In which Issa talks Dragon Age 2.
My copy of DA 2 came in the mail last Tuesday. Unfortunately, I still wasn't finished with my playthrough of Origins and I hadn't started Awakening yet either, so the Amazon package sat on my kitchen table unopened until late Friday night. (Okay, early Saturday morning.) I rushed through Awakening instead of building up all my companion's friendships (except for Nathaniel, because Nate/Moira = ♥ and all. His approval bar was all the way to the right like usual.) I was also highly geeky and wound up taking shots of my game with my camera - the TV didn't want to cooperate with me, so all the glitched shots where it looks like Nate and Moira are hanging around really close to the other that I thought "oooh, icons!" turned out looking like crap. Oh well. I might post them up on bossy_muses just for fun anyway.
Saturday was spent playing in the dirt over at Mom and Dad's. Dad and I did yardwork and then Mom and I cleaned out the front flowerbed. I had no idea that Wandering Jude could make such a root ball and root network that nearly ran all the way across the entire length of their flowerbed. No wonder we could never get rid of that stuff! I went home tanned-yet-not-quite-sunburnt, tired, and with sandy soil in my contacts (it was windy and they really need to amend the soil for the front flowers.) All in all, it was a great day. I'm usually cooped up in an office without windows for 8 hours and then I go home and stay indoors, so being outside with family was a very nice change of pace.
After a shower and something to eat, I fired up the XBox and imported my games. Non-spoilery, I really like this game. I have an issue with the combat controls: I found that if you're facing a large group of baddies and just hit the A button, I had a tendency to just slash at air instead of moving onto the next available target. It's not a big issue that it gets annoying, and besides a funny glitch where the main character was stuck holding weapons (or seen not holding weapons but still fighting) that was resolved by reloading my last save, that's all I have to nitpick about. The graphics are fantastic; I like the look of the characters and the expansive, sprawling city that you get to explore. This is what I wished we could see in Origins and Awakening; I would have loved to move around Highever or Denerim or Amaranthine in this much detail. I haven't gotten very far (I think where I stopped Sunday could probably count as an "end of act one" by the way that the action and narration picked up) but I'm interested to see where the storyline and character development lead into.
Okay, now for the spoiler bit:
Is Varric not the coolest person EVAR Y/Y?! I'm kind of glad that he's not a romance option, because he's more like the guy that you always hang out with that always has something interesting or snarky to say. I've kept him on my roster for the majority of the time and I love the stuff that comes out of his mouth. "I'm really getting tired of seeing stalagtites. Or are they stalagmites? Shit, I don't know." And I love how he starts talking about Bianca mid-battle. Gotta love a guy who names their crossbow. Hawke and him were nearly all the way to the end of the friendship bar way before going into the Deep Roads.
I'm enjoying the narration as well, especially when Cassandra calls bullshit on his "embellishments". I thought that the whole Flemeth-in-the-amulet was a nice way to wrap up the "woah, waitaminute. I killed her off in Origins, WTF?" loose end. OMG FLEMETH WENT TO SCHOOL WITH VOLDEMORT. LOOPHOLES, WE HAS THEM. I APPROVE. (and now I kinda want to see a Flemeth + Voldemort horcrux conversation)
Aveline is my tank, even though she's waffling from friendship to rivalry. My Hawke would so get along with Moira. I'm playing the LadyHawke rogue for Playthough #1, but I'll more than likely go through all the other options later on. I like how Templars can get married, and I hope that something happens with Aveline and the guardsman, because I've already gotten attached and want something good to happen for her. After realizing that she's more of the straight-and-narrow type chracter and leaving her behind for some of the more shady deals, she and Hawke are just about BFFs.
And Mamma!Hawke. I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR HER. I was listening to one of the earliest cutscenes and literally sat up at attention and went "That's Eleanor!" I got curious and looked it up on IMDB today and YES IT IS. MAMMA HAWKE = MAMMA COUSLAND, WHICH MAKES ME GO SQUEE. If the same person that did Bryce's voice shows up in this game, I WILL DIE OF HAPPINESS. That goes double if someone turns up with Varel's voice actor.
Speaking of voices, how cool is it that Balthier is in this game?! I was going to be open and see who would be romance options before heading straight to Anders, but then I played Awakening and decided to go ahead and flirt like crazy with the boy, but THEN. Fenris stabbed HIS WHOLE HAND through some guy and STARTED TALKING and I was all "Anders who?"
I MEAN, IT'S BALTHIER! AND YOU GET TO FLIRT WITH HIM! I AM SO TORN RIGHT NOW ON WHO TO PICK THAT IT ISN'T FUNNY.
Anders is sort of making it easier for me though, because he hit a MAJOR sour note with me with the explanation as to why Ser Pounce is not with him. "The other Wardens made me leave him, they said he made me too soft." Yeah, whatever dude. Your Warden-Commander GAVE you the cat; they have the final say so. And besides, when did you ever care what others thought about you, Anders? Eff them. At least he said that he gave Pounce to a friend in Amaranthine, so now I have a feeling that Moira found herself with a new pet.
I've got mixed feelings about the whole Anders + Justice = a sort of Hulked-out Vengeance thing, especially when it comes to romancing him. On one hand, I'm sure that it could (and more than likely will be, if the writing continues to be as awesome as it is) be great character development, but on the other, I'm so afraid that they're going to make him into a tragic figure that's not going to make it to the end of the game. I'm so used to an Anders that's flippant and snarky and "I don't wear robes when I'm naked" that this heavier version is taking some getting used to. We'll have to see.
I'm about 99.9% sure that this playthough will be Hawke/Fenris, even if the only other save import I have right now is my Amell (Do you think that the Amell in Origins and the Amell side of Hawke's family [the side known to have lots of mages] are related, or was that just me stretching?) and I 'ship Theodora/Anders like crazypants, which means that I'll more than likely play Hawke as a guy who attempts to romance either Isabela or Merrill.
OH! Those of you that pre-ordered early and got the deluxe edition of the game: do you have to download anything in order to unlock Sebastian? I'm hoping that it's a no, because I really don't feel like signing up for an XBox Live account JUST to get one character. If that's the case, then I'm just going to have to live vicariously though everyone else, like I did for Shale.
BUT WHEN DO WE GET TO SEE NATHANIEL?! Rumors that he would make an appearance ONLY if you imported your Awakening game was the only reason I spent two days rushing through everything. Can't a girl get her Howe fix? That being said, I love that Sandal and his dad are back for this one. I missed them. ENCHANTMENT!
In closing, I give this game two thumbs up. Can't wait to see where everything goes.
And I've gotten plot bunnies. Why can't I get bunnies for the story I haven't finished instead of something new? *grumbles*
Saturday was spent playing in the dirt over at Mom and Dad's. Dad and I did yardwork and then Mom and I cleaned out the front flowerbed. I had no idea that Wandering Jude could make such a root ball and root network that nearly ran all the way across the entire length of their flowerbed. No wonder we could never get rid of that stuff! I went home tanned-yet-not-quite-sunburnt, tired, and with sandy soil in my contacts (it was windy and they really need to amend the soil for the front flowers.) All in all, it was a great day. I'm usually cooped up in an office without windows for 8 hours and then I go home and stay indoors, so being outside with family was a very nice change of pace.
After a shower and something to eat, I fired up the XBox and imported my games. Non-spoilery, I really like this game. I have an issue with the combat controls: I found that if you're facing a large group of baddies and just hit the A button, I had a tendency to just slash at air instead of moving onto the next available target. It's not a big issue that it gets annoying, and besides a funny glitch where the main character was stuck holding weapons (or seen not holding weapons but still fighting) that was resolved by reloading my last save, that's all I have to nitpick about. The graphics are fantastic; I like the look of the characters and the expansive, sprawling city that you get to explore. This is what I wished we could see in Origins and Awakening; I would have loved to move around Highever or Denerim or Amaranthine in this much detail. I haven't gotten very far (I think where I stopped Sunday could probably count as an "end of act one" by the way that the action and narration picked up) but I'm interested to see where the storyline and character development lead into.
Okay, now for the spoiler bit:
Is Varric not the coolest person EVAR Y/Y?! I'm kind of glad that he's not a romance option, because he's more like the guy that you always hang out with that always has something interesting or snarky to say. I've kept him on my roster for the majority of the time and I love the stuff that comes out of his mouth. "I'm really getting tired of seeing stalagtites. Or are they stalagmites? Shit, I don't know." And I love how he starts talking about Bianca mid-battle. Gotta love a guy who names their crossbow. Hawke and him were nearly all the way to the end of the friendship bar way before going into the Deep Roads.
I'm enjoying the narration as well, especially when Cassandra calls bullshit on his "embellishments". I thought that the whole Flemeth-in-the-amulet was a nice way to wrap up the "woah, waitaminute. I killed her off in Origins, WTF?" loose end. OMG FLEMETH WENT TO SCHOOL WITH VOLDEMORT. LOOPHOLES, WE HAS THEM. I APPROVE. (and now I kinda want to see a Flemeth + Voldemort horcrux conversation)
Aveline is my tank, even though she's waffling from friendship to rivalry. My Hawke would so get along with Moira. I'm playing the LadyHawke rogue for Playthough #1, but I'll more than likely go through all the other options later on. I like how Templars can get married, and I hope that something happens with Aveline and the guardsman, because I've already gotten attached and want something good to happen for her. After realizing that she's more of the straight-and-narrow type chracter and leaving her behind for some of the more shady deals, she and Hawke are just about BFFs.
And Mamma!Hawke. I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR HER. I was listening to one of the earliest cutscenes and literally sat up at attention and went "That's Eleanor!" I got curious and looked it up on IMDB today and YES IT IS. MAMMA HAWKE = MAMMA COUSLAND, WHICH MAKES ME GO SQUEE. If the same person that did Bryce's voice shows up in this game, I WILL DIE OF HAPPINESS. That goes double if someone turns up with Varel's voice actor.
Speaking of voices, how cool is it that Balthier is in this game?! I was going to be open and see who would be romance options before heading straight to Anders, but then I played Awakening and decided to go ahead and flirt like crazy with the boy, but THEN. Fenris stabbed HIS WHOLE HAND through some guy and STARTED TALKING and I was all "Anders who?"
I MEAN, IT'S BALTHIER! AND YOU GET TO FLIRT WITH HIM! I AM SO TORN RIGHT NOW ON WHO TO PICK THAT IT ISN'T FUNNY.
Anders is sort of making it easier for me though, because he hit a MAJOR sour note with me with the explanation as to why Ser Pounce is not with him. "The other Wardens made me leave him, they said he made me too soft." Yeah, whatever dude. Your Warden-Commander GAVE you the cat; they have the final say so. And besides, when did you ever care what others thought about you, Anders? Eff them. At least he said that he gave Pounce to a friend in Amaranthine, so now I have a feeling that Moira found herself with a new pet.
I've got mixed feelings about the whole Anders + Justice = a sort of Hulked-out Vengeance thing, especially when it comes to romancing him. On one hand, I'm sure that it could (and more than likely will be, if the writing continues to be as awesome as it is) be great character development, but on the other, I'm so afraid that they're going to make him into a tragic figure that's not going to make it to the end of the game. I'm so used to an Anders that's flippant and snarky and "I don't wear robes when I'm naked" that this heavier version is taking some getting used to. We'll have to see.
I'm about 99.9% sure that this playthough will be Hawke/Fenris, even if the only other save import I have right now is my Amell (Do you think that the Amell in Origins and the Amell side of Hawke's family [the side known to have lots of mages] are related, or was that just me stretching?) and I 'ship Theodora/Anders like crazypants, which means that I'll more than likely play Hawke as a guy who attempts to romance either Isabela or Merrill.
OH! Those of you that pre-ordered early and got the deluxe edition of the game: do you have to download anything in order to unlock Sebastian? I'm hoping that it's a no, because I really don't feel like signing up for an XBox Live account JUST to get one character. If that's the case, then I'm just going to have to live vicariously though everyone else, like I did for Shale.
BUT WHEN DO WE GET TO SEE NATHANIEL?! Rumors that he would make an appearance ONLY if you imported your Awakening game was the only reason I spent two days rushing through everything. Can't a girl get her Howe fix? That being said, I love that Sandal and his dad are back for this one. I missed them. ENCHANTMENT!
In closing, I give this game two thumbs up. Can't wait to see where everything goes.
And I've gotten plot bunnies. Why can't I get bunnies for the story I haven't finished instead of something new? *grumbles*