In Which The Warlock Contemplates Some Criticism...

A few posts ago, you might remember my review of Dragon Age: Origins, which I finished over the holiday break (after only a year of having it sit on my shelf!).  Well, what you didn't see is my Facebook feed, which absolutely lit up with anti-recommendations when I mentioned my eagerness to pick up the sequel, Dragon Age II. Apparently, many of my acquaintances and the like were only the tip of the iceberg.  In fact, the negative reviews for DA2 seemed to outstrip the positive ones by far!

Call it stubbornness.  Call it a determination to go my own way.  Call it raw curiosity.  I bought DA2 anyway. 

And, you know what?  I greatly prefer Dragon Age II to its predecessor, as it made significant improvements in nearly every aspect of both game, characterization and story.

But, before I begin my diatribe, let me just put this here:  SPOILERS AHEAD!  BEWARE!

My biggest problem with the original Dragon Age was its generic storyline.  From the very start, your character was the last of the Grey Wardens, attempting to unite the sterotypically fractions factions of elves, mages, and dwarves against a tyrannical usurper and an incoming totally-not-orcs horde.  the story could have been easily written by a 12-year-old Dragonlance fan, with only a few stand-out questlines where the story shines.



Varric, telling his story to the Inquisitor...

Dragon Age II rectifies this beautifully by tightening up the narrative structure.  While the idea of the epic, world-spanning quest in DA: O is good in theory, in reality it's just unwieldy.  The narrative of DA2 is told through the words of Varric Tethras, one of your characters' companions.  However, the vast majority of the action in DA2 takes place in Kirkwall, a city in the Free Marches, to which your family has just migrated from fallen Lothering--a locale from the first game.  Destitute and looking for work, your main character finds themselves making a name for themselves by attempting to become a partner in an expedition to a dwarven ruin. 

However, following various twists and turns, the main character finds themselves in the midst of a city rife with its own problems.  A delegation of the militant Qunari have taken up residence in the city, gangs roam the night, and the Circle of Magi have been butting heads with their Templar and Chantry overseers.  Hawke (the main character) and their band of motley adventurers quickly find themselves in over their heads, confronted with a coming conflict that none seem to be able to prevent...but more on that later.

One of the biggest improvements DA2 made came in graphics, particularly backgrounds.  Often, the backgrounds in DA: O were fuzzy or undefined, and they definitely showed their age, as a game from nearly 5 years ago.  But, worst of all, they felt stock and generic. 

The Wounded Coast--one of the most gorgeous areas
in Dragon Age II!

In DA2, however, the backgrounds and setting is used to its utmost.  Each district of Kirkwall has its own feel and theme, from the posh gardens surrounding the Chantry Courtyard in Hightown to the dingy, unkempt slums in Darktown.  Each area has its own design and attitude, which makes the city feel like a living, active place.  It becomes easy to tell where you are as you navigate through the city by night or day, simply by landmarks and background elements.  The view out over the sea when in the Wounded Coast area simply has no parallel--it's a beautiful, visually stunning area, which made my jaw drop for the first time since reaching the Arreat Summit in Diablo II.

Similarly, combat is much improved in DA2.  While the traditional classes of warrior-rogue-mage return, the classes are able to interact through "cross-class combos" that provide additional damage or benefits.  For example, if a mage casts Winter's Blast, the target may become frozen, which allows a warrior to deal higher damage.  Similarly, if that warrior uses a Shield Bash, the target is knocked off-balance, allowing a rogue to take advantage.  With the party AI greatly enhanced--coupled with 20-odd customizable tactics slots available for each party member--it's easy to take advantage of these ability combinations. 

While the game suffers slightly with combats that perhaps run too long, and the "wave" mechanic of dropping additional baddies into a scrum grows a little tiresome, I didn't find myself bored with combat as I did in DA: O.  Previously, I simply mowed everything down while my party mopped up behind me.  In DA2, I felt active and involved, choosing high-priority targets and hunting them down, alternating control of my character with those in my party:  Varric (a surface-dwelling "legitimate businessman"), Isabela (a ship-less lusty swashbuckler), and Merrill (my love-interest, an apostate elven mage).  I always felt like I had something to do, or some new strategy to try.  Plus, the game removed much of the "equipment-juggling" that tends to overcomplicate and clutter many party-based role-playing games, which was a much needed design choice.

My favorite portion of this game, however, comes in one simple piece of understanding, which many critics and even fans seem to have overlooked:  the story of Dragon Age II is a tragedy, not a heroic epic. 

Under the framing narrative of Varric telling the story of "The Champion of Kirkwall" to a Chantry interrogator, Varric's tone throughout the cut scenes is one of loss, wistfulness, and memories of "better times".  And, why shouldn't he feel this way?  Nearly everything that Hawke and his companions build up over the course of the 7 years together in Kirkwall comes crashing down, as their own actions spiral out of control.

The result of all Hawke's works...up in flames...

Case in point:  Varric himself.  Hawke, Varric and the rest are betrayed by Varric's brother at the end of Act I.  When Varric's brother resurfaces, he has gone insane, and Varric is forced to kill his own brother out of mercy.  But that's not all!  Merrill's pursuit of elven history costs her teacher's life, if not the lives of her entire clan.  The mine that Hawke invests in--giving hundreds of migrant Fereldans employment--is burned to the ground and destroyed.  Hawke's own mother is drawn in, then killed by a serial killer who escaped Hawke's investigation in years prior.  Anders, a mage companion, spouts rhetoric not heard outside of Malcolm X or Magneto, decrying the templar oppression from his Darktown clinic, all the while he plans a terrorist attack to start "the coming war". 

Hawke's story is one of loss, over and over again.  It's the story of the rise and fall of power in amongst a maelstrom of rival factions.  Throughout the game, I found my dialogue choices again and again trying to unite rival factions, even as they took up arms against one another.  However, I swiftly found a group of moderates--a group of nobles looking for someone to put on an empty throne, following the death of Viscount Dumar.  In a last-ditch effort, my Hawke threw her name in as a potential replacement...only to find that Anders' actions had brought about the very war that Hawke was about to prevent.

This!  This is tragedy!  This is drama!  This is the sort of storytelling that can elevate video games to that oft-mused category of "art". 

Yes, there are flaws.  As I mentioned, the continual waves in combat grow tiresome at times.  The various dungeon locales are repeated--albeit with some minor changes--fairly often.  And, it would have been nice to have more interaction with two of the major players--the head of the templars and the head of the magi circle--before Act III.  But with varied and interesting combat, spectacular visuals, and a story that breathes and revels in pathos, there's no comparison:  Dragon Age II far outstrips its predecessor.

In Which The Warlock Ends an Age...

As I've mentioned a few times over the past few entries, I finally managed to play through Dragon Age: Origins--the BioWare-developed fantasy opus, billed as a spiritual successor to my beloved Baldur's Gate series, which I still have installed on my laptop.

I've been hesitant to write a review for DA: O, though, because my feelings towards the game have been more than a little conflicted.  While there's been a lot to love in the game, I can't help but feel that certain changes could have really put this game up over the top.

Building my Dwarf Warrior

One of the best things about DA: O comes from its titular origins--depending on your choice of race (Elf, Human, or Dwarf) and class (Warrior, Mage, or Rogue), your character's quest against the Darkspawn began with an opening interlude, centering on your character's family.  Deciding to play the "dwarfiest dwarf ever", I settled on the Dwarven Noble opening, in which I was the second son of King Endrin Aeducan, and was swiftly embroiled in the byzantine turmoil of dwarven ascension politics.  Finding myself on the receiving end of a brutal backstabbing, I was exiled to the labyrinthine Deep Roads and fought my way to an encampment of Gray Wardens, whom I ended up joining.

Playing as a Warrior, I swiftly gravitated towards two-handed weapon talents...and promptly cleaved my way through the game.  Even without a shield, my main character was a juggernaut of destruction, simply hacking through most enemies.  The "darkspawn"--a not-quite-orc, not-quite-undead horde that swept across the continent of Ferelden--simply posed little challenge. Even my basic "auto-attacks" dealt upwards of 100 damage per swing, felling enemies with a single slash.  Often, combat simply meant switching between targets as I faced one, then another, then another...occasionally whipping out a multi-target slash when surrounded, or a high damage ability when facing a major foe.

Even "red" enemies, with increased hit points and special abilities, were little more than meat sacks ready for me to hack through.  While the game itself was artfully developed, the enemies grew...well, boring.  Some true weirdness in a dwarven tomb was a welcome change, fighting against the hideous "Broodmother", but monsters like that proved to be the exception, rather than the rule.  Similarly, the trip through a corrupted mage tower was suitably icky, but that section was marred by a lengthy (and mandatory) puzzle section, which frustrated me much more than it entertained.

Morrigan and Leliana:
Two of my lovely companions in DA: O

The strength of a BioWare game, however, comes from its character writing.  And, truly, the developers did not disappoint on this front.  In amongst my numerous NPC options, I gravitated towards the sarcastic (though somewhat naive) warrior Alistair, the cynical mage Morrigan, and a "recovering" bard/assassin named Leliana, with whom I began a fledgling romance.  I found myself constantly talking with my NPCs, hoping for new dialogue options or a new sub-plot.  Since playing on the "Ultimate" edition, my game came pre-loaded with an additional option to play with--the golem Shale, whose barbed commentary was utterly hilarious.  While I would have liked to see a few more NPC-specific side-quests, the sheer depth that DA: O has in terms of followers make it worth listening to every cut-scene and dialogue.

Honestly, would you trust someone
who looked like this? 

Unfortunately the plot itself didn't quite hold up to the high standard set by character development.  A bog-standard fantasy plot, you find yourself betrayed at the outset of the game by a moustache-twirlingly evil advisor to the king, as he bids for control of the throne.  Surviving a vicious darkspawn attack, you find yourself assembling a cadre of allies--mages, elves, dwarves, and humans--to help dethrone the usurper and stave off the darkspawn invasion.  Naturally, each of these factions has their own problems, which it's up to you to solve, if you want their aid in the coming coup and war.  While this plot is structurally sound and full of great NPCs--including the elven warden Zathrian, who made me want to cleave my PS3 with a broadsword out of sheer rage--it's nothing particularly new or innovative. 

The brooding Jon Irenicus,
voiced beautifully by David Warner.

I think it's the lack of a solid villain that keeps DA: O from really achieving greatness.  In Baldur's Gate II, we were treated to the simultaneously sympathetic and aggravating Jon Irenicus, whose dialogue absolutely stole the show in every cut scene he was present in.  Irenicus was voiced by the spectacular David Warner, who may be best known for voicing Ra's Al-Ghul in Batman: The Animated Series, lending Irenicus a cultured menace perfect for villainy.  Dragon Age: Origins simply doesn't have a villain of that calibre.  While Teyrn Logain--the aforementioned usurper--is meant to fulfill the villainous role, he simply doesn't have enough screen time to develop properly.  It's hinted that Loghain feared a foreign invasion and lost faith in the current king, leading him to try for the throne, but Loghain simply lacks the development to feel fleshed-out.

Despite my nitpicks, I really enjoyed my time through Dragon Age: Origins.  Immediately after completing the main campaign, I found myself playing through "Witch Hunt"--a downloadable "epilogue" based around the fate of Morrigan, my sardonic mage companion.  I'm already planning to make it through the expansion pack "Awakening" over an upcoming holiday weekend, as well as picking up Dragon Age II.  While reviews of DAII are mixed, its smaller-scale plot and more dynamic gameplay may be more up my alley.  We shall see, I suppose!

In Which The Warlock Ushers in a New Year...

Ahoy, fellow gamers!  Sorry on the delay, but I was doing my best to enjoy my holiday and recover to the best of my ability.  Both the PlatinumChick and I have been fighting through upper respiratory infections since around the 20th, which we're only now starting to get over.  However, we did manage to have a geek-tastic holiday, which is what matters!

Always the enthusiastic Savage Worlds player, the PlatinumChick got me a copy of the SW "Action and Adventure" decks for Christmas.  I'd been eyeing these up for a while, ever since The JourneymanGM started using the cards in his "Heart of Darkness" trilogy.  They'll definitely make for a great addition as my players finish out "The Flood".

I also managed to finally fight my way through the remainder of BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins, in anticipation to start the sequel.  While I'd love to spill the beans on my opinions here, I'm going to hold off until this weekend, to better accumulate my thoughts.

However, I do have something special for you!  Following last year's culinary experimentation, I felt that I needed to one-up myself at this year's New Year's Eve party.  As such, I decided to go whole hog...or rather, whole bird, so to speak:  a bacon-wrapped Turducken roll!  I'd originally intended to wrap a full turducken, but with only 15 or so party-goers this year (compared to the nearly 30 last year), it was simply more prudent to use the roll.

So, take a look, and make sure not to drool on your keyboard! 

The fully wrapped roll, pre-cooking...

That same roll, fresh out of the roaster!

A victorious PlatinumWarlock!

The many delicious layers...laid bare for all to see...

In Which The Warlock Mulls Choice and Consequence...

With the holiday season in full swing and preparations already being made for the impending ChrismaHannuKwanzaRamadanaFest, retailers have been eager to get the newest releases of video games on the shelves, ready for all of us eager consumers to gobble up in amongst our holiday feasting. 

Probably the most notable release this season has been The Elder Scrolls V:  Skyrim, a pseudo-Nordic role-playing game that's gotten rave reviews and has already won "Game of the Year" from Spike TV's Video Game Awards.  Its fans--including a certain TripleCritting DigitalKat--are rabid and voracious, and the game has already spawned its own series of memes, particularly regarding a number of guards having taken arrows to the knee.  Further, Skyrim is produced by Bethesda, who has put out quality work in the past and is revered amongst computer and video game developers.

And yet...I find I just can't get interested in this game.  And, finally, I figured out why.

In my (massively limited) spare time, I've been fighting my way through BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins.  My parents bought me the Ultimate Edition--which contains all of the major downloadable content--last year, and I'm still only about halfway through the game.  While the plot is fairly simplistic, revolving around the acquisition of allies against a usurper-king, Dragon Age's storytelling is strong, and the choices that you make have a lasting effect on the game itself. 

Is it worth killing him, to get rid of the demon in his body?

For example, I just completed a quest in which a duke's son became possessed by a demon.  Unable to exorcise the demon myself, I was forced to choose whether to:  a) kill the child, and the demon along with it, b) exorcise the demon, using the blood of the child's mother as a focus (thereby killing the mother, but saving the son), or c) risk traveling to a nearby mage tower to recruit help.  I opted for the third option, cashing in a favor from the mages, but at the expense of their help in a later battle.   

Every choice I made during that series of interactions had drastic repercussions on the remainder of the plot.  Had I chosen to kill the child (or the mother, for that matter), the people of the town would have likely refused to aid me, which was the point of traveling there in the first place!  But, my dwarf wanted to do the "right" thing, trying to save both, even if it meant losing the chance for help later.

While Dragon Age nominally gives you freedom in choosing the order of quests or locations, the game is fundamentally linear.  You travel to one place, solve problems there, then move on to another place.  Occasionally, you'll revisit locations to complete sidequests or the like, but by and large, the story elements are neatly contained, and provide finite, completable goals with lasting consequences.

While my experience with Skyrim has been limited, such hasn't been the case.  The world around you may be graphically gorgeous, massive in scope, and as open as a 'sandbox' gets, there's simply no feeling of impact.  The choices and actions within the game are like so much screaming into the wind--there's no sense of repercussions.  You can massacre an entire town, rob every NPC blind, or fill your house with the heads of your fallen enemies...and no one seems to care.  At all.  There are simply no repercussions for your character's actions, which leads to...well, me not caring.  If my actions aren't going to have a real impact, then what's the point?

I'm finding the same issue between the original Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Arkham City.  While Arkham Asylum allowed you to revisit areas, the plot proved to be a masterpiece due to its linearity.  You always knew exactly what you needed to do next, because one objective led directly to the next.  While this might seem simplistic, the unity of theme and effect made for a game experience that was without peer.  However, in Arkham City, the plot becomes much less linear, as the designers sacrificed unity of effect for the sprawling, open-world feel of a full city.  While this makes for a much more freeform game, the game's tight focus is dropped for the sprawling feel, leading to a less unified experience.

This has been my issue, similarly, with so-called "sandbox" roleplaying experiences.  Lacking a centralized plot or storyline, I often find that the PCs have little to do aside from what are typically seen as "side missions".  The "submissives"--to use the terminology from my prior entry--find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being dominant, while the GM's role is reduced to rules-arbiter and world-builder, rather than author-director.

I'm not saying that Skyrim, Arkham City or that sandbox games are bad--they simply show a trend that I, personally, don't really care for:  the fact that many gamers are willing to sacrifice quality storytelling for a perceived freedom.