Dragon Age II Preview – Warning Spoilers!
Bioware makes RPGs that have an amazing story and for allowing the player control over the relationships with non player characters (NPCs) and the game world’s events. In Dragon Age Origins, your character was recruited as a Warden to fight the spreading taint of Darkspawn and put an end to threatening Blight. You choose allies, gained relationships, helped kings/queens rise to power, and sacrificed life or choose life.
Statue from San Diego Comic Con 2010
Your character in Dragon Age: Origins escaped to Lothering after everything went to hell at the battle of Ostagar. After leaving the town of Lothering, you come to learn that it came under attack and overtaken by the Darkspawn. Your character could do nothing to stop the Darkspawn or attempt to save the villagers. But Hawke can!
This is where your new character (Hawke) starts in Dragon Age II – in Lothering when it is attacked by Darkspawn. You and your party are one step behind your characters from Dragon Age: Origins, meaning you get to see the aftermath of your choices in the first Dragon Age. What happens after you choose a king for Orzammar? Or your choices in Dailish Camp? All the choices you made in Dragon Age: Origins will affect the game play of Dragon Age II.
Morrigan and the Dragon Age II SWAG sword in her rigthand that was handed out at the San Diego Comic Con 2010
You will be playing Hawke (last name) a human character that can be a Mage, Rogue, or Warrior. You escape the destruction of Lothering with your family. Your sibling will fight along side you and become a member of your party.
During the game play, you see cut scenes where a Dwarf named Varric is telling the story of your actions to a woman named Cassandra. This is called a framed narrative structure, where the actions that your character has already happened and is being told by a storyteller in the present. Confused? This type of storytelling has been seen before, though mainly in movies or comics. A bard or storyteller sits next to a fire telling the story of a great warrior or champion, but we get to see it as though it was the present.
But why is Varric telling Cassandra about your character Hawke? Cassandra is trying to get information from Varric about the past 10 years of Hawke’s life to better understand why the lands are at the brink of war. Believing that some of Hawke’s actions caused this mess. Though Varric is the type of character that enjoys embellishing the truth and seems in no way intimidated by his interrogator’s threats. Meanin you get the entertainment of hearing him romanticizing your actions/choices/fights until Cassandra stops him and calls exageration.
I have had the privilage of trying out the game and the small bit was enough to make me excited for it’s release in March 8th, 2011. And to answer many questions, yes you will be able to have romance options with party members. And no, you can’t be romantic with your sibling (because there is always someone that asks). You will be able to explore a little more into the culture of Qunari, and explore the Free Marches.
Oh, and you get to see a lot more of Flemeth. And boy she is very different. In the first game I thought she was awesome, now it looks like she’ll confirm that.
Some things that I am happy about:
OMG! Flemeth is awesome!
- You can be an Apostate Mage
- Female bodies have their own separate shape, and no longer resemble men in the shoulders and hips.
- Elves, Dwarves, and Qunari will have updated looks.
- If you give your Hawke dark skin, your family’s skin will be changed to match!
- The dialogue wheel will have up to 5 choice options and up to 5
- There will be an icon that illustrates the tone of each dialogue response (snarky, aggressive, peaceful, romantic, etc.)
- Combat should be much more reactive. Companions will leap straight into battle instead of shuffling forward and getting into position.
- Combat on the consoles is being streamlined to better utilize the controller interface. Combat on the PC should be largely the same.
- Mages now have “finishing moves” like melee characters did in Origins.
- More locations are available to be explored.
