@thrice00 If friendly fire IS (in some way shape or form) available for you to select, how is the ENTIRE system broken? At least you have it at all. Do you really need varying levels of enemies while at the same time play a little "hand my party their own arse"? Dunno how you play, but I found it to be more challenging with companion's tactics turned off... Not only more control, but actually a bit more difficult. To each their own, I guess... @Dynamo11 Did you even play it? If so, did you play it all the way through? If you didn't play it, you probably don't deserve an opinion. If you did and quit 'cause you didn't like it... then hey, man... my apologies. If, however, you DID play it all the way through then, I gotta ask: Why? (If you hated it that much). And, to address the general griping... When are people going to realize that you just can't satisfy EVERYONE all of the time? Just goes to show you... "It's so much easier to gripe and complain than it is to find the positive in something". Constructive criticism, I get, but complaining just to complain... never understood that (and yeah, I get that I'm being a little hypocritical, because I'm complaining about complaining). A prime example of constructive criticism ('cause it's meant to be BOTH pro and con): Take a look at the post by "Oni" below... "Loved" vs. "Hated". Good points.
@_T-Gunn_ You have a very valid point... There probably wouldn't be as much negativity if it was outside the "Dragon Age" saga... But (and you had to know it was coming), as fans of BioWare, we've all come to expect a certain level of "greatness" with their games. While, in my opinion this game is a solid "B+", and I AM enjoying it, there are just some basic RPG-related elements that are missing as well as glaring short-cutting in place (namely the recycling of maps over and over) that won't allow a lot of folks -- myself included -- to give it an "A". Mind you, there are a lot of pro's to the game, too... It's beautiful, the combat system is fun and engaging and the quests, interactions with your companions and voice-acting are all really good. But, regardless of the title/saga, this is a Bioware game... one of the few companies who "get it" when it comes to RPG's, and maybe we all just have our expectations set a little high.
All-in-all, taking a devil's advocate approach... Lack of Interaction with NPC's - Love this with vendors! Do we REALLY need to repeatedly go through five lines of repetitive diatribe, just to get to the buy/sell UI? Nah... I'm a typical guy, so I prefer "shopping" in game the same way I actually would: "Get in, get what I need and get the hell out". No Companion Customization - While it does suck (bummed "junking" a potential great armor for Fenris), it IS more realistic. In DA:O (& every other RPG), how does the chainmail my dwarf was wearing also fit the Qunari? Boots once on an elf, now fit a human? "Silver-lining" kind of perspective: this lack gives a sense of uniqueness to each companion. Each has his/her own special look. At least you can add upgrades, right? Companions are Stale, Compared to DA:O - WHAT? Isabella, Varric and Merrill are great! Fenris plays his part perfectly... a bitter, stoic, pain. The random banter between them is just as good as DA:O, which makes up for other short-comings. Sure, a little lacking compared to the original, but it IS enjoyable. \$60 worth of enjoyable? Debatable. And, I do understand the complaints. While some think different, I feel that the "console-ification" of gaming is deadening the market. Too many proverbial hands held up for instant gratification, and as quickly as they can get it (why the FPS is STILL the most popular genre on the market) But, then again... that's just one man's OPINION.
@deadkingdg Nail on the head... "Wait a minute, isn't this the same cave I explored on the Wounded Coast... and beneath Dark Town... and on Sundermount?" It's gotten to the point that I know beforehand exactly where the enemies/monsters are going to be in each room of a cave, and it just adds to the repetition. C'mon BioWare at least a little diversity in the maps, eh?
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