This week's episode is a little shorter than normal but still full of video game goodness. We've got some Bulletstorm, Killzone 3 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood discussion as well as plenty of Oreo farts to freshen up the air. We've also got random school stories as well as a few bits of news and viewer questions. We also noticed that no one took a guess at the Secret Sound from last week so we're leaving it up and letting you guys have another week at guesses, we might've made this one a little too difficult. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy Episode 29 of Henchmen Cast and don't forget to subscribe in iTunes for a convenient automatic subscription to the podcast!
Henchmen Cast - Episode 29
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I’ve got to say I’m a little disappointed Jacob hasn’t played DA Origins. That disappointment has cut me deep Jacob, a deep wound from a rusty spork.
After listening to this podcast and hearing all of the talk about Dragon Age I thought I would add my opinion.
When I first heard of Dragon Age before the game ever came out, I was interested but never got the game. Then I tried the game through Gamefly and played through just the very beginning of the game. I was not having too much fun and returned it.
Recently with all the news of Dragon Age 2 I decided to rent Dragon Age again. This time I played through the whole game of Dragon Age Origins. Playing through the whole game has changed my mind and I enjoy the game.
I also played through the demo. While I don’t like the new look of the game compared to the old, I always felt while playing the original how it would just be that so much better with improved graphics. In watching the developer videos on GT.com, the new graphic style supposedly helped the game run smoother on consoles.
The new combat system in the demo, after playing through the entire first game, seemed awkward. I dislike having to push the attack button repeatedly to attack. That said I like the new acrobatic and faster paced combat animations.
Overall, the Demo rubbed me a little the wrong way. The combat canceled itself out in terms of good/bad, and the story seemed like it would be a little lighter than the darker dramatic story of Origins(at least to me).
I still look forward to playing the second game and we will see what happens.
The demo was TERRIBLE!
I cannot begin to say how disappointing this was to me. Bioware is one of my favorite studios around and to see them relapse like this is tragic to say the least.
Any Bioware fan will tell you that Bioware games have always been ruff around the edges, but its the art, gamplay, and lore that makes there games so great. Take Mass Effect 1 for example. Mass 1 was a buggy mess, but nobody cared, the game was incredible and was still hailed as a masterpiece by critics. Then the EA takeover happened…
That takeover was going to have only one of three outcomes:
- Outcome A, Bioware stays mostly the same and gains more people and funding for there projects, leading to more polished and amazing products.
- Outcome B, EA sticks their STD infested corporate dick into Bioware’s inner workings, infecting the companies with their Madden NFL 2000∞ / sellout mentality, ruining everything.
- Or Outcome C, The aforementioned “Outcome A” takes place but EA sends over a “project advisor/destroyer” whos job is to “advise/command” Bioware’s dev team on how they could “change/succumb” to the demands of casual gamers, hardcore gamers, and grandma; thus maximizing “Bioware’s/EA’s” profits all in hope of achieving the dreaded “Star Wars Prequal Effect”.
And after Mass Effect 2 came out, it was starting to look like Outcome C was the winner. “Mass Effect 2” was amazing, easily the most polished game Bioware had ever made. But “Mass Effect” went from being a deep engrossing RPG to a engrossing 3rd Person Shooter/sorry excuse of an RPG. But for the most part, the positives outweighed the negatives, so everyone was happy. I was happy.
But since then, I have been worried. The looming idea of further “profit maximization” from EA had me imaging a shell of what Bioware’s products once where. And after playing the Dragon Age 2 demo I fear my worries are coming to be.
Liner design, graphical downgrades, technical shortcomings, load increases, and ever manner of bug permeate the Dragon Age 2 demo. Whats next? Subscription based multiplayer? And lets not forget the EA server sign-in / preoder bonus crap that we already know about. And you just know the overpriced already-on-the-disk DLC is a month away from launch.
I fear this is the other shoe dropping for Bioware. I pray that tomorrow, Bioware delays DA2 and fixes it. Adding that old Bioware magic they where once so good at. But please Bioware, dont release DA2 like this! You have a reputation to upkeep! And NO having a superior PC product is not going to cut it this time around! Quality is something everyone should share equally!
From what i’ve heard is that the demo is the same they showed at PAX last year, so i do imagine that the final version of Dragon Age 2 will look better.
As for the demo, graphics aside,the demo was fun for me, even if at the end it did become more of a beat em up than a RPG. I’m not turned off since i’ve seen some cool stuff. And i saw a diferent section that bioware showed at Gamespot and it seemed much better!
Hey, nice show as always.
I’m going to disagree on the DA2 demo, I loved it, I think it had its technical shortcomings and it was a mistake to start with a bland level instead of the more beautiful settings the DA world can present.
That said, I like that Bioware is trying to improve combat. I’ve been a long time fan of them and I can say that until Mass Effect 2, combat in their games had always been awful. The story made everyone happy, which is why people forgot about it.
That’s all I’m going to say about it, but this is the boring part anyway.
GOOD SHOW !!! as allways boys, but im pretty disappointed at the fact that you didnt disgust in much extent about the elder scrolls series, witch in my opinion is one of the best series of rpg games ever made, being a fanatic fan i must say i watch the trailer like 6 times and i dont think im alone seeing it got 232,507 views on G.T in 2 days, i must say everything about it looks better than oblivion, witch i put something like 400 hours in to (if your an rpg head, its a game you need to play!!!) and skyrim from what iv seen and
herd is running on an all new engine... good show though!
Sorry guys but if you are searching for a graphical masterpiece then Dragon Age is really the wrong place but if you are searching for an epic and deep story driven experience then Dragon Age IS the right place to go to.
Just saying that nobody plays the CoD Demo and says, “This game has to be pure shit because the rpg elements in the demo where so boring!” which is true but not the point.
The DA2 demo was aimed for gamers of the first one to show the new combat system and for gamers who didn’t play the first one because of the old combat system. Anything else is already asured because its BIOWARE and after more then 10 years they still have to prove that they can make bad games.
Great show again guys.
Another good show guys!