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. Wyngale
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    While other loudly shout that the game is failed, i'd say that i loved this game all the way.
    Some advice for those who are angry about a product - try to judge the game as it is, without a single comparison with DAO, and you will probably like this game, in the same way as i liked that.
  2. Arertur
    Mar 10, 2011
    8
    Han hecho un juego notable, Bioware ha hecho su primer juego notable y no sobresaliente por querer llegar a un publico mas amplio, en una epoca en la que los desarrollos cuestan muchos años y muchos millones, con seguramente una presión por parte de Electronic Arts muy alta, donde te cierran el estudio por lanzar dos juegos buenísimos pero con unasHan hecho un juego notable, Bioware ha hecho su primer juego notable y no sobresaliente por querer llegar a un publico mas amplio, en una epoca en la que los desarrollos cuestan muchos años y muchos millones, con seguramente una presión por parte de Electronic Arts muy alta, donde te cierran el estudio por lanzar dos juegos buenísimos pero con unas ventas mediocres. Difícil época.
    Solo espero que con este juego consigan ver con sus estadísticas y con las buenas opiniones (me refiero a las que están bien explicadas y contextualizadas) que se han salido de su camino, que deben volver, que a quien no le gustaba el Dragon Age Origins no les va a gustar el 2, si aora dicen que si les gusta cuando lleven 20 horas de juego lo van a dejar, el publico de los COD quiere una campaña de max. 10 horas y un multijugador para jugar con los amigos que les dure tropecientas horas, pero no esto, y espero que lo vean y para la supuesta tercera parte sepan corregir las equivocaciones que en esta entrega han cometido y vuelvan a los orígenes de DA, por que esta saga, incluso con esta segunda entrega no tan buena como la primera parte pero si muy divertida y absorbente, se lo merece.
    Bioware, no podéis convertiros en una compañía que haga juegos notables, volved a buscar la perfección como hacíais antaño, vuestros fans se lo merecen.    … Expand
  3. Dave67
    Mar 13, 2011
    10
    To all the suckers out there, rating the game by 6.0 or less. DIE, you worthless sons of a motherless ogre. This game, in my chart, is the second best game I've played in my life right after Mass Effect. The story's catchy, the voice-over is AMAZING and the decisions! OH THE DECISIONS! Also, romances... The only thing I'm sorry for is the lack of nudity in the romance scenes (At least someTo all the suckers out there, rating the game by 6.0 or less. DIE, you worthless sons of a motherless ogre. This game, in my chart, is the second best game I've played in my life right after Mass Effect. The story's catchy, the voice-over is AMAZING and the decisions! OH THE DECISIONS! Also, romances... The only thing I'm sorry for is the lack of nudity in the romance scenes (At least some lingerie, lol...) ! But whatever, I'll go watch a pron for that :-D All in all, this is the game for a true RPG fan. (Who has a life...) 10/10.… Expand
  4. Yatzee27
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    I loved this game. It fixed the slow, pedantic, repetitive combat, evolving it into a fast, involved scene that makes the player involved. I got an admirable 30 hours of gameplay, which is fantastic, though it flew by thanks to fast pacing. The story, as far as I know, I above average, though under par for Bioware. But under average Bioware is still leagues ahead of competitors. TheI loved this game. It fixed the slow, pedantic, repetitive combat, evolving it into a fast, involved scene that makes the player involved. I got an admirable 30 hours of gameplay, which is fantastic, though it flew by thanks to fast pacing. The story, as far as I know, I above average, though under par for Bioware. But under average Bioware is still leagues ahead of competitors. The graphics are better than the original although simplified. I attribute that fact to all the little extra details that quick opinion trolls seem to miss out on like the companion options in dialogue, differing presentation depending on what kind of dialogue you chose, and dozens of branching paths. I won't say it's perfect. Locations repeat, but never to the point of annoyance since you start in different spots most of the time. The dialogue menu, which I enjoyed since it fixed the one problem I had with Mass Effect's menu, the fact that the skip button doubled as a selection button, tended to glitch and choose an option sometimes, but usually defaulted to the sarcastic choice so nothing lost. And the game froze a few times, though that could have been the fact that I had been playing it for ten hours straight. Overall, a very good game. I want Bioware to do more games like this. Shorter, simpler, and released more frequently. Imagine if they released a new Dragon Age game every year that averaged twenty hours long with minor tweaks to the new fast gameplay. I think we all can agree that such a dream would be awesome.… Expand
  5. Kcep
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    Best RPG of last years.
    As for me - this game much better than DAO.Developers remaked all thigs i hated in DAO:
    1)Story-telling become more dynamic, and it's not about FATE OF THE WORLD, like others like to do 2)Graphic is brilliant in DA2 3)All characters in this game are elaborated 4)Fights become more spectacular, interesting, dynamic. 5)This is game for everyone, not only for    Best RPG of last years.
    As for me - this game much better than DAO.Developers remaked all thigs i hated in DAO:
    1)Story-telling become more dynamic, and it's not about FATE OF THE WORLD, like others like to do
    2)Graphic is brilliant in DA2
    3)All characters in this game are elaborated
    4)Fights become more spectacular, interesting, dynamic.
    5)This is game for everyone, not only for hardcore gamers.U have no need to spend time on collecting items,equipments, or on learning poisoning,trapping or on choosing the way how to lvl up ur character and etc.
    6)Brilliant sound.Excellent.
    And two things i don't like - same locations whole game and same faces of all npc's in game.I met like 10 mothers of main heroe during the game.
    So i give it 9 saying "Well done" to Bioware.And i also "wildly-furiously" wish to see what will happen in DA3.    … Expand
  6. Logun24x7
    Mar 20, 2011
    9
    I never got more then 10 hours into DAO but DA2 has sucked me in. The changes made to the story presentation and more actionâ
  7. Deinsleaf
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    Faster combat. Decisions that could bite your ass in the long run. Top notch voice acting. Just like what Bioware did in the Mass Effect franchise, they improved every aspect of the game. People afraid of innovations should go live in a cave or fully embrace what Bioware did with this franchise. Dragon Age II is an instant classic.
  8. Jester1230
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    I have been playing PC RPGs since Ultima 7, so I kind of miss the isometric view.

    But that is about all I miss. Love the new combat (yes, you still need tactics to succeed on hard, and there are still a lot of stats to manage). Love the way the story unfolds so far. Love the friend/rivalry system. Love most of the characters. Love the new inventory system. I will say that the "tone"    I have been playing PC RPGs since Ultima 7, so I kind of miss the isometric view.

    But that is about all I miss. Love the new combat (yes, you still need tactics to succeed on hard, and there are still a lot of stats to manage). Love the way the story unfolds so far. Love the friend/rivalry system. Love most of the characters. Love the new inventory system. I will say that the "tone" dialog system is slightly limiting. I think there should have been a fourth tone option that was neutral without trying to be funny. I can see why some people might be disappointed... this is NOT the same as DA:O. It took me 4-5 hours of playing around in this system to overcome my dissonance and really get into it. But now that I'm into it, this is the most fun I've had with a video game in at least year. Bravo, Bioware!    … Expand
  9. KillerYeh
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best RPG I have ever played... such a progress since Dragon Age: Orgins... I won't write a lot - I'll point out the good and bad points:
    + Great storyline
    + Great artwork, design + Nice soundtrack + Super characters, each of them has it's story... + Great graphics, it looks super on maximum settings! + Awesome action, not so boring as in DAO And now... - A wait? I can't    This is one of the best RPG I have ever played... such a progress since Dragon Age: Orgins... I won't write a lot - I'll point out the good and bad points:
    + Great storyline
    + Great artwork, design
    + Nice soundtrack
    + Super characters, each of them has it's story...
    + Great graphics, it looks super on maximum settings!
    + Awesome action, not so boring as in DAO
    And now...
    - A wait? I can't remember any!!!    … Expand
  10. Wolwerine
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yes, a dubious idea of clothing - the only misses, lubricants impression of Dragon Age 2. Extraordinarily narrow scope, a different system of "pumping", dizzyingly dynamic battlefield, it would seem, to frighten and repel, but do not believe the first experience. Wee see, a great RPG, one of the best works BioWare.S
    it's a Great Game! thanks BioWare    … Expand
  11. Wolfram
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    I'm not hugely far into the game. I haven't experienced all it has to offer. But I played DA:O for ~30-40 hours before I just gave up on it. I didn't like it, playing on PS3. DA2 so far is just a much more fun and smooth experience. I have a fairly high end PC (two 5850 in crossfire) but it plays great at 50-60fps with DX11, all options on, Very High detail, and the HD texture pack. No lagI'm not hugely far into the game. I haven't experienced all it has to offer. But I played DA:O for ~30-40 hours before I just gave up on it. I didn't like it, playing on PS3. DA2 so far is just a much more fun and smooth experience. I have a fairly high end PC (two 5850 in crossfire) but it plays great at 50-60fps with DX11, all options on, Very High detail, and the HD texture pack. No lag or crashes yet. If I set it to 4xAA I can record video just fine (which I'm doing) above 45fps. The funny thing about some of the negative comments is they comment on the convo wheel sucking then also praise former BioWare RPGs. Apparently they never heard of Mass Effect... Anyway while it's hilarious that some fanboys or whatever they think they are decided to negative bomb this game, it's definitely worth picking up. If you're on the fence just go check out some Let's Play videos and decide for yourself. I'll be uploading my stuff to YouTube on the weekend (TheWolfram23).… Expand
  12. richgw
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Game is a HUGE step up from Dragon Age 1. The only reason people don't like it and why it's getting unfavorable reviews is because it's not EXACTLY THE SAME as dragon age 1. If they called it something else and cut off all ties with the first game it would get 10's across the board. There's more emphasis on combat and human interaction than ''adventure'' and lore. Personally i love theGame is a HUGE step up from Dragon Age 1. The only reason people don't like it and why it's getting unfavorable reviews is because it's not EXACTLY THE SAME as dragon age 1. If they called it something else and cut off all ties with the first game it would get 10's across the board. There's more emphasis on combat and human interaction than ''adventure'' and lore. Personally i love the direction they're going with both this game and mass effect 2, and i hope it continues.

    Keep up the good work, bioware!    … Expand
  13. ColonGlock
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    I have enjoyed this game very much since release. I think the graphics are beautiful, and the game play enjoyable. ( I have a high end PC) I feel I have already got my monies worth out of it, and I have barely scratched the surface.
    Yes, the playable areas are recycled more than I would like, but the combat is satisfying, especially if you have a weapon that creates extra gore. Pausing the    I have enjoyed this game very much since release. I think the graphics are beautiful, and the game play enjoyable. ( I have a high end PC) I feel I have already got my monies worth out of it, and I have barely scratched the surface.
    Yes, the playable areas are recycled more than I would like, but the combat is satisfying, especially if you have a weapon that creates extra gore. Pausing the game right when an enemy gets dismembered is classic. I am enjoying the game for what it is, not what I want it to be.    … Expand
  14. IronGuy410
    Aug 10, 2011
    8
    There are lots of people writing hateful and malicious reviews about this game because it didn't live up to their sky high expectations and in my opinion when you're expectations are as high as theirs then you are bound to be disappointed. But that's just my opinion. While it's true that this game feels somewhat rushed and quite simple compared to its hard, strategy-heavy predecessor, it'sThere are lots of people writing hateful and malicious reviews about this game because it didn't live up to their sky high expectations and in my opinion when you're expectations are as high as theirs then you are bound to be disappointed. But that's just my opinion. While it's true that this game feels somewhat rushed and quite simple compared to its hard, strategy-heavy predecessor, it's not the complete disaster many people make it out to be. The combat is fun for the first two acts of the game but becomes kind of repetitive towards the end because of the fact that it has been simplified to the point where not much strategy is required in battle and there isn't much variety to the enemies that at certain points towards the end feel like they are endlessly respawning to drag out the length of the game. The story is split into three acts, with an overarching plot that is somewhat present in the first two acts and eventually builds up to the events of the third act and an ending begging for a third game. The problem with this is that the acts don't really feel connected to each other as a plot, so it's almost like you are playing three completely different stories. The characters, however, are very interesting and complex, and by the end of the game I really grew to like them all. Graphically the game looks great, with colorful environments and nice character models. However, as you are always in the same city throughout the entire game, the scenery can get repetitive. The music and voice acting are fantastic, and they really sold me on the world the developers have created. Overall, this game absolutely does not deserve all the hate its been getting for the fact that it's a solid sequel to an incredible first game, because despite failing to live up to it's predecessor, it's still a very good game and with a length of about 40 hours, it's definitely worth buying if you're a fan of Bioware or RPGS.… Expand
  15. IdeaLista
    Jun 4, 2011
    8
    Actually DA2 is what DA1 should be and the biggest disappointment is the disconnection between those two. DA1 had a far more flat story, huge problems with the camera, non-voiced player character dialogues etc. etc. It's main advantage was it's 'Baldurness' which - let's face it - has little room in modern RPGs.
    The problem with the whole DA series is, that it actually introduces nothing    Actually DA2 is what DA1 should be and the biggest disappointment is the disconnection between those two. DA1 had a far more flat story, huge problems with the camera, non-voiced player character dialogues etc. etc. It's main advantage was it's 'Baldurness' which - let's face it - has little room in modern RPGs.
    The problem with the whole DA series is, that it actually introduces nothing fresh: romance copied from Mass Effect, steering from Baldur's Gate + 3D, Grey Wardens concept from The Witcher, DA2 story (templar-mages confilct) from The Witcher, DA2 dialogue concept on Mass Efect and so on...
    Nothing new to combat...

    DA2 advantages - quite coherent story, interesting characters,
    DA2 disadvantages - walking same-looking locations over and over again...    … Expand
  16. wangxiuming
    Jun 15, 2011
    8
    It is perhaps impossible to review Dragon Age 2 without making comparisons to its predecessor. Dragon Age: Origins was a stunning achievement in late 2009, winning multiple game of the year awards and lauded as one of the best RPGs of the generation. Considering the daunting tasks that the game had to achieve and how well it succeeded - creating an immersive setting, establishing a fun andIt is perhaps impossible to review Dragon Age 2 without making comparisons to its predecessor. Dragon Age: Origins was a stunning achievement in late 2009, winning multiple game of the year awards and lauded as one of the best RPGs of the generation. Considering the daunting tasks that the game had to achieve and how well it succeeded - creating an immersive setting, establishing a fun and tactical gameplay system, and building a strong fanbase for future games to capitalize on - it's no wonder that the game took 5 years for the RPG veteran Bioware to complete.

    Comparatively, Dragon Age 2 was released in March of 2011, less than 1.5 years from the release of the original in November of 2009.

    That was probably the first clue that something was wrong.

    See the full text of the review here: http://boredomsadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-dragon-age-2-da2.html    … Expand
  17. evergreenOldboy
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Everyone needs to chill out and put things into perspective. I mean honestly, I enjoyed it more than the first one. Everyone is only really trashing this game because Bioware changed the formula from the first one.
  18. JamesDeSavoy
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    Okay, I've been playing every spare moment I've had since the midnight release and this is a phenomenal title by Bioware. Graphics: if you want max graphics you need a GeForce 500 series card or higher to enable it, or you'll stutter. High is for DX 11 cards and it would only let me have medium with my 240. So more graphic control on the PC with clearer wording on what I can use and what IOkay, I've been playing every spare moment I've had since the midnight release and this is a phenomenal title by Bioware. Graphics: if you want max graphics you need a GeForce 500 series card or higher to enable it, or you'll stutter. High is for DX 11 cards and it would only let me have medium with my 240. So more graphic control on the PC with clearer wording on what I can use and what I can't would have been nice. Reused locales are present and I had thought after ME 1 they had learned to stop rehashing stuff, but then again this game's development time was a fraction of the first titles. The reason? They tell a very specific story in a refreshing 2nd person narrative. Characters all go through development over the title, people who want a challenge: roll with Nightmare. Combat on console: people keep posting about button mashing. It's optional, go into the options and turn on auto attack if you don't like it. Cliffhanger endings: It's BiowareEA, there's going to be a stream of DLC, there's going to be an expansion pack, and there's going to be a GOTY edition. Events from your DA:O game transfer, most of the cast make guest appearances, and the lore is solid. It's clear this is being considered a franchise and that we haven't seen the last of DA or the main character, they've told us from the start what this title is about: one man's rise to fame and glory. BG 2 fan? Tactical view is toast. DA:O was a claim to the past, DA2 is moving forward mainstream style. It's huge, lots of content, lots of choices, fully voiced, and replay value for days with lots (almost all) of the quests that take about 15 minutes or less to complete. Can't choose your race, but you get gender and class. For the casual, you can bring who you want without worry of party balance and still make it through. Inventory: mostly your PC exclusive. Most characters have their own weaponsarmor so you can't outfit their every detail. Micromanagers will be sad, I think that's obvious in the user reviews. I absolutely adore BG2, Neverwinter 2, Witcher, Mass Effect 1 and lived and breathed Mass Effect 2 and DA:O. Hope this review helps/… Expand
  19. Noelemahc
    Mar 13, 2011
    9
    An interesting marriage of the decision-making mechanics codified by Alpha Protocol, an extensively rehashed dialogue system of the Mass Effect series and the role-playing system of the original Dragon Age, this game would have received a lot less undeserved criticism if people were judging it as a Gaiden game instead of being a true sequel. It feels and acts like a Gaiden game, after allAn interesting marriage of the decision-making mechanics codified by Alpha Protocol, an extensively rehashed dialogue system of the Mass Effect series and the role-playing system of the original Dragon Age, this game would have received a lot less undeserved criticism if people were judging it as a Gaiden game instead of being a true sequel. It feels and acts like a Gaiden game, after all - most of its events are not significantly related to those of Origins, although the decisions you've made there certainly make an impact on the otherwise insular world of Kirkwall and the Free Marches.
    The streamlined dialogue system, caused mostly by the introduction of a voiced protagonist, now tracks your overall behaviour and that affects how your character acts and reacts to outside stimuli when out of your direct control - something added for cinematic impact, and something a lot of people find jarring and unpleasant for an unbelievably wide amount of (mostly) daft reasons.
    The rehashed combat is faster-paced, aimed obviously at pleasing those who did not enjoy the previous game's rather old-school approach to tactical combat, while not flawless, still behaves better than the one in KotOR, for example, the thought of which it was obviously supposed to invoke due to the overall similarity. While it may be uncomfortable for hardened PC veterans to get used to the idea of a non-detachable camera, it does not detract from the enjoyment of the game, as those who play with direct control over one character and AI tactics over the others will not notice it at all, and those who play via micromanaging every character's every breath in battle will generally manage on a level too micro for it to cause them statistically significant discomfort.
    The story itself, based off the foregone conclusion that your protagonist has somehow gone and helped the world become a worse place through trying to make it a better one, makes a lot of people complain that there is no core to the story - how they missed the focus on the evolution of a refugee into the Champion of a city-state is beyond me. Most of the quests - both central to the story and not - revolve around you and your involvement in the city's internal affairs, and the game goes out of its way to show the impact it can and will have on the day-to-day lives of its people. Those expecting something more similar to the first game's crusade against evil will probably be disappointed - but that does not mean that this game's story is any weaker than the last one's.
    The companions you will travel with are a mix of new and old - two NPCs from Origins return as actual companions - Isabela, the pirate queen you could have a tryst with as the Grey Warden, and Merrill, the protagonist's friend in the Dalish Elf origin - and two companions from Awakenings return as, well, one companion - Anders has become the new vessel for the Spirit of Justice, but that did not go well for either of them. The rest of the team are new to the story of the setting, but they all come with their own load of emotional baggage, issues and aspirations - wildly conflicting ones, at that - which you will have to take into account when dealing with them.
    Another nice element borrowed from Alpha Protocol is the rivalry element - you no longer suffer penalties from having your companions hate you, as was the case in Origins (though if you play your cards wrong they WILL leave the party and never come back), instead, their personality changes to reflect the wrongs you inflicted on them and they gain bonuses that benefit them and them alone, instead of you or the whole party. A nice touch, that, and another handy step towards the humanization of our companions - they will often clash with each other about their beliefs and intentions while walking with you through the city or the surrounding landscapes, often with hilarious conclusions.

    Indeed, the game is not devoid of problems - the need to download the high-quality textures as a separate patch to make the game look even remotely modern, the horrifyingly crippling graphical card compatibility problems which require a lot of shamanic magic to attain a stable FPS count on an nVidia chipset, especially an older one, and the copy-and-paste based dungeons stand out as the foremost ones. However, none of these really detract from the fun you could be having with this game instead of bashing it on the Internet, and the subtlety of some of the design decisions (like the fact that the appearance of your family members will change along with the appearance of your protagonist, or that the magical cure-all Special Dialogue Option Button borrowed from Mass Effect along with its dialogue system will no longer actually solve ALL the problems) helps reinforce the fact that this is, in fact, a beneficial step in the evolution of the genre.

    It is with that thought that I end my review - this game WILL BE LEGENDARY. If only because of its impact on the gaming community.    … Expand
  20. Karyuuken
    Mar 13, 2011
    8
    Man, look at all these idiots here attacking this game for no real reason... Story sucks?! We leave in a world where games like Call of Duty are popular and this game's story sucks?Let's get to the bottom of this because we clearly have a problem here.
    GRAPHICS: It's the same engine with improved textures, environment is generally generic and not so impressive
    SOUND: Let's make one thing    Man, look at all these idiots here attacking this game for no real reason... Story sucks?! We leave in a world where games like Call of Duty are popular and this game's story sucks?Let's get to the bottom of this because we clearly have a problem here.
    GRAPHICS: It's the same engine with improved textures, environment is generally generic and not so impressive
    SOUND: Let's make one thing perfectly clear: the sound in this game is one of its strong parts, the music is just splendid and the voice acting is one of the best around, the music is composed by Inon Zur, the same guy that made the music for Origins.
    GAMEPLAY: Oh boy... well, about the gameplay... let's say it's the game's biggest flaw... first of all, they improved the combat but they made everything else bad, there is no way you can interact with your companions unless they have a quest you have to take from them, they replaced the ability to choose your companions' sets with a half assed 'upgrade' system that made absolutely no sense at all, seriously why did they change that?! there was no reason for them to do so, it was perfect just like it was, the UI sucks badly too, so do the icons for spells and items. Bottom line: don't fix it if it isn't broken.
    STORY: Well this is where the other reviews got it all wrong... they imply that the story sucks because it has little reference to Origins, I do agree that this game could use more of it since it's a sequel. But as I said, in a world where games like Call of Duty dominate the stores, how in the name of all that's holy does this game have a crappy story?! It is tragic, sad and kept me going even if the quests were plain stupid. Speaking of quests, this game suffers from the same problem as the DLCs for Mafia 2, there are like 5 quests that advances the plot, and about 20 'main' quests that make absolutely no sense.
    Bottom Line: The story is what you'd expect from Bioware... maybe a bit less...
    CONCLUSION : This game is NOWHERE NEAR Origins and I mean it... it kind of disappointed me, but looking pass the whole sequel thingy... it's a game worth playing. Now you haters can start hate again...    … Expand
  21. Orak
    Mar 13, 2011
    10
    I find it annoying to see all the lowscore reviews from people that clearly never even finished the first chapter of the game, or in fact never played anything else than the demo. The game is not without a few minor flaws, but is all in all absolutely brilliant. The story isnt as focused as stories usualy are in rpgs but that actualy have a rather posetive effect on the game. Its muchI find it annoying to see all the lowscore reviews from people that clearly never even finished the first chapter of the game, or in fact never played anything else than the demo. The game is not without a few minor flaws, but is all in all absolutely brilliant. The story isnt as focused as stories usualy are in rpgs but that actualy have a rather posetive effect on the game. Its much more personal and more than anyhting else I praise the choise to finaly abandon the "chosen one" or "save the world approach". The world is brilliant in its complexity, the normal boring "go here and fetch this" sidequests are almost nonexistent. Graphics is a huge improvment over origins and I cant understand anyone that claime the game looks bad or even worse than origins. I have some minor issues with inventory and the dialogue wheel but all in all an excellent game.… Expand
  22. Morri--Xen
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    Simply the best RPG of the last 10 years, together with Dragon Age Origins.

    Incredible plot
    Incredible OST
    Incredible gameplay
    Incredible storytelling

    Bioware learns how to create games, as always.

    10.0
  23. Koukalaka
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    First, I will justify why *I* rate this game as a 10, I think this game is a pure masterpiece in story-telling, gameplay and just overall "fun", this game appeals to me on so many levels, it is so immersive, the voice-acting is of the highest quality, the story is insanely good, the combat is "fun", on the higher difficulties the combat is challenging and the best thing I can say to sum upFirst, I will justify why *I* rate this game as a 10, I think this game is a pure masterpiece in story-telling, gameplay and just overall "fun", this game appeals to me on so many levels, it is so immersive, the voice-acting is of the highest quality, the story is insanely good, the combat is "fun", on the higher difficulties the combat is challenging and the best thing I can say to sum up this game, is when it ended I wanted to go through it again and again, regardless of the "lack of reasons" to repeat the content: I wanted to do it.
    I'll point out some negative points first though, The default difficulty is too easy, I mean I appreciate the toning down of the "spikyness" of DA:O normal difficulty, but essentially it is a fuel for people to hate this game, having said that Hard is a very good difficulty setting and normal needed to be somewhere between where it is in the game and hard, I am playing through on hard and I have to use a large amount of tactics, position my characters carefully and aim spells properly. Pausing is a major part of my gameplay and although FF is only on in nightmare, it also means I can have more fun with freedom of spells in my arsenal rather than being limited to a "nightmare only" build.
    There are also some lazy layout designs, most of the time the game revolves around a generic "dungeon" for each type of area, a generic cave, a generic sewer, a generic camp, a generic mansion. Where the only differences in layout are where they decided to wall off the area, this certainly was very lazy imo, but it doesn't detract from the gameplay experience.
    A mixed point is the amount of "console-porting" this game has done, and in reality I find it has done very little, the only major one is the removal of the tactical camera. Whilst I don't care about this because I believe it reduced the difficulty of lots of fights in DA:O to the point of obscurity, I would like to have seen a system where I could pan with the aiming of my spells rather than limited to my controlled characters field of vision in order to try and place a spell, it doesn't really matter on any difficulty besides nightmare but it is going to make nightmare have an arbitrary difficulty scaling.
    Having said that the combat is fun, it is active, but it retains all the tactical positioning of it's predecessor. If I am not careful about positioning my mages in relation to my tank they can be dead in seconds. Boss fights require you to "move out of the fire", whilst adopting large amount of phases to their battles forcing you to change tactics midfight, healing has changed (for the better imo) to be more supporting, healing has a long cooldown so using it at the right time in combination with potions (which again have a shared cooldown) mean that it's ever so important your weaker party members don't get jumped on or they are dead.
    However, I think the hugest selling point of DA:2 is it's immersive story. Arguably it's story is actually quite weak at the core, but the way it is told, the way it slowly leaks information to you, the way that your actual character stays in character (If you are very jokey with your choices your character is very jokey when investigating or making plot decisions, same is said of being aggresive etc). So in a sense you feel like you are being consistant, even if I make an aggresive move as a "jokey" character, I do the aggression in a more candid tone.
    I got the feeling that this story was essentially placed as a "filler" to get from DA:O to DA:3, but the story is told in such an amazing way that drew me in like no game ever has done. The female Hawke voice is exceptional, along with the other voice-acting work on this title. Having read reviews I was expecting the story to be not that special, but in reality the story was insanely well told, small elements coming back up later to be huge influences to key plot points. Whilst all the time remaining totally unpredictable. Whilst, I kinda knew how the game was going to turn out before the final scenes, I couldn't have guessed how awesome the ending would be.
    DA:2 surprised me again and again, made me burst out laughing from snippets from your DA:O imported history and from my character just staying in character and putting the thumb up to authority at the right times I wanted to. I want to point out that the demo is nowhere near indicative of how this title sizes up on the whole, the fact the demo was limited to normal difficulty was a poor decision by the devs imo. Hard is a great difficulty setting and anybody playing this game should start out with this setting unless you only want to see the story, which is just as worth it.
    To sum up:Play the game before judging, it's an amazing RPG imo    … Expand
  24. lotr0710
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    game was worse than the original, but still very solidly madeâ
  25. NotBioWare
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    The Immersion and combat of this game are unmatched! A truly moving and fun epic. Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference. For what it is, it is flawless executed and endlessly entertaining.
  26. zzzz2006
    Jun 20, 2011
    9
    Great game so far! For the equipment customization options we have lost we got much more developed and usable skill tree's and a major graphics overhaul if you have the rig for it. The combat is fast and exciting, maybe a little too fast, and the animations are a nice change from the clumsy puppet show motion of the last one. The tatics screen is far better worded and actually useful. TheGreat game so far! For the equipment customization options we have lost we got much more developed and usable skill tree's and a major graphics overhaul if you have the rig for it. The combat is fast and exciting, maybe a little too fast, and the animations are a nice change from the clumsy puppet show motion of the last one. The tatics screen is far better worded and actually useful. The downside is your toons seem to be overly dependent on it to actually trigger any of their skills. My tank lady absolutely refused to used shield slam till I scripted it in. My only complaints are so far it has seemed very on rails (3 hours in), almost as much movie as game. And in cities its frustrating having to run around with you tab key held down so you can actually find the vendors etc. The inventory screen is reminiscent graphically of x-com and looks slightly rushed to market.… Expand
  27. Kimmeh
    Sep 23, 2011
    8
    1st and foremost, taken on it's own merit, dragon age 2 is a good game. It tries to do a lot of things different from its predecessor and it has mixed success. Giving it a score of anything below a 5 is ridiculous. Why? Because it's still a good rpg. Having said that, there are things that stand out as annoying. I didn't like the constant reuse of dungeon areas but it wasn't a deal1st and foremost, taken on it's own merit, dragon age 2 is a good game. It tries to do a lot of things different from its predecessor and it has mixed success. Giving it a score of anything below a 5 is ridiculous. Why? Because it's still a good rpg. Having said that, there are things that stand out as annoying. I didn't like the constant reuse of dungeon areas but it wasn't a deal breaker. The choices you make don't really effect a huge proportion of the story either. Certain events are inevitable and the choices that have some presumable impact don't do it on the scale we saw in origins with choices effecting allies we could call upon in the end of the game. It's still a good game after the fact. Party members can still have their abilities and skills tailored if not their outfits. You have to play Hawke but it's not a bad thing. I find it difficult to see how dragon age 2 is continually slated and the Witcher 2 gets away with a lot less. For instance dragon age 2's controls are far more intuitive and easier to customize. If you play the Witcher 2 you have to exit the game before being able to effectively customize keyboard controls. Combat is even less strategic than da2 and party customization is non existent given that Geralt is a one man show. I think it's important to compare the two. Both are good games with there own faults but da2 is taking a lot of flack for not being dragon age origins 2. I enjoy da2 and I replay it a fair bit. It's definitely different, from the experience of dragon age origins but trying something a bit different is sometimes a good thing. Don't be put off by scores less than 5 in my opinion. It may not have been the dragon age 2 everyone was hoping for but it's still worthy of a good long play through or two.

    Unless of course not being able to change your party's outfits drastically, turns you emo    … Expand
  28. brigitte134
    Feb 24, 2012
    10
    Great game.
  29. Killuminati
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Honestly, Dragon Age 2 is a significant improvement over Origins. Faster combat animations have been implemented while keeping the system largely the same
    The graphics look better both technically and artistically, and there are no more ugly brown environments
    -Player character is actually voiced this time, so no more silent awkward animations while talking -RPG interfaces have been    Honestly, Dragon Age 2 is a significant improvement over Origins. Faster combat animations have been implemented while keeping the system largely the same
    The graphics look better both technically and artistically, and there are no more ugly brown environments
    -Player character is actually voiced this time, so no more silent awkward animations while talking
    -RPG interfaces have been redesigned to be more balanced and easier to access and manage
    The story is told in a unique way, and really draws you in
    And the companions are far more diversified rather than just stereotypical princes, dwarves, witches, etc.

    Everything is improved aside from the fact that the game largely takes place in the city and the Elves facial design look somewhat weird. I don't understand why some people hate the game for the small changes that took place. Just give the game a try and soon you'll be caught up in its universe.    … Expand
  30. Zarafan
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i must say that this game is one of those, that you must play based in what you see and NOT in what you read. i just toke a risk buying it, and im pretty happy i did. Certainly the dislikes from ppl came because of the change on the direction on history line and some gameplay changes. i have 7 Hours Playing already, and as RPG fan, this change was quite enjoyable. i was waiting for a little more of graphical improvement, but the changes are OK to me.

    IS NOT A BAD GAME, but they changed the direction about to DAO. They did Add a little more action to it. They did it more like Mass Effect Style, and that its what some DAO´s fan dont accept. i Love DAO and ME as well, so this DA2 is great for me.

    Could be Better? of Course, we can allways Want more from Bioware, this time we was waiting for a lot more. and i think that is the real problem.    … Expand
  31. Meisterwerke
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game, i like this. Is amazing... the only downside is that history is a little out of Dragon Age: Origins
    Good innovation by Bioware. The game innovates in many ways and the combat is amazing. The graphic quality (a full) is wonderful and unique characters.
  32. Sylvaticus
    Mar 11, 2011
    8
    Wow, I am not liking the haters on this one. The graphics are beautiful, they story is great, the combat is a bit dumbed down but I am still thoroughly enjoying this game. Isabella is a better Leliana and Alistair is a drunk in a bar. Origins was iconic but this game is great as well. My wife and I have already got 15 hours into the game each, and we are greatly enjoying it. Don't listenWow, I am not liking the haters on this one. The graphics are beautiful, they story is great, the combat is a bit dumbed down but I am still thoroughly enjoying this game. Isabella is a better Leliana and Alistair is a drunk in a bar. Origins was iconic but this game is great as well. My wife and I have already got 15 hours into the game each, and we are greatly enjoying it. Don't listen to the smelly trolls, this game is a blast.… Expand
  33. swizer
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    I liked the game ... I do not know why you are criticizing her so ... yes it is something new, but it does not mean that it is worse ... at the expense of graphics is nothing bad I can not say, if you download the patch, the graphics in the game becomes a normal By the way ... I do not care what you think at the expense of what I wrote
  34. lordofthetrue
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    This game is so epic that bring tears to my eyes!

    Everything it's perfect, story, characters, combat, world, polemic, the big pwned that the "Bioware can't go wrong" fan boys are taking. Play Dragon Age 2 it's watch the history being written!
  35. Siven
    Mar 11, 2011
    8
    Unfortunately a lot of negative reviews here are a result of an organised campaign who dont seem to have even played the game. Even some positive reviews are way OTT.

    DA2 is not a DAO clone. It isnt an old school complex for complexity sake crpg. It is streamlined and easier to use and play which isnt a bad thing. It is a more modernized approach which should bring more people into the    Unfortunately a lot of negative reviews here are a result of an organised campaign who dont seem to have even played the game. Even some positive reviews are way OTT.

    DA2 is not a DAO clone. It isnt an old school complex for complexity sake crpg. It is streamlined and easier to use and play which isnt a bad thing. It is a more modernized approach which should bring more people into the RPG fold without drowning them in complex systems some games do.

    You still levelup, place attributes and pick talents and spells. You still have a party you use and can chat too. The game takes place mainly in 1 city with several areas to it. I would have preffered more varied location though, but it still plays nice.

    Combat is a little faster than DAO and the classes are more distinct, but the essence of the combat is the same as DAO without the slow shuffling about the original had. You will need to bump difficulty up to hard for more challenge and tactical feel though, as normal is just far too easy.
    The cross class combo system is fantastic.

    The narrative story works well, and they have taken a gamble in not using the tried and tested save the world plot most rpgs use in place of a more focused diplomatic storyline which i think works well but does lack an epic feel to it.

    Graphics are fine if not spectacular, but the game does seemed like EA rushed them by using the same cave with different openings etc. Its a good RPG, but not great due to EA rushing the development time.    … Expand
  36. Conscience
    Mar 9, 2011
    9
    New, bold and engaging with addictive combat. Interesting and compelling characters, like Origins. Much more intelligent than the ads would make you think.

    Having played Origins, I was not expecting the more action-based combat to be very good, but it was surprisingly enjoyable and maintained the same level of tactics as Origins (though I admit I don't like to micromanage my party's    New, bold and engaging with addictive combat. Interesting and compelling characters, like Origins. Much more intelligent than the ads would make you think.

    Having played Origins, I was not expecting the more action-based combat to be very good, but it was surprisingly enjoyable and maintained the same level of tactics as Origins (though I admit I don't like to micromanage my party's actions). Exploring all of the side-quests, I think I got a bit too powerful by the end and had to turn up the difficulty to make it more challenging, but it was always fun.

    The plot was a refreshing change from the 'save the world from the ultimate evil' plots that you see so often in fantasy games. Make the entire story based around a single location provided a nice focus, and made the story feel much more personal.

    The explorer in me was a bit saddened by the re-use of level graphics in many occasions, but the characters, situations, gameplay and quests themselves made up for it in the most part. The graphics and environments are simply beautiful.

    Items and equipment got some nice improvements (I've always hated sorting through piles of junky items like you are forced to in some other games). The only minor point about this that I didn't like so much was not being able to customize the armour of my party members.

    In summary, this may not be a "hard-core RPG" (a fact that some people can't seem to forgive), but it's a great RPG that has a synergy of a lot of good elements that make Dragon Age 2 stands very well on it's own as it keeps you coming back for more.    … Expand
  37. mylan
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    I like it, I will be happy to play! And I can not understand why so many negative reviews? The first game was very good, I think the second will be even better.
  38. austinbond
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Yeah sure the combat isn't as strategic as Baldurs Gate II and the story isn't as engaging as the original Dragon Age, but I still had an absolute hoot.
  39. Rongxin
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    My my, what a week It has been! Like so many others around the world, Iâ
  40. BillTheB
    Mar 11, 2011
    8
    If you are looking for a game with a good storyline and decent voice acting for the protagonist this game is great. The fighting is quick paced and the graphics are a step above the predecessor but only if you get the high res pack and run DX11. If you are looking for a Dragon Age: Origins clone with a new story then you will be disappointed. The game has the great lore of the originalIf you are looking for a game with a good storyline and decent voice acting for the protagonist this game is great. The fighting is quick paced and the graphics are a step above the predecessor but only if you get the high res pack and run DX11. If you are looking for a Dragon Age: Origins clone with a new story then you will be disappointed. The game has the great lore of the original but lacks a bit of personality as they didn't have enough time to fully develop the world around Kirkwall. I would guess that after the DLC comes out the Ultimate edition will be great and on par with the world of Thedas in Origins. All in all. I love the game and find the story gripping.… Expand
  41. FuFxs
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    I've just completed this game and overall, I was very surprised how engaged I was with the gameplay, story and the characters themselves. I'd come expecting the worse (read the user reviews and comments from forums) but on it's own, it was very good. Thx BioWare! Well done.
  42. DraMass
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game. A masterpiece. Bioware as always have shown that they the best rpg developers. The combat, a plot, and characters are incredible. Game is ideal in all. Thanks for Fenris, Anders, Isabella and certainly Hawk. The original plot holds throughout all game. A one minus - repeating locations. But this isn't neccesary. I always buy your games. Thanks once again that you have made!
  43. jkprice
    Apr 2, 2011
    10
    Outstanding game. At their core, RPGs are about the characters and dialogue. The combat is good, but ultimately, this doesn't matter. These are the deepest, most interesting bunch of characters ever assembled for an RPG. Because you cannot really focus on developing more than about 3 in a single play through, it highly adds to the replayability, too.

    A few minor bugs need to be patched    Outstanding game. At their core, RPGs are about the characters and dialogue. The combat is good, but ultimately, this doesn't matter. These are the deepest, most interesting bunch of characters ever assembled for an RPG. Because you cannot really focus on developing more than about 3 in a single play through, it highly adds to the replayability, too.

    A few minor bugs need to be patched out, and if I were going to knock it a point (which I'm not), the repeating dungeon environments need to go.    … Expand
  44. Haylzorz
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    I can agree with some of the already stated negative factors about this game, such as the combat system needing little thought or planning (unless on hard mode) and that some of the dialogue options seem a little... well, sloppy. What I will say about the graphics is that I have a high end gaming PC with an nvidia geforce gtx 570 and therefore I downloaded the hi-res texture package and II can agree with some of the already stated negative factors about this game, such as the combat system needing little thought or planning (unless on hard mode) and that some of the dialogue options seem a little... well, sloppy. What I will say about the graphics is that I have a high end gaming PC with an nvidia geforce gtx 570 and therefore I downloaded the hi-res texture package and I see little improvement. Although I find the graphics only slightly underwhelming, it is a little off putting when there's such a diverse mix between shoddy textures and higher quality ones. Some armour looks great, some looks dreadfully out dated. However this all said and done, I am enjoying the game immensly. I find the storyline involving and dramatic (without seeming to try too hard) and the party members you can recruit are all very intriguing and different. The replay value of the game, in my opinion, is very high. There are quite a few options and paths you can take and I for one am looking forward to my second character already. And as for being stuck in the city mainly, which I heard about before even playing the game, hasn't been an issue for me. The only disappointing thing I will point out is that house/cave/deeproads layouts are all reused quite a lot. Overall I think Dragon Age 2 isn't as bad as people are making it out to be. It feels much like the first game and although it does seem to have been dumbed down ever so slightly (mainly with the combat and character relationship factors) I can see it appealing to a wider variety of gamers. And you don't need to have played the first game to enjoy this one.… Expand
  45. Pinely
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dragon Age II is, obviously, a divisive game. This reviewer found it to be a net improvement over Dragon Age: Origins, primarily thanks to the improved writing, visual style, companions, and combat. However, the game is far from perfect, mostly due to repetitive environments, inconsistent difficulty, confounding item decisions, and a weak introductory level(s).

    The writing isn't for everyone, I'll admit that. I, however, appreciated a storyline that wasn't about saving the world from an enemy hell bent on destroying it. It is a well executed romp of survival, friendship, family, and politics. Bioware learned some lessons about companions as well. Origins companions suffered because Morrigan, Allistair, and Loghain were so central to the story. In DA2, each companion is of roughly equal importance (aside from Varric, who is slightly more important). Lastly, Bioware is saying more with less. Origins had characters over elaborate (particularly companions), which became frustrating. I get it Morrigan, you're a wilds apostate, I don't need you to remind me each time I talk to you. DA2 does a better job at avoiding this.

    I can't say DA2's visuals are perfect. There are still a lot of textures that are simply bad. But, for the most part, DA2 presents a consistent visual style for items, areas, and characters. It isn't Crysis, but it runs well on older machines and looks decent while doing so. Unlike Origins, it doesn't feel like every item is a generic fantasy weapon or armor.

    Combat (at least on the PC) has improved. The time it takes in between actions being queued and executed has been reduced. I like to pause constantly in combat and this seemingly small change has made combat much more fun. In Origins, I would queue up abilities, wait 3 seconds as my party gradually executed their orders, and then pause again. In DA2, I'm not waiting for very long, making combat feel more involved. There is no top down view, but being that I pause combat I never found much use for that view in Origins. Lastly, the skill trees are now actual trees, instead of linear progressions. This opens up more options for a particular character.

    Kirkwall is mostly nice, but for some inexplicably reason Bioware decided that it would be nice to reuse the same dungeons over and over again. I don't mind that it all takes place in Kirkwall, but does every freaking cave, cellar, and house in Kirkwall have to be identical? By the time you hit the third act, this becomes a bit comical.

    I've played the game through normal and halfway through hard. Bioware, puzzlingly, decided to have reinforcements appear in nearly every battle in the game. I don't mind having enemies show up mid way through a battle, it keeps me on my toes and adds difficulty to an encounter. But, they range from wet noodle to Spartan and often appear from thin air. I often find myself saving before every possible encounter because I just don't know how it will pan out, which is an annoyance.

    I like the UI and the Skill Changes. I like how the items look. I do not, however, like how Bioware implemented Armor. First, companions have their own custom armors that cannot be changed and are upgraded throughout the game. Giving companions a unique visual style is a good thing, but removing companion itemization sucks. Second, there appear to be certain sets of armor that are clearly superior than the others during each Act. I'd like a little more variety in a game based upon the RPGs of yore. Lastly, although 5 armor classes was a bit too much in Origins, I think DA2 needs one more set to sit in between Leather and Plate.

    My final criticism lies with the games introduction. You start the game having already fled from Lothering, in a bland wasteland. You lose a companion that you haven't even really met within the first 15 minutes and you get mystically whisked away to safety. And then you do another brief area in which you sell yourself into servitude for a year. About an hour of content that feels like a complete waste of time. The fun part doesn't begin until you pick up Varric, which is a shame.

    I typed more than I intended. In spite of its flaws, I'd recommend Dragon Age 2 to any RPG fan, particularly fans of Dragon Age Origins. I feel that a lot of the negative criticism is more about how the game is perceived by players and less about actual faults. That said, it only edges out Origins by the slimmest of margins. If Bioware intends for Dragon Age to become a stable franchise, they'll need to bring some more of Origins into Dragon Age 3.    … Expand
  46. MorningStar
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    I accept some of the criticisms leveled at this game, but some of them are just plain wrong. Graphically to my eyes this is a big improvement over the disjointed and inconsistent Origins, which looked great one minute and awful the next. With the hi-res texture pack and all the DX11 effects on it's an impressive sight in my opinion. The depth of field and motion blur are especiallyI accept some of the criticisms leveled at this game, but some of them are just plain wrong. Graphically to my eyes this is a big improvement over the disjointed and inconsistent Origins, which looked great one minute and awful the next. With the hi-res texture pack and all the DX11 effects on it's an impressive sight in my opinion. The depth of field and motion blur are especially improved over DAO. While I'm not a fan of the re-used environments they're generally more detailed than the same old caves that DAO recycled through the deep roads and half the rest of the game.

    Difficulty is a bit iffy so far for me, playing a mix of normal and hard I've found a lot of the game too easy, excepting a boss fight that took me 5 goes to get through on hard. Let's not forget this is far (FAR) better than the train wreck of difficulty in DAO that seemed to be programmed by a bipolar sitcom star. A few random encounter wolves harder than masses of darkspawn anyone?

    Anyone who expects Bioware to keep remaking Baldurs Gate for all eternity to appease the D&D crowd, or compares this unfavorably to NWN2 (I enjoyed it, but really?)

    For mine this is more of a return to KOTOR, a much better an refined return at that. It deserves the ~85% it's getting from real reviewers (who've actually played the game, unlike most of the posters here who seem to be going off the demo - a couple even admit to never playing the finished game).    … Expand
  47. CKhound
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    This game is very very good to be honest. I know that some people throw some bad scores at it but the fact is that it does provide a very good experience. Now, having said that, i am a huge dragon age and bioware fan in general. This game is moreso like a mass effect game when you look at the speaking options in the game and also the way that you interact with things. It is stll a dragonThis game is very very good to be honest. I know that some people throw some bad scores at it but the fact is that it does provide a very good experience. Now, having said that, i am a huge dragon age and bioware fan in general. This game is moreso like a mass effect game when you look at the speaking options in the game and also the way that you interact with things. It is stll a dragon age game but it just doesnt feel like the first one at all, i 100% find dragon age origins to be one of the most fun games that i have ever laid my hands on, and even though dragon age 2 doesnt live up to it hardly, it is still an amazing game that is recommended for anyone who likes rpgs.… Expand
  48. chartinboy
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    I honestly found this game to be a glowing success. There are certianly issues, my biggest gripe being with the slightly less manevrouable camera, but this game goes so far beyond the scope of the first game (which I also loved) and really creates an amazing experiance. The combat is faster, which has negative and positive effects because of that, and although people say "oh, theI honestly found this game to be a glowing success. There are certianly issues, my biggest gripe being with the slightly less manevrouable camera, but this game goes so far beyond the scope of the first game (which I also loved) and really creates an amazing experiance. The combat is faster, which has negative and positive effects because of that, and although people say "oh, the conversation system is just a console one now" it was exactly the same in number one, this time it just gives a slight hint at what reaction you'll get before you say it. I dont like how abysmally this game is doing review wise, as I personally beleive it is truly the best game of the 2010/2011 period.… Expand
  49. Mixon
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    If you are fan of Mass Effect, then you will love it, like me. Bio ware you are best.
    Dragon Age 1 path to 2 part looks like Me1 to Me2. Many people forgot that is rpg means Role Play Game, when you play a role with your decisions in dialogs.
  50. rip1988
    Mar 9, 2011
    9
    Yeah, yeah, yeah....a slap for real fans of DA"O. Congratulations to everyone screaming "oh this is so bad, this is not DA, I want my money back...The true is this game is very good and your "reviews" don't mean anything because fans of DA:O aren't stupid enough to abandon buying game just because of this fake "zero-rate spam".
    And about game: It's awesome! The combat is more dynamic than    Yeah, yeah, yeah....a slap for real fans of DA"O. Congratulations to everyone screaming "oh this is so bad, this is not DA, I want my money back...The true is this game is very good and your "reviews" don't mean anything because fans of DA:O aren't stupid enough to abandon buying game just because of this fake "zero-rate spam".
    And about game: It's awesome! The combat is more dynamic than in first DA but it's still strategic and hard. For now I can't rate whole plot because I haven't finished it yet but for now it looks really good.
    For me it's 9,5/10 - the same as first DA. Don't trust trolls, try it on your own :)    … Expand
  51. maselphie
    Mar 11, 2011
    9
    I'm hearing a LOT of anti-DA2 feedback going around. Frankly, I can't understand it. It seems merely out of a fear of change, rather than if the change was a good or bad thing. When I first played the demo, I was freaked out by many things, but after finishing the game, none of those things held water anymore. It was simply me being "whoa different game is different" and none of it made itI'm hearing a LOT of anti-DA2 feedback going around. Frankly, I can't understand it. It seems merely out of a fear of change, rather than if the change was a good or bad thing. When I first played the demo, I was freaked out by many things, but after finishing the game, none of those things held water anymore. It was simply me being "whoa different game is different" and none of it made it a bad game in the end. I know the quick phrase to describe the changes is "dumbed down" -- and trust me, I hear ya. They dumbed down Mass Effect from game one to game two, and I was totally pessimistic about DA2. But you know? "Streamlined" is honestly the better term for it all. In the end, it is an amazing game. One of the most memorable RPGs I have played in a while. Is it worth it's selling price new? Yes! This is a $60 game. There's so much crap out there selling for the same price and is just a huge disappointment. This is one of those games. Please, ignore reviews and just play it for yourself. And I am not talking about just the demo. The demo is in no way indicative of the tone or experience of the main game. Look to Denerim in DA:O for a better idea of how it might feel.

    If you find you skip dialogue scenes, it might be just an okay game, because you're skipping the best part. If you're just watching your family's cutscenes with a "okay okay I'm getting a quest" attitude, then it's not going to work its magic on you.

    As a visual novel community, I can honestly say that WE will see what the developers were doing with the story and appreciate it. The hordes of action games may not see it, but I certainly did, and I will defend it rabidly. I was so surprised by how good it was. Maybe because of all the pessimism. Maybe all these bad reviews are good -- so you go in thinking "this will blow", but then blown away.

    It's a shame that it will take too damn long for people to find that out, since everyone is going to take one look at the negative reviews and decide to wait until bargain bin day. Or worse, the developers will see the negativeness and not make DLC for it. Christ. I've never wanted DLC more for any other game before. I don't want this game to be over.    … Expand
  52. CazNeerg
    Mar 13, 2011
    9
    Judged purely on it's mechanics, Dragon Age II is far from the traditional RPG that Origins was, but judged on how well it allows the player to actually embrace different roles within the story and make choices with real impact, it is easily as good an RPG as the first game in the series, arguably better. Looking at the choices offered to the player, and the impacts of those choices,Judged purely on it's mechanics, Dragon Age II is far from the traditional RPG that Origins was, but judged on how well it allows the player to actually embrace different roles within the story and make choices with real impact, it is easily as good an RPG as the first game in the series, arguably better. Looking at the choices offered to the player, and the impacts of those choices, Dragon Age II might actually offer more than any previous BioWare title. Whereas most BioWare games have essentially two directions the player can go in at any given time (generally saint or sociopath) DA2 adds a third, allowing the player to occupy the sarcastic charmer role usually reserved for companion characters.

    For me, the best part of RPGs is the ability to drive the story in different directions based on player choice. While I can get immersed in complex inventory management systems, I never miss them when they are gone, and I think that combat is at best an enjoyable extra, and at worst an annoying distraction. I judge RPGs based on the quality of the story and characters, and on how much of an impact the player can have through his choices. From that perspective, I would have to say the Dragon Age II is superior to the first game. It brings back the feeling that I got from the Origin stories in the first game, but lost almost as soon as those origins were over; a sense of connection to a character which was defined and flexible at the same time, and existed in and had substantial impact on a fully realized society. The "gather allies to save the world" plot of the first game, while enjoyable, seemed a little lazy and cliched.

    While I find the story to be much improved in the second game, I still have to knock off one point in the area of characters. One of the primary staples of BioWare games has always been the cheerful psychotic companion, from Korgan and HK-47, to Black Whirlwind, Wrex, Shale, and Jack. There is no comparable character in Dragon Age II, and the loss is strongly felt. There is also no female character of the Viconia/Morrigan type, with it feeling more like they split the Leliani archetype into two and assigned half of the personality to Merrell, and the other half to Isabela.

    As far as choices and impact go, as I said at the start, I think this is quite possibly BioWare's best offering to date in that regard.    … Expand
  53. commonperson
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    While not a perfect game, this metacritic score is skewed due to a "backlash" over two reviews written by Bioware employees (there is currently no evidence they were doing it at the behest of their employers simply they wrote two glowing reviews and if they were close to the game they may have a skewed perspective on the content.)

    Any how, having played the game I can say whilst not    While not a perfect game, this metacritic score is skewed due to a "backlash" over two reviews written by Bioware employees (there is currently no evidence they were doing it at the behest of their employers simply they wrote two glowing reviews and if they were close to the game they may have a skewed perspective on the content.)

    Any how, having played the game I can say whilst not perfect it improves on the formula behind the first game. The first game was much of the time, at best, unforgiving but since you could drop the play slider down to easy and not suffer any loss of game play or even achievements/trophies it compensated.

    Thus far the game play does not show the same level of challenge, again a game best suited for the PC the graphical fidelity is vastly improved but even on my high end machine at times there are moments when Frame Rate drops through the basement. The load screens are much improved over the previous iteration and the story, as always, is well crafted. This is where Bioware excels.

    One short coming is the change in scenery, or lack there of. Dragon Age: Origins and it's expansions gave you a vast swath of geography to cover. Dragon Age 2 does not, you have Kirkwall and a handfull of external locations. Now the story with it's framing device is setting this up as a Usual Suspects/Noir Fantasy. The city of Kirwall is intended to be as much of a character in the game as the players. That being said it doesn't carry off as well as hoped. I have a feeling if as extensively supported via DLC as Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins was this will be remedied as more DLC comes out but right now there are anemic points where it feels like you are rehashing locations and enemies over and over.

    Combat is much more frenetic with more lifelike animations and in the case of the Xbox 360 due to a glitch button mashy game play (which isn't the case on other platforms as it still has the auto attack ability.) This will supposedly be addressed via a patch shortly. The PC really is still the premiere platform for this title, you maintain the same style of gameplay from the first game with the ability to zoom out and que commands for characters.

    They have streamlined some aspects, the ability to micromanage gear on your characters has been reduced, not removed entirely but reduced which detracts from some of the old school feel but this is an extension of the Bioware ethos which is using games as a platform for story telling. The story it's self is compelling with interesting character interactions and some genuine relationships developing in interesting ways.

    Not a perfect game but well worth checking out.

    (And for the record I am not an employee of Bioware and never have been, I think instead of giving zeros to the game out of spite people should give genuine ratings on how they feel as many of these people giving zeros have never even played the game.)    … Expand
  54. Geralt
    Jun 2, 2011
    10
    How come game developers decided that if a game is successful the sequel should be dumbed down? It used to be the other way round - remember ancient great games such as: Warcraft (version II much better than I), Command and Conquer, Civilization, Myth and, Bioware own, Baldur Gate? While Baldur Gate II was a great game the sequel i.e. Neverwinter Nights was mediocre even though theHow come game developers decided that if a game is successful the sequel should be dumbed down? It used to be the other way round - remember ancient great games such as: Warcraft (version II much better than I), Command and Conquer, Civilization, Myth and, Bioware own, Baldur Gate? While Baldur Gate II was a great game the sequel i.e. Neverwinter Nights was mediocre even though the graphics were much improved. The story line was not interesting, the humor was gone, the likeable characters were gone (Minsk, Jan) - the player just walked around whacking everything that moved.
    Now, the idea of "whacking everything" in a Dungeons and Dragons type game is not new - it was perfected in Diablo II (and some other games) and rehashing it in Dragon Age II was not a great idea. I have bought the game recently and was able to finish it on "normal" difficulty without dying once (or loosing a character). Bottom line: not very interesting, too easy, too dumbed down - an overall disappointment.    … Expand
  55. Accountant
    Jul 20, 2011
    10
    Well I just got done with the game (ah the joys of the long 4th of July weekend). I am someone who loved DA:O and wrote a glowing review on it. Frankly I liked DA2 more and find it hard now to go back to DA:O anymore. I just don't really understand the hate for this game but than everyone is entitled to their views. When I play games I am looking for some good, fun times and really not anyWell I just got done with the game (ah the joys of the long 4th of July weekend). I am someone who loved DA:O and wrote a glowing review on it. Frankly I liked DA2 more and find it hard now to go back to DA:O anymore. I just don't really understand the hate for this game but than everyone is entitled to their views. When I play games I am looking for some good, fun times and really not any kind of serious challenges or overly complex tactical scenarios maybe because my real life already has all that and games to me are mechanism of fun escapism and DA2 fits the bill here perfectly. I am currently on my second play through as a mage and it's again fun so far playing a different class and I am not bored or anything. I think Bioware kind of fumbled really bad on the marketing of this game. This is not a true sequel but rather a stand alone rpg set in the world of DA:O. I guess if they would have positioned the game correctly it may not have suffered the kind of wrath it did. Now that being said the game in my view has been trashed sometimes unfairly bordering on hate for the sake of hate just because it's not a clone of DA:O. A lot has been said on this game so I am going to keep my review concise and highlight what I liked and disliked about the game. The game does have some Cons but the Pros far exceed them. PRO's: 1) The graphic engine (with the high texture patch) is leagues ahead of the original. The buildings, interiors, exteriors, dungeons, armor, cut-scenes etc. look beautifully rendered and highly detailed in my view. 2) The voiced protagonist lends a more cinematic and personal feel to the game. One of my complaints with the original game was the disconnect I felt with my silent Grey Warden and DA:O to me felt backwards coming to play it after ME2. The conversation wheel in my view makes it more stream-lined to follow the story of the quest and it is much more intriguing to see what Hawke will actually say which lends to a more cinematic feel. 3) The story line of the game feels more personal as it is the story of Hawke rising to fame & glory from rags. It doesn't have the epic feel of clear-cut good vs evil fight of the original but it does appeal to me more in the form of my (Hawke) story line amidst all the political and other schemes going on. 4) The combat system is indeed a real improvement over DA:O. I many times thought of giving up on DA:O just because the combat was slow, sluggish and boring. DA2 combat is lot more fun, faster plus the animations are real good, and funny sometimes (I can never have enough of those exploding enemies hehe). Playing a warrior in DA2 was lot more fun than it was in the original. 5) The banter between the companions is back and is better than ever. Try to put Isabella with other ladies and hear the amusing fireworks. Sometimes it's quite fun to be had. :) CONS: 1) Repeated use of the same maps. Initially it doesn't matter much but as you are in Act 2 and up you do begin to notice this. Frankly DA:O used the same recycled maps in most interior dungeons but the game did had us travel to different locations which eased the fact that interior dungeons were recycled. I think in DA2 having the player just stay in and near Kirkwall exacerbated this feeling greatly. I hope in DA3 Bioware really pays attention to this fact. 2) Limited ability to equip the party members. I am 50/50 on it. In DA:O though initially i liked dressing up my party members but later it just became a irritating hassle. I am somewhat glad they toned it down in DA2 but i think they toned it down too much. I think I should be allowed to equip my party members with basic armor and weapons of all kind without any restrictions. Bioware should address this too in DA3. 3) A bit too overt gay angles in the game. I mean it looks like almost all male characters wants to start a romance while it takes quite a effort to work on the females party members (except Isabella ofcourse). Very soon whether it was the optimal configuration or not my team members were all females hehe. In all I ended my journey of DA2 on a happier note, felt my money spent was worth it and looking forward to DLC's and DA3. Now if Bioware can combine what made DA2 great like the voiced protagonist, the new combat system with DA:O epic story line and customization options they might make amends to the offended fan base and have a hit rpg once again.… Expand
  56. FenrisPlz
    Jul 30, 2011
    10
    I understand how people are quite upset since the story is different as to the story in DAO. Never the less I loved this game, like I loved Origins. 10/10 for sure
  57. diaper
    Nov 27, 2015
    10
    A masterpiece. Unlike previous boring Bioware games like Mass Effect 1 and 2 and Dragon Age: Origins this game is actually fun and has fun gameplay. The characters are cool and it is just a great game. Also, it is better than the game Undertale.
  58. nennet
    Mar 13, 2011
    10
    оÑ
  59. Rezear
    Mar 15, 2011
    8
    Another great game from Bioware! I don't understand the people giving this game a negative review, did they even play the same game? The gameplay is far better than the slow-paced gameplay of Dragon Age: Origins and the story is amazing. Sure the graphics could be better but I think these graphics fit the game. Dragon Age 2 is a must have for every rpg fan out there!
  60. flavahbeast
    Mar 11, 2011
    9
    It's a very good game and a worthy successor to the first. I loved Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and would love it if Dragon Age 3 had that sort of depth as far as environments and spell mechanics and NPC's are concerned. That said, the combat is a lot of fun and the streamlined combat mechanics don't take anything away from the tactical elements. I do recommend playing the game on the HardIt's a very good game and a worthy successor to the first. I loved Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and would love it if Dragon Age 3 had that sort of depth as far as environments and spell mechanics and NPC's are concerned. That said, the combat is a lot of fun and the streamlined combat mechanics don't take anything away from the tactical elements. I do recommend playing the game on the Hard difficulty setting. Normal is pretty trivial, at least early on, whereas Hard is a challenge on par with the Infinity Engine games… Expand
  61. StanleyWoo
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age 2 is the one of the best RPG is have ever played. Story is well thought and really complex. Dark and gloomy setting is incredible. Game play has noticeably improved since Dragon Age: Origins. If you are true RPG fan, you just have to play this game. Be excellent to each other. End of Line.
  62. snoeownsyou
    Apr 1, 2011
    10
    I don't really think this deserves a ten - maybe an 8, but I just can't stand the pathetic internet culture that says a game is rubbish and rates it a 0 because it wasn't as good as its successor. Yes, the environments are a bit repetitive and yes, it has been dumbed down a bit, but it was a damn fine game and it kept me interested the whole time. I'm so sick of these people who bawl andI don't really think this deserves a ten - maybe an 8, but I just can't stand the pathetic internet culture that says a game is rubbish and rates it a 0 because it wasn't as good as its successor. Yes, the environments are a bit repetitive and yes, it has been dumbed down a bit, but it was a damn fine game and it kept me interested the whole time. I'm so sick of these people who bawl and moan because a game isn't the absolute best thing they've played.… Expand
  63. Shenancalhar
    Mar 14, 2011
    9
    played DAO and all dlc and the expansion loved it all . now Ive put in 42 hours and hit lvl 22 in DAO2 and cant be happier with the game . was a bit disappointed at the start due to the format changes but some were along the way i didn't care anymore the game does a great job of pulling you in to the story and making you feel as though your decisions have a greater impact on theplayed DAO and all dlc and the expansion loved it all . now Ive put in 42 hours and hit lvl 22 in DAO2 and cant be happier with the game . was a bit disappointed at the start due to the format changes but some were along the way i didn't care anymore the game does a great job of pulling you in to the story and making you feel as though your decisions have a greater impact on the situations and the situations are having an impact upon the world .
    the new combat system is a feast for the eyes . and i for one am happy to not have to carry around a ton of crafting mats but still be able to find mats and craft items    … Expand
  64. bztang
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Main issues that people are having: lack isometric view (I agree), locked default face in character creator (I agree), streamlining of skills/addition of skill trees, difficulty (guess they haven't tried hard/nightmare; much harder than DA:O on same difficulty), reuse of the same dungeons/areas multiple times (I agree), launch DLC, high res texture pack + outdated graphics (this is reallyMain issues that people are having: lack isometric view (I agree), locked default face in character creator (I agree), streamlining of skills/addition of skill trees, difficulty (guess they haven't tried hard/nightmare; much harder than DA:O on same difficulty), reuse of the same dungeons/areas multiple times (I agree), launch DLC, high res texture pack + outdated graphics (this is really subjective), companions, just to name a few of the common complaints. Personally, I loved the original, but in my first playthrough of DA2, I didn't quite like the structure of the Champion's story much because the 3 Acts interrupted the immersion by focusing on totally different problems in Kirkwall, instead of an epic "the world is going to end" storyline found in DA:O. Still, I'd rate it 9/10 just because it was fun, and also because the main game ending story arc was quite surprising and satisfying, and hopefully will lead to another epic installment in this series. Also, I must mention that quite a few decisions and events that occur in DA2 produce unexpected results, some of which are much more heart-wrenching than in DA:O.

    I'm on my third playthrough and wouldn't rate a game so high if I didn't enjoy it, and DA2 is very enjoyable, if you can look past a few flaws, and stop comparing it to DA:O for PC. I'm certain that if the game was under a different IP and developer, the ratings would not be nearly as abysmal :O    … Expand
  65. Bogartnoir
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Days after finishing Dragon Age, I then moved to immerse myself into Dragon Age II. My main complaint was that I couldn't create a character from scratch, but that soon fell away as nearly inconsequential to the rest of the experience. My only standing complaint is the reuse of cave maps for too many missions, as well as some derivative music that seems lifted from Mass Effect 2. TheDays after finishing Dragon Age, I then moved to immerse myself into Dragon Age II. My main complaint was that I couldn't create a character from scratch, but that soon fell away as nearly inconsequential to the rest of the experience. My only standing complaint is the reuse of cave maps for too many missions, as well as some derivative music that seems lifted from Mass Effect 2. The characters, setting and immersion of the setting are what have drawn me in. The character back stories and concepts are interesting additions to the game's mythology.
    While not completely unfounded to make complaints about the game being dumbed down to be accessible to a broder audience, I think it pretty poor form to rate any game a 0 for a few changes. gamers seem to get more and more jaded as time goes on. I was very entertained and look forward to a trilogy.    … Expand
  66. Donotpushme
    Mar 11, 2011
    8
    If you are fan of Mass Effect, then you will love it, like me. Bio ware you are best.
    Dragon Age 1 path to 2 part looks like Me1 to Me2. Many people forgot that is rpg means Role Play Game, when you play a role with your decisions in dialogs.
  67. Soulfighter
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Don't trust the spam-reviews, this game is solid.Bioware really improved DA:O to make one of the best RPG with a story that builds well and good character development if you get past the first 5 hours. Contrary to the apparent bulk of reviewers, you cannot beat the game in 10 hours even if you rush the main quest. I took the day off of work yesterday and played for 21 hours and haven'tDon't trust the spam-reviews, this game is solid.Bioware really improved DA:O to make one of the best RPG with a story that builds well and good character development if you get past the first 5 hours. Contrary to the apparent bulk of reviewers, you cannot beat the game in 10 hours even if you rush the main quest. I took the day off of work yesterday and played for 21 hours and haven't even gotten past the initial town. Dragon age 2 is definitly one of the best rpg of this year and a must have. i recommend this game to anyone and v can't do anything about it.… Expand
  68. Agemo
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    After seeing all these spam reviews I want to give one as well. As we all know spamming a review site about a game we really like but pretend we don't makes our e-penis grow. Hey look mines doing it right now!

    Oops gave it 10 by mistake!
  69. JxG1991
    Mar 13, 2011
    8
    Below is the first review I submitted. You can ignore that if you'd like. The reason I'm submitting this is so I can say that there's something very, very wrong here. The number of negative reviews is outrageous! And, for the most part, notice that the negative reviews get the most helpful votes while the positive reviews, no matter how well written and well thought out, get un-helpfulBelow is the first review I submitted. You can ignore that if you'd like. The reason I'm submitting this is so I can say that there's something very, very wrong here. The number of negative reviews is outrageous! And, for the most part, notice that the negative reviews get the most helpful votes while the positive reviews, no matter how well written and well thought out, get un-helpful votes. Take a look at other sites with community reviews. gamespot.com ( http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/dragon-age-2/index.html ) currently has DA2 at a 7.1 user score on PC, an 8.3 on 360, and an 8.3 on PS3. The user score for PC on g4tv.com ( http://www.g4tv.com/games/pc/64225/dragon-age-ii/ ) is at a 4.4 out of 5, while 360 and PS3 are at a 3.9 and 3.8 out of 5, respectively. DA2 currently has a user score of 6 on Gameinformer.com ( http://www.gameinformer.com/games/dragon_age_ii/b/pc/archive/2011/03/08/dragon-age-ii-pc-review-a-port-caught-in-the-middle.aspx ) and a score of 7 on PS3, 7.5 on 360. Should I go on? I'm not going to go and say this is some coordinated attack. But just look at the data and how it's dramatically skewed in the negative direction while most other gaming websites put the average score at a solid 7. Just... don't pay attention to all of this bull. Play the game yourself and make the decision. Wow... what's with all the hate? ... Whatever. These are my thoughts... Where should I begin with this game? How about combat since I see so much ranting and raving about how it's so drastically different... what? I mean really, WHAT?! How is it "drastically" different? Are you suddenly required to solve a complex physics equation prior to each attack? On consoles? Yeah sure, it's different; but this is area is for PC reviews. The same basic principals of the original still apply; see enemies, pause game, position party, select enemies, select attacks, un pause game and watch your enemies scour the ground for their skull fragments. (As for consoles, I've heard Bioware intends to release a patch of sorts to implement the auto-attack function. And if you're going to wail on about it then I sincerely hope you slam your finger in a car door. You forget that there are people working at B-Ware, and all people are prone to mistakes regardless of where they work. So far I've experienced no problems with my game. Not a one. I'd say they've done a pretty good job so far.) What I don't like about the combat is how unbalanced the difficulty can be. One minute I'm turning my foes into pincushions for my arrows, and the next minute I'm wondering how my body parts came to be scattered throughout the room. Graphics are just, meh. Not great but not terrible. Some of the characters look like they've taken a trip through the "uncanny valley" and will proceed to haunt your nightmares. Other characters don't look half bad however (Varric's chest hair anyone? woof.) Most of the environments tend to repeat themselves giving the "randomly generated dungeon" feel. But the city of Kirkwall itself isn't a bad looking place. But what's with all the gangs out at night? I suppose the guardsmen are all on there lunch break... I love the characters. I like having a PC with a voice and a personality. The silent protagonist thing from the first game was plenty fun, but giving the PC a voice, emotions, personality, and a social conscious of it's own makes me feel more like I'm projecting myself into my character. The companions are all very well written and well voiced. I might hate some of them, but I love to hate them. The story may lack depth at times. I mean all you really need to know is you're a guy/girl who's trying to start a new life in a kind of messed up place and you get tied up in politics eventually I'm sure. But it's refreshing to not have to save the world again. But some potentially amazing stories are set up in this game and it's worth it to get to know them. Just being back in the Dragon Age world is great to me. I don't know what else I can say. I like the game. I like it enough to sit here and write about it. The decision to try it out is really up to you though.… Expand
  70. kawacatoose
    Mar 13, 2011
    10
    Don't listen to all the losers who are giving this game very low scores. It's a blight coming from **** This game is a bit departure from DA:O and not a direct sequel, calling it DA2 wasn't a smart move from Bioware.

    I really like this game, story, music, combat it's all great. Try read some critic reviews they are far better than any user can give here. The reviews from rpgfan.com and    Don't listen to all the losers who are giving this game very low scores. It's a blight coming from **** This game is a bit departure from DA:O and not a direct sequel, calling it DA2 wasn't a smart move from Bioware.

    I really like this game, story, music, combat it's all great. Try read some critic reviews they are far better than any user can give here. The reviews from rpgfan.com and 1up are great.    … Expand
  71. Vargre
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    Im actually quite surprised by the negative reviews of the game. The only thing I can think is that they didnt give the game much of a chance. When I first started DA2 I thought it was pretty lousy. Definitely a step back from DAO. But after playing it for a few hours I completely changed my mind. I love the game, and while I admit some elements are not as good as DAO, some are better. TheIm actually quite surprised by the negative reviews of the game. The only thing I can think is that they didnt give the game much of a chance. When I first started DA2 I thought it was pretty lousy. Definitely a step back from DAO. But after playing it for a few hours I completely changed my mind. I love the game, and while I admit some elements are not as good as DAO, some are better. The character creation is somewhat flawed, models with MASSIVE chins and tiny eyes. Almost as bad (at first) as Bethesda's. But once you play around with it you can get some nice looking models. The animations are much better. Especially for the mage. No more poky, poky with your staff. You now execute fluid spins as you shoot ice and flame from your hands. It gives the mage a much needed upgrade. Playing with an archer has become a lot more fun. Sound effects are amazing. Score is well done. And Im so confused as to why people would be so down on the story...the story is what's drawn me in and made me a believer in DA2. I would suggest playing on hard or nightmare, as normal is just a bit too easy. But hard presents a challenge, and nightmare is well...a nightmare. Plan on dying a lot if you go that route. Reviews are nothing more than opinions. DA2 is NOT that far a cry from DAO. You still need to pause, the tactics are all there. Thats simply a fact. Playing on hard/ nightmare you cannot get through without micromanaging your party. Its just not possible. The animations are fluid and well done. The graphics are almost exactly the same as DAO with some minor changes (Qunari are a bit more brutish looking and have horns for example. And elves...well, elves dont look all that pretty anymore.) There is a demo out for DA2. Play it. If you like it even a little, pick up DA2. You wont be disappointed.… Expand
  72. GDH_PAINBRINGER
    Mar 17, 2011
    8
    I have never written a review for metacritic before, but I figured this one was worth my time in order to give this game the fair review it deserves to hopefully balance out some of the incredibly harsh reviews that it seems to have unjustly gained. As a whole, I think DA2 does not live up to the massive shoes that it had to stand in being a sequel to DA1, but I still think it is a wellI have never written a review for metacritic before, but I figured this one was worth my time in order to give this game the fair review it deserves to hopefully balance out some of the incredibly harsh reviews that it seems to have unjustly gained. As a whole, I think DA2 does not live up to the massive shoes that it had to stand in being a sequel to DA1, but I still think it is a well designed game with a good combat system, driving (albiet short) plot, and plenty of reasons to play it at least once, if not more.
    First off: The combat system. I honestly can't see why so many people are complaining here. Yes, it is different than DA1. I don't see that as a bad thing though. The DA1 combat system, although brilliant at its time of conception, grew rapidly tedious as you got into the game. DA2 fixes that by speeding up combat, and making it feel a little quicker and more intense. Normal difficulty is a bit trivial, and you can easily end up treating the game as an action title if you don't turn up the difficulty, but at nightmare mode it feels a lot like the first. You have to stop and think about things, plan out your tactics well, and play the game with an overall level of skill and competence that you would expect to be necessary at a high difficulty level. Nightmare on DA2 doesn't feel any more or less difficult than DA1, I played all the way through as a mage on this difficulty and it wasn't impossible as some people seem to suggest, or too easy as others say. As a whole, the combat system does a great job of keeping the game interesting and brilliantly bloody, and the different difficulty settings allow the game to be accessible to both newcomers who just want to slash their way through some darkspawn, and veterans of tactics games that want to think a lot about a fight before they can make their way through it.
    Secondly: Graphics. Once again, I don't see why there are so many complaints here. For one, graphics are probably the least important aspect of a game. If everything else is solid, I really don't care about graphics, as long as I can tell whats going on I'm good. Even then, the graphics in this game are well done and have a very aesthetically pleasing look to them. The game does seem to have some issues if you turn it up to "very high" quality settings, however. Me and several of my friends bought this game, and we all have very good computers that should be able to run this game on very high with no problems, but all of us had to run it on high in order to avoid strange lag and crashes. When you drop the settings down to high, however, the game still looks great and I was able to play through the entire game 3 times with only two or three minor lag problems.
    Lastly: Plot. While it is very true that this game does not have the epic feel of the first title, it still tells a compelling story and tells it pretty well. Towards the end of the game looking at kirkwall and its surrounding territory does start to get a little tiring though. The story was told beautifully, using Varric as a story teller that interjects throughout the narrative gave the game a very interesting and engrossing feel. I just wish the developers had allowed you to venture around a little more. In DA1 you had a whole kingdom to explore, in the sequel you only have one city and a few areas around it. If anything, this is the only place the game loses points for me. The plot is told well, but it many ways it felt like Dragon Age 1.5, not a full fledged sequel. Things just didn't feel epic enough to live up to the first one.

    In conclusion, Dragon Age 2 is a well made game that features an endlessly entertaining combat system, shiny graphics, and a fun, well-told story that will keep you interested all the way up until the end. If anything, your biggest disappointment with this game will be that it ends too early. I know that's how I felt.    … Expand
  73. SomeBuddah
    Mar 12, 2011
    9
    Never in all my days have I seen such a concerted effort to destroy a games reputation in the history of the internet.

    Dragon Age II is as good a game as Dragon Age: Origins was, in its own way. The difference in the styles of the two games are not entirely all that different, the biggest change to DA2 in regards to how its played out is the lack of full itemization for your companion    Never in all my days have I seen such a concerted effort to destroy a games reputation in the history of the internet.

    Dragon Age II is as good a game as Dragon Age: Origins was, in its own way. The difference in the styles of the two games are not entirely all that different, the biggest change to DA2 in regards to how its played out is the lack of full itemization for your companion characters and thats really about it.

    The story is fantastic, anyone who says otherwise doesn't understand that the games dynamics are secondary to the games story. And DA2 delivers, on story, in spades. Whats more the changes to the combat dynamics are so miniscule that the concerted and concentrated attempts at slagging the reputation of the game by "user score" alone seems like its been done by a huge group of angst ridden "fans" of the Dragon Age franchise that refuse to see the good of the game simply because of the few things that have been changed.

    DA2 is a ever growing, intense story that travels over 10 years of your characters life in Kirkwall. And while some may complain that the game is "smaller" than DA:O because its only in and around the city of Kirkwall most of the environments in DA2 are actually bigger than any of the environments in DA:O, instead of fighting in a tiny little area, or parts of the city being about the size of a breadbox, Kirkwall's different districts stretch out quite a bit. To compare, take the Market District of Denerim in DA: which is about the size of the village of Loethering (fields not included), as compared to the Hightown or Lowtown districts of DA:O which are comparably the size of the Brecillian Forest areas in DA:O.

    Its got just as much total play time, if you do all the quests in each act as a single game of DA:O and twice as many epic moments. In fact nearly every decision you make as you progress in DA2 will have effects and ramifications on what occurs later in the years of the game. And whats more none of these decisions have "clues" as to what the right decision is, something you do with all intention of trying to do "right" may have dire ramifications in the future of your game, regardless of your good intentions.

    This game not only has all the replay value of DA:O, it is missing a lot of DA:O's slowdowns in regards to replay value. DA2 doesn't need "Skip the Fade" mod because there are no sections of DA2 that are universally tedious. Whats more there are no sections of DA2 that are as universally predictable either, even the Fade sequence that is in DA2 is much shorter, has some fair rewards in it and some interesting differences in occurrence depending on who you take with you.

    The 720 or so people that have negatively reviewed this game have done so on the basis that the game is now accessible to people who enjoy action RPG play, and while i won't disagree with them, there are some changes to DA2 I didn't like as well, the major thing I will disagree with them on is that just because its "different" doesn't mean its a piece of trash that has fallen far short of the mark of BioWare's usual quality.

    I've been playing the game since the day of release and I still have not completed it on my very first character and I can already see, from the 3 acts I've played that there are going to be a lot of different ways for me to replay this game as I wait for DA3, as compared to DA:O where I more or less just kept replaying the SAME GAME just with a different personality, with DA2, the game can change substantially depending on the choices I make.

    DA2 is a fine platform for the continuation of the franchise and I feel that other than the itemization issues and the locked itemization for companion characters its a worthy successor to the DA franchise. Making it more exciting, giving it more replay and best of all, making me hungry for more of the story, in a way that DA:A did not do, after DA:O was released.

    Please keep in mind as you read this page that this game has been subject to a concentrated flagging by a collusion of unhappy niche RPG fans that are all part of the same group on the BioWare Social Forums, a group that was specifically formed for this purpose alone, to come to Metacritic and to drop the user score as low as they could. And as you can see even with this concerted effort theres only around 800 people as compared to the hundreds of thousands of preordered copies of DA2 that were sold.

    The game isn't perfect I give it a 9 of 10 and I do so because they did strip out some elements of RPG control that I'd have liked to have kept, but the story is fantastic, the way the game changes and morphs around your decisions is awesome, and the new combat pace is also quite good. DA2 is everything DA:O should have been, but missing a few things DA:O was that DA2 should have kept.    … Expand
  74. clarkey2003
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    So much dislike here i thought i`d put in my 2 penny worth.. Its not excatly the same as DAO no.. but get over it. To me DA2 is like mass effect becomming mass effect 2. ok not as much fuiddling to get the right gear etc more fast paced combat and fun.. dont get me wrong im a fan of the old baldurs gate series and not a console rpg tourist. I think half the reviews here are written bySo much dislike here i thought i`d put in my 2 penny worth.. Its not excatly the same as DAO no.. but get over it. To me DA2 is like mass effect becomming mass effect 2. ok not as much fuiddling to get the right gear etc more fast paced combat and fun.. dont get me wrong im a fan of the old baldurs gate series and not a console rpg tourist. I think half the reviews here are written by peeps who have probably played the demo.. or maybe 1 or 2 hours of the game and want to flame at the change.. To me every minute or hour that passes in the game i see a lovingly created story, some seriously crazy fights and spells and just enuff rpg to keep u hooked. Yes i did love DAO.. but this is summin fresh and fun.. its damn right crazy at times and i apluad u bioware for trying to push games forward.... Now flame me if u like but there are times during DA2 it feels more like baldurs gate 2 than any game ever has.. so just because u lot have pushed this score down so low.. im gonna give it a 10..… Expand
  75. PaniCcakE
    Mar 13, 2011
    8
    So, after watching the hate for this game explode all over the internet, it has left me wondering if people actually give games a fair go these days. people complain about the difficulty been stupidly easy on anything but hard, but Bioware did say that this would be the case, saying that each difficultly was made to suit different play styles and is it even that bigger hassle to turn upSo, after watching the hate for this game explode all over the internet, it has left me wondering if people actually give games a fair go these days. people complain about the difficulty been stupidly easy on anything but hard, but Bioware did say that this would be the case, saying that each difficultly was made to suit different play styles and is it even that bigger hassle to turn up the difficulty? and about 5 hours into the game it really does start to feel like the way a dragon age game should be. now dont get me wrong, i am still disappointed in how it turned out, with the graphics especially, but it still for a game that was rushed by its producers. its a great game without a doubt.… Expand
  76. Callex
    Mar 14, 2011
    9
    What on earth? Am I playing the same game as these other reviewers? DA 2 is in no way deserving of such low scores. I think there's a clash of audiences here. If you're after pages of statistics, tedious micromanaging, played the entirety of DA1 in tactical view and consider PC gamers to be the master race, then this probably isn't the game for you. Streamlining isn't always a bad thing;What on earth? Am I playing the same game as these other reviewers? DA 2 is in no way deserving of such low scores. I think there's a clash of audiences here. If you're after pages of statistics, tedious micromanaging, played the entirety of DA1 in tactical view and consider PC gamers to be the master race, then this probably isn't the game for you. Streamlining isn't always a bad thing; the game is easier to digest overall, the voice acting is stellar, the combat feels more involved and environments are prettier. The game is by no means perfect, but a score less than 5? Ridiculous.… Expand
  77. Xalius
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    While I do agree that the game have some rough edges, I think it's kinda a shame that the game has received such harsh reviews. I think BioWare has done it again in making a good game, the story, the new combat system and the game-play itself is amazing. I do not wish to only give this game positive words, I think it's a shame that there are places in the game where the graphics are lowWhile I do agree that the game have some rough edges, I think it's kinda a shame that the game has received such harsh reviews. I think BioWare has done it again in making a good game, the story, the new combat system and the game-play itself is amazing. I do not wish to only give this game positive words, I think it's a shame that there are places in the game where the graphics are low rendered, and it's also a shame that you cannot enter dialog with your companions whenever you wish, but other than that - Dragon Age II is a great game, and I certainly recommend it.

    8/10    … Expand
  78. Tyrielwow
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age II is great sequel to Dragon Age. It feels more like Mass Effect 2, which I think was Bioware's idea. Some aspects of the game were made more simple which probably alienates some hardcore RPG fans. But for me the game feels like a novel in a book series, and I can enjoy the game and the story, rather than spend most of my time finding better equipment and leveling to survive theDragon Age II is great sequel to Dragon Age. It feels more like Mass Effect 2, which I think was Bioware's idea. Some aspects of the game were made more simple which probably alienates some hardcore RPG fans. But for me the game feels like a novel in a book series, and I can enjoy the game and the story, rather than spend most of my time finding better equipment and leveling to survive the game. All in all a great game, and I have high hopes for future DLCs and Dragon Age III.… Expand
  79. sabarta
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ð… Expand
  80. blubseabass
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Why would they do this? What was so broken that it needed such drastic actions? I don't understand anything...of the user complaints. Dragon Age 2 has been criticized for being too easy, dumbed down and bland. I will discuss the gameplay first, then talk a bit about the setting and story. DA2 is not easy. Yes, if you pick normal in DA2 it's easier then in DA:O, but you can go up inWhy would they do this? What was so broken that it needed such drastic actions? I don't understand anything...of the user complaints. Dragon Age 2 has been criticized for being too easy, dumbed down and bland. I will discuss the gameplay first, then talk a bit about the setting and story. DA2 is not easy. Yes, if you pick normal in DA2 it's easier then in DA:O, but you can go up in difficulty if you want a better challenge. Personally, I'm playing hard, and have met quite some interesting challenges. It's even nice that you can play the game pretty easily on normal, so that everyone can enjoy the game without the but-you-played-on-easy-shame. Just pick the difficulty that fits you, and the too easy problem is fixed. I guess it's just too hard to switch to another difficulty. I seriously don't get what's the problem with dumbed down. The skills are well distributed and tons of combinations are possible. While finishing my first game as a two-handed-weapon fighter, I was already thinking how I would make my new two-handed-weapon fighter play different. I've also been moving my characters around a lot more then in DA:O, and not just because I needed to clear the way for a mages fireball. Friendly fire has been disabled, which I applaud since that does not belong in a realtime team-based RPG. Moving all the characters in DA:O before casting AoE was just annoying imo, and I'm glad its gone. The isometric top view is gone, which makes it a little harder to move around the characters or casting AoE spells, but its nothing that hindered me from having fun. The tactics work pretty good, and the AI is very decent. I still paused the game a lot in difficult situations, which is good. Potions and healing have a much bigger cooldown, so health is a valuable resource again. The only problem I have with combat is that it's easy to kite an opponent, buying time until you can drink a new potion. It almost feels like cheating, especially if there are no ranged enemies nearby. Other then that, the combat is fun and quick while being tactical whenever you want it to be due to difficulty settings. It certainly made the game more enjoyable for me. Wrapping up gameplay, it has been one of the best for RPG's, surpassing DA:O.
    The story and setting have a hard time to hit off, but once it does, it sticks pretty well. I'm very happy with the character design and like everyone of the party. I have no idea why people would say it's so much worse then DA:O. However, getting to know a character better and finding out their likes has become somewhat more difficult. The friendship between the characters must develop over the whole game, which sometimes gives an odd feeling. Why can't I talk about an issue now? What do you even like? I don't want to wait 3 years to develop something! Because of these obvious secrets, the characters grow enigmatic, even though they're not meant to be like that. Another thing that is a bit annoying about the story is that because everything is spit into acts, your character only develops significantly at the end of each act. This feels a bit unrewarding. I'd liked to see Hawke gain a normal job, rising in ranks, rising it stature etc. not only at the end of each act. One thing that is annoying in my eyes, is the derailing of the story which is almost mandatory. The game plays in different acts, and every act has 4 to 5 main quests to proceed the story. All other 30 or so quests are sidequests. It's nice to have sidequests to know the city better, but I think they slightly overdone it. The game can be played as a collection of sidequests if you don't know where you're heading, especially in Act 1. This underlines the unrewarding feeling of character development. The sidequests can also be hard to find sometimes, leaving you with the " did I miss something?" feeling a bit to much. I have mixed feelings about the environment. Kirkwall is a great city, but "propped" down a lot. Most people seem static, and if it wasn't for the sidequests, the city might feel dead. The other environments are also pretty grey, like the bonepit and sundermount. This leaves the game in a grey tint, never being refreshing like the forests in DA:O. The graphics look pretty good, but certain animations are still to clunky. especially when two characters are interacting, the suspension of disbelief breaks immediately. The game could do with a little more ambiance. The moral choices you have to make are again suburb, and the dialog wheel, even though it influences your choices to much for my taste (I want to say A, but I don't want to break my character who mostly says B), it gives Hawke some character. THANK GOD they did not made the important choices be influenced by the wheel!
    Wrapping it up together, I enjoyed DA2 alot, and I'll keep playing it to explore different situations and tactics. It certainly has some setting problems, but it's still a lot of fun. 8.8    … Expand
  81. Agamemnon
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    The immersion and combat of this game are unmatched! A truly moving and fun epic. Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference. For what it is, it is flawlessly executed and endlessly entertaining
  82. jesE
    Mar 31, 2011
    9
    Great action oriented, mixed with strategy elements, gameplay, Very strong storytelling, all new development Skill Tree. Loved the ability to evade an attack like an action game combined with the need of strategic gameplay (at least in Hard difficulty setting).
    People judge not for what it is but for what it could be. Game looks a lot like Mass Effect which was a huge success.
    This game    Great action oriented, mixed with strategy elements, gameplay, Very strong storytelling, all new development Skill Tree. Loved the ability to evade an attack like an action game combined with the need of strategic gameplay (at least in Hard difficulty setting).
    People judge not for what it is but for what it could be. Game looks a lot like Mass Effect which was a huge success.
    This game can't get a score of 1. I understand for some it's a bad game, but it can't be THAT bad.    … Expand
  83. Mipharos
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age II is a great game once you get past any bias you may have or false expectations over why it isn't "Dragon Age: Origins 2". I will try and keep my feedback spoiler free and focus on the core tenants of what the game offers and why I rated as I did:

    Pros: 1. Unique story-line, new characters and setting. Although you spend a majority of your time playing in one area of the    Dragon Age II is a great game once you get past any bias you may have or false expectations over why it isn't "Dragon Age: Origins 2". I will try and keep my feedback spoiler free and focus on the core tenants of what the game offers and why I rated as I did:

    Pros: 1. Unique story-line, new characters and setting.

    Although you spend a majority of your time playing in one area of the Dragon Age world, you never run out of things to do. The advancement of the story allows for deeper sense of exploration and understanding of the world you are thrust into and the impact you have on its evolution. 2. A compelling set of characters and individual back-stories to work through.

    Although it may miss some of the classic characters of DA:O, DA:2 does not fail to deliver on high-quality characters with a rich background to explore. Each one bringing with them a unique set of opportunities and challenges that you as the hero will work through as you relationship grows. 3. A plot that will leave your head rolling by the time you get to the end, with some of the best and morally challenging decisions I've faced in an RPG of this type.

    It is harder to describe the story without going into spoilers, I am now on my second play-through and my head is still spinning from the first. By far one of the better stories I've had a chance to be part of in any RPG. Every action, every relationship, every decision will lead to plot twists and turns that you just won't see coming... And in the end, all must decide....

    4. Action packed combat, no dancing around your enemies for 5 seconds before you start combat. The combat moves as fast as you do. I love what they did with the pace of combat, it gets the blood pumping and really makes you feel epic. Your characters react as quickly as you do, so you can move through fights quickly and with devastating force. At the same time, for the more complex engagements, you have the ability to take a more strategic approach by pausing combat and issuing commands to individual party members.

    5. Simplified user interface

    I love the idea that I spend far less time managing my inventory then I do playing the game, definitely one of the better features. Potions, Crafting & Armor are all simplified for players to be able to get things done without investing countless hours into organizing through tons of items you may never use. Cons:

    1. Limited environment, repetitive maps

    Sadly, where the game lacks in a large way is a true sense of open world exploration. Although the world of Kirkwall is huge in and unto itself, it doesn't quite offer you the freedom of true exploration. I can understand why it is the way it is based on the story, however I am a fan of being able to explore and this was one area that hurt. The other is the fact that several of the dungeon maps get recycled, after a time you will start to see several familiar maps come up time and time again. 2. Over-simplified armor and customization

    Although I am a fan of simplifying the armor and inventory management, I do prefer to have control over what armor my party members wear and when. I feel the game did not really offer a lot of variety where party armor was concerned.

    3. Race restriction

    Although I can appreciate the character of Hawke, I feel the limitation to human takes away from story. The story would have been equally as compelling having an Elven, Dwarf or Human protagonist but that's a personal preference. 4. Can't import a finished game

    Though not game breaking, if its a feature your hoping for it isn't there.... You finish your game and you can replay as often as you want (Obviously), but you'll have to start a new each time.

    In closing, my review is favorable and I personally feel the game excels in its own right. Although many on these posts have said otherwise, I'm not comparing it to something its not, I am rating it for the experience I had. Its a fantastic game and well worth the investment, just don't go in expecting Elder Scrolls, Fallout or any other of the Open Ended RPGs its been compared to.

    Dragon Age II is not opened ended, its a narrative with a specific plot you act out as the player. From that perspective, the game delivers on one of the more action packed thrill rides I've had.    … Expand
  84. MrKerstbal
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    Imagine all of these reviews spoken in the voice of comic book guy from the simpsons

    (great game though, it's certainly not the same as DA:O and bioware has decided to take a different route and all that good stuff)
  85. butter
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    Solid. Not a DA:O clone by any means and that might be part of the underlying reason for the ridiculous hate spamming. After reading a large majority I'm fairly certain many of them were 'told' to perform such an action and may not have actually played much of the game. Anyway, I really hope you can look past the pointless, childish rage spamming and give it a go. It's not a bad gameSolid. Not a DA:O clone by any means and that might be part of the underlying reason for the ridiculous hate spamming. After reading a large majority I'm fairly certain many of them were 'told' to perform such an action and may not have actually played much of the game. Anyway, I really hope you can look past the pointless, childish rage spamming and give it a go. It's not a bad game by any means - just realize that it's not DA:O; its more action oriented in the sense that the combat is faster, the customization is streamlined, and it's easier to get into and organize yourself. The skills trees (or whatever they are called :P) are great... tons of options in there for fine tuning the direction you want to take your player and your party members. Dragon Age 2 is solid.… Expand
  86. SolInvictus
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    The Good:
    -The Characters and banter( especially Varric)
    -Animations are better (especially facial)
    -Kirkwall is not Athkala but it's far better than Denerim, and -Art Style
    -Game Play
    -Good Greek Tragedy of a story

    The Bad:
    -No iso-metric camera
    -The ending
    -The same maps over and over again
    -Combat gets repetitive
  87. Alexanderverd
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    2 years we all (Bioware devoted fans ) were waiting this game, and at lats it is on my PC... Its hard to see that some mean and not very clever person (or group of people) has decided to spoil score of this uncommon superb game. I will not describe all than i like and that is perfectly well in new bioware game. I will simply say that it almost 10.
  88. Bigben
    Mar 21, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game without soul.You have killed system rpg in game.Now, I am disappointed in your company.Ð… Expand
  89. Ionic
    Mar 22, 2011
    10
    I found the artwork absolutely gorgeous, and the interface extremely slick. Some things were 'streamlined' compared to the first, but I much preferred the new interface. Combat was still challenging and required strategic placement and use of skills - though I did miss friendly fire on Hard mode. I loved the new ability trees and crafting mechanics, which didn't feel like a chore. But whatI found the artwork absolutely gorgeous, and the interface extremely slick. Some things were 'streamlined' compared to the first, but I much preferred the new interface. Combat was still challenging and required strategic placement and use of skills - though I did miss friendly fire on Hard mode. I loved the new ability trees and crafting mechanics, which didn't feel like a chore. But what I really play Dragon Age for is the story. This one did not disappoint. It felt a bit slow at the start, since Act I is mostly building up your character through various tasks without really being able to see where it is going. The threads fairly quickly begin to weave together though, into very satisfying second and third acts. The story isn't quite as epic as the first one, but I think a more personal story is actually the better choice here, rather than a "save the world again" rehash. My character went through moments of tragic loss, impossible moral dilemmas, and a shocking betrayal. The new companions can give the old ones a run for their money, and having a protagonist that isn't silent is a big improvement in character interaction. Secondary characters are extremely well done; the Arishok was a particular favourite.… Expand
  90. Shanzu
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've been playing this for the last 2 days and it's really good. We can't compare it to the first, it's more action oriented, but it's still good. The graphic are good on the PC version, but the animation during dialog aren't that good, but the weren't in the first either. It deserve a better score then the average user have put, so i put high score to revamp it. STOP TROLLING !… Expand
  91. maverikki
    Mar 20, 2011
    9
    I accidentally put my original review on the xbox version which I haven't played. Instead I played this on PC.
    Once you get past the horrible inventory system and if you can get past the reused dungeons, this is a really solid game. The game is also very long and I loved the unreliable narrator. The story is about the player rising from being nobody to being the champion. The story and the    I accidentally put my original review on the xbox version which I haven't played. Instead I played this on PC.
    Once you get past the horrible inventory system and if you can get past the reused dungeons, this is a really solid game. The game is also very long and I loved the unreliable narrator. The story is about the player rising from being nobody to being the champion. The story and the characters felt really diverse and I have the feeling that there should be enough content for a second or third playthrough. This is based on my experience of finishing the game on nightmare difficulty on a mage. Playtime 60 hours but that doesn't include all the reloading I would guess.    … Expand
  92. ToPe
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    DragonAge2 kind of reminds me of ME2 its not much like the first one, but its still a great game.
    Yeah its shorter and has no origin story, the gameplay is a lot faster.But the way it tells the story is something new and kind of cool.Buhuhu its not a Dragon Age "Origins 2" but its still a good game, better than the most common rpgs.If you not just rush the mainplot you really can enjoy    DragonAge2 kind of reminds me of ME2 its not much like the first one, but its still a great game.
    Yeah its shorter and has no origin story, the gameplay is a lot faster.But the way it tells the story is something new and kind of cool.Buhuhu its not a Dragon Age "Origins 2" but its still a good game, better than the most common rpgs.If you not just rush the mainplot you really can enjoy the game.It absolutely has its moments.    … Expand
  93. mobijoker
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Plus-1. Battle is must faster and responsive 2. Better graphics than Origins 3. Main character has voice
    Minus-1.Story is uninteresting 2.Repetitive environment 3. Zoom is not sufficient to get full view of battlefield 4.Companions are boring 5. Battle is easy even on hard.Button mashing is the way to win. 6.Crafting    Plus-1. Battle is must faster and responsive 2. Better graphics than Origins 3. Main character has voice
    Minus-1.Story is uninteresting 2.Repetitive environment 3. Zoom is not sufficient to get full view of battlefield 4.Companions are boring 5. Battle is easy even on hard.Button mashing is the way to win. 6.Crafting is mnimal 7.Armor customization is very minimal 8.Choices are bland and mostly without any real consequence
    So,this sums it up.The worst bioware game ever.Though a good action game,but whether its an rpg and successor to Dragon Age Origins is questionable.
    My Score: 6/10    … Expand
  94. simplegades
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    10.0 If you like the first one, do yourself a favour .... absolutely buy this game and try to avoid all the bad comments around here, your opinion is simply the best¡¡¡ don´t let this "angry mob" spot your unique experience on a great and similar game ( but not the same) to origins. Once you have managed with the new gameplay you have10.0 If you like the first one, do yourself a favour .... absolutely buy this game and try to avoid all the bad comments around here, your opinion is simply the best¡¡¡ don´t let this "angry mob" spot your unique experience on a great and similar game ( but not the same) to origins. Once you have managed with the new gameplay you have all the fun that you had with the previous game and enjoy with a new emotional and powerful story about the wonderful world of Thedas. If you choose to play in Nightmare mode you´d have a incredible challenge with all the flavour of a classic rpg like Baldur´s Gate or Neverwinter with tough battles with an urgent need of tactical choices to win. The companion and their stories are awesome like origins. The main story is ... hold your breathe, is passionate, elaborate, intriguing and is built step by step around your path, again with all the flavor of a classic rpg, you always had the feeling that you are forging a new legend , (you have a destiny to fullfil ) A lot of different side-quest with a big impact in the inmediatlely future of the game and a duration that maybe is not so long than origins but don´t have anything to envy ( nightmare mode 88 hours ).

    Don´t loose yourself this fantastic game ( unless you don´t like Dragon Age origins ) serah¡¡¡    … Expand
  95. galaktur
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Game - disappointing year. is certainly in the game and the good moments, improvements and new approaches, but unfortunately, disadvantages outweigh all its advantages. in pursuit of excess income, usually leaves the crude product, which subsequently will only exacerbate the situation and standard condemns the continuation of game to fail. ea company should reconsider marketing policy.
  96. Senjak
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Wow, where do I start? The characterization is fantastic. The story is genuinely thorough and engaging. The Voice talent is spot on. The Combat is tactical crazy, for lack of a better phrase. The speed at which everything happens just adds to the complexity. The only drawback is the recycled areas, but the story keeps them from being to distracting.
  97. Quadratica
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    I had some problems with Dragon Age: Origins - the story came off like it was written by teenagers who had just finished a George R. R. Martin book; the events were supposed to be dramatic or shocking, but they were more comical and predictable. The combat was difficult in the sense that it was an endurance test - a tedious exercise in patience and the amount of healing potions you wereI had some problems with Dragon Age: Origins - the story came off like it was written by teenagers who had just finished a George R. R. Martin book; the events were supposed to be dramatic or shocking, but they were more comical and predictable. The combat was difficult in the sense that it was an endurance test - a tedious exercise in patience and the amount of healing potions you were packing. I also didn't care for many of the companion characters.

    Dragon Age 2 fixes all of these issues, and more. Bioware gives your character a family, roots in the world and a reason to care from the very beginning. The story is told in amazing fashion by one of the better written and acted characters in recent years, a dwarf named Varric. It takes place over the course of a decade in a city state, allowing you to see the consequences of all your actions. Talking to other friends also making their way through the game, it's like a collection of parallel universes. You don't need to wait for the epilogue to have an impact in this game.

    The combat is a dream. I really think this is what Bioware has been shooting for with its fantasy games for 10 years now, finally realized in true form. At first glance it may appear simpler than its predecessor's - there are fewer talents, for instance; but they are arranged in unique trees and every one of them has significance. The interplay between the classes is extremely engrossing: there is real strategy here in cross-class combos, setting up your allies for thrilling maneuvers. A far cry from the first game's "strategy" of making sure you have enough potions to last the fight. The bosses are actually fun encounters, not the dreary exercises in patience they were in Origins.

    Your character has a voice, which is a welcome addition. It also has to do with the reason I feel this game has so many low reviews: people were expecting an old school RPG in the style of Baldur's Gate, and this really isn't. It's a new game, an incredible game; but it is not Baldur's Gate. Unfortunately, few people seem willing to review it on its own merits. Having disliked Origins so much, I was dreading this release but it was a very pleasant surprise and here's hoping Bioware doesn't take the negative reaction to heart and continues to make bold, enjoyable games.    … Expand
  98. senshi
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    Anybody that gives this game a score less than 5 needs to pull their head out of the extremely dark place it has wedged itself into. We gamers have all basically agreed upon a 10 point scale for universally rating our games. 10 means this game is so utterly fantastic it will more than likely be named in the all time greatest games list, 8-9 says this game is worth playing even if youAnybody that gives this game a score less than 5 needs to pull their head out of the extremely dark place it has wedged itself into. We gamers have all basically agreed upon a 10 point scale for universally rating our games. 10 means this game is so utterly fantastic it will more than likely be named in the all time greatest games list, 8-9 says this game is worth playing even if you typically do not like this genre, 7 shows this game has potential but for some reason has fallen short of the must play scores in other words completely average. 5-6 says this game is not really worth your time or money. Now a 4 means that this game is COMPLETELY BROKEN, this is Superman 64. So everyone that is reviewing this game with a score of 4 or less is saying that Dragon Age 2 should sit next to Superman 64 in the craptastic section of your video game library. I understand some people have a problem with the direction this game took but the majority of you are acting like a bunch of whiny and spoiled little bed-wetters. Please grow up because your little crusade is quite frankly proving to the rest of the entertainment industry that games are for kiddies.

    Now onto the game. I like it! Have not finished yet as work has been hectic. The story so far seems to be highly personal and not the "we have an imminent danger knocking on our doorstep we must hurry" kind of story, I have no problem with the latter type of story and neither do I with the former they are just different. Let me say that there are things I feel were improved on and things which took a step back in comparison to origins and awakenings. I truly like the faster paced combat in comparison to origins but do miss the top down "pulled back view" that was lost from the pc version. I am seeing people gripe about the combat and how there is no tactics needed for most of the battles, well there were not very many battles in origins where tactics were needed either it is still mostly the boss battles where you feel you need to micromanage things. The speed is what I am really enjoying, especially if playing a mage. If you were a mage in origins you cast your spells then auto attack, in DA2 you cast your spells then auto attack but I look a heck of a lot cooler during the second part of this equation, which is the same for both games. The quest structure is intriguing and I do like it better than the 1 major quest per area of its predecessor. In origins it seemed you did the side quests for the major area, then went onto the major quest for the area and then onto the next major area. I am enjoying doing a portion of the major quest for the act, then some side quest sprinkled in between each scenario. I do not have a problem with the graphical style as some seem to. Elves look worse than they did in Origins but humans looks better and Dwarfs will always be ugly. The Qunari designs are very nice in my opinion as are most of the monster types. The environments are hit and miss, some look good some not so much. I do have a problem with the re-using of dungeons and interiors, just like I did for the original Mass Effect and most every game I play. I look past it and tell myself they must have pre-fab buildings in their universe as well. The spell animations are wonderful, a major step up from origins. The companions are great, nice writing so far. I have mixed feelings about the party members equipment. On one hand the character designs are wonderful and you avoid the cookie cutter appearance we had in Origins but I am old school and enjoy finding a helm and saying that definitely goes to Isabela, now it is just accessories so most equipment you find becomes vendor trash.

    All in all this game so far has been a blast and all the boo-hoo's and "you're sellouts" barking is just getting on my nerves and making every gamer on the planet look like a bunch of children. Baldur's Gate is one of the greatest games of all time, but if someone made a game today like that I would say its crap and so would you. I am not saying all of the complaints are unfounded, I have some as well, but this organized effort to hurt this game is just crazy. They told us everything they were changing, if you have a problem with the changes its because you let them happen. If you don't like them voice your complaints but don't exaggerate as the majority on the net are doing. I assure you a score of 7 hurts a whole lot more than a 2. That 2 says a vocal minority of idiots are trying to make a point, a 6 or 7 says we really got some things wrong and need to address them.

    When Origins came out I felt it was a game that deserved and 8.5 rating, I feel the same way about DA2. Once the modding community and expansions and DLC came out for Origins I felt it was deserving of a 9.5 rating, I feel confident that will hold true here as well, so long as people grow up and quit trying to cause this game to fail.    … Expand
  99. coddan
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    The PC version of Dragon Age 2 suffers from severe consolitis, most noticeably in the lack of the isometric camera known as the "tactical view" in Dragon Age: Origins.

    The game is set in the city of Kirkwall and it's direct surroundings. You will be in the actual city for approximately 80-90% of the game. This is made even worse when it becomes clear that Dragon Age 2 is a rush job. This    The PC version of Dragon Age 2 suffers from severe consolitis, most noticeably in the lack of the isometric camera known as the "tactical view" in Dragon Age: Origins.

    The game is set in the city of Kirkwall and it's direct surroundings. You will be in the actual city for approximately 80-90% of the game. This is made even worse when it becomes clear that Dragon Age 2 is a rush job. This is painfully evident in the level design. There are several caves and interiors you will fight your way through close to 10 times each, that are supposed to be different locations. By the time you finish the game, you will have thought to yourself "this cave AGAIN?" more than once.    … Expand
  100. Bioware_Intern
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Baldurs Gate, Planescape Torment and now Dragon Age 2. This pinnacle of RPG's has taken the storytelling and interactive combat to another level. Its smooth combat aided by the future generation of quicktime events proves that turn-based RPG's are a thing of the past. Extreme unprecedented level of detail makes the cities feel alive and it makes it feel like you are living in the game.
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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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