Epic has a name, and it’s not Dragon Age 2
Near the end of 2009, gamers were able to rejoice, for Dragon Age Origins had brought them long needed joy. Filled with memorable characters and an epic storyline that continues to grow, the game certainly was praised and hyped by fans who eagerly awaited more from this game. And downloadable content soon came, expanding the universe of the games, and it was…decent. For awhile now, it seemed the fires Dragon Age had brought were now dying down, at least until the true sequel had come to reclaim its throne. After much eager anticipation, especially from Bioware’s many other video game franchises such as Mass Effect, fans were on the edge of their seats for what they expected to be perhaps the greatest game of all time! Mass Effect 2 had done the near impossible, so surely Dragon Age 2 could do the same, and give us a better game, right?
What we got however wasn’t quite what we expected. Instead, we have a rather decent, yet disappointing game on ours. Dragon Age 2 is good, but certainly not epic. Problems are few in number however, thankfully, and most are mere nitpicking. But after slaving 40 hours, problems were far easier to find. While the game does look gorgeous and environments are richly detailed to look at, they tend to repeat throughout the entire game. And while sometimes it does make sense, for other times, it does not, and you are forced to spend your time traversing the exact same map you have gone through thirty times in a row. There is variety in some places, sure, but it feels like it’s being rehashed, and it’s a waste for such potential in this game. In fact, this was the exact same mistake they made in the original Mass Effect game!
For those who do not know what I am talking about and have not played Mass Effect 1, then allow me to explain: One of the problems with Mass Effect was the sidequests. While some were interesting, others were a bore, and they all had nearly one thing in common: having the EXACT same environments time and time again. In Mass Effect’s case, it is less forgivable since there are different planets, but Dragon Age cannot dodge this bullet. But hey, at least everything is prettier now, especially when compared with the DAO. It was good, sure, but nothing mindblowing.
Combat on the other hand is faster, forcing you to be apart of the action as opposed to waiting it out as you issue commands to your squad. It is near identical to Dragon Age Origins with mapping commands to the rest of the buttons and the radial menu, so old comers should feel somewhat at ease. And it definitely tries to earn its M rating with its brutality, making Mortal Kombat jealous. While it certainly feels good to hack into enemies Dynasty Warriors style, there are times where ally AI just completely stops. It’s not frequent, but it’s noticeable unless you are doing all of the work. And aside from that, classes do work as well as you might expect, with mages seemingly the most powerful class, able to take down foes faster than anyone I can see. It is a bit satisfying to feel like you are part of combat, but because of this hack and slash venture, tactics are dwindled down, making strategists not feel quite at home anymore, though enemies don’t stand still all the time and require effort to beat. Money is also a bit harder to find now, and if you managed to get the Blackstone Imperium (can’t remember the name) content, prepare to be taunted by the expensive items staring at you.
But aside from those two points, Dragon Age 2 suffers most when it comes to storytelling, one of its prime factors needed to carry the franchise. It isn’t bad, and dialogue is quite clever and entertaining, matching the amazing cast of characters and companions given to you, but it lacks focus at times and is spread out too thin. Though I have to admit, finding all the pieces in the story is a bit fun, as well as seeing what the world you created in Dragon Age Origins interact with Dragon Age 2, and even see familiar faces, assuming you let them live in the first game. Needless to say, I do like seeing the familiar gang. Also character/creature changes are in effect, so darkspawn are now different, as are the Qunari, who I have to admit, look more badass. A shame Sten didn’t make it in the game though.
Despite everything however, these problems are simple nitpickings compared to what you actually do have, for interacting with characters is certainly the best part of this game, with friendships and rivalries able to be formed between your friends But Bioware is going to have to do better to satisfy its fans, for while this is not a terrible game. Dragon Age 2 is a good game, but it fails to live up to the hype it was going for.
Dragon Age 2 barely manages to earn a 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend renting the game first before purchasing, for Dragon Age Origins fans may not be pleased with what they are playing. For me though, despite the problems, I still like to have fun with it. I mean it’s not like its Xenosaga 2 or anything….THANK GOD it isn’t Xenosaga 2, or Final Fantasy XIII for that matter. But try the demo at least, and if you hate that, you will not love this game.
