Kismet's Dragon Age 2 Review

"You still hear the stories, of course.  With each telling they grow, even if at the core remains the truth."

Last night, I finally finished my play-through of Dragon Age 2.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to try it at first, especially given the mixed reviews I'd seen kicking around the internet.  I loved Origins and played the hell out of it, and I definitely wanted more adventuring in that setting, but every time I turned around someone was complaining about DA:2's combat and how different it was from Origins.  A few of my friends encouraged me to give it a go, however, and I'm glad I did.  In case you haven't noticed, I have been using screenshots from it all over this blog because I have enjoyed my time with the game so much and I like its aesthetic.  Since others have been warned away from the game by the same bad press, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about it here.

The first thing to note is that DA:2 is a different experience than Origins from the start, and that's not a flaw, it's a feature.  It's based in one city, with a few excursions to just a handful of places outside of it.  Ferelden is dealing with the Blight and its aftermath, while Kirkwall across the water is dealing with the fallout.  Yes, scenery will be repeated, but yes, you will get to know Kirkwall, its history, and its environs.  No, there aren't armies of darkspawn, but that doesn't mean you won't see them at all.  (You should have gotten plenty of exposure to them in Origins, anyway; enough to be ready for other foes.)  But I do know that you could easily run a tabletop game in Kirkwall after dealing with the video game and capture its feel without a problem.  

The next thing to realize is that combat was bound to be changed from the style of Origins.  The designers were going to play with options, skill trees, and the like.  That was always a given.  Once you get used to your abilities, you'll be fine (and there's a readily available consumable item that can reset all of your stats so you can undo any mistakes).  I admit that there is some annoyance to be had with the way that DA:2 sends enemies against you in waves.  Just when you think you're done with a combat scenario, you are likely to see a whole fresh group headed your way.  This just means you have to be prepared for that and use your abilities and consumables carefully.  It can add to the challenge of some fights and a couple of times I just wanted it to be over with, but most of the time, I was entertained more than anything else.

You are playing a heroic character, in that you can make nicer, more diplomatic choices and your main character is destined to be the Most Badass of Them All - but that will not always matter.  There will be situations that you cannot fix.  The world is bigger than you and what you do, and people have their own axes to grind.  That doesn't mean that the game undercuts everything you strive to accomplish or that you will never earn respect.  It does mean that if you are expecting to be able to make everything right, you came to the wrong game.  And that is perfectly in keeping with the dark fantasy world of Dragon Age.  It carries on the tradition of having to think about your choices, who you let live, and who you cause to die.  But it provides a more nuanced and adult experience, ultimately.

Your friendships will be complicated, too.  If you had to deal with the relationship system of Origins, you know to expect this.  You can definitely piss your companions off and make them rivals.  You can make decisions that will make them leave, perhaps forever.  You can support and nurture them only to find that they make destructive choices later.  You cannot save them from everything bad, either, and that's okay.  If you use the wiki, you can avoid many of the worst outcomes and keep all of your people, if that's your goal.  The only thing you really need to know that will affect most of the game is that you can't get too invested in or attached to your sibling.  Thedas ain't fair, and they will only be with you so far into the adventure.  That's as much of a spoiler as I'm giving about that.

On the flip side, you get to see how an ordinary city in Thedas lives when it's not overcome by fear of a Blight.  You get to deal with different nobles, a different past, and you'll visit dwarves and elves and the Deep Roads again.  You will meet up with some companions from Origins, either on a long term or short term basis.  You will also get a whole new experience of the Qunari than you did before.  All of this gives you more of a day-in-the-life view of the setting, even if you are playing an extraordinary person during extraordinary times.  You will become a part of a historic tale and struggle that stretches before and after you, narrated by Varric, one of the most enjoyable characters of the series.

And if that isn't enough to pique your interest, I don't know what to tell you.  But you will be seeing more of what I love about Dragon Age - and DA:2 - over time here.  The game showcases a number of aspects of the setting that mean a lot to me and which I will be using when I run my own version of the world.  I can only speak for the main campaign for now, but soon I will be digging into the DLC.  I'll eventually get through it and be able to share my reactions here.

In the meantime - have you played Dragon Age 2?  Did you get warned away?  Did you give it a fair shot?