Dragon Age 2: 5 Minutes of Pure Gameplay Footage Emerged
Brand new gameplay footage of Dragon Age 2 from the Igromir Expo 2010. The video shows the battle system and pure gameplay.
(Dragon Age 2, PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Game looks like it have been simplified immensely so that the battle system is useable on consoles. I never played the first one but watching my roomate play it, well it looked clunky to say the least.
In this video I do not see the player controlling their AI partners AT ALL. Maybe you can do something with them, and these demo'ers did not know how to use it much yet, but this does not bode well for people who want this to be as old school as the original was.
I do however have faith in Bioware, even after the Mass Effect 2 simplification debacle, so I should not base my opinion of this game on 5 minutes of demo gameplay.
By the way, the environments look awesome. Dark fantasy FTW.
Not to be as harsh as the poster above since many people do enjoy simplistic and user friendly game interfaces (and combat mechanics), I still have to point out that dumbing down an RPG in order to appeal to the more "hack-o slash-o, button mash-o" audience is kinda disrespectful from Bioware's part. Sure, it is their ip and they can do whatever they feel like (in order to rank up sales, etc) but taken the overall complexity out of a genre that has been defined by it is just plain disrespect for that same genre that made them so popular.
PS: Not to be confused with simply bashing this new idea. I do agree that the system needed some fines in order to be more pleasurable to use, but dumping it completely and starting over with a hack&slash is something too drastic for an RPG.
Don't know i think the player in this video is just playing like a button smasher i have seen videos where they really go tactical switching between characters placing rogue types behind the enemies and stuff.
In defence of simplifying combat I didnt buy Dragon Age at launch. I heard it was pretty good from a few my friends and friends on live so i decided to give it a try. I played for like 4 hours and i just couldnt get into it. The combat is so slow and boring. Some of my favorite games were the KOTORs and the DAO combat still felt slow. Maybe Im just over the turn based stuff but Dragon Age 2 looks much more fun then the original.
@ dragonshardz I really love Bioware, but what they are doing with this dumbing down is illogical.
Look at their sales for all their AAA games and you will notice something. That something is Mass Effect 2 is their smallest selling game ever. And Dragon Age 1 is their biggest ever. KOTOR and Mass Effect 1 also sold far higher than ME2.
So why on earth ME2erize DA2?! It defies logic!
I was quite annoyed when I heard you now cannot change your party members armor anymore. I loved doing that in DAO and in ME1, I spent hours customizing and mix/matching different armors in those games. ME2 felt empty without it. Don't get me wrong, ME2 is a good game, just not a good Bioware game.
Dragon Age: Origins is probably the second best game I've played this gen. Really really good game. It also has a 100 hour main story, then add Awakening, the DLC's and all the other Origin story's and it gets up to about a 150 hour game. Completely free of grind as well, it is all story and fun gameplay.
Im playing through it now. In my opinion it's over-rated with kinda ugly graphics and not great voice acting. Im playing it on 360 and its glaringly obvious this is meant to be played on PC.
Ugh I blame the childish console boys for this horrible disaster. No longer will RPGs be hardcore. Well at least SWTOR won't be touched by the plague that is the console.
to a console player DA combat system was always more action base.wer're use to turn based jrpg being the staple of are role playing needs.so blame it on whoever you want.not are (console palyers)fault that all ya'll (pc gamers)dev love to cater to us.they love us and i for one ain't hating them for it.
Combat system is/was poor... That damn Ogre and his boulder throws. Maybe it's because I played the game on a console, but it doesn't seem right that I can be hit even if I've moved out of the field of view (eg. if I'm standing next to the Ogre when he throws the boulder, it shouldn't hit me.) Target locking is stupid and it completely destroyed the game for me.
It's even worse that most players don't even know what people like us are talking about, as they just slid the difficulty down to the easiest level and never had to learn what spells and skills could turn their instant party wipe into a success.
Many of them don't even know that aspect of the game exists or at least not to the extent and detail that has been implemented. All they see is sub par animations of hacking and slashing and some people following them around automatically kicking ass.
So no wonder they don't get it, because honestly, the game doesn't do a very good job of explaining it. those of us who played BG, KOTOR, NWN, know that the pause and play is what makes the otherwise bland looking combat exhilarating...but to the people who haven't been taught how to use it, and who died instantly on normal and put the difficulty down and end up not needing to, are then judging the game from an incomplete standpoint. And so then by catering to this style will DA2 risk being incomplete as well...
Well said, these type of games are extremely fun on hard difficulties because it forces you to think and plan out and execute. When its on easy its exactly how this video looks, boring and not forcing anyone to use their brain.
Not Sure... Not sure what I think of that. I like hack/slash games, but I wasn't hoping to see DA2 end up as one.
At least you can run faster by looks of things in battle.
I always thought- how are you supposed to get away from rocks that ogres chuck if all you're doing is some dodgy crab walk?
If there's gonna be a DA3 they should make it 4-player co-op, it seems strange they didn't already.
I'll still get it though, but if it sucks, I'm gonna be one unhappy bunny. I really quite liked the first one
looks like poo way to ruin a franchise for the sake of console sales, the first game was ok...but a HUGE downgrade in terms of scope from neverwinter nights 1 and 2 and all those tasty expansions, this one looks like a pile of dung in graphics, here's hoping the pc version is COMPLETELY different....that video looked like utter trash!
Dragon age 2 suffers from what 90% of games suffer from ai restraints,button lag,camera control issues,lack of fluid character animations & inescapable canned animations which are all really frustrating when your trying to react in time to attack,defend & maneuver around enemies attacks especially during intense set pieces during gameplay.
Calm Down Peeps in the gameinformer cover story on DA2 a couple months back Bioware stated that the pc version will still be able to pause and play like the original and go top down and direct the game like a general commanding your troops. Their developing the game to the strength of "each" machine. How can you people loose faith in one of if not the best RPG developers??? I for one love everything Bioware does, and this game just reaffirms my beliefs in that.They show love to everyone.
bioware has been consistently delivering a more and more watered down, consolized product with each new iteration. Mass Effect 1 to 2; huge downgrade and DA2 looks to be following that pattern. Plus the lack of classes and actual rpg-ness is an obvious nod to who they are now slave to- the masses.
And lets be honest, the masses generally like crap; justin bieber, farmville, facebook, myspace, twitter, ford products, apple, starbucks, walmart, and halo.
lady gaga
jay-z
the drab, dour inequities of the human condition prevail.
Gosh the animation sucks. It's not as fluid and realistic as how they hadle swords compared to DA:O. There's something iffy about the HUD and HP bars too.. too boxy.
OFC, not the final judgement but this ain't looking good IMO.
if they somehow keep the same strategies of the first game while adding more of an instant command system pushing it closer to action rpg is say good job.
The masses can play game on normal or below and get the watered down cookie cutter hack and slash while we can play on hardest difficulty using tactics and full party command.
I felt that Mass effect 2 did a good job catering to both kinds of gamers. Mass effect 2 on the hardest difficulty is one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had, spent way too much time playing that one.
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http://www.youtube.com/watc...
Edit---good old Mage tactic, run, spell, run some more. 70% of the time, it works every time
game looks good so far though. def picking up the second one
I've nearly completed it though, done everything except the Dalish, then i'm off to Denerim.
Anyway, Looks brilliant.
In this video I do not see the player controlling their AI partners AT ALL. Maybe you can do something with them, and these demo'ers did not know how to use it much yet, but this does not bode well for people who want this to be as old school as the original was.
I do however have faith in Bioware, even after the Mass Effect 2 simplification debacle, so I should not base my opinion of this game on 5 minutes of demo gameplay.
By the way, the environments look awesome. Dark fantasy FTW.
Thanks for the link, the site in the article is filled with popups and crap.
This gameplay is designed by people like you- who couldn't get even the most basic of RPGs!
...C'mon, BioWare.
PS: Not to be confused with simply bashing this new idea. I do agree that the system needed some fines in order to be more pleasurable to use, but dumping it completely and starting over with a hack&slash is something too drastic for an RPG.
you had a long run, but couldn't resist the noobs in your focus test groups...
I see some people prefer games where the character stands in place and slices their sword automatically every 14 seconds. Exciting stuff.
At least that requires some thinking unlike running around mashing buttons.
I didnt buy Dragon Age at launch. I heard it was pretty good from a few my friends and friends on live so i decided to give it a try. I played for like 4 hours and i just couldnt get into it. The combat is so slow and boring. Some of my favorite games were the KOTORs and the DAO combat still felt slow. Maybe Im just over the turn based stuff but Dragon Age 2 looks much more fun then the original.
I really love Bioware, but what they are doing with this dumbing down is illogical.
Look at their sales for all their AAA games and you will notice something. That something is Mass Effect 2 is their smallest selling game ever. And Dragon Age 1 is their biggest ever. KOTOR and Mass Effect 1 also sold far higher than ME2.
So why on earth ME2erize DA2?! It defies logic!
I was quite annoyed when I heard you now cannot change your party members armor anymore. I loved doing that in DAO and in ME1, I spent hours customizing and mix/matching different armors in those games. ME2 felt empty without it. Don't get me wrong, ME2 is a good game, just not a good Bioware game.
could you tell me where you heard that about the armor? Because that would suck.
Jade Empire: Hack 'n' Slash Dragon Age Edition?
Eh..
DA:O was excellent but the combat system needs a renovation. The old click on enemy run up to him and auto-hack n slash is tired.
It's looks like combo attacks may take place which would be refreshing.
That being said as long as it doesn't go Dynasty Warriors style it should be fine.
The characters are really well written too.
Some poor voice syncing too.
Quoted for truth. If only Bioware would realize this.
ME2, DA2, down down down hill we go.
I’m trying to decide if I like the new art style. I think I do. It’s more distinctive at least.
then give us multiplayer!!!
this game needs 4-player coop
combat system is second to none in the genre.
That damn Ogre and his boulder throws. Maybe it's because I played the game on a console, but it doesn't seem right that I can be hit even if I've moved out of the field of view (eg. if I'm standing next to the Ogre when he throws the boulder, it shouldn't hit me.)
Target locking is stupid and it completely destroyed the game for me.
WRPG's are supposed to be tactical, you can no longer call DA the spiritual successor to BG.
It would be nice if this was just for the console version and the PC remained true to the WRPG formula, but I'm scared this is not the case.
Many of them don't even know that aspect of the game exists or at least not to the extent and detail that has been implemented. All they see is sub par animations of hacking and slashing and some people following them around automatically kicking ass.
So no wonder they don't get it, because honestly, the game doesn't do a very good job of explaining it. those of us who played BG, KOTOR, NWN, know that the pause and play is what makes the otherwise bland looking combat exhilarating...but to the people who haven't been taught how to use it, and who died instantly on normal and put the difficulty down and end up not needing to, are then judging the game from an incomplete standpoint. And so then by catering to this style will DA2 risk being incomplete as well...
they turn it to hack/slash game they should implement combo system also:(
Not sure what I think of that. I like hack/slash games, but I wasn't hoping to see DA2 end up as one.
At least you can run faster by looks of things in battle.
I always thought- how are you supposed to get away from rocks that ogres chuck if all you're doing is some dodgy crab walk?
If there's gonna be a DA3 they should make it 4-player co-op, it seems strange they didn't already.
I'll still get it though, but if it sucks, I'm gonna be one unhappy bunny. I really quite liked the first one
way to ruin a franchise for the sake of console sales, the first game was ok...but a HUGE downgrade in terms of scope from neverwinter nights 1 and 2 and all those tasty expansions, this one looks like a pile of dung in graphics, here's hoping the pc version is COMPLETELY different....that video looked like utter trash!
in the gameinformer cover story on DA2 a couple months back Bioware stated that the pc version will still be able to pause and play like the original and go top down and direct the game like a general commanding your troops. Their developing the game to the strength of "each" machine. How can you people loose faith in one of if not the best RPG developers??? I for one love everything Bioware does, and this game just reaffirms my beliefs in that.They show love to everyone.
has been consistently delivering a more and more watered down, consolized product with each new iteration. Mass Effect 1 to 2; huge downgrade and DA2 looks to be following that pattern. Plus the lack of classes and actual rpg-ness is an obvious nod to who they are now slave to- the masses.
And lets be honest, the masses generally like crap; justin bieber, farmville, facebook, myspace, twitter, ford products, apple, starbucks, walmart, and halo.
lady gaga
jay-z
the drab, dour inequities of the human condition prevail.
there is no justice
OFC, not the final judgement but this ain't looking good IMO.
The masses can play game on normal or below and get the watered down cookie cutter hack and slash while we can play on hardest difficulty using tactics and full party command.
I felt that Mass effect 2 did a good job catering to both kinds of gamers. Mass effect 2 on the hardest difficulty is one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had, spent way too much time playing that one.
i mean look at mass effect 1 and 2 and jade dynasty all epic fails bioware is on its way out the door :|
on a more serious note i love the direction they are taking a real fan supports the devs with any decision they make as long as it benefits the game
but you guys judge because it isnt what become acustomed to glad you guys werent around before toliet paper are we wouldnt be wiping -_-