InsaneBear

Reactions: Mass Effect 2 is ruining Dragon Age II

Well, maybe that headline is a bit harsh going off of a press release and a few pieces of concept art, but it is clear that Mass Effect 2‘s wild success has BioWare tinkering the Dragon Age franchise into a fantasy version of Mass Effect despite the strong sales of Dragon Age: Origins, which clearly highlighted the eager market of gamers who are clamoring for hardcore PC RPGs. Don’t believe me? Just read Dragon Age II‘s description, straight from its freshly launched website:

Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins now.

The site goes on to list key features and changes in the sequel, some of which sound great and others which have my head in my hands. “An all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make”? Yeah, I’m good with that. Updated graphics and a new visual style (which I’m hoping resembles the concept art in some way)? Yeah, those were two of my main complaints from the first game. More streamlined combat in line with the smooth encounters of Mass Effect 2? I’m all for that, considering how clunky combat on consoles was in Origins. But sacrificing Origin Stories in favor of a single, pre-determined character named “Hawke”? We have a problem, BioWare.

Now let me say that BioWare hasn’t come out and confirmed that the best part of Origins–the “Origin Stories”–are gone in the sequel. But the general consensus among the gaming media is that the rags-to-riches story BioWare is pushing in the press release, paired with the the singular identity of the player character can only mean that Origin Stories are gone. Little information on Hawke has been revealed thus far, but some comments in the Dragon Age II forums indicate that players will be able to choose a male or female version, much like Shepard in Mass Effect. Does this mean that players will be forced to play as human this time around? Personally, my Noble Dwarf Origin Story was one of the main reasons I actually role-played in Origins. How is my Hawke going to be any different from anybody else’s if I’m playing the same cliched story? And good God, let us pray that DAII doesn’t adopt the black and white (or should I say red and blue?) morality of BioWare’s more successful franchise.

I don’t want to be too judgmental on the sequel to my 2009 Game of the Year simply because it’s different, but the Origin Stories are what made Origins different. And what of my beloved character and companions? All of that is thrown out now because BioWare is going to pick the ending where you die as canon? So much for far-reaching consequences. And what about all the potential narrative strands left open at the end of the first? Are they gone now too? Will I ever see Morrigan again? I have to say, that at this moment, the announcement of Dragon Age II has to be one of the most disappointing moments of the year for me. Not because the sequel exists, it should, but because it seems like more of a reboot than a direct sequel. Dragon Age doesn’t need a reboot. Hopefully my feelings on the game change between now and its March 2011 release.

Author: Cody

Tags: bioware, dragon age ii, ea