How would you rate dragon age ?

[mb]

7.5/10

It started out incredibly slow to me, maybe it was just the class (human mage) but it took a while. Now I am hooked! It's a really good game.
A lot of people have complained that it's too linear, but I think I would hate it if it wasn't. It's already a pretty long game without having to wander around aimlessly.

 

[you2]

Well they could have overland map t as they current do (which is somewhat similar to nwn2: storm of z; but added a few hidden and mazes and a *lot* more puzzles. The few puzzles they had I thought were rather weak and uninspired.

7.5/10

It started out incredibly slow to me, maybe it was just the class (human mage) but it took a while. Now I am hooked! It's a really good game.
A lot of people have complained that it's too linear, but I think I would hate it if it wasn't. It's already a pretty long game without having to wander around aimlessly.

 

[ProfJohn]

I enjoy the party interaction type and story telling types of game so I would rate this as my second favorite RPG of all time behind only BG2.

My only complaints is that the maps are too linear and that it is way off balanced towards mages. Without mages the game is so much harder. The small party size also forces you to bring a weak rogue to open chests and the like thus limiting party interaction etc.

I'd like to see a 3d game with a 6 person party so you can have a more balanced traditional AD&D type party. Fighter/ranger, Paladin, Cleric, Mage, Thief, whatever else you want.

I do have one major complaint. What is the purpose of Sten?? He seems to have no personality. Why place a character in a game like this? Since character interaction is a highlight of the game why place a very boring character into it?

 

[Marty502]

I do have one major complaint. What is the purpose of Sten?? He seems to have no personality. Why place a character in a game like this? Since character interaction is a highlight of the game why place a very boring character into it?

I agree. He's dull and a PITA. Absolutely unmemorable.
He did have a funny argument with Oghren once in my party though.

 

[NoSoup4You]

Loved this game. It wasn't perfect, but it was as close as I needed it to be. Just awesome.

 

[TheVrolok]

Fantastic game.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

I do have one major complaint. What is the purpose of Sten?? He seems to have no personality. Why place a character in a game like this? Since character interaction is a highlight of the game why place a very boring character into it?

Didn't invest the time into getting to know him, and didn't bring him along either, did you? He's actually got a lot of character - he just won't show it if you leave him behind in camp and try to just drill him occasionally without so much as a gift.

Bring him along, and the personality starts to show. Leliana catches him playing with a kitten, if you bring him to the tower of magi he bribes the boatman with cookies. Take him along on the final leg of the

Spoiler

sacred ashes quest, and he'll call BS on you and demand to know why you're running away from the arch demon and hiding up a mountain.

.

Did you even get far enough to find out why exactly he ended up in that cage? Get any of the details of the Qunari culture out of him?

Not to mention that whole incident with Morrigan. That one's a hoot. For those who haven't seen it

He's got plenty of character - but, you have to work at it, which actually is exactly what should be required given the nature of the character.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I'm only just beyond the battle at Ostagard, but it seems good. I give it an 8/10 at this point. I like how my mage is very powerful, but dies very fast if enemies get anywhere near him. The menu and skill systems seem to have been done well also. It doesn't seem like the lockpicking skill gives anything more than the ability to open some chests so far, though.

 

[NYHoustonman]

9.5/10, just because there has to be somewhere to go (and I'm not sure I can put it up with the Half-Life 2's of the world).

I enjoyed it a ton; I wasn't into RPG's in the days of BG/BG2, so the party-based combat was new and frankly a lot of fun to me. And, being a Bioware game, the storytelling was fantastic.

 

[TheVrolok]

Didn't invest the time into getting to know him, and didn't bring him along either, did you? He's actually got a lot of character - he just won't show it if you leave him behind in camp and try to just drill him occasionally without so much as a gift.

Bring him along, and the personality starts to show. Leliana catches him playing with a kitten, if you bring him to the tower of magi he bribes the boatman with cookies. Take him along on the final leg of the

Spoiler

sacred ashes quest, and he'll call BS on you and demand to know why you're running away from the arch demon and hiding up a mountain.

.

Did you even get far enough to find out why exactly he ended up in that cage? Get any of the details of the Qunari culture out of him?

Not to mention that whole incident with Morrigan. That one's a hoot. For those who haven't seen it

He's got plenty of character - but, you have to work at it, which actually is exactly what should be required given the nature of the character.

Re: Sten - this. My first playthrough was Alistar/Leliana/Shale and while Shale was often times hilarious, I'm enjoying my second playthrough with Alistar/Morrigan/Sten even more. The interactions are fantastic.

 

[Mem]

I'm surprised I haven't gotten flamed for giving it a 6/10, which is above average, but most game forumers cry when their favorite game only gets an 8/10 (which "suxX0rs!") instead of a 9/10 (okay but not 10/10!) or 10/10 (because any game that isn't a 10/10 SUX!).

You mean like Biocrap(Bioshock) one of the most overrated games I ever played and ALL net reviews I read gave it 10/10,anyway I would give DA about 8/10, I still think old classics like BG2,Planescape Torment were better but then DA is still a good game with better graphics.

 

[coloumb]

My first play through (about 75% done) has taken around 50 hours so far; and they have been very entertaining (I think the story telling is superb - but this is a game not a movie or book. When i reflect on the game I see quite a few issues with the 'game' portion including the following:

linear maps (some of them are very large; such as the path to the mountain top); but it occurred to me that none of them have mazes (deep roads could have had a few; but ...); none of them have hidden rooms (or at least I havent' found any yet); there are no pick locks; no ability to search; classes are relatively simple; combat is a mishmash (of the issues i listed this one is the most open to debate); there are very few puzzles (the most complicated being the 'ghost' bridge to the ashes; but if we ignore that puzzle I don't believe there were any others); most choices are correctable (such as charm usage).
--
When I played bg2 and ice wind-dale or even Arx Fatalis I don't remember the mazes being so linear. Bad memory or is Dungeon Dragon actually 'dumbed' down ? All of these games seemed a bit more complex; though the graphics and story telling aspects might not have been as good.
--
Comments ?

When compared to BG2 [which I've never played - but browsed a few reviews - maybe I'll try it after I'm done with NWN2] - DA seems "dumbed down" - probably because it was released for the console?

The combat in DA is definitely more enjoyable than turn based D&D style [I'm currently playing NWN2 and finding it painfully annoying to rest between combat areas].

 

[yuppiejr]

I'm enjoying the game so far, it's a worthy latest effort from Bioware and successor to the BG titles. It's not the same technical and gameplay leap that BG was from the old Gold Box AD&D titles and I think it's less accessible to the broader gaming public than Mass Effect (not a bad thing per se).

The NPC voice acting is top notch, lots of dialogue but the whole game is exceedingly well written so far. Like others have said the party interaction is priceless particularly with Mor+Ali in the party.

I HATE lockpicking... for whatever dumbass reason I keep running in to chests that require level 4 to unlock (not available until level 12) in areas otherwise accessible to my characters at level 9-10. Those chests I am unlocking seem to contain garbage elm bows, steel small shields or rough leather armor every time... making me think it's time to dump the rogue and stick with the Allister/Sten/Morrigan/Player(mage) combo instead. The double whammy of sub par bow DPS, poor trap pathing (my NPC's like to plow on through them even if the rogue detects them) and bad rewards for lockpicking seem to make the rogue class pointless as anything but a "flavor" choice.

 

[exar333]

When compared to BG2 [which I've never played - but browsed a few reviews - maybe I'll try it after I'm done with NWN2] - DA seems "dumbed down" - probably because it was released for the console?

The combat in DA is definitely more enjoyable than turn based D&D style [I'm currently playing NWN2 and finding it painfully annoying to rest between combat areas].

You are 100% right.

I loved the game, but it did take the "middle road" in terms of complexity (somewhere between KOTOR and BG2). In some other DA:O threads here, I have exhaustingly stated that this game is somewhat dumbed-down, but many of the posters here seem to think its a good thing. My opinion is that I liked the "hardcore" nature of BG/BG2 and I prefer to not have the "kiddie gloves" on like this game has. That said, Bioware did a great job with this game and I enjoy it greatly. If I have to put up with some of these concessions, in order to play a good game, it might be worth it to just suck up the dumbed-down nature of the game and enjoy it.

Love it or hate it, consoles are here to stay and have lowered the "least common denoninator" in gaming. A BG2-type of game wouldn't fly on a PS3/XBX system, and it wouldn't sell.

Personally, I like the D&D turn-based combat. It really isn't that different than the DA:O combat anyways, but your characters don't have to rest in this game. It added a HUGE dimension to BG/BG2 to have to rest in hostile areas, because it was often not safe, and your characters remained fatugued. I really want to play BG now.

 

[BrownShoes]

I would give it a 7/10. A really good game but not great.
Loved the story and plot, the characters were decent and the graphics were okay.
Hated how linear it is, how small the world and maps are. Thought it could have more weapons and armor choices, too.
I played through it once. I might pick it up again to try out as a different class but not anytime soon.

 

[mb]

I'm surprised I haven't gotten flamed for giving it a 6/10, which is above average, but most game forumers cry when their favorite game only gets an 8/10 (which "suxX0rs!") instead of a 9/10 (okay but not 10/10!) or 10/10 (because any game that isn't a 10/10 SUX!).

It's not like we made the game or work for Bioware or EA.

Besides, I can see why people may not like the game. RPGs aren't for everybody, and this type of RPG isn't for all RPG fans. I think Bioware tried to reach a much broader market and were successful in doing so. Doesn't mean you have to like it, though.

 

[JujuFish]

I recently noticed, while watching a friend play, that Claudia Black voices one of the characters. Is it sad that I now have a greater urge to buy the game?:$

 

[AzN]

I liked it. Definitely a 9/10. Has replay value as well. You can be good guy first time around evil in another.

 

[EnzoLT]

yeah, i gotta agree with those that said this game is a bit "kiddie" compared to bg/bg2. nonetheless its still great fun for me and i'll probably replay bg/bg2 after a couple more playthroughs of da. probably an 8.5/10 for me.

 

[ayabe]

I recently noticed, while watching a friend play, that Claudia Black voices one of the characters. Is it sad that I now have a greater urge to buy the game?:$

Didn't know she did the voice work for Morrigan, holy hotness.

 

[StinkyPinky]

I'm playing as an evil elf mage asshole this time around. Pretty hard to do, as all your companions are big softies. Even the golum tears up if you're too mean.

Seems to be a serious lack of evil companions in this game, compared to most of Biowares efforts. BG2/BG had lots of evil sifekicks, as did Kotor. It's almost like Bioware realized this and decided to throw in that inane "gift" system to compensate for it.

Slaughter a few peons, piss of Sten, then bribe him back with some gifts.

If only my wife was so easy.

 

[homercles337]

OVER 9000! If you take internet review inflation into account. Otherwise mid to high 80s if you're willing to ignore the retarded dlc scheme they have going (mid 70s otherwise).

What is up with that DLC? Is there anything that is free or do they all require MS "Points?"

 

[KeypoX]

It isn't perfect, but it's the best game I've played in a long time. I'd go with a 15/10 using the scale that Gamespot or IGN is always giving out 8's and 9's on, but without comparing it to other games I'd give it a 9/10.

yeah me too. I dunno how gamespot pulls out such high ratings sometimes. Its like they are rating on a 8-10 scale.

 

[snikt]

I give it a strong 8/10.

I'm about 24+ hours into DA:O since I bought it when it was released. Not really sure how far that is into the actual game because I've only been playing on weekends and I'm taking my sweet time trying to do all the side quests. But if the fact that I'm trying to do all the side quests means anything than I'd say I am reallying enjoying DA:O. DA:O has definitely made me a Bioware fan and I plan on getting Mass Effect 2 when its released.

 

[JoshGuru7]

I'm surprised I haven't gotten flamed for giving it a 6/10, which is above average, but most game forumers cry when their favorite game only gets an 8/10 (which "suxX0rs!") instead of a 9/10 (okay but not 10/10!) or 10/10 (because any game that isn't a 10/10 SUX!).

Do you think Dragon Age is a 6/10 because it is just above average out of the games you played this year or out of all the games released this year? I ask because presumably you are self-selecting only quality games to play. Of the 120+ PC games released so far this year it's surprising to me that you would put 40 of them above a game like Dragon Age which was in my top 2 across all platforms.

IMO, gamers are too critical regarding the few good games and too generous regarding all of the terrible games out there. Lots of the posters on these forums will play 20 games in a year and then score them all either 7 or 8. As a result, a grading scale based on a percentage score that leads to almost no gradiation strikes me as not useful compared to a relative ranking scale.

Personally Dragon Age is my second favorite game of the year behind Uncharted 2, and thus I give both a 10/10. I didn't enjoy either as much as I enjoyed Tie Fighter back in the day, but of hundreds of games that I've played there is room for dozens at the 10/10 mark and Dragon Age slides in towards the bottom of the 10's.