<12/19/2011 Edit:> I received my collector’s edition SWTOR yesterday, been busy leveling since. Another con I have encountered is there’s no implementation of macro’s in SWTOR. They will probably implement the use and creation of macros after the launch. Macros are pretty useful in controlling your character and mastering the class you play. I know I’m not the only one waiting for them to allow for UI mods and macros.

SWTOR Collector's Edition Box

We all know the hype that comes with every major MMO launch – Is this going to be the Wow killer? Although the membership subscription of World of Warcraft has slowed and declined a bit, WoW is still the MMO to play. There are several aspects of Wow that I feel is causing the game’s slow decline. But I’ll get into that later. Here are my impressions of Swtor:

Star Wars: The Old Republic is very polished. Unlike other major MMO’s before, the gameplay and server seemed very much tested and polished. I recall some really terrible, glitchy and basically half-assed betas such as Age of Conan and Aion. Swtor feels like a finished product even in beta gameplay. From the UI, graphics, storyline, servers, and their website, Swtor feels very well thought out and executed.

I enjoyed the gameplay and storyline both as a Jedi and Sith. If you played Swtor on xbox, you will be very familiar with the force alignment where you interact with npc’s to boost your alignment with the light or dark side. Another gameplay feature I enjoy much more than WoW is that you can solo fight and kill a multiple mob at once without the need to party. I am sure other wow players are sick of having to solo kill 1 monster at a time when questing /leveling alone. Another feature I enjoyed was the cut scenes and voice acting of Swtor. There is a cut scene for almost all the initial quests which makes you feel for your game character and takes away the tedium of leveling up. Yes, questing was actually enjoyable!

The items and professions – This is a huge part of any MMO game. For the beta, I had just limited access to these. I saw that they have banks, extra bags, rare items, crafted items, etc. just like wow, so I believe the goodies and rewards will be there to keep players motivated and competitive. The game is also very intuitive and easy to begin playing regardless of your gaming experience level.

So, overall although I had very limited time in the beta, I really enjoyed the game and am glad I per-ordered the collector’s edition. But is it a wow killer? I do not think so. Even though I mentioned all the great features and benefits of basically being better than wow, it is still missing something. The colors and feel may have something to do with it, but it seems to be a bit deeper than that. Blizzard games all just have this addictive, visceral feel to them. Swtor simply does not have that quality and I do not know why.

I’ve been playing wow on and off since it launched 7 years ago, and it still has some qualities that keep drawing me and other players back into it. What I do not like about Wow is the heavy time commitment necessary to be and stay competitive. Unlike other blizzard games where you can master your character and obtain the best in game items and finally feel “Godly”, you just cannot do that for Wow. And even when you reach that peak feeling and in-game achievement where you know you are the top 0.5% of all players in Wow, it is only temporary. Maybe blizzard will leave the game in a “steady state” that is balanced and allow players to “become godly and enjoy it” once they release a few more expansions so the final character level is 100.

Here’s what is included in the collector’s edition:

A fallen star burns across the sky, signaling the rebirth of a long-forgotten evil, and calling mortal heroes to arms once more. This limited edition collector’s set commemorates your return to the darkened world of Sanctuary. Inside, you’ll find a treasure trove of rare and legendary items to aid you in your apocalyptic battles at the End of Days.

• BEHIND THE SCENES DVD AND BLU-RAY TWO-DISC SET – Meet the teams behind the creation of Diablo III with this exclusive Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set. Enjoy over an hour of interviews detailing how the world of Sanctuary came together from the combined efforts of artists, writers, programmers, designers, musicians and animators.
• COLLECTOR’S EDITION SOUNDTRACK – Experience twenty four original pieces from the Diablo III soundtrack on CD and deepen your music collection with a sound as timeless as the Eternal Conflict itself.
  THE ART OF diablo iii – Delve into the game’s stunning artistic development with this 208-page art book, which catalogues countless pieces, from early concepts to final 3D renderings.
• Diablo® iii PC/MAC GAME – The full version of the Diablo III game on DVD-ROM.

EXCLUSIVE in-game content:

• DIABLO III AESTHETIC ARTIFACTS - Call forth glowing angel wings, unfurl an exclusive banner, and dye your armor sets with the Bottled Cloud or Bottled Smoke items.
• WORLD OF WARCRAFT PET FETISH SHAMAN – Journey throughout the World of Warcraft with the fetish shaman at your side.
• STARCRAFT II BATTLE.NET PORTRAITS – Display your status as a hero of the mortal realms with an exclusive army decal and three Diablo-themed Battle.net portraits.
• DIABLO SKULL AND 4GB USB SOULSTONE – Shackle your PC into unholy slavery with this 4GB USB soulstone and Diablo skull base. The USB also includes full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction so you can retrace the sinister path of the Dark Wanderer once more.

You can pre-order a copy of Diablo 3 collector’s edition on Amazon.

Blizzard is also running a special where you can get Diablo 3 for FREE and be guaranteed a spot to the diablo 3 beta along with some other items. You get a free copy of Diablo 3 when you purchase an Annual World of Warcraft Pass. I do not know how long this offer will last but you can read more about it here: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/3767193/Sign_Up_for_the_World_of_Warcraft_Annual_Pass_and_Get_Diablo_III_Free-10_21_2011#blog

The preorder comes with lots of goodies with early access to the game.

At first glance, Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword looks and feels like the previous two games, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For one, the innovative sword combat and horseback gameplay is as fun as ever. You still have some fair degree of freedom to roam about the land and raise an army as you see fit. However, since the core campaign is based somewhat on history, a lot of interesting features had to be removed. For instance, there are no more tournaments, which was my biggest disappointment. In the original or Warband, it was always a nice change of pace to seek out tournaments and clear waves of enemies in the arena. Character creation has been toned down too, perhaps too much. Before, you had to answer some questions which added bonus stats to your character based on your answers. Now, you simply modify your stats, create the appearance of your character, and step into the game. The lack of gender options is also slightly annoying. It doesn’t change a whole lot, but I felt it was a solid option they should have kept. My biggest disappointment has to be the lack of option to become a king. While this makes sense in terms of the historical relevance of the game, it was one of my favorite features in Warband and added a whole new depth to the game. Now, all this does is lower the replay value of the game.

However, don’t get the impression that the game is all bad without those features. This is still a Mount & Blade game, and the introduction of the firearms creates a whole new wave of possibilities. A lot of people complain that insta-kills by guns are anti-fun. In my opinion, this is very realistic and makes you think twice before charging your whole army against a line of gunsmen. Muskets and grenades now make you think more strategically. Also, just because they can insta-kill with direct hit doesn’t mean these weapons are broken; the reloading time is simply too long, and I found it highly satisfying to lance an enemy to death as he was fumbling with the bullets to reload. It is equally satisfying to kill enemies with one hit, because aiming is hard. And the reloading time makes it feel very rewarding, and gives you the sense that each shot should count. These small touches enhance the gameplay of Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword. Another interesting feature is using caravans to erect mobile defenses. No longer do you have to succumb to overwhelming enemies when you can’t outrun them. Now you can create walls with caravans and fend off enemies more strategically.

The latest Mount & Blade game returns with Multiplayer too, introducing a new mode called Captain DM, where two human players control an army of AI bots. Siege mode is back and is as intense as ever. However, firearms do make sieges more challenging, and more often than not, the defending army usually has a greater advantage; even more than before.

Is With Fire & Sword a better Mount & Blade game? It depends. Personally, Warband had more features and had a more sandbox feel to it. Whereas, With Fire & Sword remains true to its name and introduces firearms to the already popular formula. Keep in mind that the price of With Fire & Sword is half of that of Warband. If you want more features, and want a complete open ended game, then play Mount & Blade Warband. But if you want to step into the shoes of 17^th century Eastern European soldiers, go through historical politics, and gun down enemies with muskets, then With Fire & Sword is what you want. There are far superior games on the market, but for the price, I believe Mount & Blade With Fire & Sword delivers perfectly.

The thing that stands out the most about Homefront is its presentation. The game is set in the future, where a unified Korea has invaded the United States. As such, the game has a dark atmosphere with a desperate undertone. The streets are in ruins and attacks come from all directions. There are many moments where the enemy suddenly bursts through a door and strikes you while shouting in a foreign tongue. Public executions are vivid and heart wrenching. Overall, the game does a really good job presenting a cinematic experience where the hopelessness is evident and sinks in. To further develop the story, you can collect newspaper clips throughout the game that elaborates how the United States came to be in this situation. The developers have gone to great lengths to ensure that the war feels real and believable, and I believe they do a better job at portraying modern warfare than other games.

The gameplay itself is linear and traditional. Most of the time you’ll be sprinting from cover to cover while zooming in on your scope and shooting down enemies. Weapons are what you’d expect in a typical shooter and the action is flat. Nothing new to see here. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even though Homefront doesn’t revolutionize the genre, it imitates most of the good things from other shooters to deliver fluid action. However, the single player gameplay doesn’t last long, as the campaign is painfully short. The developers, having done a great job at portraying such a harrowing world, leave you begging for more when the game ends.

There is a multiplayer, thankfully, as you’d expect. This too comes with the entire typical package. Earn experience points, level up, unlock weapons, modify your arsenal, and so on. Multiplayer is fast paced and fun, and the best part is the setting, as mentioned above. If you’ve played the campaign, the maps will seem familiar and evoke the distressing memories from the campaign. Will it garner a competitive crowd though? That remains to be seen.

Another complaint I had about the game is the graphics. Although the presentation is astounding, the graphics of Homefront is not up to the latest standards. I wasn’t expecting anything like Crysis 2, but it wasn’t even as slick looking as Modern Warfare 2, which is an older game. Most gamers will be able to look past this, especially the gamers who adore story and presentation more. However, with so many competitive shooters out there, Homefront really needed better graphics.

Homefront does a brilliant job at exposition by projecting a frightening futuristic America. For the setting alone, I’d recommend giving the game a try. The fact that it comes with multiplayer is really an added bonus. Hopefully, THQ and Digital Extremes will keep working on this game and bring us an expansion pack that expands on the story.

A Monarch in the making.

First of all, The Sims Medieval is based on The Sims 3 engine, but does not require The Sims 3 or any other Sims games to play. As such, the graphics quality is the same as the previous game. However, the medieval setting pits you in forests, castles, agoras, and so on, which is a nice change in scenery from the traditional sub-urban areas. Simlish, or the weird funny language of The Sims franchise returns, and it’s as hilarious as ever (but might appear outrageously annoying to some people).

I'm not poisoning your drink.

The key difference in The Sims Medieval is that it isn’t a sandbox open ended world. The storyline is pretty much scripted (like some of the previous standalone Stories games), but what you do to achieve that goal is what makes this game fun. Ultimately your Kingdom will have an ambition, which, when fulfilled, will let you start over and complete a new unlocked ambition. At the start of the game you control a Monarch, one of the Hero Sims you’ll unlock in the game. As the Monarch, you’ll do some Monarch-esque tasks and some not so Monarch-esque tasks (collecting woods?). These are tracked through quests, which yield experience points and money. As the game progresses, you unlock new Hero Sims to control in specific quests, such as the Knight, Blacksmith, Spy, and many others.

Speaking of the spy, if there’s one reason I’d recommend to play this game would be this guy. You can dress him up to look like Ezio (Assassin’s Creed slowly sneaking into all games like true assassins) and do all sorts of rogue-ish thing like stealing and poisoning. I definitely had the most fun playing this character as this game me more of a RPG feel than any of the others. That brings us to the next point. The Sims Medieval feels like an amalgam of RPG and The Sims. It’s not truly a Sims game, but it’s not a hardcore RPG game either. This makes The Sims Medieval a fresh game for gamers from both genres to try.

Beautiful royal decor.

The Sims Medieval has been streamlined a lot, namely minimizing the amount of needs you need to fulfill on each Sim (no more night trips to the bathroom, but you can still urinate on a vase, if you want). As before, they will have morale, which can be boosted by completing quests and such. An interesting feature is the fatal flaw. Each Sim will have only two traits and a fatal flaw. Traits are similar to what was present in The Sims franchise before, while the fatal flaw puts an interesting new twist; thanks to this, some Sims will constantly go hungry, obnoxiously break wind, gamble compulsively, and so on. Some of these fatal flaws can be hard to manage, but that’s the fun factor, right? After all, the needs have been minimized from before.

Like in other Sims games, characters can interact with others, have relationships, get married, Woo Hoo, and have kids. While this was a key aspect in the previous games, I can’t help but feel it’s not worth it. Why? Characters don’t age and kids don’t grow up! Leaving that aside, another interesting interaction is the duel. Yes, Sims can get killed in this game. What I really enjoyed was the Knight throwing down his glove to throw a challenge, staying so true to the Medieval times.

A duel, sir.

Now let’s talk about you, the Watcher, or the “God” controlling everything. As a revolutionary twist, your Sims have a new religion mechanism. There are two religions, and based on what you do to influence one or the other, Sims will deviate from Agnosticism to your preferred one. I thought this was a brilliant mechanism to introduce in The Sims Medieval, because religion did play an integral role in Medieval society. This brings us to just how much freedom do you have in building. Sadly, it’s darn limited. You can customize walls and interior décor as before, but you can’t build your own castles. This was such a disappointment for me. However, it’s a minor issue for most gamers who aren’t interested in building anyway.

Is The Sims Medieval worth buying? That really depends. If you had stopped playing The Sims series a long time ago, now might be a good time to pick this up and remember all the good times, since this game is as hilarious as ever with an innovative scenario and medieval quests that stay true to the historical period. If you are a control freak who enjoys testing the limits of the game, then this might not be the right Sims game for you. Overall, The Sims Medieval is a fun game, but might not cater to all gamers.

Does Crysis 2 look gorgeous? No. It’s beyond that. The graphics is just so vivid, so lush, so cinematic, it will have you gaping at the environment more than the action at hand. I can safely say that Crysis 2 will be the benchmark for any upcoming games when it comes to comparing visuals. New York looks amazing in the world of Crysis, perhaps even better than real life. As you wade through debris and ruin of famous landmarks, you won’t be able to help but feel like you are in a Hollywood movie. To accentuate the stunning visuals, the music and sound will augment the immersion. Every gunshot will feel real, the fluid sound of your nanosuit unleashing powers will send shivers. If you have surround sound headphones or speakers, all the better, because the surround sound of this game is very precise and will set your heart racing in many instances.

The story might be a bit hard to follow. To be honest, most people probably won’t even care, what with the amazing presentation. But the intense sci-fi story helps to move the game forward, with snippets of emails and recordings here and there helping fill in the gaps. Aliens are invading, and you are a one man army armed with the Nanosuit to stop total destruction.

The Nanosuit is perhaps the defining element of Crysis. Everything you do in Crysis stems from the Nanosuit, whether it is switching weapons or changing options of the game, which gives it a very lucid feel, almost as if you are walking in a real world. This definitely does intensify the thrill of the run. The Nanosuit comes with three abilities, which actually shape how you play the game. Thankfully, all three of these aspects are fleshed out so nicely that it is possible to finish each playthrough with only one type of game style.

First, and my favorite style, is the Stealth mode. With the Stealth mode, you become semi-invisible and can silently take down enemies. It’s so much fun finishing an area without raising an alarm whatsoever, but it is definitely challenging. Next, we have Strength, which, as the name suggests, is about all out action; increased damage and speed allows you to blitz through the warzone and clear enemies with raw violence. Finally, there’s the Armor mode that makes you a walking tank, almost. The variations of play style of these three modes are refreshing and increase the replay value.

As you progress, you can upgrade your weapons and Nanosuit with additional powers and stats, which is typical of most shooters these days. But it’s the different special powers of the Nanosuit that sets Crysis 2 apart. How you balance these powers and how you use them will have you replaying this short game over and over again.

The enemy AI is smart, but in rare few instances, you might stumble upon enemies that won’t move or will blindly walk into you. Don’t let these events bog you down, because chances are, you might not even encounter these.

Finally, Crysis 2 comes with a multiplayer, which offers much more game time beyond the short campaign. Like in the CoD games, you can purchase new weapon modification and Nanosuit powers as you earn experience by playing more and more games. Unlike other shooters, Crysis 2 multiplayer is fast paced and is often intensely determined by barraging Nanosuit powers flying all over the place. While the multiplayer does feel slightly unbalanced at this stage, patches will hopefully fix the issues. Otherwise, I don’t see this becoming competitive, despite the exciting and enjoyable action it offers.

If you are a fan of shooters, sci-fi genre, or any video games in general, Crysis 2 is a must have. This game has everything. Beautiful landscapes of New York City in ruins, awesome Nanosuit powers and futuristic weapons, a subtle plot, and sheer awesomeness makes Crysis 2 one of the best games of this year so far.

The first great thing about Brotherhood is the fact that Ezio is back. I might be in the minority, but I found Ezio in AC II to be a much better developed and likable character than Altair in the original game. The story of Brotherhood picks up from the second game, where you had assassinated Rodrigo Borgia. His son, Cesare Borgia, is now back for blood and decimates the villa in Monteriggioni, leaving Ezio broke and desperate. No more is it a personal vendetta of one assassin. Ezio is now a leader of assassins, and the scale of this struggle has escalated. To take down Cesare Borgia, you now have to slink through the city of Rome itself.

That brings us to the graphics of Brotherhood. It isn’t much different from the previous game, which is a good thing. AC II had amazingly gorgeous graphics, and Brotherhood boasts the same, with towering vistas, busy markets, labyrinthine citadels, and, wait for it, the Coliseum (and yes, you can climb it)! Rome feels so alive in this game, with people going about their daily routine and arguing when you bump into them. The view of Rome becomes even more glorious as you climb the Towers of Borgia. Heck, if there’s architecture, you can climb it. The character models are top notch and the movement and fluidity of the characters appear seamless as ever. While it isn’t a huge leap from the last game, the graphics quality of Brotherhood is still way ahead than in most games.

The sound and music in the Assassin’s Creed series has always been thematic and fitting. It hasn’t changed with the latest installment. Music is true to the feel of Rome and changes depending on whether there is action going on or not. Voice acting is great as usual, with the characters delivering their dialogue with finesse (Leonardo Da Vinci is still my favorite character). Overall, the graphics and sound help deliver a nice cinematic game.

Let’s talk about the new mechanisms. The first one, and most important one, is the ability to call down your apprentice Assassins to take down enemies. This is so much fun to do, and makes you feel like you are finally in control of the Assassin’s Creed. As you take down more Borgia Towers, you earn more slots to take in apprentice Assassins. But don’t get too attached to them, because they can die. It’s really fun when you are surrounded by enemies by with a simple button click, you are no longer alone, and all hell breaks loose. Glorious!

Next, we have improved combat. You have new weapons (unlocked by taking down more Borgia Towers) and combo maneuvers in battle. There are so many combos and animations that it’s fun to try them all. Again, touches like these make you feel like you are in true control of Ezio. One thing I didn’t particularly enjoy was the crossbow. I feel it made the game feel easier than it should be, and took away the thrill of creeping up to an enemy from behind and slicing is throat with your concealed blade. Of course, purists will still use this method, but new gamers might be detracted from using this novelty.

Finally, let’s discuss the main hype of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – Multiplayer. Does it live up? Thankfully yes. Unlike other multiplayer games, this one stays true to its title, because you have to act like an Assassin to win games. It’s not about head up confrontations where assassins duel to the death. Multiplayer is about human players hiding from and hunting each other. Sounds intense? It is. Just wait till you think you found your prey when they suddenly blend in with the crowd and come at you from behind. Or when you think you have them, but apparently all the people around him look like him. The multiplayer in AC II rewards players for staying true to an Assassin’s style, and I found it amazingly fresh and exciting. While it might not be competitive, it’s still a hell lot of fun.

Fans of the previous games will notice that I’ve left out the modern aspect of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Everything in the game happens through Desmond, a guy in our modern time whose locked memories in the DNA are unveiled through the Animus. Templars are trying to find you and hunt the Assassin’s Creed down. Gameplay shifts between the modern time and Roman time. While it is an interesting approach, one that has been used throughout the series, personally I couldn’t find myself caring much for Desmond. I love Ezio, and the wonderful Roman world he assassinates through. Let’s leave it at that. But the sub plot of Desmond will interest a lot of purists, certainly.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood doesn’t offer a lot of new features for casual gamers. But for hardcore fans of the series like me, you can never get enough of Assassin’s Creed. For newer gamers, this is definitely a must have simply for the sheer fun of the gameplay and cinematic presentation. Overall, I’d recommend everyone to try this game out. You won’t be disappointed. Let the assassinations begin.

Enough history lesson. Dragon Age 2 is nothing short of amazing. It’s not entirely stainless, however. Read on.

The game begins with a cinematic of dark room, a Seeker named Cassandra and one of Hawke’s companions, the dwarf Varric. Cassandra seeks knowledge about Hawke and we’re taken upon a hill where Hawke is with his sibling (gender dependent on Hawke’s class), and you’re given the basic points of combat through higher level abilities (which you must unlock by leveling up). A dragon appears and the game flashes forward to Varric again. Cassandra demands the truth and all that Varric knows, and the dwarf starts his story anew from the start – the true behind the Champion.

Hawke and his family eventually end up in Kirkwall where Hawke’s mother says they have family and an estate. Unfortunately, things aren’t as pleasant as they’d hope. The city is in chaos, and refugees are coming in from all over the place, and no one is able to get in. With the help of Hawke’s uncle and some shady business, they’re able to get in. However, the cost is servitude to either a mercenary or a smuggler for a year. And that’s when you start making your own fortune.

Like most RPGs, you can either play as male or female.

Perhaps one of the finer points of the game is its dialogue system. It’s similar to what Mass Effect had, a wheel, with 6 options on each; with investigate typically on the centerleft one and devoted to the right side from top down are kindly responses, humorous responses or aggressive responses. There isn’t any alignment system involved, so you’re free to choose whatever dialogue option you wish. Sometimes, you DO want to scream at that idiot who got someone killed, and to be able to do so knowing it won’t affect your avatar’s connection to the good/evil side is liberating.

Combat is much, much more fast paced than before which is a really good improvement. Whether you’re a rogue or a mage, you won’t find yourself standing around waiting for your turn to attack. There’s always the choice of pausing the game to issue orders, or you can take part in it actively, moving from one enemy to next, slicing, dicing and fireballing your way to victory. Warriors are adept at doing devastating damage to his enemies, while rogues are great at taking down individual opponents and though they have weaker damages their attack speed makes up for it. Mages are good at disabling and destroying enemies, buffing and healing allies, or there’s always the choice of mix and match.

Each class are presented with five or more talent trees, with 9 for Hawk (three of them being specialization class, a point each at level 7 and level 14). Each tree has a number of abilities with possible upgrades to some of them. How you build your character is up to you, and remember to choose your abilities wisely as you don’t want to mess up your character and start from the beginning all over again. Focus on one or two trees (perhaps one of the usual trees and a specialization?), though it is possible to start on a third tree if you were going for more than a casual gameplay doing almost as many quests as possible.

Hawke will meet a variety of companions along the way, and an interesting move from Bioware, it’s possible for a romance to kindle between almost all of them (barring Varric and Hawke’s sibling). A good move, in my opinion, catering to all audiences. Companions engage in chatter with each other while roaming revealing a little more about the characters each time. Conversations between Hawke and his friends can only be initiated at that particular character’s ‘homebase’ – for example, Varric will hang around the Hanged Man (no pun intended), and Merril, her home at the Elven Alienage. Check your journal for notifications for when one of your companions wish to talk.

A mildly annoying bossfight against a rock monster.

Most of the game happens in the city of Kirkwall and Sundermount mountain, aside from a trip or two outside, like in the Deep Roads. One would think you’d feel a trifle stifled having to be in the same place. In fact, you DO, a little. But not of the city. The city itself is interesting enough, with plenty of groups at play. There’s the mages, there are the Chantry and its Templar Order, there’s the Qunari, the Elves, the guardsmen, the nobles, the thieves and what have you not. The political friction between most of these group are rough, specially between the Qunari and pretty much every one else. Stranded in Kirkwall for years, waiting for a ship to get them home, the denizens of Kirkwall are, needless to say, at unease, knowing little to nothing about these giant humanoids with horns. Fear is a terrible thing, and so is zealotry. Neither of which, including the combination of both, are a good sign. And thrown into all of this are Hawke and his friends.

Where you DO feel stifled are the dungeons where a lot of your quests take place. It’ll almost always take place in the same (looking?) dungeon, whether it is a cave or a hideout, and this can make you think twice about where you are. Do all the different villains hang out at the same place? But this is a minor flaw in an otherwise flawless and polished game.

The graphics are simply brilliant, facial expressions, environment, spell effects and all. The city is beautifully designed broken down into many districts such as Lowtown, Hightown, Darktown, Docks and so on. Each of them exhibit the proper atmosphere. Darktown, where all the beggars and those stuck in poverty live, looks like what it should look. Dark, dingy and a place where you’re sure you’d get mugged walking alone. Hightown looks the exact opposite – bright, shining and rich, home to the merchants, the brothel, the estates and viscount’s place. Even with the great graphics, DA2 is optimized well enough that it wouldn’t take a powerhouse of a video card to run on more than decent settings.

Can't have Dragon Age without them dragons.

Voice acting in the game is one of its strongpoints. Merril is adorable in her cute rambling way, Fenris is fierce and a cynic, Varric is witty and fun – Bioware chose some of the better talents out there, that’s for sure. The soundtrack doesn’t leave as much of an impact as you’d like, but it does the job. Sound effects, though, are really neat. When your rogue lacerates enemies with vicious quick strikes, the sound of slicing and dicing will be sure to satisfy. The same goes for the Warrior’s powerful strikes and the Mage’s laying of devastation.

The game takes place during the course of ten years, with whatever decisions you make early in the game having some form of consequences later on. Rescuing a fledgling mage in the beginning will find you having to decide whether to make him tranquil later on. Compassionate or aggressive, whatever choice you make, you’ll often find yourself face to face with the actions of your past.

Dragon Age 2 is a deep, enthralling game worthy of being called an RPG. Like all of Bioware’s games, despite a kink or two, DA2 is still a polished diamond – a thoroughly enjoyable game with proper depth, a proper story and script, great character customization and intuitive fun gameplay. This is definitely one of the games of this year.

Once again, the protagonist’s sister is in trouble, where Gandohar and once again he has to save her. Gandohar has been using the force inside his sister for power. The game starts from the point where you have to escape (both the siblings were captured), with the help of a few friendly orcs. Gandohar  is, of course, up to no good and it falls upon our protagonist to do what he can to save everyone.

Perhaps one of the most unrefined part of the game is its gameplay mechanics. The controls feel wonky, and rough, and the camera moves weird. This does not provide a consistently fun experience. Combat is alright with some oddities such as the fact that you can’t seem to move backward. Basic attacks, blocks, counter attacks, block breakers are all part of combat. Alternatively you can build your character towards a ranged or a mage orientation. With ranged, it’s possible to shoot more than 1 target at the same time, and perhaps one of the more fun aspects of the game is spell customization. Using different spell cards, you can combine a number of those to create spells as required by your needs.

Riding horses can always be fun.

The graphics are actually pretty nice. Character models are pretty good, and the environment, specially out in the open green, looks really nice. The dark, dank dungeons and murky swamps are just as well designed and visualized – places you don’t want to be. Animations are smooth, and it’s probably the cutscenes where the visuals really come out at you – you’ll be treated to some really cool action sequences early on.

Combat is not as satisfying as it should be. Though it does give you a sense of impact, it lacks that certain punch that you’d want to hear and feel when you’re hacking off enemies. The same goes for magic spells and ranged attacks. But it’s the dialogues where the game gets a little sketchy. The voice acting does not sound very realistic, rather a little fake and lacking emotion. This can put you off from getting immersed into the story, but if you can look beyond that you may find some things you like. If you’re the picky sort when it comes to voice acting, you may not find yourself being pulled into the story very well.

Overexpansiveness isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes, you want simple uncomplicated mechanism instead of extensive character customization. But for those who enjoy having a lot of choices in character customization will find that Two Worlds 2 has plenty of that to offer.

If you’re in the mood to slay monsters, cast a wide variety of spells while travelling through different visually appealing areas, then Two Worlds 2 might just be your cup of tea, if you can overlook the wonky camera/controls and bad voice acting.