And it seems to be a hit. I was honestly expecting it to score in the 7 range given it's more niche conventions but the reviews are heaping on the praise. Metacritic of 92 so far.
I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth into it but I have 30+ hours of Borderlands, 60+ hours of Forza 3, a dozen other games waiting in the wings, and Left 4 Dead 2 yet to drop. I hate the holiday rush! 
...bysmitty
It's a BioWare game. Of course it's going to be hit. I wish I knew about the Stardock deal sooner where if you typed in SURVEY-2008 it'd shave 20% off of the price of anything on Impulse. That would make the $65 Collector's Edition $52. I was hoping to get the CE, too, because it comes with added content (a whole DLC-sized backstory plot with tons of goodies exclusive to the CE edition) but oh well.
There were way too many corners cut in this game in order to get it on to console. Despite what they said when they started developing this game, I'm sure a console release was their main goal from the get-go. Bioware has let me, and a million other Bioware PC gaming fans, down. Among other things, there is a lack of races, lack of classes, lack of spells and most importantly, no multiplayer. Up until about five months before release, Bioware touted DA as a multiplayer game. Successor to Baldur's Gate, my ass.
The only redeemable quality I see so far is the graphics. The game looks great and the combat looks amazing. Too make up for its shortcomings, this game better have a story that parallels that of a Tolkien novel.
All that being said, I may still purchase the game. 
I want to give Bioware a chance to wow me, but I'm not feeling very optimistic. I'm definitely waiting a month or two after it's released before I consider buying it.
Does anybody remember multiplayer fantasy RPG PC games?
I've only played for a few hours (and most of that time was tied up reading the backstory, creating a character and replaying the intro a couple of times) but this is some seriously awesome shit. It's like KOTOR in a medieval setting with Mass Effect graphics and pumped full of steroids. The NPCs and your interaction with them is extremely believable. There's no feeling of stoic-ness; everyone looks and acts like a real being. The graphics are top notch and what's even more important is that the performance is excellent. I never lagged once on my old and failing hardware. The game certainly has a Witcher feel. There's a lot of racial tension involved and human elitism and there's also a serious mature theme (and a shitload of blood that stays with your character until he changes clothes). I'll elaborate once I've played some more. But BioWare never disappoints.
I was working my hardest to put off buying the game for a few weeks... but I caved. All the good reviews, and the epicness of the game that so many people are talking about... just couldn't resist it any longer. 
Went ahead and got the Deluxe edition. Man... I'm not going to have any free time.
If you make it idiot proof, they will just make a better idiot.
Grackus wrote:Ok guys...how's the gameplay?
See I was not a big fan of KOTOR so making that comparison didn't make me want to go get it. Not sure why I didn't ike it...might have been the StarWars thing...not sure.
Anyway, what's the gameplay/Combat like?
Alright, I'm going to go off and play for a couple hours. I didn't get to any combat areas but I think the more proper comparison is Neverwinter Nights. I just put KOTOR on there because its the latest game I've been playing (and it absolutely refuses to work. It crashes my computer whenever I try to play it now. It seems like any game made on or before 2004 WILL NOT WORK WITH 7 with an exception towards GOG.com).
Depending on the race and class you choose there are several different intro quests that are marvelously made. Right now I'm a Human Warrior Noble and the heir to my father's throne. Your "family" is really well acted and actually makes you think they're family members. I also got a kick ass killer dog. The tutorial makes the combat seem complicated but it's really not much different from a Diablo hack-n-slash with spells and abilities. You can pause at any time and "plan" not that there is much planning to do. You can't queue up attacks or at least I haven't figured out how. So anyways you just right click away until everyone is dead.
The combat is marvelously bloody and the finishing attacks border of Age of Conan awesomeness but lack the gore portion (no decapitations, wtf!?). Also some of the blood can get a bit unrealistic and make you look like a f*cking dirty vampire when it drenches your armor and face. All I did was kill a few giant rats and it looks like I took a shower with pure blood. But really, this game is f*cking awesome and I've only just finished the beginning portion. A definite must buy. Although be warned, from some of the people I talked to and some of the reviews I've read, this is going to suck up any and all time you might have. Even "worse" is that BioWare is going to provide a shitload of DLC a la Fallout 3. Hell they already released two DLC packs. What sucks is you need to buy BioWare points, which is basically identical to MS Points. And the DLC is pretty expensive, not that I know anything about its quality, content and length. If you got the CE or some other edition it'll be included.
Edit: Oh yes and the story and storytelling is the best in years to come. I would've thought that you couldn't get more cliched and boring than a fantasy setting but BioWare pulled it off. After months of hearing nothing but bad news from this game because of supposed consolitis I am extremely pleased. This is definitely a PC game and it'll be the console gamers that will be getting PC-itis. Too bad they killed off the multiplayer/co-op component they've been touting from the start.
And for anyone thinking about getting the console version (you imbecile, you) get the PS3 version if you can. This is one of those rare games that manage to take advantage of the PS3's complicated hardware and allows for higher texture quality, better colors, faster load times and smoother lip-syncing. The 360 version is more compressed than junkyard full of trash cubes.
I've played some more and holy shit. This is like what would happen if you fused Andrzej Sapkowski of Witcher fame with J.R.R. Tolkien. The epicness of the Lord of the Rings with the maturity and seriousness of the Witcher. It is an absolutely brilliant setting and I have yet to even pierce the surface.
Edit: I must retract my previous quirp about the combat being an overhyped Diablo hack-n-slash clickfest. There is a lot of thinking involved once you move on to harder enemies and larger hordes... especially with a full party of five. There is something called "tactics" or behaviors that you can select for yourself and your party members for the AI to follow when certain events occur (such as using a health potion when your health is <50%). There a lot of selections and commands you can program but the game only gives you a few slots. You gain more slots as you level and invest points into a certain power branch. Personally it's much too tedious to program the AI yourself (and by golly they're not extremely bright, they refuse to automatically heal themselves. Instead you must make a command yourself. Sometimes you will even have to program their own automatic use of their own powers). There are plenty of presets but as with all presets they're never quite right. In any case I just find myself doing what I do in each of these BioWare DnD-type RPGs: micromanage 'till my fingers bleed. Basically I end up pausing, selecting, moving and using each of the party membe'rs powers until all of the enemies are dead. It doesn't sound as bad as I make it and some of the tactical people out there will love this, especially if you have the willpower to program the AI yourself (I know some people that did this with KOTOR/NWN and other RPGs and all they had to do was sit back and let the AI win the game). And the base AI isn't so bad that they can't do anything without you holding their hand. At Normal difficulty you can easily just keep right-clicking until everything is dead with a health potion here and there.
But the dialog, voice acting, animations, everything is just remarkable. A definite must buy. Or I will visit your home and shoot you.
Grackus wrote:hmmm....sounds like you're not a huge fan of the combat. I have not gotten that far yet so I have no idea how I'll like the gameplay.
Are you still enjoying the game though?
Immensely. I'm losing track of large swaths of time whenever I double click the icon. The combat is fine. I'm just not the pause and micromanage type. This is something that's done in most BioWare RPGs like Neverwinter Nights and KOTOR. Sometimes I'll just put the difficulty to easy to accomodate my exclusively real-time play-style.
From famine to feast! Don't tell anyone but I was so distraught with a lack of interest-holding games that I re-subscribed to WoW after more than 2.5 years away! Now, this week, we see Dragon Age, Borderlands, and Modern Warfare 2 breaking onto the scene. As much as I want to buy all three games it probably won't happen. Currently, Modern Warfare 2 tops the list but Dragon Age seems more appealing by the minute. Oh STEAM, make my dreams come true!
My biggest concern is the lack of multiplayer in DA. However, with the exception of E, most of you are saying that it's no big deal? The game is that good?
Meowscat wrote:From famine to feast! Don't tell anyone but I was so distraught with a lack of interest-holding games that I re-subscribed to WoW after more than 2.5 years away! Now, this week, we see Dragon Age, Borderlands, and Modern Warfare 2 breaking onto the scene. As much as I want to buy all three games it probably won't happen. Currently, Modern Warfare 2 tops the list but Dragon Age seems more appealing by the minute. Oh STEAM, make my dreams come true!
My biggest concern is the lack of multiplayer in DA. However, with the exception of E, most of you are saying that it's no big deal? The game is that good?
Jacob of the front page (not Jakub the lone FS editor) claims to have spent 53 hours power-gaming through DA and hasn't even gotten to 50% of the content. If you weren't rushing to get a review out the window, I'd guarantee you that you will take at least 80+ hours to get through most of the game. So if you want something that will hold your interest for a long time, get this game.
Also Modern Warfare 2 should be avoided.
BioWare, when they first announced DA, were touting multiplayer and coop but dropped it for some reason. It would be nice to have four fellow humans playing in your party instead of the AI but it's not a game breaker. At all. It's GOTY for me. So get it.
Grackus wrote:I played a bit over the weekend and I like it but there are a couple things that kinda annoy me.
For one while I like a good story, the long drawn out conversations and cut scenes are bit much in my opinion. I find myself going “ok that’s cool and all but I’m ready to get to it and start killing stuff now.
Also there is so much micromanaging and that part takes too much time. Especially if you use the tactics and all that stuff. I find myself only controlling my rogue unless things start heading down hill. Then I’ll pause the game and switch over to Morgan for heals or move over the Shale (I think that’s his name) to tank. With 4 different characters and all of them having their own unique skills it’s a bit over whelming to learn everyone and how they are best used. So I just let them do what they do until I need to step in.
Also I play on easy because I had heard so many say it was very difficult but easy seems a bit too easy to me. Except in some cases where even the easy setting is a bit tough.
All and all though I really like the game….lots of fun and great story.
Ah yes, BioWare really should have put up a big "THIS IS NOT A CASUAL RPG" notice on the box of their game. It's long. It's drawn out. Lotsa talking (because dialogue is what makes an RPG, not fighting). Lotsa numbers to juggle.
If you go to the tactics menu and just select the presets they're good enough for your party member's combat abilities to be taken fully advantage of. It also includes new powers and how to best use them. I set Alistair to "Defender", myself to "Scrapper" (I'm a dual-wield warrior), Morrigan to "Destroyer" (or something like that, although sometimes I set her to healer when you invest points in the healing tree) and Lelianna to "Archer." I haven't tried out Sten yet and the dog was the first to go.
Synchronous Failure wrote:If you go to the tactics menu and just select the presets they're good enough for your party member's combat abilities to be taken fully advantage of. It also includes new powers and how to best use them. I set Alistair to "Defender", myself to "Scrapper" (I'm a dual-wield warrior), Morrigan to "Destroyer" (or something like that, although sometimes I set her to healer when you invest points in the healing tree) and Lelianna to "Archer." I haven't tried out Sten yet and the dog was the first to go.
I have not ran into Lelianna I don't think...yet anyway.
Yeah I'll have to look at it tonight if I get a chance. Thanks for the tip. 
