Dragon Age II

 PC
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5052 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,397 out of 5052
  2. Mixed: 1,198 out of 5052
  3. Negative: 2,457 out of 5052
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  1. Boban
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    This game is disgrace. And there is so many bad thing that I can not name them all. It is easier to say, if Bioware are planning to make DA3 than safest way is to copy everything from DA origins, and I mean skills, crafting, spells, companions armor, rogues abilities to use swords, different caves etc. Better is that they do not change anything, or they could just give Obsidian to make nice game.
  2. tuttifrutas
    Mar 14, 2011
    2
    the game is very disappointing. The graphics seem dated, the music is ok, the game-play is simplified and poses no challenge at all for experienced rpg gamers. LOTS of the recycled content. it is the same layout for all caverns, almost all houses, and almost everything has the same type of texture applied.
    But the City Hub system is the worse, i never seen so many loading screen in my    the game is very disappointing. The graphics seem dated, the music is ok, the game-play is simplified and poses no challenge at all for experienced rpg gamers. LOTS of the recycled content. it is the same layout for all caverns, almost all houses, and almost everything has the same type of texture applied.
    But the City Hub system is the worse, i never seen so many loading screen in my life. initiate quest in district A , goto hub, Loading, do quest in district B, goto hub, Loading, finish quest in district A. This system makes the game a chore. just go play DAO this one is just plain boring.    … Expand
  3. mattshu
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    A complete failure. Graphics look like a PS2 game. Gameplay is like God of War except not real time and boring as hell. I'd rather take an enema from a disgruntled lumberjack than play 5 minutes of this trash. If for some reason you decide to buy this game and feel the need to complain, you better not post anything negative on the BIOWARE FORUM or they will not only ban you from the forum,A complete failure. Graphics look like a PS2 game. Gameplay is like God of War except not real time and boring as hell. I'd rather take an enema from a disgruntled lumberjack than play 5 minutes of this trash. If for some reason you decide to buy this game and feel the need to complain, you better not post anything negative on the BIOWARE FORUM or they will not only ban you from the forum, they'll block access to all of your EA games.… Expand
  4. rarstar
    Mar 15, 2011
    4
    If you liked and are expecting the same quality of game as Mass Effect or Dragon Age Origins this game is not for you. I wanted to like this game, but after 10 hours of game play I've had to put it down and doubt I'll be finishing it. I wish I could get my money back - my opinion of BioWare has been absolutely shattered by this. There's a few things that I found absolutely unexceptable:
    1)    If you liked and are expecting the same quality of game as Mass Effect or Dragon Age Origins this game is not for you. I wanted to like this game, but after 10 hours of game play I've had to put it down and doubt I'll be finishing it. I wish I could get my money back - my opinion of BioWare has been absolutely shattered by this. There's a few things that I found absolutely unexceptable:
    1) Reuse of the same locations (one cave, one warehouse, one coastline) the entire game. All the maps feel like hallways with no sense of open exploration you expect in RPGs.
    2) Item drops are just uninteresting and uninspired. Most things are just named belt, or ring, the graphics for items don't really change, and you can't really use much of what drops anyways. They actually have a "junk" category... why are you making me pick up junk in the first place?
    3) Dialogue/relationships between characters is pretty shallow/contrived/immature.
    4) Ending is abrupt - ends in 7 years... where's my decade they advertised?
    5) Combat is horribly dull and uninspired. There's no strategy, you just fight wave after wave of enemies that spawn out of nowhere. 6) Many of the quests are just tedious and boring. This just feels like a very stale and poorly executed RPG with none of the innovation, twists, and intelligence I'd expect from a AAA title.

    I'm not sure where the "professional" reviews are coming from but I feel like they can't have played the game for very long because it's just so obviously a subpar game.

    Bleeeeeh    … Expand
  5. MaximusG
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    A serious disappointment. They removed everything RPG about this game. Actually I didn't mind the combat system, but the immersion was just gone completely. It felt like walking through a painting, I was not in a real game world. The complete lack of items and lack of variety among the few that there were was also annoying... so was the inability to equip your companions... so were the newA serious disappointment. They removed everything RPG about this game. Actually I didn't mind the combat system, but the immersion was just gone completely. It felt like walking through a painting, I was not in a real game world. The complete lack of items and lack of variety among the few that there were was also annoying... so was the inability to equip your companions... so were the new dumbed-down character trees... so were the recycled dungeons... I could go on...

    And the story was just stupid. Anders blows up the Chantry WHY? "HURF DURFF IT MUST END HERE!!!!" Not to mention the whole thing being rather predictable. The fact that so many DA2 fans cite the "complex and challenging story" as a factor in this game shows how f*cking stupid you have to be to like this. WHOAH **** THE OLD LADY WENT MAD HUH? AND IT WAS COS OF THAT IDOL? NOOO surely not!! Magic driving people insane? WHOAH better slow down there Bioware, you're breaking new ground here!!! Neither did the story hang together. There were lots of plotlines and events that seemed to be relevant but just happened and remained unexplored. More annoyingly, they ruined the character of Anders. Instead of being a bumbling moron making crap jokes, which meant you could laugh at him if not with him, he became a whiny wuss who kept hitting on you (I'm gay irl but seriously, get lost fgt).

    This game is 60% an unfinished rush-job and 40% an attempt to commercialise RPGs. Evidently someone at EA failed to notice that cRPGs are ALREADY highly commercial. Hopefully this will flop and they'll learn their lesson.    … Expand
  6. Gildor
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Totally disappointed for a game shamefully dumbed down, poor in content, and with very low production quality. Probably sold for the only reason to make quick money on the name of the previous game.
    This is the last Bioware game I spend my money on.
  7. guinevere2
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Expect an oversimplified hack and slash with quite dull and linear storyline and pseudo choices that does not matter for a thing for you character or storyline. Camera works terribly in this game and the overuse of generic dungeons is an absurd....This is kind of "Prince of Persia" or "Tomb Raider" game more than it is a Dragon Age" Origins successor, not mentioning Baldur"s Gate. I amExpect an oversimplified hack and slash with quite dull and linear storyline and pseudo choices that does not matter for a thing for you character or storyline. Camera works terribly in this game and the overuse of generic dungeons is an absurd....This is kind of "Prince of Persia" or "Tomb Raider" game more than it is a Dragon Age" Origins successor, not mentioning Baldur"s Gate. I am very disappointed with this title, although if you like arcade games you may like actually it.… Expand
  8. Vociferous
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    There's really only one good thing about Dragon Age II and that is its ability to reveal how the 'critics' have become next to useless when it comes to assessing the worth of a game. Especially so when the inflation of a game's rating is part of the marketing strategy utilised by EA and various other publishers to get you to purchase overpriced tedium (i.e. DA2). Want to know how good aThere's really only one good thing about Dragon Age II and that is its ability to reveal how the 'critics' have become next to useless when it comes to assessing the worth of a game. Especially so when the inflation of a game's rating is part of the marketing strategy utilised by EA and various other publishers to get you to purchase overpriced tedium (i.e. DA2). Want to know how good a game really is? Read the reviews made by people whose opinions aren't subject to scrutiny by these publishers.

    As for the game itself, virtually everything that needs to have been said has been said. Dragon Age II is truly a celebration of the most asinine elements of game design. It's built on the principle that far less detail is somehow much more exciting. After all, why should game developers construct elaborate backdrops and diversify the environments that the player will roam through when they can simply copy and paste the same areas over and over again? It's not as if anyone will notice that they're running through the same buildings and the same caves if those areas are changed ever so slightly on each return visit.

    Keeping in line with the graphical splendour, the gameplay of Dragon Age II is also wildly mediocre. The combat feels unpolished and oversimplified. With the addition of a 'wave' mechanic to fights, it becomes near impossible to tactically assess any fight from its outset. Once you've fought off all the enemies on screen, more simply pop into existence to fight you. There's no indication of how many waves you'll get nor how many enemies you'll fight in each wave. This is especially tedious when it occurs in every encounter. No thought seems to have been given to enhancing combat at all other than to extend its duration and give you less to do during a fight. Last time I checked, prolonging a bad thing didn't turn it into something magical and Dragon Age II is no exception.

    If you were hoping that the narrative was the redeeming factor, hope no longer. It's not. The story could simply function as a long winded introduction to the protagonist and nothing more. There's no true climax in this game and the note on which it all ends sums up the entire experience; overwhelming blandness.

    Keep the money in your wallet, don't embarrass game developers and publishers who actually make the effort to allow you to enjoy games and don't buy this game.    … Expand
  9. Bruckner8th
    Mar 17, 2011
    4
    I can certainly understand why there is so much hatred for this game after finally playing it through. Rarely have I experienced such an anger while playing a game. Dragon Age 2 is a shockingly pathetic combination of a weak story, retarded game mechanics, ugly graphics (compared with ALL current games) and extremely annoying companions and NPCs. It is unbelievable that they dare chargingI can certainly understand why there is so much hatred for this game after finally playing it through. Rarely have I experienced such an anger while playing a game. Dragon Age 2 is a shockingly pathetic combination of a weak story, retarded game mechanics, ugly graphics (compared with ALL current games) and extremely annoying companions and NPCs. It is unbelievable that they dare charging 60 bucks for this piece of trash. I would rather cut both my hands and legs than to ever buy another Bioware "product" again ("work of art" my ass!). To the extremely lucky who have not yet bought the game but are curious to try (curiosity here only brings more pain than good), I humbly advise you to torrent the hell out of it (Dragon Age 2's shoddy quality doesn't even justify your patient waiting for its price tag to drop to 10%!). Just torrent, try and then utterly forget it!… Expand
  10. xsgenefuzz
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    I give this game such a low score because I absolutely cannot review it in a vacuum, as a stand-alone game that has nothing to do with DA:O. Even if it was not in any way related to DA:O, I would still have to give it no more than a 5, because this is not an RPG. It's a flashy, anime-esque hack'n'slash game with a few RPG elements. And that is just not my cup of tea. But because thisI give this game such a low score because I absolutely cannot review it in a vacuum, as a stand-alone game that has nothing to do with DA:O. Even if it was not in any way related to DA:O, I would still have to give it no more than a 5, because this is not an RPG. It's a flashy, anime-esque hack'n'slash game with a few RPG elements. And that is just not my cup of tea. But because this is called Dragon Age 2, I have to compare it to DA:O. It may not be a sequel, per se, but it is still supposed to be the same universe with the same lore, and that is where Bioware went staggeringly wrong. For starters, the artwork and rendering of various races, characters, and creatures have been drastically changed. Elves look like rip-offs of Avatar's Na'vi, Qunari have horns, darkspawn look like humans with stupid skull-mask faces that aren't the least bit scary or revolting, and Flemeth is an armor-clad Disney sorceress. Not only have they turned into cartoon caricatures of themselves, it is practically inconceivable that Bioware would actually expect us to believe that this is in fact the same world. To add insult to injury, Bioware took some serious liberties with the lore of DA:O (e.g. when people are infected with the taint, they no longer simply go insane and die an agonizingly slow and painful death, they actually turn into darkspawn). Call me a fanatic or a purist, but I feel as strongly about this as I would about someone taking liberties with LOTR lore. What makes for great fantasy or science fiction is its internal consistency, its adherence to the reality of its own world. Start taking liberties, start introducing contradictions, and we stop believing in the reality, which is the real magic. I could have dealt with a few cosmetic changes if they hadn't messed with the lore. But this game is disappointing for me in other ways as well. Everything feels "dumbed down." Combat is an over-the-top gore fest with little to no tactics (or thought) required. Enemies constantly explode into little meaty bits, limbs flying in all directions. Two-handed weapons are larger than the characters that wield them. Rogues execute Bruce Lee-style gravity-defying spins and kicks, leaping twenty feet to close with an enemy. The basic rules of physics are non-existent. The story-line is similarly non-existent. While I do like the new Friend/Rival companion system, where a companion will stick with the main character even if they disagree about everything, there is no compelling reason for the Rival companion to stick around. This would have made much more sense in DA:O. Stopping the Blight and killing the Archdemon is precisely the kind of world-at-stake pressing goal that would realistically override hurt feelings, petty squabbles, and political disagreements. In DA2, there is no such overarching world-at-stake goal, so the "I'll stick with you even though I hate your guts" mechanism just doesn't ring true. Everything else RPG fans love about the genre, from armor, weapon, and item systems to skill development, is also "dumbed down." A little "star-rating" system tells you at a glance whether the item you just picked up is "better" than the one you have equipped. Crafting has been vastly simplified, and the need to gather, scavenge, or buy crafting materials virtually eliminated. You can no longer equip companions in any armor, or (in some cases) with any weapon; they are limited to their specific "companion armor." Again, all this does is take the need for thought and tactical planning out of the game. As for the UI, it is obviously designed for consoles, which is extremely aggravating for PC gamers. We don't play consoles for a reason -- because we don't like them! -- and when we are forced to click around in a console UI on our PC, it is just infuriating. This game has left me very sad. Considering that Bioware has been *the* RPG leader of the industry for the past several years, I worry that the future of this beloved genre is bleak indeed.… Expand
  11. Keplar
    Mar 17, 2011
    2
    I love DA:O very much, it's one of the most impressive games I've ever played,. I'm not at all impressed with DA2, however. In DA:O, I could log in, and immerse myself for 12 hours without realizing it - here, I have to fight to want to play an hour at a time. The graphics are pretty, but otherwise, this is a step backward from DA:O in almost every way. It feels like a fairly primitiveI love DA:O very much, it's one of the most impressive games I've ever played,. I'm not at all impressed with DA2, however. In DA:O, I could log in, and immerse myself for 12 hours without realizing it - here, I have to fight to want to play an hour at a time. The graphics are pretty, but otherwise, this is a step backward from DA:O in almost every way. It feels like a fairly primitive console game thus far, and the inability to swap nearly any armor on your party members is beyond stupid. The questing is vapid (One never even knows what you're actually doing half the time, or why) with many quests being things like "Go talk to X group member at the tavern" when that group member is, in fact, in your travelling party and standing right next to you. The storyline, while potentially intriguing, is so broken up that it isn't particularly enjoyable. Everything feels like an excuse to go from one cut-scene to the next. In DA:O, it felt like you, the player, actually controlled the flow of the plot, and could make a difference in what would happen. In DA2, everything is preordained, and you're just along for the ride, being pushed from one step to the next, whether you will or no. Also, you felt an attachment to your character - you understood and helped shape the back-story that would be with your throughout the game. In DA2, you're some random nameless person, back-story already established, and everybody already knows everything about you... except you the player. They forget the part where they tell you about yourself.

    The voicing of the main character is unnecessarily lengthy, and appallingly inaccurate - you almost never say anything resembling the option you selected, and conversations take twice as long as they used to, because you have to wait for (or ESC through) constant banter that you apparently have no control over anyway. The whole chat-wheel thing is a damnable console derivative that needs to die in a fire, and makes it unclear what number keys to use for keyboard chat control. To top it all off, there is no non-combat skill-tree! This isnâ    … Expand
  12. crazyblur
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    Hot trash , they took every good feeling and interesting aspect of origins and decided to dump it , companions are now a specific event only affair; no more talking to them as and when you please. gifts are quests now and totally retarded, random encounters? what random encounters? and as everyone has noticed , reused maps.. gets to the point you sometimes forget what the hell you are inHot trash , they took every good feeling and interesting aspect of origins and decided to dump it , companions are now a specific event only affair; no more talking to them as and when you please. gifts are quests now and totally retarded, random encounters? what random encounters? and as everyone has noticed , reused maps.. gets to the point you sometimes forget what the hell you are in the dungeon for.. was i killing dragons? spiders? rescuing idiots? whats the diff anyway it all looks the SAME. totally would not recommend, screw bioware and EA , never getting my money again… Expand
  13. Seleste
    Mar 19, 2011
    2
    I am really disappointed of the way Bioware is going with one of its major brands. The action parts are ok, but there is little to nothing left of the Dragon Age feeling. Story Failures, Decisions from DA:O are not correct imported. People alive that died... and such things. Boring Hack&Slay Action. DA2 isn't really a PC RPG Game anymore, it is a Console Hack and Slay RPG Action game. WithI am really disappointed of the way Bioware is going with one of its major brands. The action parts are ok, but there is little to nothing left of the Dragon Age feeling. Story Failures, Decisions from DA:O are not correct imported. People alive that died... and such things. Boring Hack&Slay Action. DA2 isn't really a PC RPG Game anymore, it is a Console Hack and Slay RPG Action game. With bad Interface and technical Problems. Also the level design repeats constantly, i only counted 2 or 3 different maps for caves and buildings. Monsters and Models of DA:O/A and DLCs get reused, partially as Boss Monsters. Altogether they used what they had, made some little additions and sold it for the full prize.… Expand
  14. Drathicus
    Mar 23, 2011
    4
    Before starting Dragon Age 2, I went back to a Lothering saved game from Dragon Age: Origins to study the look of the NPC's; I wanted my Hawke character to resemble one of the NPC's from the original game... perhaps that seems strange, but I thought it would be fun from a role-playing perspective. I realized at that time that the DA:O NPC's had just a few basic models/molds that were thenBefore starting Dragon Age 2, I went back to a Lothering saved game from Dragon Age: Origins to study the look of the NPC's; I wanted my Hawke character to resemble one of the NPC's from the original game... perhaps that seems strange, but I thought it would be fun from a role-playing perspective. I realized at that time that the DA:O NPC's had just a few basic models/molds that were then copied to populate the city. I was somewhat shocked, because I hadn't really noticed that during my first two DA:O playthroughs. I mention this because DA:O definitely "cut corners": linear pathways/not very open, clone NPC's populating cities, multiple dialog choices that lead to the same outcome, etc. The beauty of DA:O, however, was that the Bioware mages (developers) created Disney-like illusion: an epic storyline, characters you could have in-depth conversations with (at the time of your choosing), the ability to modify your companionsâ… Expand
  15. Scrotar
    Mar 21, 2011
    2
    Just finished playing the demo! It was fantastic!!! NOT!!! IT WAS A STEAMING PILE OF **** How could they do this to Dragon Age Origins!?

    â
  16. Skanablu
    Mar 22, 2011
    1
    Biggest disappointment of years... Dialogs for idiots and fight is a freaking hack n slash... Dragon Age 1 was best RPG since the great trio (Torment, Baldur, Fallout) and this is just a n unfunny joke...
  17. lustral
    Apr 2, 2011
    4
    People are right putting the lowerest score, it can be only be zero to destroy instead to improve. People is angry.
    Copy and paste the same locations. Inconsistent lore like players allowed to be mages without any reason (grey warden? no). Brilliant dialogues but too few. This is an expansion camouflaged by tons of side quests and almost experienced romances.
  18. Jardenon
    Apr 10, 2011
    2
    What did you do bioware?! What in gods name did you do?!?! The first game was one of the most Epic, and Amazing games I have played by this company. The cutscenes, The music, the lore, The stylization of the characters, Specifically Morrigan. Her actor was terrific. (this is a biased statement about Morrigan) but her aside, I felt for the characters, and felt for the story! Even though theWhat did you do bioware?! What in gods name did you do?!?! The first game was one of the most Epic, and Amazing games I have played by this company. The cutscenes, The music, the lore, The stylization of the characters, Specifically Morrigan. Her actor was terrific. (this is a biased statement about Morrigan) but her aside, I felt for the characters, and felt for the story! Even though the enemies were a little repetitive without much variance as well as seeing the same clothing on characters multiple times in the same cutscenes, the game still got the point across. But the second game?! The music was terrible. In the first game right away you hear this blood pumping epic theme with a woman chanting strange words beautifully...what was wrong that you decided to take such a thing out of the second game?! The voice acting was horrible, It didn't make me laugh or entertain me in the slightest. And most importantly, didn't make me feel for the characters. The gameplay was completely changed, simplified, and made boring! and don't get me started about the poor choice of party members as well. All in all I felt nothing for these people...the Hero of Ferelden was only mentioned in passing. It's like what you did barely mattered especially since the whole damn game was a story being told by a Dwarf while the story was being played....I admit they had balls trying something different but it ruined the suspense for me. I couldn't even make it through the whole entire game cause of how sorry it all was...shame on you Bioware, shame on you. I will not be playing Dragon Age 3...you had something beautiful, and you ruined it! You better not have ruined Mass effect 3 like this! Or mark my words I will never purchase another Bioware game as long as I live!… Expand
  19. Daematune
    Aug 26, 2011
    2
    It's extremely unworthy, so unworthy it should not possess the "Dragon Age" title. Mostly everything about the game is either extremely underdone or just extremely bad, seriously. Bioware tried way too hard on attempting to make this game successful. If I were to explain what went wrong with this game I'd be writing this for hours, don't buy it, stick to Origins if you must. Bioware hasIt's extremely unworthy, so unworthy it should not possess the "Dragon Age" title. Mostly everything about the game is either extremely underdone or just extremely bad, seriously. Bioware tried way too hard on attempting to make this game successful. If I were to explain what went wrong with this game I'd be writing this for hours, don't buy it, stick to Origins if you must. Bioware has always been a developer that you could trust with the uniqueness and success of their content, their trust has most definitely been shaken.… Expand
  20. Gjefflin
    Aug 2, 2011
    2
    I've been playing RPG's for over 22 years starting with Legend of Zelda and my first PC game in 1992 "Ultima Underworld". I've played games before that were bad because the developers didn't know what they were doing. In this case however, it was sheer corporate greed that turned what could've been a great Bioware game series into something unrecognizable and not up to snuff with ANY ofI've been playing RPG's for over 22 years starting with Legend of Zelda and my first PC game in 1992 "Ultima Underworld". I've played games before that were bad because the developers didn't know what they were doing. In this case however, it was sheer corporate greed that turned what could've been a great Bioware game series into something unrecognizable and not up to snuff with ANY of Bioware's past games. Had they not packaged this as "Dragon Age 2" and instead called it perhaps...."Dragon Age: Kirkwall" and charged half the price I wouldn't have been as upset as I was due to the fact that I wouldn't have been "expecting" a game that was to be if not as good as DA:O...hopefully better. I have no patience with gaming companies that put out rushed, sub-quality games and expect their fans to shell out full price for it because they're expecting the same quality of the game that they played previously. "Turd" sums up my feeling of being "taken" for my money. Here's my "constructive criticism".

    "DA2 was not the worse game I've ever played. But it was certainty among the most disappointing. The more cartoony graphics, repetitive use of maps, dwellings and dungeons, the extremely poor character development, the confusing ending, the frustratingly restrictive character inventory (Not being able to use any weapon, armor or ability to outfit any of your party members) the ridiculous spawning of mass enemies out of thing air to create the illusion of difficulty was in my opinion a complete and utter embarrassment and a rip-off to fans of the original Dragon Age game. On the positive side, I did like the fact that vendor trash was easily recognizable and you could sell it all in one shot. There was also one story (The serial killer) that was very well written. Outside of that, this was definitely one of Biowares (Actually the only one I can think of in their history as a gaming company) failures. I am trying to keep faith in Bioware games going forward as everyone makes mistakes. Time will tell. I will NOT be buying any DLC until i see lots of critic and player reviews.    … Expand
  21. Jensen2023
    Nov 20, 2011
    2
    Oh DA II, let me count the ways in which you are a terrible game.

    Well I can't, because mathematics has not progressed to the level necessary to quantify why DA II is the antonym of "good game" Imagine taking a good game, then making every single aspect of that game worse, then selling it again at the same price. Well Bioware seem to think that's a great business model. I would    Oh DA II, let me count the ways in which you are a terrible game.

    Well I can't, because mathematics has not progressed to the level necessary to quantify why DA II is the antonym of "good game"

    Imagine taking a good game, then making every single aspect of that game worse, then selling it again at the same price. Well Bioware seem to think that's a great business model.

    I would imagine most people think otherwise.    … Expand
  22. starscreamerx31
    Mar 20, 2011
    0
    ILL make this short and sweet, i loved dragon origins and played the hell out of that game, but when i played this game, i could not be more shocked to see they would actually sign this game off as bio ware approved. I never at any point felt i was an epic character, or felt a huge attachment to my characters as i did in part 1. This sequel should of been easy to make. keep what worked andILL make this short and sweet, i loved dragon origins and played the hell out of that game, but when i played this game, i could not be more shocked to see they would actually sign this game off as bio ware approved. I never at any point felt i was an epic character, or felt a huge attachment to my characters as i did in part 1. This sequel should of been easy to make. keep what worked and fixed what didn't. its like bio ware didn't think twice about how there fans really felt and instead killed everything i loved about the first.

    if you like half assed then this is the game for you :(    … Expand
  23. Ozymandias23
    Mar 23, 2011
    0
    I'll just leave this here:

    http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/dragon-age-ii-review#comment-38510

    ............. btw I'm giving this a 0 to do my part to offset the 10s given by the EA/Bioware review writers.
  24. Nethander
    Mar 23, 2011
    0
    I was really impressed with DA and DA:O but unfortunately DA 2 was a total let down. The whole game has a recycled cookie-cutter feel, especially with the quest design. All the game does is take you around to the exact same areas in each Act, but just with different quests. Laziness anyone? There isn't even a true world map like the original Dragon Age. It feels very constrained, and thereI was really impressed with DA and DA:O but unfortunately DA 2 was a total let down. The whole game has a recycled cookie-cutter feel, especially with the quest design. All the game does is take you around to the exact same areas in each Act, but just with different quests. Laziness anyone? There isn't even a true world map like the original Dragon Age. It feels very constrained, and there are about 3 different types of enemies: humans, darkspawn, and spiders...what a joke. If I could return the game for a full refund I would do so in a heartbeat these guys will never get my money again charging 60 dollars for something that is probably worth about 10. I could go on but wasting more time with this game is pointless, just want to warn people out there in case they are wondering about buying the game, and just look at the "Critic" reviews being all positive and the Users (who actually play the game more than an hour, unlike the critics) and decide for yourself. Wait for a better game this isn't it.… Expand
  25. MaelstromX
    Mar 23, 2011
    1
    WARNING: Most of the 9's and 10's on this site are obvious attempts by BioWare employees to skew the negative reviews this game has been getting. It's already been confirmed that an engineer at BioWare named "Avanost" (real name: Chris Hoban) left a 10/10 review for this game -- with ridiculous praise, to boot! Google it yourself if you like. Anyhoo, I am now 2/3 of the way through inWARNING: Most of the 9's and 10's on this site are obvious attempts by BioWare employees to skew the negative reviews this game has been getting. It's already been confirmed that an engineer at BioWare named "Avanost" (real name: Chris Hoban) left a 10/10 review for this game -- with ridiculous praise, to boot! Google it yourself if you like. Anyhoo, I am now 2/3 of the way through in this game and am finally giving up. I'm going to trade this puppy in before its value goes below $7.00 (which is what EB Games offered me). I thought the game would get better but it definitely _doesn't_! I finished the first one (on the PC) and after playing through the second, I feel that the name "Dragon Age" shouldn't be anywhere in the title. This is a hack'n'-slash game through-and-through -- and when I say that, I don't mean in a good way either. I'm saddened to say it, but buy this game at your own risk.… Expand
  26. TheBedivere
    Mar 23, 2011
    3
    Terrible game. It's poorly written, has no MAIN PLOT whatsover. It feels like a crappy collection of side quests. You never really get to know any of the characters. The combat is abysmal, and felt like crap to play.

    Just go play Dragon Age: Origins again, and you'll get 100 times the enjoyment out of that than this crap.
  27. FRORF
    May 19, 2011
    0
    Another consolized abomination that's been ported to the PC in a half-assed manner, BioWare yet again shows just how much EA is managing to effect the quality of their work. You've lost a customer with me over this one BioWare.. Maybe if you actually display an effort to put some quality work into your games in the future, I'll reconsider. DA2, however? Absolute crap.
  28. Frottle
    Jun 26, 2011
    2
    This game is probably one of the least entertaining games I have ever played in my gaming career, and that's saying something considering the large library of games I have completed. But, even with sheer force of will, I couldn't stand to continue past Act 1 in this game. The game had no reason to urge you to continue playing. Combat was sub-par, and was boring and consisted of rightThis game is probably one of the least entertaining games I have ever played in my gaming career, and that's saying something considering the large library of games I have completed. But, even with sheer force of will, I couldn't stand to continue past Act 1 in this game. The game had no reason to urge you to continue playing. Combat was sub-par, and was boring and consisted of right clicking on an enemy and sitting while your character attacked. The story was too bare bones to even be considered worth using, and wrapped itself up nicely, 1/3 of the way into the game. There was simply no lasting conflicts, the game could have ended at the end of Act 1 and nothing would have changed. And then dialog is another problem in this large list of "Why Dragon Age 2 is terrible". Hawke simply shows little to no emotion when speaking, even if you chose a dialog option from the limited "Nice, Funny, Mean, Details" dialog wheel that seemed like it would provoke some emotion in this solid concrete wall.
    Overall, Dragon Age 2 is a bad game that should not have made it to the floor at all, due to many many flaws and very little points of redemption.    … Expand
  29. xMaschine
    Jun 28, 2011
    3
    Looking at the trailers, advertisements, and all the marketing beforehand, DA2 looks spectacular and comes by as a must have for every avid fantasy rpg fan. In reality, the game was sloppily put together, designed with no room for creativity or imagination, it's presentation and storyline poorly executed, and many of the role-playing elements that capture the imagination and bring RPGsLooking at the trailers, advertisements, and all the marketing beforehand, DA2 looks spectacular and comes by as a must have for every avid fantasy rpg fan. In reality, the game was sloppily put together, designed with no room for creativity or imagination, it's presentation and storyline poorly executed, and many of the role-playing elements that capture the imagination and bring RPGs to life were "dumbed down" or completely removed in order to attract an audience that doesn't care for such things. Looking back at the short development cycle and it's primary goal of "reaching out to a wider audience", it's obvious the game was designed with the concept of quantity over quality in mind.… Expand
  30. Emblis
    Jul 23, 2011
    2
    Dragon age 2 is not a bad game, it is just an all around complete let-down from DA:O. Had the title not been Dragon Age it would have been a decent game but as a sequel to one of the history's best RPG is just do not hold up at all. The combat system has been simplified to and the story is uninteresting and frankly a bit hard to follow at times since there are no clear plot to follow.Dragon age 2 is not a bad game, it is just an all around complete let-down from DA:O. Had the title not been Dragon Age it would have been a decent game but as a sequel to one of the history's best RPG is just do not hold up at all. The combat system has been simplified to and the story is uninteresting and frankly a bit hard to follow at times since there are no clear plot to follow.

    Just about everything that DA2 do, DA:O did much better. Origins got a better combat system, more interesting story, deeper characters and dialogues. The only thing I can say was better with DA:2 was the idea that times moves forward so you can see the results and outcomes from all your chooses.

    Dragon Age 2 is a major disappointment, I recommend staying away from it. Now, if you excuse me, I am going to play some Dragon Age:Origins.    … Expand
  31. Aodecim
    Jul 30, 2011
    4
    Despite its wonderful action sequences and revamped combat system, I am thoroughly disappointed with this mess of a game. Wonderful voice acting, character development, and a slightly interesting plotline mixed with generic....VERY generic dungeons and caves made this game unbearable for me. The copy and paste dungeon designs made me rage as I remembered the genius level-design andDespite its wonderful action sequences and revamped combat system, I am thoroughly disappointed with this mess of a game. Wonderful voice acting, character development, and a slightly interesting plotline mixed with generic....VERY generic dungeons and caves made this game unbearable for me. The copy and paste dungeon designs made me rage as I remembered the genius level-design and immersion that presented itself in the very first Dragon Age. The developers really dropped the ball on this one.… Expand
  32. NixSar
    Mar 14, 2011
    4
    I've waited for this game filled with hope that it will be at least as good as its excellent predecessor, but as soon as I've started it, quite honestly I was at a loss for words. I still am, but I will still write a couple of lines in hope to, if nothing else, feel better about buying it. Everything immediately felt wrong - the graphics looked weird - somehow improved, but also somehowI've waited for this game filled with hope that it will be at least as good as its excellent predecessor, but as soon as I've started it, quite honestly I was at a loss for words. I still am, but I will still write a couple of lines in hope to, if nothing else, feel better about buying it. Everything immediately felt wrong - the graphics looked weird - somehow improved, but also somehow completely off and worse (really cannot explain better), the controls clunky, camera erratic, combat system so wildly different to anything before, but after 10 hours of playtime still not getting any better or more familiar in my opinion. The story feels completely disconnected, I have yet to feel any kind of connection to the game, love for the characters or appeal for the storyline and so it goes on and on and on... Not a disaster if viewed without its predecessor in mind, but just a weird, unnecessary game.… Expand
  33. xtrmx
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    I always thought bioware would eventually make a mediocre game but I never thought it would be this fast. Everything has been dumbed down and god...playing the same area 20 times is the most boring thing I've ever come across in my last 10 years of gaming.
  34. RavenZD
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    This games claims to be mature RPG from one of best RPG developers in the world, It simply is not true.
    Before i start with pros and cons, let me just say a thing or two about mature rpg:
    1. It is not mature (yes there is sex and some quests are rather interesting), but flashy combat, quests that are so dumb (discover a item on floor and bring it to someone for reward is insult of    This games claims to be mature RPG from one of best RPG developers in the world, It simply is not true.
    Before i start with pros and cons, let me just say a thing or two about mature rpg:

    1. It is not mature (yes there is sex and some quests are rather interesting), but flashy combat, quests that are so dumb (discover a item on floor and bring it to someone for reward is insult of intelligence). There is no real group dynamics, story so far is refreshment from usual rpg epic default, but i don't mention this as a necessary good thing - you are driven solely by making a name for your self in one rather small town. It is ok to have this, but you expect more at the end. This is just: ok, and that is it, what now?

    2. RPG - where to start....it just doesn't feel like one. Inventory is a big part of rpg for me - i like to play around with items, have meaningful icons, distribute with my members, combine what is best and generally play around with crafting etc. Here they take most of it away. There are no icons, party customization is awful, if you get DLC armor & weapons, you will be using it alot because it is very powerful...crafting is just basically purchasing from a stand...no open world, feels very limited with location recycle... i just can't get into the character and into setting.


    To be clear, haven't played game through...i started by single session of 8 hours, than 6, than 4, than 2.. yesterday i just chilled on couch, had absolutely no wish to turn it on (in DA:o it was quite opposite, my desire to play got bigger with progression). Not really sure if i will be able to finish it (difficultly is not an issue).. it just doesn't captivate and mesmerize like RPG should.


    PRO: no bugs, some very interesting quests, combat can be fun sometimes, top notch voice acting
    CONS: inventory, party chars not very interesting, fight is not tactical at all, no open space, narrow corridors or walls most of game (don't mind dungeon crawl now and then, but this is nowhere near so far), dialog wheel (absolute rpg abomination) and yes for me - no epic struggle as culmination of all the efforts...


    For me a big letdown, if you liked origins and enjoy classic RPG experience do not buy this game until it is not on some discount or used...don't think I'll ever play this more than once if i manage to get interested enough to complete.

    P.S. If this is what RPG is going to be from now on - i must be getting too old and this simply is not for me.    … Expand
  35. exposer
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    This game is so bad, EA Bioware are trying to fix the bad publicity by posting 10 scores here on metacritic themselves... and are so dumb they actually got caught!
    http://vividgamer.com/2011/03/14/bioware-employee-caught-reviewing-dragon-age-ii/
    The game is weaker and dumber than Dragon Age Origins, and its most foul stink is the fact Bioware's usually saving grace, its coup de'tat,    This game is so bad, EA Bioware are trying to fix the bad publicity by posting 10 scores here on metacritic themselves... and are so dumb they actually got caught!
    http://vividgamer.com/2011/03/14/bioware-employee-caught-reviewing-dragon-age-ii/

    The game is weaker and dumber than Dragon Age Origins, and its most foul stink is the fact Bioware's usually saving grace, its coup de'tat, its shining star - it's story - is the worst culprit.

    When playing the game, I noted in my mind when actual plot points occured in my gametime, after being 5 hours in and wondering when something was going to happen main plot wise.

    10 hours.

    10 hours of sidequests before it had tried to allude it was building up to something that would happen. Before then, Hawke was just mulling about.

    Then, when that first stage is reached, you think "Finally! Something is going to happ..."

    Then, you return to Kirkwall, and are put back to work on -another- 10 hours of sidequests.
    Sidequests that build up to an event that was clearly designed for the story in the next game, not this one.

    At this point, i thought... "Is there even a main plot TO this game?"

    Then the main plot begins. ... 20 hours...

    20 hours into the game, then Bioware rushed the main plot by in the remaining 10 hours; and even then, was very pushed through and contrived in places.

    For me, any game that takes 20 hours to start the main plot is born out of a lack of a good script/story director.

    And considering that is what covers up Bioware's minor faults usually, it gives the terrible faults in this game nothing to hide behind at all. I honestly kept sighing through the last twenty of the the thirty hour gameplay... I never got sucked in by the story, the dimensionless character of Hawke, or built up a rapport with anyone as much as you did in Dragon Age 1 to care about them.

    In short - Its not the worst game ever made, i would have scored it a 4 out of 10, but to counter the EA/Bioware cheats scoring it 10, i docked 3 points. But despite it not being the worst game ever made - it certainly is not worth buying until its on sale for $10 or £12.    … Expand
  36. Jaiyeson
    Apr 4, 2011
    4
    I almost cannot believe bioware made this game. Its nothing but a glorified DLC. Combat and UI have improved but the storyline is something I never became emotionally invested in. Graphics and plot + reused dungeons and zones makes this seem like a lazy effort. Take out the title Dragon Age and just call this Hawke's Adventures the DLC and lower the price from 60 bucks to 30 and then itI almost cannot believe bioware made this game. Its nothing but a glorified DLC. Combat and UI have improved but the storyline is something I never became emotionally invested in. Graphics and plot + reused dungeons and zones makes this seem like a lazy effort. Take out the title Dragon Age and just call this Hawke's Adventures the DLC and lower the price from 60 bucks to 30 and then it would be worth buying.… Expand
  37. Nytrox
    Nov 12, 2011
    0
    0-0 When i first tried DA: origins i thought that oblivion were the only "king of rpg's". I had to eat that back, because i suddently fell in love with that game, everything were at his place: the quests, the kind of battles, the plot, the dialogue... It was really awesome! while playing a little bit i realise that DA2 is gonna be released, i think to myself "its a little early, since its0-0 When i first tried DA: origins i thought that oblivion were the only "king of rpg's". I had to eat that back, because i suddently fell in love with that game, everything were at his place: the quests, the kind of battles, the plot, the dialogue... It was really awesome! while playing a little bit i realise that DA2 is gonna be released, i think to myself "its a little early, since its just 1 year of development from the first" but i didnt care much. Some months later i see DA2 in the store, so i gain some money to get it, I install it I try it oh dear. whats goin on with the battle? it looks like a button mashing contest everytime i have to challenge somebody, the graphics are if not equal even worse to the first one, even if its DX11 and the quests were all the goddamn same, collection quests all over the place! GET THIS GET THAT KILL THIS KILL THAT. gimme a break! In synthesis: 50 euros regretted… Expand
  38. hulk
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    Don't beleive the people giving this game 10/10 it is no were near a 10/10 game their just lying to you at best this game is a 3/10 this game has been dumbed down so much how can they call it an rpg game its just complete and utter rubbish as im said the people that are giving 10/10 are just lying buyer beware
  39. Decker
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    Let me start the review with a quote from the content description by the BBFC: "Throughout DRAGON AGE II players are constantly hacking and slashing at enemies". Hack&slash, this accurately describes the combat in Dragon Age II. The dialogue system has been dumbed down. It offers three choices: good, bad and snarky. Dialogue related skills like coercion are gone. The customization optionsLet me start the review with a quote from the content description by the BBFC: "Throughout DRAGON AGE II players are constantly hacking and slashing at enemies". Hack&slash, this accurately describes the combat in Dragon Age II. The dialogue system has been dumbed down. It offers three choices: good, bad and snarky. Dialogue related skills like coercion are gone. The customization options have been reduced. There is no race selection for the main character. Several passive skills beside coercion have been removed (as well as some crafting skills). It's not possible to change the armor, boots, gloves and helmets of your party members. The player is cooped up in one city (Kirkwall) for most part of the game. There are a few outside locations like caves, which all have the same layout. Kirkwall is split up into several areas. Whenever you leave an area, you get a menu of other locations to visit. There is no sense of travel or exploration. The play time is considerably shorter than Dragon Age. Story and characters are sub-par Bioware standard. There are many flaws in Dragon Age II. Bioware has overly simplified the game and its mechanics, to make it more accessible to the mainstream casual market. They dumbed down the good features of the first game like dialogue system, customization, combat system and added the bad features like enemies appearing out of nowhere and awkward underwear love scenes to the second game. The original game was an epic journey, with memorable characters - the second game is an epic failure. Don't waste your money on it.… Expand
  40. Aken
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    This is not a sequel to dragon age, it a new story based in the same universe. Some thoughts....

    1. Huge amount of copy/paste levels. All the environments are the same used over and over and over and over. Takes place in one city (region). 2. Characters are lifeless, you don't really care anything about them. Very bland backgrounds 3. You only have full control over the main    This is not a sequel to dragon age, it a new story based in the same universe. Some thoughts....

    1. Huge amount of copy/paste levels. All the environments are the same used over and over and over and over. Takes place in one city (region). 2. Characters are lifeless, you don't really care anything about them. Very bland backgrounds

    3. You only have full control over the main characters inventory. 4. They basically threw out everything in the first game and started from new. Only the lore seems the same.

    If you have not purchased this please wait for the bargain bin. Not worth a 60.00 buck price tag.    … Expand
  41. nibelung
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Its comparable to offline single player generic MMOs. Are you trying to make Dragon Age 2 MMORPG Bioware? Planning to sell DLC/Patch to add more contents Bioware and fix that MMOrpg-style battle? MMo can do that for free, showing that your game is not really that complete in term of deliverable. But , hey, there is a good new, there always next time. good luck with DA 3.
  42. SoChill
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    Its like this, the developers didnt even try, you fight the same enemies over and over again, the fights are all EXACTLY the same, you run into a group of mobs, with 1 or 2 mini bosses, kill a certain number of mobs and one more wave of mobs will spawn. EVERY DUNGEON IS THE SAME, they just shut off or open some passages and move a chest around, its like they didn't even try, Dragon AgeIts like this, the developers didnt even try, you fight the same enemies over and over again, the fights are all EXACTLY the same, you run into a group of mobs, with 1 or 2 mini bosses, kill a certain number of mobs and one more wave of mobs will spawn. EVERY DUNGEON IS THE SAME, they just shut off or open some passages and move a chest around, its like they didn't even try, Dragon Age Origins was a good game, so they capitalized on its success by taking a **** in a box, throwing some glitter on it and selling. Oh and they obviously payed of quite a few reviews. DO NOT BUY! THE DEVELOPERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES!… Expand
  43. dirtyfinger
    Mar 17, 2011
    2
    Combat is ridiculous. Animation speed increased to the point that no strike animations are visible. Intended to speed up combat ... which it doesn't, since the increased speed is offset by higher monster hitpoints and swarms of enemies.
    also, combat has been "coolified", meaning that every standard attack is the 'Fallout 3' equivalent of 'Bloody Mess', meaning that a killing stab with a    Combat is ridiculous. Animation speed increased to the point that no strike animations are visible. Intended to speed up combat ... which it doesn't, since the increased speed is offset by higher monster hitpoints and swarms of enemies.
    also, combat has been "coolified", meaning that every standard attack is the 'Fallout 3' equivalent of 'Bloody Mess', meaning that a killing stab with a dagger causes humans to explode.

    unconvincing encounters with different factions ... you somehow are constantly forced to kill potential allies. also swarms of enemies, even if you're just on a evening stroll to the nearest tavern.

    also, maps get recycled over and over and over. sure, you're revisiting old locations very very often, but you'll see the exact same dungeon map on up to five DIFFERENT locations!
    Lazy!

    No, this game is a complete fail in the categories Bioware tried to improve.    … Expand
  44. JD3711
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    fast paced combat, tapping 'a' to win, some romance, simple gameplay, yea i think some might like da2.
    but for me, da2 it's just a piece of filth and horrible way to spend $60. I ain't gonna buy me3 or da3. ;p
  45. Stegzilla
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    I'm quite disappointed tbh. I managed to finish it in 17hrs on normal, doing most of the side quests. After playing the Mass Effects, I was expecting something a little longer. Thought the story was a bit so-so.
  46. Marcman59
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    It's rather unfortunate how this game turned out. The combat is no longer tactical, it simply requires you to hit your abilities as the cooldowns refresh. The story is bland, and makes it difficult to press on, nothing "hooks" you. If this game had been released as a stand-alone title not under the Dragon Age name, it wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing. Also, 27 different DLC's atIt's rather unfortunate how this game turned out. The combat is no longer tactical, it simply requires you to hit your abilities as the cooldowns refresh. The story is bland, and makes it difficult to press on, nothing "hooks" you. If this game had been released as a stand-alone title not under the Dragon Age name, it wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing. Also, 27 different DLC's at launch is rather excessive and a terrible trend to follow. I'm all for DLC, but I want game expansion that couldn't have been included on the disc.… Expand
  47. AlcoJaguar
    Mar 19, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What a waste of money... terrible DX11 performance on Fermi cards, lackluster story, trapped in a single city for the entirety of the game. The game drops you on a brand new continent never before explored in the previous Dragon Age and what does it do? Lets you fast travel between all of four small districts and a handful of recycled "wilderness" areas. The game is ~95% side quests, while the main plot can be played through in about 2 hours if one of the main quests didn't FORCE you to do side quests right when you arrive in Kirkwall. If that wasn't bad enough, side quests keep returning you to exactly the same generic "mansion", "sewer", or "alley" and force you to fight generic and unchallenging enemies re-skinned depending on the flavor text you got at the start of the quest. Also, if you had held out hope that BioWare would make a game for adults then you'll be sorely disappointed. The game is insultingly juvenile with respect to sex and violence. It's just an uninspired mind-numbing hack-and-slash grinder. It's as though they took everything that's hated about MMOs and dumped it into a singleplayer game for general consumption. BioWare lost a lot of my respect with this release and all the marketing stunts pulled with it.… Expand
  48. nospam9000
    Mar 20, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age Origins was one of the best games I ever played and I was really looking forward to Dragon Age 2. After playing the game for around 8 hours I started skipping all cut scenes and dialogues because i could not stand it any more. The fights are boring. How could the magazines give such high ratings?
  49. Amstaad
    Mar 22, 2011
    2
    Don't believe the hype. This game is so riddled with lazy design choices that it's insulting. The designers thought it would be a good idea to copy-paste the same dungeons over and over again? Not to mention most of the fights play out EXACTLY the same way: kill initial wave and then kill one or two more which swarm in from all directions. There is no variety. For 60$ bucks I wasDon't believe the hype. This game is so riddled with lazy design choices that it's insulting. The designers thought it would be a good idea to copy-paste the same dungeons over and over again? Not to mention most of the fights play out EXACTLY the same way: kill initial wave and then kill one or two more which swarm in from all directions. There is no variety. For 60$ bucks I was expecting a triple A release and what I got was tepid shovel-ware. I have learnt that you should always base your purchase off user reviews and not the "critic's" reviews as they're all under the publishers control. I'd give it a pass or at the very least wait until the "platinum" edition comes out which will also be cheaper and have all the DLC.… Expand
  50. Lord_Mephisto
    Mar 22, 2011
    2
    FIRST IMPRESSIONS (5/10):
    Installation and configuration of the game went well. Once starting the game, there was a mediocre amount of character visual choices on character creation looking adequate. The amount of character types, however, were somewhat limited. This was true for Dragon Age 1 as well, but was even more streamlined/simplified in this game.
    In the middle of character    FIRST IMPRESSIONS (5/10):
    Installation and configuration of the game went well. Once starting the game, there was a mediocre amount of character visual choices on character creation looking adequate. The amount of character types, however, were somewhat limited. This was true for Dragon Age 1 as well, but was even more streamlined/simplified in this game.

    In the middle of character creation, you were thrown more or less into the game in a fairly creative manner. But really, isn't "starting off with a bang" getting a little old? And what is wrong with a little cinematic to put the player into the right mood? And for some reason, the feeling was a little "rushed" into completion.

    All in all: Not bad, not good. The classic 5/10, industry standard.


    GRAPHICS (5/10):
    In my personal opinion, not the most important aspect of the game. At least not in pure technical respects.

    With that said, Dragon Age 2 appears to be a little dated compared to other action games. And compared to Dragon Age 1, it did not show any particular improvements. Even though the graphics are nothing special and lacks new features, they seem to have polished the look of what was there fairly well.

    All in all: Somewhat dated, well polished. 5/10, industry standard.


    VISUAL APPEAL (3/10):
    Different from the more technical quality of the graphics is the visual appeal of the game. More or less an artistic viewpoint of the graphics.

    The landscape, city and indoor environments look everything from ok to good. But it lacks a soul. Non player characters do not respond well to what happens around them, they stand around stiff and bland. Too many locations were recycled throughout the game making it appear artificial, a dead thing. No improvement in weather or wind furthers nails the lid on this coffin.

    There are also vastly too few types of enemies which contribute to making the game appear without variation.

    All in all: 3/10. Somewhat lifeless, fairly bad.


    SOUND (3/10):
    What happened to the music in this game?

    The sound effects and general environment is overall ok. Some taunts and tidbits is played too often and is too repetative for non player characters in many areas. But it's not bad, just not anything special.

    The music, however, is near being described as horrible. There are only a few tunes I want to bother listening to. I am usually into listening closely to ingame music for the atmosphere, but the music in Dragon Age 2 did nothing for me.

    All in all: 3/10. Sound effects are ok, the music is pretty bad and boring.


    STORY (6/10):
    Heard it before, nothing special. However, creative narration and overall well done. There is simply nothing remarkable about the story in the game.

    In many places, it is easy to see that the player really has no choice. And even though there are some different choices to make that counts in the game, there isn't truly many "world-spinning" actions.

    The voice acting is pretty good, but sometimes a little bland.

    It is a little hard to care about the characters in the game. This might be because there are few choices, especially in the start. Personally, most of them annoy me and I would send them somewhere to die if I could.

    What breaks an otherwise decent story, is that the quests related to the main story is pretty far from entertaining or interesting. Personally, I simply want to wander off into the wilderness.

    Overall: 6/10. Even with some major flaws, the story is above average. Keep in mind industry standard is bad.


    COMBAT AND CAMERA CONTROL (2/10): Is this an RPG? No. It's an action game. But I say: Rate it as an RPG because it says so on the "box". *CACKLES NERVOUSLY* Where to begin... Let's keep it simple: Every fight is the same. Boom! A bunch of enemies drop down on your head. Your mage spams the same spells as last time and your fighters/rogues mop up, you need to push a few buttons. Boom! Group nr. 2 drops on your head. Repeat. Where is the development? What new strategic or tactical challenges are there? Since when was spawning encounters in your face good game design? Why is everything solved by doing the exact same thing over and over? Even bosses are mostly fairly simple - both in regard to defeating them and to how they behave. WHY THE **** DID THEY MAKE THIS SO CRUDE AND REPETATIVE? AND FOR GODS SAKE, WHY MUST EVERYTHING SCALE? Another annoying lack of feature is the strategic view of Dragon Age 1. With enemies dropping on/in from all directions, some would say it would be nice to have a strategic view camera. This further underlines the action game transformation of Dragon Age 2. On the positive side, combat is responsive and dynamic. The characters do what you tell them to do, and they mostly do it without any delay. There are a good amount of fun animations and moves whi    … Expand
  51. spoocaptain
    Mar 22, 2011
    0
    I made an account on this website just to post a review for this. I heard about the game and was initially excited. I thought it would be another good RPG from BioWare to hold me over until Skyrim came out later this year. Huge pissing disappointment there, I uninstalled this putrescent piece of garbage after less than an hour of playing it. Right off the bat you get greeted with totallyI made an account on this website just to post a review for this. I heard about the game and was initially excited. I thought it would be another good RPG from BioWare to hold me over until Skyrim came out later this year. Huge pissing disappointment there, I uninstalled this putrescent piece of garbage after less than an hour of playing it. Right off the bat you get greeted with totally flaccid graphics and dialog, randomly thrown into a mind-numbingly stupid hack and slash zombie encounter. Right then and there I knew I had wasted my sixty bucks. Safe bet I won't be buying any BioWare products in the future, even their much anticipated MMO. Btw, it's pretty much certain that their reviews were bribed. This piece of **** doesn't even deserve a 30%. Back to playing RIFT and dusting off my Oblivion and Morrowind when I wanna play a decent single-player RPG!… Expand
  52. addyftw
    Mar 23, 2011
    3
    The combat system revamp does not bother me. What does bother me is when party members don't ****ing hold position when I tell them. Let me give you an example: fighting the first dragon you come across in the deep roads. I want to kite the boss back to a better position, I tell my party to HOLD POSITION, meaning that unless I get a loading screen, or a cut-scean, they should not moveThe combat system revamp does not bother me. What does bother me is when party members don't ****ing hold position when I tell them. Let me give you an example: fighting the first dragon you come across in the deep roads. I want to kite the boss back to a better position, I tell my party to HOLD POSITION, meaning that unless I get a loading screen, or a cut-scean, they should not move from that spot under any circumstances no matter what. What actually ends up happening is that the horrible party AI system decided to teleport them to me three times in the course of no more than a 15 second walk from where I told them to HOLD POSITION. Since I'm playing on nightmare and my party for the most part is completely useless anyway, due to iffy at best aggro mechanics, (I have abandoned my warrior since she does so little damage, once the 10 second taunt is up, it all runs to the casters anyway), and party member's AI being too stupid to move out of the way of 1 shot kill boss mechanics, I have abandoned my party almost all together. This has let to the already nearly non existent party member story lines, to be nonexistent all together since it is not worth it to bring them with me.

    Furthermore the lack of being able to give your party members armor, has made it so that my mage has both twice the armor and defensive stat of the game's intended warrior tank, making that party member useless (she is also a bit of a stuck up **** anyway).

    My largest gripe BY FAR is how lazy the level design team was: FIVE count them FIVE times, the game reused the EXACT SAME DUNGEON. I don't mean, oh you have to go back into the dungeon, no, a completely different area has the EXACT SAME DUNGEON layout, even the set pieces are the same. This game has no re-playability at all, $60 is a rip off for this piece of garbage, maby $20 is worth it. I wouldn't know, I'm glad I torrented it or I woudl have been pissed off that I wasted $60.    … Expand
  53. noa
    Mar 29, 2011
    4
    I liked the original Dragon Age, and most other Bioware titles. This game, however, was a huge disappointment. As a prospective buyer, you may wonder about the disconnect between user reviews and professional review scores. I would put it like this: Dragon Age II is like the student who goes to class, memorizes all he needs to know, and does well on the exams, but never actuallyI liked the original Dragon Age, and most other Bioware titles. This game, however, was a huge disappointment. As a prospective buyer, you may wonder about the disconnect between user reviews and professional review scores. I would put it like this: Dragon Age II is like the student who goes to class, memorizes all he needs to know, and does well on the exams, but never actually understands the material. In the same way, DA2 has a story, but it fails to come together, and at the end you're left wondering "That's it? Did I miss something?" DA2 has locations, but as early as the first Act, you will have seen every single one of them, and hopefully you liked them the first time around, because you'll see them again, and again, and again. DA2 has sleek skill trees allowing you to customize your character, but the gameplay has been so dumbed down (even on harder difficulties) that there's just no incentive to try things out, or if there is challenge, it is of the frustrating, repeat the same thing over and over kind (boss fights where the boss has ridiculous amounts of hitpoints come to mind). I could go on, but most of my complaints have been voiced already: this game is not worth your money.… Expand
  54. Rataan
    Apr 1, 2011
    3
    The developers tried to combine hack and slash and role playing with predictable results. Predictable, evidently, to everyone but them. It's hard to convey how ironic it is, because we went through the exact same thing with Bioware in 2002 with Neverwinter Nights. Dragon Age was supposed to be a return to roots after the fan reaction to the weak first installment of Neverwinter Nights,The developers tried to combine hack and slash and role playing with predictable results. Predictable, evidently, to everyone but them. It's hard to convey how ironic it is, because we went through the exact same thing with Bioware in 2002 with Neverwinter Nights. Dragon Age was supposed to be a return to roots after the fan reaction to the weak first installment of Neverwinter Nights, which was essentially a shotgun marriage of the Baldur's Gate franchise and elements of Diablo II. Fast forward to 2011, and we get another mishmash that tries to be all things to all things to all people. No doubt the Bioware developers sold themselves and their "ideas" to their corporate overlords as faster, better and cheaper and would take the world by storm. Either that, or they knew it was a half-baked cash-in to fill in quarterly revenues in the lull before bigger and better releases later in the year. Don't believe the big name reviews. The 80+ average here and at Gamerankings is far too generous. Big titles like this seldom get the honest criticism they deserve. DA2 does have high production values, and maybe that is what they are actually reviewing. The voice acting is top notch, and it has many individual scenes and lines of dialog that show there was some talent at work. But while that may be a good start for an RPG, DA2 doesn't deliver a cohesive story overall. It's more like three short stories in one book. But if you are a diehard fan of the genre, then maybe DA2 is still worth the price of admission. Just be forewarned that you see many game elements that will leave you baffled and wincing.… Expand
  55. diblob
    Apr 1, 2011
    0
    Severely disappointed in this game, which is absolutely nothing like Dragon Age: Origins. This is basically a Mass Effect beat em up in the Dragon Age setting (except with worse graphics, storyline, voice acting and gameplay). Bioware have unfortunately dropped their standards to unbelievable depths and 'Consolofied' what was a once brilliant PC style RPG. Gameplay is so simple you can doSeverely disappointed in this game, which is absolutely nothing like Dragon Age: Origins. This is basically a Mass Effect beat em up in the Dragon Age setting (except with worse graphics, storyline, voice acting and gameplay). Bioware have unfortunately dropped their standards to unbelievable depths and 'Consolofied' what was a once brilliant PC style RPG. Gameplay is so simple you can do it with your eyes closed, no tactics just button mashing. Graphics are very bland, brown, basic and repetitive. Just look at the majority of NPCs up close and they look like they came from Tomb Raider 1! And how can you call this an RPG when all you can explore is one tiny city? Pathetic. This game is a huge mistake on Bioware's behalf. They seem to have rushed this out, maybe to make some quick money to further fund development of SWTOR?? I have played every Bioware game I can think of, and this is the first one ever to go straight back to the shop for part exchange. Sorry Bioware, but I no longer love you... you have failed me miserably. To coin a phrase from Darth Vader that seems to apply here, "Now his failure is complete".… Expand
  56. Fair34
    Apr 4, 2011
    1
    Worst Bioware game ever. Rushed and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Feels like they just dialed it in and tried to dress it up with lots of frills but no substance. I worry for Mass Effect 3 and The Old Republic.
  57. kingtz
    Apr 9, 2011
    1
    Under any other name, I would've probably given this game a solid 6.5 or 7. Sure, it's got its share of shortcomings, but it was still much more fun than, say, stabbing red hot needles into my eyes.

    As a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins, however, I give this steaming pile of manure a 1/10. This game fails to follow up on (let alone surpass) DA:O on virtually every level. I feel lied to and    Under any other name, I would've probably given this game a solid 6.5 or 7. Sure, it's got its share of shortcomings, but it was still much more fun than, say, stabbing red hot needles into my eyes.

    As a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins, however, I give this steaming pile of manure a 1/10. This game fails to follow up on (let alone surpass) DA:O on virtually every level. I feel lied to and cheated that Bioware/EA would use the success and critical acclaim of DA:O to trick hardcore RPG players like this. DA2 is completely watered down and diluted. This is literally a console port and a rushed one at that. Diminished customizations of party members' gear, stats not as detailed anymore, quests are simply kill or fetch stuff and lots of childish gore. Clearly, if Bioware/EA wanted to break into the Call of Duty market, by all means, go ahead. They could've simply called this game something else...anything else. But the fact that they masquerade this as a sequel to one of the best - if not THE best - modern Western RPGs is a direct insult to the faith I had in them. Also, watch Mark Laidlaw's (lead developer, Bioware) interviews post-launch if you want more insult to injury. I    … Expand
  58. PatheticVulgari
    Apr 10, 2011
    1
    I made an account and am giving this game a 0 because metacritic seems to have removed a review from gamecritics.com, by Brad, that gave the game a 2.5.
    Whether you disagree with that reviewer or not, you should not remove his review. This is exactly why users are so pissed and are backlashing against the outrageous 8.0+ rating this game is getting from wussy Critics who refuse to give    I made an account and am giving this game a 0 because metacritic seems to have removed a review from gamecritics.com, by Brad, that gave the game a 2.5.
    Whether you disagree with that reviewer or not, you should not remove his review. This is exactly why users are so pissed and are backlashing against the outrageous 8.0+ rating this game is getting from wussy Critics who refuse to give Dragon Age 2 a bad review just because it's a popular title.
    Shame on you Metacritic, but I might as well post my main complaint about Dragon Age 2.

    Typical Dragon Age: Origins quest:
    A kid has been possessed by a demon, who is now terrorizing and killing off a village. Your choices that have an effect on this story:
    1.) If you picked a mage as your origin story, the person that accidentally helped the demon possess the boy is a friend of yours in the circle.
    2.) You find this mage in a prison when you storm the castle. You can choose to kill him or not.
    3.) When you get to the boy, you can choose to kill him or enter the dream realm.
    4.) You can use blood magic to enter the dream realm if you have it. If you don't, you can have the imprisoned mage get you into the dream realm. You can also get help from the circle if you did the quest and saved the circle.
    5.) When you enter the dream realm you can choose to deal with the demon or not. If you do, it grants you access to some powerful rewards, but leaves the demon to torment the boy later on in his life.
    6.) Oh by the way, you could choose not to save the village at all.
    a.) If you complete this quest, the father of the boy will help you in the end. A very modest effect on the end story, but it is there.

    Typical Dragon Age 2 quest:
    Merryls broken mirror. Choices you have:
    1.) You can choose to help her with it or not. The mirror cannot be restored. No choices you make effect the outcome.
    a.) You can kill villagers after the quest is done or not. (lol...)

    This problem, on top of the constantly reused assets and mostly uninteresting companions, makes for a painful and uninteresting story and a mere shadow of the original game.
    I will not buy another game from Bioware before trying it ever again. I want my 60$ back and another 60$ for the insult.    … Expand
  59. Zerael
    Oct 2, 2011
    2
    Take everything that made Origins great and strip it out from its grandness; congratulations: you have acquired the new installment on "new" and "modern" crpg, Dragon Age 2.

    The sequel to the new hope for classic western rpgs is nothing more than a mediocre, repetitive and brutally simplified action oriented game with childish plot and almost nothing from the rich, mature and intriguing    Take everything that made Origins great and strip it out from its grandness; congratulations: you have acquired the new installment on "new" and "modern" crpg, Dragon Age 2.

    The sequel to the new hope for classic western rpgs is nothing more than a mediocre, repetitive and brutally simplified action oriented game with childish plot and almost nothing from the rich, mature and intriguing lore from its predecessor. But, if this change in direction was not enough, the dev team was urged to finish the game in record time... the risks taken in the change end up in a whole bunch of cloned maps, absurd situations with npcs, and literally tons of useless items and accessories. Why a talented team of developers conclude that such a change is needed in a franchise as popular and successful as Dragon Age, is something that i fail to understand.

    Definitely, not only one of the major disappointments in the recent game industry, also a clear case of a big company "buying" good reviews from specialized press.    … Expand
  60. Jimbob
    May 18, 2011
    1
    One of the worst sequels you will ever buy. This game had so much promise, but then Bioware decided to rush it out so that EA could put the profits through on their end year accounts. They reuse maps constantly in this game...there is one city, yes just one. The city is lifeless, there is like 20 people in the entire place that you can talk to. Betrayal is a strong word but thats how iOne of the worst sequels you will ever buy. This game had so much promise, but then Bioware decided to rush it out so that EA could put the profits through on their end year accounts. They reuse maps constantly in this game...there is one city, yes just one. The city is lifeless, there is like 20 people in the entire place that you can talk to. Betrayal is a strong word but thats how i feel when i think of what Bioware has done.… Expand
  61. hir0
    May 21, 2011
    0
    Bioware releasing usual junk. Copy-pasted environments everywhere. It's shocking that they'll try to make DA3 also in 18 months, so expect more copy-paste. Uninstalled after 10 minutes, avoid like plague!
  62. Axelskull
    May 21, 2011
    1
    Oh god.

    Why? They have ruined such a good thing. When you chop away the roots, the tree falls. I couldn't even bring myself to finish this game. Horrible voice acting, horrible story, worse game play than the first, no top down view anymore, linear, no real consequence of any actions, terrible decision wheel that consists of "i will help you" i am hungry" or "i hate you", the    Oh god.

    Why?

    They have ruined such a good thing.

    When you chop away the roots, the tree falls.

    I couldn't even bring myself to finish this game.

    Horrible voice acting, horrible story, worse game play than the first, no top down view anymore, linear, no real consequence of any actions, terrible decision wheel that consists of "i will help you" i am hungry" or "i hate you", the dialogue options don't even match what you choose most of the time.    … Expand
  63. Davver73
    Jun 17, 2011
    1
    This is ridiculous. Nobody can tell me that EA didn't buy off the reviewers. This is without a doubt the worst way I have ever spent $60. A perfect example of what happens when a company gets too big. EA just told Bioware to grind out another Dragon Age game in a year to milk more money off the franchise and that is exactly what it feels like. No thought was put into this game whatsoever.This is ridiculous. Nobody can tell me that EA didn't buy off the reviewers. This is without a doubt the worst way I have ever spent $60. A perfect example of what happens when a company gets too big. EA just told Bioware to grind out another Dragon Age game in a year to milk more money off the franchise and that is exactly what it feels like. No thought was put into this game whatsoever. The blatant level recycling is unbelievable. The gameplay is dumbed down. I only forced myself to play through this boring mess because I spent money on it. I will never buy another Bioware game without waiting on user reviews first. Your money is better spent on the first Dragon Age or a different RPG franchise altogether.… Expand
  64. Fumes
    Aug 10, 2011
    1
    Never ever have I been so bored playing a BioWare game. While I liked the original DAO this followup was a HUGE disappointment in so many ways. I will go so far as so say I have lost faith in BioWare if this game is the new direction they are taking. I recommend you stay clear of this inferior over-hyped mess of a game and instead feast on the delicacy that is The Witcher 2.
  65. ardacakir
    Sep 27, 2011
    1
    As a RPG player, this game should not interest you a little bit. If you haven't played Dragon Age Origins, go do that and forget about there is a sequel. Dragon Age story ends there, this game is only showing us how we can kill the same kind of monsters we met at DAO and how we can kill in large quantities. This game is an action game do not expect RPG. After this game, I actually begin toAs a RPG player, this game should not interest you a little bit. If you haven't played Dragon Age Origins, go do that and forget about there is a sequel. Dragon Age story ends there, this game is only showing us how we can kill the same kind of monsters we met at DAO and how we can kill in large quantities. This game is an action game do not expect RPG. After this game, I actually begin to hate the new face of Bioware.… Expand
  66. chargerboy
    Sep 19, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very poor game, especially considering that BioWare didn't have to fix very much that was wrong with Origins anyway. The premise of Dragon Age 2 is fine, and at first glance seems to set the scene really well for any future sequel, and indeed would have made for a fine game if they hadn't completely dumbed it down for console players, er I mean, tried to 'capture a larger audience'. They took what was essentially a very decent RPG that had a few flaws, and turned it into a consolized corridor slashfest with wave based combat that fails nearly everywhere Origins succeeded.

    Basically, I imagine it appeals more to teenage gamers (you know, the Call of Duty and Gears crowd) than to anyone looking for a mature and involving RPG. Speaking fairly, Act 2 of this game is the most interesting one because we get a good look at the Qunari, and their way of life. The skill tree is also much better in this game, although cross class abilities need to be implemented better I think.

    Varric's Scarface scene in Act II is a high point, and sadly doesn't last long enough either.

    The biggest areas where Dragon Age 2 completely and utterly fails however, is the much talked about (and for good reason) shameless use of copy/pasted dungeons (there are basically 5 generic dungeons in the whole game that you keep revisiting over, and over, and over, and over...), running around a lot of corridors that are cleverly disguised as a city called Kirkwall that never changes over the ten years that the story depicts, limited interaction with companions who are on the whole shallow and uninteresting, and their quests consist mainly of 'solve my problem, then choose the dialogue with the heart option, do that enough times and we can f**k', every quest, no matter how trivial includes a quest marker that guides you to exactly where you need to go. This may be a good thing for some people but for me I just felt like it demeaned the experience...go here to plot marker, take out a few waves of enemy mooks, go here, more mooks, go back to quest giver, done.

    Halfway through the first Act it got to the point where every quest, basically ran together in a big nightmarish mess of 'go here, do that, follow the markers, get paid, do it all again' format. Every RPG has it, but how the hell Dragon Age 2 manages to make it so unsatisfying I don't know.

    The combat is a shocker, and deserves its own paragraph to emphasize this. Seems some people thought the combat in Origins was too slow, so here they have sped the pace of combat up to the level where your party resembles a crazed troop of crack addicted monkeys flailing about with greatswords, daggers and staffs, and waves of weak enemies who literally spawn in midair around your party and explode into bloody gibs as soon as they get hit. To compensate for weak enemies, the bosses get a million hitpoints and thus boss fights consist of whittling down the boss's healthbar over 20-30 minutes, pausing every now and then to fight a mob of weak minions while the boss typically goes somewhere you can't follow to launch ranged attacks on your party. Healing has been nerfed, with very long cooldown times which is really annoying and difficult to manage at times.

    But by far, the worst offender of all is the story, which tries to take you confusingly through each act, then just as you're making sense of things, cuts to a fade-to-black screen followed by '3 years later' and wham the confusion starts all over again. Your choices are largely irrelevant as you get railroaded into a certain direction by the story, and it quickly becomes clear that this story is not going to continue anything that happened in Origins.

    Also, as this is a point that infuriated me, the ability to import a save from Origins affects nothing save for a few cameos from about three of the Origins companions, which doesn't impact on the story at all.

    There's a lot more wrong with DA2 but I don't have the time or inclination to yap on about them, not after wasting about 40 hours of my life hoping the game would get better. I played to the bitter end and have no intention of ever playing it again.

    Final word. If you're expecting a sequel to Origins, this ain't it. DA2 had so much promise, I was actually expecting it to expand on Flemeth's plans that were alluded to in Origins, and thereby set the scene for an awesome Dragon Age 3, but no...it was ruined by a developer trying to appeal to as many people as possible, and also stinks of a big rush job to capitalize on the success of Origins. By itself the game barely rates a 5/10, but because it has a big fat 2 in its title and wasn't the sequel I wanted despite being marketed as such, I'm giving it 2/10.    … Expand
  67. Loco
    Jan 9, 2012
    1
    Dear EA.............We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.............. ButDear EA.............We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.............. But killing Dragon Age? After all the promise the first game had? All that potential, just wasted? Even you, EA, must recognise that you've crossed a line too far this time.............. So go ahead. Kill my favourite developers. Drain the life out of the whole industry if you have to. But leave Dragon Age alone. For the love of Ferelden, please, stop Mass Effect-ing what was once the greatest RPG franchise of this generation. Even you have to draw the line somewhere. -Loco… Expand
  68. Diabolos
    Feb 8, 2012
    1
    Short development time and EA joining up with Bioware shows. Dragon Age 2 is the successor to the now famous and great Dragon Age Origins. What went wrong? For starters this game, separated into 3 different chapters will have you using the same environment repeatedly. It reuses the same enemies repeatedly also. For example you will be in chapter 3, the final parts of the game in the sameShort development time and EA joining up with Bioware shows. Dragon Age 2 is the successor to the now famous and great Dragon Age Origins. What went wrong? For starters this game, separated into 3 different chapters will have you using the same environment repeatedly. It reuses the same enemies repeatedly also. For example you will be in chapter 3, the final parts of the game in the same locations fighting the same enemies as you were doing in chapter one. I have not seen a game reuse the same environments this many times as this in years. To make matters worse this game uses a spawning combat system. What I mean by that is, before an encounter you may be facing 3 thugs in an ally. When the actual fight starts you will be facing 8. Once those 8 are defeated, another randomless, nameless 4 appear. It is like this throughout the entire game, and it is completely immersion breaking. As for the story? You will spend 80% of the game collecting cash doing pointless fetch and return quests just to continue. Take my advice, avoid this game at any costs. It is repetitive, slow, and painfully boring to play.… Expand
  69. DenverOHara
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    The very definition of consolized garbage, clearly this game wasn't made for PCs, let alone for consumers with a brain. The graphics are an abomination. Generic places, uninteresting visuals, low 2003-like textures (hell, Half Life 2 is way more beautiful than this game AND has really better facial animations)... I could go on and on. The sound is mediocre, the story is incredibly retardedThe very definition of consolized garbage, clearly this game wasn't made for PCs, let alone for consumers with a brain. The graphics are an abomination. Generic places, uninteresting visuals, low 2003-like textures (hell, Half Life 2 is way more beautiful than this game AND has really better facial animations)... I could go on and on. The sound is mediocre, the story is incredibly retarded and it's on a fanfic, Stephenie Meyer level... Everything that is wrong with the game industry in a single package, props to Bioware for this achievement in degradation of humanity's values and standards. Oh and what's even funnier: Activision will probably misunderstand the hate and will try to dumb down DA3 even more, trying to make it more "accessible". This is why we can't have good games anymore, console-centric games made by individuals with billions and billions of **** in their minds.… Expand
  70. Pitt90
    Mar 10, 2011
    2
    It's ... difficult ... to express how utterly disappointed I am with this game. Since any reaction is just an opinion, and we must agree that our opinions are no more or less valid than any other, I will simply say this was a serious disappointment from the joy and love I felt for the first Dragon Age. It's ... wow ... it's just nothing like its predecessor in any of the good ways.
  71. steve1945
    Mar 12, 2011
    3
    As an old school crpg player I originally bought Dragon Age Origins due to Biowares steadfast mantra that the Dragon Age franchise will be a resurrection of the crpg genre. So I bought Origins, it was pretty good with some flaws. Figuring Biowares next entry in the series would clean it up and be at BG NWN levels of quality I continued to support them. Then DA2 was announced and the firstAs an old school crpg player I originally bought Dragon Age Origins due to Biowares steadfast mantra that the Dragon Age franchise will be a resurrection of the crpg genre. So I bought Origins, it was pretty good with some flaws. Figuring Biowares next entry in the series would clean it up and be at BG NWN levels of quality I continued to support them. Then DA2 was announced and the first game play was shown. From the increasingly Dynasty Warriors esq combat, to the unbelievably horrible graphics and art style changes. We were told to wait by Bioware and their more rabid fanbase, that I couldn't form an negative opinion because I haven't played it. Well its out now, and its just as big a pile of mediocrity as I suspected it would be. The Dialog is for one, is utterly terrible. Some of the best gems are "Im Hungry" and "I want to be the Dragon!". The Dialog wheel is also another terrible "INNOVATION!" thrown into Dragon Age due to the success of MICHAEL BAY PRESENTS MASS EFFECT! Not only do you not know what you will say with the wheel sometimes what you say is not at all what the words are on the wheel. With the addition of only 3 options with Upper Right being NOBLE GOOD BRIGHT, middle JOKE LOL JOKE JOKE JOKE. and bottom I KILL PUPPIES FOR SATAN BECAUSE!. To go along with that you have tiny pictures of the tone of what you will say. Red for Renegade....errr, green for good, and purple for idiot. The graphics and art style. While im not one to put much in graphics a game needs to at least have a good art style and use its assets well. I actually wouldn't care about this if the game had any GOOD aspects. Sadly it does not. Bioware said that the original Dragon Age didn't have an art identity and for the sequel they wanted to make it so different that you would immediately say THATS DRAGON AGE! Good idea right? Certainly. Except they already accomplished this. Very few games do Dark Medieval Fantasy anymore. DAO was one who did and it looked gorgeous on the PC. Which is where the game belongs. So now DA2 gets a new art style ok im down with it until. Its generic WOWesq light colors with terrible terrible exaggeration and jaggies. Combat. One look on youtube for Dragon Age 2 Combat will show you what I mean. lets just say AWESOME BUTTON is not awesome. This is just scratching the surface. All this combined with EA banning people from even playing because of posting negatively about DA2 on Biowares forums, along with Biodevs saying any negative review is some magic **** raid, along with EA slipping in securom on your machine without telling you "which is highly illegal I might add" along with constant locks and bans for anyone who post constructive criticism. All makes for one sour second entry into the series. OH GOD NO! STANLEY WOO HAS FOU This meta critic review is inappropriate. lock down End of Lineâ… Expand
  72. Darthudd
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    It's pretty and thats just about all it's got going for it. Have been playing it on normal difficulty and it's like a damp firework pfffft. If you do buy it chuck it on the hardest setting and maybe you'll get some satisfaction from it. Shame I've been waiting ages for this sequal.
  73. vandro
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    Casual game for casual players. Less races, less skills, less hours of gaming, but more speed, more jumping, more killing. Seems to be a game for people who like to run amok.
  74. Turing2634
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Is this an RPG? It might be an ok Hack 'n' Slash game, but as an RPG it falls flat almost every respect. Where's the subtle nuanced dialogue? Where's my options of talking my way out of a fight? I appreciate that often you have to fight, but why everytime? and whats with the magically spawning waves of enemies? sometimes you see them jump from roofs or come through door sure, but you alsoIs this an RPG? It might be an ok Hack 'n' Slash game, but as an RPG it falls flat almost every respect. Where's the subtle nuanced dialogue? Where's my options of talking my way out of a fight? I appreciate that often you have to fight, but why everytime? and whats with the magically spawning waves of enemies? sometimes you see them jump from roofs or come through door sure, but you also see them appear infront of you. Probably the most disappointing Bioware game ever. This isn't Baldur's Gate 3, it's not even Dragon Age 2 (in spirit). This is to Origins what Dark alliance games were to Baldurs Gate.… Expand
  75. JohnHex
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    After amazing Dragon Age I, the Dragon Age II is a big let down. It has thrown away everything that made Dragon Age I such an epic adventure. For example in Dragon Age II you never leave the Kirkwall which makes environment more and more boring when time passes. The combat is just bad and over used. It is dull when a group of bandits or spiders jump on you on every corner. Not to talkAfter amazing Dragon Age I, the Dragon Age II is a big let down. It has thrown away everything that made Dragon Age I such an epic adventure. For example in Dragon Age II you never leave the Kirkwall which makes environment more and more boring when time passes. The combat is just bad and over used. It is dull when a group of bandits or spiders jump on you on every corner. Not to talk about enemy reinforcements: seems like every gang in Kirkwall got a lot of men to spare. Reinforcement idea is also too heavily over used. I swear there wasn't a single battle without more enemies popping from ground.

    Do not believe "professional" critics, the game is just bad and should never been released. User score speaks for the game quality.    … Expand
  76. bioburn
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    The only way to describe this game is as if a 'collection of red but cheeked monkeys got together,got high, bashed and mixed some Final Fantasy with Dynasty Warriors thinking that they are making the next tactical mastery Baldurs Gate game". Hence, to make the monkey story short-> were the Bioware folks working on this high?

    I opened the demo, expecting all the 'user' -aka    The only way to describe this game is as if a 'collection of red but cheeked monkeys got together,got high, bashed and mixed some Final Fantasy with Dynasty Warriors thinking that they are making the next tactical mastery Baldurs Gate game". Hence, to make the monkey story short-> were the Bioware folks working on this high?


    I opened the demo, expecting all the 'user' -aka 'non-professional' reviews to be wrong, trusting my soul with PC-Gamer and all the other critics with their godly knowledge of what makes a video game right. Yet, it is the users that are right all the time, thats what I understand now. As I quit the demo of Dragon Age 2 in record time, after 15 minutes of just slaying weird looking not-so-scary monsters that are supposed to be the darkspawn by just bashing 1,2,3,4 at random moments. I was surprised however that for a 'bunch' of refugees, they could slay so many, yet their town couldn't defeat these 'darkspawn'. I expected a hug of full win, yet was only received with full hairy monkey arms of fail.

    Very limited options in the game-few classes, limited hair styles, limited everything. Button smashing gameplay-> only Dungeon Siege makes this type of stuff fun-yet they had button smashing tactical gameplay!

    If all you like to do in life is kill endlessly, hordes and hordes of monsters that pop up and instantly die-this is your game. If you like to play a good game, something to enjoy, shy away from the comfortable looking hairy arms that Bioware currently has open for 40 euros a hug. Only PRO that Dragon Age 2 was the demo, that saved me a lot of money. Thanks Bioware.    … Expand
  77. Russ
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    This game is simply an apple that fell too far from the tree so to speak it is absolutely an insult...... There are too many problems to list. I have over 500 hours into the original Dragon Age and in comparison the new game is not even recognizable. Thumbs down.
  78. burntchomsky
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    Dear Bioware:
    You may not see your sales sink for this game, because many of us purchased this game with hopes that it would offer the same depth of gameplay as DA:O, but you will see them sink for the next one. Basically, we had a bait-and-switch pulled on us, and you can expect most of to know what to expect next time. Your company has plummeted in my mind over the past few years, and    Dear Bioware:
    You may not see your sales sink for this game, because many of us purchased this game with hopes that it would offer the same depth of gameplay as DA:O, but you will see them sink for the next one. Basically, we had a bait-and-switch pulled on us, and you can expect most of to know what to expect next time. Your company has plummeted in my mind over the past few years, and I don't think I am the only one. This game is what I will think about in the future when I hear the name "Bioware" -- a shameless money-grab at the God of War crowd. Bioware is now the bait-and-switch company in my mind, thanks for helping me make up my mind on that.    … Expand
  79. Basques
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Firstly, I was always a huge bioware fan. I played all the rpg/frp games created by them (hell I finished Baldur's gate 5 times). I preordered Dragon Age 2 and I was so disappointed that I am not even sure if I'll finish the game. Beatiful voice acting, gorgeous graphics and sadly zero game play satisfaction. Sometimes you don't even know what's going on in the screen. It's just a hack andFirstly, I was always a huge bioware fan. I played all the rpg/frp games created by them (hell I finished Baldur's gate 5 times). I preordered Dragon Age 2 and I was so disappointed that I am not even sure if I'll finish the game. Beatiful voice acting, gorgeous graphics and sadly zero game play satisfaction. Sometimes you don't even know what's going on in the screen. It's just a hack and slash game with zero burden on your brain. Combats just play themselves automatically, dialogues are non existing, good evil choices are too plain with no real content in it. And on top of that, most of the dungeon maps are repetitive, copy paste, including the hidden doors and their entrances. Literally, two dungeons I visited on after the other had the exact same cave room. Do yourself a favour, go and buy Baldur's gate 2 and start playing it again.… Expand
  80. hcookie
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age 2 is essentially a blatant money grab, destroying an interesting and original franchise that is rarely found. While Dragon Age Origins did not break any new ground for Bioware, Dragon Age Origins did show us how a well written game with an intriguing storyline can boost gaming past nerdom to the mainstream.

    DA 2 shows us the greedy side of Bioware (while some may blame EA),    Dragon Age 2 is essentially a blatant money grab, destroying an interesting and original franchise that is rarely found. While Dragon Age Origins did not break any new ground for Bioware, Dragon Age Origins did show us how a well written game with an intriguing storyline can boost gaming past nerdom to the mainstream.

    DA 2 shows us the greedy side of Bioware (while some may blame EA), regardless, DA2 is a poor (very poor) cousin (not even a sequel) to DA:O. Terrible plotting, less than interesting conversations, boring combat, no art direction whatsoever, it's like a uwe boll movie without a budget and a script.

    It's almost as if DA 2 was developed by a 2nd rate development team fresh out of design school. A terrible sequel to a much lauded development firm. If I was EA, I'd have given Uwe Boll a call and given him the money to make a DA Movie rather than this drivel.    … Expand
  81. Nightfish
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    Dragon Age 2 is the "Phantom Menace" to Dragon Age: Origin's "A New Hope". Thank you George for making this comparison possible and instantly recognisable by nerds everywhere. In many ways, I wouldn't need to say anything more than that, but I will anyway: When writing a review of Dragon Age 2, you probably have to say a few words about where you are coming from first. Are you theDragon Age 2 is the "Phantom Menace" to Dragon Age: Origin's "A New Hope". Thank you George for making this comparison possible and instantly recognisable by nerds everywhere. In many ways, I wouldn't need to say anything more than that, but I will anyway: When writing a review of Dragon Age 2, you probably have to say a few words about where you are coming from first. Are you the wide-eyed fanboy or the disgruntled, estranged hater formerly known as a "true" fan? Then you claim to be neither, but the one true voice of reason who's got a neutral view on this issue. Personally, I have bought and played repeatedly pretty much everything Bioware published since Shattered Steel and I've enjoyed each game on his own merits. I loved Planescape Tormet, Baldur's Gate 2 just as much as Jade Empire, even though that game is radically different in terms of combat. I'm saying that to illustrate that I am very well capable of enjoying a game that does not have the traditional isometric view of tactical combat.

    Dragon Age 2 however, I cannot get into no matter how much I want to like it. This game is a train wreck of Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age and not in a good way. Let's take a look at some of the "bad" things. First of all: Combat. I cannot, for the life of me, see how anyone could view the new system as an improvement. They tried to make combat incredibly fast paced and action packed, but somehow this does not play out the way it's intended, at least not for me. Seeing a guy in full platemail armed with a huge two-handed weapon move faster than Neo in the Matrix doesn't just break immersion for me, it shatters it beyond all hopes of repair. Most enemies die in one hit now and they do so in a spectacularily silly and over the top gory way. There's more blood in here than in the silliest splatter movie I ever saw. There's a fine line between "adult" and "graphic violence" and enemies EXPLODING into 20 gallons of blood and shishkebab upon being stabbed in the chest once. To compensate for all the insta-kills, enemies now spawn in waves by the dozens. This robs the individual enemy of any significance. How can I be intimidated by a blood mage or a horrible demon if there's 20 of each under every other rock? Beats me. The sadest thing about DA2 is that it actually fails where bioware usually excells. The story and dialogue. Take the human noble origin story in Dragon Age Origins, for example. Before everyone dies a gruesome death you spend some time to get to know them. Thus, when they do die, their death has some impact on you. In DA2, we skip the first part in favor of turning the gruesomeness of the death up to 11. The thing is, if some random red shirt dies twice as horribly, I don't care twice as much. The "main story" if it can so be called, is anything but an improvement over the original as well. Granted, you are not saving the world, which in theory can make for an interesting story as well, but many people take this fact alone to mean the story is brilliant. Unfortunately, that is not quite true. The writing is incredibly ham-fisted at times. I cannot count how often the game prevents you from using obvious solutions to problems simply because the plot requires that this problem cannot be solved in a simple manner. This adds to the "rushed" vibe the game gives off in general. There's barely any "fluff" anymore. You cannot talk to your companions at will anymore, for example. Some of the events of DA:O are imported and the game shoe-horns them into DA2, but if you spend even 2 seconds thinking about "Why was Alistair here just now?" you'll notice that he had no significance to the plot, provided no insight whatsoever and was there simply as a little bit of fan-service. Oh yea, and the RPG part got dumbed down some more, but that was to be expected I guess and is barely worth mentioning in light of all the other shortcommings the game has. Still, rating the game a 0/10 as many people do is just as silly as rating it 10/10. There is good to be found if you can look past your expectations for a bit. Some of the quests are indeed well written and fun. The voice actors did a really good job, almost without exception. Flemeth's new look is a vast improvement over her old one, too bad she is in the game for about 5 minutes, tops. It's almost like she notice "Oh snap, this is gonna hurt!" and flapped out of the game on her dragon wings. I cannot say I blame her. In conclusion, Bioware lost a lot of credibilty with me for this game. No longer will I blindly buy whatever they release. Once burned, twice shy. The shady things they did here on metacritic are not helping that image. I hope they learn a lesson from this disaster and can recover and return to what made them successful in the first place instead of succumbing to EA's corruption for good.    … Expand
  82. KoKoJie
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    Just played DA2 for a few days, absolutely horrid experience. It is nothing like the original DA. No depth, no interesting environment, and the combat is so boring. I mean if you are going to make a sequel, at least make the game play similar to the original, just improve upon it. If you are going to make something completely different, then release it as a different franchise please.
  83. baybay
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    I loved DA 1. I waited with great anticipation for this sequel to the point where I marked it on my calender lol
    I have never been so disappointed in a sequel before and that is saying a lot lolol
    The characters were flat and uninteresting. The characters were so whiney I cringed when I had to pick which ones to take with me. The plot was extremely messy to the point it seemed act 3 was    I loved DA 1. I waited with great anticipation for this sequel to the point where I marked it on my calender lol
    I have never been so disappointed in a sequel before and that is saying a lot lolol
    The characters were flat and uninteresting. The characters were so whiney I cringed when I had to pick which ones to take with me. The plot was extremely messy to the point it seemed act 3 was thrown together last minute and not actually a part of the original plot. The combat was much worse then the first DA. There was no real stradegy thinking to kill mass amounts of low grade uninteresting monsters.
    There was only 1 decent boss fight in the whole game (the high dragon) and that wasn't "great". Overall I was beyond disappointed in this game! When will game designers give us combat with boss monsters that are interesting to fight?! Don't keep throwing more of the same thing at us and expect us to be thrilled ~ give us great boss fights and plenty of them! As another reviewer said, going more into my review for this game isn't worth my time.    … Expand
  84. Sirkiko
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    This is for sure the disappointment of the year and the reason why BioWare should've never been sold to Electronic Arts. This "sequel" is worse than the original in almost everything, except textures and skill effects. The main plot is boring and has no sense, the combat is dumb and the Hawke has no charisma at all.
  85. Sayalero
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Bioware: 1995-2011. RIP.

    Murió de casualización aguda, agravada con una fiebre consolera que llevó a la compañía de RPG más grande a no saber ni quién es. Despreció a su antaño fiel base de usuarios, quienes aguantaron pacientemente sus desplantes hasta que DA2: El    Bioware: 1995-2011. RIP.

    Murió de casualización aguda, agravada con una fiebre consolera que llevó a la compañía de RPG más grande a no saber ni quién es. Despreció a su antaño fiel base de usuarios, quienes aguantaron pacientemente sus desplantes hasta que DA2: El Insulto Final dejó claro que el verdadero sueño de Bioware es convertirse en uno de tantos aspirantes (eternamente fracasados) a ocupar el trono de la mediocridad en el que se sienta Call of Duty.

    Menos mal que nos queda CD Project. Y que esto sirva de advertencia para Bethesda.    … Expand
  86. Fante
    Mar 10, 2011
    2
    I can't begin to explain my disappointment in this game. I thought DA:O was one of the best RPG en newer times, and i was hoping they would just fix the few problems the first game had and just continue with excellent story. This is what i think of the new "enhanced game-play"

    - They made combat look like a bad hack and slash game, with no real need for tactics. And yes i did play on    I can't begin to explain my disappointment in this game. I thought DA:O was one of the best RPG en newer times, and i was hoping they would just fix the few problems the first game had and just continue with excellent story. This is what i think of the new "enhanced game-play"

    - They made combat look like a bad hack and slash game, with no real need for tactics. And yes i did play on nightmare
    - The graphics are even worse than the first game. And yes i did use the high res texture pack
    - The characters mean nothing to me and has no real background story
    - The menus and inventory look like crap (no graphics what so ever)
    - You are unable to use half the gear you find be course you cant equip you team mates
    - They removed skills from the game (not feats)

    This is the worst that they could do to this game. I just don't know what to say. DISAPPOINTED!!!!!    … Expand
  87. Fettskalk
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Since I have to keep things short;
    Things that are wrong:
    -Poor graphics (gnarly arms, clipping, npcs spazzing out in the background during conversations. Bad textures (yes, there is a high res pack available, but it should have been shipped with it.), poor character proportions (the elves tend to look like absolutely stupid.), generic idle npcs in towns with n64 graphics. Have your    Since I have to keep things short;
    Things that are wrong:
    -Poor graphics (gnarly arms, clipping, npcs spazzing out in the background during conversations. Bad textures (yes, there is a high res pack available, but it should have been shipped with it.), poor character proportions (the elves tend to look like absolutely stupid.), generic idle npcs in towns with n64 graphics. Have your world designers ever tried to make rocks that aren't octahedron-shaped? And every enemy looks exactly the same, with no variations. Heck, even the mercenaries tend to have full face masks. Stormtrooper effect anyone?
    -Poor writing, and at times voice acting. Everything about Merril makes me want to hurt cute animals.
    -Poor combat system. It tries very hard not to be a traditional rpg, as it wants to be a action game with rpg elements. It fails at both things. The combat system is very uninspired. It seems as if the general thought behind it was to just autoattack, and use cooldowns whenever they are up for some flashy moves. It is very dull, and you hardly even have to think about strategy. Stick with the traditional mode, or go full action rpg ala Demon's Souls. Don't go for a inbetween abortion of a combat system.
    -Enemy npcs spawn reinforcements. Often right on top of you. Playing primarily as a mage, this system just makes me seethe with rage. How are you supposed to play with strategic positioning when the enemy is likely to spawn on top of you? It would seem as the only viable way to get some enjoyment out of this game is to play at lower difficulties, since the enemies just get more hp and lower cooldowns on the harder difficulties. They don't do anything extra, they just take longer to beat. And as a mage that is cooldown strangled, this is just ragefodder.
    -Stripped out most forms of custiomisation options for your companions. All you can give them are weapons and belts+jewlery. So this means that Carver will run around in his shirt all game? This also means that there is very little in the way of min/maxing your characters, except for skill setup.
    -Constant reuse of areas. I'm looking at you, cave, coast and mountain areas. In act one, I had to enter the exact same cave more than three times. Can't you just make a little effort to actually make areas? It is very monotonous and dull.
    -Timeskipping. This completely ruins immersion. Suddenly, a year has gone, and when you go talk to random people, they act as if they have known you for years, leaving the player absolutely dumbfounded as to who they are, and what they do. And then, three years have gone. I honestly feel that this is a very, very big immersion breaker, and should have been scrapped from the start.

    All in all, I feel that this game shouldn't have been released in this state. They should have actually worked on it for another year, possibly half a year. This game tries too hard to be a cross between some random anime (melee skills. Seriously. What is going on there?), rpg and action game. And it fails in all aspects. The animation works are shoddy, often outright lazy, leaving multiple *main* characters with severely deformed bodies and gnarled limbs. Many items and armors are practically a copy/paste from DA:O. How did you spend your time and money, Bioware? Because you surely can't have spent it on this game.

    Try again with the recipe you used for DA:O. It worked better. Heck, even better: use the BG2 recipe.    … Expand
  88. Puma_Mexa
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Previous game was miles better. This one is just average at best, definitely not worthy of a good score. But I can see EA payed every relevant reviewer to have a descent score on Metacritic, though If you see the user scores It clearly shows the discontent of gamers about DA2, too much hype and all we got was a game where the only descent point is the combat mechanics (just at hard). EvenPrevious game was miles better. This one is just average at best, definitely not worthy of a good score. But I can see EA payed every relevant reviewer to have a descent score on Metacritic, though If you see the user scores It clearly shows the discontent of gamers about DA2, too much hype and all we got was a game where the only descent point is the combat mechanics (just at hard). Even the graphics are really bad. I have a high end PC were I can run Crysis at max at 60fps, but DA2 consumes a ridiculous amount of resources even on medium settings, and it's not like it has state of the art visuals or employs real time physics in every interaction either. I was going to give it a 5 but now. Bioware, banning a gamer and not letting him play the game just because he talked bad about your overlord, EA? That's low, and not just Activision low. See if I ever buy another game from you.… Expand
  89. arielomba
    Mar 12, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age Origins = RPG Masterpiece Dragon Age 2 = Casual Action RPG

    Do not say a bad game, it is not, but compared with its predecessor is casual garbage. Maybe if not take the name of Dragon Age would be a good idea.
    Anyway, Bioware you went to the dark side of force.

    Greetings.
  90. Tanis
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    All good in Orgins is gone, this is an insult to rpg players from EA/bioware, where is the spirit from Baldurs gate?. Simply, it is dead.
    - Dialog wheel breaks any rpg experience. Good/Bad/Stupid decisions insults human intelligence.
    - No tactical view, wtf! Baldurs legacy!? ( for me the best of the battles in Origins) - UI terrible, consolized, ugly and ridiculously small for 1920x1200    All good in Orgins is gone, this is an insult to rpg players from EA/bioware, where is the spirit from Baldurs gate?. Simply, it is dead.
    - Dialog wheel breaks any rpg experience. Good/Bad/Stupid decisions insults human intelligence.
    - No tactical view, wtf! Baldurs legacy!? ( for me the best of the battles in Origins)
    - UI terrible, consolized, ugly and ridiculously small for 1920x1200 ( subtitles hurts my eyes)
    - Corridors maps once and once again, repeat maps once and once again.
    - Companions/history/inmersion far far far from Origins. ( for me the best in Origins)
    - Graphics/Art Design and Music/Effects far worst than Origins.
    - a lot of bugs/side effects in pc because is a very very bad port. (DAO was designed for PC, ME was a bad port, ME2 was a very bad port, and this is extremely bad port, whats the next bioware?)
    - very poor performance for main characters (i like me/me2 character performance but this not)
    - uninspired side quests and typical main quest, always in the same place.
    - etc..., all good in Origins is dumped down extremely.
    - this is not a rpg game, is a kick in the face from bioware for all loyalty customers who support them since their beginning.
    - From more than 900 hours in Origins and still playing to 18 hours in DA2 and uninstalled, this is the evolution for me.    … Expand
  91. TheGreenBaron
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    If you're looking for a Bioware RPG, this is not the game for you. Poor writing, flawed combat, near zero customization (I hear that names for items besides 'belt' and 'ring' will be released as DLC), recycling on a level that would do Al Gore proud, and a plot on rails are a serious turn off. This game should have been named Dungeon Age, but that would be insulting to the plot ofIf you're looking for a Bioware RPG, this is not the game for you. Poor writing, flawed combat, near zero customization (I hear that names for items besides 'belt' and 'ring' will be released as DLC), recycling on a level that would do Al Gore proud, and a plot on rails are a serious turn off. This game should have been named Dungeon Age, but that would be insulting to the plot of Dungeon Siege 1...… Expand
  92. deathlycold
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    They tried to appeal to the masses and in doing so did not make a deep RPG. IF it was called something else it might be a good game. But it is no Dragon Age. I recommend playing DA Origins and not DA2 .
  93. Paperman
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    It's my fist review on metacritic but I can't keep my mouth shut this time. This game is unforgivable! How Bioware can do this with such a wonderful beginning as DA1? We waited DA2 so much! And now I still can't believe that it's so bad. I spend 34 hours playing this game till it's final. It has it's moments but that's all. I really like and respect Bioware but this game is disaster. IIt's my fist review on metacritic but I can't keep my mouth shut this time. This game is unforgivable! How Bioware can do this with such a wonderful beginning as DA1? We waited DA2 so much! And now I still can't believe that it's so bad. I spend 34 hours playing this game till it's final. It has it's moments but that's all. I really like and respect Bioware but this game is disaster. I hope that it's not going to happen with ME3. I was very disappoint with it's story, locations, dialogs and rpg-part. This game is boring and monotonous. You don't have any interesting events there - it's just an endless killing of identical enemies. Locations are small, identical and dull. Why they place a ME dialog system there? There is even no reputation or special dialog options! This game is like a personal insult to all rpg-gamers. I was waited the journey that never began. Bioware should be ashamed.… Expand
  94. checkeredhat09
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    I hate to be so tough on a game that was at least slightly enjoyable, but given the fact that we all know Bioware is capable of creating outstanding games, I have to give this game a pretty low score.

    Part One - Laziness Graphics were mediocre at best, by 2011 standards. Felt like I was back in 2006 playing TES. But more than that, every dungeon map was identical...no actually, really.    I hate to be so tough on a game that was at least slightly enjoyable, but given the fact that we all know Bioware is capable of creating outstanding games, I have to give this game a pretty low score.

    Part One - Laziness

    Graphics were mediocre at best, by 2011 standards. Felt like I was back in 2006 playing TES. But more than that, every dungeon map was identical...no actually, really. At first I thought it was just me, but no, Bioware really was that lazy. Second was the inventory system with items that had the exact same name and appearance but different stats. I mean, wtf? Is it really that hard to make one more name up? This game was not polished at all, total rush job. This was confirmed by the guy who recorded the score for the game (though it was more EA's fault for rushing to capitalize on the popularity of Origins)

    Part 2 - Bugs

    Maybe the consoles are a little less buggy, but it's hard to find someone that didn't have problems with this game. From date-check activation failure to random crashes to broken quests that occur out of order or not at all, the bugs in this game should have been fixed. If I'm EA and I'm putting my name on that game, I would not let such a bug-riddled excuse for a final product reach store shelves.

    There are so many other things about this game that are infuriating, like the clunky combat system ( and the bugs inherent to it). But those i can live with.

    The characters were OK. Not great, but less stereotypical than in Origins. There was more moral "grey area" and the future impact of your actions couldn't always be guessed.

    So overall, I'm pretty disappointed in Bioware for being coerced into taking a series that had such high hopes attached to it, and putting it through the meat grinder, creating this sad excuse for a game.    … Expand
  95. Nikkol
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Abysmal game. Graphics same as Origins, retarded dialogue system, japaneese-style combat, TERRIBLE camera, lack of tactical mode( as in Origins), dumb story with no actual choice. Forcing decisions upon player that actually got no alternative.
    Complete and utter degradation compared to OriginsAwakening
  96. BiefstukFriet
    Mar 14, 2011
    4
    As a stand alone game, Dragon Age II is a passable and entertaining game. Nothing fancy or groundbreaking, but entertaining non the less. However, it does have its flaws. The caves, houses and locations in the City of Kirkwall - the location of the majority of the game - are constantly recycled. Does that location look familiar? It probably is, because even though the missions change, theAs a stand alone game, Dragon Age II is a passable and entertaining game. Nothing fancy or groundbreaking, but entertaining non the less. However, it does have its flaws. The caves, houses and locations in the City of Kirkwall - the location of the majority of the game - are constantly recycled. Does that location look familiar? It probably is, because even though the missions change, the locations quite often don't. You'll find yourself slogging through a location you visited half an hour ago. Sometimes, the game spices things up and you start of where you left the location during your previous visit.

    The combat is pretty smooth and visualy appealing but also rather simple. Positioning your party to best use the lay of the land is not needed and also not usefull because enemies spawn pretty much out of nowhere from all sides of the map in a neverending tide. That well placed mage, screened by your warrior and rogue just got jumped on by a group of enemies that just were not there.

    As for the storyline, following Hawke's rise from refugee to champion is a novel idea and has merrit, but story's lack of a clear goal and sense of urgency makes it lack a soul. As a result side-quests feel like filler and of no import. Now there is one thing that truly vexes me, the impact of my Warder from Origins in DAII. There is none, merely comments on his past actions which is a far cry from Mass Effect II, where the choices made in ME I had strong consequences.


    DA Ii is ntertaining, but with flaws and would've scored a 7. DA II only becomes a '4' (see my user score) when you compare it to Dragon Age: Origins. origins had a compelling storyline, fleshed out locations, entertaining characters you could bond to, a clear goal to work towards and tactical combat.

    Why Bioware took such a radical approach to a very much acclaimed game as Dragon Age Origin is beyond me.    … Expand
  97. ross_rs
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    I, as a good fan of Bioware am disgusted that they would even release this game, EVERTHING is a downgrade from the previous Dragon:Age Origins!

    Dialogue is atrocious (Not just for a Bioware game, for any game), even without the dialogue, just the number of choices for each piece of dialogue received has been reduced far too much. Graphics: Another let down with a download required to    I, as a good fan of Bioware am disgusted that they would even release this game, EVERTHING is a downgrade from the previous Dragon:Age Origins!

    Dialogue is atrocious (Not just for a Bioware game, for any game), even without the dialogue, just the number of choices for each piece of dialogue received has been reduced far too much.

    Graphics: Another let down with a download required to gain full access to the graphics which should have been included, other than that you are looking at pre-2003 graphics at best. (Even if you do manage to get the high-res pack, I hope you have fun with all the additional bugs and rendering fails it has!)

    Combat: System is a mess with no real effort even needed on the higher difficulties, you either steamroll through the waves of trash or get steamrolled back, use of tactics doesn't make a difference, just mindless button-bashing in comparison to DA:O with no thought needed.

    Story: ..Just.. Wow... The amount of ret-con and even complete destruction of anything happening within the storyline and of DA:O..Just..Wow..

    Characters: Characters are either bland or just plain stupid. Even characters from DA:O have somehow completely changed all traits and act like essentially a completely different person (Anders anyone).

    DLC: Loads of DLC on launch day, an inexcusable grab for more money made worse by players actually buying the data that should already be available with the retail game.

    Control Scheme: PC users will know the woes, a console game back-ported to the PC.. ouch! Safe to say the irritating camera detracts from the already abysmal gameplay available.
    This is all made worse by the reviews planted by Bioware on various sites (Including here) giving it 10/10 reviews instead of listening to fan feedback and tackling any problems. Metacritic user Avanost using a Bioware Devs personal handle and creating an account as soon as it could be rated on.

    Although DA:O was an above-average game athough I did thoroughly enjoy it, Dragon Age II is just a step in the wrong direction in almost every way. All the good aspects have been destroyed, if you liked Dragon Age: Origins but have not yet purchased Dragon Age II, STEER CLEAR! Those memories of DA:O will be forever tarnished.    … Expand
  98. Thrashpuppet
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    This game does not deserve a rating of zero, but it's going to get one - Because I think a statement needs to be made to Bioware (and all these oddly fawning press sites) about the direction this franchise is headed in.

    When Dragon age : Origins came out, it was a refreshing throwback to the classic RPGs of yore (specifically the Baldur's Gate series) and it had just enough depth and    This game does not deserve a rating of zero, but it's going to get one - Because I think a statement needs to be made to Bioware (and all these oddly fawning press sites) about the direction this franchise is headed in.

    When Dragon age : Origins came out, it was a refreshing throwback to the classic RPGs of yore (specifically the Baldur's Gate series) and it had just enough depth and complexity to live up to its predecessors. It wasn't quite what they were, but it was bloody close - and it had all the modern bells and whistles on top. I played the hell out of it. Along comes "Awakening", and suddenly we're starting to see a change. The role playing is getting "lite" , the combat is becoming more and more prevalent and repetitive, and the depth of choice is suddenly shrinking. Where once we had a vast world to explore, dozens of characters we could converse with in each area, and a variety of possible story outcomes, we are now being limited to a small selection of areas with very linear paths, and characters who exist solely to sell us potions, or do battle with us. Very Diablo-esque. Only Blizzard knows how to do all that much, much , better. And that brings us to ... Dragon Age II. Or Dragon Effect, or God of Dragon Age, or whatever you want to call it because it doesn't really feel like a sequel so much as a mash-up with some other action oriented game. The world has now shrunk to the point of ridicule - literally, a single city. The quests have been simplified to the point they more or less complete themselves (pick up an item, follow the quest marker, click on guy who takes item from you automatically and gives you 50 silver pieces) and the combat has become this frenzied slash'em up style thing with obvious anime influences (your characters waltz around the battlefield like in fast forward, and one of the swords you can wield is actually a direct replica of Cloud's Buster Sword in FF 7 . The story is as flat as the gameplay, failing in its attempts to evoke emotion (family members in peril) by fast forwarding through all the potentially dramatic stuff and leaving a few quick cut scenes which are poorly animated and awkwardly voiced. The game always feels like it is in a rush... You are never allowed to contemplate what has happened, its feels like the developers are just telling you to "be sad now!" or "laugh at this joke!" and then they move you immediately back to the action, and the buster Swords and Final Fantasy Hair do's. I will end this novel by saying that Dragon Age 2 will probably appeal to a certain demographic of gamers who enjoy heavily action oriented games and fantasy settings (God of war, Diablo) but to the (apparently old, and forgotten) Role playing gamers who grew up on the likes of Icewind Dale, BG, Planescape torment, etc. This game is a joke. It is a bastardized, dumbed down ( do NOT tell me that being unable to change my companion's equipment is anything other than this) farce, which squanders the good will I had toward Bioware and the Dragon Age franchise and leaves me cold to the thought of a DA3. Thanks for DA:O Bioware. I think I'm going to play that one again, instead.    … Expand
  99. Matt79uk
    Mar 17, 2011
    4
    Welcome to the first game to be designed by a focus group. Made to appeal to everyone and ends up appealing to nobody. Poor story, poor characters, no exploration, retarded romances and just a general dumbing down of all the core elements of the first game. (an RPG where u spend the entire game in the one place???). Hugely disappointing.
  100. dgrey
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    This game represents exactly what is wrong with the video game industry these days. What's more is that developers are attempting to inflate the scores of these games by creating fake reviews (see "Avanost"). For that, and the fact that this game is a travesty, I'm giving the game a 0.
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PC Game of 2011
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
19
#19 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 18, 2011
    90
    Moving even further from the classic RPG, strong story and clever combat are nonetheless still found within Dragon Age II. [May 2011, p.52]
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Apr 12, 2011
    58
    Despite some advancement in storytelling approach and liberal borrowing from Bioware's Mass Effect approach to gameplay, Dragon Age 2 on the PC has a lot of bugs and is populated with re-used settings that make this feel like a play performed on a stage with two sets.
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  3. CPUGamer
    Apr 11, 2011
    85
    For a rushed product that is still battling bugs, the currently offered product still provides 40 hours of challenging and engaging gameplay. This combines to provide a good, but not great gaming experience.
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