Unrequested thoughts on Dragons Age Origins

[Trey]

Well I've played DAO a bit, and I've got to admit it's real pretty, but... it lacks the emersive feel of the older games like Baldurs Gate. In those older RPGs you could open almost any door in a city, and search anywhere, sometimes getting thrown out, sometimes uncovering a little side story, when travelling you could actual walk through all the maps if you wanted to, which felt more like real life. That's noticably missing from Dragons Age Origins, as it was from Neverwinter Nights.

I expect we will see that level of interactivity again in the future. But at this point modeling all these extra areas in 3D is just too much, too expensive in time, money, and memory. I can't wait for a 3D game that's on the level of Baldurs Gate...

[Virgil]

@Trey
You can try Morrowind or Oblivion - they offer such level of freedom - i.e. you can walk in any house you want in the game and there are lot of things to do except storyline quest.

I've played DA through and can tell that it is actually more looks like NWN combined with later Bioware games. I liked the dialogs, no really, it's the first game in ages that make grin or smile over sarcastic replies or in-game jokes. If you remember, in BG 2 you could interact with your party members, they'll tell you their story through the game and possibly give your personal quest. So they took it further in Dragon Age and here's great deal of talking with your characters. Overall it is a good roleplaying game in a true sense, second good RPG this year after Drakensang.

What I really disliked is stupid aggressive marketing campaign, which posed game like it were another GTA clone with all emphasis on sex (they leave their underwear om btw, Hot Coffee mod, anyone?) and gore. As a result game is not that gory and violent. though your chars can do fatalities like in Fallout. Also the whole setting is so hackneyed, no matter what they said in interviews about all the grim atmosphere, I saw it in The Witcher two years ago.

[Trey]

Well, it is a Biowares game so it's very well written, no complaints there. It just feels like something is lacking... I think that 'something' is the depth of Biowares earlier games. I expect we will see that again. I just don't think the hardware and developers are up to the challenge yet. These games are already huge. Most of that is used for the graphics, I'd like to see more content as well.

[Smiling Spectre]

Well I've played DAO a bit, and I've got to admit it's real pretty, but... it lacks the emersive feel of the older games like Baldurs Gate. In those older RPGs you could open almost any door in a city, and search anywhere, sometimes getting thrown out, sometimes uncovering a little side story, when travelling you could actual walk through all the maps if you wanted to, which felt more like real life.

Actually, no.



There is only one such Infinity game - it is Planescape: Torment, but even it have much one-way missions, and after the city return is impossible.

BG2 made it in less degree - city is smaller, doors is scarcer, much more one-way quests. And most not-Amn missions gave you only one shot.

And least of all is Icewind Dale (both), that is straightforward H'n'S.

Anyway, I didn't see DA:O yet, but it seems very BGish for me for all reviews and replies.

[Trey]

That's what I thought too, but I was a bit disappointed. It's not like it's a bad game, it just feels like it's missing something. Maybe it's 'whats-his-name' and his 'space-hamster'...

[Smiling Spectre]

Minsk and Boo. I heard about mods, where Boo is giant space hamster. Also there is bloodlusting talking sword. 'Murder! Death! Kill!"