Looks like Isabella took some sexypills!

Big improvement if you ask me.





Definitely enjoying the improved visuals in DA2! Still love Origins but it gets quite heavy on the eye after so many playthroughs. Really hoping Bioware keep running with this series.

 

I like top picture better. Bottom is smoother but top is hotter.

Just my .02

 

But she looks like she got hit by a freight train! Or smoked too much meth.

 

Amen ... seriously what can possibly be better about the first one ... also in the game did u see the ehm ... rack on that thing I mean in DA II ofc

 

Lots of people claiming that Origins is a better game, but honestly I think Bioware raised the bar on every level! Looking forward to number 3 (please god)!

 

She look hot at the upper pic, likes she crys for......

 

Can't see the top pic, but I agree she is definitely hotter in the second game. I thought she was kind of ugly in the Origins, and then she shows up in the second and it's like "whoa".

 

i didnt realize that was the same isabella

 

I didn't realize that Isabella was in the first game...Who was she?

 

She was a pirate who chilled at The Pearl (brothel in Denerim). She had some interesting dialogues and was able to teach your rogue the duelist specialization. She had zero impact on any stories or quests in origins.

 

Ohhh, right. After the nug incident, I never went back. *cough*

 

She's the lady you learn the Duelist specialisation from in DA:O. Which I guess should make her a Warrior, but well...

There are some very valid niggles with DA2 that are constantly brought up. Like the re-used maps, lack of tactical camera, and lack of a command queue. Other things are hit-or-miss depending on the player, such as the more personal storyline, companions' inability to wear armour, and rebalanced classes. Finally, some other things are mostly lauded, such as the improved graphics, solid voice-acting, and far more responsive combat.

Still bugs a little me how nobody cares if you're a Blood Mage. At all. You can poo-poo Blood Magic in conversations with NPCs, right after ripping your veins out right in front of them 2 seconds before that.

EDIT: Was Duelist a Rogue specialisation? Whoops.

 

Biggest problem that I had with DA2 was that there seemed to be little consequence to most of your actions, especially at the end. If you choose:


SPOILERS FOLLOW





the mages during the last fight, Orisino decides to prove the templars right by becomin an Abomination from WarCraft 3. I bet that you'd have to fight him too even if you chose the templars.

 

In all honesty I found specializations were a bit of a let down. Usually three passives and a somewhat lame ability. And yeah, I'm with you on the blasé approach to blood mages. Kind of disappointing. Same goes with the Templar specialization, found myself running around hugging apostates left right and centre. Just finished playing the game as a blood mage infact, and I wasn't at all impressed. Found the cold damage was at least 3x more potent in virtually all situations (so much more equipment boosting cold damage). Is blood magic spirit damage? Anybody tried this? Doesn't mention it in the spell description but the damage shows as purple when you hit something...

 

Blood Magic does Physical damage, but for the most part gets to ignore armour. There are also very few monsters that are actually immune to Blood Magic - only the Golems and Ancient Rock Wraith, I believe. Even Skeletons, Shades and Rage Demons are still susceptible.

Cold Damage has the lowest amount of monster types immune to it, IIRC, but Winter's Blast is the only reliable way of dealing it. CoC is probably gonna hit your tank. Fire Damage has a lot of monster types with immunity, but is easiest to find +% damage for. Then again, there aren't any non-AoE Fire spells.

I'm mostly in Primal and Blood, with a little in Force for Unshakable. Plus Heal, of course, and Horror. Chain Lightning and Haemorrhage have no friendly fire and work with the very reliable upgraded Shield Bash Stagger, while Stonefist and Maker's Fist are great for interrupting spells or short-duration CC. And Tempest for general AoE. Worked very well for me so far.

 

am i missing something? all i see is 2 pictures of similarly looking uglies.

 

I'm surgical with CoC! It's one of the few times I actually pause the action to line up a perfect shot. Never really played mage, finding it quite enjoyable! What's Maker's Fist? Not seen it in the spell list. Been trying to find spell combo's but my lack of imagination has only resulted in the two easiest ones: Shatter and Sleep + Horror.

You don't see any improvement?! Even just a little?!?!

 

Well, not only Isabella, also that other 'Witch of the H....' received a bit of surgery and appropriate teenager dresses... hahaha

 

Good point! Didn't even think about that one. They definately jazzed the characters and environment up. Believe me when I say it kills me to protest such heresy, but I must admit that on a visual level Origins was lacking in imagination (still one of my favourite games, don't get me wrong). In all honesty I never really got a strong fantasy vibe from Origins (yes, even whilst blasting darkspawn with bolts of lightning) so for that reason I much prefer DA2!

 

Yeah 2 ugly broad .. 1st one look like a drug addict and the 2nd one like a man

 

Wait, you're talking about DA:O? No Maker's Fist there, I'm afraid. That's from DA2.

There are about a dozen or so spell combinations in DA:O. Glyphs of Paralysis + Repulsion make one of my favourites. Shatter and Nightmare are also very useful, as you've noticed. And there's the good old combination + "combination" - send your tank right into the fray, drop a Force Field on him so he's stuck in stasis, and then plop down a Storm Of The Century - Spell Might + Blizzard + Tempest.

 

Isabella is a rogue, duelist is rogue branch. Same in first one, same in second one. They certainly "expanded" her visually. However good or bad is pure player preference. I personally think she kinda looks like she could have been related to lelianna in the first one and in th second the really set her apart with her own look and future back problems.

I really enjoyed the game da2, however, its really different then how I feel about the first one. You are kinda set directionless in this one, and left to figure out what you should do and when and try to get all the side quest before moving to another chapter.

*{possible spoilers}*

I liked the actual spoken dialogue, however, I liked the choices for responses more in the original. The party members while seeming cool, just aren't as memorable to me. I don't know why, other than varric, I didn't really feel
vested in them, well varric and anders, because I thought he was great in da expansion.

The ending of da2 though is where everything really comes together and the relationships you forged or ignored and choices made will come back to influence your game. I thought the twists at the end were brilliant and I really enjoyed the character cameos by the first set of characters. Depending on you imported game or game selection, you end up seeing almost all of the old crew at various points.

Lots of the plot points are murky and weird but they end up more or less coming together at the end.