Things I like: Dragon Age: Origins and OMG colons everywhere!
Posted On Monday, January 4th, 2010 By Jay
I’m not terribly surprised that I like Dragon Age. It’s terribly good. I won’t sing the praises to the high heavens for the combat system however. While I enjoy the story and the setting, the character advancement and combat system could use a little work. I also look forward to any iterations Bioware has in store for the sequel(s).
For instance:
If you begin an encounter poorly, there isn’t a way to bounce back. In other words, didn’t pull off that perpetual come back. In other words, the combats must be executed well, not flawlessly or you die and have to re-load.
For instance, its easy to see where the inspiration for the combat came from. Have you ever played a DnD game? Have you played 4th edition DnD? Have you played Baldur’s Gate? (I feel horrible at referencing their own game, sorry Bioware.)
Another Bioware title within the same universe, Dragon Age: Journeys. Where its easy to adjust your tactics and bounce back from a poor decision. This is built into the game because its turn based. Watching the combat unfold due to your choices is simple to understand.
Playing the real time version is a little less forgiving. I don’t mind having to pause the game every second or so to manually adjust a character a two, that’s enjoyable for this type of game. What I’m talking about is that perpetual come back situation.
I like when combat in a tactics focused game feels like the manual, or balance meter, in Tony Hawk. The idea is to keep the difficulty and choices with the arrow to the center or top of the meter. When the meter starts to slide towards one way or the other, adjustments needs to be made to bring the arrow back to center. Being able to effectively bring the arrow back to the top of the balance meters is bacially the perpetual come back. If in Tony Hawk getting the arrow back to the top of the balance meter were exceptionally difficult, that would be called a slippery slope.
I mean that’s the point right? The point is to force the player to make heroic choices? Choices that provide that momentary “aha!” feeling when that simple choice lead to certain victory.
Unfortunately I’m not privy to the combat design discussions or even direction over in cold Edmonton Bioware headquarters. So for all I know this is “working as intended”.
However, I am enjoying the story. Even if I don’t understand or immediately see the consequences for my actions. I’ve saved a life here, saved a life there. Nothing terribly important in the grand scheme of things in DA:O.
Leaving combat aside and on a humorous note, if Bioware continues with this ridiculous everyone covered in blood conversation cut scenes, maybe they’ll have animations of the characters, I dunno, wiping off the blood? Maybe have an opener like:
“Hey, you’re covered in blood. You obviously killed everything on your way here. Now giving you’re a FUCKING KILLING MACHINE, why should I risk my life talking to you since obviously I like living… and did I mention you’re covered in blood?”
P.S. There’s no mention of sex here because unlike what I felt like the forced sex scene and relationship that happened in Mass Effect, I actually enjoy how the romance is progressing in this game.
You know it doesn’t happen after I decide to kill one(Ashley or Kaidan) and let the other live (Ashley or Kaidan). I mean WTF, I treated Kaidan like shit the entire game and he followed me around like a futuristic head ache ridden love sick beaten dog that was told twice. Maybe my female Shepard was a Scorpio and he a cancer. Yeah, that’s makes sense… Oy… *palm face*
