After sinking more than 20 hrs in it. I still couldn't be sold on it for a handful of reasons.
Being an RPG I think it's fitting to start with the world. DA:O fantasy setting ebbs and flows in odd ways. The lore has some pretty interesting concepts like the politics between mages and templars, elven creation myths and more. Then you look at the world and all in all, it just looks like store-brand medieval fantasy. Most of what's interesting is crammed in codex entries that you get flooded with every time you venture into a new place, then it trickles until the next place etc...
Combat is something that I was waiting on, the tactical real-time system that was inherited from KOTOR is pretty good on paper. I specifically picked an elven mage to try and get the most of it. I can't say it's bad when I had some fun with it, but with how each location has a dungeon-ish area and difficult skirmishes require lots of pausing and ordering it turns to a slog, even more when you find only a few enemy types in each dungeon. Random encounter were much more fun than late dungeon battles.
The cast isn't very charming, even talking to them over campfire didn't draw much out of them, spontaneous banter between characters was the highlight and oddly it makes me feel left out of being able to have the same conversations with them. Since gaining their favor gives a bonus, you're discouraged from teasing or contesting them to get exciting responses.
To summarize DA:O, its elements are better than the total sum. Good lore with bad exposition and presentation, characters that react to each other more than new, interesting combat that is misappropriated. It's like the antithesis of a world like The Witcher, its parts aren't very remarkable yet they gell well and make up a superior sum.
Being an RPG I think it's fitting to start with the world. DA:O fantasy setting ebbs and flows in odd ways. The lore has some pretty interesting concepts like the politics between mages and templars, elven creation myths and more. Then you look at the world and all in all, it just looks like store-brand medieval fantasy. Most of what's interesting is crammed in codex entries that you get flooded with every time you venture into a new place, then it trickles until the next place etc...
Combat is something that I was waiting on, the tactical real-time system that was inherited from KOTOR is pretty good on paper. I specifically picked an elven mage to try and get the most of it. I can't say it's bad when I had some fun with it, but with how each location has a dungeon-ish area and difficult skirmishes require lots of pausing and ordering it turns to a slog, even more when you find only a few enemy types in each dungeon. Random encounter were much more fun than late dungeon battles.
The cast isn't very charming, even talking to them over campfire didn't draw much out of them, spontaneous banter between characters was the highlight and oddly it makes me feel left out of being able to have the same conversations with them. Since gaining their favor gives a bonus, you're discouraged from teasing or contesting them to get exciting responses.
To summarize DA:O, its elements are better than the total sum. Good lore with bad exposition and presentation, characters that react to each other more than new, interesting combat that is misappropriated. It's like the antithesis of a world like The Witcher, its parts aren't very remarkable yet they gell well and make up a superior sum.