TV series review: Sherlock (BBC) Season 1

The name "Sherlock Holmes" should not be foreign to many people. The fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has become a popular, iconic character since the stories were first published more than a hundred years ago.

There have been many TV series, and movies based on Sherlock Holmes. The recent movie "Sherlock Holmes" which came out in 2009 was an instant box office hit. While the movie was good, and Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was entertaining and believable, but the movie just didn't quite capture the vibe from the original books.

In 2010, BBC broad casted a series of TV mini series, titled "Sherlock". This TV series is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books, but set in modern day London. Each episode is 90 minutes, and the entire season only has 3 episodes. The style of this BBC series is similar to "Bourne Ultimatum".

What's really good about this TV series is that, it managed to capture the character of Sherlock Holmes really well, and the portrayal is very faithful to the source materials. All the while the story never forget to show the quirkiness in the friendship between Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson, which provided humorous relieves to the intense stories.

Another good aspect about "Sherlock" is the logical deduction, a skill constantly employed by Holmes. In each episode, Sherlock's trademark skill of logical deduction is well thought of, logical with strong reasoning, and most importantly, ingenious. While at the same time, each of the episode is based on the original story. For those who have read all the Sherlock Holmes stories, it will not be difficult to pick out the origins of the plots of this series as you watch it. Episode 1, is based on "A study in Scarlet", Episode 2, is based on "Valley of Fear" and "Dancing man", Episode 3, is based on "The five orange pips", and the "Naval architect".

I have to say the final episode is probably, in my opinion the best in the series. Not only does it have an excellent plot, but it also set up for the future premises of the story by introducing some interesting, and memorable villains, such as "Jim Moriaty" and "Golem".

Personally, I have read all 4 novels and 56 short stories of "Sherlock Holmes", and I have to say that this mini series, is in my opinion, the best adaptation of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes up to date. The violence level is very low, and sex scenes are practically none-existent. The plots are well thought, intelligent, quirky and full of suspense. Very good entertainment and not to be missed.

Rating: 8.6/10

Book Review: Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy - Special Edition

I am a sucker when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy novels. Therefore it is no surprise that I have some "collector's edition" fantasy novels flying around on my bookshelf. More than 3 years ago, I saw this book "Dragonlance chronicles special edition" on the net. At the time, although I've heard the Dragonlance series, but I have never read any Dragonlance books. So I did my research and, well it appeared that the general reviews about the Dragonlance books are usually quite positive. Furthermore, it turned out that the first 6 books of the Dragonlance saga are very highly rated. So I took a big risk and decided to buy this book.

Dragonlance Chronicles special edition (the price is pretty "special" as well), is basically the collection of the first trilogy in the Dragonlance saga. It contains 3 books: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. The book itself, as you can see from the pictures above, is of high production quality. Not only is it hard covered, but also has golden edge coatings on all the pages. The papers are very high quality, with illustrations throughout the entire book. This massive tome amounts to +1000 pages, and it took me a month to read it from the starting to the end.

The book sure looks good, but the most important thing about a book (much like people), is not just about appreciating the outside cover and appearance, but to appreciate its contents. So, how is Dragonlance? The first Dragonlance book came out in 1984, and after almost 30 years, Dragonlance saga is still on-going, so it must have its unique charms that continues to attract the readers to come back for more. Therefore, without further delay, I will briefly review the story of the Chronicles Trilogy for you.

The novels took place in the fantasy world of Krynn, it is a story about good VS. evil. A group of friends had a re-union after 5 years of seperatoin. By chance, they became engaged on a quest to deliver a mysterious "Blue crystal staff" to a save location. As they travel, they discovered a major threat is related to their seemingly small quest, where they had to battle against the minions of an evil goddess, dragons and fantastic creatures to save their continent, as they became involved in bigger events that gradually unfolded surrounding their quest.

The story of Chronicles trilogy is a very common good VS. evil tale. However, the authors of the story managed to create a very compelling story that takes its readers to travel to fantastic locations, where the heroes of the story face dangers and continues to overcome dire perils.

For me, I think the best element in the story of the Chronicles trilogy is the character development. Not only did the authors created lively, complex, memorable, distinguishable characters, but in the story the readers will witness the continuous growth and maturing of the characters in the book. All of the characters in the book face their own personal struggles on this perilous journey, and by the end of the book, you will see that they have really grown and faced their personal demons to become the heroes they are called to be. If you read this book, you will like all the heroes in the book, because the readers can easily identifies themselves with any of the characters in the story.

If you like Tolkein's Middle Earth saga, I think you will like the Chronicles trilogy as well.

Rating: 4.5/5

TV series review: Game of Thrones (HBO) Episode 1

The most highly anticipated TV series of 2011 finally debuted last weekend. HBO's fantasy TV series, "Game of Thrones" was aired on the 17th April.

Based on George R.R. Martin's first book of "A song of fire and ice", "Game of thrones" is set in the fantasy world of the 7 kingdoms of Westeros. Where summer can last a few decades and winter can last a life time.

The making of "Game of thrones" is an ambitious project, and the TV series itself is often referred to as "The Sopranos" in "Middle Earth", with HBO throwing in big budgets for season 1 (50~60 million USD). The series has a strong cast, the lead actor is Sean Bean, who is well known for his portrayal as Boromir in "Fellowship of the Ring".

The story evolves around the dynastic struggles amongst the 7 nobles families of Westeros to gain control over the Iron throne, this grand tale is filled with treacheries, twists and betrayals. In episode 1, some of the main characters are well introduced, setting up for the premises of the story.

After watching episode 1, I am really impressed by a few things:

1) The visuals of this TV series are absolutely stunning.

2) The story is compelling, complex and full of intrigues

3) Sean Bean really brought the main protagonaist "Eddard Stark" to live.

4) The supporting actors/actress all did great jobs

5) The production value and the direction of this TV series is probably the best I've seen before in any TV series.

6) The story is very faithful to the original novels of George R.R. Martin's "A song of fire and ice".

However, I also have to warn the would-be viewers that, Game of Thrones contains very heavy contents. Therefore, the violence is pretty heavy, and there are a lot of sex scenes (not very explicit but very suggestive). Therefore, if you want to watch this TV series, you have been warned of its heavy content.

Personally, I can't wait to see episode 2 this weekend.

Rating: 8.5/10

Movie Review: Thor

The superhero hype of 2011 starts with the movie Thor, a fictional character from the Marvel comics. Thor, is a part of the movie studio's plan to bring out a movie for Marvel's "Avenger" superhero team. So the question is, compared to Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk which came out in the last 2 years, is the latest movie about the God of Thunder any good? Let's find out.

Story:

Marvel's Thor, is a superhero based on the mythological god in Norse mythology. In the Norse myth, Thor, is the son of Odin, the father of all. The Norse gods lived in Asgard, and they protected our world Midgard(which actually translates to Middle Earth), by constantly battling against the giants. In Norse mythology, Thor is the God of thunder, the champion of Asgard who wields this magical rune hammer"Mjollnir", which can be thrown and will magically return to his hand. Thor also has a special belt where it grants him super human strength (sounds like some computer RPG hehe..) . Also in Norse mythology, Thor is a hot tempered warrior, who is destined to battle the Midgard serpent (Jurmungandr) who threatens to encircle and engulf the entire life tree of the universe with its body. In Norse mythology, it is said that at the Ragnarok (the end of the world), all the Asgardian gods will battle the giants that will bring about a new age. As for the God of thunder himself, Thor will battle the Midgard serpent until both of them die (a pretty cool story really). In ancient times, the Vikings, Icelanders, and possibly the Saxons have worshipped the Norse gods, and Thor, is one of the biggest diety of worship. Even today, one can find runestones situated throughout Scandinavia from ancient times describing Thor. Actually, the English word for "Thursday" is actually a day dedicated to Thor (Thor's day). I guess this really shows how pagan the English language is.

So, in 1962, Marvel introduced the character Thor, based on the mythological Norse god. The character is well received and is now one of the most notable character in the Marvel universe. In 2011, the movie is released as a part of the built up for the "Avengers" movie.

The story of this movie, is rather simple, linear and not very complex. In the case of the superhero movie, a simple, linear story is actually a good thing, because it allows the movie maker to emphasize the moral of the story instead of distracting audiences with complex plot progression. The movie starts with an introduction of the history of Asgard, where Thor is shown to be an arrogant, hot tempered warrior who is all about battle and glory. After Thor made a big mistake, he refused to listen to his father's teaching. After an argument, Odin stripped Thor of all his power, and banished him to earth. Thor's hammer, was also sent to earth, with Odin's whisper that whoever can lift the hammer, will be granted the power of Thor.

Arriving on earth, although in mortal form, Thor still acted the same way as he did in Asgard. Arrogant, and full of pride. Thor met and befriended a group of scientists in search of the inter-galatic worm holes. At the same time his hammer landed in a desert, where no one can pick the hammer up. After Thor discovered that his hammer is here on earth, he attempted to retrieve his hammer to recover his former strength, only to discover that he cannot lift his hammer, because Odin is trying to teach his young and arrogant son a lesson about humility and the meaning of true leadership...

I will stop telling the rest of the story, so I don't spoil it for you. However, I have to say that although the story of Thor is really linear, simple, with cheesy romance, but it does have some very good values to it, values that are often taught in the Bible, such as humility, self-sacrifice, servitude and leadership..etc.. Another good thing about this movie is that, even though there are a lot of fighting, the level of blood and gore is very low. Sex scenes are non-existent in this film, there are no rude languages neither, and contains some quite humorous moments. Which makes it a good movie for the whole family in my opinion.

Final verdict:

Story 8/10 - Like I said before, Thor has a very linear, simple story with a few cheesy moments. However, I really liked the values and the morals of the story, such as humility, sacrifice, servitude and leadership. In my opinion, I much rather watch a movie with simple stories that has something good I can take with me, than a movie with a complex, sophisticated story but with philosophies that are going to corrupt my mind. Therefore, despite its cheesiness, I give the story an 8/10

Cinematography 8/10 - I saw the movie in 3D, and I think it is worth watching this movie in 3D because the special effects are quite good. The lighting contrast of the pictures are very crisp and clear, and is an entertaining experience.

Violence - low

This is a superhero movie, so there are a lot of fighting scenes. However, the level of blood and gore is really low.

Sex - none

I was really surprised that despite the cheesy romance in the movie, there are actually no sex scenes. Which is quite uncommon for a Hollywood production.

Final score: 8/10

I really enjoyed Thor, the story is simple and the movie doesn't require you to think too much. The moral of the story is very clearly presented and easy to understand, with good values to think about. I will leave it to you to find out how Thor recovered his power, which is the central theme of all these superhero movies. I think you will like it too..

Daniel's Top 10 recommended movies - films you have to see before you die

Everyone has their favorite movies, and this is my top 10 favorite movies of all time. If you haven't seen these movies then I would recommend that you check them out at some stage in your life before it's too late..

10) Se7en (1995)

Crime thriller can't get better than this. Se7en has a strong cast, staring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey. It has a very intriguing storyline that is full of suspenses and twists. The movie also contains horror and neo-noir elements, and is stylishly made. Se7en will keep you at the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end, one heck of a ride..

However, beware that there are heavy violence, and a lot of swearing in this movie for those who are easily offended by films with strong contents.

9) Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Despite its failure at the box office release in 1994, Shawshank Redemption was still nominated with 7 Academy awards, and is commonly praised by critics. What I really liked about this movie are the main themes of redemption, hope, salvation, the original sin, and faith in an afterlife. I wonder if this movie can be interpreted as a Christian parable.

If you haven't seen this yet, watch it. It's good.

8) Rocky (1976)

There is no doubt that Silvester Stallone has had a successful career as an actor, the man is 65 years old and he is still making action films... The first Rocky movie, in my opinion is one of the best drama films ever made. The film won 3 Academy awards, and Stallone was even nominated for best actor. The story of Rocky, is a "journey from poor to rich American dream" type of plot. While this might sound a bit clichéd, but Rocky is such an inspirational character that really came to life in the first Rocky movie. I always watch Rocky 1 whenever I feel downbeat and defeated by life, and I recommend this masterpiece to you.

7) Godfather (1972)

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse..". I think many people have heard of this line. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo, Godfather, is one of those films that forever changed the way crime drama films are made. Following its success, media entertainment has produced so many Italian Mafia movies or TV series: Untouchables, Sopranos, Scarface, Carlito's way, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas..etc. Godfather, is the pinnacle of crime drama films where Marlon Brando really brought the character of Vito Corleone to life.

Out of the many themes of the Godfather story, the most obvious one is the warning to us how easy it is for people slip off into the wrong side of things, and how that will affect you and your generations to come.

If you haven't seen this yet, watch it.

6) Good, the bad and the ugly (1966)

Clint Eastwood, is awesome.. period. This 1966 Western flick, is hall of fame material. It can be best described as a perfect blend between soundtrack use and cinematography. You haven't, and will probably never see anything quite like this.

This film has two of my favorite soundtracks of all time: The good, the bad and the ugly, and Ecstasy of Gold. The cinematography is great, at the end of the movie, the final showdown between the Good, the bad and the ugly at the cemetery will always be one of the best final showdown scene ever made.

5) Rebel without a cause (1955)

My parents always bragged about how good and meaningful the movies were back when they were young, and how much "cooler" James Dean was compared to modern day movie stars. I always thought they were just old and boring, to prove them wrong, one day I decided to watch Rebel without a cause, because my parents always said to me how good this movie is.

Well, after watching the movie. I had to agree with them that James Dean really is very cool. To be honest, I had a man crush on James Dean after I saw this movie for the first time. The story of the movie is about the gap between parents and alienated teenagers in the 50's, behind the society's rise to prosperity in the post WWII era, the movie shows how ill equipped parents were that they could not communicate with their teenage children, and the negative effects it had on families. Somehow I think this problem is even worse today, especially in our increasingly materialistic society. I think this movie is great for the whole family.

4) Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

There are films that are influential, and there are films that are beyond influential that they actually leave legacies. Lawrence of Arabia, is without doubt one of the most epic movies ever made. The story of Lawrence of Arabia is based on the historical account of Arabia during WWI, by British officer, T.E. Lawrence (author of 7 pillars of wisdom).

In this 3 and half hour film, everything is well done. From music, acting, cinematography production value to directing, everything is perfectly done. T.E. Lawrence is an interesting character, and the story in this film is epic beyond description and engaging despite its slow pace.

3) Seven Samurai (1954)

Akira Kurosawa, is a master director in heroic epic films. Seven Samurai, is probably the best movies he has ever done. Despite its age, this film stood up to the test of time and is still one of the best heroic epic films ever made.

This black and white film, was made in 1954. The story of Seven Samurai is very similar to The Magnificent 7. It took place in feudal age Japan, where constant war ravaged the land and people were suffering from raiding bands of former samurai and bandits. One particular village was under the threat of a group of bandits, in desperation the village send out messengers to the outside to try to hire a group of samurai to protect them against the bandits.

The characterization in this film is really well done, all 7 samurai have their own distinct characters and are extremely memorable. The classical theme of sacrifice, justice and servitude are constantly present throughout the film. This is a film not to be missed.

2) Citizen Kane (1941)

Rosebud, Rosebud.. what is Rosebud? Well, I am not going to spoil it for you. Watch the film to find out for yourself.

Citizen Kane, is on No.2 of my most favorite movies of all time. The film was made in 1941, and is in black and white. The story follows a extremely wealth proprietor, Charles Foster Kane. Kane lived a secluded life in his private residence, a palatial estate. Upon his death, Kane's last word was "Rosebud". The news reporter decided to determine the mystery of "Rosebud" to find out why is this Kane's last word, and what is the significance of this "Rosebud" in this wealth man's life.

Citizen Kane, is one of those movies that has something important to say, and that something is what you can take with you after the movie ends. I will leave you to discover what this "something" is after you find out for yourself what is "Rosebud". This movie is at No.2 on my list of top 10 movies for a very good reason.

1) Schindler's List (1993)

Yep, my favorite movie of all time is Schindler's List. Directed by Steven Speilberg. Personally, I think Schindler's List is the best movie ever made. The story is also the most disurbing, shocking and sad story ever told, but full of hope, and full of life. Based on a true event, the story of Schindler's list depicts humanity's darkest moment, but also the brightest side.

The story of Shindler's list is based on the historical account of the heroic deed of a German businessman and opportunist, Oskar Schindler, and his actions of saving Jewish people from being sent to concentration camps. Schindler tried to save as many Jewish people as he could by employing them as his factory workers. In the end, Schindler went bankrupt in his business, but managed to save 1000 people. There is a documentary on the DVD that shows all the descendants of these 1000 people saved by Schindler. When I saw this documentary after the movie, I realized that no matter how small a good action is, it will always matter.

Some people don't like this movie because of the violence and nudity scenes, but I think the violence and nudity scenes were necessary, because these scenes provided the necessary information for audiences to understand the gravity of the situations, and characterizations portrayed in the film.

Honestly speaking, I was really emotional while watching this movie. The scene of a little girl wearing a red jacket, a little boy jumped into the sewerage pit to avoid being captured by the Nazi, and the final scene when Schindler broke down crying as he left for Russia. These scenes are exceedingly haunting yet simply beautifully done.

Here you have it, a list of my top 10 favorite movies. Most of these movies are quite old, and are in black and white. Despite the age of these movies, when considering aspects such as story, cinematography, soundtrack and directing, these movies are some of the best films ever produced, providing both style and substance, with meaningful stories but without pretentiousness and over the top CGI.

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Book Review: What's so great about Christianity

Dinesh D'Souza, a Christian apologist, author and public speaker, published his book "What's so great about Christianity" in September 2007. In his book, he tackled against a lot of famous atheist books by authors such as: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Victor J. Stenger. D'Souza deeply explored the topic of Christianity from both atheist/theist point of views. Therefore, each chapter follows a similar structure: he usually starts each chapter of the book by stating the case of atheism, and then debate for the case for Christianity.

In this book, D'Souza covered a diverse topics of discussions, for example: the modern prejudice against Christianity in the western culture, the myth that modern science has replaced God, to philosophical debates. My favorite parts are the modern science and philosophy sections. In the modern science section, D'Souza debunked the myth that science and Christianity are incompatible, by pointing out that modern science actually has a root in Christianity. In "the argument from design" section, D'Souza, quoting "anthropic principles" and argued that the latest scientific findings actually support the case for the existence of God rather than disproving it. D'Souza criticized Darwinian evolution. but left the possibility for theist evolution. D'Souza also used a handful of famous philosophical arguments such as: Kant's Enlightenment Fallacy, Pascal's Wager, and Hume's case against miracles to debate for the case of Christianity.

I read this book more than 2 years ago, and I have to say that D'Souza did a great job at debunking a lot of the atheist books, and he debated in very intellectual, analytical and logical manners. I think this book really succeeded as a Christian apologetic literature, because D'Souza didn't employ the typical defensive methods, common in many Christian literatures, but instead he met all the atheist or anti-God arguments head on, and defeat them on its own terms, and deployed arguments that are a lot more sophisticated and intelligent than Dawkin's or Hitchen's atheist statements.

If you are looking for a Christian apologetic literature that approaches the topic from a more analytical, factual and logical manner, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 4.5/5

Video game Review: Dragon Age 2

Two years ago, the video game developer Bioware released a well crafted Role Playing Game "Dragon Age: Origins". A title claimed to be the "spiritual successor" to the legendary RPG Baldur's Gate series. The story featured an epic adventure to save a kingdom from the invasion of a monstrous horde known as the dark spawn, set in the fictional world of Thedas. The first Dragon Age was received with overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and users, and won numerous awards for RPG game of the year in 2009. Now, 18 months later. The sequel Dragon Age 2 is released. Game developer Bioware has promised that Dragon Age 2 will be an improvement from Dragon Age: Origins. However, have the promises being delivered in the sequel? This is what I will talk about next.

Since the release of Dragon Age 2, the reviews from the critics have been positive. However, the user review is extremely negative, this is a very strange phenomenon. However, one thing can be certain is almost everyone agrees that Dragon Age 2 is not as good as Dragon Age: Origins. So has Bioware really taken the franchise a step back? Well, let's have a look at this game in detail.

First of all, the story:

The story of Dragon Age 2 is a very interesting one. The entire story takes place over a 10 years period. Where initially the story started at the same time as the event in Dragon Age: Origins. For those who have finished the first Dragon Age game, the player can import their save games into Dragon Age 2, and see impacts of their decisions from the first game take place in Dragon Age 2. The player will be Hawke, a refugee from a village called Lothering, destroyed by the dark spawns during the event from Dragon Age Origins. Hawke took his family, and together they fled to a city in a kingdom across the sea known as Kirkwall. Upon arrival Hawke's family, together with other refugees fleeing from the dark spawn invasion were refused entry into the city. The orders from the authority was to only accept the refugees who they deem can bring contributions to Kirkwall, especially the rich ones. Hawke came from a poor family who were once nobility in Kirkwall. Through special arrangement Hawke managed to get his family into the city, and settled his mother in a slum like district called low town.

I am Hawke!

The city of Kirkwall is divided into several districts, examples including the area infested with low life criminals such as dark town, the area for the rich known as high town, and low town which is the dwelling place for the poor etc.. The design was really good, and the design really reflected the rich and poor disparity and tension in the society of Kirkwall.

The entire story of Dragon Age 2 mainly takes place in the city of Kirkwall, with a few locations outside the city that the player will visit occasionally. The story develops as Hawke rises from a mere refugee to the champion of Kirkwall. Now, this is what I really like about the story of Dragon Age 2. Unlike other games, in Dragon Age 2 you won't be thrown into an epic quest right at the start. Instead, you start as a refugee in a foreign city, where the story unfolds as you try to survive in the city. The story, however will evolve differently according to the decisions made by the player in the game. A lot of times, the choices the player have to make are morally ambiguous, where there is no clear right or wrong. However, all choices will have consequences later on in the game.

Another thing worth mentioning is that, Hawke will meet many characters during the story, and will have many companions. Each of the companions will have their own story and quest, and their unique characters. The results of their quest will also affect how the story evolves, and venturing with them is a very engaging gaming experience, because they will react to all the choices you made during the game, and become either friends or rivals. In my opinion, the companions in Dragon Age 2 are much better than the companions in Dragon Age: Origins.

Hawke doesn't travel alone, he always has mates watching over his back!

During Hawke's time in the city, Hawke will be involved in different political intrigues. These tensions are usually the results of prejudice, bigotry, greed, differences in belief, and sometimes racial tension. As you play the game you will realize that the problems and flaws in the city of Kirkwall are not really that different from the ones in our own world.

Another recurring theme from Dragon Age 2 is the struggle for a society to accept refugees who seek asylums. In the game, the refugees are shunned from entering the city of Kirkwall. They can only be accepted unless they are rich, or can prove themselves to be able to contribute to the city. Further on in the story, the refugees are treated poorly in Kirkwall and are categorized as second class citizens. I wonder if the story writer is trying to send a message behind the story about the way first world countries treat refugees.

Anyway, the story telling in Dragon Age 2 is very unique, but done in a way that is very personal and engaging. Which I think is far superior than the story in Dragon Age: Origins.

Gameplay and design:

The combat system has been renovated, compared to the first Dragon Age game, the combat in Dragon Age 2 is a lot faster. Gone are the "5 seconds to swing a sword" style combat, and in its place the sword actions are now replaced by a series of combo moves that are similar to attack moves in Devil May Cry series. However, Dragon Age 2 is not an action game, the combat still requires the player to employ carefully planned strategies and tactics. Bioware just made the combat in Dragon Age 2 appear more action-packed by changing a few rules in the combat system.

Overall, I think the combat system in Dragon Age 2 is better than its predecessor. I only have two complains about the combat system:

1) The removal of the tactical camera in the PC version, this means the player no longer have the choice to look at the area from the top and make strategic decisions during combat.

2) The blood and gore during the combat is over the top, the bodies of your enemies will just "explode" when they die. I stab my enemy with a puny dagger and their body literally EXPLODED! I mean, what the heck? Come on Bioware, be realistic here...

Ha! You are about to explode because I stabbed you a.. dagger?

The inventory system is a lot more streamlined compared to Dragon Age Origins. Now the inventory menu has different categories: weapon, armor, amulets/rings/belts, potions, and junks. This makes inventory management a lot easier and saves a lot of headaches that were caused by the "dazzling" inventory system in Dragon Age: Origins. But there is one major flaw to the new inventory system, and perhaps the biggest disappoint in Dragon Age 2 is that the player can no longer equip their companions with different armours! This is really lame! I mean, if your Hawke is a warrior and you find a good robe for a wizard, you can't do anything with it but to sell it for cash.. how crap is this!

The character level up system is similar to the first game. Where the player can invest attribute points and skill points when a character levels up. The player will be able to customise the level ups for all of the companions as well. Specialization points are given at level 7 and 14 like in Dragon Age: Origins. Overall, the character level system hasn't been changed much except the introduction of a few new skills.

The player will get to choose either playing as a male or female Hawke. Each gender will have three character classes: warrior, mage and rogue. Each class has its strength and weakness. This has been very well implemented in Dragon Age 2, as the strength and weakness or each class has been greatly emphasized. Each gender is fully voiced, gone is the mute hero from Dragon Age: Origins.

As I mentioned earlier, most of the game takes place inside the city of Kirkwall. Therefore, by the end of the game the player will be relatively familiar with all the locations inside Kirkwall. The city is well designed and feels more lively and populated compared to the cities in Dragon Age: Origins. However, here comes another major flaw of Dragon Age 2. While it is understandable that most locations remain the same in the city, but it is quite outrageous that the maps for the dungeons are re-used all the time! Therefore, almost all the layouts of the dungeons in Dragon Age 2 are identical. I wonder if Bioware rushed the release of Dragon Age 2 and just couldn't be bothered with designing different dungeons.

Graphics:

The graphics in Dragon Age 2 has been improved. It looks really pretty and the character models are lot more detailed like in Mass Effect 2.

Sound and music:

The sound effects are very good, whether it's the clashing of swords or explosions of fireballs. You will have to keep the volume down for this one. The voice acting is really well done and bring the characters to life. The soundtracks are composed by award winning composer Inon Zur (Icewindale 2, Fallout 3, DA:O).

Final score:

Story 9.5/10 - The unique style of story telling in Dragon Age 2 is what sets this game apart from many games. Bioware has fully utilised the dark fantasy world of Dragon Age in this game. The story is about the survival and the rise to power of a refugee in a xenophobic society intolerant of foreigners. The story and settings reflect much of the problems in our own world, where themes such as prejudice, bigotry, greed, freedom, tolerance, oppressions and racial tensions are deeply explored. As a Christian playing this game, it made me think about what God says about these issues. Such as do not oppress the immigrants or refugees (Leviticus 19:33-34, Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 27:19 and so on..) and many more. I think the world of Dragon Age is probably what our world have been like in the last few thousand years. The Bible commands us to treat each other with love. It is more than just "acceptance" or being "tolerant", because loving other people is not just merely acknowledging their existence amongst our own. Love is about giving and sharing, and evidently from our own history, giving and sharing has never been one of humanity's strength. In a modern world where tolerance is in high demand, we ought to wonder if tolerance is the solution to the problems in our society according to our post-modern philosophy. Or perhaps, the only and real answer is what has been in the Bible all this time.. love? This is a topic worthy of exploring.

Gameplay and design 8/10 - The revamped gameplay in Dragon Age 2 is welcomed, the combat is more fun and the inventory system is simplified in a good way. But problems such as: the removal of tactical camera, inability to equip armours on companions, over the top blood and gore and the repeated use of dungeons are major annoyances that really hold back the praises to Dragon Age 2.

Graphics 8.5/10 - The graphics in Dragon Age 2 is pretty and has been improved since the first game. However, compared to some major upcoming RPG titles such as Witcher 2 and Skyrim. The graphics of Dragon Age 2 is not on the same standard.

Sound and music 9/10 - The soundtracks are atmospheric, and the sound effects are great.

Violence: Extreme - Too much unrealistic blood and gore! I wonder if the ability to make people explode by stabbing them with a dagger is meant to be a humorous relieve? What was Bioware thinking?

Sex/nudity: Low - Compared to Dragon Age: Origins, the sex scenes has been toned down a lot. In Dragon Age 2, there are only kissing scenes and there are no nudity scenes.

Final verdict 8.7/10 - Dragon Age 2, is a very good game that is worthy of addition to any RPG fan's collection. The story has great values and reflects some of the deepest problems in our own world. However, design flaws such as the repeated use of dungeon and the removal of tactical camera make one wonder if Bioware has rushed the release of the game for more commercial gain. This, is what I think is behind all the outrage and complains from the players across the world. Having said that, Dragon Age 2 is still very epic and will provide between 30~40 hours of gameplay, and it is an extremely engaging experience. A fan of RPG should not miss this one.