General:
- DA2 will be released on
March 8th, 2011 (in North America) and
March 11th, 2011 (in Europe) for PC, XBox 360, and PS3.
- DA2 is a single-player game.
- No different editions confirmed yet, but "We will definitely be talking about a special edition at some point".
- There is no "morality meter" in the style of Mass Effect's Paragon/Renegade meter.
- Decisions made in DA:O will show up in future iterations of the DA universe.
- "Our intent is to include information and decisions from Awakening as well as Origins into DA2."
-
Morrigan's Dark Ritual is NOT canon, nor is any other ending.
- There will be more DLC and patches for DAO before DA2 is released.
- "Yes, there will be inventory."
Setting:
- DA2's story will span 10 years.
- This timeline partially overlaps that of Dragon Age: Origins, and Hawke's story begins in Lothering shortly before it is destroyed by the Darkspawn.
- Events from Dragon Age: Origins may be seen from a different viewpoint.
- Hawke escapes the destruction of Lothering with "his family" and he eventually makes his way to Kirkwall in the Free Marches.
- Kirkwall is located on the southern edge of the Vimmark Mountains, north of Ferelden.
- "Hawke will also spend time in other areas of the Free Marches".
Storyline/Plot:
- “Dragon Age II has a framed narrative structure, which means that the exploits of Hawke occurred in the past, but are being retold in the present.”
- Cassandra is interrogating Varric the Dwarf on the actions of Hawke over the last 10 years to better understand how the world came to be on the brink of war.
-
"No exclusive organization. No saving the world. No ancient evil."
-
"The player decides whether Hawke is a kind ruler or an unscrupulous despot. He's called Champion - the question is: 'By whom?'".
-
Flemeth saves Hawke and co. and asks that he deliver a package for her in repayment.
About Hawke:
- The main character's surname is Hawke.
- Male Hawke's default first name is "Garrett" (possibly spelled differently).
- Female Hawke's default first name is Marian.
- Hawke can be male or female.
- Hawke is human.
- Hawke will be voiced.
- Hawke survived "the Blight".
- Hawke is known as "the Champion of Kirkwall".
-
Morrigan is NOT Hawke's mother; Hawke is NOT the "god baby".
- "Hawke can, indeed, be a mage."
- All Hawke voiceover artists have already been cast.
- "We refer to the DA2 player far less often as Hawke than we referred to the player as Warden in DAO. Only people who know you intimately use the name, and even then we tend to avoid direct references as a rule to avoid repetition. Most people who don't know you will use an honorific (or even by race, if they're not human)."
- Hawke lived in Lothering during the events of DA:O, fled north to Kirkwall.
Other NPCs/Companions:
- There will be companions/followers.
- There will be romanceable characters.
- Cassandra is an "Inquisitor" with an interest in Hawke's activities.
- Cassandra is an Inquisitor in the employ of the Chantry.
- Varric is a Dwarf who was with Hawke on his travels and is a narrator.
- "Varric is most definitely not a king."
- "Varric was born in Kirkwall. His family was noble before they became skyers. He is, therefore, a merchant prince among the surface dwarves. And that's probably all I can tell you about him for now."
-
Flemeth will appear.
- Flemeth is once again voiced by Kate Mulgrew.
- Hawke meets Wesley, an injured Templar, and Aveline, his wife, while fleeing Lothering.
- Hawke has a brother named Carver (a Warrior) and a sister named Bethany (an apostate Mage).
- Hawke's mother also accompanies him during the escape from Lothering.
- You won't be able to romance Bethany. Just in case you were...you know...wondering.
- "...the DLC from Origins will be tied to this game as well. You will see characters from that DLC in this game."
- Hawke's party will still be limited to 4 (Hawke + 3 companions).
- There will be at least 2 of each class as potential companions.
- Party composition may affect dialogue with NPCs.
- The left side of the dialogue wheel may feature opportunities for companions to interact with the NPC Hawke is speaking to.
- It is likely that Nathaniel Howe will appear, as he spent time in Kirkwall before the events of Awakening.
- "You can even be openly hostile to your party members and still unlock combat bonuses."
Combat/Gameplay:
- The same classes are returning: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior.
- May be fewer mage spells, but they will be customizable/upgradable.
- Combat should be much more reactive. Companions will leap straight into battle instead of shuffling forward and getting into position.
- Combat on the consoles is being streamlined to better utilize the controller interface. Combat on the PC should be largely the same.
- Melee characters can participate in combinations like mages could in Origins.
- Mages now have "finishing moves" like melee characters did in Origins.
- There are still class specializations.
- There is a tactical camera in the PC version, which is similar to the one in Origins.
- Occasionally, Varric will be "embellishing" his retelling, which will result in exaggerated combat for the duration of the sequence (until Cassandra calls him out on it).
Dialogue:
-The dialogue wheel will have up to 5 choice options and up to 5 "investigate options" (to leave room for "investigate" and "return"
options, respectively).
- There will be an icon that illustrates the tone of each dialogue response (snarky, aggressive, peaceful, romantic, etc.)
- There are "personality choices" and "action choices." The tone icons for the former affect your personality, and depending on your choices, you will develop a "dominant personality" that can affect how Hawke delivers lines. The icons for the latter indicate intent.
- Party member approval is based on your actions, not your personality/tone.
Art Direction:
- Female bodies have their own separate shape, and no longer resemble men in the shoulders and hips.
- Different characters do not always share animations.
- Elves, Dwarves, and Qunari will have updated looks.
- The armor Hawke is wearing in the Destiny trailer is already in-game.
Screenshots:
Hawke & Bethany (Plus dialogue wheel)
Flemeth (Dragon form)
Flemeth (Human form)
City 1 (Street view)
City 2 (Wide angle)
Darkspawn
Landscape
Hawke swinging sword
Hawke and Bethany with Ogre 1 (Standing ready)
Hawke and Bethany with Ogre 2 (Bethany casting)
Hawke and Bethany with Ogre 3 (Ogre's vantage point)
Hawke and Bethany fighting Darkspawn
Hawke killing Darkspawn 1 (Gore)
Hawke killing Darkspawn 2 (Jumping)
Concept Art:
Flemeth 1
Flemeth 2
Deep Roads
Desolate Landscape
Loading Screen
Cassandra and Varric
Hawke
Hurlock
Qunari 1
Qunari 2
Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Qunari
Dark Figure overlooking bridge
Mage casting a fire spell