DarthParametric Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Some screenshots are up on the Game Informer site - http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/07/12/dragon-age-ii-first-screenshots.aspx There seems to be a hilarious number of posts on the Bioware site stressing that these are "pre-alpha" shots and that they will improve before launch. Ah the naivety of youth. For a game that's due on the shelves in 8 months, that's your lot right there. Which of course begs the question, where is this supposed graphical upgrade they announced? Maybe they were referring to how they made the Darkspawn designs look worse than DA1? I can only assume they are suffering from some sort of malady because they look bloody horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Ah, the wonders of adopting an art style that goes against the principles of your first game. The screenshots look like they were made by Obsidian. Edit: According to BioWare's Mary Kirby (which is a pretty cute name to have): I haven't played Alpha Protocol yet, so I can't compare the DA2 system with theirs. However, it looks like you've got the gist of the new system. You have a wheel like Mass Effect's, and when you move over a selection, you get an icon in the center of the wheel that indicates the intent of the player line: Flirty, violent, sarcastic, etc. So dialogue wheel yes, full dialogue no, icons yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimartin Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 The screenshots look like they were made by Obsidian. You're selling Obsidian short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revan 411 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) That, in my opinion, has got to be one of the worst designs I've ever seen. And I'm referring to the Orc by the way. I honestly think the graphics (judging from those screen-shots) are a big step backwards from the original Dragon Age. Which is surprising, considering the fact that the original Dragon Age had horribly outdated textures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astor Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Those screenshots really do look hideous. Based on those 'pre-alpha' shots, and what i've heard/read so far, I don't think i'll be rushing out to buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavlos Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 Those screenshots really do look hideous. I don't know. If they apply some bloom effects, further desaturate the colour-scheme, and wipe a layer of mud across the screen it'll probably be lauded by critics as being gritty (and or mature) and breath-takingly realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igyman Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Damn! The screens look like a horribly failed attempt at creating a photorealistic world and characters. They seriously need to rethink their design choices, if they are to have any hope of selling this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunkside Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Yea, two best selling game franchises at the same time for one developer sure sounds like the end is coming to me. I look at as the beginnings of the end for what we have defined as RPGs. RPGs are being dumb down in an attempt to appeal to a larger segment of the gaming market and unfortunately it seems to be working. Less reading, less worrying about skills, upgrades… blagh less thinking, but more sales. Can’t blame a developer for wanting to make money, but it still does not make me like it. I mean the way they push out s**t, mass effect the movie etc. and forget their most most loyal fans: the forum mingling no life hc-nerds who always complain about their work but still buy them. One day they will alienate us completely, and we wont buy the games they put out, and if the geeks wont buy their games no one else will either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I'm referring to the OrcDarkspawn. There are no orcs in the DA universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Darkspawn. There are no orcs in the DA universe. Bull****. Next you'll be telling me there was no Roman Empire, Jedi Order, Smaug, Catholic Church, Inquisitions, England or France in the Dragon Age universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Well you could argue that they are Tolkien-esque sort of Orcs, which were made from Elves by Melkor/Morgoth, as opposed to D&D or Warhammer style Orcs which they are definitely not. Originality is a pretty rare commodity these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrrtoken Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 This pretty much somes up my feelings about DA2. Concerning the graphics, I could really care less, but what I do expect is somewhat decent art direction and design, which, frankly, wasn't exactly the best card in DA's hand. Then again, it's supposed to be a Tolkeinesque fantasy romp, so maybe I'm just missing the point, or something. Anyway, since is apathy is death, I'll say that the graphics look like a NWN2 module, but only with more shaders applied to every mesh... and that's not exactly a criticism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 This pretty much somes up my feelings about DA2.Interesting that DA sold more than ME. I wouldn't have picked that at all. That makes the apparent direction of DA2 even more mystifying, as for all the dev's posts about "artistic vision" and all that crap, it seemed to be a pretty clear cut case of going for a more popular mainstream approach in an attempt to rake in more cash. You'd think they'd stick with a proven approach if DA did so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW01 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 As I posted over there (and immediately got savaged for not following the party line of 'pre-alpha'), if this is the art direction Bio is following for DA2, it's a huge issue in my opinion when it comes to purchase. I had no issue at all with the DA graphics, but this is a distinct step backwards in terms of quality, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Yeah the pre-alpha thing is hilarious. I have no idea where that notion came from. 8 months out from release they will likely be going into final crunch, if they haven't already done so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanatos9t Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style. Updated graphics.... where..? If it is indeed post alpha (which it should be) what are they running it on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztalker Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Oh....those graphics are....bad. Visual style is one thing, but this makes it look, quit honestly, like a PSP, Ipone app game? It's hidious! I HOPE this is a screen without any Anti Aliasing, bloom and and a low resolution. Otherwise, like Astor said, this is canceling my 'blind purchase.' Bioware normally gets from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrrtoken Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 *In 2011... just when everyone thought that BioWare, the acclaimed creators of Mass Effect 2, couldn't streamline any further... they do. This time, it's graphical.* BioWare has whittled Dragon Age 2 conversation choices down to three. "Good" responses will be earmarked with an olive branch, "nasty" answers by a Greek comedy mask and "badass" by a red fist, according to IGN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Not a fan of the dialogue change. In a game that is supposed to be deep and compelling, it seems there would be things to say that don't fit into one of those categories. Pretty much nothing they have revealed about DA2 has excited me, in fact it's done the opposite. Also, I know people don't think that much of DA:O's graphics, but I thought they were fine (though could have used less random blood spatter). So I'd much rather have those graphics than what we've seen so far. Though maybe people complaining about DA:O's graphics played it on console where it looked like ****. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 The devs say over on the official forums said that the limit of 3 options was just in the demo they are showing and that, like ME, the wheel can accommodate up to 6 choices in a single screen, with the option of paging through multiple screens if needs be. To me the wheel interface itself isn't the problem, it's the overall shift in direction they appear to be taking. Everything I see from the devs just reminds me of the Lucas "faster, more intense" mantra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Here's a preview from 1UP. As with the IGN article, they again make reference to orcs and goblins. Seems Bioware's new "more distinctive" art style is working out a treat for the Darkspawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 BioWare has whittled Dragon Age 2 conversation choices down to three. "Good" responses will be earmarked with an olive branch, "nasty" answers by a Greek comedy mask and "badass" by a red fist, according to IGN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztalker Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 ^I SO hope they will look at Alpha Protocol. The way they handled the story and conversations...just epic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunkside Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 I love the way they are copying the dialog system of a game that copied their other game´s dialogue system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztalker Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Dutch saying: "Better to steal something good, then make up something bad." Free translation though... The more I read about DA:2, the more I'm starting to like it. Although they will sadly depart from their RPG-roots (Dragon Age ISN'T hardcore RPG folks...play Baldurs Gate), the direction it's taking is...interesting to say the least! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.