BioWare returns to its roots.
Gamespot stage show demo.
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IGN
1UP
Gamespot stage show demo.
...
IGN
As an old school Baldur's Gate fan, I'll get the key parts of what I saw, first. Dragon Age can be played two ways. For most of the demonstration, it had a Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic style of camera, where you watch from third-person as your character runs around the level. Conversations happen in Mass Effect style, with cinematic angles and cuts. However, the game features what is called a pause-and-play feature for combat, which lets you pause the game at any time and give orders to your squad. You can also pull the camera back to top-down point of view similar to that of Baldur's Gate. Zeschuk told us that you could play the game entirely from that angle, as well...
The combat system looks like a close-up Baldur's Gate style of combat, as you can pause the game at any time, give orders, and then unpause the game and watch the action unfold. What's important is using tactics. In this case, a shield bash to stun an opponent and then toggling assault, which orders up four rapid sword strikes. Magic effects the environment, so the heroes rushed into a trap with the floor covered in grease and the enemy lit it with fire. The elf magic user used a blizzard spell to extinguish the blaze. It's important to use teamwork and coordinate attacks, so you'll use pause-and-play quite a bit, just like in Baldur's Gate.
The combat system looks like a close-up Baldur's Gate style of combat, as you can pause the game at any time, give orders, and then unpause the game and watch the action unfold. What's important is using tactics. In this case, a shield bash to stun an opponent and then toggling assault, which orders up four rapid sword strikes. Magic effects the environment, so the heroes rushed into a trap with the floor covered in grease and the enemy lit it with fire. The elf magic user used a blizzard spell to extinguish the blaze. It's important to use teamwork and coordinate attacks, so you'll use pause-and-play quite a bit, just like in Baldur's Gate.
Graphically, the game looks incredibly detailed, right down to the blood that appears on your party members' armor after a fierce battle. The level shown -- involving a blond, long-haired protagonist urging his cohorts to light the beacon atop a large, walled city as orcs and other "darkspawn" attacked -- was certainly reminiscent of the various Lord of the Rings movies and games, but the inspiration here is much darker. "Traditional fantasy is brighter and sunny, with Hobbits dancing through the grass in a happy happy world," says Zeschuk. "The world of Dragon Age is tough, brutal, [and] gritty."
But really, breaking new ground is not what Dragon Age is about -- and the tactical use of party-based combos, a hallmark of the Baldur's Gate series, looks amazingly fun. We saw a mage drop a grease spell across the floor of a room, which then was lit up by the group's flaming weapons, causing a stunning conflagration that engulfed the enemies. In another spot, one party member paralyzed the baddies while his cohorts picked them off one by one. It's these tactical opportunities and multitudes of different combat possibilities that gave classic RPGs such depth and replayability, and Dragon Age looks to be a truly worthy of the tradition.
As for hints that ports of the game are planned for consoles, Zeschuk is realistic. "We're part of EA, and EA's a very multiplatform company," he says. "But we really do cater very carefully to the platform we build [it] for. We're thinking about it, and something's probably going to happen, but quite clearly, [Dragon Age] is a PC game."
But really, breaking new ground is not what Dragon Age is about -- and the tactical use of party-based combos, a hallmark of the Baldur's Gate series, looks amazingly fun. We saw a mage drop a grease spell across the floor of a room, which then was lit up by the group's flaming weapons, causing a stunning conflagration that engulfed the enemies. In another spot, one party member paralyzed the baddies while his cohorts picked them off one by one. It's these tactical opportunities and multitudes of different combat possibilities that gave classic RPGs such depth and replayability, and Dragon Age looks to be a truly worthy of the tradition.
As for hints that ports of the game are planned for consoles, Zeschuk is realistic. "We're part of EA, and EA's a very multiplatform company," he says. "But we really do cater very carefully to the platform we build [it] for. We're thinking about it, and something's probably going to happen, but quite clearly, [Dragon Age] is a PC game."
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