Dragon Age II



Dragon Age II is the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins developed by BioWare. It was announced for PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360 on July 8, 2010 and Mac on January 12, 2011. It was released on March 8, 2011 for the U.S., and planned to be released in March 11, 2011 for Europe, according to BioWare. A demo was released on February 22, 2011. The first CGI trailer, Destiny, was released on August 17, 2010.

Plot
{{SpoilerDA2| {{clrl}}
 * From the Official Strategy Guide.

Dragon Age II tells its tale through a "framed narrative", a story within a story. In the opening scenes, the picaresque frame placed around our tale is that of Varric being interrogated by Cassandra Pentaghast as she pursues the truth about the rise to power of the Champion of Kirkwall. The world is on the brink of ruin, and Cassandra believes that Hawke has a key role to play in the future. But the Champion is nowhere to be found. If there's to be any hope of resolution, she needs to understand the target of her investigation. Chronologically, then, the events of Hawke's life in Dragon Age II are now also history.

As Varric recounts what he knows of Hawke's adventures, it is down to the player to write those adventures by reliving them. Each Act of the game's plot focuses on a crucial period in a ten year history, leaping forward through time at the end of each chronicle, such that the consequences of your decisions are all the more apparent.

Prologue: The Escape to Kirkwall
Overlapping the events of Origins, the prologue begins around the year 9:30 Dragon in the Dragon Age calendar, shortly after the Battle of Ostagar as the Fifth Blight is spreading with nothing to stem the tide of darkspawn. Ahead of that surge came a deluge of human migrants, overwhelming the village of Lothering. Leaving almost too late, the Hawke family was among the last to make it out alive. Hawke's mother Leandra suggests that they flee to Kirkwall, where her younger brother Gamlen holds the Amell estate. On the road they stumble into Aveline and her husband, Wesley, also survivors of the massacre. During their escape, they run into further bands of darkspawn. Though the party defeats many of these creatures, victory comes at a cruel price: Aveline's husband and Hawke's sibling (Bethany or Carver) are both slain.

The battle only really ends when a dragon swoops from the clouds and blasts the encroaching horde. The beast then transforms into Flemeth, the shapeshifting Witch of the Wilds. She rescues Hawke just as she recently rescued the Warden from the Tower of Ishal (covered in Origins). Having seen them defeat an ogre, Flemeth knows they cannot be peasants, and that means they may be of use. She is intrigued and asks them to perform a favor in return for safe passage past the horde. They board a ship from Gwaren to Kirkwall, the towering city port. There is no welcome here: the authorities are unwilling to accept the influx of immigrants. All refugees are being held at the gates by the harbor guard, ready to be sent back to Ferelden. The bad news continues when they chance upon their uncle, only to find the family fortune gone and the estate sold. Gamlen explains that he can get them inside if they agree to work for a contact who can be convinced to vouch for them with hard cash. If Hawke will choose a sponsor, they can begin working off the considerable debt.

Act 1: From Rags to Riches
Over a year has passed, in which the player has made friends but little money. Brothers Varric and Bartrand plan an expedition into the Deep Roads. The end of the Fifth Blight makes this the safest time to venture into the abandoned dwarven network in search of antiquities. Though Bartrand dismisses the need for Hawke’s services, Varric persuades the hero to become a business partner.

Principally, partnership means stumping up fifty sovereigns to 'co-invest' in the expedition on the promise of being repaid many times over with great treasures from the depths. Hawke simply needs to raise some capital, taking on whatever work can be found. Hawke recruits a number of characters to aid him/her in future ventures, including Varric, as well as Aveline who has joined the city guard and offers some contract work to get started. Hawke also encounters Isabela, the pirate captain without a ship; Sebastian, the Exiled Prince; and is hired by Fenris, a fugitive slave. Bartrand believes that no venture into the Deep Roads would be safe without a Grey Warden to scan for darkspawn, so Hawke also tracks down the highly charged Anders. Later, completing Flemeth’s errand introduces Merrill. The expedition into the Deep Roads leads to an ancient dwarven thaig. Greed gets the better of Bartrand when they uncover a small but priceless statue fashioned from pure lyrium. Double crossing his own brother, Bartrand seals the tomb and leaves his partners to die. The party must tread a more dangerous path to escape.

Act 2: The Champion of Kirkwall
Three years pass. Hawke’s status in Kirkwall has improved, the Deep Roads expedition delivering fame, fortune, and the accompanying opportunities and prestige. When people have problems that need solving in a very particular way, they come to Hawke.

The situation with the Qunari – stranded after their dreadnought ran aground near Kirkwall – is deteriorating. Instead of repairing their ship to return home, they have dismantled it to create a permanent camp within Kirkwall. Despite their leader, the Arishok, claiming to have contacted Par Vollen, no vessel has arrived to ship out his crew. And though the treaty grants them peaceful passage, their continued presence makes the citizens uneasy. Minor incidents between locals and Qunari threaten to ignite the situation.

If the Arishok were to find his holy relic, he could return home. Only a death-deserving dishonor awaits him without it. But Kirkwall is running out of time as the tension with the Qunari rises. When Aveline's city guard attempts to arrest some elves claiming religious sanctuary within the Qunari camp, the Arishok takes umbrage. Marshalling his forces, the Arishok demonstrates the disciplined effectiveness of his fighting force with an audacious counterattack. The streets of Kirkwall play host to running battles. Brooking no blasphemy, he declares that the city will be converted to the Qun or suffer the consequences – consequences that are clearly established when the Arishok throws the viscount’s head before the crowd in the main hall.

Hawke decides upon a course of action – peaceful if the relic is retrieved, or bloody otherwise – that saves the city and earns him/her the title of the Champion of Kirkwall.

Act 3: The Circle is Broken
Another three years pass. Knight-Commander Meredith has taken stewardship of the city at the request of the Chantry, seizing power in what they considered the only way of keeping order following the viscount’s death. Hawke's title of Champion is also endorsed by the Chantry, and has earned him/her more than an estate in Hightown.

The templars are controlling the city like a police state, imagining maleficar under every bed. Since the escape of several mages from the Circle, Meredith has been seeing conspiracies in every action. She orders raids and crackdowns, immediately incarcerating all suspects. There are also tales of insurrection against the templars that could only be the work of magic, so it appears neither faction is blameless. Riots in the slums tell of the fear and anger of the people, who look to their Champion to deliver them true justice and salvation. Over time, it becomes clear that Hawke will have to choose to support First Enchanter Orsino and the mage cause, or the knight-commander and her templars.

Events reach a tipping point when an arrest warrant arrives for Anders. He claims he is no blood mage but believes the persecution has gone too far. Anders intends to send a message to the world and the Kirkwall Chantry explodes with the fury of that message. Meredith immediately seeks the Right of Annulment for the safety of the city, which would entitle her to kill all mages. Without Elthina's mediation, war between mages and templars begins. In desperation, and with no way out, Orsino initiates a blood ritual by harvesting the bodies of sacrificed mages. Immediately possessed, he becomes an abomination in order to defeat the knight-commander's forces. Even if the Champion wishes to protect the Circle, this creature cannot be allowed to run rampant.

The final reckoning is with Meredith, whose exposure to lyrium has also made her a monster of sorts. She believes the Champion has become a threat, and she can no longer ignore such transgressions.

The showdown calls on the Champion to choose between friends and bear the consequences. If the player sides with the mages, those who escape spread the news. Despite being liberated by the Champion and surviving a massacre, Kirkwall is to become a byword for injustice and brutality once again.

Alternatively, the Champion sides with the templars and shows determination in exterminating the mage threat. Gaining the respect of the Order, Hawke is appointed the new Viscount of Kirkwall.

Epilogue: The Dark Times
Inspired by the Kirkwall mages, rebellions sparked throughout Cirles all over Thedas. The Chantry began to crumble, and some templars even defected to aid the rebel mage's efforts. The Mage-Templar War had set the world on fire.

In closing Hawke’s story, Varric reflects on his friend’s legacy. We learn that the Champion has since vanished or else the dwarf has no desire to let on what he knows. Cassandra then asks whether the Champion is dead to which Varric knowingly replies that he "doubts that.". Cassandra thanks Varric, and wishes the Maker's blessings upon him, before leaving the building, revealed to be the Hawke Estate. Varric reciprocates the blessings, and shakes his head as Pentaghast leaves.

Outside, Cassandra is greeted by Leliana, who inquires as to whether she was able to extract anything useful. The Warden is then also revealed to be missing, which Leliana remarks cannot be a coincidence. Cassandra asks whether they should "proceed with the original plan, or keep looking?" Leliana replies that it is in the Maker's hands now. Cassandra hands Leliana the book which Cassandra found helpful during the interrogation, before walking away with a contingent of Seekers. }}

Key features



 * You play as Hawke (human male or female), champion of Kirkwall.
 * The game takes place over the course of a decade and shapes itself around decisions made.
 * New combat mechanics designed to put the player in the heart of battle whether they are a mage, rogue, or warrior.
 * A new cinematic experience.
 * Updated graphics and a new visual style.
 * There will be opportunities for romance.

Races
Dragon Age II will feature a greater difference between races, meaning elves, dwarves and qunari are being reviewed and redesigned officially.

Save File Transfer
Dragon Age II allows the player to import saves from any completed or almost completed Dragon Age: Origins playthrough. So, while you may be controlling a different character in Dragon Age II, the choices of The Warden made in Origins are still imported from your save and reflected in the world. Choices from Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, The Golems of Amgarrak, and Witch Hunt will also be imported. The player must import his or her save games in a single chain tracing all the way back to Dragon Age: Origins to be able to import all game data (i.e. rather than two separate transfers from Origins/Awakening to the respective DLC). PC and Mac saved games are interchangeable by copying the character's folder between \Documents & Settings\Bioware\Dragon Age\Characters\ and ~/Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Characters/.

In addition to importing, players can also select from three pre-built histories to carry over from Origins. The three builds are as follows:


 * "Hero of Ferelden" (Default): A young man from a noble family rose to become a Grey Warden, then ended the Fifth Blight by killing the Archdemon himself–-and surviving. He always strove for the greater good, and placed his friend Alistair on the throne of Ferelden.


 * "The Martyr": Ferelden will forever remember the young Dalish elf who died to kill the fifth Archdemon. Even though she had reason to be cynical, her actions always benefited others. She left a kingdom ruled jointly by Alistair and Anora.


 * "No Compromise": A ruthless dwarven noble took command of Ferelden's Grey Wardens, then let nothing stand between him and victory. He exiled Alistair, sent Loghain to his death against the Archdemon, and left Anora as Ferelden's ruler.

Dialogue


The dialogue system of Dragon Age: Origins will be replaced with a Dialogue Wheel, similar to BioWare's earlier title Mass Effect. Unlike Mass Effect however, when you move your cursor over a selection, an icon is shown in the center of the wheel that indicates the intent of the player line: kind, harsh, sarcastic, etc. The dialogue wheel will have up to six dialogue options for players to choose from.

Additionally, the player character Hawke is fully voiced. The male Hawke is voiced by Nicholas Boulton, and the female Hawke is voiced by Jo Wyatt.

Approval and gifts
Dragon Age II will use a Friendship and Rivalry system. Instead of only getting content and combat bonuses based on positive approval, you can either build a friendly or antagonistic relationship with your companions. Also, specific actions can still cause companions to turn on you, in spite of their approval rating. In Dragon Age II the friendship and Rivalry Mechanism does not affect respect. A companion can respect you and still hate your guts {i.e. A companion you have a rivalry with will still respect you} unlike Origins where they just leave the Party or Fight you to the Death

In Dragon Age II you can enter into a romance with a companions specific to each companion. Gifts will also prompt specific dialogues.

Crafting
In Origins, making potions, poisons and traps required learning recipes for them and obtaining the required ingredients. In the new system, rather than carrying components around, it is simply necessary to discover sources for them in the world. For example, once a strain of Elfroot has been found, all crafting vendors will stock it. The challenge is now to find sources for raw materials and the different strains of components. A far more elegant system, it rewards exploration rather than hoarding, and unclogs the inventory in the process.

Talent trees
The linear progression of the talent trees in Origins meant that the player frequently had to spend valuable points on talents the player never had any intention of using so that the player could get to the one he/ she actually wanted. The talent trees in Dragon Age II are actually webs, more circular in nature and offering more than one path to the different types of talents. Talent upgrades branch off from their base skills, leaving the way clear for other progressions.

Technology
In an interview with Joystiq, BioWare VP Greg Zeschuk stated, "I think one of the key things we're working on in Dragon Age II is the technology. I can confirm that we're doing a lot of work on the Dragon Age engine, and doing a lot of stuff to pump it -- to make it visually super hot." Mike Laidlaw has also confirmed the use of DirectX 11 for the PC version of Dragon Age II.

Major characters

 * Hawke: The protagonist.
 * Flemeth: The notorious Witch of the Wilds.
 * Cassandra: A Chantry Seeker who is interested in Hawke.
 * Varric: A dwarf rogue who acts as a narrator and companion for Hawke.
 * Bethany: Hawke's sister and an apostate mage.
 * Carver: Hawke's brother and a warrior.
 * Aveline: A female warrior widow.
 * Isabela: The captain of the pirate ship The Siren's Call.
 * Fenris: A male elf and ex-slave who was infused with lyrium by his former master.
 * Marethari: The Dalish Keeper from the Dalish elf origin.
 * Merrill: Keeper Marethari's First from Dragon Age: Origins is a mage.
 * Sebastian: An archer of noble birth seeking revenge for the murder of his family by assassins.
 * Dog: Hawke's family Dog who can be summoned as a fifth member Hawke can change his name
 * Anders: An apostate mage and former Grey Warden from Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.
 * Orsino: The elven First Enchanter of the Circle of Magi in Kirkwall. He is one of the most respected people in Kirkwall.
 * Meredith: Knight-Commander of Kirkwall. She is one of the most influential people in Kirkwall.
 * Marlowe Dumar: Viscount of Kirkwall. He is one of the most powerful politicians in Kirkwall.
 * Grand Cleric Elthina: Grand Cleric of Kirkwall. She is one of the most powerful people in Kirkwall.

Romances
Dragon Age II will feature romances "for all genders and orientations." The five romances of Dragon Age II are Isabela, Fenris, Merrill, Anders, and Sebastian.

Editions

 * Regular Edition
 * Dragon Age II BioWare Signature Edition

Demo
On February 22, 2011 a demo was released. It was approximately one hour in length. The story takes the player through the prologue from the escape from Lothering and skips to a small part in Kirkwall later in the game. Bioware has also made a statement that if the demo reaches 1,000,000 downloads across all systems (PC, Xbox 360 and PS3) that two exclusive items will be unlocked for the entire Dragon Age community upon the game's release.

Thanks to everyone's great efforts, over 1,000,000 people have downloaded the demo and both The Far Cliffs of Kirkwall & Lothering's Lament have been added to every registered user's game promotions.

Unlockables
Items available through certain events
 * Hindsight (available from the official Dragon Age II website)
 * Staff of Parthalan (available by signing up for the newsletter)
 * Evra's Might (available by playing Dragon Age Legends on Facebook)
 * Evra's Trophy Belt (available by playing Dragon Age Legends on Facebook)
 * Air of Confidence (available by playing Dragon Age Legends on Facebook)
 * Ivo Family Crest (available by playing Dragon Age Legends on Facebook)
 * Dura's Blue Flame (available by playing Dragon Age Legends on Facebook)
 * Hayder's Razor (available by completing the Dragon Age II demo)
 * Lion of Orlais Shield (available with any pre-order from participating retailers)
 * Fadeshear Sword (available with any pre-order from participating retailers)
 * Lothering's Lament (available after 1,000,000 total downloads of the Dragon Age 2 demo; was attained on February 28, 2011)
 * The Far Cliffs of Kirkwall (available after 1,000,000 total downloads of the Dragon Age 2 demo; was attained on February 28, 2011)
 * Of Things Not Lost (available if each post in the Dragon Age Facebook page from now till March 4, 2011 is shared and reaches 1,000,000 Impressions; was attained on March 4, 2011)
 * Ring of Whispers (available through purchasing $15 or more from Epic Weapons' collection of Dragon Age II replica weapons or make a purchase from Razer)
 * Boots of the Frozen Wastes (available upon registering your copy of Dragon Age II)
 * Blood Dragon Armor (available if originally redeemed for Dragon Age: Origins or Mass Effect 2)

Downloadable Content

 * The Exiled Prince (available with the Signature Edition, or separately for US$7 or 560 Microsoft Points)
 * The Black Emporium (available with each original Dragon Age II copy)

Easter Eggs

 * In the Hanged Man tavern, there is a character, called Talkative Man, wandering the upper hall where if spoken to he will make references to popular series like the X Files, or will commonly break the fourth wall, wondering if he is just a character in a story and wishing that whomever is telling it had made him more handsome. He also makes a comment about things becoming more simple, a possible reference to the "streamlining" of the game.


 * Also In the Hanged Man tavern, if you speak with Aveline, she will say "A hive of scum and villainy, every city needs the outlet." The phrase 'hive of scum and villainy' is used by Obi Wan Kenobi to described the Mos Eisley spaceport in the original 1977 Star Wars.


 * Both Varric and Isabela will make comments about The Hanged Man, stating that it's "a place where everybody knows your name," a reference to the theme song from the popular 1980's sit-com, "Cheers."


 * When offered a ship by a Desire Demon, Isabela will reply with; "What can I say? I like big boats and I cannot lie", a reference to the 1992 song "Baby Got Back", by hip hop artist Sir Mix-A-Lot.


 * Hawke makes a reference to the character Ugly Naked Guy in the sitcom Friends. The comment is made by examining one of the windows in the newly reacquired Amell estate.


 * When presenting the Deep Road entrance maps to Bartrand, he will inquire as to how you found them. If Anders is in the party, he will remark "A wizard did it". This is a reference to the Xena episode of The Simpsons. It is possibly also to the webcomic Penny Arcade


 * In the campsite, during the Deep Roads excursion, two of Bartrand's hired men can be overheard discussing the possibility of a Grue attack in the darkened tunnels, a reference to the Zork game series, where Grues were used as a literary device to keep adventurers from entering darkened areas.


 * During your travels you may discover a ring called 'Three Wolf Boon'. This is reference to the internet meme 'Three wolf moon'


 * During an encounter with a mage Varric will make a reference to the Fugitive.


 * In the Hanged Man tavern, if you speak to Varric, he will make a comment about a serving girl named "Edwina". This is a reference to Baldur's Gate 2 where the mage "Edwin" is turned in to a woman at the end of the game.


 * In Act 1 if you talk to the bartender at The Hanged Man then he may say something about the rapid decline in the pigeon population in Ferelden. This is a reference to Shale from Dragon Age: Origins


 * In the Hanged Man, the waitress named Norah makes a comment about how Varric told her Hawke found a pair of magical pantaloons in the Deep Roads that glow when darkspawn are near. This is a reference to "The Lord of the Rings" in which Frodo Baggins has a sword that glows when orcs are near. It could also be a reference to Marics Blade from the Dragon Age novels, which glows when darkspawn are near and was found in the deep roads. The reference to "pantaloons" is a shout-out to an unmarked easter egg quest that continued through Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, and BG2: Throne of Bhaal.


 * In the Hanged Man, while talking to the Drunk Patron he will sometimes say that 'Varric told him you are from Fereldan and that you escaped the Blight on the back of a Giant Turtle.' A possible reference to the way Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean claims to escape an island.


 * A random junk item can be found 'Rod of Fire Request Form' which is a reference to the Magi Origin quest item from Dragon Age: Origins.


 * In Act 3, after using Sandal's apparatus to add runes, he quotes from the movie Cold Comfort Farm: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!"


 * In Act 3, when Isabela wants to use herself as bait, she will say "Step 1. I turn myself in as bait. Step 2. Something happens. Step 3. Profit!" This is a reference to the popular Underwear Gnomes episode of South Park.


 * After a fight Varric will sometimes yell "That's 3 for me, how many you got Hawke" a reference from Lord of the rings when Gimli (also a Dwarf) and Legolas where keeping score of how many foes they slew. A sarcastic Hawke will also make a comment about keeping score during battle.


 * After choosing the "Surprise Me" option at The Blooming Rose, one of the workers says "It was the name of his sled, from when he was a little kid!" referencing the ending to the movie, "Citizen Kane".

System requirements
Recommended System Requirements
 * CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz Processor or equivalent
 * CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 Triple core 2.8 GHz or equivalent
 * RAM: 2GB (4 GB Vista and Windows 7)
 * Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
 * Video: NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
 * DirectX 11: ATI 5850 or greater
 * DirectX 11: NVIDIA 460 or greater

Minimum System Requirements
 * OS: Windows XP 32-bit with SP3
 * OS: Windows Vista 32-bit with SP2
 * OS: Windows 7
 * CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo (or equivalent) running at 1.8 GHz or greater
 * CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8 GHz or greater
 * RAM: 1 GB (1.5 GB Vista and Windows 7)
 * Video: Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB
 * Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256 MB cards
 * Disc Drive: DVD ROM drive required
 * Hard Drive: 7 GB
 * Sound: Direct X 9.0c Compatible Sound Card Windows Experience Index: 4.5

Minimum System Requirements for Mac
 * OS: OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard or greater
 * CPU: 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or better
 * RAM: 2 GB or greater
 * Video: ATI HD2600, NVIDIA 9400, or better graphics card with at least 256 MB of dedicated VRAM
 * Disc Drive: DVD ROM drive required
 * Hard Drive: 9 GB of hard drive space required
 * Video Cards Not Supported: Intel GMA series, Nvidia 7x00 series, AMD 1x00 series, AMD 2400

Trailers
thumb|400px|left|Dragon Age II trailer, "Destiny" extended, by Digic Pictures.


 * Rise to Power trailer


 * Champion Trailer