Dragon Age is an action RPG (role playing game) franchise developed by bioware and published by Electronic Arts.
The first game (dragon age origins) itself stole the heart of millions of gamers around the world and did so quiet flawlessly.Smelling money Bioware decided to release an expansion which was followed by a series of DLCs.Truth be told anything bioware made recieved good publicity untill the year 2011,and that’s when Dragon Age 2 stepped in.
PLOT :
Dragon Age II tells the story of Hawke, who fled the nation of Ferelden during the events of Dragon Age: Origins and arrived in the neighboring state of Kirkwall as a refugee. Within the span of a decade, Hawke would rise in power and influence to become the legendary “Champion of Kirkwall”, and the center of events that change the course of Thedas forever. The game focuses on Hawke’s rise to power and is framed through interrogations of one of Hawke’s old companions, Varric.
OVERVIEW :
Just like the first game,DA2 is set in the mythical world of Thedas.But this time it’s different.The game restricts you to only one character named “Hawke”. Though the appearances,classes and sex are still changeable the race of your character stays the same.Another thing worth noting is that you get to Import your previous save file from the predecessor. But it’s only a PC exclusive feature. Shed no tears console gamers because importing the save doesn’t make a lot of differences.(not any at all).After the first few warm-ups, DA2 can get very interesting. The main goal of DA2 is mainly based on the protagonist’s rise to power. That’s your character, Hawke. The first thing to note in a RPG game is it’s key elements. Dragon Age 2 gives a very linear RPG experience, unlike it’s predecessors. Decisions you make doesn’t affect the outcome of the game at all. The dialogue options have improvised a lot, as DA2 uses the dialogue wheel formerly found in the Mass Effect series.
GAMEPLAY :
Having blood all over your face when you meet a girl for the first time doesn't exactly make a good impression…
Though the game missed a lot of RPG elements,the gameplay has some improvements.Fights are more in-depth,and powers are more effective.The A.I. is pretty decent enough.New combat experiences and spells have been added.Cool new armors,weapons and potions are also available.Giving the player more control of the battlefield. The game provides you with 5 party members, whom you’ll meet throughout your epic journey. Each party members have unique abilities and attributes. And they also have their personal story.Romance is also possible with all 5 party members (depends on your sex of course). But there is one thing left out in this second installment, the one thing all RPG gamers crave for, the one thing Dragon Age : Origins had…..SEX. Yes, no sex. Aint that a show stopper?
GRAPHICS :
Dragon Age 2 can be a serious eye candy for those who have worthy rigs.Cool textures,serious motion blurring and of course real-time shadows.Character detailing has improved,so has enviormental details.XP users will have their graphics options limited to “MEDIUM (dx9),vista users to “High”(dx 10) and Windows 7 users now have the liberty to change to anything they want. And yes, you have to download the “high resolution texture pack” in order to get the most out of it’s graphics.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
The official minimum system requirements are*:
O.S. = Windows XP 32-bit with SP3, Windows Vista 32-bit with SP2, Windows 7 64-bit
CPU = Intel Core 2 Duo (or equivalent) running at 1.8 GHz or greater, AMD Athlon 64 X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8 GHz or greater
RAM = 1 GB (1.5 GB Vista and Windows 7)
HDD = 7 GB of free space
GPU = Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB, NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256 MB cards
Sound Card = Direct X 9.0c Compatible Sound Card Windows
*source: BioWare | Dragon Age
Actually, the game will run better with 1 gb of RAM , And anything better than a HD 4350.
CONCLUSION :
DA 2 has both it’s good sides and bad sides. And ugly sides too.
The Good :
- Decent graphics
- Smooth gameplay
- Good character development.
The Bad :
- Limited graphics options
- Less polished
- Linear RPG elements
- Weak story.
The ugly :
- No sex, goddamit!
Dragon Age has recieved mixed reviews,though mostly negative ones. I would give the game 7 out of 10.
Whether you will buy it or not that’s up to you.
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