Dragon Age 2 details revealed

Dragon Age 2, the sequel to last year’s mega popular Dragon Age: Origins, has been confirmed to be on its way by developers Bioware. Dragon Age 2 will be hitting PCs, Xbox 360s and PS3s in March of 2011.

From the sounds of the press release, it may turn out to be fairly different from the traditional D+D stylings of the first in the series. According to the press release players will:

-Embark upon an all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make.
– Determine your rise to power from a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land.
– Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.
– Go deeper into the world of Dragon Age with an entirely new cinematic experience that grabs hold of you from the beginning and never lets go.
– Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style.

Plenty of people complained about Dragon Age: Origins lacklustre graphics (on home consoles at least) so a “new visual style” certainly sounds intriguing, but what of this “dynamic new combat”? The first game was a fairly strategic title, and veering away too much from that may well alienate some fans.

Even more startling is the news that there will only be one playable character to choose from; either a male or female human, just like with Mass Effect. One of the best parts of Dragon Age: Origins was the many different storylines to try out with multiple races, and the rich customisation options that allowed. Having only one character arc to write may mean Bioware offer a more directed storyline this time around, but it will also rub many players up the wrong way, especially those who like playing hairdresser with a dwarf character.