I can't decide...

[Necromancer]

Should I preorder Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning? I mean, it seems like a really good game, and I love RPGs, but I sometimes have a harder time getting into more complex ones. Maybe that's why I'm not an Elder Scrolls player, though to be fair, I don't remember a whole lot of stuff from the time I rented Oblivion.

 

[Azer249]

Ide say yes, looks like a cracking game. Im getting both Skyrim and KOA. I think it will get good reviews, what ive seen of it so far is a mix of Fable and Oblivion.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Id wait for final verdicts, i mean its looking good and a decent mix of games but who knows how it may end up.

 

[Angel]

To be honest I'm wondering about this one too...I'm always a little wary of new RPG's seeing as the last one I got (Dragon Age) was a shambles from beginning to end. But this one looks like it might be rather good?

 

[Azer249]

To be honest I'm wondering about this one too...I'm always a little wary of new RPG's seeing as the last one I got (Dragon Age) was a shambles from beginning to end. But this one looks like it might be rather good?

DRAGON AGE WAS AMAZING YOU JUST GOT STUCK ON THE FINAL BOSS. /rant

 

[Arld]

Agreed hurr hurr. Dragon Age was awesome, Dragon Age 2 was a bit less of my taste however.

@Necromancer: I'd suggest pre-ordering it. It seems like a very interesting game. What keeps you from getting into big stories, though, I wonder?

 

[Azer249]

Agreed hurr hurr. Dragon Age was awesome, Dragon Age 2 was a bit less of my taste however.

@Necromancer: I'd suggest pre-ordering it. It seems like a very interesting game. What keeps you from getting into big stories, though, I wonder?

Yeh DAO + DAOA were both amazing, if only they took the good aspects from that and added them to DA2. DA2 seemed more user friendly and drifted off from its RPG roots.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I really wanted to like Dragon Age as im a Bioware fan and it seemed like an RPG id really enjoy. What i was given when i played it though was a clusterf*** of menus and text, hard to follow objectives menus and a learning curve as steep as Everest.

 

[Necromancer]

@Necromancer: I'd suggest pre-ordering it. It seems like a very interesting game. What keeps you from getting into big stories, though, I wonder?

It's not about the story. I love big complex stories with rich histories (like Assassin's Creed). It's just about the complexity of the game's features in an RPG like this, mostly ones that have to do with leveling up. When I'm just not sure about all the ins and outs of these more intricate upgrading systems, it makes the game harder to get into for me. Although, if or when I end up understanding everything, then I do find it to be more fun. That's what happened with Knights of the Old Republic and Fallout 3, though it took less time to get a feel for how things worked in Fallout.

By the way, just a side question: Dragon Age has basically the same type of combat as Knights of the Old Republic, right?

 

[Arld]

mostly ones that have to do with leveling up. When I'm just not sure about all the ins and outs of these more intricate upgrading systems, it makes the game harder to get into for me.

In my opinion, I find the 'complex' leveling systems such as that of The Witcher 2, Dragon Age, and the likes the very intriguing part. I tend to get into the game quicker with these kind of systems, as that interests me more – exploring the unknown, wanting to get those damn mysterious higher tier of abilities, only to find out what it is like.

By the way, just a side question: Dragon Age has basically the same type of combat as Knights of the Old Republic, right?

Yeah, pretty much. It depends on your preferences though, if you set it to Nightmare, you'll pretty much be pausing the combat after every action or two, whereas on easier difficulties, the need for such isn't necessarily present, nor does it need to be.

 

[Angel]

I really wanted to like Dragon Age as im a Bioware fan and it seemed like an RPG id really enjoy. What i was given when i played it though was a clusterf*** of menus and text, hard to follow objectives menus and a learning curve as steep as Everest.

How I wish I could like this post more than once. That is precisely how I feel about it - I was so excited when I got it and so disappointed with what it turned out to be.

 

[Dark Drakan]

How I wish I could like this post more than once. That is precisely how I feel about it - I was so excited when I got it and so disappointed with what it turned out to be.

When id played it for about 12 hours and then realised how to do new things I could have done from the start by chance because there hadnt been a tutorial or any explanations that even hinted I could do them it irritated me. Would have made certain parts of the game easier and helped a lot if id have known about it.

I like games to have easy to navigate menus (as few as possible too) and most importantly easy to follow quest menus and goals (i really liked Oblivions). Dont want handholding or patronising but knowing where im meant to be going is a big plus.

 

[Angel]

My main bugbear was the pointlessness of having a casual difficulty setting - the difficulty spiking was stupid and only patched with the PC version (dunno if it's been sorted now for 360 as I've completely lost interest in it now). Casual = bit of a n00blet at games. But DA seemed to think it meant the same as normal for the most part. DA supporters kept on bleating how it was meant to be a more hardcore RPG blah blah blah to which my response is and always has been "then why the hell did they even bother with a casual mode at all?"

 

[Tsuyu]

I did feel kinda dirty having to exploit a bug to create a virtually endless supply of Healing Potions to make it through the latter part of the game. The original Dragon Age, that is.

 

[Angel]

I still haven't completed it - Azer got me walkthroughs and all sorts but I still couldn't get it to work out for me. Those stupid Demon Generals who I killed dead and then they magically respawned to give me hell in the last stage of the game...made me rage so hard. And putting the Broodmother in as your first major boss really early on in the game was not cool; she was way harder than some of the later boss fights and it all but made me give up after thirteen attempts to batter her but failing. I don't like games that just frustrate me without being at all enjoyable - I felt no sense of accomplishment, only relief. And that shouldn't happen in a game - ever.

 

[Azer249]

I still haven't completed it - Azer got me walkthroughs and all sorts but I still couldn't get it to work out for me. Those stupid Demon Generals who I killed dead and then they magically respawned to give me hell in the last stage of the game...made me rage so hard. And putting the Broodmother in as your first major boss really early on in the game was not cool; she was way harder than some of the later boss fights and it all but made me give up after thirteen attempts to batter her but failing. I don't like games that just frustrate me without being at all enjoyable - I felt no sense of accomplishment, only relief. And that shouldn't happen in a game - ever.

As much i love DA, the broadmother was a awfull boss for the first one. She was overpowered for the level you would be once reaching her. Unless you beat her once you have no idea how to begin aproaching her. But if you look past the boss fights and the solid menus its a good rpg. They took most of that out in DA2 but made it to user friendly making it worse than the first.

 

[Angel]

I also hated how you would go past chests and other locked items/areas that your Rogue was not levelled up enough to get into but you knew you'd never go/couldn't get to that area again to find out what you may have missed...

Ultimately, if they're going to let n00bs like me play a game on a setting that is meant especially for us then they need to make it possible for us to play it. I really cannot stand all the "hardcore gamers only" attitudes you get on the internet when you even mention this sort of thing. It's just elitist snobbery and excludes people from playing certain games.