Console: Xbox 360/ PlayStation 3/ PC / MAC
Players: Single Player
Release Date: 11th March 2011
Developers: Bioware
Publishers: Electronic Arts
Genre: Role-playing Game
Price: €49.99*
Even after the Blight and the raging Darkspawn armies were conquered, the devastation and chaos that they caused continues to cause ripples in the world of man, dwarf and elf. Now we were major fans of the first game Dragon Age: Origins so after completing Awakening and trying to score as many achievements/trophies as is humanly possible we were very excited to learn of a new game.
Dragon Age II is the direct sequel to Origins, based during the events of the first game and then continuing one year after the armies of Ferelden under Queen Anora and the Grey Warden’s put an end to the fifth Blight. With rumours circulating online for the last year we were titillated by some and disappointed by others however there is more value in truth and so we’ve been testing the game for ourselves, hoping that the game is just as good as the first two.
As we’ve said in our preview the game begins with you taking on the role of Hawke, a refugee fleeing the destruction of Lothering, your home and one of the many villages to fall under the invading Darkspawn. Together with your family you flee in the only direction you can, south into the misty Wilds, one of the most dangerous places in all of Ferelden but with the Darkspawn closing in you make haste only to be surrounded and members of your party killed by twisted creatures and a colossal Ogre. Then as if by fate or sheer chance, Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds appears and rescues you, intrigued by your actions and battle she offers you a way north in exchange for your help in delivering a package.
This story is retold by Varric; a Dwarven archer who calls himself friend to you, the Champion, his audience is Cassandra Pentaghast, a short tempered Seeker who urgently seeks the Champion of Kirkwall. Varric will recall the ten years he spent with you, retelling your actions, decisions and the adventures you took, all which lead to your rise to power and your story becoming a legend.
The game has seen a lot of change both in terms of gameplay, graphics and storytelling – most importantly however that is while the game has changed it certainly hasn’t lost its ability to captivate us. Some of the initial rumours that circulated the gaming community was the loss of customisable characters, like every rumour there is only a small grain of truth to it. Hawke is fully customisable in the sense you may name him/her and alter his/her appearance and choose their class (Rogue, Mage or Warrior) but the ability to pick your race has been dropped and Hawke must be from the human race. By picking one of the three classes you also gain multiple talent trees within that classification, Mage may decide on different schools of Magic, Warriors different types of attack/defence and the Rogue may avail of a wide variety of skills from archery, poisons and traps.
The visuals and sounds for the game are definitely one of the highlights for us. While the game still looks a lot like its predecessors (and that isn’t exactly a bad thing) there have been subtle changes to the look of the game, with cleaner graphics coupled with breathtaking backdrops. In particular the emotive expressions of non playable characters now look more fluid, previously a smile would instantly switch to a frown if you said the wrong thing but doing the same thing now you can see a shift in expression instead of a fast jump. The graphics aren’t perfect however and we’ve notice some choppy parts in cut scenes at first we penned this down to our television but trying it on another newer model also showed up some of the same problems.
The music in the game is both dramatic and epic, powerful orchestral pieces coupled with tense and fast battle songs make for some serious gamer goosebumps.
Our favourite part of the improvements to the game comes not in the play system or story but in the cut scenes, with dramatic parts of the story told through a drapery of animation, a modern day Bayeux Tapestry.
Fans of the series will also find a whole new wealth of skills and spells to master, with some of our favourites making a welcome return. The gameplay is also similar, with battles comes experience and levelling which allows the player to increase attributes as well as learn new abilities. The game follows a linear storyline spanning a period of ten years but along the way various side missions and quests will become available which will open the world of the Free Marches up for further exploration and discovery.
Dragon Age II has been a game we’ve been expecting and waiting for in anticipation, needless to say we aren’t disappointed with what we’ve gotten to play with. While relying on some of the better parts of the original game it takes small steps in integrating changes and even new features. However if you are the kind of gamer who likes his/her action fast and your characters to keep quiet then is probably a game you would want to think about before buying. It isn’t a game a novice RPGer to break into the series or Role-playing games for that matter, it features long winded dialogue and interactions, thought and patience as well as a decent knowledge of character structuring and play. If you are an avid role-player like us then what are you waiting for, Dragon Age II has more than enough to keep your D&D loving self happy and busy for hours!
Good Points
Powerful and engaging storyline
Simple combat systems
Breath taking visuals and soundtrack
Bad Points
Choppy graphics
Small almost illegible text
Damn it we wanted to be an Elf!
Rating: 8.5/10
*Price may vary
