I think Mass Effect 2 was sort of a rude awakening, I really wasn't prepared that it'd be.. the thing it was. I'm not even sure I even really dislike the game, it just sort of removed things that didn't work in ME without filling the void. I found myself trying to linger in environments, *looking for something* and time and again having to realise there's really nothing to look for anymore. I hated the loot in ME because the loot itself was 99% garbage, but a loot *system* is still an element that contributes to the pacing of an RPG-esque experience. Without it, rushing through tight corridors was a bit of a shocking shift towards a shootery pace, one that subsequently made the world feel disjointed and split into "levels" rather than being a large, living space that you'd thoroughly explore.

Ultimately - though I played it through - I was sorely disappointed in Mass Effect 2, but I may one day return to it on its own terms and enjoy it a fair deal more.

But my point here is that Dragon Age just by virtue of being a classic RPG has elements to it that I can't imagine even Bioware would remove outright. I can see them wanting to update the storytelling of it to something approaching ME, mechanically, because that's an incredibly well executed way of role playing a story, but I sincerely doubt it would ever get ME2 levels of extreme.

In fact I wager even ME3 brings a lot of systems back, improved rather than cut out.

Me to.

are thoes in-game pics?

This information comes form the latest Game Informer…

- Can import data from the original game
- Flemeth will appear
- Causing issues with party members won’t always be a bad thing:

“They won’t necessarily leave. They may still join you, but they’re going to try to show you up, and that may influence battle in a different way.”

- Mass Effect 2 conversation wheel, now a symbol is shown to show what sort of reply it is (ex: aggressive or sarcastic)
- Manner in which the story unfolds will be different than previous BioWare titles:

“Dragon Age II has a framed narrative structure, which means that the exploits of Hawke occured in the past, but are being retold in the present.” “Narrators with unique insights into the events in question tell the tale of his past adventures.”

- Events from the original at the start may be shown, but from a different perspective:

“Dragon Age II begins as the events of Origins are still taking place, so you may see some familiar events from a different angle.”

- Will see the consequences of our actions sooner instead of a little text at the end of the game
- PC version’s combat system the same for the most part:

“The PC version implements the same strategic approach afforded by a mouse-and-keyboard control scheme. Rather than try to mimic the PC experience on consoles, Dragon Age II has a battle system more tailored to the strengths of the PS3 and 360.”

Another quote:

“You may be controlling a different character in Dragon Age II, but the choices your Grey Warden made in Origins are still imported from your save and reflected in the world.”

About the conversation system:

“Dragon Age II uses a conversation system similar to Mass Effect’s, where players select paraphrased versions of the dialogue from a wheel. An icon in the middle of the wheel even illustrates the line’s basic intent (like aggressive or sarcastic), so you can focus more on the interaction rather than reading and analyzing your dialogue choices.”

Game Informer speaking about the game, having played the Xbox 360 version:

“[Game Informer] can confirm that it is faster, more responsive, and more fluid than before. As soon as you press a button, something happens. As a warrior, Hawke threw down special strikes and used a new dash move to slash through darkspawn with ease. It isn’t on the Dynasty Warriors side of the spectrum, but with obvious improvements to the targeting system and animations, playing Dragon Age II with a controller finally feels natural.”

and fuck people jumping to negative conclusions

Five Facts About Hawke In Dragon Age 2

1. Hawke will be a voiced character.
Unlike Dragon Age: Origins, the player's character in Dragon Age II will be fully voiced. This opens the door for a more cinematic approach to dialogue and creates an identity for the character outside of the text you see on-screen. It also eliminates those awkward scenarios where you feel like your character should be reacting, but instead just stares blankly without so much as a grunt.

2. Hawke is human.
Yes, that means that you won't be able to select Hawke's race. However, just because that one aspect of Hawke's backstory is set doesn't mean BioWare is eliminating character creation. You can still choose your class and customize your appearance. When we visited BioWare's studio, we only saw (and heard) the male Hawke in action, but the team promises that players can select either gender for the character.

3. Hawke didn't just survive the blight...he escaped it.
As the Grey Warden from Dragon Age: Origins was fighting darkspawn, Hawke was living in Lothering. Fans will remember that the small village was raided and destroyed (an event that occurred off-screen in Origins), and Hawke was one of the survivors. However, rather than stay and fight the darkspawn menace, Hawke flees Ferelden and heads north.

4. Hawke is the Champion of Kirkwall.
Kirkwall is a major population center in the Free Marches, a collection of city-states north of Ferelden. This means that at least some of the action in Dragon Age II will be set in Kirkwall itself, though Hawke will also spend time in other areas of the Free Marches. What exactly Hawke does to earn the honorary title of Champion, however, is up to you.

5. Hawke drives the story.
Dragon Age II is not about killing an ancient evil or about quelling another blight; Hawke is the driving force behind the narrative. Over the course of the game's 10-year timeline, players' actions and choices will determine Hawke's history, relationships, and regrets...all in service to answering the larger question: Who is the Champion of Kirkwall?

has he done Leliana up the bum?

Another change - and this might be the biggest - is that only the PC version will retain Origins' "strategic combat". The console versions will feature a new combat system, one BioWare says plays to the strength of the control pad. "Rather than try to mimic the PC experience on consoles", the GI report states, "Dragon Age II has a battle system more tailored to the strengths of the PS3 and 360."

Sounds like your Dragon Age combat just got Oblivioned.

As one of those bastards that prefers Mass Effect's more "contemporary" take on the RPG to Dragon Age: Origins' more "classic" approach, I'm digging these changes, as in many places Dragon Age felt like playing a game from, well, 2003. That said, those left upset by the move, I will understand, and provide tissues and hugs if need be. Change can be tough when you liked the thing it used to be.

I can understand why they're doing this, and it's completely the right decision. On the PC, the strategic/tactical combat worked great; on the Xbox 360 however - the version I had - it just didn't feel right. Straying towards a more action-orientated combat system for console version is the correct move by Bioware.

If they are going to make the combat real time like say Fable or Demon's Souls, I am so buying it!

Man i cant wait for this trailer, i just hope its not CG.

Just read the GI mag and i'm really pumped for this game.

1. BioWare wants to improve the graphics.
During our play session, BioWare candidly admitted that Dragon Age Origins wasn't the best-looking game around, on console or PC. For the sequel the developer is refining the graphics engine and adjusting the art style with the goal of creating something instantly recognizable as Dragon Age. You should be able to look at a screenshot and tell what it is without any caption, BioWare says. The engine is also being improved to allow for more characters and creatures onscreen, which should allow for more epic battles. While there was some initial skepticism in the gaming community when the first Dragon Age 2 screenshots were released, what we saw today looked just fine. The character models have a subtle comic book look to them, which we liked.

2. The combat is being refined.
The combat in Dragon Age Origins was very tactical, allowing you to issue orders to the folks in your party. For the sequel, BioWare is aiming to keep that tactical aspect but also make it more action packed, if players wish it to be. Today we got a taste of the new combat system with a mountaintop battle against an army of orcs. They might have been imps or goblins or demons, actually. We're not nerdy enough to know the difference.

Different attacks are mapped to the X, Y, and B buttons of your controller (we were playing on an Xbox 360). Hawk, the hero of the game, had a typical sword swipe mapped to X, a thrust mapped to Y, and a twirl that would take down all the enemies around him mapped to B. By holding the right trigger you can access a second set of attacks, so it seems you'll have six moves available to you at a time. Each move has a recharge time, so you can't just keep mashing the X button to chop through enemies.

Speaking of chopping through enemies, you literally do that. The violence is quite visceral, as a sword swipe might leave just an enemy's torso or even their feet standing before you.

With the bumpers you can switch between characters in your party. Anyone you're not controlling will be handled by the AI. If the action is getting a little too hectic you can still stop it and issue commands to your party by holding the left trigger. This ability seems to work much like the squad commands in Mass Effect. You can also pause the action to carefully set spell target areas. Alongside our hero Hawk we had a female mage fighting with us in this battle. Her fire spells deal damage in a radius, and we were able to pause the fight and move the circle of death around the battlefield before casting.

We also got to see the new conversation system. Dialogue has been simplified so that you only have up to three choices. Each choice is represented by an icon that indicates whether or it's a "good," "nasty," or "badass" choice. Good choices are represented by an olive branch, nasty by a Greek comedy mask, and badass by a red fist. This is an easy way to gauge what response your dialogue choices will produce.

At key points in conversation you'll have the opportunity to let your companions handle a situation. When a fresh group of orcs approach, for instance, you can decide whether or not you want Hawk or his female companion to take care of them. Whomever you choose will dispatch them all in one shot during the cut scene.

We only got a small glimpse at what Dragon Age 2 has to offer, but it was enough to whet our appetite. The combat was satisfying and seems to offer something for action fans and more thoughtful gamers.

A couple other things we noticed:

- The intro cut scene recaps the story of Dragon Age Origins, so newcomers should be able to jump right in.
- The title screen already has a "Downloadable Content" option.