BioWare has responded to reports that Electronic Arts smuggled SecuROM onto retail PC discs of Dragon Age II, denying the presence of the notorious DRM. According to the studio, the SecuROM alarm bells sounded due to a another Sony-branded DRM measure, Release Control.
"The confusion stems from the use of Release Control which is also made by Sony," states BioWare. "Release Control was employed to protect the game against usage prior to its release date. These are two different technologies with different purposes. Release Control in no way affects users’ rights to access after launch, and its executable automatically deletes itself once the Release Control process is finished."
Because the two pieces of software use similar library files, various folders bearing the SecuROM name appeared on computers. These files can be removed without problems. Further details can be found on this page here.
Our review of the game is still coming, by the way.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
4:00 PM on 03.13.2011 | 
It's a vicious, malicious program. Apologies? Probably not.
A collective sigh of relief, that you might get.
I personally have no problems with DA2
Glad to know it was nothing major then.
I'm still glad I didn't buy the game on the first day. That is, until Destructoid comes out with a 10/10 review.
PS: play on hard
@-PL-
If you thought Origins was rocket surgery - well, I don't really have a response to that hyperbole.
When I played it on consoles, on my normal playthrough, I didn't need to pause combat at all. In fact, there was auto-attack, so it was even EASIER than DA2 in some respects.
/sarcasm
Think they coulda made more of the perspective from which the story is being told, like the abilitease at the start. Maybe exagerrate the new art style even further, then make it clear you are playing through an embelished version of events. Have a boss show up the size of a colossus, then have an accusation of exageration thrown in, and the size of the boss shrinks down.
Wish they allowed you more customisation of you party though, and that they gathered at Hawke's place for switching gear and interactions, like with the party camp in Origins. Also, why the fuck am I seeing Hawke wearing a smoking jacket when I am trying on different gear from the storage box, I gotta zone to see what the gear looks like? Its like if Mass Effect 2 showed you wearing a space tuxedo when switching armor in Shephard's cabin, until you actually start a mission...
ado
I'm giving this game a 9/10 so far.......I like the way that they "trimmed all of the fat" out of the sequel. It's way more fun having the real time fast action combat too..... Not having to be an item hoarder is really nice too.....I had way too much shit in origins that I did'nt know what to do with and just sold. The menus and the maps are lightyears better too.....I know where I have to go from one quest to the next.
I've seen some pretty critically panning reviews of this game, but I cant find any faults yet. In fact; I just finished Origins and started this game immediattely after, and Bioware did a great job of taking away alot of the garbage we didnt need from the first game..... I hope DA3 takes all of the best from 1 and 2, while keeping the combat from 2 and makes an even better game.
I called my Dwarven Noble Warrior Thorin in DA:O
He's with Morrigan now :D
@JQM78
Casual :p
Sorry if I gave off that impression. Basically, I read the Dtoid article, then read the Bioware FAQ (which made me think that there was no Securom, and it was a mistake), then I read the original article Dtoid referenced and realized there wasn't a mistake, which is why I came back to thinking it had Securom. However, after seeing Bioware's further response, I'm fairly sure it doesn't have Securom. The difference between this release date checker and Securom may seem academic to some people, but, from what I can gather, it's actually legit. You can go right now and delete any files associated with it, and, since the game is post-release date, it won't affect the game. That simply wouldn't be true with Securom.
As a sidenote, I've finally got some solid hours on DA2, and I've just completed the first Act. So far, I'm having a lot of fun. I really like the new art style (although I do prefer the old hurlocks.. they were so much more frightening), and I think there's a lot of good design and presentation stuff here. I haven't had any real technical issues at all. The graphics, aside from head models and (especially!) hair, are usually quite good. If you're curious, I'm running it on DX11, very high settings, with the high res pack. I have a monster of a PC, so I understand that my situation is probably unique. However, I can't deny that I'm generally happy.
As for the battle system, I've found the changes less devastating than people predicted. I really don't understand the lack of a tactical camera, and I miss the possibility of friendly fire at least a fair amount. However, playing on Hard difficult, I find that I still have to be quite tactical and pause-friendly. There are even a few fights which wiped me a few times each. If it's too easy, try bumping up the difficulty.
As Ross said, "...the shameless reusing of environments, and being tethered to Kirkwall really lets the game down. It feels like they've spent so much time making a few nice looking environments, they've just decided to script every bloody quest in them."
This is my main concern right now. Only being at the end of the first Act, I'm quite pleased so far, but I'm getting worried that I'll just be rerunning these same environments for the rest of the game. I gotta say.. that's pretty lame, as I think the DA setting is really interesting, and I'd like to see more of the world. I mean... come on.
Still, the combat is fine, the graphics are fine, the game plays well enough, etc. etc. I don't have any commentary on the story so early, but, all in all, I think the game will probably run between 8 and 9 for me. It really depends on how the story develops from here, and on just how shameless the recycling of environments really is.
I dont mind DLC, but it should be strictly sidequests or fluff.
Uh huh, whatever you say. The fact that it was reported THREE DAYS AFTER THE STREET DATE is no cause for concern.
Some files are left on the HDD and in the registry. Obviously, this isn't perfect, but try uninstalling just about anything. Chances are.. some files and registry info. is still on your HDD. That doesn't mean this is Securom... and it isn't Securom.
I'm increasingly of the view that the game was rushed in terms of content (i.e. - recycled environments), but I still wouldn't call it a piece of shit at all. It's still likely to be one of the top 5 RPGs of the year. It's just not number 1 anymore.
Witcher 2, Skyrim, and Dark Souls are all likely to be better. I'm not sure what else I'd put near it, though. Maybe Dungeon Siege 3 if it really turns out? Nothing else seems to compare...
I've dealt with hundreds of programs that remove themselves perfectly from my computer, including the registry. I don't care what they name it, its malware to me.
That said, your argument is moot. They claimed that it removes itself after it confirms that its after the street date. Its after the street date. Its still there. They lied. End of discussion.
There were a LOT of things the game could have done better storywise. Like, have a finished one.
JQM78
"Not having to be an item hoarder is really nice too.....I had way too much shit in origins that I did'nt know what to do with and just sold."
I completely disagree with this statement.
In Origins, pretty much every item was something you DID know what to do with, because it was useful in some fashion, to some character on your party.
In DA2, NOTHING is usable, pretty much. 99% of the armor in the game is only usable by Hawke, and is rendered useless by any of the pre-order bonus items, or anything found in the story, which is always better than anything you can pick up off the ground. I ended up actually having an inventory, most of the time, that was completely and utterly unusable. I'm really confused why they thought it was a good idea to toss so much armor into the game if it was useless. Mass Effect 2 did a good job of only having 3-4 armor sets in total in the entire game. DA2 still had the old mass volume of drops from Origins, yet only a few were viable. It was a pointless mechanic.
As for Morrigan, I'll burst that bubble right now - there's nothing that cool at all. They basically had nothing from Origins even remotely in DA2, presumably to sell DLC to Origins fans, or hype people for DA3. There's no Morrigan, no interesting Flemeth storylines; nothing interesting with old characters except pointless 30 second-1 minute cameos. They also ruined Sten.
@Killias2
The shameless recycling doesn't let up, even on the final stretch of the game. I think there's one small unique uninteresting square room in the entire third act.
Let's see where they lied. I'm guessing you're referring to, "Once the street date has passed and the check is done, this software is removed."
But, a few paragraphs down, they say: "Although Release Control has an auto-removal process, these inert library files are left in a windows temp directory. This is also common practice with software. But these files are indeed inert and you can easily, manually remove them by doing a simply temp folder cleanup."
Lying? Not really.... Also, your argument is rather moot considering the real question is whether or not it has Securom....
Thanks for being balanced when giving your feedback about the game. Obviously, it's not a complete trainwreck (like some user reviews are suggesting) but I'm sick of people pretending that there's nothing wrong with it and shooting down any criticism as "PC fanboy" whining.
I think some would consider me more on the pro-DA2 side of things, but I've always just tried to be honest and skeptical. I still think that combat, which was the most decried thing pre-release, is fine. If they just gave us back the damn tactical camera, I'd be 100% cool with the combat system. Sure, there's no friendly fire, which is a bit much of a simplification IMO, but I like the new animations and the new presentation of the combat. I also generally like the "waves" aspect of combat. It makes individual men seem easier, but I like the feeling of just fighting a massive force of men and coming through the other side. I also like that mobility matters more. That takes away some of the purity of DAO's experience, but I think it adds something of its own. Like I said, if you add the tactical camera back in, I pretty much consider the good and bad changes a wash.
The recycling of content, which I don't think any of us really saw coming, does seem shameless, sadly.
I also think there should be more space for good ol' fashioned role-playing. At times, it almost feels like the game designers forgot exactly what the different choices in dialogue options are supposed to be about. They aren't supposed to be different presentations of the same response. They are supposed to be categorically different and result largely in different reactions, if not entirely different outcomes.
Still, I don't understand how some people call this game a hack'n'slash or claim that it's not an RPG. Technically speaking, the Witcher is far more of a hack'n'slash than DA2, and.. well.. I mean.. it's clearly an RPG. I don't even know what people are thinking when they say that. Some of the classic RPG elements are toned down, but it's still very much an RPG.
I only wish your sarcasm weren't true. I still can't believe that happened.
Sorry but shady DRM is shady DRM no matter how you slice it.
The fact that it sent up as many alarm bells as it did because it was apparently a derivative of SecuRom "Because the two pieces of software use similar library files" I dunno about you but I read that as derivative.
So as to the "You people jumped the shark it wasn't SecuRom you should all feel sorry" ...... yeah, *serious face* no....
Basically all you have to do is find any "Find and Deliver" quest. When you're about to turn it in, take out your weapon and then stand near the quest giver. Once your weapon gets automatically sheathed, tap your action button (on the Xbox 360 it's the "A" button) and you'll be spammed with glorious amount of experience over and over again as you keep pressing the action button. Easy peasy!
Please note that we only tried this glitch on the Xbox 360 version of the game. If you're slaying Dragons in another version of the Dragon Age 2, let us know if this glitch worked for you.
When I played the demo, I felt the same way about the combat. A bit on the easy side but I thought the presentation of it was more fun than Origins; however, I also miss the tactical camera. That said, I really can't see any defense for the recycling of environments (especially after the varied locales of Origins) or the conversation system (which seems to be binary at best and an illusion of a conversation system at its worst).