Dragon Age II

Dragon Age II The Newcomer's Perspective - Brock Poulsen Having never played the first Dragon Age, I wasn't really sure what to expect going into the sequel's . I have some familiarity with the Dragon Age lore, but I don't know any of the story from the first game, its characters, or any gameplay elements. I was pleasantly surprised on all fronts with the for Dragon Age II. The story (at least what the reveals) deals with a man telling a story about the vaguely named "Champion." I appreciate how BioWare makes efforts (here, and notably elsewhere with Knights of the Old Republic) to tell a story that is easily adaptable to whatever decisions you make with your character; be they male or female, good or evil. Your character is this fabled Champion, and the first section of the gives the player a taste of the enormous power to be had for high-level characters. Once this section is completed, reality sets in and the player starts back at level 1. The characters you come across vary widely; that is to say, the men vary from gruff warriors to stoic knights or barrel-shaped, shifty-eyed archers. The woman mostly come in the "outrageously busty" variety, regardless of weapon proficiency (even your hero's gray-haired mother is a virtual Aphrodite). This is likely because almost any female character can be a love interest for your hero, and apparently Champions have a strict and harsh "no uggos" policy. Gameplay is really where Dragon Age shines. Again, I can't speak for the first game, but I am loving the KOTOR-meets-hack-and-slash controls in the . The ability to pause the action, instruct a couple of my party members to rain down some death or heal themselves, and then immediately get back to combat is extremely satisfying. Playing as a mage, while in some games can feel detached from the action and altogether pretty weak, still felt very visceral, with firing the basic spell attack taking on a building combo structure.