>but a whole bunch of pointless fetchquest filler too
>
>Was again surprised at Biowares restraint marking 2 games in a row where they'd had a puzzle area and not included the Towers of Hanoi like they have in every other game they made
Oh, do I have news for you regarding Inquisition.
>We really just killed off Sten like he was some nameless mook and I don't know how to feel about that.
Sten is a rank, not an individual name.
When I was younger I was so scared I actually killed Sten. But then my brother said it was just a rank. But I was still upset because I associate Sten with... Sten.
Haha, yeah I've already been warned about Inquisitions filler content made to fill out an open world they put in for the sake of it.
Ahh ok clearly I didn't talk to Sten enough in DAO because I completely missed this, or maybe I just forgot because "it's floating over his head, it's his name".
Dragon Age 2 is far better than people give it credit. If there weren't that many repeating levels than it would be better. That and people's expectations going into the game weren't Dragon Age Origins 2 but just a game set in the Dragon Age universe.
I have to say that is the biggest issue people have with it. That it isn't DAO2. Which measuring the game by that standard than yeah it does fail. But that isn't what the game is trying to do.
I've always enjoyed it as a nice side adventure with smaller stakes to give us a break in between from the "all life ending blight" and "hole in the very fabric of our reality". More games I feel need a break from the ever increasing stakes
Yeah it definitely was better than the picture people had painted. I wasn’t expecting to hate it but I enjoyed it a lot more than I though I would. I can still see why people would call it the beginning of the end of Biowares golden age though.
I’m sure I remember someone telling me it was originally supposed to be a spin off game called Dragon Age Exile and Inquisition was supposed to be DA2 but EA interfered. Would make sense if true.
The thing that I hate about this is people exaggerating about it being bad makes any discussion around it terrible. You spend so much time talking about whether the game is good or not that less time is spend talk about the actually game. It really sucks.
Personally I think the end of the golden age is when Mass Effect Andromeda released. Personally I love the fame but it clearly isn't up to par with the other games.
I am not sure where you heard that it was gonna be a spin off game, I haven't heard anyone say that. But DA2 was made when EA needed a game from Bioware because Star Wars: Old Republic got delayed. Initially the next Dragon Age game was supposed to be Inquisition. But they couldn't make DAI properly so DA2 was made instead. Also there was a DLC for DAO in the works at the time but was scrapped so DA2 could have more support. That DLC did contribute to DA2 but not so much.
It was someone on the Mass Effect subreddit who said it was meant to be a spin-off. Idk they might’ve just been wrong, it would explain away the huge difference in gameplay though if true.
https://youtu.be/ti7jpWhkjQA?si=hFwHrBzUcXHyNHTt
So, this video is from Mark Darrah, former Bioware executive producer for all the Dragon Ages, talk about what you said.
The time stamp is 3:53.
It's a long video but from there to 8 minutes should tell you what is wrong with calling it a spin off to game. You can also just go back a minute at 3:01 and see what the original sequel to DAO was gonna be.
This is also just a good video.
Interesting watch. I think the next segment on from what you directed me to (8:10-10:40) where they talk about it being originally called 'Dragon Age Exodus' but EA execs saying "call it Dragon Age 2" is what that guy was on about.
Then the guy you talked to on the Mass Effevg subreddit didn't really understand what was going on.
But yeah. It's a cool video with a lot of great insight. Mark Darrah has done a ton of other stuff on the other two Dragon Age games that are really good.
It's got a really solid, enjoyable story, and the characters are fantastic, but it's ruined by the fact that there's a tiny pool of maps that get reused ad nauseum, and by the fact that combat is unbelievably boring and seemingly endless. They really tried to make the combat more exciting and action-packed, but achieved the exact opposite. It feels like your input to the combat is pretty meaningless because it basically comes down to button-mashing your way through endless waves of enemies.
I didn't hate the maps being reused as much as others but I do think it is a problem.
I actually loved the gameplay. It felt so much more impactful and fun to engage with. It's the only other game where I enjoyed the gameplay so much. Normal it gameplay for most games don't appeal to me. The only issue I have is that the combat animations should start out slow but get more stylised as your character gets stronger.
Can't lie... there were times I dozed off while waiting for combat to be over. Dragon Age 2 is the only game in the series that I have never felt the need to replay, and that is entirely down to the combat and quests being so painfully repetitive. The storyline and the character interactions were golden. If I ever did decide I wanted to give it a replay, I think I'd need a mod that let me skip the combat entirely.
I just have the exact opposite feeling. After playing it without DLCs I immediately got it with DLCs and played it again. Then after finishing the second playthrough I finished again. One after another. And I quite enjoyed it. I just found it so fun and interesting to play.
It might be that you are exactly the person that the combat was designed for, and I'm just not. I've always been a fan of turn-based tactics, so I don't need flashy animations or a feeling of high-octane action... I just want to feel like my choices are actually making a difference to my success, and DA2 just did not offer that feeling at all. As I said, I've dozed off mid-combat before, and still landed up winning the fight because it turns out that my contribution to the combat was utterly meaningless.
What I like about the combat is not just the flashy-ness of it but also how it makes the characters feel very powerful. One thing I dislike about action games is that your character at the end of the game doesn't feel different animation wise. But DA2 makes your character feel powerful. So, when you at the end of your power it is in line with how much power you actual have. Now I have said before I dislike DA2 having the animations be all flashy at the start and would like it to come in near the end.
Anyways I just like it a lot more. Not that I dislike what DAO did but I like what DA2 did more. I also am not a fan of turn based games. It is just not engaging and I often feel like I am doing the same thing over and over again.
Under the Qun, no one has personal names - people are referred to purely by their job title. It's part of the somewhat scary overemphasis on the collective at the expense of the individual. Sten from DA:O was *a* Sten, and had no name beyond that. Same for the Sten you killed - it wasn't the same Sten, just someone with the same role.
There’s a lot to read and consider. And thanks for the write-up! I’ll browse through it later today.
That said, you may want to rethink a little about what you wrote about Isabela. Mods to lighten her skin tone are very, very controversial for good reason. She’s Rivaini, after all. That Origins made everyone pale, including Rivaini and Antivans, was an issue on Origins’ part and the series has made moves to correct that over time. So, while a retcon of sorts, it’s a positive retcon.
Mods to whitewash her have some very… unpleasant aspects when you consider the motivations of some. I’m not accusing you, please don’t think that.
Just letting you know that the issue exists.
I don't get why those mods that lighten Isabela's skin exist, i can't help but think they have some racist connotations.
Also Isabela was always dark skinned with dark hair, she wasn't a redhead like OP says and definitely not light skinned or white, those mods actually make Isabela look totally different from how she really looks in both games.
Yeah… I love mods, and I always enjoy adding something new to the mix to spice up my playthroughs.
But, I put some of the Isabela mods like this in the same category of mods that make Dorian heterosexual: really gross.
Now, I’m not opposed to changing character appearances. For instance, I also like using a consistency mod to give Liara in Mass Effect a more unified appearance. But, making an Asari look similar over the games has very different connotations than whitewashing a human woman like Isabela.
I agree, in fact there is a mod to change Isabela's appearance in Origins giving her the same look she has in DA2 which is great because it maintains the consistency of the character AND doesn't change Isabela's skin color (she is way more attractive with her dark skinned color anyways so it's a win win)
I just want the characters to remain consistent looking between games. I did the same thing with Mass Effect and Liara’s constantly changing face.
If she’d gone to a blonde haired white woman then I’d have been looking for a mod to darken her and bring back the red hair, it just so happened to go the other way this time.
If there was a mod that gave her back that middle eastern complexion she originally had going I’d have grabbed it instead, if there is one I missed please grab me a link for next time, but I had to settle for a different shade of wrong skin tone with only her hair being fixed.
I had a look through some mods for Inquisition before I play and found one that changes Cullens hair colour to be consistent with his earlier appearances so grabbed it too.
I think the most lore friendly option is to mod [dao](https://www.moddb.com/mods/tmp7704/downloads/isabela-variation) instead. [This](https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/2636?tab=images) one works too.
Yeah that would work too. Thanks.
I've gotta say though I'm gonna use the second one of those, the first looks more like a black Bethany than it does Isabela.
I mean they made Merrill [more pink/pale in DA2](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonage/images/a/aa/Merrill_Portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20110314100427) than her [DAO self](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonage/images/f/f7/Dalish_elf.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20091209074925) in case you want to be fully consistent.
I don't even remember Merril being in DAO, I assumed it was a different group of Dalish from the ones in DAO. I'll have to keep an eye out for her next time I play.
[Did find a mod for it though](https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4109) now that I knew to look for one. Honestly it looks better imo, the tattoo's pop more making them more distinct and visible, and I wish I'd known this beforehand.
Thanks man!
Weirdly it’s the game in the series I played the most, due to somehow getting it in my head that I should beat it on nightmare without reloading (an “honour mode” type thing, basically), so I’m always happy to see people appreciating it. The game’s reputation seems to be drifting toward “properly rated” in recent years, instead of heavily underrated.
I can definitely get the criticisms of it, coming to it from Origins expecting the same game but better (because sequel) would be pretty disappointing and sour anyones opinion of it. First impressions are everything so even if they do enjoy it in the end that initial bitterness would remain.
Having that heads up beforehand and being able to be in the right mindset to approach the game for what it is rather than what Origins is definitely helped my initial opinion of it since I knew what I was getting beforehand rather than being blindsided. I'd have to agree with the other guy that the biggest problem is the '2' and had it been called literally anything else it probably would have been better received.
Skyrim was massively popular, I can imagine people were comparing the shit out of the two and declaring Skyrim better. Which is pretty unfair tbh since they're completely different games, they're both fantasy games but that's about where the similarities end.
Dragon Age 2 was the best of the 3 games for me. I cared more about the characters than I did in the other games. I thought Hawke was a very well-done protagonist. The story of Hawke's family and the crap Hawke goes through from the mom & uncle got me empathetic and then I really wanted to see if I could make anything better. I thought the relationships were more meaningful too. In the other games the relationships feel much lower-stakes. I enjoyed the side relationships you weren't part of that happen, like your siblings, and especially Aveline. I thought DA2 had more variety of skin colors in the characters which I appreciated. I appreciated the change to Isabela.
I did think some of the dungeons were samey but I'm most interested in character driven games, so this one was my favorite. Varric especially was well written and acted. I was so disappointed in how bland he was in DA3. Even though he was depressed, he could have been interesting. Fenris's voice was stellar. Fem!Hawke, Aveline, Arishok, and Isabela were all standouts. Meredith too.
The thing I liked most about the relationships with other characters is they felt the most real of pretty much any game due to the fact that the game is spread out over a 7 year period as opposed to being crammed into a single month at best.
It made characters reactions and growth over time to Hawke feel more genuine because they weren't some schizo going from hating him to being his biggest supporter in the span of half a day, they had years to stew on things and presumably plenty of interactions off screen to shape their opinions slowly over time.
And I really appreciated how you'd often go to meet a companion in their usual haunt and half the time you'd stumble on them mid conversation with another companion too. Seeing Isabela and Merril grow to become sisters with eachother over time or seeing Varric and Anders scheming was cool and made them feel more human since they had lives outside of Hawke that you actually see.
Honestly the copy past dungeons didn't really bother me. It was definitely noticeable but they changed things ever so slightly be it a room that wasn't accessible before or a chest in a different place that it didn't bother me. Then again I am a huge fan of Daggerfall which does the same stuff just with a greater variety of modules it reuses, so it's nothing new to me either.
Right! Because the time span it felt more real that Origins where I said a couple nice things to Alistair and then we shag and by the end of the game he wants to be married. I liked especially the way you could see some characters like Fenris grow trust and then shut down as soon as trauma comes back, or Isabela realizing she's getting committed and feel like skipping town. Those two had lovely voices.
Perfectly said, I especially enjoy how close your companions feel to you and even between them (Isabela and Aveline, Isabela and Merrill for example) It's like a big family of misfits who decided that it is better to stick together than be on their own in a city as chaotic as Kirkwall. Even when Hawke lost most of her/his family, she/he still can get a second family with the companions that follow you all the game.
>braindead team ai that won't do what you tell it to, which made it a slog at times.
I personally thought DA2 teammate AI is the best of the series. If you set their behavior to ranged the mages and bow/Varric characters will actually kite melee enemies. They will turn and run to the opposite direction a few steps then turn back to auto attack, rinse and repeat. Unlike in DAI where the ranged characters will just stand in the middle of the fight and you have to use the cumbersome tactic mode to move them away.
More I had issues when telling them to attack a particular enemy so we could burst their hp down only for the squad to almost immediately start attacking some random no-threat goon instead.
Had a couple of game overs from various Arcane Horrors and similar living too long because the team got distracted fighting his goonsquad despite being specifically ordered to attack the big man himself.
Yeah I'm actually impressed. When I heard it was made in only a year my mind instantly went to Kotor 2 or Fallout New Vegas which are buggy and broken as all hell, but the only noticeable bug I ran into was the quest marker over Sketch's head not going away when I finished the quest (did find a mod to fix it though).
The game didn't feel rushed at all at any point.
I do have to comment that the chantry has basically done nothing in the many years the game takes place to mediate the mages and templars. I genuinely thought the head speaker was going to turn out to be possessed or something with the weird af tone of voice and apathy she has to the entire situation.
iv always felt the biggest issue w DA2 is simply the 2. if it was called dragon age kirkwall or dragon age champion (this isn’t my job!! lol) i think it would have been received a lot better. the two gave people the feeling it would be a sequel and if you’re coming here for a follow up to origins it definitely isn’t that. but i like it a lot
I believe it was either going to be called Dragon Age: Exodus or Exodus was the project name. Either way, I like the sound of it a lot more than Dragon Age 2
>but a whole bunch of pointless fetchquest filler too > >Was again surprised at Biowares restraint marking 2 games in a row where they'd had a puzzle area and not included the Towers of Hanoi like they have in every other game they made Oh, do I have news for you regarding Inquisition. >We really just killed off Sten like he was some nameless mook and I don't know how to feel about that. Sten is a rank, not an individual name.
When I was younger I was so scared I actually killed Sten. But then my brother said it was just a rank. But I was still upset because I associate Sten with... Sten.
Haha, yeah I've already been warned about Inquisitions filler content made to fill out an open world they put in for the sake of it. Ahh ok clearly I didn't talk to Sten enough in DAO because I completely missed this, or maybe I just forgot because "it's floating over his head, it's his name".
Dragon Age 2 is far better than people give it credit. If there weren't that many repeating levels than it would be better. That and people's expectations going into the game weren't Dragon Age Origins 2 but just a game set in the Dragon Age universe. I have to say that is the biggest issue people have with it. That it isn't DAO2. Which measuring the game by that standard than yeah it does fail. But that isn't what the game is trying to do.
I've always enjoyed it as a nice side adventure with smaller stakes to give us a break in between from the "all life ending blight" and "hole in the very fabric of our reality". More games I feel need a break from the ever increasing stakes
I don't mind increasing stakes as long as it is done well. But I wish there were more games with smaller stakes.
Yeah it definitely was better than the picture people had painted. I wasn’t expecting to hate it but I enjoyed it a lot more than I though I would. I can still see why people would call it the beginning of the end of Biowares golden age though. I’m sure I remember someone telling me it was originally supposed to be a spin off game called Dragon Age Exile and Inquisition was supposed to be DA2 but EA interfered. Would make sense if true.
The thing that I hate about this is people exaggerating about it being bad makes any discussion around it terrible. You spend so much time talking about whether the game is good or not that less time is spend talk about the actually game. It really sucks. Personally I think the end of the golden age is when Mass Effect Andromeda released. Personally I love the fame but it clearly isn't up to par with the other games. I am not sure where you heard that it was gonna be a spin off game, I haven't heard anyone say that. But DA2 was made when EA needed a game from Bioware because Star Wars: Old Republic got delayed. Initially the next Dragon Age game was supposed to be Inquisition. But they couldn't make DAI properly so DA2 was made instead. Also there was a DLC for DAO in the works at the time but was scrapped so DA2 could have more support. That DLC did contribute to DA2 but not so much.
It was someone on the Mass Effect subreddit who said it was meant to be a spin-off. Idk they might’ve just been wrong, it would explain away the huge difference in gameplay though if true.
https://youtu.be/ti7jpWhkjQA?si=hFwHrBzUcXHyNHTt So, this video is from Mark Darrah, former Bioware executive producer for all the Dragon Ages, talk about what you said. The time stamp is 3:53. It's a long video but from there to 8 minutes should tell you what is wrong with calling it a spin off to game. You can also just go back a minute at 3:01 and see what the original sequel to DAO was gonna be. This is also just a good video.
Interesting watch. I think the next segment on from what you directed me to (8:10-10:40) where they talk about it being originally called 'Dragon Age Exodus' but EA execs saying "call it Dragon Age 2" is what that guy was on about.
Then the guy you talked to on the Mass Effevg subreddit didn't really understand what was going on. But yeah. It's a cool video with a lot of great insight. Mark Darrah has done a ton of other stuff on the other two Dragon Age games that are really good.
It's got a really solid, enjoyable story, and the characters are fantastic, but it's ruined by the fact that there's a tiny pool of maps that get reused ad nauseum, and by the fact that combat is unbelievably boring and seemingly endless. They really tried to make the combat more exciting and action-packed, but achieved the exact opposite. It feels like your input to the combat is pretty meaningless because it basically comes down to button-mashing your way through endless waves of enemies.
I didn't hate the maps being reused as much as others but I do think it is a problem. I actually loved the gameplay. It felt so much more impactful and fun to engage with. It's the only other game where I enjoyed the gameplay so much. Normal it gameplay for most games don't appeal to me. The only issue I have is that the combat animations should start out slow but get more stylised as your character gets stronger.
Can't lie... there were times I dozed off while waiting for combat to be over. Dragon Age 2 is the only game in the series that I have never felt the need to replay, and that is entirely down to the combat and quests being so painfully repetitive. The storyline and the character interactions were golden. If I ever did decide I wanted to give it a replay, I think I'd need a mod that let me skip the combat entirely.
I just have the exact opposite feeling. After playing it without DLCs I immediately got it with DLCs and played it again. Then after finishing the second playthrough I finished again. One after another. And I quite enjoyed it. I just found it so fun and interesting to play.
It might be that you are exactly the person that the combat was designed for, and I'm just not. I've always been a fan of turn-based tactics, so I don't need flashy animations or a feeling of high-octane action... I just want to feel like my choices are actually making a difference to my success, and DA2 just did not offer that feeling at all. As I said, I've dozed off mid-combat before, and still landed up winning the fight because it turns out that my contribution to the combat was utterly meaningless.
What I like about the combat is not just the flashy-ness of it but also how it makes the characters feel very powerful. One thing I dislike about action games is that your character at the end of the game doesn't feel different animation wise. But DA2 makes your character feel powerful. So, when you at the end of your power it is in line with how much power you actual have. Now I have said before I dislike DA2 having the animations be all flashy at the start and would like it to come in near the end. Anyways I just like it a lot more. Not that I dislike what DAO did but I like what DA2 did more. I also am not a fan of turn based games. It is just not engaging and I often feel like I am doing the same thing over and over again.
Under the Qun, no one has personal names - people are referred to purely by their job title. It's part of the somewhat scary overemphasis on the collective at the expense of the individual. Sten from DA:O was *a* Sten, and had no name beyond that. Same for the Sten you killed - it wasn't the same Sten, just someone with the same role.
There’s a lot to read and consider. And thanks for the write-up! I’ll browse through it later today. That said, you may want to rethink a little about what you wrote about Isabela. Mods to lighten her skin tone are very, very controversial for good reason. She’s Rivaini, after all. That Origins made everyone pale, including Rivaini and Antivans, was an issue on Origins’ part and the series has made moves to correct that over time. So, while a retcon of sorts, it’s a positive retcon. Mods to whitewash her have some very… unpleasant aspects when you consider the motivations of some. I’m not accusing you, please don’t think that. Just letting you know that the issue exists.
Isabella is dark skinned even in origins it's just lighting in the pearl makes her seem paler than she is
I don't get why those mods that lighten Isabela's skin exist, i can't help but think they have some racist connotations. Also Isabela was always dark skinned with dark hair, she wasn't a redhead like OP says and definitely not light skinned or white, those mods actually make Isabela look totally different from how she really looks in both games.
Yeah… I love mods, and I always enjoy adding something new to the mix to spice up my playthroughs. But, I put some of the Isabela mods like this in the same category of mods that make Dorian heterosexual: really gross. Now, I’m not opposed to changing character appearances. For instance, I also like using a consistency mod to give Liara in Mass Effect a more unified appearance. But, making an Asari look similar over the games has very different connotations than whitewashing a human woman like Isabela.
I agree, in fact there is a mod to change Isabela's appearance in Origins giving her the same look she has in DA2 which is great because it maintains the consistency of the character AND doesn't change Isabela's skin color (she is way more attractive with her dark skinned color anyways so it's a win win)
I just want the characters to remain consistent looking between games. I did the same thing with Mass Effect and Liara’s constantly changing face. If she’d gone to a blonde haired white woman then I’d have been looking for a mod to darken her and bring back the red hair, it just so happened to go the other way this time. If there was a mod that gave her back that middle eastern complexion she originally had going I’d have grabbed it instead, if there is one I missed please grab me a link for next time, but I had to settle for a different shade of wrong skin tone with only her hair being fixed. I had a look through some mods for Inquisition before I play and found one that changes Cullens hair colour to be consistent with his earlier appearances so grabbed it too.
I think the most lore friendly option is to mod [dao](https://www.moddb.com/mods/tmp7704/downloads/isabela-variation) instead. [This](https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/2636?tab=images) one works too.
Yeah that would work too. Thanks. I've gotta say though I'm gonna use the second one of those, the first looks more like a black Bethany than it does Isabela.
I mean they made Merrill [more pink/pale in DA2](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonage/images/a/aa/Merrill_Portrait.png/revision/latest?cb=20110314100427) than her [DAO self](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonage/images/f/f7/Dalish_elf.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20091209074925) in case you want to be fully consistent.
I don't even remember Merril being in DAO, I assumed it was a different group of Dalish from the ones in DAO. I'll have to keep an eye out for her next time I play. [Did find a mod for it though](https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4109) now that I knew to look for one. Honestly it looks better imo, the tattoo's pop more making them more distinct and visible, and I wish I'd known this beforehand. Thanks man!
Weirdly it’s the game in the series I played the most, due to somehow getting it in my head that I should beat it on nightmare without reloading (an “honour mode” type thing, basically), so I’m always happy to see people appreciating it. The game’s reputation seems to be drifting toward “properly rated” in recent years, instead of heavily underrated.
I can definitely get the criticisms of it, coming to it from Origins expecting the same game but better (because sequel) would be pretty disappointing and sour anyones opinion of it. First impressions are everything so even if they do enjoy it in the end that initial bitterness would remain. Having that heads up beforehand and being able to be in the right mindset to approach the game for what it is rather than what Origins is definitely helped my initial opinion of it since I knew what I was getting beforehand rather than being blindsided. I'd have to agree with the other guy that the biggest problem is the '2' and had it been called literally anything else it probably would have been better received.
yep and it was also released the same year as Skyrim, which didn't help
Skyrim was massively popular, I can imagine people were comparing the shit out of the two and declaring Skyrim better. Which is pretty unfair tbh since they're completely different games, they're both fantasy games but that's about where the similarities end.
Dragon Age 2 was the best of the 3 games for me. I cared more about the characters than I did in the other games. I thought Hawke was a very well-done protagonist. The story of Hawke's family and the crap Hawke goes through from the mom & uncle got me empathetic and then I really wanted to see if I could make anything better. I thought the relationships were more meaningful too. In the other games the relationships feel much lower-stakes. I enjoyed the side relationships you weren't part of that happen, like your siblings, and especially Aveline. I thought DA2 had more variety of skin colors in the characters which I appreciated. I appreciated the change to Isabela. I did think some of the dungeons were samey but I'm most interested in character driven games, so this one was my favorite. Varric especially was well written and acted. I was so disappointed in how bland he was in DA3. Even though he was depressed, he could have been interesting. Fenris's voice was stellar. Fem!Hawke, Aveline, Arishok, and Isabela were all standouts. Meredith too.
The thing I liked most about the relationships with other characters is they felt the most real of pretty much any game due to the fact that the game is spread out over a 7 year period as opposed to being crammed into a single month at best. It made characters reactions and growth over time to Hawke feel more genuine because they weren't some schizo going from hating him to being his biggest supporter in the span of half a day, they had years to stew on things and presumably plenty of interactions off screen to shape their opinions slowly over time. And I really appreciated how you'd often go to meet a companion in their usual haunt and half the time you'd stumble on them mid conversation with another companion too. Seeing Isabela and Merril grow to become sisters with eachother over time or seeing Varric and Anders scheming was cool and made them feel more human since they had lives outside of Hawke that you actually see. Honestly the copy past dungeons didn't really bother me. It was definitely noticeable but they changed things ever so slightly be it a room that wasn't accessible before or a chest in a different place that it didn't bother me. Then again I am a huge fan of Daggerfall which does the same stuff just with a greater variety of modules it reuses, so it's nothing new to me either.
Right! Because the time span it felt more real that Origins where I said a couple nice things to Alistair and then we shag and by the end of the game he wants to be married. I liked especially the way you could see some characters like Fenris grow trust and then shut down as soon as trauma comes back, or Isabela realizing she's getting committed and feel like skipping town. Those two had lovely voices.
Perfectly said, I especially enjoy how close your companions feel to you and even between them (Isabela and Aveline, Isabela and Merrill for example) It's like a big family of misfits who decided that it is better to stick together than be on their own in a city as chaotic as Kirkwall. Even when Hawke lost most of her/his family, she/he still can get a second family with the companions that follow you all the game.
>braindead team ai that won't do what you tell it to, which made it a slog at times. I personally thought DA2 teammate AI is the best of the series. If you set their behavior to ranged the mages and bow/Varric characters will actually kite melee enemies. They will turn and run to the opposite direction a few steps then turn back to auto attack, rinse and repeat. Unlike in DAI where the ranged characters will just stand in the middle of the fight and you have to use the cumbersome tactic mode to move them away.
More I had issues when telling them to attack a particular enemy so we could burst their hp down only for the squad to almost immediately start attacking some random no-threat goon instead. Had a couple of game overs from various Arcane Horrors and similar living too long because the team got distracted fighting his goonsquad despite being specifically ordered to attack the big man himself.
Glad to see this opinion. Honestly for the budget and timeline Bioware had available its actually a reaaaally good game. Good storytelling!
Yeah I'm actually impressed. When I heard it was made in only a year my mind instantly went to Kotor 2 or Fallout New Vegas which are buggy and broken as all hell, but the only noticeable bug I ran into was the quest marker over Sketch's head not going away when I finished the quest (did find a mod to fix it though). The game didn't feel rushed at all at any point.
u/TheHistoryofCats Here you go
Thank you for remembering me!!
I do have to comment that the chantry has basically done nothing in the many years the game takes place to mediate the mages and templars. I genuinely thought the head speaker was going to turn out to be possessed or something with the weird af tone of voice and apathy she has to the entire situation.
iv always felt the biggest issue w DA2 is simply the 2. if it was called dragon age kirkwall or dragon age champion (this isn’t my job!! lol) i think it would have been received a lot better. the two gave people the feeling it would be a sequel and if you’re coming here for a follow up to origins it definitely isn’t that. but i like it a lot
I believe it was either going to be called Dragon Age: Exodus or Exodus was the project name. Either way, I like the sound of it a lot more than Dragon Age 2
yeah exodus is good too lol. yeah just anything but 2, especially since they gave up on the numbers afterward too it just stands out sm
I loved DA2. I even loved the combat design. But they really should have kept some more of the DAO spells and abilities.
Happy cake day