Dragon Age 2

[ShadowRunner]

Anyone tried the demo yet? Am downloading now, will give my impressions soon.

 

[Arwin]

Yeah, I thought I'd get the PS3 demo as well, so I can do a little comparison with the PC version. They must be fairly similar as the download size seems to be almost identical.

 

[dragonelite]

I actually quit like it.
I took me about 30~40 min to finish it.
Dont get all the hate it is getting on forums.

 

[Neb]

Yeah, I thought I'd get the PS3 demo as well, so I can do a little comparison with the PC version. They must be fairly similar as the download size seems to be almost identical.

Nah storywise they are same and gameplay wise to to a certain point (though many feedback options for PC are not working for demo). Difficulty should be easier on consoles from what I've heared and visuals are quite a bit weaker techwise. Heck you cant even have all graphic settings on highest nor side graphical side options enabled due to being disabled in demo and 'high' textures are excluded. Probably biggest difference will be parallax/displacement mapping on most of the terrain, dynamic lightsources casting shadows (spells etc), SSAO, shadow quality. I posted some shots of demo in screenshot thread yesterday.

 

[Sigfried1977]

I thought it was absolutely dreadful. Not that I had much hope for the game after all the previews I've seen, but that faint remaining glimmer has officially and thoroughly been crushed now.

 

[ShadowRunner]

Not sure what to make of it really. Graphically its not too good, environments are really flat and bland. Armour is about the only thing that looks nice. It runs at 60fps in spots, if it stayed there id forgive its other graphical problems and be quite happy but it fluctuates wildly.

Combat is more immediate and was quite fun playing as the mage, havent tried any other characters. Its a step up from the orignals on console atleast, but only if they fix a few things.Like what the hell is going on with the Heal cooldown? Having the cooldown set to 60 seconds is nuts, its a waste of time even having the spell. Trying to target specific enemies and keeping them targeted is a pain also, trying to concentrate on specific enemies was so frustrating i just ended up spamming the attacks while it randomly jumped target from enemy to enemy, only using AOE spells to target specific threats.

 

[Arwin]

Nah storywise they are same and gameplay wise to to a certain point (though many feedback options for PC are not working for demo). Difficulty should be easier on consoles from what I've heared and visuals are quite a bit weaker techwise. Heck you cant even have all graphic settings on highest nor side graphical side options enabled due to being disabled in demo and 'high' textures are excluded. Probably biggest difference will be parallax/displacement mapping on most of the terrain, dynamic lightsources casting shadows (spells etc), SSAO, shadow quality. I posted some shots of demo in screenshot thread yesterday.

Just been playing the demo on PS3 after trying it on (my admittedly humble) PC, and I must say the PS3 version looks great. It definitely looks to be an MLAA implementation on PS3, the framerate holds up well (mostly solid 30) and the game looks pretty much the same as the PC version (on my humble PC and noting that the PC version demo doesn't come with the high res textures).

I find the game is actually rather fetching! MLAA really makes a difference here, even though there are a few crawlies, the general image quality is way above your average multi-platform game.

Additionally, this game really plays very, very well with a controller, and is surprisingly fun. I'm enjoying the gameplay already vastly more than anything in Mass Effect 2. I think there is little doubt now that this version was optimised for consoles to be honest. I'm impressed. I may actually want to get this game (if I figure out how to kill the troll the second time in the demo that is, though I already got aeons closer in the PS3 version than in the PC version ... )

Also in some ways it is surprisingly much like Final Fantasy XII and XIII. Hopefully it isn't a 20 hour corridor as well before we get some freedom, because in that case I think I may well pass. The acting is your typical we're not together when doing it. But otherwise I like.

By the way Shadowrunner were you running on PS3 or 360? I think the PS3 is v-synced to 30 by default, as that's pretty much what I'm getting.

 

[ShadowRunner]

PS3 version. Im sure it was fluctuating in places from 60fps down to below 30. The difference was huge, if im wrong and its restricted to 30 then it must be dropping into the teens to make such a difference. Im pretty certain the framerate is unlocked though.

EDIT: Seems i having the yakuza 4 demo downloading in the background might have been effecting the game for me lol. Just ran through some of the demo again and the framerate is much more consistant, seems to hold at 30fps most of the time but is definately unlocked and reaches 60fps on occasion. Easiest way to see it is in the character apearence customization screens, or in-game aim the camera down on the character from above and spin then slowely bring the camera back down and you'll see the difference for sure.

 

[Arwin]

Ok, I'll look out for that.

I think I have to call patsu to this thread, as I think he may actually appreciate this one.

 

[patsu]

Does it have giant [strike]robots[/strike] dragons ? battle bikinis ? [SOLD !]

Seriously, I didn't play the first one. What's the difference ? Is this a ME2 but in medieval time ? Or is this a more talkative version of Demon's Souls ? Or is this something else ?

 

[Sigfried1977]

A medieval ME2 just about sums it up. Obviously there's no cover based shooting. I haven't seen any battle bikinis yet, but even the demo has its fair share of enormous melons.

 

[patsu]

How do you fight ? Auto-pilot based on automated dice rolling and table lookups, menu-based combat (like Final Fantasy) or action RPG ?

 

[Sigfried1977]

Have you played Baldur's Gate? Or anything resembling Baldur's Gate for that matter? It's basically like that, only sped up to the point where it feels very much like an action rpg. Pick a character from your active party (you can always jump between active party members), then target an enemy and attack him (I think you need to execute one button press for each and every attack in the PS3 version. In the PC version you just select the target and your guy/gal will keep attacking as long as you don't move or issue a different command). The members who aren't under your direct control are A.I. driven. You can "program" those A.I. routines yourself (like in Final Fantasy XII for example). You can also pause the game at any time and issue commands without getting harassed by enemies if you like, but running around mashing the x-button seemed like a perfectly viable strategy as well, at least on the PS3. The PC demo seemed quite a bit harder. Did I mention that it also sucks ass?

 

[Antan]

Dreadful, bar the the PS3 image quality which as Arwin mentioned defo looks like MLAA.

 

[Arwin]

How do you fight ? Auto-pilot based on automated dice rolling and table lookups, menu-based combat (like Final Fantasy) or action RPG ?

Action RPG. You have direct control over everything, and you are say in a party of four, and you can assume direct control over each of these characters immediately though when you don't control them they fend for themselves. The fighting is very direct, almost like a hack and slash, but of course with a vast array of skills and abilities becoming available, ranged attacks, area of effect, magic, stuff you can collect, etc. I definitely recommend you try playing through the demo, I think you may like this.

 

[patsu]

I shall check it out over the weekend !

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I was unimpressed. The IQ on PS3 is excellent in the first half of the demo, but in the second half it can't cope with the higher contrast clothing. Other than the AA technique, I see nothing to commend this game. It's bland, generic, has a shocklingly ugly interface for an RPG that are typically lavish with the artwork, and awkward controls. It's like a PC point-and-click RPG showhorned into an action RPG skin. Given the other RPGs coming out this year, I'll definitely be saving my money.

 

[Neb]

Have you played Baldur's Gate? Or anything resembling Baldur's Gate for that matter?...

Just noting that Baldurs Gate PC version is a completly different game than Baldurs Gate console version. Heck I dont even know why they share names when they one is a heavy deep RPG game series and the other an ARPG with a fraction of the depth. It's like comparing sacred 2 vs.. well nothing seriously compares to BG series on PC (RPG) so..

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Just noting that Baldurs Gate PC version is a completly different game than Baldurs Gate console version. Heck I dont even know why they share names...

Because they are both set in Baldur's Gate in the Forgotten Realms ADnD universe. The places and general IP such as spell names and creatures are shared across games. it's equivalent, say, to a FF Tactics game being FF in name but not gameplay.

...when they one is a heavy deep RPG game series and the other an ARPG with a fraction of the depth.

Yet 100x the entertainment value! And a much better fit for consoles than DA2's midway attempt to span play styles. Too many console ARPGs are coming from PC thinking and being an awkward, disassociated conversion, whereas Snowblind should be their first point of reference with the focus on the realtime gameplay.

 

[patsu]

Actually, I think they should change PC MMO experience when ported to console/living room too. Can't use the same formula for different context and setting.

I got the DA2 demo, started it and had to quit out quickly because my son's watching.
Some poor guy was chopped in half. Will try again later.