BioWare Slays Dragon Age II Expansion

[Marshall Honorof]

BioWare Slays Dragon Age II Expansion

Hawke's tale in Kirkwall has officially come to an end, but BioWare's new project may continue the Dragon Age story.

Given the wide swath of opinions about packs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8701-Dragon-Age-II-Review], one team at BioWare was hard at work on an upcoming expansion entitled Exalted March. Fans may be disappointed (and detractors may be delighted) to learn that the expansion has been canceled, and the team has been shifted to a new assignment - possibly, BioWare hints, the next entry in the Dragon Age franchise.

While it's not clear exactly what Exalted March would have entailed, its status as an "expansion" would probably put it in line with something like Dragon Age: Awakening. Players likely could have expected a fairly meaty adventure that took place after the storyline of Dragon Age II rather than a new side adventure for the main game. Like Awakening, Exalted March may have set the stage for a new Dragon Age game, especially given BioWare's next comments.

"[The Dragon Age II] team has fully moved onto The Next Thing (tm)," remarks Mark Darrah, a BioWare executive producer, on Twitter. "We'll be very actively looking for feedback on the next DA title, and will be showing the game more than before as it develops." Darrah does not explicitly state that the team's new project is a new installment in the Dragon Age series, but given the team's expertise and Darrah's interest in reigniting the series, the conclusion seems reasonable.

For all the criticisms it endures, BioWare is actually pretty good about get to it [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116398-Mass-Effect-3-Director-Addresses-Ending-Controversy]!

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-19-bioware-moves-dragon-age-team-fully-onto-the-next-thing]

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[Zeckt]

Excellent news, as no one wants to continue on with a story they HATE. Mages templars, mages templars, mages templars ... NO THANK YOU!

 

[Korten12]

Excellent news, as no one wants to continue on with a story they HATE. Mages templars, mages templars, mages templars ... NO THANK YOU!

They probably will be in the next game and be a big part.

OT: Aw... I would have bought it. D:

 

[Danial]

QUICK SOMEONE MENTION THE MASS EFFECT 3 ENDING!


OT: Good news i guess, DA2 hasn't really had the replay value of DA:O, even with Merrill being adorable. Still, are the 2 DLCs for DA2 any good? forgot that game existed at all (which is a bad thing I guess)

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I never actually got around to completing DA2.


That says a lot about the game, considering I loved it's predecessor.

I like the characters more though, Merrill and Varik were awesome.

 

[Cat of Doom]

AWWWWW

I am one of those who REALLY liked Dragon age 2. It was by no means as good as origins, but I loved it on its own, and would loved a expansion to continue hawks story. All I can hope for is that the next game is a continuation of Hawks tale, I don't want to play as some new shmuck. Also, I hope my sweet Merrill in it, as a full companion. Also Varick... and Anders .... and izzi. I love all of them (except Sebastian)

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Exalted March huh? Were they gonna go for a fantasy version of The Crusades? That's pretty much what an exalted march is.

Does anyone find it interesting that in the same day that EA announces it is pulling support for games less than a year old, a Bioware project for a game that is less than a year old is suddenly shafted?

 

[Irridium]

After Dragon Age 2 it'll take quite a bit to get me interested in this series again.

Wonder what plot points they'll ignore this time.

 

[Lunar Templar]

o.0? you mean they where working on it still? i thought they'd given that one up already ....

not that, looking back at DA:O i could be very charitable ...

 

[duchaked]

"Given the wide swath of opinions about Dragon Age II"

yeahh gotta say that because of the 5 star review on the Escapist and the peoples' response to it lol...

personally haven't played DA2 yet but do plan to once I finish Origins...eventually

 

[Shoggoth2588]

QUICK SOMEONE MENTION THE MASS EFFECT 3 ENDING!


OT: Good news i guess, DA2 hasn't really had the replay value of DA:O, even with Merrill being adorable. Still, are the 2 DLCs for DA2 any good? forgot that game existed at all (which is a bad thing I guess)

I was completely unaware that DA2 had any DLC packs at all...well, other than day one stuff...I assume it had day-one stuff.

Can't say I would have wanted it. Getting through Dragon Age 2 was like trying to get through Two Towers for me (ie: I tried more than once and adjusted expectations did nothing to help me). I'm curious to see what the next entry in the Dragon Age series will look like though honestly, if it's another beat-em-up with RPG elements I'm out unless of course they have the balls to market it as a BeuRPG but even then I'm probably going to stay away from whatever they come out with next.

 

[JasonBurnout16]

Waiting for this to turn into a Mass Effect 3 sucks, so will Dragon Age thread.

However I love Dragon Age 1 and 2, and can't wait for a third. I love the series about a hundred times more than Mass effect.

Has all the DLC for DA2 come out now then?

 

[Marshall Honorof]

"Given the wide swath of opinions about Dragon Age II"

yeahh gotta say that because of the 5 star review on the Escapist and the peoples' response to it lol...

personally haven't played DA2 yet but do plan to once I finish Origins...eventually

I actually just finished DA2 for the first time over the weekend. For what it's worth, I really liked it. It had great characters, fun combat, and a decent villain. I thought DA:O was way better, and I understand why some people weren't thrilled with it, but I definitely do not understand the widespread, vitriolic, "BioWare-murdered-my-family" DA2 hatred.

 

[Baresark]

I think DA:O was one of the best games I have ever played. DA2 was not, but it was still a good game. I just hope they move more towards the way the first one was on whatever project they decide on. The second one, while good, became repetitive way too quick. The more into it I got, the more I was fighting enemies using the exact same tactics. And the whole reusing areas again and again and again was just stupid. C'mon Bioware, you're better than that.

 

[Starke]

Anyone else get a "help, this ship is sinking" vibe off this?

I mean, if the project's been in development for a year, possibly longer, and suddenly they can the project. That's all the money that went into it, down the drain. A franchise like this? That really makes me wonder if TOR isn't really hurting Bioware more than it immediately appears.

It's always possible a project gets horribly behind schedule, but even there, the answer is rarely to kill the project, just throw people at the problem until it can ship...

 

[Beautiful End]

Well...DA2 wasn't THAT bad. It's not like it was a flop. Sure, it probably wasn't as good as DA:O but...with DA:O, they caught lightning in a bottle. When compared to its predecessor, of course DA2's got nothing on it.

I think they shouldn't give up on their game so fast. There are still people out there who love the game; just look at this thread.

 

[Zeckt]

Exalted march story would of went like this :

The mages and templars are escalating out of control in kirkwall! you must pick one side in the war even when the most logical thing to do would be to revolt against BOTH of them, and be backstabbed by the faction of your choice so you can fight bosses on both sides regardless of what you do for them.

In DA3, you must either take the side of the drug trade murdering innocent people in the streets or the corrupt government to make them richer in the same street in kirkwall for the whole game. However, the street can be modified to have carts or even stalls now and then for EXTRA CONTENT!. You HAVE NO CHOICE you absolutely MUST pick either corrupt faction and dance for them like a puppet for 30+ hours of your life otherwise don't buy the damn game!

Mages templars mages templars Mages templars mages templars and oh did I mention there would be mages and templars? are you sick of hearing those 2 words yet? too bad! Mages templars mages templars