huaxiong90 said:
Okay, look, I understand where you're coming from, I honestly do. But I have to respectfully disagree. This has nothing to do with "scores" or what not. It's about the simplification of SEQUELS these days. The goal of developing a sequel is to improve it. Not take a step back and remove features which made the game so great, all just to try and appeal to a broad audience. If they're trying to aim for such audiences, then they can develop a whole new IP tailored for broad appeal. |
While I hear what you are saying also, my problem isn't with the changes that were made to this game, it's with the group think mentality that seems to drive these threads. That is: Bioware is suddenly pandering to a casual audience so this game stinks and the hardcores are doomed.
Now did Gamespot say that some steps back were taken in this game? yes. Did they lament some design choices as possibly being aimed at a broader market? Again, yes. But even so they, by thier own grading, have ranked this as a "Great" game.
So let's take a look at the things they seemed to have disliked the most:
1) The over-simplification of the Inventory system (you don't have full control over your extended parties armor or weapons for example),
2) The simplified gift-giving, compared to DA:O,
3) The streamlining of the talent trees (I've seen them though and there is still a lot of depth there),
4) and finally (and most egregiously) the removal of the "tactical" advantage that PC players have.
So which of these changes was done SPECIFICALLY to attract a different audience to this game do you think? Or is it possible that these were simply design decisions by the team that have been completly blown out of proportion? Some of these very same design choices (simplified inventory, streamlined talent trees) were implemented in ME2 and that is still a great game.
Having spent two hours in DAII (360 version, Hard difficulty, Male Mage) I can say that if you button mash, you will die (at least early on). You have to give your party directions or you will lose against the tougher foes. The talent trees maybe streamlined, but there is much more depth then the ME2 skill trees. AND yes, the armor restrictions (limited to Hawke) does suck, but already I can tell that the writing, the dialogue and the characters all have that Bioware feel to them.
So is DAII, game of the year material? In my early experience, probably not, but it is fun and I can't wait to get back in it. More importantly to me though is the underlying question: does EVERY game have to be GOTY material to be fun? Was Cliff B right when he said our market will not support non-triple A games? AND if that IS true, then who do we have to blame, when the video game industry collapses under those ridiculous standards, but ourselves?
