I , for one, am perplexed by the hype/reviews of this game. I mean, I get why it's so hyped on this site as mmorpg.com has increasingly lost credence in the journalistic department and seem to be more shills for the highest advertiser than anything at this point...but In my own opinion this game is just...well, not good. Far be it from me to just post nonsense like that without giving you my reasons though:

1) Load screens.Lots of them.

2) Ok, the story is KIND OF interesting. Doesn't mean I wanna take 3 steps watch a 5 minute cut scene, fight one mob, watch a 5 minute cut scene...etc

3) very , very , very linear. There is no "world". There is a series of linear, very restricted zones. You port from one to the next. "Exploring" consist of bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball between walls, both invisible and not down the corridor that is the "story"

4) combat. Sigh. Revolutionary? Breathtaking? My god. Swing my sword, hit pause, cue attacks, unpause, watch action for 3 seconds, pause again. yeah...takes my breath right away. Guys..."exhilarating combat" generally doesn't involve the pause button.

5)DLC ON LAUNCH DAY!!!!!!! LOLOLOL

6) partyy system. Meh, this one is personal preference, but I dont want to have to control a party. Game would have been better , imo if it was just me and my hound. When I think of a classic rpg, i think of me. My chararacter.Singular.Micromanaging sucks.

Iv'e got more, but will stop there. Not really designed to be a bash of boware or their game, I just don't like it. Obviously a ton of people do. It just surprises me  is all. I am an older guy so perhaps what i think of as a "good game" is just different from the current generations. Seems "playable movies" are the new thing :(

I don't like it either. I didn't like Mass Effect nor Knights of Old Republic. I do not like Bioware RPG's at all, in my opinion they should be rather called interactive movies with lots of facial expressions and cut-scenes, but with no real interaction apart from the tactical fights.

On the other hand, I did like Baldur's Gate 1 and Planescape Torment, altho I'm not sure now whether these weren't made by Black Isle instead.

@OP:

How much of the game have you played? Also, did you play Mass Effect? If yes, did you like it?

Originally posted by lawnmowerman

   I , for one, am perplexed by the hype/reviews of this game. I mean, I get why it's so hyped on this site as mmorpg.com has increasingly lost credence in the journalistic department and seem to be more shills for the highest advertiser than anything at this point...but In my own opinion this game is just...well, not good. Far be it from me to just post nonsense like that without giving you my reasons though:

 

1) Load screens.Lots of them.

I dont' like the load screens either but it is what it is.

2) Ok, the story is KIND OF interesting. Doesn't mean I wanna take 3 steps watch a 5 minute cut scene, fight one mob, watch a 5 minute cut scene...etc

I very much like the cut scenes as it makes the game more cinematic and frames the players in a way that to me is far more intresting then just stayiing in 3rd person view and clicking on dialogue screens.

3) very , very , very linear. There is no "world". There is a series of linear, very restricted zones. You port from one to the next. "Exploring" consist of bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball between walls, both invisible and not down the corridor that is the "story"

All of bioware's games are like this. Their games are more about the story going on and the player's choices within that story than exploring a world. It's not oblivion or morrowind.

4) combat. Sigh. Revolutionary? Breathtaking? My god. Swing my sword, hit pause, cue attacks, unpause, watch action for 3 seconds, pause again. yeah...takes my breath right away. Guys..."exhilarating combat" generally doesn't involve the pause button.

I dont' understand why people aren't getting this. I suspect they didn't read the manual. Put it on easy and don't pause. Problem solved. Easy is also there for players who want more real time combat experience.

5)DLC ON LAUNCH DAY!!!!!!! LOLOLOL

meh, I don't mind this. Why do they have to stand on ceremony with this service. That is how they are going to be pushing the game for the next 2 years. There is going to be content that is purchased. You don't need it to play the game.

6) partyy system. Meh, this one is personal preference, but I dont want to have to control a party. Game would have been better , imo if it was just me and my hound. When I think of a classic rpg, i think of me. My chararacter.Singular.Micromanaging sucks.

I'm very much with you here. This is why I've been using the tactics slots more as I hate micromanaging the party.

 

Iv'e got more, but will stop there. Not really designed to be a bash of boware or their game, I just don't like it. Obviously a ton of people do. It just surprises me  is all. I am an older guy so perhaps what i think of as a "good game" is just different from the current generations. Seems "playable movies" are the new thing :(

  

that probably is it. I enjoy playable movies as I'm a huge movie buff. I like things being theatrical and cinematic. I'm sure you aren't alone in your feelings.

You forgot the extremly generic story that was ripped right out of lord of the rings, and follows thru it for most of the game (Minus the ring). Not to mention out of all the rpg's I have played no rpg has been as predictable story wise in terms of what will happen next than Dragon Age is. Every prediction I have made as I played the game turned out to be right, which sadly is worth negative points if I was to review the game.

In terms of combat.. honestly you must suck if you need to pause it every few seconds. I rarely ever pause and the only time I ever do is when I am having trouble clicking a mob to attack it. This is on Normal diffculty anyway. All in all I'd not rate dragon age more than a 6.5/10 maybe a 7/10 tops. The voice acting thankfully is some of the best I have personally seen in a game to date. Anyway thats my opinion.

I can say, as sad as it may seem for a brand new game with this much hype...

I fully agree!

I was expecting something along the lines of combat like FFXII, full gambit style attack system, being able to wade into battle swinging your sword, hacking off body parts - amazing bloody battles.. perhaps pausing to break into the menu to adjust how a character is fighting from time to time; bust out a new spell or skill; or take a break to grab another soda to keep you pumped up for the next hour of gaming.

 Sadly, it wasn't that in any way :-(

 I played for perhaps 2 hours starting as a dwarven rogue, made a new character after it seemed rather droll and that he heavily sucked during combat - Tried out an Elf Ranger Warrior - Combat was a tad better..   but the micro management sucked, the gambit system sort of is okay, it definitly still requires you to pause every 10 seconds of combat to make an adjustment.

 After about 5 hours deep into the game of my new Elf, it just seemed boring - heavily boring..   the amazing combat was enough to make me yawn - even through a caffeine high.  The leveling wasnt anythign dynamic - apply a few stat points, pump up 1 of 4 areas I feel like raising, and blam - do that for 4 people and your done.

Could have been better, sort of a waste of my money - I may find someone interested in buying it from me, but until then - it will sit gathering dust on my shelf.   The few words that the game brought to mind were: "Boring, Not awe-inspiring, Boring."

Cut scenes are nice, but - as above, I dont want to play in a very linear Point A to Point B with no side-deterants, and then watch another cut scene.

On a side note:  I -loved- Mass Effect, and know I will thoroughly enjoy Mass Effect 2, and I enjoyed most of the other Bioware games - this one just seemed much too boring for me.. the graphics aren't even anything special either

surely not a 9/10 but i say a 6/10, its NWN with better gfx and boring loooong talking but we havent a game like this in a long time so its just a fix shot =p

I got most dissapointed with the combat, ok its has fatalities but a target with "guy is stuned/frozen/stone u there with a 2handed sword and still MISS" kind of combat in  SINGLE PLAYER game is outdated (ok im playing too much gothic/risen).

sucky skills, tatic combat good idea but bugs sometimes, 5 kind of option to talk that give to same results.

but yaw theres ppl who really love it, there´s plenty of fishes for everybody on the sea =)

Originally posted by Kenaoshi

surely not a 9/10 but i say a 6/10, its NWN with better gfx and boring loooong talking but we havent a game like this in a long time so its just a fix shot =p

Actually, there was - if you look for party-like RPG and it's called Drakensang released lately.

Originally posted by Thillian

Originally posted by Kenaoshi

I got most dissapointed with the combat, ok its has fatalities but a target with "guy is stuned/frozen/stone u there with a 2handed sword and still MISS" kind of combat in  SINGLE PLAYER game is outdated (ok im playing too much gothic/risen).

 

Actually, there was - if you look for party-like RPG and it's called Drakensang released lately.

That is true. but I couldn't get into that game. i tried a teaser bit and it left me flat.

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Thillian

 

Actually, there was - if you look for party-like RPG and it's called Drakensang released lately.

 

That is true. but I couldn't get into that game. i tried a teaser bit and it left me flat.

Yeh, I'm not saying Drakensang was a perfect gem, but for me it was much much better than the hyped Bioware mass effect, kotor & nwn series or this new dragon age. Drakensang was rather about the gameplay and the actual playing than the facial expressions and very long cut-scenes.

And don't get me wrong, Im not trying to say whichever playstyle is superior.

haven't tried Dragon Age yet, but to me, from all I've heard from 2 friends who picked it up, reviews posted, etc is that it's pretty much The Witcher with crappier combat animations, less things to specialize in, a few race options and an even more linear scripted to hell plot.

Originally posted by blackthornn

haven't tried Dragon Age yet, but to me, from all I've heard from 2 friends who picked it up, reviews posted, etc is that it's pretty much The Witcher with crappier combat animations, less things to specialize in, a few race options and an even more linear scripted to hell plot.

Witcher certainly wasn't THAT bad as Dragon Age. It was bad, but at least it didn't have a DLC right at start, and the company behind it (CD Projekt) when released an enhanced edition with lots of additions and new content - made it for free for those who already bought the original version.

OP do not worry there will be a game come out you may like.  Someone will hate it tho and make sure  they let everyone know they hate it and that you are a fool for liking it.

So, be patient your time is coming I am sure.  :)

I kinda like it.  However, I have not played every RPG that has come out.  Most of the games people list stating that this is a copy of or worse than, I have never played.  So, I will be able to complain about the next iteration of this story in the future.  :D

To each their own i guess =)

I personally like it. But then I enjoyed Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 ( with expansions )  Icewind dale 1 and 2 + expansions, Planscape, NwN 1 and 2 + expansions, ect.

So for a person who enjoys that type of RPG its a damn good one. However I can easily see where some people wouldnt like it at all.

I dont go by hype or scores anymore anyways. Read up on a game, decide for yourself. Who cares what score it got in a magazine or online review.  If you did a bit of research before you bought the game you should have known exactly what you were buying.

Just my 2cp

Originally posted by Thillian

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Thillian

 

Actually, there was - if you look for party-like RPG and it's called Drakensang released lately.

 

That is true. but I couldn't get into that game. i tried a teaser bit and it left me flat.

 

Yeh, I'm not saying Drakensang was a perfect gem, but for me it was much much better than the hyped Bioware mass effect, kotor & nwn series or this new dragon age. Drakensang was rather about the gameplay and the actual playing than the facial expressions and very long cut-scenes.

And don't get me wrong, Im not trying to say whichever playstyle is superior.

I haven't played Dragon Age yet, although I plan to.  Bioware games are pretty much all about the story, albeit they aren't as open as the games by Bethesda, but I put BioWare and Bethesda (also 2K Games)  pretty much on the same footing.  I don't know many games that can compete with the stories BioWare puts out, and although it isn't my ideal playstyle, it was enjoyable to me... coming from an oldschool RPG background of select and wait, it was much more action oriented.

Its obvious if you don't like KOTOR, Mass Effect, etc. and dragon age is following in suit, that you wouldn't like it.  It just tells me that I WILL like dragon age when I get around to buying it which I would've done already..... if FE didn't take up all my free time.

 I find it an excellent game, one step closer to the unification of two different things, cinema and videogames.

Still, i wonder why you ppl spend so much time "HATING" things.

If you dont like it you dont, but hate? A game?

Glad to see we are all doing everything we can to achieve prosperity and peace in the world...

i love the game, for the most part. a few things that do truly bother me about it though. it's basically a rip of final fantasy 12... but for the most part, that was the only true good final fantasy, in my opinion, since the snes. addressing your complaints in order though.

1. load times, yup, suck, way to many screens, and pets de-spawn during them. 

2. i really like the story, mostly due to actually great voice acting, and incredibly well written dialogue. Claudia Black as Morrigan is freaking awesome, and the actor who does Zevran is great. the story is a re-hash of biowares last few games, but overall, i'm liking this version more then mass effect and kotor.

3. incredibly linear, can't argue that part at all. you can choose what order you do the linear stuff, but ya, not really much of a world... just like every other 3d game bioware made. bioware doesn't really make worlds anymore. one of the reasons i'm not hyped about the old republic.

4. combat, revolutionary, yup, it is. when final fantasy 12 did it a few years ago. was a huge breath of fresh air, for single player rpgs at the time. one of my favorite changes to the final fantasy games. i'm actually amazed how much of ff12s system bioware used. i guess i should state, that i hadn't previously played a rpg with a combat system like ff12s before, so i'm not sure if anyone else did it prior to that, but it was my first time i encountered it, and i love it. for me though, i rarely ever "pause" the game, in combat, more then i did in ff12, in ff12 you could go thru all your skills without pausing, an option i wish bioware had added.

5. ya, that pissed me off, i bought the collectors edition, which got me all the DLC, aside wardens keep. but it's EA man, thats what they do. hell, the need for speeds like pro-street, actually allow you to fix your cars with real money....

6. this isn't even a real complaint man. you say it's personal preference, but really, it's a bioware game. have you not ever played a game from bioware? have they ever released a game that didn't revolve around parties? i love micro-managing myself. but i'm a huge baldurs gate fan.

my main complaint, is that some of the random encounters, when you travel, are harder then most of the boss fights. haven't really had any problems with boss fights, though i've been wiped out by a group of bandits, that had a few mages casting fireball from a upper ridge. i've had encounters that have decimated me in seconds, yet, haven't lost to a boss yet...

Love people comparing this game to the Witcher. If you thought witchers combat was fun and exciting I think you have low standards. How was witchers combat again? Oh yeah, Click, click faster, click faster repeat. SO VERY INTERESTING! Hilarious how mad people get when they have to use some micromanagment and strategy in a game.

Bioware claims the DLC at launch was caused by the amount of time it took to port the game to the console. The PC programmers finished the game, and while waiting for another team to port it, they created the DLCs, or so Bioware claims.

A decent enough excuse, IMO, if it is true, which we have no way of knowing.

I hate the 360 version but I love the Pc version ... kinda strange but true :o

... its also got me back playing Neverwinter Nights 2.