Pwngamer.com: Dragon Age II Combat System – Love it or Hate it?

Pwngamer.com says: With Dragon Age II just around the corner for release, we were treated to a short demo to the their sequel of the popular IP, Dragon Age. As excited as a kid on Christmas morning, I wasted no time in downloading the demo for the PC platform and promptly installed it. Immediately the first impressions...

[Kalowest]

The Combat System is Hack n slash, with a good amount of RPG depth.

[Misterhbk]

I loved the first Dragon Age and the tactical combat system, but this just looks too fun! Can't wait to play this game day one. I know the combat system and the changes are gonna turn off some people but I'm not gonna be one to complain at all. This is looking like another game I'm gonna love.

[Kalowest]

I just finish playing the DA2 demo, about to play DA:O now, and see how i feel about the changes.

[Misterhbk]

I haven't played the Demo for Dragon Age 2 yet. I finished Origins, but just picked up the Ultimate Edition a few days ago and started playing through it again, just so I can go through all the DLC and whatnot. Gonna finish all that first then I'll get to the Demo, if part 2 hasn't already come out before then lol

[Nightshadow]

I haven't played Origins either, but the demo doesn't ruin any of the story if you're worried about that.

[callahan09]

I may have been doing something wrong, but I couldn't stand the combat in the demo for the 360 version, and I thought it was OK in the PC version. The difference that made the huge difference for me was in how you perform a standard attack.

On the 360 version, it seemed like you had to keep pressing the attack button over and over and over again. In order to kill one enemy I felt like I had to press A 20 or 30 times, it just felt annoying and unnecessary. On the PC version I had to only right-click on an enemy once and then my character just kept up repeating the attack. If there is a way to make the console version do that, it would be awesome and I would then probably honestly prefer the console version because of another serious issue I was having with the 360 version...

I kept trying to click on enemies to attack, and one of two things seemed just as likely to occur: either a friendly was in the thick of the fight as well and I could click them, or even worse I would click on the ground near the enemy instead of the enemy itself. I really thought I was clicking the enemy, the enemy has his red circle around him, my cursor is on him, and yet the game CONSTANTLY kept thinking I was clicking on the ground near an enemy. Instead of my mage sitting back at a comfortable distance and throwing bolts at the enemy, he would run right up to the enemy and just stand there. So annoying. I really wish that right-clicking on the ground didn't mean MOVE THERE, and that the only way to move was just to move with the WASD keys.

If there's a way to disable the right-click to move functionality, I couldn't find it but I hope it's there in the final version or someone makes a mod to fix that or something, because I never once wanted to move with a click like that and it constantly got in the way of my fights like that.

So basically both versions are really flawed for me in different ways. But I'm still very excited for the game.

[Miths]

On the PC version the "attack closest" button (R by default - I didn't actually know this feature existed until I looked under the keybindings) proved indispensable for real time combat, unless you're abnormally skilled at hitting the correct things with your right click with party members and enemies all running and jumping around :).

Obviously there will probably be many times in the full game where I'll be using the pause button, to make sure I target specific mobs, but for the simple encounters in the demo, that attack closest feature let me keep up the pace at all times.

[callahan09]

Thanks for that, I was unaware of that key. Also, I will have to try out using pause to target enemies. For some reason I didn't know you could do that, either. I guess those two features should solve my problems. I can't wait til the full game is here!

[phantomexe]

I like it as well.

[scrubgamer]

The combat system is different, feels like its got a lot more action in it.

[Kee]

Thats more or less what I thought of it. The game feels more actiony but it still has the character progression elements and the story.
I don't really feel as though the tactical element has gone either. I'm sure you can still preset what your party does before you go into a fight.
I like it, but money is tight right now, so it wont be a day one purchase for me but a definite buy nonetheless. =D

[Stealth20k]

its boring hack and slash with little strategy. Flash over substance. It makes it less tactical which sucks for the hardcore great for the brainless masses.

@ I have a pretty shitty pc. But I own every single system to ever exist basically. The first game was one of the first wrpgs this gen to actually have good combat.

[BeaArthur]

You mean great for PC elitist who think they are better than console gamers. The combat system is vastly improved over the original and still has plenty of strategy.

[NYC_Gamer]

what about those of us who played/loved dragon age on console the way it was?with its old school tactical combat instead of hack&slash.

[Xfanboy]

"PC elitist who think they are better than console gamers." not true!!

There platform is better than console not the people!

if you spend money on a rig you should expect more because it is sold to do more than console!!

Console fanboys have this thing were they feel they should have the same quality as pc for $300 & if they don't some developer is just lazy!!

I hear console gamers calling Dice lazy because of not having super graphics & 64 players!

that just stupid.. Hence Crysis 2 & battlefield 3 & just about every multiplatform game is starting to support dx11 & already come with higher resolution options!

I say you spend more you you diserve to get more! people work for there money!

On topic: The Witcher 2 I already pre- ordered on steam over dragon age 2. The witcher 1 was a better game than dragon age 1 soo.. I'll buy DA2 later on..

[BeaArthur]

NYC_Gamer...we'll agree to disagree. I liked Dragon Age but it controlled horribly (at least on a console).

Xfanboy...So because you spent more money then the rest of us should have to deal with a crappy port of a game that controls horribly? Thanks for confirming my elitist comment.

[Baka-akaB]

No one "deserves anything" . If that logic was true everyone would pander to the highest settings nad most powerful hardware , when the reality is altogether quite far from it .
ONly a few each year strive to be for the high end configs .

At most you deserve proper "scalability" of performances on pc from all games .

""PC elitist who think they are better than console gamers." not true!! "

"Console fanboys have this thing were they feel they should have the same quality as pc for $300 "

Both are silly in their arguments as usually the case with rabid fanboys .

The pc ones wanna pretend that :

- there is nothing of value in console gaming that would justifity sticking with lower hardware settings .

- that most pc gamers actually have a decent rig to begin with .

- That everyone is under a same roof , with all genre properly represented on the superior pc . And when pointed out genres they can't always claim , of course it's crappy and marginal

- Mods are important for all games . Some game becomes thriving platform for it , like Half life , some others are just a hassle for meager gains .

- That art , designs and tricks arent sufficient enough to produce games that yes can sometimes be prettier than the raw horsepower of a huge pc graphical engine

Consoles ones ? :

-Building a good pc is atrociously expensive and cost more than their console+ overpriced turds like COD .

-PC can't be hooked up to hdtvs easily

-PC can't use pads and emus

- Gaming on pc is that complicated and buggy . That xbl is a godsend , while Steam doesnt exist and isnt even easier , cleaner , richer in its library , and actually fair priced .

- Babble crap about power not the end of all things , yet fight for which console is bigger . And that everything is prettier on consoles because of the above mentioned creativity in arts and designs .

[Baka-akaB]

I dont see the less tactical part of it .

Being a warrior was the same spamming crap , only with atrociously slow animations and pace .

You could as easily hack your way through in DAO

And i'd hardly consider being a mage that pause and queue unbalanced spells that tactical .

People need to lay off the rose tinted glasses . DAO's combat mechanics was a poor man's baldur's gate without it's depth and without true turn based mechanics , wich led to an half assed hybrid .

You can as shown so far do the same "tactical" strategie sessions in da2 , only the pace and overall interface is now better .

But instead some of you guys wanna pretend it's gone based on a demo/beginning of the game were you'd obviously be limited .

Clunky , slow and outdated ≠ more tactical and smarter

[Tex117]

Im with you. Everybody seems to have this revisionist history about DAO.

If someone was a PC Gamer, fine they have something to complain about, but console players?

Goodness, the combat was a most pit in the bottom of your screen or a mage spamming AoE spells with the difficulty turned down as to not inflict friendly fire.

I welcome the new battle system as a console player.

[NYC_Gamer]

i dislike the hack&slash combat it makes the game less tactical

[AssassinHD]

I don't understand how you can consider it less tactical. You can do everything you could in DAO. The only thing that is different is the pacing.

[wollie]

It kinda feels like a single player World of Warcraft. Move around with WASD, watch cool downs, click what ever is up. The pause function is still great. I was very worried that they would change the system to much, but in reality it still feels pretty similar. The Demo seemed really easy, i hope they make the game much harder.

[playaplayer]

Played the demo like 20 times with each class of character and both male and female. Game is awesome. Completed Origins Ultimate edition and i got to say DA2 combat is way more fun than DAO.

[midgard227]

gameplay is stiff, choppy and horribly animated, ESPECIALLY as a rogue. its just so unnatural how thier arms move that fast without thier legs or waste moving. its a bad hack and slash with good storyline and deep rpg elements. game just fails on the actual gameplay. slightly better than the firsts but gets stale within 5 minutes. i couldnt even finish the demo, dynasty warriors gameplay is better ad i hate that game

it may sound like a rant but compared to the sword play in games like fable, witcher, demon souls etc this is just bad. ima wait till witcher 2/skyrim/ darksouls

but for people who canignore the bad gameplay there is alot else to enjoy with the rest of bioware goodness. im sure many will enjoy it, but for me combat is key to me liking a game

EDIT@BAKA

I know what u mean, the first was alone since u couldnt take control of the others. to me the first felt more like a turn based game with again bad animations which i didnt liked that he slashed without me telling him too. it waslike oldschool everquest or somethin.

this one you have more control but its still not done well IMO, so i cant stand it. aaaand i dont know about good action game. it would be insulting if you even saidthe gameplay was better than champions of norath lol. action games r DMC, NG, Bayonetta, certainly not DA2

[Baka-akaB]

thing is , be it da1 or 2 , they arent supposed to have the same fighting system . You manage a whole party here , in those games you are on your own so it's "easy" to be a bonafide and good action game there .

[Agent VX]

Yes, this will sound like a snobbish PC rant, but again, here is a game that is yet again dumbing down gaming for the "Mass" console fans, diluting quality for the casual market that dominates the consoles.

For more hardcore gamer, turning DA2 into a more hack & slash in the vast void of hack & slash already out on the console market sucks.

Getting rid of the overhead camera really sucks, and using more button mashing for combat blows chuncks also. I was really excited about this game a while ago, but looks like Witcher 2 will get my bucks first.

Consoles are really ruining much of the gaming for me by dumbing down the overall experience. I know all the console fanboys will go irrate, but dem da facts.

Don't worry console fanboys, you get the last laugh by playing dumber and dumber games. Good on you!!!!

[jrbeerman11]

They havent dumbed down combat, they made it more accessible. If you dont want to play as one character on easy or normal difficulty pressing for each strike then dont.

I played pc qnd xbox demos and they restrict how u play, but the final game will let you play just like the first on higher difficulty with pausing and issuing commands.

The pc demo is locked to command mode and it played like a faster da:o, nothing like a hack and slash.

They did try to make more accessible and flexible yes, but they havent taken anything away from da:o fans unless you want the gameplay to be slower. I guarantee there will be a pc mod slowing it down too.

[Baka-akaB]

dont bother , he is knee deep into his stuff and wont get out of it .
His mind have been made no matter what et and dead set on "consoles are screwing us" .

The game is quite similar on pc than dao , mostly faster , wich change little for those issuing orders on pause , but "oh no they dumbed down our hero" .

The part that actually got a massive revamp was the console one with now a completely different interface .

[Rowland]

@ Agent VX: Spot on. Bubbles for you for telling the clear truth amid hordes of clueless fanboys all with heads stuck firmly in sand.

[Agent VX]

Jrbeeman11... You failed as soon as you mentioned “more accessible”

You prove my point, thank you very much. And yes, I like to think during battles, have strategies, pick and choose my opponents, have the right spells and skills used instead of making things easier because a good percentage of users have controllers instead of Keyboard/Mouse.

Dumbing it down for the casual market, sad but true.

[Gohadouken]

and yet like others pointed out you wanna pretend you can't do those things .

I'm starting to think there is indeed a trend of things being dumbed down in the pc gaming world , but they might be the gamers rather than the games :p .

[Rowland]

The Dragons Age franchise are damn fine games in their own right but are not RPGs.

Linear game mechanics, next to no exploration and 35% of the game being taken up by cutscenes disqualifies it.

sure DA has a few RPG elements but so does Bioshock, Gears of War & My little Farmstead. and those games weren't classified as RPG's were they.

[koehler83]

I think too many people need to go back to the dictionary and look up exactly what role playing means.

It has absolutely nothing to do with exploration, linear narratives or cut scenes.

The key aspect of role play is choice and reacting to choices.

[VonAlbrecht]

It is an RPG. If you think otherwise, go play Oblivion. Even if you think it's more of a first person hack and slash.

[Rowland]

so 'movies' are RPG's now?

http://360.mmgn.com/News/Dr...

[VonAlbrecht]

That one in particular is. Once again, play something else. All your complaining is for naught.

Didn't know cutscenes determined genre, by the way. Good information.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Bioware needs a new formula,Kotor was fine but ten Kotors later and I'm bored.