Summary "Review" after 21 hours of play! ;-)

Raxous · 30-10-2009, 02:22 PM

Richard / Rax here from "Dragon Age: Origins - Warden's Quest" "Team UK", just wanted to say a huge thanks to the whole EA UK community!

We had an amazing event and the support / interest from all was fantastic.

So, having spent "some time" ;-) with the game, as I'm sure you all
know, the game is an incredible mix of all the best RPG concepts, I've detailed my impressions below; (I should clarify that we played the retail game on "Normal" difficulty).

- Story / "Script": Top notch.

- Cut scenes / Voice Acting: Exceptional look & feel. Not too long,
but never throw away either.

- Travel / Movement / Game Scale: Perfect balance of huge world,
without boring travel. (But retaining the sense that you are
travelling around a very large area).

- Encounters: Just right, again, exactly the right number at the right
times, you don't feel forced into them, but you are never wondering
why there haven't been any for a while. Also foes always nicely mixed,
no two encounters the same. Combines the "Ah! I'm safe here, phew!"
and "Oh dear, I better be ready to go through that door" feelings in a
totally clear, logical, balanced & exciting way.

- Combat: Spot on, great balance of positioning, use of environment,
party composition / companion choice, skill combining / ordering, item
/ potion use, specific tactics per foe. We didn't hit any "impossible"
encounters, but had plenty of re-loads / discussions / "try another
tactic" / "1hp left" type situations! Some encounters could be left to
run, with a solid party structure & well thought out, pre-set, combat
tactics, whilst others required total micro management. ;-)

- Character Development: Streamlined, but not mundane, great, free
choice of how to create & progress your character, skills / talents
come at just the right points, you need to think carefully about what
which options you choose, but aren't left for too long before you get
a chance to pick more skills. Specialisations are a great inclusion to
really perfect this approach. The perfect balance between not enough
customisation and needing a degree to figure out the best option for
you play style(s)!

- World: The game world is very richly populated with different
environments, histories, lore, people, items, equipment & events. We
really enjoyed inhabiting it, wanted to defend it, and look forward to
revisiting it and finding out much more!

- Progression: The game keeps things challenging, whilst never "stone
walling" you. It's also seems difficult to make an "unplayable" choice
for your character / companions, almost all setup combinations can be
used (although some very clearly work better than others). Levels
never feel too far away, but you also feel excited and like you've
really achieved something when you do level up.

- Companions: Great mix and individuality, top back stories, great
dialog & interaction between both PC & other companions / NPCs. We
were often left wishing we could have just 1 more in our party, but
felt, upon reflection, that that would clearly have unbalanced things
in favour of the player & over complicated combat.

- Design: Everything, and I mean everything, is beautiful! Need I say more? :-)

- Overall: What can I say! PC Gamer say "RPG of the Decade" and they
are not wrong (Should it be just be "Best RPG of All Time"?). For me
it hit all the right buttons, it was Ultima meets Baldur’s Gate meets
Oblivion meets Champions of Krynn meets Pools of Radiance meets The
Witcher meets Fallout 1- 3 meets X-COM (OK left field, but trust me)
and that is VERY much a good thing! For once I relish giving a game
100 hours + of my life! Bring it on! (Oh and please BioWare, confirm a
sequel, I know how desperate for more I'm going to be when I complete it and that makes me nervous!!)

Thanks again everyone at EA, Staff & Community!

Richard / Rax (Team UK, Dragon Age: Origins - Wardens Quest - 2009)

Deanology · 31-10-2009, 06:25 AM

Wow,
sounds great..
I've been waiting for a new RPG to come out that is in the same mould as Oblivion.

How in depth is the character creation?

SunburnedPenguin · 31-10-2009, 02:48 PM

I have to say, I havnt looked forward to a game release this much since years ago, when I was waiting for BG2! This is like my dream game *sighs*. BG/NWN series had me hooked on the genre, and while I have played many others, nothing has ever come close. This might just do it, by the sounds of it, and even surpass those games......I am soo exited!

Thanks for an excellent review and well done!

humorguy · 04-11-2009, 01:41 PM

Based on how the OP signed his post, I am wondering why I should trust it? Bit too gushing for me - like he's on commission or something!

Strange Pirate · 04-11-2009, 08:37 PM

I agree ^^^^ Too gushing. Sounds like he works for Bioware.

Raxous · 06-11-2009, 02:51 PM

Wish I worked for BioWare!

Could test stuff early then, oh and maybe get my DLC codes on time too!!

Loving the game, not loving the handling of the "bonus" content at launch...

30-10-2009, 02:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
Raxous Rookie Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 9	Summary "Review" after 21 hours of play! ;-) Richard / Rax here from "Dragon Age: Origins - Warden's Quest" "Team UK", just wanted to say a huge thanks to the whole EA UK community! We had an amazing event and the support / interest from all was fantastic. So, having spent "some time" ;-) with the game, as I'm sure you all know, the game is an incredible mix of all the best RPG concepts, I've detailed my impressions below; (I should clarify that we played the retail game on "Normal" difficulty). - Story / "Script": Top notch. - Cut scenes / Voice Acting: Exceptional look & feel. Not too long, but never throw away either. - Travel / Movement / Game Scale: Perfect balance of huge world, without boring travel. (But retaining the sense that you are travelling around a very large area). - Encounters: Just right, again, exactly the right number at the right times, you don't feel forced into them, but you are never wondering why there haven't been any for a while. Also foes always nicely mixed, no two encounters the same. Combines the "Ah! I'm safe here, phew!" and "Oh dear, I better be ready to go through that door" feelings in a totally clear, logical, balanced & exciting way. - Combat: Spot on, great balance of positioning, use of environment, party composition / companion choice, skill combining / ordering, item / potion use, specific tactics per foe. We didn't hit any "impossible" encounters, but had plenty of re-loads / discussions / "try another tactic" / "1hp left" type situations! Some encounters could be left to run, with a solid party structure & well thought out, pre-set, combat tactics, whilst others required total micro management. ;-) - Character Development: Streamlined, but not mundane, great, free choice of how to create & progress your character, skills / talents come at just the right points, you need to think carefully about what which options you choose, but aren't left for too long before you get a chance to pick more skills. Specialisations are a great inclusion to really perfect this approach. The perfect balance between not enough customisation and needing a degree to figure out the best option for you play style(s)! - World: The game world is very richly populated with different environments, histories, lore, people, items, equipment & events. We really enjoyed inhabiting it, wanted to defend it, and look forward to revisiting it and finding out much more! - Progression: The game keeps things challenging, whilst never "stone walling" you. It's also seems difficult to make an "unplayable" choice for your character / companions, almost all setup combinations can be used (although some very clearly work better than others). Levels never feel too far away, but you also feel excited and like you've really achieved something when you do level up. - Companions: Great mix and individuality, top back stories, great dialog & interaction between both PC & other companions / NPCs. We were often left wishing we could have just 1 more in our party, but felt, upon reflection, that that would clearly have unbalanced things in favour of the player & over complicated combat. - Design: Everything, and I mean everything, is beautiful! Need I say more? :-) - Overall: What can I say! PC Gamer say "RPG of the Decade" and they are not wrong (Should it be just be "Best RPG of All Time"?). For me it hit all the right buttons, it was Ultima meets Baldur’s Gate meets Oblivion meets Champions of Krynn meets Pools of Radiance meets The Witcher meets Fallout 1- 3 meets X-COM (OK left field, but trust me) and that is VERY much a good thing! For once I relish giving a game 100 hours + of my life! Bring it on! (Oh and please BioWare, confirm a sequel, I know how desperate for more I'm going to be when I complete it and that makes me nervous!!) Thanks again everyone at EA, Staff & Community! Richard / Rax (Team UK, Dragon Age: Origins - Wardens Quest - 2009) Last edited by Raxous; 30-10-2009 at 02:25 PM..

31-10-2009, 06:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
Deanology Forum Guru Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: At Home, with a warm cuppa tea. Gender: Male Posts: 1,582	Wow, sounds great.. I've been waiting for a new RPG to come out that is in the same mould as Oblivion. How in depth is the character creation? __________________ What are you talking about? Tea is so much better than coffee...

04-11-2009, 08:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
Strange Pirate EA Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Poop Deck...Arghhh! Age: 17 Posts: 10,060	I agree ^^^^ Too gushing. Sounds like he works for Bioware. __________________

31-10-2009, 02:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
SunburnedPenguin Forum Guru Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cardiff UK Age: 34 Gender: Female Posts: 1,509	I have to say, I havnt looked forward to a game release this much since years ago, when I was waiting for BG2! This is like my dream game sighs. BG/NWN series had me hooked on the genre, and while I have played many others, nothing has ever come close. This might just do it, by the sounds of it, and even surpass those games......I am soo exited! Thanks for an excellent review and well done!

04-11-2009, 01:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
humorguy Rookie Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 5	Based on how the OP signed his post, I am wondering why I should trust it? Bit too gushing for me - like he's on commission or something!

06-11-2009, 02:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
Raxous Rookie Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 9	Wish I worked for BioWare! Could test stuff early then, oh and maybe get my DLC codes on time too!! Loving the game, not loving the handling of the "bonus" content at launch...