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As amusing as the 'fly zip up' is, yeah. I really wasn't satisfied with the sex sequences in DA2.
"A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life
Apparently I missed out on some good 'romance' options in DAO After my attempt to entice Ashley and Liara into a threesome in ME failed, I just didn't think that it was possible for there to be more than a couple in a Bioware game.
Well it's a one off, and you have to have hardened Leliana during her personnel quest. But if you do it, approval ratings go up. If you're female and have Ohgren with you, he faints if you, Isabella and Leliana decide to have some fun.
Some time after them you just have to talk to the madam at the bar counter. She charges you and then tells you to take your pick. I recommend Serendipity.
As soon as the toolset is released/ dedicated modders finish without the toolset, it'll be the first thing to be changed lol
Yay more unrelentingly awful hardcore sex scenes like they had in Origins, with the "improved" romance mod. Worth downloading and watching for the hilarity of seeing how unsexy they can make the sex scenes.
Originally posted by The Mighty 6 platoonView Post
Well it's a one off, and you have to have hardened Leliana during her personnel quest. But if you do it, approval ratings go up. If you're female and have Ohgren with you, he faints if you, Isabella and Leliana decide to have some fun.
"A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life
rofl it surprised the hell out of me too. Decided to try a different girl than my Hawke's 'regular', and a booming man's voice comes out.....and there's no way to stop it!
I can't wait for that to happen to my husband and only hope I'm present for it!
As amusing as the 'fly zip up' is, yeah. I really wasn't satisfied with the sex sequences in DA2.
Me either. The lack of... flesh isn't even as bothersome as only being able to do it once and then getting their generic phrase any other time you see them. I kind of liked being able to crawl into my loved one's tent (In DA:O) at the end of a hectic day of battle.
Sooo...
I (finally) finished my first playthrough of Dragon Age 2.
It too my somewhere around 60 - 70 hours. (I try to be real thorough: my first playthrough of Dragon Age: Origins took nearly 110 hours)
First off, I did enjoy it and I definitely do not regret spending on it.
Visually (graphics, lighting, etc.) it was an improvement on Dragon Age: Origins. The art style...I got used to. Not perfect, but, IMHO, it works.
While some locations do look bland, they do reflect, to some extent, what seems to be a rather bleak region. If could be better, tho'.
Some key events, particularly near the end, are also quite nice, visually. Still, like DA:O (if not more so), I feel that there's a distinct lack of 'establishing shots': a 'fly through' over the city of Kirkwall, to establish scale, for example, would've helped greatly in setting the mood or feel.
Performance: the demo was smoother.
Still, (and note that I'm using an aging P4 3GHz, w/ 2GB DDR2 RAM, and a recently, if poorly-thought-out-because-I-was-rushed purchase of an Inno3D GT430 2GB to replace my recently-dead 8800GT 512MB, using WinXP SP2) DA2 is, generally smoother than DA:O, especially where it counts: there were no 'painful' instances where my system was struggling enough so as to compromise my performance during fights (which happened in multiple instances for me in DA:O).
Hopefully, 'soon' ( ), I can comment on this with a newer PC...
Story/characters: Hmm. I can't say as was as 'drawn in' or 'involved' as I was in DA:O. The story is ok, but, IMHO, being 'ok' is kinda bad since, for the most part, you and your companions are confined to one city (and some of its surroundings) for most of the game. For something which is supposed to span the better part of a decade, you more or less just see the same parts of the city (w/ some tweaks here and there).
It doesn't help that DA2 RE-USES a LOT of locations for it's quests (main or side): warehouses, cave systems, mansions...all re-used. It feels like the game was 'rushed out' (and it probably was, considering how soon it was released in relation to how long DA:O was developed).
Fights/gameplay: I liked the faster pace, and, to a certain extent, the faster animations (not so much the wushu demonstration-like movements of the rogue, but I don't really mind those).
The mechanics, on the other hand, feel too MMO-ish, particularly when dealing with 'Bosses'. The combat, for the most part, does feel more 'responsive'.
There were a few fights, tho', that were quite difficult (and I played on 'Normal'), and required more micromanagement...fights which highlighted something that shouldn't have been removed from the PC version, at least: the Isometric camera like that in DA:O (which you could move away from a character).
It was painful, especially in cramped quarters, to try and setup, particularly Area-of-Effect spells/attacks when the walls or even doorways are hampering your ability to see the battlefield.
Companions/NPCs/Choices/etc.:
The voice-acting was quite good (I still like DA:O's better, of course ). Some of the characters were interesting, but some felt 'dry' or predictable.
Unlike DA:O, DA2 has a voiced protagonist. I played my first playthrough as a Female Hawke (Warrior) and her voice, for the most part, was quite good, if a bit too soft (audibility/projection-wise, when compared to the other companions, at least). A voiced protagonist has it's pros and cons: it's nice to hear your character speak, but sometimes, you may feel a 'disconnect' from what the character is saying.
As for choices, particularly near the end, it felt like some parts were, I dunno, 'railroaded'. Illusion of choice and all that. Still, I'll try again with a different class and see if I can affect different outcomes following generally the same path (hehehe, and a liberal use of walkthroughs )
Bugs: Mostly quest related (example: a rather 'jarring' one where you have the quest resolution dialogue w/ a companion BEFORE even getting the quest).
I think there's also a memory leak (heh, don't most games? lol) and, after several hours of straight gaming, the 'screen freezes': I can still do stuff, I think, but I can't see it happen...forcing me to close the program via the program manager. I've also had some Crash-to-desktops.
Conclusion:
It's a decent game. I enjoyed it, but I was also disappointed, particularly since this is supposed to be a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins (which I loved).
The last few minutes of the game kinda alleviate that, if only because it raises hopes that DA2 is meant as stepping stone into something more grand. The question is: will the 3rd game (if there ever is one, that is) be more like The Return of the King...or Matrix Revolutions?
If I were still reviewing games, I'd give this an overall score of: 7
(I am biased towards DA:O, tho' and my expectations were pretty lofty ...so don't bother treating this as something really objective )
I did read the short list about who was 'romanceable', but, when I got around to playing, I forget who they were...
I was actually hoping, all the while, that my FemHawke could romance Varric
In short: I didn't see any of the 'scenes'.
I did fall for 'The Trap' in the Blooming Rose, tho'
I think there's also a memory leak (heh, don't most games? lol) and, after several hours of straight gaming, the 'screen freezes': I can still do stuff, I think, but I can't see it happen...forcing me to close the program via the program manager. I've also had some Crash-to-desktops.
Interesting....I never had any problems like that.
this is supposed to be a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins (which I loved).
I've said this before on here and the BioWare forum, but I think it bears repeating....I think that calling this game "Dragon Age II" was a grievous error on BioWare's part. The simple reality of this game is that it's really not a sequel to Origins and by appending a numeral onto the end, they falsely imply that it is. As you (and everyone else playing this game) well know, DA2 isn't a sequel at all. It's in the same universe, and it involves some of the same players, but it's no more a "sequel" to Origins than Jedi Outcast is a sequel to The Empire Strikes Back.
I did fall for 'The Trap' in the Blooming Rose, tho'
Glad it wasn't just me that fell for it
"A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life
I've said this before on here and the BioWare forum, but I think it bears repeating....I think that calling this game "Dragon Age II" was a grievous error on BioWare's part. The simple reality of this game is that it's really not a sequel to Origins and by appending a numeral onto the end, they falsely imply that it is. As you (and everyone else playing this game) well know, DA2 isn't a sequel at all. It's in the same universe, and it involves some of the same players, but it's no more a "sequel" to Origins than Jedi Outcast is a sequel to The Empire Strikes Back.
I disagree completely. The title “Dragon Age 2†shows that it is the second game in the universe. But it shows it is not a direct sequel to Origins, which if it was would be better titled, Dragon Age: Origins 2.
So, for those that finished the game... *HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD.*
Spoiler:
What did you think about Anders blowing up the chantry? Was he a terrorist or a freedom fighter?
I saw this coming (not through the spoilers, btw), when he wanted to sneak into the Chantry. At first I thought he was going to poison the Grand Cleric, but then nothing happened next, so I forgot about it. But then when he shot that red beam I was like
I decided to spare him,so that he knows what his actions have caused to the world. That would be a far greater punishment than death.
It was sad, really. The Anders of Dragon Age 2 is far different from the Anders of Dragon Age: Awakening. He is not even truly human anymore.
My Warden would be shocked to see what her old friend has become.
So, for those that finished the game... *HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD.*
Spoiler:
What did you think about Anders blowing up the chantry? Was he a terrorist or a freedom fighter?
I saw this coming (not through the spoilers, btw), when he wanted to sneak into the Chantry. At first I thought he was going to poison the Grand Cleric, but then nothing happened next, so I forgot about it. But then when he shot that red beam I was like
I decided to spare him,so that he knows what his actions have caused to the world. That would be a far greater punishment than death.
It was sad, really. The Anders of Dragon Age 2 is far different from the Anders of Dragon Age: Awakening. He is not even truly human anymore.
My Warden would be shocked to see what her old friend has become.
Spoiler:
I executed him for his crime, and then sided with the mages anyway
"A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life
I executed him for his crime, and then sided with the mages anyway
Spoiler:
As did I, but there's a difference between wanting to have more freedom for mages, and blowing up innocent people to start wars. I helped the mages because while Anders deserved to die, and he did, I did not agree with Meredith deciding that all the mages needed to die, especially since the Circle had nothing to do with it. Though Orsino deserved to die as well, since he was actually in cohorts with Quentin (the guy who killed your mother).
Originally posted by The Mighty 6 platoonView Post
Spoiler:
Though Orsino deserved to die as well, since he was actually in cohorts with Quentin (the guy who killed your mother).
What?! I must've completely missed that part
"A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life
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