Dragon Age II: Upgraded Visuals, Combat Details, More
Dragon Age IIDragon Age II is less than a month away and role-playing fans everywhere are anxiously anticipating BioWare's latest gem.
However, as we've heard, there will be some significant changes in this sequel, and those upgrades/alterations have been discussed at the PlayStation Blog. In a great interview with Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, we learn about the improved visuals, the slightly different battle system, and overall, how the second effort compares to the first.
To start, Laidlaw spoke about the "painful" process of bringing Origins and its Eclipse engine to the PlayStation 3; while he said it was successful, he knew they'd have to make a change the second time around. So, they designed the art assets from the ground up so the console versions would "work better." This really helps the PS3 version, as Laidlaw says "the visual fidelity is higher" and the final result "is higher quality textures, crisper resolutions, and more guys on screen, without having to sacrifice anything simply because we built it smarter."
Then came some talk about the battle system, which is - in our opinion - the most interesting part of the interview. The Blog's Jeff Rubenstein admitted to having issues with the combat in Origins and Laidlaw believes those issues (that other players had as well) stemmed from a "lack of immediacy" for console players. He says they're so used to pressing a button and having something happen, and the "lack of responsiveness" in Origins resulted in a "disassociation." So they didn't sacrifice any depth (thank God) but they upped the aforementioned urgency:
"Push to attack: press X and BAM, I’m right in there and start attacking.
Closing moves: So if I’m 10 feet from a guy, I don’t kind of awkwardly run up to him and then attack. I leap into him and attack as I do it.
Every animation is being produced in a more stylish, more reactive, and I think a more satisfying way that telegraphs what I’m doing back to me very clearly. 'I just swung that sword, and I hit three guys because it’s a two-hander and I swung it in an arc.'"
There's plenty more so feel free to read the whole interview. While we all remain plenty excited for Dragon Age II and we have total faith in BioWare, it's actually a little surprising to see them introducing more action elements for the sake of wider appeal. Personally, I'm kind of hoping they worked on the balance; I always felt underpowered as a mage in Origins and with limited enemies, I couldn't build up my character. That drives me nuts.
But that's just me. I believe BioWare when they say they didn't sacrifice any depth for the new flashy style, and that's what matters most.
Related Game(s): Dragon Age II
Tags: dragon age ii, dragon age 2, bioware, dragon age sequel
2/12/2011 10:35:22 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (27 posts)
Gabriel013
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 1:19:33 AM
0 up, 0 down
kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:56:40 AM
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I loved the first Dragon age and am excited about this one. However I'll be waiting for the goty/ultimate edition. The first one had over $80 worth of add-ons. No thank you.
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 4:27:35 AM
1 up, 0 down
kraygen
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:19:25 AM
Game see's my empty wallet and hides.
3 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:29:13 PM
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I just hope the character doesn't talk directly to you, the player, like he/she did before. That was annoying.
I'm buying this right away, but I'm afraid if I start playing it right away I'll be pulled off of Mass Effect 2. Maybe I can balance both somehow.
1 up, 0 down
aaronisbla
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:30:29 PM
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anywho, i remember making the ultimate tank on Dragon Age, which so happens to be a mage, which took Arcane and Blood Mages classes mixed together. Its...utterly broken. They don't get hit, period. and when they do get hit, they shrug it off. not to mention if you have a rogue that summons pets, you can take life from that pet and heal yourself. Try it out if any of you guys are still playing the game
Looking forward to this game, but it sounds like he was one step away from confirming it was a hack and slash, as long as the game is great, i'll still enjoy it
Last edited by aaronisbla on 2/12/2011 1:31:50 PM
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xenris
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 3:22:34 PM
I think the changes are welcome though, it is incredibly frustrating to see your great sword hacking into someone and doing a sliver of damage. Exchanging blows for minutes against enemies with metal skin gets repetative.
I did play this on the PC when at launch so they might have patched the mages and balanced it but all in all DA:O was a cool story and world, with a retro Baldurs gate style combat which is good but I think Baldurs gate did it better.
1 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:39:27 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 5:10:01 PM
=p
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:17:09 PM
We need Suikoden II on PSN.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/12/2011 6:17:34 PM
1 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 8:31:56 PM
I think my sarcasm failed ;)
1 up, 0 down
sirbob6
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 7:53:55 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:29:34 PM
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3 up, 0 down
Gordo
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:49:42 PM
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The graphics were a bit wonky, never liked the combat, hated having an inventory that just filled up with dodgy items that I never knew what to do with.
The only good items were ones I could give to the witch to try and get my leg over...
After all that it was "pants on" action only...
Give me a Mass Effect 2 inventory system over a Dragons Age Origins one any day!
(Blasphemy I know).
1 up, 2 down
Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 4:30:35 AM
Anyways, I disagree, to find items to ponder how to use and what to use for is fun, imo!
1 up, 1 down
Gordo
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:09:28 AM
It never seemed to annoy me however in Demons Souls, Nier or Fallout 3. Just Dragons Age.
Loving Mass Effect 2. Highly recommended. Bioware know their stuff...
1 up, 0 down
___________
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:56:06 AM
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really want to get this, but theres far too many other games releasing in march im interested in!
0 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 4:28:19 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/13/2011 4:28:52 AM
2 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:02:12 AM
1 up, 0 down
___________
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:30:57 AM
they release their game in such a busy month, then wonder why it sold so poorly!
O, and neither deus ex or F.E.A.R 3 are releasing in march, deus has no date, and F.E.A.R 3 is may.
Last edited by ___________ on 2/13/2011 7:32:03 AM
0 up, 1 down
Veitsknight
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 8:58:08 AM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Monday, February 14, 2011 @ 7:04:50 AM
it was a good game, had its problems but really reminded me of the good old traditional RPG/ adventure games.
i was referring to the release date, the original released against so many other heavy hitters and it did not sell as well as it deserved, the exact same will happen to this.
0 up, 1 down
Shiva369
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:58:09 AM
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I'll be getting DA2 for sure and look forward to the changes, but it's going to take a while to get me out of ME2...I started my second playthrough the day after finishing the first and am not done by any means...love this game to bits.
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 5:43:57 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/13/2011 5:44:37 AM
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Nerull
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 7:08:08 PM
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I like what it was going for but there didn't seem to be THAT many choices, just a side mission for each member, which DA also had plus way more miscellanious stuff, and the alternate endings weren't really that alternate, MINOR SPOILER just who survived. END SPOILER and the occasional do I smack a guy to which the answer is always going to be certainly.
Plus my half-russian version kept me from getting the dlc but I'm still looking forward to DA2 way more.
Never bothered with the blood mages, Why would I want to keep my party half-dead all the time when I can go for a straight-up white mage?
SO much faster.
Unfortunately my awakening dvd somehow disappeared a while ago, my room's not that big so I'm thinking spontaneous combustion or adapted osmosis or something.
Last edited by Nerull on 2/13/2011 7:11:03 PM
1 up, 0 down
Alienange
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Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:43:13 AM