Skyrim vs Witcher vs Dragon Age

[TheRealMrGrey]

Now that folks have had a good shot at Skyrim, I'm curious how it compares to the Witcher 1/2 and Dragon Age 1/2?

Personally, I haven't played any of the three because I've been waiting till I upgraded my GPU so I can enjoy the games at better graphics settings. I haven't had as much time to play in the recent past either, but now have ~6 months where I have some time freed up. Just bought EVGA GTX 560 Ti SC, and now considering the options.

Thanks for your input.

Side question - I only have 4 GBs of RAM, but was planning to try the LAA 2nd edition. I expect I will probably get 2.5 GB of RAM usage in-game at best if I max my 4 GBs. Will this be enough for smooth play in Skyrim?

 

[TallBill]

I haven't played the witcher yet but I put a good 55 hrs into DA and DA:O and really liked it. On the console the combat can get a little tedious towards the end but its a ton easier on the pc. I've heard that DA2 is just pretty bad which is a shame. Hopefully they'll find a good balance in DA3, I'd love to come back to the series.

Skyrim is pretty fantastic but it wont really shine for about 6-12 months when all the decent mods start coming out. I've put 80+ hours into it so far and have quite a bit to do, but I feel like I'll shelve it soon and pick it up in 2013.

 

[dighn]

Skyrim is very different from the others. I would suggest that you read about it more because it is not everyone's cup of tea. Skyrim emphasizes an open world and the freedom to do whatever you want within it (to a degree of course); the tradeoff is a main quest/plot that's just an afterthought. The Witcher/DA are more traditional RPGs that have substantial storytelling but not nearly as much freedom.

 

[Demo24]

Skyrim doesn't really use a ton of ram, you'll be fine but you can easily find an 8gb pack from g-skill for 30 bucks these days so just do that and give yourself 12.

DA1/TW1 - not all that graphically intensive, the 8800 would have handled them ok.

TW2 - Still gonna put pressure on that 560, but depending on res you should get high settings without too much issue.


About the only similarity these games have are 'time period' (loosely, considering all fictional of course) and magic/swords. Witcher and Dragon age are probably the most comparable titles, but each goes in rather different directions so not easy to do. Skyrim differs the most in that it's an extremely large open world that only loosely emphasizes the main quest line. DA/Tw series are considerably more linear in nature, and can take roughly 30-60hrs (depending on play styles of course) each.

TW1- a lot of people tend to get put off during the first portion, but the game gets significantly better in the latter 75%. TW2 while it continues the story line is otherwise drastically different, a tad bit shorter but generally considered more enjoyable.

DA - first one is more along the lines of traditonal rpg formats, 2nd one is considered to be more consolized. The story lines do not directly relate (DA2 does a separate thing around the same time period with loose references back to the first one), and imo DA2 is significantly easier to play.


Having played all 5, they are all worth it. I would just try and decide what sort of world you'd like to visit first. Skyrim is probably easier to casually play over months since main story wise it's short and the bigger objective is the various other quests/quest lines to enter into in the world. Some of the others if you drop it for a couple months you might forget some of the important details from earlier.

 

[TheRealMrGrey]

Nice - thanks for your input. I also read some negative reviews on DA2. I agree that the mods will likely be the cream of Skyrim as was the case with Oblivion - the mods really made that game for me. I particularly like Nehrim.

 

[TheRealMrGrey]

I like the open worlds of Elder Scrolls - so I'll probably start with Skyrim.

 

[TallBill]

On a side note, the witcher 2 is coming out on the 360 in Q1 2012, I'll definitely have to try it out, I've been hearing so much about it. Or maybe santa will be good to me and I can return to pc gaming

 

[Wardawg1001]

These games really are hardly comparable in terms of what type of game play they have and what type of audience they attract. DA and Witcher 2 are probably much closer to each other (due to the more linear world and focus on the story) than either of them are to Skyrim, but even they have a very fundamental difference in that the Witcher 2 has a very action oriented combat system (not to say its an action-RPG, but I'm sure most people understand what I mean), while Dragon Age was very much a throwback to the old BG style of party based combat, actions per turn, pauses during combat to set your next moves, etc.

That said, currently I rank them: DA > Skyrim > Witcher 2. I haven't even played Witcher 2, so its ranking at the bottom may not be fair, but I didn't like the first Witcher at all, so I have a hard time imagining I would like it better than either DA or Skyrim. I love Skyrim and I've spent at least 50 hours on it since release, but DA really drew me in. I called in sick to work two days in a row after it released (this wasn't planned ahead, I just loved DA that much), and probably spent 70-80 hours on it in the first week it was out.

 

[Attic]

Skyrim is huge and provides a great RPG sandbox environment. I love it.

TW2 was a great experience, though more linear. Linear not being better or worse than Skyrim's sandbox, but a nice difference.

DA, this was fun, great character interaction, though the party hub felt to detached and arcadish to me.

 

[TheRealMrGrey]

Thanks for everyone's input. I personally enjoy story over combat, though sometimes I pull out Crysis to go beat up on people if I'm having a bad day.

DA sounds like a good investment as well - wish I could call in sick like that, my job is such that I sometimes have to go in even if I really am sick.

 

[TallBill]

Thanks for everyone's input. I personally enjoy story over combat, though sometimes I pull out Crysis to go beat up on people if I'm having a bad day.

DA sounds like a good investment as well - wish I could call in sick like that, my job is such that I sometimes have to go in even if I really am sick.

Yeah DA seems kinda linear, but its really a branched path game that gives you a pieced together ending based on many decisions that you make during the game. The wiki page on the "endings" is so ungodly confusing lol, but of course don't read that till you're done.

Then all the DLC and awakenings actually changes the story even more. I was SHOCKED with one of my major decisions that I made and how the DLC delved further into it.

 

[Albatross]

Skyrim is good with some annoying drawbacks(inteface,bugs,etc.) but there are some vocal people who took an arrow in the knee and really dislike it.
DAO I absolutely loved it,apparently there was recently a new patch.

 

[you2]

I think I like them in this order:
DA-1 (did not play 2)
DKS (not mentioned above)
witcher 2
skyrim
-
The problem with Skyrim is the story is horribly diluted; for me it has become a series of quests but for the most part the quests seem to have little meaning. Sure i move up in the brotherhood or champion guild but so what?
-
Dragon Age has very strong character developement (not player; but people in the story); while the combat mechanics are weak the story presentation (not nec the story itself) is very strong and well done with lots of emotion and surprises.
-
Dragon Knight Saga has excellent combat mechanics and interesting maps but the story itself seems a bit weaker (not diluted but presentation just doesn't have the umph as dragon age)
-
witcher 2 is kind of short the story is well presented and the mechanics are decent (I wish skyrim had bombs like witcher 2) but the story didn't grab me as well as dragon age and the mechanics were not as good as dragon knight saga.
-
skyrim is very long and individual quests are interesting but I often find my self trying to figure out how everythign fits into the big picture. I like the sneaking mechanics but actual combat is kind of boring.

 

[Demo24]

Thanks for everyone's input. I personally enjoy story over combat, though sometimes I pull out Crysis to go beat up on people if I'm having a bad day.

DA sounds like a good investment as well - wish I could call in sick like that, my job is such that I sometimes have to go in even if I really am sick.

The interesting thing with DA (as with many Bioware games, btw Mass Effect should be on your list if you haven't played them yet. Both 1 & 2 are quite good) is that what choices you make will very much affect the outcome of the game. Which can also be mildly annoying when you accidentally say the wrong thing to someone your trying to get down with and you make them really angry. :'( If it's one thing Bioware does well, its story telling.

While in TW series there is a bit of choice, it offers less variation. Ex, choosing a side which then leads you down a certain path which will ultimately converge where path 2 would lead as well, which just means you need to play it twice to get both versions.


Personally I found DAO a bit difficult, but that is likely because I didn't micromanage it as well as I should have. I will play it again in the near future, but this time I'm going to wiki optimal settings as there are numerous ways to set for each character and at the time I wanted the game to take care of it. DA2 does away with this and when characters level up they automatically gain the use of those abilities.

 

[Red Storm]

I don't think you can really compare them, the only thing they share in common is that they are all RPGs, but they greatly differ when it comes to the type of RPG they are.

Skyrim is a sandbox world.

Dragon Age is a story driven, class & party based game.

The Witcher is also story driven, but more of a solo action game.

 

[Martimus]

While I have not played Dragon Age 2 or Skyrim, I can say that Dragon Age 1 is an excellent game, and well worth a play through. The Witcher 2 is even better, and may be the best RPG I have ever played. The Witcher 1 is also a good RPG, but of the three it is probably the worst.

 

[TallBill]

The interesting thing with DA (as with many Bioware games, btw Mass Effect should be on your list if you haven't played them yet. Both 1 & 2 are quite good) is that what choices you make will very much affect the outcome of the game. Which can also be mildly annoying when you accidentally say the wrong thing to someone your trying to get down with and you make them really angry. :'( If it's one thing Bioware does well, its story telling.

Oh man, I forgot how just having different characters or combinations or characters out would trigger so many different things and in some cases actually affect the overall arc.

I tried ME when it first came out but that was at a time when I was too impatient to follow a video game story, perhaps I should try the ME line again some day.

 

[zerogear]

Skyrim is fun, but doesn't stand against DAO and Witcher 2 in terms of story Overall though, it is probably better than Witcher 1. As for DA2, that crap just belongs in a shitpile somewhere.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

I'd put DAO, Witcher 2, and Skyrim all on the same level of quality. It's a matter of them catering to different desires - comparing a knife, fork and a spoon. Skyrim is about exploration and is far larger then the other two games. DAO is about story and challenging turn based combat - which is awesome when I'm in the mood, but that's not all the time. Witcher 2 is tighter focused and smaller then the other two. Haven't played it since the big patch to address all the many problems in the combat system though.

Witcher 1....it's OK, but it's a rare day when I'll want to play it. Dragon Age 2 I have never once wanted to go back and play. Bioware stories aren't bad - but it would have to be Planescape: Torment level to merit putting up with the mechanics in that game, and it's nowhere near that level.

 

[zinfamous]

I only played DAO, but enjoyed it thoroughly. Full playthrough with a dual-wield rogue, then mostly through with a caster. I think I modded that second playthrough all to hell, and it put me off a bit. Some sections are overwhelmingly tedious. (freaking dwarven caves freaking hell).

I had no problem with the first section of Witcher 1--it was the 2nd section--that town, where I really got bogged down and just did not want to continue any more. I think it's a fine game and all, I just couldn't be brought to finish it.

For me, the Elder Scrolls games are just way too open for me. I do like a good story, and whenever side quests are involved, I really like to explore those as much as possible. ES games are almost 98% sidequests and class decisions. I think they are made really well, but I guess it isn't my cup of tea. I will probably get Skyrim at some point, but when it is much cheaper.

Someone else mentioned Divinity II, Dragon Knight Saga. I just picked that up on a steam sale, and I'm loving it so far. A good blend of "action" RPG and storytelling. Good sense of humor, too. Any new system that you get should be able to handle it, though it is Gamebryo, so expect buggy buggy bugs.

 

[Throckmorton]

The most tedious part of DAO was the dream world.. forget what it's called. There's a mod to skip it. Will definitely be using that if I play it a 2nd time.

 

[exar333]

The most tedious part of DAO was the dream world.. forget what it's called. There's a mod to skip it. Will definitely be using that if I play it a 2nd time.

Thank's for the head's up there. I hated that section too...thats a classic Bioware thing that I have never liked (alternative world/inside your own head/etc). Tedious and boring with no payout...

 

[exar333]

I have not finished Skyrim yet, but I would rank as follows:

1. Skyrim
2. (tie) DA:O and TW2

Skyrim as tops because I love sandbox games and games where I can re-play and do something COMPLETELY different (not just paragon vs. evil). It's mod-friendly and for $60 will offer limitless play time over the next decade. Folks still play Morrowing and Oblivion...

DA:O has the edge with party dynamics and customization, but TW2 has the edge with story and realistic affects of user decisions. Both are excellent, but as TW2 was better in every way over TW1, DA2 was a huge step down.

 

[cronos]

Thank's for the head's up there. I hated that section too...thats a classic Bioware thing that I have never liked (alternative world/inside your own head/etc). Tedious and boring with no payout...

I agree with everything but the 'no payout' part. This is where you get your stats permanently upgraded, which is exactly the reason why people created a mod to skip it (don't have to pay it, but still you get all your possible bonus stats from there).

 

[zinfamous]

The most tedious part of DAO was the dream world.. forget what it's called. There's a mod to skip it. Will definitely be using that if I play it a 2nd time.

Thank's for the head's up there. I hated that section too...thats a classic Bioware thing that I have never liked (alternative world/inside your own head/etc). Tedious and boring with no payout...

yeah, I skipped it on 2nd playthrough with that mod. I actually enjoyed it going through the first time, but it was way, way too long for what it was. There are tons of stat and skill points, or whatever, and leveling to be had--but fortunately, the mod awards you everything that you would have missed. The actual play of that sequence does nothing to extend the story of the game, so it's a bit of a useless section, even though I find the play a bit fun (switching forms)