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.

"A lot of fantasy games, traditionally, have been high fantasy - Tolkienesque fantasy, where good battles evil. And there's another end of that spectrum, the low fantasy, which is a lot darker. Dragon Age is right in the middle - dark, heroic fantasy is what we're calling it - and it's the best of both worlds."
So, we can expect a certain amount of heroism, but nothing like a couple of naive wee hobbits chucking rocks at a Nazgul. Certainly, the clip we're shown through, which features a battle between Elves and Werewolves - doesn't play out as Disney fans might expect. The Blight vs. Grey Wardens theme might be High Fantasy, but the decisions you'll make will often seem less than heroic. During the presentation, those decisions were presented to us, as you'd expect, in the traditional dialogue tree. But to its credit, there was very little of the obvious good, evil, and neutral options that plague the genre. It was just options. And because the situation wasn't as morally straightforward as killing or rescuing a wide-eyed child, every side had a fairly valid point.
Muzyka expands on that. "Dragon Age has got that optimistic side, but it's got a dark side. Every choice has a consequence, and you need to feel that there are no safe or perfect choices. No choice feels purely good: you've got to think about what you want, and how your choice might move you towards that. So you're going to get a very different experience, depending on what choices you make."

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.

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
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.

"A lot of fantasy games, traditionally, have been high fantasy - Tolkienesque fantasy, where good battles evil. And there's another end of that spectrum, the low fantasy, which is a lot darker."

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.

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

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.

Originally Posted by Hamnoo
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'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.

Originally Posted by Hamnoo
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.

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.

Originally Posted by rune_74
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?)

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.

Originally Posted by screeg
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.

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.

Originally Posted by screeg
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)?

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?