Skimmed through the playthrough. Overall, it is a much better presentation of the game than the previous attempts. It showed much more BioWare’s strengths (conversations, cut-scenes, gameplay contexts, etc). Strictly gameplay-wise, it is still as disappointing as before. Although Mike tried very hard to present it as a game with tactical depth (pausing a lot, switching between multiple characters and giving specific commands, etc).
For example, the lack of action feedbacks. They have taken out the floating combat text, and yet, there are no new mechanics to replace it. As a result, we get situations like we saw in the video, models looping the attack animations while receiving multiple blows every second. Consequently, players are going to find the combat boring, tune down the difficulty and play it as a hack-n-slash game to get through the combats as quickly as possible. This validates our worry that in the process of trying to satisfy both console and PC players, many of the game’s fundamentals are underdeveloped.
Delta
1682
Now hold on one second. Let me address this in two parts:
a.) Our accent is fine, thank you very much. This is how words are supposed to sound.
b.) Our office parties are… actually, you’re about right.
hong
1683
Yes, this is very, very important. It is about as important as pointing out that feedback is singular, which I will do right now.
They’ve obviously spent money on the VO, but like in Risen, they haven’t matched accents to characters. Pirate captains do not speak like Anthony Hopkins in Remains of the Day. Comedy bad-guy accent seemed to be there though - the good guys are all ‘dahling’ while the henchman is all ‘innit luvs’.
hong
1685
See, you don’t get this problem in Mass Effect.
Enidigm
1686
I hope i don’t have to replay Dragon Age again before Dragon Age 2 comes out. I can’t seem to find my original savegame, though all the unlocks remain…
It’s funny, that i haven’t really followed DA2’s development, and aren’t, honestly, looking all that forward to it, but am still planning to get it nonetheless on release day. Bioware does make great games, despite everything, and i expect this to be a pretty decent game as well.
What does/did the Signature Edition have, and is it too late to get it? It seems so.
Killzig
1687
Includes an additional party member (Sebastian) and a handful of extra unique items. I think the additional character will be available as DLC upon release, don’t know if they’ll package the extra baubles with him.
Assuming you actually don’t think it’s important, I disagree. With characters jumbled around in melee with one another it’s nice to have an extra layer of feedback. At the very least I’d hope there’s still an “immune” roll-up text.
Perhaps for demonstration purposes the floating text/combat log stuff was turned off in the options?
Sarkus
1690
March 8th is sooner then I thought this was coming out for some reason. I see Amazon is already discounting it.
hong
1691
Oh, naturally it’s important. Everything is important. But some things are more important than others, an insight which comes not naturally to the geek.
With characters jumbled around in melee with one another it’s nice to have an extra layer of feedback.
If they are jumbled up enough that you can’t see their health bars, they will also be jumbled up enough that the numbers will collide.
A big huge number is easier to notice than a change in the rate-of-change in health bar diminution, and an “immune” is a lot easier to notice than a player’s contribution to damage being absent.
Oh look, they confirmed the romance options for Valentines day. And included fiction so you can get to know them before the game? Oh lawd.
Everyday this looks more like a dating sim than an RPG.
But there’s no dating in Bioware games!
And because I express my love for you guys in strange and uncomfortable ways, screenshots of DA2 puppetsex. With bonus WTF LADY HAWKE’S TITS?
You’d think they would wipe that blood smudge off their noses first…
The Hawke smearing blood across his face thing for romantic outings as well, is just weird.
I can’t blame Bioware for the romance options and focusing a bit more on it, it seems to be very popular if message board posts in the ME and DA forums reflect their customers.
I am looking forward to the game. I like the fast response of character actions and animations, I don’t mind the over the top flashy combat moves, and the choose your hero video made me excited to play the game. I can’t decide which I want to play first, but I expect a melee rogue.
My only gamer nerd nitpick is I haven’t seen a warrior wearing a huge suit of shiny, gothic looking massive platemail. I want my warrior to look like a huge monster encased in metal, confidently walking into a horde of enemies. It won’t affect my purchasing plans though.
