Thu, Jul 08, 2010 | 19:33 BST

Dragon Age 2 confirmed for March 2011 release on PC, 360 and PS3

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BioWare has confirmed that Dragon Age 2 will release in March 2011.

The sequel charts the rise to power of Hawke, a survivor of the Blight.

Platforms are now confirmed as 360, PS3 and PC.

BioWare boss Ray Muzyka said today that the original Dragon Age “was one of the most successful in BioWare’s 15-year history and one of the most successful new IP launches in the 28 year history of EA.”

Executive producer Mark Darrah added that the developer is “amplifying the things that made Dragon Age: Origins such a huge success while introducing a more dynamic combat system, improving the graphics, and telling the most important story in our world.”

Dragon Age 2′s story will last ten years of game time, and set that player as Hawke, “a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age.”

BioWare promised today that “the way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.”

Epic reveal

It’s been a good day for BioWare fans indeed: GI earlier showed Dragon Age 2 as the cover for its next issue, to which EA confirmed that the RPG sequel’s first trailer will be shown during its gamescom press conference next month.

First concept art has been released, as you can see below.

GI mentioned that the game takes place in “a different part of the world” of Ferelden, and includes “a ton of surprising improvements that will shed even more light on the lore of the Dragon Age universe.”

The details were backed up by the following from the game’s official site, giving first bits on plot and confirming a new visual style:

Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins now.

Key Features:

  • 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.

Pretty awesome, si?

It’s been all dragon, all day. It was spotted this morning that BioWare was set to announce the sequel, just as the developer teased on Twitter that it would be “a great day for BioWare fans.”

37 comment-trail-alt Posted in: EA, Hot, PC, PS3, RPG, Xbox 360
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37 comments

#1

onlineatron
08/07/10, 1:39 pm

EDIT: Nevermind

It looks like Samurai Jack :/

#2

Soong
08/07/10, 2:08 pm

Looks like Duncan.

#3

mington
08/07/10, 2:39 pm

Looks like my Dad when i would wet the bed

#4

Johnny Cullen
08/07/10, 3:01 pm

Updated. First trailer’s coming at gamescom.

#5

Patrick Garratt
08/07/10, 3:02 pm

First art added.

#6

mington
08/07/10, 3:18 pm

looks gritty

#7

mington
08/07/10, 3:28 pm

I really didn’t get on with the first one, stopped playing it after a few hours. The leveling up pissed me off, too much choice :/

I didn’t want to fight with a sword and shield….but thats all i had for the first five hours, and that what i popped all my Exp points into….which then became a complete waste if i’m not going to use a sword and shield, and it takes bloody ages to level up, i want to be able to have fun and have perks with multiple weapons, and once i released it would take me an age (a dragons age) before i had a character who was good with multiple weapons i popped it back in the post

hopefully, they’ll make it a bit more streamlined like they did with ME2

#8

Dralen
08/07/10, 3:35 pm

Looking forward to it. Good to know Bioware are still pumping out the RPG’s.

#9

Patrick Garratt
08/07/10, 3:44 pm

I’ve added in a fair bit of detail there from the official site.

#10

endgame
08/07/10, 3:46 pm

sweet! :D any word on new books?

#11

mington
08/07/10, 3:48 pm

a new visual style!

If that concept art is anything to go by, maybe it’ll be comic booky like darksiders?

#12

Patrick Garratt
08/07/10, 3:55 pm

Looks more comicy, yep. There’s another piece of the main character on the official site. Definitely more cartoony.

#14

Patrick Garratt
08/07/10, 3:59 pm

I’ll add that in.

#15

mington
08/07/10, 4:01 pm

Here’s the DA2 website picture RAW
http://na.llnet.bioware.cdn.ea.com/u/f/eagames/bioware/dragonage2/announce/top-01.png

…and what looks to be the games cover art

There’s silhouettes of people under the dragons wing, i wonder if they’re all the team mate you can get

#16

Patrick Garratt
08/07/10, 4:05 pm

Those have both gone in. Ta.

#17

Blerk
08/07/10, 4:08 pm

The art style reminds me of something else and I can’t figure out what it is.

#18

Patrick Garratt
08/07/10, 4:10 pm

That main image reminds me of Dante’s Inferno a bit.

#19

Old MacDonald
08/07/10, 4:48 pm

Very interesting. I have high hopes for it. OTOH, I was somewhat disappointed by the direction they took with Mass Effect 2, and I hope they’re not doing the same thing here.

#20

DJ Deathstar
08/07/10, 4:56 pm

@ Mington

I really hope they don’t streamline this like they did ME2, i want an actual proper RPG where i actually have to make choices regarding skills and strategy

#21

loki
08/07/10, 5:29 pm

mediocre like fist one

#22

fdelfino
08/07/10, 5:30 pm

I hope the game graphics looks like these images. Nothing against the first game graphics, they were awesome, but it would be fun if the game had a more cartoony look.

#23

Hunam
08/07/10, 5:34 pm

Seems a bit quick.

Slightly concerned.

#24

Phoenixblight
08/07/10, 5:44 pm

@23

It hasn’t been this game was finished for the PC back in APril 2009 than EA/bioware gave DAO to a 3rd party to port. Devs were mentioning in the forums that they were already working on the concept of DAO 2 and if DAO did well as far as sales they would be ready.

#25

Hunam
08/07/10, 5:46 pm

I suppose your right. Plus the engine and tools would be complete from the last one and the team would be great and using them.

#26

RomaTotti10
08/07/10, 5:51 pm

Great news. The Witcher 2 will also release Q1 2011 so they can’t just slack off.

#27

Phoenixblight
08/07/10, 5:58 pm

@25

I honestly don’t think they will be using the same engine. The difference between DAO and DAO 2 will be EA backing them so lot better talented team and more money to support them.

#28

MushroomStamp
08/07/10, 6:00 pm

I hope the new fight mechanics means they curtailed the need to micromanage every fight. I loved DA at first because of the story and character building. However I couldn’t finish it. The micro managing every battle became too tedious for me. I never had to micro manage this much in any other RPG ever. So i’m hoping their new mechanics make this more accessible.

#29

OlderGamer
08/07/10, 6:07 pm

To me the first game felt too scripted. I would be interested in more freedom. But I guess that games like that are already out there and more are on the way.

#30

Phoenixblight
08/07/10, 6:20 pm

@28

Never played old school RPGs then? Especially Baldaur which DAO was supposed to be a tribute to.

#31

MushroomStamp
08/07/10, 6:24 pm

Actually I played the crap out of BG, but that didn’t have the depth of micromanaging that I had to for DAO. I also find the “scripting” in DAO to be overly complex and never could get it do what I wanted exactly. I got to about 60% in the game and then just stopped.

#32

Phoenixblight
08/07/10, 6:26 pm

Hmm I assume you had the console version which I had also. I didn’t mind the micromanaging until my 3rd playthrough. I can totally relate though. I hope they find a better way for consoles maybe similar to Mass Effect on AI.

#33

LePlatypus
08/07/10, 6:30 pm

Erthazus has been quiet for a while i expected him to criticise everyones opinions on this post

#34

Moonwalker1982
08/07/10, 7:15 pm

New combat system, now THAT sound interesting cause i stopped playing the first one cause for me the combat was horribly lame.

#35

hitnrun
08/07/10, 9:31 pm

The micromanaging wouldn’t have been so bad if it was actually a tribute to Baldur’s Gate, instead of to whatever Bioware’s last game was.

Even “zoomed out” with the computer version, you could only see a third of “sight” range on your screen. Once fights start getting out of control – as fights will – teleporting the camera from place to place to reuse cooldowns was just awful.

WoW’s vast array of cooldown abilities work because the game is multiplayer. Everyone is controlling just one character. Baldur’s Gate and its cousins, by contrast, had you controlling 6 characters, but you only needed to micromanage your spellcasters. As fun as it was to play Minsc, he could take care of himself.

#36

Gadzooks!
08/07/10, 9:49 pm

I loved every minute of my 100+ hours of Dragon Age playthroughs. The combat scripting wasnt perfect, but it was manageable and the stories and characters more than made up for it, IMO.

Will definitely be buying a sequel.

#37

LOLshock94
09/07/10, 12:27 am

@2
u made me piss my pants with laughter

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