Comments | prisoner__24601: Dragon Age 2 Review

prisoner__24601

Dragon Age 2 Review

Mar 20, 2011 13:44

So I finished Dragon Age 2 a few days ago, and am now on my second playthrough. All in all, I have to say that I had great fun, more fun actually than playing through the first game.

( Cut for major spoilers and a very long post )

Comments 11

mutive March 20 2011, 17:54:28 UTC

I actually liked the game a whole lot better than DA:O, too. Just the elimination of the grueling "spend 20 hours killing things in sequence" parts made me happy! And I agree that I loved asshat Anders (who totally delivered on his promise to hurt Hawke!) and moral choices that were ambiguous. I also liked that the companions got their own lives. Wee ( ... )

prisoner__24601 March 21 2011, 11:25:57 UTC

Yeah, Orsino was actually pretty reasonable - or at least it seemed like he was and then he went all batshit crazy in the end and that was sort of annoying. I mean, they could have just had him fall in battle, or Meredith kill him or whatever. Both of them didn't have to get possessed, lol. Or vice versa if you played someone who sided with the Templars.

And that's a good point that they went too far on a lot of the choices to the point that it as sort of ridiculous. You weren't the only one eyerolling there, lol.

mutive March 21 2011, 16:18:54 UTC

Yeah, Orsino did seem reasonable (other than his note to guy who kills your Mom). But so did Meredith (she was against the tranquil solution, after all. A lot of the templars are more batshit insane than she was, pre-possession, anyway. And her attitudes make a lot of sense.) I was so annoyed by the "they both must be possessed and die" thing. Like, I can 100% see Orsino as a blood mage. Even as doing some creepy things to win. But if you're helping him? Like...why? The same with Meredith. I can see her gladly killing all mages...but when you're on her side? Like, WTF?

I think I would have minded the over the top bits less in a less realistic game. But this one was trying so hard for gritty realism, and then destroyed it from time to time with their possession crap. *sigh*

prisoner__24601 March 22 2011, 12:34:56 UTC

Woah, he was working with the guy who killed mama Hawke? I must have totally missed that in my playthrough, or maybe it's something you find out only if you side with the Templars?

But I definitely agree that the Templars sort of have a point considering how many possessed bloodmages there are running around the city. And that they could have been a bit more creative and less over the top in how you resolved the ending.

Thread 5

kosiah March 20 2011, 21:10:32 UTC

On the same page and a similar playthrough, although I spared anders so we could run off into the wilderness together, at which point I figure my hawk will realize she's been a complete idiot. Maybe. Or maybe carver will hunt her down and kill her.

I did kind of love how all Thr romance options were crazy people with issues though. Merrills quest bugged out on me so we never finished it, but Isabella certainly was pretty crazy too, and fen ris hated mages beyond all reason. Still, somehow he sided with us at the end. Sebastian was the only party member I lost.

Varric is awesome. Agree on the romance option.

I don't think the game will be a huge success though. And at times I was really bugged by The linearity of it all. All bioware games pretty much lead you by the rails down one path or another, but in this one it felt even more pronounced.

prisoner__24601 March 21 2011, 11:31:40 UTC

Heh, I love the idea of Carver trying to hunt her down and kill her, except that I'm not sure Carver could actually find his ass with both hands. Omg was that kid whiny, but I have to admit that antagonizing him was a lot of fun.

It is pretty linear, especially considering that you end up at the same place in the end. On the other hand, I'm sort of wondering if this is because they needed to design it that way to keep the choices down if you import your save to a direct sequel? That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

I'm not sure if the game will be a big success either. There has certainly been a lot of bitching from the fans, some of which I think is valid, some of which I think is sort of goofy whining.

(The comment has been removed)

prisoner__24601 March 22 2011, 12:23:23 UTC

I truly have a gift for chaos in this game, lol.

foxfire74 March 22 2011, 00:11:46 UTC

I enjoyed the hell out of it and am replaying (rogue!Hawke this time) and can't really add much to your post other than "Yeah, that". I do have this constant slight niggle with the DA games, though, that there's so much "look how grimdark we're being" that there's no room for...grace, for lack of a better word. When every choice you make has this "you're gonna fuck up no matter what" vibe, it gets a bit grating. (Regardless, it'll take some work to make myself side with the Templars in the endgame, because I can't make myself come down on the side of "immediate slaughter of men, women and children" versus "possible future Very Bad Things". *commences mental gymnastics ( ... )

prisoner__24601 March 22 2011, 12:29:50 UTC

You know, I'm playing a pro-Templar warrior right now who is over protective of baby sister and is getting increasingly freaked out by mages. I thought it would be hard, but considering the number of mages that totally flip shit in this game, I'm sort of seeing where the Templars are coming from. Really that's what I like about this game - that both sides have a legitimate point, but then they go to complete extremes.

But yeah, I agree with them definitely trying for the grimdark and how that can be sort of limiting and grating at times. On the other hand, I have to give them credit for going where they did with Anders because I never thought they'd have the guts to do that with an extremely popular character and love interest.

eaglelives December 3 2011, 16:59:01 UTC

The thing is Pris, you didn't start any wars or make any decisions. This is one of DA2's (MANY) huge flaws. The Anders blowing up the chantry happens whether you help him or not, along with basically every other fucking quest in the game.

The combat and the level design were improvements? The huge amount of waves that spawn in stupid places all the time? So like sensible people you put your fragile mages somewhere to look after them and as it turns out, they're way better off in the front line? This makes no sense. The level design was a step backwards, especially as they used about 5 levels during the course of the whole game. Not to mention the inability to give melee characters ranged weapons and vice versa made it impossible to have a versatile group so you were either good at coping with waves of enemies and woeful at killing bosses, or good at killing bosses and woeful at dealing with waves of enemies, no inbetween.

Also, how on earth did you not get Isabela's friendship up? It's the easiest thing to do in the world because ( ... )