Going back to Dragon Age: Origins today, it's much harder to feel frustrated at the lack of 'true' RPG sequel - Larian's already completed the D&D circle.
The problem is that DA:O was promised to be the spiritual successor to BG 1 & 2. They then immediately threw that away in the sequels because they realised the experience in console suited action combat better.
I’ve never been more disappointed than the point where I realised nothing I did affected the story in DA2 and again when I realised that not only was it not a return to form, but it doubled down with time gates mechanics and a level of grind that would make a subscription game proud.
That’s on top of the fact that DA:O wasn’t even that great in the first place. It was decent for its time, but is still incredibly linear and binary in its execution.
They’re all deeply flawed games in the way they strayed from their supposed roots. They might be good when each considered alone, but as a journey as a fan they burned me at each step to the degree that nothing can convince me to buy DA4.
The problem is that DA:O was promised to be the spiritual successor to BG 1 & 2. They then immediately threw that away in the sequels because they realised the experience in console suited action combat better.
I’ve never been more disappointed than the point where I realised nothing I did affected the story in DA2 and again when I realised that not only was it not a return to form, but it doubled down with time gates mechanics and a level of grind that would make a subscription game proud.
That’s on top of the fact that DA:O wasn’t even that great in the first place. It was decent for its time, but is still incredibly linear and binary in its execution.
They’re all deeply flawed games in the way they strayed from their supposed roots. They might be good when each considered alone, but as a journey as a fan they burned me at each step to the degree that nothing can convince me to buy DA4.