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A Rave Review
Mar. 12th, 2011 10:57 pmSo ... Dragon Age 2.
............I do not want this game to ever end.
Yes, I'm worried about some of the plot flag glitches I keep hearing about. Yes, I've heard people screaming about the cliffhanger ending. (Dude, of course there's going to be a cliffhanger ending; anyone who can't see that they're going to milk this franchise for everything it's worth has got to be blind as the proverbial bat, without the advantage of sonar.) I am trying not to let it spoil things and more or less succeeding because HOLY SHIT GAME.
First of all ... so not used to the idea that a shiny new graphics card makes so much difference, but man, does it ever. I mean, my computer usage has up until now been pretty utilitarian - text and still images, mostly, and DVDs. This game, though ... I can see why I needed ShinyGraphicsCard for this puppy to run. They put a lot of thought into character design, character movement ... all the party members walk differently and it is awesome. I like how they streamlined non-PC party members' armour slots. I like how the merchants work now (no more having to Esc past boring-boring-boring same ol' greeting spiel HUZZAH!), and I don't miss the skill tree AT ALL. The abilities ... I can see how people might have problems if they don't build their party properly, but I'm loving the spells. Mages kick SO. MUCH. ARSE. I will try Rogue eventually but ... I don't want to give up playing a mage; it's awesome. Particularly given some of the endgame plot I hear muttering about.
So ... the plot. I've got a friend who complains that he misses the linear epic scale of the whole thing but I'm loving the whole 'build up a person's life from the ground up' start. I like the quests, even the ridiculous side quests. Okay, sometimes the running around for that guy who does the potions is a nightmare, but at least you tend to find interesting stuff along the way. And party members' personal quests ... I like it that you know right up front the shit that's going down with your party members. It's not having to beat it out of them at camp or wherever. And there have been a few moments where I've ended up literally screaming, with mingled horror, amazement and squee at the surprise, "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?" at the screen when a plot twist hits. Didn't get a lot of that in Origins; most of it you could see coming a mile and a half off. In this one, nothing is necessarily what you expect.
The companions you get are pretty awesome too. I mean, okay, all the guys with the exception of the dwarf are broken beyond all redemption - I swear they've all got more issues than Cosmo, seriously - but then again, that's most of the party, including the main character. I spend a lot of time shouting, "Oh, fuck you!" in a fond sort of way at the Wolverine-ish Emo!Elf. Yeah, it sucks that you can't initiate a conversation whenever you want to (one of the things I hated about Awakening? Yeah, it carries over. Aren't I lucky?) but at least there are more 'party banter' trigger points, so at least you get the funny more often. I'm still of two minds about the whole 'actually hearing your main character speak' part of the whole deal; I was one of the few (I think few) who actually liked making up the voice for my character in my head, with that 'imagination' thing that so many people seem to think is a myth.
So in short, I am having a brilliant time with this. Of course, having played it most of the afternoon and evening, I find myself in the position where I have, rather stupidly, waited too long to have dinner. So I am going to go and have a shower, feed my poor hungry belly ... and then probably go play some more because this is just too much fun and there's not enough weekend.
*glee*
............I do not want this game to ever end.
Yes, I'm worried about some of the plot flag glitches I keep hearing about. Yes, I've heard people screaming about the cliffhanger ending. (Dude, of course there's going to be a cliffhanger ending; anyone who can't see that they're going to milk this franchise for everything it's worth has got to be blind as the proverbial bat, without the advantage of sonar.) I am trying not to let it spoil things and more or less succeeding because HOLY SHIT GAME.
First of all ... so not used to the idea that a shiny new graphics card makes so much difference, but man, does it ever. I mean, my computer usage has up until now been pretty utilitarian - text and still images, mostly, and DVDs. This game, though ... I can see why I needed ShinyGraphicsCard for this puppy to run. They put a lot of thought into character design, character movement ... all the party members walk differently and it is awesome. I like how they streamlined non-PC party members' armour slots. I like how the merchants work now (no more having to Esc past boring-boring-boring same ol' greeting spiel HUZZAH!), and I don't miss the skill tree AT ALL. The abilities ... I can see how people might have problems if they don't build their party properly, but I'm loving the spells. Mages kick SO. MUCH. ARSE. I will try Rogue eventually but ... I don't want to give up playing a mage; it's awesome. Particularly given some of the endgame plot I hear muttering about.
So ... the plot. I've got a friend who complains that he misses the linear epic scale of the whole thing but I'm loving the whole 'build up a person's life from the ground up' start. I like the quests, even the ridiculous side quests. Okay, sometimes the running around for that guy who does the potions is a nightmare, but at least you tend to find interesting stuff along the way. And party members' personal quests ... I like it that you know right up front the shit that's going down with your party members. It's not having to beat it out of them at camp or wherever. And there have been a few moments where I've ended up literally screaming, with mingled horror, amazement and squee at the surprise, "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?" at the screen when a plot twist hits. Didn't get a lot of that in Origins; most of it you could see coming a mile and a half off. In this one, nothing is necessarily what you expect.
The companions you get are pretty awesome too. I mean, okay, all the guys with the exception of the dwarf are broken beyond all redemption - I swear they've all got more issues than Cosmo, seriously - but then again, that's most of the party, including the main character. I spend a lot of time shouting, "Oh, fuck you!" in a fond sort of way at the Wolverine-ish Emo!Elf. Yeah, it sucks that you can't initiate a conversation whenever you want to (one of the things I hated about Awakening? Yeah, it carries over. Aren't I lucky?) but at least there are more 'party banter' trigger points, so at least you get the funny more often. I'm still of two minds about the whole 'actually hearing your main character speak' part of the whole deal; I was one of the few (I think few) who actually liked making up the voice for my character in my head, with that 'imagination' thing that so many people seem to think is a myth.
So in short, I am having a brilliant time with this. Of course, having played it most of the afternoon and evening, I find myself in the position where I have, rather stupidly, waited too long to have dinner. So I am going to go and have a shower, feed my poor hungry belly ... and then probably go play some more because this is just too much fun and there's not enough weekend.
*glee*