[Translation] Preview of the DLC "Legacy" from rockpapershotgun.com
Expansion for "Dragon Age II": Better, Tougher, More
Mark Wallace
The release of "Dragon Age II: Legacy" on July 26th is the first real chance for "Bioware" to respond to all the criticism many of you (yes, you) directed at it after the launch of the original "Dragon Age II". Some fans of "Dragon Age: Origins" were particularly upset, believing that the second installment was not a worthy successor to the original. Perhaps you highlighted points like "weak opponents" in your opinion on "Dragon Age II". Maybe you pointed out "monotonous battles". Or even "dreary dialogues" and "the linearity of the plot." In any case, many of you had a lot to say. And the game on "Facebook," "Dragon Age Legends," likely didn't do much to please you.
So here’s some good news: the lead producer of "Dragon Age," Fernando Melo, has read all of these reviews and came here to tell you — well, he recently came to "EA" to tell me — that he heard your opinion.
"After the launch of 'Dragon Age II', we had to take a hard look at it to analyze the reviews and understand what needed improvement," Melo said. He cautioned that the scope of changes in a single DLC is limited, but hopes that "people won’t see this as everything we've done in response to their feedback, but understand that this is just the first step toward addressing specific issues."
Is he nervous before the release of the DLC? "Good question," Melo said (although, clearly not good enough to answer directly), - "if a player expects this particular DLC to fix all the flaws — whatever they may consider flaws — then they will surely be disappointed. If a player liked "Dragon Age II," then they will definitely enjoy the DLC. If the player loves the story and world of "Dragon Age," I believe they will also really enjoy "Legacy." But if a player wasn't very fond of "Dragon Age II," yet is still willing to give it a second chance and evaluate it impartially — I think such a player will be pleasantly surprised. I hope so."
"Of course, there are also people who probably wanted "Dragon Age: Origins II," rather than "Dragon Age II"; but we aren’t going to do anything about that," Melo added. "This DLC won’t help them."
One of the main issues that was addressed in "Legacy": "People wanted more tactics in battles, so they had to use abilities more and utilize their companions more effectively," Melo said. As a result, darkspawn and other enemies in "Legacy" will not simply spawn in front of the player or "crawl out of walls"; they are pre-placed to make battles more interesting, introducing ambushes. Players, according to Melo, "enter their territory, which they know like the back of their hand. They are at a disadvantage. The advantage is on the enemy’s side."
Among the enemies that will no longer crawl out of walls are not only new darkspawn but also improved versions of creatures from "Origins." "We’ve brought back many traditional foes from the Deep Roads, including deep stalkers, brontos, and a couple of surprises," Melo commented. Melo's team demonstrated a live demo version where Hawke and his companions encountered an alpha genlock with new gear (a gigantic shield he apparently earned after about two hundred hours playing on "Facebook") and utilizing the environment better (or at least more diversely) than the somewhat straightforward enemies from "Dragon Age II."
Melo stated that completing the main quest will take about two and a half to three hours. However, those who dislike linearity can rejoice: according to Fernando, "what’s cool about this DLC is that it has a ton of additional side quests and new locations, and there are a couple of Easter eggs as well. We decided to work on this following your feedback." In total, all of this gives "Legacy" about five hours for full completion, depending on your puzzle-solving skills and willingness to revisit completed areas. "We hope that the plot will engage people, that they will want to learn more about Hawke's father and other interesting things," Melo said. "We know that most fans love to explore locations, to rummage through every corner, so we worked on that."
Though Melo does not believe that size matters, both he and the "EA" representatives I spoke with emphasized that "Legacy" is "the biggest DLC we’ve made since the full expansion for ‘Origins’ and the first major story DLC for ‘Dragon Age II’.” The narrative of "Legacy" reveals Hawke's past, especially his relationship with his beloved dad Malcolm, and why Hawke became the main hero of the second part. It all comes down to blood.
At the heart of "Legacy's" main plot is an ancient and powerful darkspawn that is so foul that the Grey Wardens have kept it locked away for millennia. "Hawke kind of makes his way to the center of all the chaos and realizes that his blood is an important part of what is happening," Melo told me. Of course, blood magic was an important element in previous games in the series, but in "Legacy," blood magic, blood ties, and blood sausage (well, probably) will become the connecting link between darkspawn, Grey Wardens, and the Blight.
The main quest will take the player into the very heart of the Grey Wardens' prison, where they will encounter not only genlocks sitting on "Facebook" but also a new weapon enhancement system — doors that open with the player's beloved weapon are guarded by mini-bosses. Each door is controlled by a set of seals that provide different effects (damage increase, critical hit chance increase, and so on) to the dagger, bow, or whatever your Hawke carries. The combat system of "Dragon Age II" is clearly designed with an eye toward the future: these enhancements will stay with you beyond the DLC "Legacy," just as in the original game and future expansions.
When I asked Melo whether the release of this DLC is crucial for the series, he replied: "Not really crucial. We’re happy to provide fans with expansions. As long as they want them, we’ll keep making them. But of course, if people don’t like it, if the numbers show it, if the feedback reflects that, then we will reconsider our plans again before we approach the release of new DLC, or change something else. But "Dragon Age II" has paid off. We’ve attracted many new fans, even those who said, "You know, I struggled through Origins or couldn’t finish it, but I really enjoyed the second part." For now, they are our target audience. Many enjoyed "Dragon Age II," many want new adventures, and that is our target audience. But I hope we can also attract those who may have expected something different from the continuation but still want to give it a chance. I think they will see that we have already improved a lot and that we will continue to show them that we are on the right track, listening to them and making some changes."
"Those players who love the world of 'Dragon Age' will get a lot to savor, not just in terms of the main plot, but in terms of information about Malcolm Hawke, and they will be able to get to know more about what we've hinted at in 'Origins' and other DLCs," Melo added. "'Legacy' unveils many of the pillars on which 'Dragon Age' stands."
Unveil your pillar on July 26th, when "Dragon Age II: Legacy" is released. But not before. And not here. Please, do not.
Translation by the author.
Thanks for the provided material — Aliel.
Thanks for help with the glossary — Thinvesil and snowman.
Thanks for the support — Sinmara.