Summary
FollowingDragon Age: Originsmust have been an incredibly difficult task. How does someone follow up on a game as intricately designed and expansive as the originalDragon Age,a game that lets players realize a protagonist withas much depth and freedomas they’d find in a tabletop title? For Bioware, or at least, for the EA executives directing Bioware, the answer was to streamline everything into a beat-em-up-styled ARPG, with voice acting and cinematic cutscenes and explosions.
Yes, it’s neither a secret nor a surprise that players hungering for more CRPG goodness were left wanting byDragon Age’ssecond installment. However, the game still has an incredible amount ofpolish and merit. Here are just a few of the reasons whyDragon Age 2is slept on more than it deserves.
7The Novel Presentation
Framing The Game As A Retelling Is A Unique Spin
The first thing players learn as they beginDragon Age 2is that the story is not being framed directly through the protagonist, Hawke’s, eyes. Instead, the whole game is a stylized retelling from one of themost important charactersin theDragon Ageseries, Varric.
The heavily embellished action in the introductory sequence, mimicked throughout the story, as well as the greater emphasis overall on spectacle and grandeur in the game, all circle back to the words of Varric. It was an interesting way of presenting the new style to the audience and provided at least some justification for the heightened pace of combat compared to the original title.
6The Cinematic Style
Cutscenes And Voice-Acting Frame Hawke As A Hero
Following on from the idea behind the game’s presentation is, of course, the presentation itself.DA2is filled with a grander score and more fluid, dynamic movement than its predecessor. A voiced protagonist means that conversations flow more smoothly and are more engaging, admittedly at the cost of the dialogue freedomOriginsoffered.
Hawke’s personality, shaped by the player and projected to the world through these updated game presentations, has made them afan-favorite amongDragon Agecharacters. A cocky Hawke leaping over enemies or a violent Hawke brutalizing foes leaves a very strong impact on the player regarding the kind of character they’re creating throughout the story.
5The Fluid Combat
Action-Packed And Fluid-Fighting
The combat inOriginswas very complex and gave room for lots of customization, but its slowness was not the finest part of the game. To those who foundOriginscombat stifling, the fluid and fast-paced combat ofDA2was a breath of fresh air.
Combat now happens in real-time and with the right level of punch and impact following up every swing of a sword or blast from a staff. The streamlining of equipment and skills sacrifices complexity for the sake of clarity, and each node on the upgrade tree still feels like a markedly fresh layer onto whichever combat archetype the player is focusing on. The punchy, forceful combat marks another pillar holding upthe hard magic atmosphereof this more grounded title.
4The Well-Realized Setting
Kirkwall Has An Identity Of Its Own
DA2has a tighter and smaller-scale setting than its predecessor, and that’s okay. Not every RPG needs to beabout saving the world. But Kirkwall, through the player’s exploration of it over the course of years, fighting in its undercity and trading in its markets, takes on a life of its own as fleshed out and realized as any character.
The decisions Hawke makes as he gains more and more prominence in Kirkwall, especially as the narrative comes to its climactic finale, shape the citizenry of Kirkwall and their demeanor, which in turn influences the place where Hawke lives, engages with his companions, and sees most of the story unfold.
3The Companions
Classic Bioware Storytelling Still Shines Through The Characters
While combat might be decidedly distinct from its predecessor, the title’s dedication to strong character work remains intact. Hawke is depth and verisimilitude through the different personalities and attitudes he can develop throughout the game, but what makes him feel like a part of Kirkwall - as opposed to an outlier - is how his companions are all able to undergo similar levels of development.
The shifting, fluid attitudes of Hawke’s comrades may not alwaysland them in the best places, but damned if they don’t tell good stories along the way. Whether comradery or romance is the goal, every companion has a branching story for Hawke to engage in.
2Rivalries
A Unique Spin On Companion Affection
Dragon Age 2does not care how much affection Hawke’s companions have for him. It merely cares how strongly they feel towards him. Rather than simply deduct affection points or something along those lines with companions, if Hawke’s actions upset the people close to him, they shift in a scale that measures love and hatred both, with apathy in the middle.
Companions that feel negatively towards Hawke get just as many dialogue opportunities and unique interactions as characters that feel strongly towards them. It’s also worth noting that romances are available for both positive and negative relationships, for the enemies-to-lovers fans out there.DA2rewards the player for leaving a lasting impression on their companions - whatever that impression might be.
1Choice and Consequence
Both Within The Game Itself And Beyond
As mentioned earlier on this list,DA2does not spare any details to the writing fans had come to expect from the last game, even if the combat and game flow differ. While the implementation of voice-acting and the dialogue wheel has restricted the options for the main character to express, there are still a variety of branches for each main quest and side quest to take.
Beyond this, the characters' outlook towards the player, gauged by the friendship/rivalry system, influences the choices they make in the story. This all culminates in a unique stream of events for Hawke, which can then go on to influence the world-state inDragon Age: Inquisition,causing these choices to have an impact that reaches beyond their own game.
