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BioWare CEO discusses the lack of DA2 character creation choices

Speaking to VG247 at gamescom, BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka sought to assure Dragon Age fans that the absence of character creation options in Dragon Age 2 will not constrain the wide world of player choice BioWare's epics have become known for.

"Given that he is a human in this universe," Muzyka says, "that’s just the way this particular chapter in the Dragon Age universe is built. It’s built around him being a human, and hence your choices are a little more constrained at the beginning, but on the other hand that enables us to do a lot more other cool things as well, in terms of the way the narrative flows, and the other party members that join with you are really cool and interesting and diverse."

There has been some backlash toward this direction for Dragon Age 2. Dragon Age: Origins gave players the opportunity to choose their character's race, gender, and backstory, all of which helped determine how the story began and how people would react to the character. However, Dragon Age 2 takes a page from the Mass Effect series, plunking players down in the shoes of protagonist Hawke, who comes with his own fixed history. It's still unclear what, if any, benefits or changes save files from Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening might have on Dragon Age 2.