The main problem with D&D regarding the Vancian approach to spells (that you could only only learn X number a day) is that to convey fairness and balance they rendered magic fairly mundane. In Vances dying earth novels when someone gets hit with Prismatic spray, there’s no saving throw, there’s no 2D6 damage, instead there’s a pile of ash. The spells were devastatingly powerful, and their power had little to do with the prowess of the wielder save in how and when they used them.

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It took me about half of that hour to realize that you can zoom out from the default behind the shoulder camera to a standard RTS top-down mode, at which point the game becomes Baldur’s Gate 2, but with less D&D and a much better interface.

They’ve ditched the dull ’8 spells per day’ Vancian magic system that D&D used through 3rd edition, and replaced it with a more standard MP gauge. This means that a magic user no longer has to rely on weapons in combat except for those times when they really need to use one of their spells. They’re useful all the time.

In fact, every class has useful abilities, and their own unique role to play. I’d imagine you could play through the whole game playing just as the main character (at least on easy, the game’s pretty hard), and still have fun. But the game truly shines when you hit the space bar and set up orders. You can give orders, have your mage set traps at the feet of incoming enemies while the fighter protects the mage and the thief sneaks up behind them. It feels just like Baldur’s Gate (or even better, Freedom Force), except with a better interface and no Vancian magic.

The dialogue and story of the bit I played (the origin story for the Human Mage) was kind of disappointing, but only because it didn’t quite live up to the high standards of Mass Effect. It’s at roughly the same level of quality Bioware is known for (for better or worse), but it’s clear the focus is less cinematic than Mass Effect and more on the classic CRPG template of going into dungeons to kill monsters for loot. I’d even say Bioware is listening too much to their fans; I’d certainly prefer something other than a standard fantasy hero story.

Despite the horrible marketing, Dragon Age is very much a traditional CRPG. If you’re looking for a new generation of Baldur’s Gate, you’re going to be pleased. If you want innovation, Dragon Age isn’t going to break the mold; it’s just going to be yet another good fantasy CRPG. I’m sure I’ll have fun playing it for a good 40 hours.

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So it did! I can’t believe I forgot. Thanks. That brings back very fond memories of me and my brother sitting at the family computer 20 years or so ago.

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I don’t think anyones hating on Bioware, more that everyones a bit underwhelmed by what looks to be another slab of generic Fantasy.

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Then again, if you have to rely on your tie-in novels to sell the plot, story, and setting for you, maybe you shouldn’t be making plot, story, and setting focused games…?

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I didn’t play the BG games until 2005

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What’s that? Dragon Age? Oh yes, well of course it could be good but I just get this unsettling feeling that we’re all going to be horribly disappointed. I hope not, but none of the gameplay or the cutscenes or I’ve seen so far give me any kind of goosebumps. And they need to.

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Arx Fatalis is a close call. But other than that? I loved Arcanum for what it was, but it was no BG2, no sir.

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