While Dragon Age: The Veil Guard showed that BioWare can still produce quality RPGs, it cannot supplant Dragon Age 2 as the crown jewel of the franchise. DA2 is a unique game that stands out from others Dragon Age games, and which stands out from other fantasy RPGs in a broader sense.
Whether it’s a Western-style RPG like Dragon Ageor a JRPG, the genre tends to depict world quests and sweeping epicsfollowing heroes destined to save the world. DA2 followed a family simply reacting to dire circumstancespresenting an urban adventure with masterful characterization and world-building.
Dragon Age 2 showed a refugee point of view that sets it apart
Refugees are rarely the protagonists of fantasy RPGs
Some may argue Dragon Age: Guard of the Veil is superior to the other games in the franchise, and certainly presents a solid effort, showing those who were disappointed with Hymn and Mass Effect: Andromeda that there are still reasons to trust BioWare. Even so, does not have the uniqueness or grounded humanity of DA2a game that made Kirkwall feel lived in for its characters, and also for the player, for its 30 hour play time. Fantasy RPGs centered on quests to save the world or sinister conspiracies to uncover can be confusing, but Dragon Age 2 stays apart.
In Dragon Age: Origins The character’s background was very important, and the different character options made a significant difference to the experience. DA2 went in a different direction, with a distinct story to tellthat of one refugee and his family who fled their home to try and build a new life in the city of Kirkwall. This was a perfect accompaniment to the climactic and earth-shattering events of the first Dragon Age, showing the human cost of the Darkspawn invasion in a Origins could never. It begins with the Hawke family fleeing Darkspawn and then seeking refuge in Kirkwall.
However Dragon Age: Guard of the Veil It’s fantastically scary sometimes, The Blighted’s supernatural horror isn’t as thrilling as the real-world horrors the refugees facefighting fear, rejection and poverty. Dragon Age 2 and one of the few games to present this point of viewand it’s more moving than ever today. In the US there has been a rising tide of xenophobic sentiment, portraying refugees seeking asylum as dangerous invaders rather than sympathetic victims. Even after the Hawke family went through a terrible ordeal to reach the city of Kirkwall, they are initially denied access to the city.
The game depicts peaceful protests, attempts at diplomacy, as well as a rising tide of political violence in a way that few RPGs do.
From the perspective of Kirkwall’s guards and leadership, the city is already overcrowded and they see refugees as a source of crime and a strain on the city’s economy. They don’t try to empathize with refugees, people fleeing for their lives and simply trying to find a safe place to call home. The player’s actions give the Hawke family access to Kirkwall; many other refugees are not so lucky. Kirkwall has no interest in doing the right thing for altruistic reasons, the city opens its doors to those refugees who have something to offer.
Kirkwall was a character in Dragon Age 2, not just a location
The city and its people are their worst enemies
In Cyberpunk 2077 Night City has secrets and players become immersed in the high-tech megalopolis. The cyberpunk genre of literature has always highlighted the disparity between rich and poor in its dystopian futures. With the city of Kirkwall, DA2 showed the same contrasts, giving the fantasy genre a cyberpunk vibe. Kirkwall is full of people trying to survive. THE rich and powerful want to remain in positions of authoritythe poor want to improve their situation in life and Various political and ideological beliefs lead to bloody clashes. The city is incredibly real and vibrant.
Players see Hawke go from living in the slums, with an entire family crammed into a dilapidated house, to living in an opulent mansion in the upper part of the city. Missions routinely send Hawke to each of the city’s districts. The aesthetic differences between neighborhoods like Darktown and Lowtown, compared to The Gallows Courtyard and Hightown, are striking.
The differences between the people of Kirkwall are even more striking. Common topics, such as the desire for safety and security, are shared by all social strata of Kirkwall, but it means different things to different people. Those who live in Alienation experience life in a racially segregated ghetto.
Instead of a supernatural evil uniting different people against an external threat, Dragon Age 2 showed how simple intolerance can be as threatening as a demon lord.
The incredible companions in Dragon Age 2 highlight the many different perspectives within a city. Wizards like Anders and Merrill despise the templars’ overreach and abuse of magic users, while Fenris suffers from the trauma of unethical use of magic. Opportunists like Isabela and Varric are willing to break Kirkwall’s laws in search of profit.
Aveline sees the law as a necessity for stability and security, even when she is confronted with corruption in the ranks of the city’s peacekeeping forces. The game portrays peaceful protests, attempts at diplomacy, as well as a rising wave of political violencein a way that few RPGs do.
DA2 proved that bigger isn’t always better and other RPGs should take note
Epic missions to save the world are less memorable
Most role-playing video games strive for the greatest scope and scale possible. The immensity of the threats faced in the first Mass Effect game made it really difficult to see how the second game could raise the stakes. Instead of, Mass Effect 2 sought a more personal story of assembling a crew and risking self-sacrifice, and is fondly remembered for it. Dragon Age 2 adopted a similar tactic, dialing back the scope of the original’s epic fantasy to highlight the survivors of supernatural invasions, refugees produced when a village burns, and the cold reception refugees receiveinstead of mercy.
There are smart Dragon Age 2 PC mods that add new features, but the core experience holds up incredibly well, even today. Instead of a supernatural evil uniting different people against an external threat, Dragon Age 2 showed how simple bigotry can be as threatening as a demon lord. The dehumanization of refugees, and those of different races, are themes that are much closer to real-world dilemmas. Kirkwall was a city that Dragon Age 2 brought to life, showing the horrible truth of how greed and fear cause those in power to treat refugees with contempt rather than compassion.
Source: BioWare/YouTube
Dragon Age 2
- Released
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March 8, 2011
- Developer(s)
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BioWare
- Editor(s)
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Electronic Arts
- Engine
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Lycian Engine
- CERS
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Mature // Blood and violence, language, sexual content, violence
- How long to win
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26.5 hours
- X|S Optimized
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No
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Not compatible
- How long to win (completionist races)
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57.5 hours