Five Improvements for Dragon Age II

The editors at GameZone have outlined five improvements they’d like to see in Dragon Age II, including improved graphics, combat enhancements, better romance options, more thoroughly explored themes, and a sense of urgency. Personally, I’m not a fan of time limits:

Dragon Age: Origins has, in my opinion, an excellent storyline. The main arc is torn straight from the book of fantasy clichés, as are most of the side arcs. What elevates this material is how BioWare approach it both seriously, which it needs to be believable, but also with a kind of self-knowing: an acceptance that the material is largely derivative. Combine this with an absurd amount of background information on the world of Ferelden, and this is one of the most immersive stories you’ll play.

Unfortunately, and this is a problem with many (open world) games: Despite the narrative telling you the end of the world is fast approaching, you’re still able to wander around aimlessly, completing irrelevant quests. A time limit could help this, and would also encourage repeat playthroughs if you simply don’t have time to complete all quests the first time. However, early reports that suggest the game will span a full decade mean this probably won’t be the case. There should also be no problem with urgency!