Ok enough arguing over DA2's gameplay, how is the story?

Nomanslander

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Feb 21, 2009
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As many complaints as I've heard over the gameplay and the whole dumbing down of the RPG aspect, knowing Bioware, I'm still wondering how the story turned out.

Plus, compared to the first game, how does the story stand out?
 

CrazyCapnMorgan

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Jan 5, 2011
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As Mr. Green Dragon said, predictable. However, I still can't stop myself from liking Varric to the point where I wish he lived in real life. It's enjoyable, though, and that is what counts after all.
 

Kakashi on crack

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Aug 5, 2009
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Don't really know, I was thinking of buying DA 2 since I liked the first one, but from what I've heard story-wise it's pretty crummy.

I blame EA games for buying out Bioware.
 

Cobster

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Mar 29, 2011
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The story was average, nothing to great. But i haven't finished the game yet (Don't plan too any time soon) but it could pick up further on down the track, but looking at the post's above mine, I don't think that is very likely at all.
 

Tilted_Logic

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People disliked the gameplay? I must be living under a rock, I loved the improvements they made from DA:O.

Anyway, the story doesn't seem as 'epic' because you're not exactly saving the world so to speak... You're mostly just dealing with events as you happen upon them. So while it's nice to sort of build up a character from rags to riches, the jumps in the timeline (skip a year here, 3 there, etc) have left a bad taste in my mouth. The companions will bring up "oh, do you remember that one time?" which happened about an hour ago in reality.

Aside from the timeline though, eh I suppose it's alright. It's not an entirely unique story, but I suppose it's difficult to be entirely original these days. There were definitely some fun moments, and some really difficult choices, so the fact things change to reflect the way you handled tough situations is alright. Thinking you're doing the right thing one moment only to have it bite you in the rear a year later etc.

But yeah, I'd definitely say the first game was better story wise, although I'm the type that prefers a solid plot rather than dealing with situations as the need arises. Just felt like it was too many quests being shadowed by slightly tougher problems.

Oh and to the above poster, it does seem to get better as you go along, at least that was my impression. The last few years were quite enjoyable, and the finale was fuuuuuun.
 

the_green_dragon

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Nov 18, 2009
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Look, it's not as good as the first game overall, I personally enjoyed the new combat mechanics, I didn't like the skill trees as much (little to no healing on half the mages and pretty confusing overall) and the story was very predicatable.

You saw this group of guys and you thought, well, I'm going to have to fight them soon. Or you hear someone complaining about some other group and think, well, they're going to fight soon.

I did like Varric tho, he was very cool, but being a rogue I didn't use him, so it's interesting how he knew so much about me.

The story in DA1 seemed to be more fleshed out, and the decisions I made had a real effect on the lives of the people around me. I mean, I could choose to make Golems out of people or slaughter a group of poor innocent werewolves. Nothing nearly that spectacular in DA2.
 

Veldaroth

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Unfortunately, the story is really boring. You spend the entire time cleaning up other peoples' messes and there seemed to be less dialog with your companions. Overall kind of a disappointment, but maybe my standards for Bioware games are set way too high. I expect a lot from them. There were enjoyable aspects of it and I really liked a couple of the characters, such as Varric and Orsino (who is sadly not a companion), but there were many other characters I thought were stale and one-dimensional.

If you are looking for an interesting plot, sadly it isn't here, but you might enjoy a few of the npcs and the side quests.
 

Bostur

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Mar 14, 2011
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I haven't been able to finish the game. The story seems very scattered and lacks focus. Its a shame really because the acting and dialogue is well done and could have worked.

For a linear genre using classic story-telling techniques, the story isn't linear enough. Feels more like an MMO story where you need to put the pieces together yourself.

I do like the characters though, and the framed narrative with varric as narrator is a nice touch.
 

Zhukov

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Dec 29, 2009
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It's alright. Serves it's purpose.

But, while I am enjoyed the hell out of the game, I have to admit that it's not up to the usual Bioware standard.

Main problems are a distinct lack of focus and several somewhat arbitrary jumps in time.

Luckily some of the characters are really good. Namely Merrill, Varric and Avaline.
 

the_green_dragon

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Nov 18, 2009
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Tilted_Logic said:
People disliked the gameplay? I must be living under a rock, I loved the improvements they made from DA:O.

Anyway, the story doesn't seem as 'epic' because you're not exactly saving the world so to speak... You're mostly just dealing with events as you happen upon them. So while it's nice to sort of build up a character from rags to riches, the jumps in the timeline (skip a year here, 3 there, etc) have left a bad taste in my mouth. The companions will bring up "oh, do you remember that one time?" which happened about an hour ago in reality.

Aside from the timeline though, eh I suppose it's alright. It's not an entirely unique story, but I suppose it's difficult to be entirely original these days. There were definitely some fun moments, and some really difficult choices, so the fact things change to reflect the way you handled tough situations is alright. Thinking you're doing the right thing one moment only to have it bite you in the rear a year later etc.

But yeah, I'd definitely say the first game was better story wise, although I'm the type that prefers a solid plot rather than dealing with situations as the need arises. Just felt like it was too many quests being shadowed by slightly tougher problems.
I agree mostly with this guy.

I think if they made a DA3 it would be pretty awesome if they took the good parts from both these games and used them together.

I also felt that Hawke was just lucky most of the time and was just 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' kind of feel to it where as the Grey Warden had an overall goal and worked very hard and made some difficult decsions on the way to get there.
 

the_green_dragon

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Zhukov said:
Luckily some of the characters are really good. Namely Merrill, Varric and Avaline.
Really? I though Merrill was a big cry bay in denial and Avaline didn't really feel fully fleshed out. I had Avaline in my party most of the time, she would have so been fired from her job...... Varric is cool.
 

Hectix777

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Feb 26, 2011
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Kakashi on crack said:
Don't really know, I was thinking of buying DA 2 since I liked the first one, but from what I've heard story-wise it's pretty crummy.

I blame EA games for buying out Bioware.
Listen it's a good game, don't let other players' bitching convince you otherwise. It's a good game and worth the money, it's 40 hrs. Long so you could play through it in about a week.
 

Zhukov

The Laughing Arsehole
Dec 29, 2009
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the_green_dragon said:
Zhukov said:
Luckily some of the characters are really good. Namely Merrill, Varric and Avaline.
Really? I though Merrill was a big cry bay in denial and Avaline didn't really feel fully fleshed out. I had Avaline in my party most of the time, she would have so been fired from her job...... Varric is cool.
Eh. If you say so.

...

Okay, sorry if that sounds rather passive-aggresive. I just don't have the energy to argue about these things on the internet.
 

CM156_v1legacy

Revelation 9:6
Mar 23, 2011
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Good game story wise. Not as good as DA:O, and not as good as other RPGs, but I would say it is a really good. Not as much choice in the last game, but the MC having a voice is a nice addition
 

Nova Helix

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Mar 17, 2010
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The gameplay is fine, its the story I have a problem with. The characters are underdeveloped and the story is flat.
 

Knight Templar

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The story is very good, but you won't find many surprises and there isn't much care for the greater world as this is all about Hawke's rise to power (damn, wrote the tagline without meaning to). On the upside the characters are extremely good (even the ones I dislike) and who you take where has an impact that can alter the story in interesting ways.
It seems unfinished though, as there's nothing wrong with what is there exactly, but what is there feels like it's leaning or waiting for something that isn't there.

Oh it's also lacking a total utter bastard, somebody who isn't insane or whatever else and is just at their heart a bad person.
So nobody like Arl Howe.
 

BehattedWanderer

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Jun 24, 2009
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I'll be the voice of dissent here, and say that I actually enjoyed the story. There were a few parts that were forseeable, obviously, but the detail is where they got me--How certain deaths played out, or the interconnectedness of minor plots throughout the game. Which path you choose altered a few things in fairly significant ways, and really connecting with the companions, and being genuinely interested in their lives made what happened at times heartbreaking, and other times infuriating, and of course a few instances of quite amusing. The establishment of character to be somewhat lackadaisical and carefree only to see them have a tragic turn in the third act, or how someone on the straight and narrow can become a little crooked over time are fair enough marks of decent characters. And then there's still the forceful commencement of genocidal altercations that is the fulcrum around which the world as they know it will crash and burn.

Not exactly story lite, there, and told well enough to still keep attention rapt. Though, I could have used a few more embellishments, myself...
 

Valanthe

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Sep 24, 2009
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I'll try to summarize my thoughts as objectively as I can.

From a literary standpoint, it's not a -bad- story, and indeed, it has some pretty cool moments, but overall it's rather predictable.

That being said, it's definitely worth playing. The different characters you meet are very dynamic, my only complaint about them is that you don't get to know them nearly as well as do the DA:O companions (which is a shame, really.)

Slightly off topic: Varric and Merrill are amazing, use them whenever you can
 

Zaik

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Jul 20, 2009
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It's a different direction from what is generally used.

They've covering a 7 year period of time where you actually play through like four different sections, so there's no grand villain or anything, just broken up into various different disasters that you worm your way through.

There's very little in the way of surprise, unless you pick the right side at the end, which ends up shaking things up a little. Your goals or villains aren't particularly obscured at all. I never liked stories where I had no idea wtf was supposed to be going on because the author was desperately trying to confuse you as much as possible, so this wasn't really a bad thing.

It's mostly new ground for a video game story, as far as I know. Certainly no princesses in another castle or adventure from a to z where you go to town b, then town c, then town d, etc. to the final boss.

If you have a capable enough imagination to understand a story told from a 3 years later interrogation POV by a blatant liar, and don't mind that it's fairly obvious what you'll be doing here and there, it's just fine.

If you'd prefer something more "copy/paste out of LOTR" style, have a terrible imagination/refuse to suspend disbelief, or have absolutely no sense of humor, it's probably not something you'd like.