Dragon Age: PC or Xbox?

  I am getting this game but the problem I am having is whether to get it on the Xbox or on the PC?  Normally, if the game was on both systems, I would opt to get it on the Xbox because of the multiplay and I could count on a larger group of friends and family to play with.  It is my understanding that this game is single player anyways.  I like playing on my big screen but then I have to compete with my wife and kids to get on at times whereas I am king on my PC in my home office.  I also like getting those Xbox acheivements.  If I bought it on Steam, I could be playing tonight rather than having to hunt for it tommorrow in gaming stores.  What is everyone else's preferences.  I'm thinking of pre-ordering within the next couple of hours on steam to get the bonus items.  I also got some many games I am playing too - Borderlands with my son, War in the East Alpha, and a ton of others that I haven't even gotten into.  Its Tuesday and this will be the toughest decision I make this week lol.
 
Trey

PC!
 
One can never get enough of good PC.

It is better to die by a swords quick thrust than to be impaled for a lifetime upon the sharp tongue of a woman.
-Grim Jack

According to the review that Gamespot just put up (so maybe take some comments with a grain of salt) the PC version gives the best experience, followed by PS3 and then X360.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/dragonage/review.html?tag=topslot;title;1

Without question PC.  There is modders tool set being released the PC version which will add a hugh amount of player made content.  That alone is a +10000000000000000 for the PC version.

^Didn't even know about the modding tools but I am with Bison (again) on this one. PC fo' sho :)

Also you may want to try to wait a few days for GoGamer to release it's Import (I) copies...usually those can be had for about US 35.00, a nice savings and the difference between an (I) copy and a regular US hard copy is typically nil. I posted this info in the other Dragon Age thread too...it's what I usually try to do with new releases.

Just remember kids, when you need something wholesome and innocent like Sesame Street twisted into something sick and perverted - I'm just a phone call away.

-HR

  Thanks for posting the review, Shelldrake.  That is exactly what I wanted to know so it looks like I'm off to pre-order with Steam.  Modding tools and better control look to be better on the PC and plus I can be playing it tonight.  On a side note, I just realize that I haven't bought a boxed PC game in almost a year.  Thanks for all that posted.  I loved the Baldur's Gate series and this one looks pretty damn good.
 
Trey

Any game that comes with a powerful editor you should get for the PC just so you can use and play mods.

Small correction: if you'd buy it on Steam, you can play it on Friday, not today. Well, the Deluxe version anyway.
 
1up and Eurogamer also have reviews up.
 
The Eurogamer review states that the world feels somewhat bland, and unfinished in a way, as if Bioware crafted an entire new world but left it fairly empty in spirit.
 
Personally, I don't think that's an entirely fair comment. Baldur's Gate was a great success partially due to its D&D system. People knew what to expect. People would read the information contained in books and the such because they knew the world. As soon as the game was installed, the player had a virtual Player's Handbook and a virtual D&D campaign book on their PC.
 
If I'd want to, I could also reduce BG's story to "you're a Bhaalspawn, you kill another Bhaalspawn and then the game ends with an enormous cliffhanger in the shape of a cutscene indicating that there are huge numbers of Bhaalspawn", and BG 2's story to "you're still a Bhaalspawn, some maniac captured you because you were a Bhaalspawn prior to the beginning of the game, surprise! Imoen is also a Bhaalspawn, you kill some more Bhaalspawn, the trilogy doesn't really end but it ends".
For Mass Effect and Dragon Age Origins, an entirely new fantasy world had to be created, so naturally the history behind it might be a bit "stiff". The history was written by a handful of people in about 5 years, any country/place with 5 years worth of history doesn't have a lot of history.
 
The comments about the bland architecture probably have to do with the influence of Neverwinter Nights, where the environment was 3D but many walls or caves were copies of others. Of course, you missed much of the charm of NWN unless you used "examine" on everybody to begin with, as the characters were also pretty bland in appearance.
 
Considering that, for a fantasy RPG, a comment that the world is a bit shallow is rather serious, I think it's a testament to the quality of the game that Eurogamer still give at an 8 out of 10.
 
It is worth noting that other reviewers stress that the world is pretty convincing enough.
 
BTW ghostryder: the reviews do state that you can micromanage your party of 4, so in that regard it's influenced by the BG series instead of the NWN series.

Just bought it for PC at the local gamespot. "Did you reserve a copy", "No jackass, now give me the game ,I see it right there", "well sir your lucky we got some extra copies in".

 
 

^At least he called you Sir.

Just remember kids, when you need something wholesome and innocent like Sesame Street twisted into something sick and perverted - I'm just a phone call away.

-HR

bboyer66


Just bought it for PC at the local gamespot. "Did you reserve a copy", "No jackass, now give me the game ,I see it right there", "well sir your lucky we got some extra copies in".

 
LOL, yeah, I got the same thing for the Xbox version... Like you didn't order a ton of extra for a game you KNEW was going to sell huge.   "Oh, I'm sorry, if you don't have enough I can go across the street to Wal-Mart."
 
I got the Xbox version, but I'm somewhat regretting it because of the potential user-made stuff.   If it turns out a year from now that there is a lot of quality user-made content, I'll buy it for the PC too.    I've just gotten where I prefer the controller to the keyboard for a lot of games, even shooters amazingly enough.    I have a new PC that would play it flawlessly now too, so that made the decision even harder.
 
The camera issue also kind of worried me also, but I enjoyed Mass Effect on the Xbox, so I think I'll be OK.

bboyer66


Just bought it for PC at the local gamespot. "Did you reserve a copy", "No jackass, now give me the game ,I see it right there", "well sir your lucky we got some extra copies in".

And Boyer responds, "no twerp, your lucky you got extra copies!"

It is better to die by a swords quick thrust than to be impaled for a lifetime upon the sharp tongue of a woman.
-Grim Jack

No, at that point Bboyer drove an Abrams into the storage area, picked up a copy, placed ~60 dollars on the floor and drove back home.
 
Oh, and during the conversion earlier, bayonetbrant appeared in a cameo role to say that it's "you're" and not "your".

My vote for PS3.  No compatbility, driver, or disk space issues going with the console version.  Also Amazon has various coupons and discounts that makes the price reasonable as well. 

My Dell XPS2 is somewhat outdated as well, so it may not even be able to play Dragon Age, makes the decision easy for me ;-)

  Steam says it was released at 10:19 this morning ...
 

ComradeP


Small correction: if you'd buy it on Steam, you can play it on Friday, not today. Well, the Deluxe version anyway.
 
1up and Eurogamer also have reviews up.
 
The Eurogamer review states that the world feels somewhat bland, and unfinished in a way, as if Bioware crafted an entire new world but left it fairly empty in spirit.
 
Personally, I don't think that's an entirely fair comment. Baldur's Gate was a great success partially due to its D&D system. People knew what to expect. People would read the information contained in books and the such because they knew the world. As soon as the game was installed, the player had a virtual Player's Handbook and a virtual D&D campaign book on their PC.
 
If I'd want to, I could also reduce BG's story to "you're a Bhaalspawn, you kill another Bhaalspawn and then the game ends with an enormous cliffhanger in the shape of a cutscene indicating that there are huge numbers of Bhaalspawn", and BG 2's story to "you're still a Bhaalspawn, some maniac captured you because you were a Bhaalspawn prior to the beginning of the game, surprise! Imoen is also a Bhaalspawn, you kill some more Bhaalspawn, the trilogy doesn't really end but it ends".
For Mass Effect and Dragon Age Origins, an entirely new fantasy world had to be created, so naturally the history behind it might be a bit "stiff". The history was written by a handful of people in about 5 years, any country/place with 5 years worth of history doesn't have a lot of history.
 
The comments about the bland architecture probably have to do with the influence of Neverwinter Nights, where the environment was 3D but many walls or caves were copies of others. Of course, you missed much of the charm of NWN unless you used "examine" on everybody to begin with, as the characters were also pretty bland in appearance.
 
Considering that, for a fantasy RPG, a comment that the world is a bit shallow is rather serious, I think it's a testament to the quality of the game that Eurogamer still give at an 8 out of 10.
 
It is worth noting that other reviewers stress that the world is pretty convincing enough.
 
BTW ghostryder: the reviews do state that you can micromanage your party of 4, so in that regard it's influenced by the BG series instead of the NWN series.

That's why I added "Well, the Deluxe version anyway", as I have to wait until Friday.

Ah, I was just reading the forums and people are absolutely livid that the US version was released on Steam today but Europeans have to wait until the 6th.  I just hope I can at least get it downloaded before I go to bed tonight so I can try the Deluxe version.
 

ComradeP


That's why I added "Well, the Deluxe version anyway", as I have to wait until Friday.

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/dragonageorigins

The above is a link to 16 DA reviews.  I read several reviews and the Eurogamer review quoted above seems to be something of an outlier.  Not just that Eurogamer gives it an 80, which is one of only two reviews that give it below a 90, but that stuff about the bland world that you don't get a real sense of is directly contradicted by several of the other reviews.

Full disclosure: I am something of a Bioware fanboi, but who isn't?  Anyway, that's really not what's motivating me here.  Fanboi or no, i've got no incentive to try to advocate that people hold a certain view or anything like that.

glen55

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/dragonageorigins

The above is a link to 16 DA reviews.  I read several reviews and the Eurogamer review quoted above seems to be something of an outlier.  Not just that Eurogamer gives it an 80, which is one of only two reviews that give it below a 90, but that stuff about the bland world that you don't get a real sense of is directly contradicted by several of the other reviews.

I don't know, but everyone gushed what a wonderful SciFi world Mass Effect is, and personally I've never gotten what all the excitement was about. And I like Mass Effect - I just don't think the setting or story is anything special. The setting in that game also fails to evoke a massive galaxy (especially in the "world-size" Citadel space station which is terribly cramped considering its description...). Given Bioware's lack of ability to vow me in this respect in the past, my expectations are not very high for DA.

But then again, I didn't find the Eurogamer review to be particularly harsh (comparing scores is pointless). I thought he was very fair in pointing out both things that he feels works well in the game atmospherically (Denerim) in addition to the less good parts.

/Strategy
Designer/Developer, The Imperium Project

I pretty much agree, Strategy, that the Eurogamer review is worth reading.  It's only that one bit that s/he dwelt on somewhat, i.e., a non-convincing world, that I didn't see the reviewer supporting real convincingly and that contradicts several other reviews.
 
I also did not find the mass effect universe all that well developed.  Although the actual "mass effect" idea was quite intriguing, and did a good job of explaining the sci-magic that went on, the whole specter/alliance thing was kind of thin and hinted at this "need for a rogue hero" idea without really exploring it.  Also, the cycles of past history idea was a great concept that didn't get fully developed (ME II maybe?).
 
KOTOR is another story.  I found that universe compelling indeed and I consider that story the very best one I know in the Star Wars canon (which to me includes all the movies plus 3 or 4 novels).  When the big plot twist happened (the first time i played, that is) it threw me for a loop, and I actually had to quite playing for a bit to ponder on things. 
 
Given that Bioware spent more time developing Dragon Age than any other - and not because it was late, either, but just because they always planned to develop it for years - I'm maintaining some skepticism about the "not a living world" aspect of the review.