Dragon's WHAT, now?

As you may or may not know (or CARE, to be sure), I am a ginormous fan of western RPGs. Oh yeah, the soap-opera-ness, the world-roamin', the build-your-own-protagonistin'...games like Dragon Age and Oblivion please me the mostest. I thought I'd have naught of this ilk to play until the Skyrim expansion Dawnguard hits later this month, but then lo! I started reading reviews of a game called Dragon's Dogma and it soon became apparent that YES. This game and I were meant to be.

You're going about your business in your wee fishing village one fine day when the bright blue sky darkens as the wings of a mighty dragon blot out the sun! As it turns out, this dragon is a total jerk- when you make a meager attempt at defending yourself, he plucks out your heart, swallows it whole, and takes off for parts unknown.

Despite no longer having a heart beating in your chest, you soon awaken for you are...The Arisen! And it's time to leave your wee fishing village to find that dragon and reclaim what's yours.

You know how it goes: assemble a crew, embark on quests as you build up enough power to face the big boss, talk to denizens of cities near and far...sounds like a pretty generic fantasy RPG, right? Well, it is and it isn't. Certainly there are familiar elements at play and sure, Gransys is definitely a Tolkien-lite kinda world. In their first attempt at a western RPG, however, Japanese developer Capcom changes up the formula in some truly refreshing ways.

The biggest of these ways is evident in the merrie bande of fighters you lead- rather than recruiting a gang of companions from all around the game map (à la Dragon Age) or asking/hiring a follower to accompany you for a while (à la Skyrim), the Arisen is, by rights, given control over the Pawn Guild. Pawns are soulless fighters who hail from the Rift, and they'll fight at your side throughout the game.

Early on, you create a Primary Pawn- modifying appearance, behavior, gender, class, etc- who tags along for the entire adventure. You can choose two more pre-crafted Secondary Pawns as well. Your Primary levels up with you, and you can outfit him or her as you acquire new gear; Secondary Pawns stay as-is, so you'll need to visit the Rift to swap 'em out as you outgrow them or you want to change the class makeup of your party.

Cool, right? Even cooler: if you're playing online, your Primary can be chosen as a Secondary to other online Dragon's Dogma players, and likewise you can choose your Secondaries from Pawns other players have created. He or she will return with gifts given by other players as well as quest knowledge.

Capcom has also changed up the rules about class and leveling up: sure, your character levels through experience gained, but you don't need to worry about stats...which I found to be a pleasant change from the norm, actually. Strength and the such can be modified through the use of gear, but when you hit a new level you simply...gain more health, power, stamina, etc. Though you choose a "vocation" at the outset- fighter, mage, or strider (rogue), of course- you can switch at any time if you're feeling bored. As each vocation progresses, you can choose more advanced forms or hybrids. I started as a strider and eventually became an assassin, a fighter/strider mix. Next time I'll go for a strider/mage mix, because wielding a magic bow sounds mighty appealing.

The one downside to the Pawns? They never, ever shut up. Ever. EVARRRR. As you travel, they talk incessantly- whether it's offering quest advice or simply blurting out things like "What a large tree!", there are three people behind you yapping all the time. It would be annoying if it weren't so hilarious...or maybe vice versa.

You'll be hearing them a lot because the world of Gransys is largely tread on foot- fast travel is a privilege, not a right, and it's earned far into the game. Even then, it's only achieved via special crystals that are incredibly rare- you plant them wherever you like and reach them via other special crystals. This really allows you to experience the world, but it can also be a bit tedious- sometimes you simply don't want to walk from one end of the map to the other, you know? But, leaving areas for good (or never exploring much) means you'll miss out on plenty of quests.

I missed out on some quests simply because of my biggest peeve with Dragon's Dogma: the save system. You can save anytime you like, but the game also auto-saves...and you only have one save file. There's no going back! I discovered this when walking through an innocuous door triggered the final quest and an auto-save- sure, I promptly turned myself around, but several other quests were immediately canceled because they could no longer be completed after that point. It makes my gamer OCD/completionist brain hurt.

Fighting is a blast in Dragon's Dogma. Yeah, there are RPG staples like spiders, rats, and goblins, sure...but Gransys is also populated by enormous creatures straight out of mythology: cyclopes, harpies, chimeras, griffins, and more all roam the land freely. For most of them, there's a Shadow of the Colossus-style angle that can be exploited- grab on to a writhing head of a hydra or climb up the back of a golem and hack away. It's fun, it's difficult (oh, I died so many times in this game, and some battles last upwards of 10-15 minutes), and it never gets old.

You'll find, too, that the world changes vastly from day to night, and Gransys under darkness is no joke. The monsters are tougher, and the only light comes courtesy of the small lantern tied at your waist. Is that shape ahead a rock, or a cyclops waiting in ambush? To what manner of beast do those glowing red eyes in the distance belong? And let me tell you, I thought I'd tired of zombies, but Dragon's Dogma features the absolute creepiest undead I've seen since...well, since Capcom's seminal Resident Evil series.

Though I truly loved the game- it's a really good time- it's not without some...quirks that detract from the play. I mean, no one seems to notice (or care) that the mighty Arisen is a total mute. This is not a voiceless protagonist where you get to choose a line of dialogue from time to time that might give your character some sense of...well, character. All you get to do is pick a yes or a no, an accept or a do not accept from time to time. The cutscenes are well-rendered and the Arisen has some emotive facial expressions, but no more than that. It's just kind of...weird. Particularly when people fall in love with you.

That's right, it's a western RPG so there must be some form of romance, right? It's there in Dragon's Dogma, but it's convoluted and broken beyond all reason. Doing quests make people fall in love with you...so while you give a shopkeeper a fancy idol in exchange for better gear, look out! He or she (gender don't matter none in DD) may prove to be your love interest. Yup, it's out of your control for the most part, and who you'll end up with is largely a mystery until it happens. After completing her quest, one broad decided she was in love with me and moved into my house- into my house!- without my permission. I had my eye on someone else, however, so I was left with no choice but to throw this poor lovestruck girl off of a cliff. I'd say don't judge me, but perhaps the game itself judged me: my "beloved", after all, changed from one ending to the next. Yes, Dragon's Dogma has more endings than Return of the King, though I'm not complaining about that. It was odd, though, to walk off into the sunset not with the person I'd already walked off into a sunset with, but with...a total surprise.

Despite its flaws, Dragon's Dogma fell right into place alongside other western RPGs I love. I hope there's meaty DLC in the works, or a sequel...and I certainly hope Capcom doesn't give up on this strange new world.

And ooh, I hope that "What a large tree!" becomes the new "arrow in the knee".

And here's a trailer that shows a bit o' gameplay:

Where do I begin?

The other night I fired up Mass Effect to begin my super canon totally complete epic do everything ME 1 - ME 2 run in anticipation of the March 6th release of Mass Effect 3. My FemShep needs to be ready to roll for galaxy savin', you know? (OH MUH GAH I CAN'T WAIT). In fact, this run is the only thing that got me to take Skyrim out of my Xbox 360...which I think is going to be Mass Effected for a long time to come.

But when grabbing the game off the shelf I noticed that for the first time in my life, I have a stockpile of games I haven't yet played. A stockpile. This is really not like me at all- I tend to be a very...mmm, orderly gamer, I guess. I buy a game, I play it to completion, I move on to the next. Though I own several platforms, I don't ever play more than one game at a time- my brain can't handle it! Okay, maybe I could handle playing Super Mario World alongside something else, but that's because SMW doesn't require questing and thinking. The idea of trying to go at Mass Effect and Skyrim at the same time gives me hives. Some people can do it, but I cannot.

So, as Dragon Age II and then Skyrim ate up my time, unplayed games have piled up. Games I was given (how nice!) or games that I've been wanting to play forever (hello, Batman) or games that were so cheap I couldn't resist (hi there, Enslaved brand new for $8) have been waiting for me to recover from my BioWare/Bethesda sickness.

Will that day ever come? I don't know, but here's what's waiting for me, should I pull through:












I don't even know where to start in all that. I just hope to play them all before I croak!

What about you? Do you play more than one game at a time? Anything sitting around neglected, waiting for you to play it?

Back to the Free Marches

Hey Dragon Age II fans, there is more Dragon Age II out there for you to make out with! That's right, the game's latest DLC, "Legacy", is here. What's it all about? What do I get out of it? Is it worth the hefty 800 point pricetag? Are these jeans "cool", as the kids say? I'm sure all of these questions and more are burning up your brain, so let me give you some answers. I'm even going to save the spoilers for the comments section!

First, let's get this answer out of the way: no, your jeans are not cool. Only Bugle Boy jeans are cool. Now...on to "Legacy"!

It doesn't matter where in the campaign your character is situated in order to trigger the content- Hawke can be scrambling for coin in Act I or standing listlessly in his/her estate after the game's end. Conveniently, "Legacy" begins when you interact with a statue that appears in Hawke's current home- it leads to a cutscene between Varric and Cassandra Pentaghast, wherein she inquires about an adventure he's neglected to mention...and so the adventure begins.

I will say this: while you are able to play "Legacy" at any point, after one playthrough you'll see that certain minor occurrences in the DLC are effected by Hawke's...err, family situation. Meaning, if you play with a post-campaign character, it will be evident that there will be certain benefits to playing again with a Hawke mired in Act I or early Act II. Likewise, there will be little bonuses to bringing along certain party members- story bonuses, really, if you care about that sort of thing. Which...why wouldn't you? I mean, what kind of person are you?


The gist is this: the Carta, that wacky gang of dwarven criminals, has been attacking your home and family. Varric traces them to a camp in the Vimmark Mountains, and this is where the action begins. As Hawke tries to discover the motive behind the attack, she's drawn into her family history, Grey Warden history, darkspawn history...hell, even the history of Thedas, the Chantry, and beyond. Much of the story concerns Malcolm, Hawke's father, and I loved the fleshing out of the family. I like my Hawke a lot, and I'd like to see her story continue; whether it will in Dragon Age III is a bit impossible to predict, but at least BioWare seems intent on providing some damn beefy DLC to satisfy.

And pretty beefy "Legacy" is- it's a few hours' worth of content, no doubt. Why, I even heard tale of one player who took 8 hours to complete it on the HARD setting (by "heard tale", I mean "read online"). There are bosses to battle, sidequests to complete, decisions to make (speculation in the comments!), puzzles to solve, and lots of loot to grab. Many of the gameplay gripes folks had after playing DA II have been resolved here: repeating dungeons? None to be found. All of the areas are brand-spanking new- from the desolate surface in the mountains to the murky, partially-submerged Deep Roads, none of this has been seen before, and none of it repeats.


Enemies are much tougher here than in the game proper, and the predictable "wave" attacks have been abolished. Combat requires more strategy, and I definitely got my ass kicked plenty. Genlocks (both regular and alpha) finally make an appearance, as do alpha hurlocks- both have been redesigned to fit the DA II aesthetic, and both bring the pain. Having a healer in your party is absolutely essential, and while you do pick up some potions along the way, it's a good idea to stock up on whatever you need before beginning "Legacy" as there are no shops throughout and you only get one chance to return to Kirkwall during the quest.

One of the best things about "Legacy" is also one of the smallest: that it's fully-voiced, every character. It's kind of a drag to play DLC and in the cutscenes, party members simply stare blankly because no new dialogue has been recorded. In "Legacy", however, there's all-new dialogue and party banter. New party banter! It's a highlight of the Dragon Age series, and "Legacy" doesn't disappoint at all.

In fact, overall it doesn't disappoint at all. While it's not essential content for a Dragon Age II experience, fans will certainly find plenty to love in both story and gameplay...and I can't help but think that the stage is being subtly set for Dragon Age III. Or maybe I should just say that they've got me speculating about it. I should also say that I'm pretty bad at speculating, so maybe none of this will have to do with Dragon Age III. I should also say that I unapologetically love Dragon Age, but then you probably already knew that.

what a shock, more art

All the E3 talk about Mass Effect 3 got me playing Mass Effect 2. All the playing of Mass Effect 2 got me drawing some character cards. SURPRISE.





Okay, so I'm only just now getting the appeal of Thane. In other news, Aria T'Loak is rad and should totally be a squadmate in ME3. Also, go for the optics, Chiktikka.

I also made this comic because...well, I love how Shepard does nothing but loot dead bodies and steal from people who are, like, standing there watching, but then on Omega she gets all uppity and all "EFF YOU, LOOTERS". That Shepard, such a charming hypocrite!

Click to embiggen.



Oh, and then all this Mass Effect art got me wanting to do some Dragon Age art, so, you know. Flemeth. Leliana...err, Sister Nightingale, kicking ass for the Maker!

Merrill's Dream

Did this quick Dragon Age 2 pencil sketch this morning, based on one of the dialogue choices you can make during the end-game conversation with Merrill.

(click to embiggen)

Someday I'll stop making Dragon Age and Mass Effect fan art. On the other hand, I doubt that very much!

Oh, Merrill.

It's a testament to the writing behind Merrill of Dragon Age 2 that I can really disapprove (and even hate) some (most) of the things she does, yet I never dislike her. I will say, though, that on one playthrough I denied her the super special elf knife and man did she get vicious!

Also, I love Dragon Age. (That's for anyone visiting here for the first time.)

a drawing fool

Dudes, dudettes, and "prefer not to answer"s, I have been a drawing fool lately, cranking out all manner of stick figure cards of characters from Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Final Fantasy XIII. I've been posting them here and at my deviantART page (which I totally resurrected from the dead, just like Jason in Friday the 13th Part VI), so click if you want to, like, see them and whatever. Here's the latest, a trio of cards of the women from FFXIII. Right on!

I like big boats, I cannot lie.

Couldn't resist doing an Isabela (Dragon Age II) sketch card. She's such a party staple for me that I don't even bother playing duel-wielding rogue myself, though that's usually my class of choice. By the end of the game Isabela is flitting around the field from enemy to enemy, dealing out 100% (or more) critical damage and one-shot killing almost everybody. She kicks all of the ass! Sure, she's a thieving liar- umm, she's a pirate- but she's got a heart of gold lurking in there and she redeems herself nicely. Err, that depends on how you play, I suppose...but no matter what, she's sweet to Merrill and Bethany and she never fails to make me laugh.

Basically, my friends, if you don't think Isabela is as super awesome as I do, then I don't know what we have left to say to each other.

For more of my sketch cards, make with the click-click!

You love it, big girl.

Did a quick Aveline (Dragon Age II) sketch card to warm up today. She's one of my favorite characters in a game full of new favorite characters- a friend and protector to my Hawke, a major force on the battlefield, and man, her Act II personal quest is rad (extra rad if you've got Isabela in your party). We need more video game ladies like Aveline. She's a woman-shaped battering ram!

For more of my sketch cards- video game and otherwise- click here!

Have Dragon Age II? Get Mass Effect 2 for PC for FA-REE

What a righteous deal for people who own Dragon Age II: a free download of Mass Effect 2 for PC. Head here to read all of the many details! OUTER SPACE.

A teaser is just a tease...

...but damn if this trailer for a Dragon Age fan film doesn't look as good (maybe...umm...better, even) as the one for the officially sanctioned Felicia Day-flavored mini-series. Writing aside, mind you, as who knows what either will bring; but effects and costumes-wise...(Darth Vader voice) most impressive.

OMG Shale.

I know this will appeal only to those of you who have played Dragon Age (and even then, perhaps only some of you), but I saw this in the BioWare forums (yes I visit them) (shut up) and I had to post this: a shot of Shale, in Cassandra's book at the end of DAII.

Ahhh, the chicken. I hadn't spotted this in my playthrough. SO GOOD!

oooOOOOooooo

Pixelogic has a big, chunky interview with some of the art team behind Dragon Age II and if you care about that sort of thing, it's a rather interesting peek at not only what goes into the art of video games, but also the changes made between Origins and DA2. Beware, there are definitely spoilers throughout the interview! If you care about that sort of thing, then simply ignore the words for now and drool over the pictures.



Oh, and DA2 spoilers are totes allowed in the comment thread for this post, so get in there and talk! If you've finished! I'm lonely in there. :(

Now that I'm done...

...with Dragon Age II, let me just say: wow. When I left off in my review of Act I, I was unsure how I really felt about it. I was still getting used to the vastly different gameplay, but more importantly, the story hadn't quite gelled yet. Well, it didn't take long in Act II before it clicked- or I clicked, or whatever- and it really started to heat up. The story grew and grew and wrapped around itself, hurtling towards a denouement that was nothing less than...sorry, I have to use the word- epic.


Dragon Age II doesn't have the scope of Origins in terms of geography; where previously you could travel around an entire country (Ferelden), now you're limited to the sprawling city of Kirkwall and a couple of outlying environs. What it lacks in scenery, however, it more than makes for in terms of scope of story. I found this tale of politics and religion to be ultimately more intriguing, mature, dark, and deep than the "stop the Blight" tale of my Grey Warden in Origins. I can't help but feel that huge complaints in that department must come from players who haven't finished yet, or are prefer action to story and blah blah blah.

While early on DA 2 feels like little more than a bunch of random sidequests, they nearly all weave together by the time the tale ends. What you do in Act I- sometimes even the most trivial of decisions- will have repercussions later on, for better or for worse.

As I knew I would, I dug nearly all of my companions- some of them, however, I didn't bother to get to know this time around. By the time it was over, I ended up killing a couple of them and romancing a couple of others. They're constantly surprising, whether it's their reaction to something you say or do, or their in-game actions. The friendships, when you acquire them, are ultimately more satisfying than those in Origins- here, you can't necessarily kiss ass and give presents to get someone to like you. You can't please everyone all the time, and for various reasons and in various ways, you can lose most of them. Permanently.


Likewise, my Hawke became fleshed out as the story went on, as she evolved into the Champion of Kirkwall. The Hawke family drama never ends, and on several occasions...well, let's just say I had to bust out a "There's just something in my eye." as my vision got all water-blurry.

All of this is to say: I loved it.


This doesn't mean it's a game without faults, because it certainly isn't. Personally, I never experienced graphic and texture glitches, but I've seen plenty of complaints about them. PC players are largely unhappy that the interface has been console-ized. The re-used environments smack of "rush job" and are disheartening. It's one thing to be stuck in Kirkwall and its environs, but it's another when every house in Kirkwall has the same interior and the bandit cave looks just like the cave inhabited by Shades. It's just...you know, something you have to deal with, and the story, to me, more than makes up for these sorts of quibbles.

As I've noted, the combat is certainly more button-mashing than tactical. That's going to matter to you, or it's not, depending on your own preferences as a player. A profound statement, I know! Warrior and rogue are a hell of a lot of fun, and while I miss the sweet animated finishing moves of Origins, there are ample "Did you just see that?" moments and some incredibly difficult battles. One huge fight in particular...good gravy. When BioWare themselves say "Heaven forfend you try this on Nightmare difficulty", you know it's a toughie.

And as I've also noted, the inventory system is a bit caca, but you get used to it. It does have improvements over its predecessor, though, like the fact that there aren't potion sizes anymore. You get a "lyrium potion" and that's that. Ordering runes and potions from your home is a nice, convenient touch as well.


Right before the credits roll, there's one small, seemingly throwaway line that hints at what's been going on in Thedas in the decade since Origins began...and that something is coming. For all the "Hey, where's my Grey Warden?" shock when the protagonist of Dragon Age II was announced...well, we should have known that this is all some big master plan on the part of developers and that the stories of The Hero of Ferelden and The Champion of Kirkwall are far more intertwined than we could have imagined. All I know for sure is that my drooling for Dragon Age III has already begun.

BEWARE: SPOILER DISCUSSION IN THE COMMENTS. Like, full-blown, game over, say whatever you want, everything is revealed spoilers. You've been warned!!

a few thoughts on DRAGON AGE II

This morning, I faced a terrible dilemma: should I write something about Dragon Age II, or should I wait until I've finished the game? As I've only just completed Act I after a week of playing into the wee hours of the morning, when the house has gone all still and quiet, a full review wouldn't come for a long time yet. But! I feel like I should say something about it, hmm? I've got enough play under my belt to have a decent opinion on it, so why not give some thoughts on it, especially after the way I've gone on and on and on about my ? That's what The Internet and BLOGS are for. I mean, I read one review written after 3-4 hours of gameplay, which...well, that's not really enough time to grasp it, I think, but if you hate a game, you hate a game. And it seems that the knee-jerk reaction from fans, so far, is on the negative side of the scale.

That's because an awful lot has changed since Dragon Age: Origins...big big changes, some for the better, some for the not better. I suppose this is what Morrigan was talking about at the end of Witch Hunt, when she was going on about all the changes that were coming and how people don't like change but they must accept it and adapt. Very slick, BioWare! Very slick.

Let's hold hands and walk through some of this. I will keep this spoiler-free, but I'm going to assume that you played through the demo...so, I guess there are actually spoilers for that, but nothing that's not covered in the first 30-45 minutes in the game. Oh, and for what it's worth, on my first playthrough I'm a sessy rogue Lady Hawke.

GRAPHICS
The visual style in Dragon Age II is vastly different than in its predecessor. I'm not a huge graphics hound, so while I'll admit the environments- particularly "wildlands", for lack of a better word- are a bit dull, I'm perfectly happy with it. A note- dungeon layouts are reused...and reused some more. Areas will be blocked off during one quest, then opened up for another. It's not quite as glaring an issue as it was during Mass Effect, but some players are shouting about it from the top of Mount Internet. I don't find it that distracting, personally.

The biggest changes has to do with character race. Elves, dwarves, and Qunari have all undergone massive design overhaul. Massive. MASSIVE. It's good, if initially a bit shocking to anyone who's played the first game. Characters you met in Origins who pop up in DA II will look vastly different than you remember them. I like that now elves don't just look like slightly shorter humans with slightly pointier ears, and Qunari don't look like slightly taller humans with brows that are slightly more furrowed. They're definitely other races, which ties into the story as a whole. In particular, the new Qunari design is awesome. They're kind of terrifying. Check out Sten, a companion from the first game, and the Arishok from the second. Which is more formidable?



COMBAT
As I noted in my review of the demo, there's a fair amount of button mashing during combat. This may be because I'm a fan of melee; a mage might be tapping the A button significantly less. The action is so fast and furious, I think going back to the battles in Origins would feel like fighting through molasses. The tactics menu feels deeper, which is good; since there's no auto-attack option (at least on consoles; I've read there is auto-attack on PCs), it's tough to dole out commands to party members in the thick of things. I love that, actually. I'm not big into planning and plotting and controlling everyone on the battlefield at all times. I set up one mage to heal me when I need it, and then I go in hacking and get shit done.

INVENTORY
Items and inventory comprise one area where Dragon Age II drops the ball, methinks. Most RPG fans dig loot. They dig stats and earning money and items with lore behind 'em and inventory micromanagement. DA II has essentially gotten rid of all of that, and it just plain stinks. While you can change your companions' weapons, you can't change their armors or outfits- there are a few upgrades available for them throughout the game, but their appearances can't be altered. There are woefully few outfits and weapons for Hawke, as well, although judging by the items I have picked up, it's rogues who get the short end of the stick in that regard. Junk inventory- the crap you pick up solely for the purposes of selling- is limited to eight or so varieties ("torn trousers", "opal fragment", etc) and it goes straight to the "junk" tab. It's all very streamlined, but as I said- that micromanagement is something most RPG nuts dig and while it may seem a small thing, it does add to immersion. IT DOES. I don't care if that makes me a nerd. I will cop to the fact that I find the armor to be much more badass-looking than in DA: O.


THE STORY
Story is where BioWare shines, but I'll admit- it's only at the end of Act I that Dragon Age II really starts to come together for me and even now, it feels...well, I can't quite get a grasp on it. The formula they've used for most every one of their games in the past- big, overarching plot; 4-6 large hub worlds; sidequests- has been eschewed in favor of...I'm not sure what. Once you arrive in Kirkwall, you remain in Kirkwall save a few expeditions to the coast and whatnot. Fast-traveling from place to place, it seems like a game made up exclusively of sidequests. Your journal keeps missions categorized (main plot, secondary, companion, etc), but it doesn't feel cohesive. A bigger picture is hinted at through the framing narrative with Varric and Cassandra as he tells Hawke's story, but I don't feel mired in it as Hawke herself. So far, while well written, it's just not completely gripping. It's getting better, and it seems that even small events will be intertwined as things play out- and I'm certainly not saying I don't dig it, or that I'm not invested. It's just a bit more scattered and superficial than I've come to expect from BioWare.


COMPANIONS & CHARACTERS
Hmm. My sessy Lady Hawke has picked up a lot of people on the road, but we don't feel exactly like a band of Merrye Travelers like my Warden's gang in Origins. The conversation wheel doesn't bother me in the least, but companion interactions are far shorter than they were in the first game. Maybe some players don't want to talk to NPCs for ten minutes at a stretch, listening to their stories and conversing; I do! It's one of the things I like best about BioWare games. In DA II, there's no central camp where everyone hangs out. Everyone is scattered across the city; if you want to talk to Isabela, you have to go to the pub. If you want to talk to Merrill, you go to her house. So far, most interactions- whether with companions or with random NPCs- feel limited to "Hawke asks three questions, the end". They're not conversations like you find in Mass Effect 2 or Origins (even with your silent protagonist), and as a result my sessy Lady Hawke feels a bit flat. I can't gauge her personality yet, even this far in.

All that said, most of the companions are decent enough, though they pale when compared to the charmers of Origins.

The person I'm most happy with so far is Flemeth. Holy fucking shit. I don't know if I've seen the last of her in this game or not- I hope not- but I love what they've done with her. Her appearance sheds light on plenty that happens in Origins, and you finally get a sense of how damn powerful she really is, if not completely what she really is. Again, I don't know if I've seen the last of her in Dragon Age II, but if so, I hope she becomes a major player and force in the franchise. And her aesthetic redesign is made of 100% pure awesome.


SO...
I dig this game. A lot, though I'm still trying to get my bearings, so to speak. It's very different than its predecessor and I'm not as completely enamoured with it as I was with Origins or either Mass Effect or KotOR, but I'm still loving the hell out of it, just in new ways. I guess I really took Morrigan's words and warnings in Witch Hunt to heart!

Be a legendary nerd!

Umm...okay. Look, we all know I have a weakness for all things BioWare / Dragon Age, yes? Yes. And we all know I have a Facebook page, yes? No? Well, now you know. Anyohdearlord, those two things have come together in the form of a bucket of water and a bear Dragon Age: Legends...yes, a Facebook game. But! It's not just some DA-flavored FarmVille clone. It's RPG-y! There's combat! Look: Kotaku said "it's worth playing"! DON'T JUDGE ME!

Look! A desire demon!

Right now the game is in Closed Beta. I have five keys to give away that will allow...umm...five people into said Closed Beta. You can team up with people to take down tougher enemies and...look, I don't know how it all works completely. I just started playing. Along the way, you get some junk you can use in Dragon Age II, and that's good enough for me.

So. If you want in- to join up with my rogue Rubella (yes, "Rubella") on some quest for whatever, then hit me up and I'll give you a key. First come, first served. Don't be shy. Everyone's doing it!

Or, at least, I am, and I'm only a little bit embarrassed about it.

OH MY YES

In related news, OH MY YES IT'S HERE.

DIVINITY II: EGO DRACONIS

My mobile phone, she is a simple thing. It makes calls and sends texts (or, more accurately, I make calls and send texts on it), but it does little else. There is a camera, but the quality of the photos is exceptionally sucky and further, I don't know how to get the photos off of there. I mean, I've got a picture of a door with a sign that says TOYLET PLEASE NOCK on there, and I can't really share it with the world. What's the point? Aside from the lovely built-in cameras, I don't envy people with their fancy iPhones and whatever else is out there. I don't need (or want) to check my email or what my cyberfriends are posting on Faceplace when I'm away from my computer. My brain is an old peoples' brain in that sort of regard; this incessant, constant attachment to The Internet (and each other) baffles me. But, you know. Whatevs.

However, my views don't mean that I fail to see how handy a mobile Internet can be. When a-browsin' and a-shoppin', I've often scolded my phone for not doing more. "If you were fancier," I say, "I could look up a review of this game/movie/thing I don't really need, and then I could make a more informed decision about whether or not to purchase it."

Understandably, my phone is usually put off by this. "You used to buy things- or not buy them- back in the days before The Internet. What did you do then, hmm? Besides, the reason I'm not fancier is because you don't really care about me. What's the point? Why should I be all nice and feature-laden and pricy when you ignore me? You let my battery die and don't charge me up for days. You forget where I am. You leave me in your car's glove compartment, cold and lonely amongst the maps and insurance information. Is this my fault? If I'm not everything you want me to be, then maybe you should look at yourself."

My instinct is to react harshly, to give my phone a rebuttal that ends with it in no less than four pieces on the sidewalk, but after a moment's pause, I realize that my phone is right. I also realize that it can do something besides take cruddy pictures of barely-literate gas station signery...my phone can connect to other phones, which allows me to talk to other people!

This is all my incredibly long-winded and pointless way of saying "I was at a Gamestop somewhat recently, and I came across a cheap game called Divinity II: Ego Draconis. I'd never heard of it, but it seemed like a Dragon Age-esque western RPG (be still my heart) and the Latin in the title intrigued me. However, "cheap" is still not "free", and I was unsure whether or not to pick it up. I would have asked for opinions from the Gamestop staff, but...well, come on. So, what to do? I stepped outside (don't want to be talky and rude in the store, you know) and called a friend, who looked up Divinity II on The Internet for me. The verdict seemed to be a decided 'not bad'. I was still intrigued, so I decided to pony up the cheap dollars and bring it home."

That was only marginally less long-winded than my original introduction, so I apologize.


In Divinity II, you begin on the path to becoming a Dragon Slayer, one who seeks out and kills Dragon Knights, people with the ability to transform into dragons. After a twist and turn or two, however, you are imbued with the power from Talana, a dying Dragon Knight. The hunter becomes the hunted! As kids from 20 years ago might say, "Oh snap."

There are standard fantasy RPG elements as you travel throughout Rivellon- fetch me this, kill some goblins that- but some tweaks to the formulae keep it fresh. For example, instead of the standard "choose your class" at the beginning (eg mage, rogue, or warrior), you can become any hybrid of the three that you wish. You can duel-wield weapons, pick locks, and cast spells. Mind you, if you spread out your skills too much when leveling up, there's a chance that you won't be strong in any of the classes- you can't learn everything about everything. I felt decently balanced, though, as a rogue who could cast healing and a few offensive spells.


Combat is pretty fun, if a bit stilted one way or another throughout the entire game. At low levels, I got my ass handed to me constantly, to the point where I couldn't advance the story because I was unable to defeat, you know, the 50 skeleton warriors hanging around outside the place I needed to go. At higher levels, though, I was all but unstoppable, laying waste to everyone around me.

This is definitely a western-flavored RPG, in that it's not turn based and conversation choices mean you can give your character- male or female- some personality. Only some, though, as the development isn't too deep. At one point, for example, a quest text entry says "Your parents would be proud."...but who the hell are my parents? Who the hell am I? The game begins as you're about to undertake the Dragon Slayer initiation, but any personal history you have prior to that is up to your brain.


There are some "moral choices" to be found, but they don't influence much beyond the immediate outcome. You can help Person A or Person B, but it won't have much of an impact on the game as a whole. Through dialogue, you can render yourself goody-goody, smartass, etc. There's no romance, but there's flirting...and there's a surprising amount of humor.

And yeeessssss, eventually you can transform into a fucking dragon! Fly around blasting shit with fire! Undeniably, it's sweet. You change form in a flash, making the transformation quick and smooth. It's a highlight that gives Divinity II an edge over games where...you know, you can't turn into a dragon at will.


Overall, I really dug this game a lot. The graphics were nice- particularly the environments- and the gameplay was fast and fun. I don't want to give anything away, but I've read people complaining online (WEIRD, RIGHT?) about the ending, which is...a twist to say the least. Personally, I loved the big FUCK YOU it gives players as it sets up for the inevitable Divinity III. It's a dark semi-resolution, as you might expect from the middle chunk of a trilogy...I mean, if you learned anything from The Empire Strikes Back, LotR: The Two Towers, or even Mass Effect 2. Apparently there's content out there (downloadable on PC and...maybe Europe?) that adds an epilogue more satisfying to gamers. This content will be included with Divinity II's Xbox 360 re-release in April, Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga.

See, if I had an Internet phone and I looked up Ego Draconis that fateful day at Gamestop, I might've found out about that re-release and held off on a purchase. But what would I have done instead? Would I have bought another game? Where would I be in my life? Why, this could be a review of a CSI game or something! How strange.

Should you hold off? Perhaps. I'm not sure what the bonus content will do to the ending, but again, Ego Draconis is a satisfying, complete game. Though lengthy, it's not as deep and complex as Dragon Age, but again again- you can turn into a GD dragon! If you like western RPGs, you could do much worse than giving it a go.