I just completed my first play-through of Dragon Age 2. I loved Dragon Age: Origins and DA: Awakenings. I keep going back because the story and characters grabbed me. I thought, “Ah, ha! Games are becoming true interactive stories!” Unfortunately, DA2 does not live up to that promise.  In good story-telling, the protagonist has to want something deeply. Otherwise, why bother with all the trials and tribulations the author is going to put her through? The writers of DA2 missed this almost entirely. Making this even more frustrating was the clear indications that there was a through-story possible, even perhaps a couple. It is true that the story becomes more focused in Act 3, but there the writers garbled things so badly that the story once again became lost. My character kept getting accused of supporting one faction when I’d consistently made choices to support the other. And, of course, this caused me to have to keep killing people I wanted to support. How frustrating and irritating. And how easily fixed with good writing.

The characters were also lacking, particularly in the ability to interact. I had no problem with creating my character, even though I was restricted to only a human. Other players have complained about this and for an RPG, I can understand the frustration.  More frustrating for me was having to jump to various locations to visit the other characters, rather than having the “camp” used in DA:O. And when I did visit, more times than not, there were no meaningful interactions available. Other players have complained that the party members lack definition and character. I disagree, at least at one level. But with the restriction of interaction, it did feel like the characters were nowhere near as developed as in DA:O. And again, there was so much potential the writers missed.

Now for the other aspects of the game.

Graphics: I did like the more intense pallet used, but initially wasn’t impressed. After I downloaded the high-res texture pack for the PC, the graphics looked a lot better, but there was still something lacking in the textures used, particularly for facial features and clothing.  Another let-down was the reuse of only a few maps, over and over and over again.

Sound/Music: Another disappointment. The music from DA:O is haunting. The song Lelianna sings in camp sends shivers down my spine. I’ve even downloaded a copy of the song it’s so beautiful. There was nothing memorable in DA2. Sound effects were good, though.

Gameplay: Boring. Repetitious and boring. Yes, it’s faster, but all the tactical demands of DA:O have been eliminated.  Enemies spawn out of nowhere and just keep coming and coming. Hack and slash to your heart’s content and beyond until finally Anders asks, “Is everyone alive?” No positioning, setting traps (I don’t think there are any traps to set). Perhaps on “Nightmare” setting it gets more tactical, I don’t know. I do know that if I switch to another character, my original one runs off somewhere else.  Also, you cannot equip characters with both ranged and melee weapons, One choice, that’s all. Warriors get a choice between greatsword or longsword. No dual weapons such as I came to love in DA:O.

You also cannot give your companions armor/robes. Only your own character gets  that ability.  Crafting has been eliminated in favor of “ordering” potions…though not health, mana or stamina potions. Those you still have to find a vendor to sell.

Overall:

This game felt dumbed down, probably in an effort to grab the young (read teen) male crowd who seem to prefer action games rather than speculative fiction games. The butt-swaying of my character when she walked/ran likely is an indication of the marketing focus (as was Isabella who gratefully left the party when I didn’t go along with her thievery).  Too bad the developers forgot there are other people who buy/play games.

Tags: dragon age 2
Current Mood: disappointed