I got the demo from Steam, so this is the PC version.
Had to log into my EA account (which I forgot I had!) to play the demo, and I think there was something written about bonus items for beating the demo.
Demo Specifics:
-A lot of options are greyed out and unavailable. This includes difficulty, which is locked to normal. I was able to turn on subtitles, but character appearances are locked.
-The demo does not let players interact with inventory. However, there are at least weapon slot(s), a helmet slot, an armor slot, and probably an accessory slot. I do not recall looting gloves or boots, so they may have been cut.
-Demo is essentially combat focused. Players seem to play the opening segment, and then jump ahead to a later segment (and bumped up to a higher level) with a little explanation. However, the new dialogue system is also on display.
-I rate the demo 1/5 on the Spoiler Scale, with 0/5 being no Spoilers whatsoever.
Combat Specific
-Combat comes across as a lot more frantic and fast paced, though I think most of that is the brisker animation. In the case of the rogue, this seems appropriate. However, watching Warrior characters move 2-handed weapons like butter knifes is a bit off putting.
-Combat itself still has the potential to be similar to Origin’s more tactical approach, but the loss of the overhead vantages does diminish this. The pause button still works, “threat” still needs to be managed. AoE attacks should be carefully used to maximize damage. Actually, in the demo AoE attacks were outright overpowered.
-I think I prefer the new interface. It just seems cleaner and simpler which means it conveys information better. One change I like is health bars now are bigger for characters with more health. Makes it easier to prioritize healing.
-Playing the NPC mage was fun with the AoE spells, however, a PC mage with a focus on healing and support was kind of boring. The Heal spell took a long time to recharge.
Dialogue
-Traditional RPG dialogue (Fallout, Baldur’s Gate) is gone. It is replaced with a combination of Alpha Protocol and Mass Effect. There is no timer, players choose responses from a wheel, and for any given response players can choose from one of three dialogue options, which I am going to call benevolent, jocular, and austere. Thank you 6th grade vocabulary!
-Character is fully voiced, and the game suffers from the same problem as Mass Effect. What the voice actor says can be very different than what the text says.
-The dialogue options are all associated with symbols, with different “moods” having multiple symbols. For example, jocular responses while always purple can either be a “gem” or the classic “theater comedy mask.” It is not clear if these symbols have greater influence.
-There were no “Persuade” Checks in the demo. I would have to check the character screen again, but I do not recall conversation checks being mentioned there either.
Character Creation
-It was very disappointing to start and having only 6 variations of the same flavor to pick as a character. You play a male or female Hawke, and chose a class of either Mage, Warrior, or Rogue. The demo offered no further customization until the first level up.
-Upon leveling up, players can go to the character screen and distribute 3 attribute points and 1 talent. Talents now use more complex trees and as far as I can tell no longer use minimum attributes to determine talent eligibility. Instead, some talents require a minimum player level, certain other talents to already be taken, and/or so many points already expended in that talent tree.
-Each class seems to have 2 “base” talent tree, e.g. weapon and shield and 2-handed weapons for the warrior, and 4 more support orient trees. Mage, however, just has the different spell trees.
-Skill Points appear to be gone entirely.
-The Character Screen makes it a lot easier to keep track of what attributes do. However, attributes appear to be simplified. Strength improves warriors damage and attack, while Dexterity does the same for rogues. I worry this will make Attributes to simple to distribute (e.g. pour all points into characters primary attribute).
NPCs
-The Demo comes with 4 or 5. One is not playable, but may be in the full game.
-NPC relationship to the player is now monitored with a Friendship/Rival meter to replace Like/Dislike. Strikes me as a simplification, especially considering how Companion opinion of player’s actions was the game’s only moral system.
-I noticed at least one NPC has two separate, passive talents which depended on the characters relation to the PC: one for friendship, the other for rival. Could be an interested.
-Massive Clevage is every where. I think the developers are compensating for a lack of “jiggle physics.” Or, just plain compensating.
Story
-Not much to tell from the Demo. Except your character is known as “the Champion,” who is not to be confused with “the Cape.”
-Narratively, the game using a framing narrative, or a story within a story. Similar to Alpha Protocol, except instead of the PC being grilled, it is an NPC. Essentially, events are taking place in the past, as an NPC is interogatted by an Orleasian Chantry “Seeker.” This could be used for some interesting narrative events.
-Apparently, the world is at the bring of war and only the Champion can save it. I dislike narratives that require the rest of the world to hold idiot balls to make the PC the most important character in the universe. Yet, like I said, the demo does not tell us much, so maybe Bioware will pull it off.
Conclusion
I’ve gone on long enough. This still is Dragon Age, or at least has a potential to match Origin’s tactical combat and morally bleak narrative. The $60 price tag is a turn off for me, but RPGs are rare enough that I still feel comfortable ponying up the money to buy it.
