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Bulldogs

Dragon Age (omg, it's not a fps!)

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Now that I finally found some time to dedicate to this game I have to say that it's great. The storytelling is good as can be expected from Bioware, the setting is refreshingly darker and more mature than what we've seen for example in Oblivion. Technologically it feels really, really dated (the textures just look crappy compared what I've become used to over the last few years), but the storytelling is immersive enough to make up for this. Definitely the best classical RPG released in quite some time.

While I'd still recommend the PC version for full tactical gameplay the control schemes for consoles works really well, giving quick access to all required functions.

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Dragon Age is really a great game this year, but it´s not the best even from BioWare. Neverwinter Nights (1) was even bigger, also with Modding-Tools AND it was (and still is) playable in Coop-Mode. I enjoyed it so much to play the whole story with one of my best friends It would be cool to have that back in Dragon Age.

Another awesome SP-RPG is "The Witcher" which also is very dark, story-driven with incredibly cool moves and it offers a lot more sex, not only Blood. :-)

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  BCA Cat Toaster said:

Another awesome SP-RPG is "The Witcher" which also is very dark, story-driven with incredibly cool moves and it offers a lot more sex, not only Blood. :-)

Yeah I was avidly following The Witcher up until I discovered it also didn't have proper combat :(

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The game is awesomely good, but...I prefer The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. I prefer the story and the combat.

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I didn't progress that much within the game yet, some thoughts though.

The story borrows from here and there, most notably LOTR and Excalibur, but i dig it so far. Voice acting and character (race) interaction are well done and interesting, as are the facial- and combat animations. Per character tactics script customisation is a feature more genre titles should have. The mature feel of the game does not stem so much from the celebration of violence, as from the dialogues. Apparently Bioware didn't think so. Infact, i thoroughly dislike their PR, toting DA as "Sword porn". It would have done equally well with less gore.

The weakness of DA is immediately noticeable for a 2009 title, graphics. While character face models look quite good, the environment, equipment and objects aren´t for the most part. The levels i played so far are small and with a linear approach. Textures are low-res, everything looks washed out and blunt, especially in daylight.Depeding on lighting conditions, surfaces which should resemble metal, often look like anything but. Proportions, in particular those of armor and weapons, are also a bit on the "fantasy" side.

Nevertheless, i enjoyed The Witcher and Drakensang, DA was a good addition to that collection.

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I'm glad that they expanded on to body models this time though. With Mass Effect they focused on facial modelling and the bodies, environment and everything else were extremely bland.

Personally NWN story kinda bored me (too much grind, not enough story). I picked up Witcher for $20 over 1 year ago, still trying to get myself into it. I hear it's really compelling but something about the combat just annoys me, having the click at the right time for a combo. I think that's why I like Dragon Age, the combat is very tactical, especially later on in the game.

Really wish it had co-op though as I've now finshed pretty much all the content and started playing through again on another character to take a different direction but losing interest without co-op.

BTW, may have just been how I did it, but the story line and choices became very buggy for me towards the end of the game like..

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  Placebo said:
Yeah I was avidly following The Witcher up until I discovered it also didn't have proper combat :(

The combat was good imo. Besides I enjoyed the story and atmosphere of it most. Best game I have played so far.

Back on topic:

I just ordered DA. That will warm up my winter nights for sure. (Until Witcher 2 comes out) :)

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I'm just picky, for me proper combat = to swing the sword I press a button, to fire an arrow I aim and press a button, I don't like clicking on an enemy and see magic numbers floating in the sky, for me that's boring and non-immersive :)

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  Placebo said:
I'm just picky, for me proper combat = to swing the sword I press a button, to fire an arrow I aim and press a button, I don't like clicking on an enemy and see magic numbers floating in the sky, for me that's boring and non-immersive :)

Then a combination of "Severance" and "Witcher" would work for both of us?

;)

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  Placebo said:
I'm just picky, for me proper combat = to swing the sword I press a button, to fire an arrow I aim and press a button, I don't like clicking on an enemy and see magic numbers floating in the sky, for me that's boring and non-immersive :)

I agree, the combat in this game is completely crap and very frustrating because of the lack of character control.

But everything else makes up for it apparently, i spend 12 hours on this game since monday, and thats a lot for me.

Though i wont give it a second playtrough, a different starting position and playing something else then chaotic neutral wont give that much of change.

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  Placebo said:
That would be called Risen ;)

Which is also a very good game :)

Havent finished it yet, but i enjoy that game a lot too.

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I've got over 50 hours on it so far, and still haven't completed the game, considering that is 5 times the length of an average SP experience these days, I find it quite satisfying.

I'm quite used to the current combat system which is quite easy to use and abuse with the pause system, relying on micromanaging and turning off tactics. I don't mind it too much really since I've yet to find an swordplay/magic first person rpg that did it correctly instead of it just feeling like an excercise in button mashing. *points finger at TES: Oblivion*

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  SiC-Disaster said:
Which is also a very good game :)

Havent finished it yet, but i enjoy that game a lot too.

Yep it's excellent, I play it on the PC and the wife plays it on the 360, funny when we both die at the same time as his death sounds are rather amusing, one might almost say orgasmic ;)

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Unforunately, after a few years of marriage, this is about as close to love making as you get.

I finished Dragon Age, Left 4 Dead 2 keeps me interested at 20 minute bursts, and I've replayed through all the games I loved so in between making missions on Arma 2 I've decided to buy Risen and give it a whirl.

---------- Post added at 01:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------

Excellent. Checked the local stores and it turns out Risen is banned from Australia. Which adds it to the list alongside the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2, Crimecraft, Necrovision, Alien Vs Predator, the list gos on... love the OFLC, oh well, guess I'm ordering it online then.

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Finally I could have some hours to play the game and I'd have to say I'm impressed.

+ Good story

+ Good characters

+ Fantastic soundtrack

+ Good sound effects

+ Outstanding cut scenes

+ No installation problems / crashes on Win 7 64 Bit

+ Full Quad Core usage :p

+ Excellent performance

+ No bugs encountered so far (using patch 1.01b)

+ Easy gameplay (If you played Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 1 or 2 you'll be in the game within a minute)

+ Wonderful splatter effects and violence

- not the best graphic I've seen so far (I enjoyed The Elder Scrolls IV more)

- no open world like OFP/ArmA/ArmA II, The Elder Scrolls IV, Gothic 3 ...

However the game is fun and it was worth the money :) It's very rar to find a game in these days where you can find the "I must play this thing or I'm gonna die"-feeling :D But don't worry, ArmA II will still be my favourite game.

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  Bulldogs said:

Excellent. Checked the local stores and it turns out Risen is banned from Australia. Which adds it to the list alongside the unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2, Crimecraft, Necrovision, Alien Vs Predator, the list gos on... love the OFLC, oh well, guess I'm ordering it online then.

What? Why that? Can you still smoke stuff like in the Gothic series?:D

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  kavoven said:
What? Why that? Can you still smoke stuff like in the Gothic series?:D

Apparently you can. Here's the quote from the OFLC on their reasons for the ban :

"During the course of the game, players can interact with prostitutes (referred to as “whores†in the game) at a local brothel. Players can trigger a lengthy dialogue to engage in their services; sexual activity is strongly implied, but never depicted on screen. Many of the characters in the game smoke a fictional drug called “brugleweed.†The “wood reefer†plant is described as having a mild relaxing effect on users, and can be bought, sold, and used by players. Some profanity (e.g., “f*ck†and “sh*tâ€) can be heard in the dialogue."

Well, ordered it from overseas and it should arrive today or tomorrow, so first thing I've gotta do is find as much brungleweed as possible, record myself smoking it, and send it to the OFLC.

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Completed it as a human noble last night...was fantastic and apparently i only completed a little over 30-40% of it, which is odd seeing as i completed every quest i was given or came across must be a lot of specific race/ class quests :). Great game

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  Bulldogs said:
Apparently you can. Here's the quote from the OFLC on their reasons for the ban :

"During the course of the game, players can interact with prostitutes (referred to as “whores†in the game) at a local brothel. Players can trigger a lengthy dialogue to engage in their services; sexual activity is strongly implied, but never depicted on screen. Many of the characters in the game smoke a fictional drug called “brugleweed.†The “wood reefer†plant is described as having a mild relaxing effect on users, and can be bought, sold, and used by players. Some profanity (e.g., “f*ck†and “sh*tâ€) can be heard in the dialogue."

Well, ordered it from overseas and it should arrive today or tomorrow, so first thing I've gotta do is find as much brungleweed as possible, record myself smoking it, and send it to the OFLC.

Wow that sounds even more crazy than German USK ... weired :confused:

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  Placebo said:
I thought it was awesome up until I learned the combat was point and click "excel" fighting, can't stand that crap, went back to Risen :)

Risen was ok, but only 40hrs of gameplay is rather short for a RPG. Story unfolds and blam, you´re through :confused:

Dragon Age on the other side offers much more to explore (think my savegame exceeds the 100hrs mark by now),

more replayability with it´s well thought out character classes .. and i must say: omfg it´s addictive :turn:

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Haha like a deja vu, reminds me of the Fallout 3 thread and this time it fits again:

This is the very first game in a loooong while that made me play till the sun came up which means nearly 8am currently ^^

Its indeed very addictive and i really love it, has its flaws but they are rather small to me.

What bugs me is that after a while you pretty much are geared so well that you will just find trash in the loot everywhere, and some stuff is far to rare like Madge staffs or robes... soem stuff that i got very early i had to use for 50+ hours on ym madges because i simply couldnt get anything better.

And that 100+ gold items werent really a option if you dont save your money all the time.

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  Mr Burns said:
Risen was ok, but only 40hrs of gameplay is rather short for a RPG. Story unfolds and blam, you´re through :confused:

Dragon Age on the other side offers much more to explore (think my savegame exceeds the 100hrs mark by now),

more replayability with it´s well thought out character classes .. and i must say: omfg it´s addictive :turn:

Game length is nothing if the game doesn't immerse and involve you, I can't get immersed and involved in any game when the combat is all decided by the maths processor of my PC ;)

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I loved Age Of Conan fighting. Too bad that game sucked when you got to lvl80. Nothing to do after you had raided everything over and over. But i liked that some people could attack me and they were levels above me, and still with proper skill i would take them out. And NOTHING made me feel better than when they attacked me for no reason and i took their arms and heads off. :D Blood spurting everywhere.

Too bad it was so short... We had great fun in it up to that point.

Gonna check Dragon Age when i have time away from AA2.

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