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Dragon Age Origins vs The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

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Author Topic: Dragon Age Origins vs The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim  (Read 171 times)
Senti Onikawa
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« on: June 17, 2012, 06:51:15 am »

Yes, I really went there. I'm doing a comparison between the two and would like input where it's given. Basically, I've played both and found strong differences between the two. One seems really well thought out while the other was a lazy slap-together. Now, to be fair, I've only played a bit of Morrowind and too much of Oblivion, so it'll be a somewhat subjective opinion. Anyways, without further ado, I'll throw down.

The gameplay

I'll be blunt. Skyrim is fun to a degree.  You can run, dash, jump, walk backwards, etc. You have a variety of weapons to choose from and no real necessity for skills. Pick up a bow and fire away. Pick up a sword and slash. Or toss together a few spells. Nothing but the sky is the limit. But, that's the problem. The sky IS as far as you'll go. There's no variety with attack animations. You're stuck between two styles. Strong and slow vs fast and weak. You have a limited amount of EVERYTHING (Health, mana, stamina) which is alright. The problem is how limited and one-dimensional everything gets.

Origins is even more depressing. You have no control over whether you take a path to the Mage's Circle Tower or do a bush run. Combat is you pressing A, X, B, and Y. You've got no control over strategies aside from what you assign in the character menu, and even then, it's not guaranteed your partners will perform their best. When you see their health get low, the team healer is often busy trying to get a kill in themselves to pay attention, making it a necessity for you to cycle through characters. Enemies are also pretty annoying, since their numbers can be from 5-50 and overwhelming. Your team will be gung-ho, which wouldn't be so bad if they paid attention to their own health, too.

Graphics

Again, here's a blunt point to make. Skyrim is absolutely beautiful. Standing on the Throat of the World, you can see forever. The individual mountains, forests, etc are laid out in plain view. Entering a city, you're captivated for the first time by how detailed everything is. But, there's a problem. Outside the cities, everything is so... cut 'n paste. The caves are generally small with a few winners being a bit longer. However, it all looks the same. For such an advanced race of Mer, didn't the Dunmer at least have someone in charge of designing their towers and such? Not to mention EVERY SINGLE CAVE IS EXACTLY THE SAME. Yes, that is a bit harsh. Turns and such are different, although most times than not, you're running into the same room, with the same design and same furniture. Bandits are lousy cave designers apparently.

Origins is going to take another beating here. As limited an area that you get to explore, the cities and landscape are really interesting. However, the graphics at times seem to lack that "luster" Skyrim has. Personally, it feels like there isn't enough "feeling" in everything, like it was slapped together and placed where it seemed appropriate. What Bethesda did to Skyrim was paint a picture, then digitalize it. Bioware basically took Microsoft Paint, threw together a few buildings, trees, etc, then put it into the game.

Storyline

In Skyrim, you're the Dragonborn, an individual blessed with the powers of a dragon, but with the body of a man. You are charged with saving the world from an ancient evil known as Alduin, the World Eater. Should you fail, all of Tamriel-and the world-will be destroyed.

Except, nobody likes you.

And they try to execute you for crossing the border.

Also, if you're a Khajiit, Argonian, Dunmer, etc, you can still walk around like nothing's wrong.

Good work, Bethesda


However, in Dragon Age Origins, you are a  Grey Warden. But, before becoming one of these fabled heroes, your story starts out as you being born into a life of your choosing. Although race selection is limited, each race has at least 1 or 2 starting points. Your upbringing and life before becoming a Warden will base how you interact with the world, as it will shape who you are throughout the game. Every decision in this game also affects you and your party, as some members will create good or bad to them.

But don't let it stop there.

Oh, no. Your party talks to each other, having idle conversations and making fun of each other. Running around Ozzammar(sp?), it was a joy to hear Moriggan and Leliana debate "The Maker". And on that as well, we get a VERY in-depth idea of how things in Fereldan really are. My only qualm is how inevitable your primary objective is. But, you're a hero, so you have to do the Hero's duty, right?

Interactivity

Both games have their crutches. We've explored the 3 basic aspects of each game, giving them a fair view. However, a player should feel involved, and that's where this point really makes things interesting.

To begin, Skyrim is basically a fesitival of interactions. Even non-essential NPC's have a colorful series of phrases, though they do get boring after a time. You can cook, perform alchemy, take/steal stuff, pickpocket, forge weapons, and everything else under the sun, with exceptions. You can also choose to play from a third-person perspective, or first. Our biggest crutch goes to combat, though. You're not involved with much more than repetitive button-pressing and moving around. A great feeling overwhelms the first time around, but after a while, it starts getting tedious at best.

In Origins, you're pushed back further, told you can't forge your own equipment, but talking is still possible. Cooking? No. Cleaning? Nada. And don't bother asking to buy a house (Realistically, would you have the time?). Again, with combat, it feels like you're forced to take a backseat and watch. The lack of perspectives available is also a bit painful to bear, since most people want to BE the character and not just a viewer.

Overall Score:

Gameplay: Bethesda really needs to try harder. Level-scaling is apparently the new "in" thing, which doesn't make sense. If the wilds are full of bears and sabre tigers, so be it. Don't hide them on me because I'm a low-level archer with no hope of survival otherwise. However, I liked being able to travel the overworld and make a decision whether or not to kill a non-essential character.

Skyrim: 3/5

Bioware's Dragon Age Origins doesn't deliver where it should. You're restricted to moving your character, deciding what they wear, and other stuff you don't mind doing. Choosing team tactics is a plus, though. Also, being able to use specific skills and such gives me that special feeling. I also get to play as another member of team, making a game of "follow the leader" entertaining. However, babysitting my team isn't what I'd call "fun".

Origins: 4/5

Graphics: Oh, Bethesda. Please, make sweet, sugary love to my eyeballs and smear them in your gooey paint. I mean... *cough*

Beautiful and atmospheric, Bethesda must have spent too much on the overworld to cut as much from dungeons as they have. Although same-looking and at times repetitive, the world below the beauty still happens to dazzle and shine. If the Nine Divine's were artists, they were bipolar ones.

Skyrim: 4/5

And here were are. Bioware cut the budget completely when it came to graphics. Although buildings and bushes look as they should, the "feeling" you get is that they didn't care enough. Doors look painted-on at best, as do signs. A tree or hillside is akin to last-gen, making you wonder where exactly the budget went.

Origins: 2/5

Storyline: Skyrim is going to lose here. Badly. The story opens true to Bethesda's style. You're a prisoner waiting on death row (or being carted to it in this case) when shit hits the fan. You're plunged into the action from the get-go (Bethesda's writing team seems like they have Alzheimer's when they write the start of each game), and given a chance to choose sides in a civil war.

But then, everything gets linear. Nobody (except the guards) seems to notice your a Khajiit running around Whiterun or Winterhold freely while your buddies from the caravan are sitting outside. Nobody tries to stop you in the streets, telling you to get your cat rask back outside the wall. Dunmer could freely walk around Windhelm without fear of persecution from the citizens. Really, Bethesda?

Skyrim: 2/5

Origins goes beyond the problems of it's competition, though. EVERYONE you meet has something to say. You can make crude statements, tell someone to piss off, even refuse to be a hero for the lulz. You're not stopped from making what decisions you will, and it shows. If anything, this is the Mass Effect of the Medieval Age.

Origins: 4/5

Interactivity: What's worse than a short-sighted plot? How a short-sighted development team? Skyrim allows you to interact in every way. Although the body hiding of Morrowind is still missing, you feel a bit more confident in trying to pickpocket someone or unlock a chest. Third-person and first-person perspectives are aplenty, making you feel... Special. Now, if only they would just add a sex scene...

Skyrim: 4/5

Origins feels like a poorly-produced movie. No, the story isn't the issue. The atmosphere is pretty good... Ah, yes. I feel like I HAVE to watch. I don't get to be inside the character. As much as I can do in Skyrim, well, I can't here. And that's a bit of a downer.

Origins: 1/5

All in all, both games have their pluses and their negatives. Origins makes up for what it lacks with an atmosphere to rival Skyrim's while putting on a good show. Although graphics are painful in Origin's, the equalizing force between the two is Skyrim's cut and paste caves and dungeons. With respect to gameplay, Skyrim makes repetition feel normal while Origins gives you plenty to do while skimping out on what you WANT to do. Finally, interactions in Skyrim are a-plenty. Although a bit boring and passable at times, they do make the game more worthwhile. Dragon Age Origins, however, doesn't like letting you interact as much. Keeping you shut out from nearly every possible object you want to touch, it does make up in the skills menu what it lacks otherwise.

Skyrim: 13/20

Origins: 11/20

Better luck next time, Bioware
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