My Worries About Dragon Age 2.

BioWare recently opened up an official thread on their forums asking fans to tell them what exactly has them so flustered about Dragon Age II. Of the many worries that I read, the majority of them seemed to be in line with what I was thinking (though many were simply worried about the logistics of the PC version, which does not affect me). But I thought I'd take a moment to get my own thoughts in order since I'm riding this DA:O high and articulate why I'm worried about DA2. Hopefully this post doesn't reach rambling-length, but this is a topic I'm passionate about, so...yeah.

1) Human Hawke

When I found out that BioWare was forcing you to play a human named Hawke, who would also be voiced (ala Mass Effect) I could hear my heart breaking inside my chest. It's that same terrified and helpless feeling that you'd get hearing your TV fall over in the other room. I remember feeling betrayed, bewildered, and finally...sad. Let me recount what my favorite games of all time are at the moment:

1) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

2) World of Warcraft

3) Dragon Age: Origins

I loved DA:O because BioWare let you own the story. Your Warden looked how you wanted him to look, had a unique backstory (unique enough), and acted the way you wanted him to act. There were several times while playing the game that the immersion factor was ramped up so high it felt like I was there with the characters, as corny as it sounds. The reason for this was because BioWare left an empty hole in the game called "the Warden" and asked you to fill it with as much of your being as you could.

Right off the bat, DA2 will not have that. You are Hawke. You are Human. Someone else will be speaking for you. That, more than anything, really bugs the hell out of me. Giving players the option to switch off Hawke's voice-over would put me at ease x1000. But I do not think that will happen.

2) Replay Value

Let's face it, most decisions in BioWare games ultimately amount to doing things the hard way or the easy way. Good cop/Bad Cop. It's not for lack of ingenuity; BioWare's platform is to focus on a strict, well-written storyline. If you give your players tons of ways to complete each task, then you'll still have a great game (Oblivion) but the story takes a hit because of it (Oblivion). That, and you have to deal with party members and other NPCs in the world reacting to each decision you make, which is pretty damn daunting.

The reason DA:O worked so well in this regard is because the Origins essentially modified the storyline to grant the player a new experience when replaying the game. Think if DA:O had limited you to only playing through as a Human Noble, it would still be a fun game, but the wanting to replay it would not be very intense. Because the role-playing factor was so involving, playing through another race and another Origin was almost like playing another game.

I'm worried that DA2 will not have that replay factor, or that my next replay will boil down to choosing all of the "Bad Cop" options. I played Mass Effect twice: once Paragon, once Renegade. I played Mass Effect 2 twice: once Paragon, and once to show everyone I could keep my crew alive. KotOR is my favorite game, but I've only played through it twice, as well: once Light Side, once Dark Side. Same with KotOR II (though that was Obsidian, same concept). Whereas right now, I have like...four different characters going in DA:O, and I've put quite a bit of time into each of them.

I'm worried that DA2 will give me one or two playthroughs. One or two sub-par playthroughs, since the role-playing factor is taking a hit since its predecessor.

3) Continuing Adventures

There's a reason why I'm so fond of the DA:O DLC. Since BioWare didn't have to bring in the highly-paid voice actor in to voice your character in the DLC, it made it a more cohesive experience. In Mass Effect 2, the "Firewalker" add-on had you doing an hour long mission, but no one freaking talked. Not Shepard, not anyone. This might not be the case with later add-ons, but if there's even a chance that BioWare might have to offer a DA2 add-on with everyone staying quiet since Hawke's voice actor was too busy to contribute...it makes me worried.

4) Continuing Adventures

That BioWare's Search for More Money might impact the immersion factor of DA2. Remember how there was that guy in your camp in DA:O who wanted you to pay him with Microsoft Points? Remember how BioWare sold you King Cailan's funeral, the ending to the Morrigan romance, and a battle you had already fought before (The Darkspawn Chronicles)?

Certainly Mass Effect fans will remember the subplot of the mysterious Shadow Broker that began in ME1, was built upon, continued and had a significant impact on the story in ME2, and was then concluded in a piece of DLC.

I'm worried that BioWare will (as silly as this sounds) create great, involving subplots that will absolutely floor me...and then turn around later and sell me the ending to it.

5) The Death of cRPGs

DA:O was a throwback to classic RPGs, the kind that BioWare got into the business making (Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights) and was even a semi-throwback to KotOR. Guess what? It was a complete success! It outsold Mass Effect! And the natural reaction to this was to...destroy that formula and work off on a little more modern?

I don't understand that. Maybe it's just business. Maybe it sold well, but didn't live up to EA's standards. I don't know, but I will say this: Proper RPGs are becoming a thing of the past. In my mind, Bethesda and Obsidian are the only two companies making TRUE RPGs.

In one generation, we've gone from fine-tuning stats to just equipping a better sword. From hunting down that one piece of armor that will give you that +1 to Constitution that you oh so need, to customizing your character with interchangeable costumes. Mass Effect 1 & 2 are fantastic games in every sense, but they aren't RPGs. So for ME-type elements to start ending up in DA2...if seems like the inspiration is flowing the wrong way.

That's all I'll say on that. I have the game preordered. I'm getting the "OMG Signature Edition" and I will be playing this game all the way through, when I'll be making all the proper judgments. BioWare's asking us to trust them, that this will be a great game. I have no doubt of that, but my greatest worry of all is that they're now saying this to a base that, in their eyes, I'm no longer a part of.