Dragon Age Combo Pack [1 of 2].

I got my chance to somewhat play Dragon Age: Origins for the PC, but despite having less of a hands-on play, I got to be the spectator and watch the story and characters develop pretty well. From what I noticed, most of the universal romancing capability has been reserved for Dragon Age II. Aside from that, befriending or gaining the rivalry of your companions is infinitely easier in DA:O than it is in DA2. The gifts, which make this process a lot easier, are more abundant. And again, from what I've noticed, side quests that affect your companions approval seem to be in more supply as well.

The character models look more like Sims, and I've spent a great deal, probably to Andy's chagrin, comparing them both. The inability to properly emote is more hilarious than it is distracting. I agree well with the voice acting, though sometimes the character movements come off stiff and unfinished. The fighting is layered like a lot of games I've played on the PC. The use of hot keys makes things easier to navigate, but incurring damage and injuries are harder to treat as injury kits like to be scarce and poultices run out rather quickly.

Speaking of injuries, they're hilarious in their specification, especially since Alistair seems to carry "Cracked Skull" about like it's a trophy. I do like the companions in their own various ways, or I at least appreciate their skill class and abilities. Grinding came a lot easier, and running accidentally across mini bosses was no chore either. The enemies are douchebag, and the riddles are a bit more tasking. Sidebar: screw you, Morrigan.

Honestly, I do like the characters and the way things progressed for the most part. To the credit of BioWare, there are few things that I didn't like - very, very few. It was pleasantly surprised that the end credit song was 30 Seconds to Mars. I laughed a good bit, but it was actually pretty appropriate. As I had expressed in the last entry, it's been a long time since I've seen the end credits of a game. So it's been a good ride during this one.


I'll come back with a full review for Dragon Age 2 once I finish. So look forward to that in a few days (depending if my schedule is any shade of nice).