroes. And I would have wanted Bioware to have been more bold than just create a sort of in the middle story between Tolkien and Martin (song of fire and ice). I wanted the dark heroic setting in which magic is low, there is no healing potions etc. etc.

Still, I'm looking and hoping - remaing optimistic - yet also being somewhat cautious.

I will be buying it on release day. Would have preferred a first half of 2009 release seeing as their's virtually no crpg's scheduled now.

I know what Chris said to the guys who went to the dinner. But he is trying to safe face for BW by trying very hard to convince people they needed such a long delay.

a Delay was always expect. what we expected was a 1-3 month delay that always happens with crpg games, witcher also had such a delay. What we didn't expect was EA's meddling to cause a 6 to 8 month delay.

We always expect EA to meddle, it's what they do. What we didn't expect was such a long delay. EA is notorious for pushing games out before they are ready (U9 anyone) and then considering maybe ONE patch!!

Well….um shouldn't we be happy they did delay it long enough to fix some instead of spitting it out not ready? Am I missing something here?

That is fine - and I think that nobody here really disputes it. However, the press release is talking about moonbeans and unicorns … when we all know it is about higher sales abd buffering against piracy-loss. Be honest with us … we can take it.

Well, I was going to say that I'm not upset in the least with the delay, provided the end result is a polished product; then someone above reminded me that EA was involved. So much for that hope.

To be fair to EA they seem to have gotten better at that…Dead Space was pretty polished.

Anyone know if Dragon Age will come with installation limits like Mass Effect? If so, I refuse to purchase this game on principle.

I think they mentioned it will have something different….correct me if I'm wrong anybody?

No kidding, so they delayed it, big deal. It's not like we have to just wait around and twiddle our thumbs until the release at the end of the year.

Did everybody forget about Drakensang? That is supposed to be out this month or how about Risen that's will be out in a few months or FEAR 2 or maybe if you still feel outraged then instead of playing games go for a hike, some exercise will help get rid of some of that anger :lol:

PC gamer's preview said DA will have a different drm system to ME. But nothing has been disclosed on what this actually means.

If Drakensang is getting released this month I have no idea if I will be able to get it. None of the local etailers have it on preorder. So pretty its playing my old classic crpgs until something decent gets released which judging by the release schedule will only be in the second half of the year.

You can get Drakensang from ebgames and gamestop and it will be released in 8 days (at least according to ebgames and gamestop)
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/Produ…spx?sku=647521
or gamestop
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/Prod…spx?sku=647521

From Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Eye-Drake…4259940&sr=8-1
They say it will be released on the 24th.

For everyone from europe you can get it here:
http://www.game.co.uk/PC/RolePlaying…/?s=drakensang
They say it will be released next month.

and you can always check the main page of this site for the expected release. It's a little box in the right hand part of the screen :) I love that feature.
http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/reference?ref=0&id=136

Ok, back to the topic of burning DA at the stake. I just wanted to give some people who aren't happy with the release date something to look foreward to in the meantime.:biggrin:

Yes, I bet you can. But can 90% of the rest of the market? I fear not.

By that you're saying that the game isn't really being marketed at Mike's spectrum of the market, and that Bioware are being somewhat dishonest here?

I'm thinking of picking up the first Fear when I get a new PC; I'm still posting from various peoples machines atm. Kieron Gillen is less than impressed with the sequel; hopefully it's just one of those shooter-gets-stale on me moments.

I played the demo for FEAR 2 and it was terrible. It felt like a consolized version of the original, very disappointing. Try the demo before wasting your money on the full game.

If you've never played the first FEAR, I highly recommend picking up the Platinum Edition. The original game and it's first expansion were really good.

I agree - but then they shouldn't be surprised when anyone who *can* handle it calls them out as not being trustworthy.

For some reason, this phrase just strikes me wrong. Fairness + EA = hmmm…

Thanx for the info but none of it really applies to me. None of those listed ship to Africa. Amazon has the ridiculous policy of not shipping games to africa,books are fine but they won't ship games.

I know I had a bad t aste in my mouth when I typed that….but what I said was true.