Don't panic on Dragon Age II changes, says BioWare

Dragon Age II head writer David Gaider has said fans of the series shouldn't go into panic mode over the changes being added to the sequel from the original.

The game will see main character Hawk being fully voiced - unlike where the main character was voiceless in Origins - and will remain human throughout the game instead of picking a different race at the start of the game.

You can still pick gender and class for the character, but the decision to pick its origin is unknown so far.

This has led to fan speculation that it has taken a turn towards a Mass Effect style of game, but Gaider says that fans are jumping the gun.

"People appear to be acting as if the scant details we’ve revealed are all they’ll ever learn about the game ever, and they’re thus required to render judgment immediately," he said on the BioWare forums.

"You might, in fact, want to see exactly how we’re implementing these features you dislike and seeing for yourself whether they differ from, say, Mass Effect’s. There are similarities, of course, but there are also differences."

Dragon Age II releases next March for 360, PC and PS3, with the first trailer to be shown at EA's press conference next month at gamescom.

The first shots of it are here.

Thanks, Ripten.