Games you're waiting for

**Zenicetus** · 06-18-2009, 23:15

Originally Posted by Meneldil

I was at first happy to see Bioware making a new supposedly classical RPG, until I saw the stupid trailers of Dragon Age. Marilyn Manson ? Check. Blood all over the place ? Check. Useless sex scenes with big boobed emo girls ? Check. Crappy dialogues ? Check.
Right now the game looks like it has been designed for 14 year old DnD nerds. Mature game = appealing to embittered and sex-starved nerds..

As much as I've looked forward to this game as longtime Bioware fan (Baldur's gate etc.), that's been my impression too. I was trying to just assume it was the marketing department, looking for a wider audience through selective editing of trailers. But this recent E3 report on RPS with some hands-on play is disappointing:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009...n-age-origins/

Ramped-up eye candy doesn't bother me. The plot and world design looks a bit hackneyed, from what I can see so far -- you vs. teh evilness! But I could live with that. Heck, Mass Effect used a bunch of tired sci-fi tropes in its storyline too. Most of all, it was the awful, juvenile dialog in all the Dragon Age trailers I've seen so far. It's been enough to push me from "gotta pre-order!" to "wait for trusted reviews" status. I wonder if Bioware realizes how many automatic pre-orders from oldtimers they're losing, in order to reach for that wider (and from the looks of it, much younger) market?

The Witcher is looking better and better in hindsight, as an adult fantasy RPG (and I don't mean the sex scenes, which were cheesy enough). If Dragon's Age doesn't live up to expectations, at least there's a Witcher 2 out there somewhere on the horizon...

**CountArach** · 06-19-2009, 03:02

Hearts of Irons 3 is looking better every week.

**Tratorix** · 06-20-2009, 00:28

1. Mass Effect 2

2. Dragon Age

3. Scribblenauts!!!

**Meneldil** · 06-20-2009, 13:12

Originally Posted by Zenicetus

Ramped-up eye candy doesn't bother me. The plot and world design looks a bit hackneyed, from what I can see so far -- you vs. teh evilness! But I could live with that. Heck, Mass Effect used a bunch of tired sci-fi tropes in its storyline too. Most of all, it was the awful, juvenile dialog in all the Dragon Age trailers I've seen so far. It's been enough to push me from "gotta pre-order!" to "wait for trusted reviews" status. I wonder if Bioware realizes how many automatic pre-orders from oldtimers they're losing, in order to reach for that wider (and from the looks of it, much younger) market?

Heh, yeah. I've been through BG1 and 2 a dozen times, and I was at first really excited by DA-O. But it's looking worse everyday. I wouldn't mind the apparently poorly-designed world (what's the point of making a cut-and-past of Forgotten Realms if you don't have to follow a licence ?), or the seemingly retard plot ("onoes, the big evil bad deamon guy tries to conquer the world"). I could even stand the cheesy voice-acting (some really great games have bad voice acting).
What bothers me is the complete lack of 'Baldur's Gate' feeling. BG didn't bother to cater to 14 year olds by using lame soundtracks, moronic dialogues and childish sex scenes. The romances, though sometime cheesy, required a bit more than "Bring me back this book and I'm yours for the night". I remember how difficult it was to have a romance with Viconia, and now they show us this whole thingy that requires you to bring back a book to watch two poorly animated characters making love. Wtf?

**frogbeastegg** · 06-20-2009, 14:48

Originally Posted by Meneldil

BG didn't bother to cater to 14 year olds by using lame soundtracks, moronic dialogues and childish sex scenes.

Dragon Age's awful rock music is trailer specific.

That concludes the good news. I haven't heard anything else about this game which makes me expect something positive. There's the minor issues, like tacky, years out of date blood effects plastered all over. There's the medium issues, such as the cringe inducing sex scenes. As if that's not enough there's the outright face-palm worthy "What were they thinking!?" issues, like the lacklustre, cheesy, infantile plot and characters we've seen thus far.

The whole thing is embarrassing. Outright, completely embarrassing. Blood, swearing and sex, combined with cheesy cliches, gameplay which appears lacklustre, tired graphics, bland design, sub Bioware standard voice acting, and a bunch of characters and plot which looks like it was written by an 11 year old trying to be cool and adult.

The romances, though sometime cheesy, required a bit more than "Bring me back this book and I'm yours for the night". I remember how difficult it was to have a romance with Viconia, and now they show us this whole thingy that requires you to bring back a book to watch two poorly animated characters making love. Wtf?

What's lower than one cheap romance? Two cheap romances which coexist. Rock, Paper Shotgun covered this part of the game in their E3 write up of the game. Bioware were very keen to show off that you can bed your second female romance right after emerging from that tent, and she knows you just did. As RPS put it, she's happy to accept you while you still smell of the first time around.

All of the information released about romances is centred on a male player character. Months after they started releasing detailed information on romance possibilities they won't so much as confirm female PCs will have a romance available. This from a company with a sizeable female fanbase, and which has previously treated female characters quite fairly.

**Monk** · 06-23-2009, 12:54

Originally Posted by frogbeastegg

What's lower than one cheap romance? Two cheap romances which coexist. Rock, Paper Shotgun covered this part of the game in their E3 write up of the game. Bioware were very keen to show off that you can bed your second female romance right after emerging from that tent, and she knows you just did. As RPS put it, she's happy to accept you while you still smell of the first time around.

All of the information released about romances is centred on a male player character. Months after they started releasing detailed information on romance possibilities they won't so much as confirm female PCs will have a romance available. This from a company with a sizeable female fanbase, and which has previously treated female characters quite fairly.

Wow, i have to say that is frighteningly unappealing. The kind of player who would probably say "Aw yeah!" in a moment like that isn't the one who is going to buy Dragon's Age in the first place.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Xiahou** · 06-25-2009, 02:21

I haven't heard about all the lascivious sex scenes in Dragon Age, but I have read several previews that I thought sounded very promising. The idea that you can think you're doing good only to find out you're mistaken or worse yet were played by others sounds like a refreshing change from the normally black & white moral decisions most games have. The examples I've read about make me thing they might just pull it off. Add to that a good swords and sorcery setting and I'll be onboard barring any DRM surprises.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to Scribblenauts, Demon's Souls(US release), and Wii Sports Resort- yes, I'm being serious.

**HopAlongBunny** · 06-25-2009, 13:05

Thief 4
Rise of Flight
Elder Scrolls 5

I actually shudder to think what they might do with Thief or ES for that matter.

*note to self* remain optimistic until you see what actually happens.

**Alexander the Pretty Good** · 07-05-2009, 05:41

Mass Effect 2, perhaps. If they've changed the inventory system to something not awful and let me have an army of Krogans. :P

Elemental seems like it has potential, dunno if I'll get into it or not.

Halo 3: ODST simply becaue it has like half the cast of Firefly doing voice acting - though I will likely piggy-back off a console gamer friend instead of actually buying it (and the xbox to go with it

).

I don't really know anything off the top of my head that is coming out that I'm really excited about. HL2:E3 + another TF2 pack would make me very happen, but I'll probably old by then. (:P)

**Crazed Rabbit** · 07-06-2009, 19:11

Originally Posted by Alexander the Pretty Good

I don't really know anything off the top of my head that is coming out that I'm really excited about. HL2:E3 + another TF2 pack would make me very happen, but I'll probably old by then. (:P)

Yeah, so much for the games actually coming out quicker in episodes. Ah well.

I just hope Mafia 2 doesn't follow the recent trend of dumbed-down cover shooters with recharging health.

CR