After dabbling with sci-fi in the form of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, BioWare returned to their swords and sandals roots with Dragon Age: Origins in 2009. A “dark fantasy” that explored the more maturer of themes, Dragon Age: Origins became renowned for its graphic nature, immense replayability and truck-load of (sometimes pricey) downloadable content. As a gaming experience it sat well with critics and consumers alike, many reviewers extolling the game’s mechanics with respect to how players could control NPCs in real time while still being able to pause the action in order to queue up spells and other more spectacular attacks.
Dragon Age II was officially announced in July of this year after much hullabaloo around leaked floor plans and other tomfoolery.
The sequel stars Hawke, a plucky human and survivor of the Blight, and is set in a different location than the first Dragon Age title. As main protagonist Hawke is charged with rising to power and becoming the “Champion of Free Marches,” a location north of Ferelden (where the first game took place) on the continent of Thedas, it’s safe to assume this aforementioned marshy area is where the majority of Dragon Age II’s action occurs. Check out our handy map below for a geography lesson.
Unlike in Dragon Age: Origins, Hawke can not have his race changed, though you can alter his (or her) gender and class, however. The plot spans a decade, with choices players made in the first game capable of being imported into the sequel to help fashion the world into what we assume will resemble something a little more familiar to those who sank dozens of hours into Origins.
Races such as elves and dwarves will be redesigned, though we’re not exactly sure how BioWare are going to explain the genetic revamp, perhaps relying on something like how Klingons didn’t look like normal Klingons when Worf travelled back in time to the original Enterprise. The less said about the matter the better, in other words. The combat system is also getting a complete overhaul, while the follow-up is said to be more “cinematic” than its predecessor.
The first Dragon Age was a game that delivered on many fronts. A deep, vivid story with oodles to do and some quality voice acting along the way, it’s one of those rare games that, upon completion, not only do you want to keep playing, you literally can because there’s likely still so much more to discover. The second Dragon Age, despite already alienating some of the first’s fans due to its impromptu redesign, looks primed to do the same, undoubtedly keeping our poor ColossalBlue up all night, shunning sleep and sanity once again.
Dragon Age II will be relesed on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in March.
solidsteven
I can’t wait to get DA2 and it comes out a few days before my birthday.
tonycawley
I still haven’t played the first one, though it’s definitely on my list. I’d add it to my lovefilm but i prefer to keep that for short single player campaigns that don’t deserve 40 quid.
bunimomike
If you’ve got the PC for it, you can pick up all the trimmings (and the game itself) for twenty-five green queens. Definitely not one for rental. ;-)
Topgearsam
I’m interested in Dragon age 2, I want to see how they’ve made the combat more simplified which is what kept me away from the 1st one.
Dragons4life
I can’t wait for Dragon Age II !!
Played Origins 3 times and awakening twice.
yogh_wayne
Hmm, this is another great game in the lower half of the staff’s list, I’m starting to wonder what will be in the top places. I’m looking forward to Dragon Age 2, loved the first part :)
MadJunkBoy
okthis is a game i am looking forward to… hope its as good as the first game was, and the first one was awesome=)
MadJunkBoy
ok this*
Peco
You mean I DON’T get to be a generic Elf or Dwarf anymore?! Humans are so boring in these games; always the ‘All-rounder’.
bunimomike
Top stuff, Lee.
It’s a big game (in every sense of the word) and I’m genuinely curious to see where Bioware are taking it. They seem to be taking a few risks with the new offering and I, for one, am excited by this. Most of the video gaming world suffers from “more of the same” so it’s great to see things being pushed.
Deathbrin
“players could control NPCs”
Uh, excuse me – but a real contradiction here. NPC by the very definition are supposed to be “non-playable”…
bunimomike
Perhaps they mean in a puppet-theatre sense. ;-)
RadicalMave07
62?
this was in my top 50,oh well.
i hope that they get rid of the map travel and allow you to actually walk there,this was the biggest problem for me in the first one.