‘Dragon Age 2’: gamer favorite

BioWare’s “Dragon Age 2” continues their epic role-playing series with a new story, improved gameplay and impressive visuals. The advertisements for this game promised that the player would become a champion warrior and it is safe to say that this game delivers just that. Along with a deeply immersive dialog system and dynamic non-player characters, these elements all come together to create the believable medieval-fantasy realm of “Dragon Age 2.”

The main plot of “Dragon Age 2” starts out simple enough: you are a refugee who, after fighting your way out of your war-torn homeland, makes your way to the city of Kirkwall. This safe refuge, however, has its own problems with looming war and crime. The player can choose to act and say whatever they want, be it good or evil and everywhere in between. The story shapes itself along your choices, and there are many different outcomes. This system works very well and the choices in dialog actually make you think about what you are about to say.

Combat, of course, is at the core of “Dragon Age 2.” Along with your character’s physical appearance, you are also presented the option to choose one of three classes: warrior, mage or rogue. Each class has different strengths, weaknesses and different special abilities. This is definitely a button-mashing game; however, there is a good deal of strategy involved as well. Along with the actual abilities and attributes, the player is responsible for upgrading weapons and armor. I was pleased to see the cosmetic difference of the items on your character. It may seem like the odds are stacked against the player, but you are not alone. Companion characters accompany your hero wherever they may go and fight alongside you in battle. Your actions and decisions in dialog will change how they feel about the player, and it is near impossible to please everyone. This adds great dynamic to the story and gameplay, as your companions react like real people and have their own opinions on you and other subjects.

In all, I am very impressed with this game. I have always been a bit scared of roleplaying games, afraid of their overly deep and ridiculously complex battle systems. I was relieved to see that “Dragon Age 2” was not the intricate fantasy game I feared and instead proved itself to be a fun and exciting game to play. Unlike other RPGs, “Dragon Age 2” is one for the casual gamer. The pace isn’t overbearing and the gameplay is simple and easy to pick up.

Bottom Line:

“Dragon Age 2” is a casual RPG that is both immersing and easy to play. The attention to detail is amazing, and the unique story and dialog gameplay make this a game that shouldn’t be missed.

Score: 9

Posted by WilliamThorpe on Apr 14 2011. Filed under Leisure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.