Dragon Age II has a 3.4/10 on Metacritic, WHY!?

[Mylinkay Asdara]

I really really loved DA:O and most of the add on content for it - I played through it probably a dozen times and I didn't get tired of doing so. Yes, it had it's problems, and I liked the game enough to actually type up a letter listing those problems and send it off at the time. That's a lot of like for me.

I haven't played DA2 yet. I got it yesterday, but I know better than to play something that might suck me in during term, so I am waiting to play it myself until I won't find myself in a position to choose between game time and homework time. My fiance is playing it ahead of me though (he'll get about half way before I pass him up and finish the game before him if we're following the model set down by tradition - he has very limited play time after work). I took a look at it over his shoulder the other night and it.. it's still iffy for me.

I really liked that first game alot, if they go far afield from it in DA2 they better do it well or I am going to be hard pressed to overcome my feelings of disappointment at not getting more of what I loved and see the value of what I did get instead.

The conversation wheel (hate hate hate, sorry, it's convenient I know but it cheapens the value of dialog and the story is delivered in dialog so it ends up cheapening the story - or at least my char's role in it, and I'm the main role) is one strike against it from the gate for me. We'll see about the rest in time.

 

[IronicBeet]

They did do something specific, though. They completely changed the game into Mass Effect: Dragon Age edition.

 

[Raziel_Likes_Souls]

>

Don't do that. Please, just don't.

As everyone said, either fanboys hate it, or Bioware dropped the ball like hell.

 

[mirasiel]

Wierd, Im noticing 0 review scores from people I'd take to be from the UK (suchandsuch26uk) and the like.

which is really cool since the game isnt fucking out here till friday...

and complaints of graphics worse than the first game? unless the demo runs on a completely different engine...I dont see it..

I smell a rat.

/EDIT also complaints about how its just hack and slash gory...whilst complaining its not as good as the 1st one, wtf brain fail...

 

[FlameOfArnor]

if you read the latest Extra Punctuation, then it will probably explain this kind of thing for you.

 

[Zhukov]

Why?

Fanatic and fickle fanboys. That's why.

Here's a bit of homework for you:

1. Bring up the list of user reviews.
2. Go down the list, clicking the "All this user's reviews" link on each profile.
3. Observe how many of these profiles were created for the sole purpose of rating Dragon Age 2.
4. Observe how many of these people have submitted reviews for every platform, instead of just the one they played on.
5. Observe that this is true for both the positive and negative reviews.

Congratulations, you have now received some small insight into the mind of the rabid fanboy. You'll probably need a shower.

 

[Baneat]

Is it out yet? I played DA1 on PC to completion, this qualifies me to make a decent review for the next PC version?

I didn't know it was released

 

[Googenstien]

WTF Metacritic? people actually go to that site and take that info seriously?? ha

From what I have played on DA2 its not much different at all from DAO, seems pretty damn good looking too.

 

[emeraldrafael]

its probably a case of rater trolling. Dont trust the people. To quote agent K
<quote=Agent K>A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

 

[debra_ beretta]

I've been saying this exact thing for years, but you have explained it a lot more eloquently. Well said and nicely put.

 

[Why do I care]

I like the changes, but the whiny kids at Metacritic don't.

Their problem.

 

[JasonEllis66]

Played a few hours last night and found it fun. A few of the changes take getting used to, but over I am liking it. Fanboys on either side can ruin anything.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Whoa under a 5? have people started to review games correctly these days!??!?!

 

[HyenaThePirate]

Seeing as how the game hasn't even been out for a week yet, the only people who could have likely gotten all the way through would either be unemployed psychotics or liars.

This.
Anyone that is already declaring it a failure after the game has been released for less than two real days is either someone who eagerly sped through the title for "firsties!" or a liar, or both.

Even if giving the benefit of the doubt that some freak sat and played the game 25 hours STRAIGHT in order to beat it, there's no WAY they absorbed or even had the chance to truly examine the game on a NUMBER of levels. A review isn't just about "Eh, I played it, hit the x button alot, the game had okay graphics, otherwise it sucked."

On my first playthrough of DAO, I pretty much kept in my party the FIRST few people I met.
It wasn't until my second or third playthrough that I came to very much appreciate OTHER characters. Try different things...

Hell, did they play as a mage or a warrior or a rogue? The experience is different for all three. There's no way they played through ALL THREE classes, with various people, AND COMPLETED the CHIZZ TON of sidequests in the game.

What these "User reviews" are to me right now are nothing more than the internet equivalent of someone who saw a movie and then went around critiquing the book the movie was based off of to their friends based on the film adaptation. Or how some people seem magically capable of declaring a movie good or bad based entirely and solely on the trailers they've seen.

Bottomline: Game reviewers who do it professionally have to take a lot of time with the game. They have to examine a number of facets, not just try to "beat it" on a single playthrough.

Want a good explanation of this? Extra Credits did a video on something similar not too long ago, about what a game developer has to look at and know to help improve gaming. How they have to ask important questions like "why did they use a radial menu instead of mapping these buttons. Is it more efficient? Did it enhance or detract from my game playing?"

Honestly, I think it's just the "popular" or "cool" thing these days to show how "non-conformist" you are by hating everything that might be construed as "cool" or "mainstream."

I.E. if a lot of people look forward to it or are going to like it, then some people have to be different and NOT like it, or try to ruin it for everyone else, because somehow, in their sick little minds, it makes them feel "better" and/or "relevant" and/or "important."

 

[Baneat]

Here's a shocking concept to you:

Your favourite company is capable of making a bad game.

What's more shocking is that they apparently make a bad game every time, as the same thing happened when Dragon Age:Origins came out as well as Mass Effect 2, the reaction on the Bioware forums at least (which is a lot worse than Meta-Critic).

Speak for yourself, I personally found Mass Effect 2 to be the best game of 2010.



Different strokes for different yolks.

So, So much better than ME1 it's unreal. That being said I'm giving it a fair whirl once it's finished downloading. The story got me more than the gameplay anyway, it's just playing a 5 man dungeon in WoW minus one DPS, but you're playing all four characters and can pause. It was the world itself that was brilliant, and porting it won't change it.

 

[Sabiancym]

You guys ever think that maybe the game just isn't as good as the original? Stop with the conspiracy theories and blaming PC gamers.

The game just isn't as good as Origins. Let it go.

In another post you were just put on probation for calling it another game ruined by being dumbed down by console gamers.

If you don't want people to blame PC gamers about blantant hating perhaps you should stop acting like it's naturally superior to consoles and was only dumbed down for them?

Why is it ok to call one game superior than another, but not ok to call one platform superior to another? So many people on this forum treat this subject as if it's someone's race. It's not. It's just another part of gaming, one that should be open to criticism.

 

[Antari]

Whoa under a 5? have people started to review games correctly these days!??!?!

Lol I'm with you on this one!

 

[SergeantAnt]

yeah obviously this is just a bunch of da fanboys being pissy gits. although i dont like ign they're video review gave it a 8.5 which is probly about what it deserves. and they actually at least explain whats good/bad about it. so i'd look at that and not metacritic fanboy rage.