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. Kozal
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    DA2 confirms the turn taken with ME2, this does not reassure the future of RPGs from this studio. Bioware is a turning point in its history, abandoning his philosophy to produce evoluted PC games for simplified console games (it is their right, no worries on that point, but Bioware must not hide behind the notion of RPG who died in this game).

    DA2 is not an RPG, the story is    DA2 confirms the turn taken with ME2, this does not reassure the future of RPGs from this studio. Bioware is a turning point in its history, abandoning his philosophy to produce evoluted PC games for simplified console games (it is their right, no worries on that point, but Bioware must not hide behind the notion of RPG who died in this game).

    DA2 is not an RPG, the story is transparent, the city of Kirkwall is almost empty, spaces are duplicated (for reasons of economy ? Why ? It's a shame for this great studio), poor gameplay and poor level graph, strategic and tactical disappear, it is not worthy of Bioware (the bitter feeling of having a game not finish â    … Expand
  2. Norgredel
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Pcked this up a couple days ago on Steam, and I have to say that I'm horrified. I liked DA1, although I wasn't terribly impressed but I still enjoyed the game and looked forward to improvements in the sequel. I guess I should have come here first before blindly blowing $60 (can't return it either and if I dispute the charge, my entire steam account is forfeit).

    How did a company fall so    Pcked this up a couple days ago on Steam, and I have to say that I'm horrified. I liked DA1, although I wasn't terribly impressed but I still enjoyed the game and looked forward to improvements in the sequel. I guess I should have come here first before blindly blowing $60 (can't return it either and if I dispute the charge, my entire steam account is forfeit).

    How did a company fall so far from producing Baldur's Gate 2, MDK 2, Knights of the Old Republic, and Neverwinter Nights to producing this monstrosity? Already, it's been released with some serious bugs that were simply ignored in development. It has over 20 DLCs on its first day (including a "high resolution texture pack") that should have simply been in the game. Bioware developers said it was because they "ran out of time before the release date". If they were too busy to get basic game items and textures in there, I can see why it has so many bugs in the game itself. It's really sad that they didn't have time to put 1.5 GB worth of content (approximately 30% of the total game size) into the game.

    The writing is a bunch of over-the-top tripe that was written by high-school freshmen. The combat has gone from RPG style to a generic hack-n-slash. The story has been neutered beyond belief...

    All they needed to do was tweak a couple of things from the first one and this one would have been legendary, or at least passable. But it's like they just gave up; this game has no soul because the developers simply didn't care.    … Expand
  3. Waterboy2go
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    A far cry from its glistening counterpart. The graphics feel dumbed down and is impossible to not notice all their flaws. The dialogue sounds as if it was written by a fanfic writer, and takes a lot of atmosphere and emotion out of the game. The clunky controls make the game nearly impossible to play. Overall, the game feels very rushed and is more of an open alpha then a genuine release.
  4. TheGuineaPig
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Just terrible, it''s just disgusting how Bioware can alienate their audience and call their game a RPG. They removed so much and added so little just so they can appeal to an audience that doesn't care about the genre. The gameplay requires very little, as the generalization of "button-mashing" would come into effect, the graphics are sub-par, there is no excuse for this since they aren'tJust terrible, it''s just disgusting how Bioware can alienate their audience and call their game a RPG. They removed so much and added so little just so they can appeal to an audience that doesn't care about the genre. The gameplay requires very little, as the generalization of "button-mashing" would come into effect, the graphics are sub-par, there is no excuse for this since they aren't going for any kind of art style. The storyline is just terrible, as well as the dialogue making no sense and having no relation with what you chose on the dialogue wheel. There is very little customization, which is what a RPG is supposed to have. The game sacrifices deep and compelling storyline and gameplay for a bloodfest. It's sad to see that Bioware is going this way, and I hope Mass Effect 3 doesn't suffer the same problems if they haven't already.… Expand
  5. MinDokan
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    I don't want to be rude, but is a piece of ****
    No one in good shape wastes his time in this Action RPG. Because is not a RPG game, nor a action game.
    Graphically is mediocre. Some textures are great, the rest, 8 bits. I think people who said the game is excellent, didn't play as a Warrior. Did you see how Hawke cuts the air with that sword? First time I saw it, "lol". For moments I    I don't want to be rude, but is a piece of ****
    No one in good shape wastes his time in this Action RPG. Because is not a RPG game, nor a action game.
    Graphically is mediocre. Some textures are great, the rest, 8 bits.

    I think people who said the game is excellent, didn't play as a Warrior.
    Did you see how Hawke cuts the air with that sword? First time I saw it, "lol".
    For moments I forgot that it is Dragon Age and I think I'm playing Devil May Cry.

    I feel sorry for Bioware.    … Expand
  6. smugster
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Whilst I enjoyed to play the first game whenever I felt to get inside a good RPG I have to admit that my expectations could not be reached by Dragon Age II (PC).

    The new combat system feels very reduced and and does not give me the deep feeling of immersion that the first game offered. I don't even want to talk about the plot writers, which reduced this game's depth to a low I've never    Whilst I enjoyed to play the first game whenever I felt to get inside a good RPG I have to admit that my expectations could not be reached by Dragon Age II (PC).

    The new combat system feels very reduced and and does not give me the deep feeling of immersion that the first game offered.

    I don't even want to talk about the plot writers, which reduced this game's depth to a low I've never experienced in a BioWare game, I've enjoyed all Mass Effect games, the Baldur's Gate series, Dragon Age Origins, Awakening and several DLC made by this company.

    This game however is not even worthy to be mentioned among those gems.

    I was failed, please forgive me for this rating, but it's honest. If you enjoy a game where you can engage in romantic liaisons with every character that can't escape your party you should buy it and enjoy the wooden animations. If you seek role playing quality stick to the first game and never touch this one.

    I had to return it, sorry my $50 are me more worth than pestering unmotivated developers.

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

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

    Try again with the recipe you used for DA:O. It worked better. Heck, even better: use the BG2 recipe.    … Expand
  9. Nomoremrniceguy
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Unbelievably Lazy console port. Imagine a PS2 era japanese fight game with pong style graphics dumbed down so that random mashing of keys provides total victory running at around 10fps and you have this travesty of a game. By far the worst in the series and I've been playing since they were mostly text!
  10. DenverOHara
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    The very definition of consolized garbage, clearly this game wasn't made for PCs, let alone for consumers with a brain. The graphics are an abomination. Generic places, uninteresting visuals, low 2003-like textures (hell, Half Life 2 is way more beautiful than this game AND has really better facial animations)... I could go on and on. The sound is mediocre, the story is incredibly retardedThe very definition of consolized garbage, clearly this game wasn't made for PCs, let alone for consumers with a brain. The graphics are an abomination. Generic places, uninteresting visuals, low 2003-like textures (hell, Half Life 2 is way more beautiful than this game AND has really better facial animations)... I could go on and on. The sound is mediocre, the story is incredibly retarded and it's on a fanfic, Stephenie Meyer level... Everything that is wrong with the game industry in a single package, props to Bioware for this achievement in degradation of humanity's values and standards. Oh and what's even funnier: Activision will probably misunderstand the hate and will try to dumb down DA3 even more, trying to make it more "accessible". This is why we can't have good games anymore, console-centric games made by individuals with billions and billions of **** in their minds.… Expand
  11. Rock-o
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dear Bioware,

    I just made a metacritic account for the sole purpose of giving my review(more like ranting/flaming two cents) for this game that I was so excited for......... and I am too depressed to write it. Why would you do this bioware? After so many great games you give me this. I thought that when I beat the game, I was still somewhere in the middle of the plots/storyline...nope. The credits appearing literally felt like a smack in the face. I'm just so utterly dissapointed right now that I don't even know what to type. Way to dumb down absolutely everything about the original game that I loved so much. I have never, ever, beaten a game and felt confused/depressed thereafter until I played this. I am absolutely refusing to buying a single DLC for this game as I am not giving any money to the people that just robbed me of sixty bucks.. besides the fact that this is going to be the very first bioware game I have ever traded back in as of tomorrow morning. Thanks for wasting my time setting yourselves up for another sixty dollar expansion.. With Love, Already Dreaming Of Uncharted 3    … Expand
  12. johndows
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Trash for 60$. How can they call it an "rpg" ? Better spend money on a game rather buying reviews! 1 score for not trivia scenario, other parts of game doesn't deserve more than 0
  13. Marvik
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Unfortunately I must admit .... disappointed, from DAO made â
  14. Brod
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Сх Expand
  15. Securion
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Plays, looks and feels like a Korean hack n slash now and is nothing like Dragon Age 1.

    This is the first ever disapointment ive had from BioWare and is nothing close to what I had expected from this company.

    Its really weird how any reviewer could give this game more than 50% in score...?

    All in all; It really feels "console".
  16. Sfx
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It not the dragon age 2, is a dragon age 1,5 maximum. A console crap.… Expand
  17. Koumal
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    No strategy, no challenge, mediocre interface, RPG ? No, I don't believe. Action boom boom, it's all.
    A slap in the face for fans of DA:O and for fans of good games.
  18. HLeo
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    What happened?! They took my favorite game ever made and completely dumbed it down and destroyed it. Seriously what the heck is this? What game is this?!
  19. ChDeWa
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Dragon Age II is supposedly the sequel of DA O but it lacks all the traits that made DA O such a great game. First of all DA II is too linear because all the different options of DA O have been reduced to good-neutral-evil, while many your choice doesn't even matter because the result will be the same. The characters are simpler, thus less interesting. The battles are too simple and someDragon Age II is supposedly the sequel of DA O but it lacks all the traits that made DA O such a great game. First of all DA II is too linear because all the different options of DA O have been reduced to good-neutral-evil, while many your choice doesn't even matter because the result will be the same. The characters are simpler, thus less interesting. The battles are too simple and some times comparable to the complexity of games like...Pokemon.… Expand
  20. curry
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Dragon Age 2 feels completely rushed, streamlined and dumbed down. The writing is generally sub par, dialogue is childish and cheesy, and quests are mostly just delivering items around the map and killing trash mobs. Voice acting is also bad and doesn't fit the characters. Don't waste your money on this garbage.
  21. jthm39
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    This game, is the worst game....EVER.

    Basically you take a decent game like Dragon Age: Origins, then rub Electronic Arts **** all over it. Then you hired **** developers that cater to casual 12 year olds. THEN you only worry about sales, and not the quality of the product.

    Thats how you make a **** game. Thats how you kill a good developer like Bioware. 4.0? 4.0.
  22. November
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    CaÅ
  23. ishaar
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    It's a flat game. Boring. No emotion. Missing RPG character. the style of game has been completely changed. It has now become a simple game console. the characters are graphically rough. total disappointment.
  24. Freland
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    I'm just so disappointed after loving Origins very much. The game was hasted and you can see that at every part of the game. EA should be ashamed of ruining such a fantastic brand like Bioware.
  25. DJ-Lethal
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    As has been said time and time again, Bioware have screwed up this one. And boy, did they screw it up good...
    I've rarely been so disappointed by a game, and I blame that on the fact I enjoyed the the first one in the series so much that I had quite the expectations for Dragon Age II. NOTHING came true, unfortunately.
    Everything is worse... the story, the characters, the world, the    As has been said time and time again, Bioware have screwed up this one. And boy, did they screw it up good...
    I've rarely been so disappointed by a game, and I blame that on the fact I enjoyed the the first one in the series so much that I had quite the expectations for Dragon Age II. NOTHING came true, unfortunately.
    Everything is worse... the story, the characters, the world, the graphics, the interface, the animations. It's... astounding, outraging. They actually managed to ruin a promising franchise even before it fully bloomed.
    You could write a book on what's wrong with Dragon Age II, but I'm just going to give it a 1 and move on. I have lost a great deal of respect for Bioware.    … Expand
  26. MAXX45
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    "As a Player of Baldurs Gate 1 &2 , Planescape Torment , Morrowind and all the other RPGÃ
  27. Verilee
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    Oh my... I have never thought I had to write that...

    RPGs... I did em all... from the first days with my Commodore Amiga (Bard's Tale, some AD&D RPGs), to PC games (also AD&Ds, Might and Magics, Ultima Underworld, those from Interplay, and all the classic Biowares, and Elder Scrolls Arena, Daggerfall and so on...), so I claim to have a vast knowledge about how RPGs were and how they are    Oh my... I have never thought I had to write that...

    RPGs... I did em all... from the first days with my Commodore Amiga (Bard's Tale, some AD&D RPGs), to PC games (also AD&Ds, Might and Magics, Ultima Underworld, those from Interplay, and all the classic Biowares, and Elder Scrolls Arena, Daggerfall and so on...), so I claim to have a vast knowledge about how RPGs were and how they are now. I found some better, some not so good, but most of them were quite solid RPGs.

    It's of course a matter of taste, but to me, RPG means story, interactions and customizing the characters. DAO is already streamlined compared to the Elder Scrolls Universe, but still classic RPG because of all those things that are still possible, and probably one of the best story and especially dialogues (which results in a great overall atmosphere) I have ever seen in an RPG.

    Although, even in DAO I miss being able to jump, or to access all those places that can be seen, from that point it's a bit limited, but still acceptable to me as there are other unique features.

    Now DA2... I decided to first have a look, so visited a friend, and had a look, and have to say, I won't buy that game. I don't hate it, but I am not into Action-Adventures. Opponents spawning out of nowhere, 2 metres jumps in full armor, no thank you... to me that is more comic style gaming, jump and run even a bit... no, that's not RPG anymore to me.

    Flemeth designed like a mixture of Manga and Domina, no, not my taste.

    Not being able to equip my party... that is a no go for me in an RPG. I mean, I love to spend hours with so callled unimportant details like trying out clothes, armors, crafting, making potions... whatever. DA2 delivers nothing. A fast paced action game, not bad by itself, but not worthy of being named Dragon Age or even being regarded as its successor.

    Some good things still, some nice dialogues, but it feels more like an interactive movie... hey of course not to the extent I had with Dragon's Lair on my good old Amiga... but still, too dictated for me. Everything is kind of chewed before we get it to eat.

    I don't hate this game, but I don't think it is wise to distribute it as the successor of DAO, and besides, Bioware to me was a synonym for great RPGs. Now, that does not seem to apply anymore. A pity.

    Per se there is nothing wrong in offering variations or different style games within the same universe... other companies did that in the past too, Bethesda had some spin-offs (Elder scrolls series vs Battlespire, Redguard), 3DO had them (Might and Magic series vs Heroes), Origin (Ultima, and then Ultima underworld was different), and some more.

    They could have opened a new spin off series, like DA Action Adventures or whatever, then the players can decide for themselves whether to try it out or not, without being fooled with wrong expectations, rising up when hearing the name Dragon Age, or even Dragon Age 2, which implies the continuation of the 1st game.

    Dragon Age, to me, stood for RPG, like Elder Scrolls does, different, but great. I don't want to see an action adventure under the Elder Scrolls series label, and I didn't want to see that with DAO.

    It happened, and I think they didn't do themselves a favour. For me, this series ended with DAO, and will start again, when they pick up on what they built with DAO. Whether it was Bioware's fault, or EA's, it is an enourmous damage that has been done to Bioware's reputation, in rushing out such a game, and pretending it is the successor of DAO.    … Expand
  28. nagyi
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    i must confess i played only 2 hours and after that i uninstalled the game, reasons:
    -u cant equip ure teammates
    -the potion system is f*cked up, i liked it when i had 234234234 items in my inventory and it was hard to manage it, its how its supposed to be in an rpg -and the whole story is in 1 city? come on!!! -too linear story (i want a huge world to explore as i wish like in fallout 3)    i must confess i played only 2 hours and after that i uninstalled the game, reasons:
    -u cant equip ure teammates
    -the potion system is f*cked up, i liked it when i had 234234234 items in my inventory and it was hard to manage it, its how its supposed to be in an rpg
    -and the whole story is in 1 city? come on!!!
    -too linear story (i want a huge world to explore as i wish like in fallout 3)
    when i played it it felt like prince of persia or assasins creed only worse. i want a normal rpg not an action game.    … Expand
  29. SiliconNooB
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    How could Bioware have got Dragon Age 2 so very very wrong? Performance is terrible even if you are fortunate enough to be able to get the game running, and forget about it running in anything greater than DX9! And then on to of that Bioware have wormed their way through our collective back doors and inflicted us with securom. I honestly couldn't recommend anything more than a rental ofHow could Bioware have got Dragon Age 2 so very very wrong? Performance is terrible even if you are fortunate enough to be able to get the game running, and forget about it running in anything greater than DX9! And then on to of that Bioware have wormed their way through our collective back doors and inflicted us with securom. I honestly couldn't recommend anything more than a rental of this deeply flawed abortion, or perhaps picking it up on the cheap ... :(… Expand
  30. SilentObserver
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    This game is a complete disappointment considering the high hopes of the original DAO fans.
    The plot is transparent and boring, the companions are wooden puppets with no real emotion, the dialogues are as bad as if somebody intended them to be this way, and the maps are no more than an afternoon's boring copy-past work,the quests are horrendous repetitive errands in the same damn bland    This game is a complete disappointment considering the high hopes of the original DAO fans.
    The plot is transparent and boring, the companions are wooden puppets with no real emotion, the dialogues are as bad as if somebody intended them to be this way, and the maps are no more than an afternoon's boring copy-past work,the quests are horrendous repetitive errands in the same damn bland city,the humour present in the original DAO is nowhere to be found,and the ending will make you punch your screen and then your face for being an naive idiot enough to give over 50euro for this piece of rushed ****    … Expand
  31. TwiTu
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    I give it a 1 for the effort. The rest is honestly a typical and shallow console game. This doesnt even deserve to be called an RPG. On top of it the DX11 support is a draconic way to get people with a DX9 or DX10 card to buy a DX11 card. Why else would the textures (amongst many other things) be extremely bad with DX9?

    Im not even starting on gameplay because it is what I already said.    I give it a 1 for the effort. The rest is honestly a typical and shallow console game. This doesnt even deserve to be called an RPG. On top of it the DX11 support is a draconic way to get people with a DX9 or DX10 card to buy a DX11 card. Why else would the textures (amongst many other things) be extremely bad with DX9?

    Im not even starting on gameplay because it is what I already said. Shallow and boring with console controls and gameplay. This is BioWare now? I am pretty pissed how the gaming culture is being dragged down by corrupt developers and publishers who dont even know their own product.    … Expand
  32. Toxic_Terror
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    I expected much more from Bioware... DAO was a great RPG, i've finished it 8 times, but DA2 - this is miscarriage from game industry. So, we have a stupid boring hack'n'slash (it's enough to press 1,2,3,4,5 on 'nightmare' difficulty - no tactics at all!) with some castrated rpg elements. Locations are absolutely dead - a labyrinths with couple of boxes containing trash and some uselessI expected much more from Bioware... DAO was a great RPG, i've finished it 8 times, but DA2 - this is miscarriage from game industry. So, we have a stupid boring hack'n'slash (it's enough to press 1,2,3,4,5 on 'nightmare' difficulty - no tactics at all!) with some castrated rpg elements. Locations are absolutely dead - a labyrinths with couple of boxes containing trash and some useless neutral npc's. Additional quests are awful - 'go there, kill somebody, come back', repeat couple of hundred times or until uninstall the game. Battles become schizophrenic because of respawn - killing last enemy from previous wave - a new wave appears just from air. There's also still a lot of bugs. This game is the biggest disappointment of the year. Possible target audiens - kids 8-12 years old for not to overstrain their fragile brains.
    I've bought DAO, but i already regret a lot of times about downloading this cracked "game" from torrents. The only thing it's worthy - uninstallation as soon as possible.    … Expand
  33. Helper12000
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    I should have waited for the reviews. However I have been counting down the days for this release and didn't think twice about buying the game. I agree with the users they have strayed from the original game and the negative reviews are going to be pouring in!!! Wish they stuck to what made DAO great!!
  34. Darthudd
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    It's pretty and thats just about all it's got going for it. Have been playing it on normal difficulty and it's like a damp firework pfffft. If you do buy it chuck it on the hardest setting and maybe you'll get some satisfaction from it. Shame I've been waiting ages for this sequal.
  35. vandro
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    Casual game for casual players. Less races, less skills, less hours of gaming, but more speed, more jumping, more killing. Seems to be a game for people who like to run amok.
  36. achinech79
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    Diiiiiiiiiiisaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappppppppppppppppooooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnntttttttteeeeeeed..... before any was a must buy bioware... from today that changes
  37. s3nr1
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    It's probably not that bad of a game but they should have made it an entirely different series. This one is just blatantly riding the coattail of the much superior origins and other bioware rpgs. This is the worst RPG by bioware ever. There's no exploration at all, you get guided at every turn. Hell even FF games made me think. DA2 is just a mindless hack and slash arcade game much likeIt's probably not that bad of a game but they should have made it an entirely different series. This one is just blatantly riding the coattail of the much superior origins and other bioware rpgs. This is the worst RPG by bioware ever. There's no exploration at all, you get guided at every turn. Hell even FF games made me think. DA2 is just a mindless hack and slash arcade game much like Onimusha. Unlike Onimusha where combat is enjoyable where you need to get used to timing and position; DA2 needs you to just mash keys mmo style, the simplest kind. Dialogs is sub par and doesn't hold a candle to most RPGs out there. The only saving grace is that all of it is voice acted.

    Story is told by the trite flashback routine. What is this Black Ops 2 ? Graphics are cartoony even with the downloadable texture pack, a lot of textures are still absolutely horrendously low res. This is not a big game, the monotone environment should have made it easy to make a hires texture versions for most of the elements in the game.

    The characters models are all the same except for the head part, which doesn't have much variations either. Spell effects are low rate. Old FF games was a lot more flashier and looks a lot better. I'm mentioning this because the people who actually liked DA2 can't stop praising how chaotic it is. Oh please as I mentioned before FF games are better at this sine FF7. And whats more pathetic is that DA2 renders these effects with DX11 with a lot of the latest lightning techniques. Go play The Witcher Enhanced Edition instead while waiting for the second version. ME3 will be garbage as well if you keep letting EA walk all over you. DO NOT PRE-ORDER MASS EFFECT 3! Otherwise they will pull the same stunt. ME1 was superior to ME2 and I can't imagine ME3 getting more dumbed down but DA2 made me a believer. EA will find a way if you don't voice your dissatisfaction!    … Expand
  38. alkatrazz
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    Utter garbage inasmuch as it actually inspired me to signup in order to post my views. This is truly a shame, given the expectations built up with DA:O -- What is hilarious to note is all the major review companies noting `once you get past the..' OR `compare to DA:O this is much worse BUT' and awarding ~80, tbh these look like paid for reviews in order to drive sales. DA2 is awful c.f.Utter garbage inasmuch as it actually inspired me to signup in order to post my views. This is truly a shame, given the expectations built up with DA:O -- What is hilarious to note is all the major review companies noting `once you get past the..' OR `compare to DA:O this is much worse BUT' and awarding ~80, tbh these look like paid for reviews in order to drive sales. DA2 is awful c.f. DA:O.
    END OF LINE.    … Expand
  39. isolde1234
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    Pros:
    Combat system improved
    more blood Slicing through enemies is effortless better graphics (depending on certain circumstances) Con: Everything else sucks No story Awkward conversations Repeated dungeon maps Companions have no personality Stuck in the same city Game-play was very short for the price of 60$ I didn't want to romance anyone because I find none of my companions attractive    Pros:
    Combat system improved
    more blood
    Slicing through enemies is effortless
    better graphics (depending on certain circumstances)

    Con:
    Everything else sucks
    No story
    Awkward conversations
    Repeated dungeon maps
    Companions have no personality
    Stuck in the same city
    Game-play was very short for the price of 60$
    I didn't want to romance anyone because I find none of my companions attractive
    The story is fixed and your choices doesn't make any difference
    The epilogue was stupid. I'd have a small scene where i get to read about what happen to everyone and everything than to listen to varric acknowledging that my hero is somewhere with his/her lover

    Overall : worth less than 10$    … Expand
  40. Paperman
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    It's my fist review on metacritic but I can't keep my mouth shut this time. This game is unforgivable! How Bioware can do this with such a wonderful beginning as DA1? We waited DA2 so much! And now I still can't believe that it's so bad. I spend 34 hours playing this game till it's final. It has it's moments but that's all. I really like and respect Bioware but this game is disaster. IIt's my fist review on metacritic but I can't keep my mouth shut this time. This game is unforgivable! How Bioware can do this with such a wonderful beginning as DA1? We waited DA2 so much! And now I still can't believe that it's so bad. I spend 34 hours playing this game till it's final. It has it's moments but that's all. I really like and respect Bioware but this game is disaster. I hope that it's not going to happen with ME3. I was very disappoint with it's story, locations, dialogs and rpg-part. This game is boring and monotonous. You don't have any interesting events there - it's just an endless killing of identical enemies. Locations are small, identical and dull. Why they place a ME dialog system there? There is even no reputation or special dialog options! This game is like a personal insult to all rpg-gamers. I was waited the journey that never began. Bioware should be ashamed.… Expand
  41. xtrmx
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    I always thought bioware would eventually make a mediocre game but I never thought it would be this fast. Everything has been dumbed down and god...playing the same area 20 times is the most boring thing I've ever come across in my last 10 years of gaming.
  42. stilgars
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    Indecent release.
    Bioware loses all respect for its fan base and is now releasing a broken outdated and boring game.
    On every area, it is far worse than the original. Less choices, ugly graphics, linear and short, 90% of the game is basically boring and easy combat sequences: it is no more than a Diablo ersatz but without the fun.
    A piece of garbage and a shame for Bioware.
  43. Circe
    Aug 15, 2018
    1
    Disappointing to say the least. Mechanics have been stripped (auto-attack for consoles) or rendered dysfunctional (iso camera). Massive shortcuts taken in the world and NPCs. Butt ugly. Melodramatic quests that don't make any sense. Companions who are walking codex rather than full realized persons. An ineffectual PC.
  44. Boban
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    This game is disgrace. And there is so many bad thing that I can not name them all. It is easier to say, if Bioware are planning to make DA3 than safest way is to copy everything from DA origins, and I mean skills, crafting, spells, companions armor, rogues abilities to use swords, different caves etc. Better is that they do not change anything, or they could just give Obsidian to make nice game.
  45. garudevil
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    Best combat ever? did they change the difficulty to hard or nightmare. It's so unbalance. In casual and normal you dont have trouble to deal with the army of enemy (around 15 - 20 guys in all fight). But in hard mode it's sucks! with poor cooldown potion system and no zoom out camera. poorest combat system ever.
    I expect to meet this number of enemy (in every battle) in dynasty warior but    Best combat ever? did they change the difficulty to hard or nightmare. It's so unbalance. In casual and normal you dont have trouble to deal with the army of enemy (around 15 - 20 guys in all fight). But in hard mode it's sucks! with poor cooldown potion system and no zoom out camera. poorest combat system ever.
    I expect to meet this number of enemy (in every battle) in dynasty warior but not dragon age.    … Expand
  46. Gamer77
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    "Darker, sexier, prettier" were the advertising words for this sequel. Unfortunately the ONLY thing that actually has got better (in some parts of the game) is combat dynamics. Story line itself is very narrow comparing to original DAO, darkness has been replaced with fierce button smashing combating and then sex... well that's completely REMOVED. Okay, you actually can get to kiss someone"Darker, sexier, prettier" were the advertising words for this sequel. Unfortunately the ONLY thing that actually has got better (in some parts of the game) is combat dynamics. Story line itself is very narrow comparing to original DAO, darkness has been replaced with fierce button smashing combating and then sex... well that's completely REMOVED. Okay, you actually can get to kiss someone and invoke some dirty dialogue, but anyone who has actually played DAO will be very disappointed. There's no passion, no mature decisions to be made and absolutely nothing to see in terms of mature gaming. It looks like this sequel is more targeted to 13 years old console gamers than to people who actually played and enjoyed the original Dragon Age.

    The only thing that could save the game amongst DAO players would be fast introduction of expansions and toolset, that would make possible to enchange game in mentioned areas. Without that, I think the game is doomed and will only result financial loss and more sadly, ruin the name of Dragon Age.    … Expand
  47. Zeliath
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    Disappointing is all I can say to sum my experience with Dragon Age 2. For fans returning to the series be prepared for a shock because this is nothing like the Dragon Age Origins game you know and love.

    There are quiet a few detrimental cutbacks that cripple the enjoyment of the game. The first is the storyline which is in three sequential acts and made up of many uninteresting    Disappointing is all I can say to sum my experience with Dragon Age 2. For fans returning to the series be prepared for a shock because this is nothing like the Dragon Age Origins game you know and love.

    There are quiet a few detrimental cutbacks that cripple the enjoyment of the game. The first is the storyline which is in three sequential acts and made up of many uninteresting sidequests, there is no longer any main goal or purpose to the story which paints Hawke as less of a hero and more of a skilled warrior that people dump their problems on .

    The next flaw is that your adventure will most of the time will be spent in one city: Kirkwall. There is no spirit of adventure in Dragon Age 2 as you will see the same environments over and over again, which leads to the next point of the recycling of maps. I have never seen an rpg company worth its salt recycle maps to this extent, you will encounter the exact same maps with maybe a few doors locked or if in a cave a boulder in the way of some routes to change it up, but essentially it is the same map you saw maybe ten minutes ago. The next flaw is interaction, in Dragon Age 2 you no longer have the flexibility to say what you want as you had in Origins. You have three choices main choices most of the time which are peaceful, funny and aggressive, this leads to the same problems which were sometimes present in Mass Effect where you pick an option and your character says something you didn't want.

    Another major flaw which really kills it for me is the lack of customisation, you have a few options to customise your character and you can change up his equipment, however party member clothes cannot be changed unless upgraded in a sequential and rigid fashion as well as having some equipment only a specific character can equip. There are quite a few other flaws but I would be typing the list out all day. In summary this is a very disappointing sequel from Bioware, I wouldn't even expect this standard from some other rpg developers. If you're on the fence about buying Dragon Age 2 save your money there are so many better rpgs out there.    … Expand
  48. Stravento
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    I finished the game today. Beyond not being the same type of game as DAO, and thus a sort of surprise, the major problem with the game is the recycling of levels and the complete lack of variety in the quests. The quests are all the same. Even for an action rpg the game itself is quite boring, there is one boss battle that requires something different than the usual strategies that you canI finished the game today. Beyond not being the same type of game as DAO, and thus a sort of surprise, the major problem with the game is the recycling of levels and the complete lack of variety in the quests. The quests are all the same. Even for an action rpg the game itself is quite boring, there is one boss battle that requires something different than the usual strategies that you can apply to every fight. The story is very nice, and I personally do not care if it is more linear given that it is good. The problem is that the game transmit the feeling of having no soul. If you want it is something like the first assassin creed, gorgeous, nice story, but after you have completed a third of it you are bored to death.… Expand
  49. JohnHex
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    After amazing Dragon Age I, the Dragon Age II is a big let down. It has thrown away everything that made Dragon Age I such an epic adventure. For example in Dragon Age II you never leave the Kirkwall which makes environment more and more boring when time passes. The combat is just bad and over used. It is dull when a group of bandits or spiders jump on you on every corner. Not to talkAfter amazing Dragon Age I, the Dragon Age II is a big let down. It has thrown away everything that made Dragon Age I such an epic adventure. For example in Dragon Age II you never leave the Kirkwall which makes environment more and more boring when time passes. The combat is just bad and over used. It is dull when a group of bandits or spiders jump on you on every corner. Not to talk about enemy reinforcements: seems like every gang in Kirkwall got a lot of men to spare. Reinforcement idea is also too heavily over used. I swear there wasn't a single battle without more enemies popping from ground.

    Do not believe "professional" critics, the game is just bad and should never been released. User score speaks for the game quality.    … Expand
  50. MaximusG
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    A serious disappointment. They removed everything RPG about this game. Actually I didn't mind the combat system, but the immersion was just gone completely. It felt like walking through a painting, I was not in a real game world. The complete lack of items and lack of variety among the few that there were was also annoying... so was the inability to equip your companions... so were the newA serious disappointment. They removed everything RPG about this game. Actually I didn't mind the combat system, but the immersion was just gone completely. It felt like walking through a painting, I was not in a real game world. The complete lack of items and lack of variety among the few that there were was also annoying... so was the inability to equip your companions... so were the new dumbed-down character trees... so were the recycled dungeons... I could go on...

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

    This game is 60% an unfinished rush-job and 40% an attempt to commercialise RPGs. Evidently someone at EA failed to notice that cRPGs are ALREADY highly commercial. Hopefully this will flop and they'll learn their lesson.    … Expand
  51. ar1ur
    Apr 14, 2011
    1
    I can't describe the level of disappointment with this game. I've bought every Bioware game in the last ten years and thought they can go no wrong - how wrong was I. Dragon Age 2 is a bad game and a terrible sequel. The developers tried so hard to pull in the casual crowd that they changed and destroyed almost everything that was so beautiful about Origins. As a result we got explodingI can't describe the level of disappointment with this game. I've bought every Bioware game in the last ten years and thought they can go no wrong - how wrong was I. Dragon Age 2 is a bad game and a terrible sequel. The developers tried so hard to pull in the casual crowd that they changed and destroyed almost everything that was so beautiful about Origins. As a result we got exploding bodies, combat where you have to pause the game every 2 seconds in order to be tactical on higher difficulty levels, ridiculous waves of enemies, reused environments, bland companions, uninteresting and illogical story ..... i could go on and on.
    Stay away !!    … Expand
  52. exposer
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    This game is so bad, EA Bioware are trying to fix the bad publicity by posting 10 scores here on metacritic themselves... and are so dumb they actually got caught!
    http://vividgamer.com/2011/03/14/bioware-employee-caught-reviewing-dragon-age-ii/
    The game is weaker and dumber than Dragon Age Origins, and its most foul stink is the fact Bioware's usually saving grace, its coup de'tat,    This game is so bad, EA Bioware are trying to fix the bad publicity by posting 10 scores here on metacritic themselves... and are so dumb they actually got caught!
    http://vividgamer.com/2011/03/14/bioware-employee-caught-reviewing-dragon-age-ii/

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

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

    10 hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    In short - Its not the worst game ever made, i would have scored it a 4 out of 10, but to counter the EA/Bioware cheats scoring it 10, i docked 3 points. But despite it not being the worst game ever made - it certainly is not worth buying until its on sale for $10 or £12.    … Expand
  53. 1010101
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Dragon Age 2 is a disappointing sequel to one of the best cRPG games of all time (Dragon Age: Origins). DA2 fails on many levels. I'll pick two reasons: 1) recycled content. Numerous bland quests send you back to the save cave, warehouse, or sandy beach over and over again. 2) tactics have been removed. Tactical combat has been replaced with a fast-paced hack & slash system. On the plusDragon Age 2 is a disappointing sequel to one of the best cRPG games of all time (Dragon Age: Origins). DA2 fails on many levels. I'll pick two reasons: 1) recycled content. Numerous bland quests send you back to the save cave, warehouse, or sandy beach over and over again. 2) tactics have been removed. Tactical combat has been replaced with a fast-paced hack & slash system. On the plus side, the game is very stable.… Expand
  54. Djinnslayer
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Being a fan of Bioware since Baldur's Gate. I loved Dragon Age Origins, Started Playing Dragon Age 2 and I felt like Bioware just gave up on the franchise. The combat felt more like an action game, meant for 10yr olds to keep them entertained. Story wasn't even as good as the original, where I was always wondering what was happening next.. DA2 just felt like side quest after sideBeing a fan of Bioware since Baldur's Gate. I loved Dragon Age Origins, Started Playing Dragon Age 2 and I felt like Bioware just gave up on the franchise. The combat felt more like an action game, meant for 10yr olds to keep them entertained. Story wasn't even as good as the original, where I was always wondering what was happening next.. DA2 just felt like side quest after side quest. and oh your done.. With a slap in the face ending.. I feel very disappointed in the direction Bioware is going, and defiantly not recommend this game to any of my friends.… Expand
  55. Gildor
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Totally disappointed for a game shamefully dumbed down, poor in content, and with very low production quality. Probably sold for the only reason to make quick money on the name of the previous game.
    This is the last Bioware game I spend my money on.
  56. alluringsumo
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    They sold the Baldur's gate soul of this game to make a poor playing Mass Effect Fantasy game. While not unplayable the game makes you feel you wasted all you time in Dragon Age Origins by bot allowing character carry over. Worse yet Bioware took the highly unethical practice of having their own employee rate this game perfectly (check the news stories). Given Bioware has lost its moralThey sold the Baldur's gate soul of this game to make a poor playing Mass Effect Fantasy game. While not unplayable the game makes you feel you wasted all you time in Dragon Age Origins by bot allowing character carry over. Worse yet Bioware took the highly unethical practice of having their own employee rate this game perfectly (check the news stories). Given Bioware has lost its moral compass under EA any redeeming elements of this game are not worth rewarding the now soulless EA/Bioware with a purchase. Wait for the bargain bin.… Expand
  57. DksShaman
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Terrible gameplay, outdated graphics, underwhelming story, the if you want play DA... go play Dragon Age: Origins. This is not a sequel, is the end of the dragon age series.
  58. JunglePredator
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    I haven't played this, nor will I ever play this.
    Due to metacritic poisoning by EA/Bioware employees this title fails it's chance to be reviewed there by retaining the base score of 1.
    Further the employee of EA/Bioware was from Alberta & it shames me to have such unethical persons in our country so much so that all EA's recent decent to good customer service with me has been set back    I haven't played this, nor will I ever play this.
    Due to metacritic poisoning by EA/Bioware employees this title fails it's chance to be reviewed there by retaining the base score of 1.
    Further the employee of EA/Bioware was from Alberta & it shames me to have such unethical persons in our country so much so that all EA's recent decent to good customer service with me has been set back by a marked amount.    … Expand
  59. motazturk
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    this game is a joke!!!! and seeing the high reviews from reviewers makes me sick!!!! you should be ashamed of yourselves!!!! Terrible game on all platforms. 2003 graphics, mediocre gameplay, underwhelming story. Just go replay Dragon Age: Origins or Neverwinter Nights 2 instead and avoid this disaster. Spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, MY ASS!
  60. nibelung
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Its comparable to offline single player generic MMOs. Are you trying to make Dragon Age 2 MMORPG Bioware? Planning to sell DLC/Patch to add more contents Bioware and fix that MMOrpg-style battle? MMo can do that for free, showing that your game is not really that complete in term of deliverable. But , hey, there is a good new, there always next time. good luck with DA 3.
  61. Mlodzimier
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Hack and slash combat, bad graphics, terrible dialogue system which reminds me more of a guessing game ... And most importandly, story is not that great. Misunderstanding.
  62. Gravin
    Apr 17, 2013
    1
    After Dragon Age: Origins I was so hyped and wanted to get my hand in this game. And what a waste of time that waiting was. It's not a good game. Almost everything that was good in Origins are thrown out of the window and what we get is a generic, action rpg for consoles. The story is horrible, they use the same caves and areas over and over again. And we cant even leave the god damn city!After Dragon Age: Origins I was so hyped and wanted to get my hand in this game. And what a waste of time that waiting was. It's not a good game. Almost everything that was good in Origins are thrown out of the window and what we get is a generic, action rpg for consoles. The story is horrible, they use the same caves and areas over and over again. And we cant even leave the god damn city! It's horrible, dont touch this piece of garbage!… Expand
  63. wertyxious
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    This game is terrible. I don't think this can be even called an RPG at all. It looks just plain ugly, recycles the same exact locations. The gameplay is simply a joke. Doesn't Bioware have any shame selling this to people? Biggest disappointment this year so far.
  64. SteamConvert
    Mar 22, 2011
    1
    Bottom Line: Wait for a serious price drop. My price of admission was $70 because they are selling DLC that should have been in the core came (Exiled Prince) and having almost one hundred percented the game I can tell you it's worth $30 on a good day. Quality is very uneven. Endless waves of magically appearing enemies made of nitroglycerine and jello are just stupid. Story is meh.Bottom Line: Wait for a serious price drop. My price of admission was $70 because they are selling DLC that should have been in the core came (Exiled Prince) and having almost one hundred percented the game I can tell you it's worth $30 on a good day. Quality is very uneven. Endless waves of magically appearing enemies made of nitroglycerine and jello are just stupid. Story is meh. Dialogue has it's moments. My advice: Try Fallout NV, Batman Arkham Asylum or Just Cause 2 until it's $19.99.… Expand
  65. Misery
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    I am really disappointed of the way Bioware is going with one of its major brands. The action parts are ok, but there is little to nothing left of the Dragon Age feeling. Story Failures, Decisions from DA:O are not correct imported. People alive that died... and such things. Boring Hack&Slay Action. DA2 isn't really a PC RPG Game anymore, it is a Console Hack and Slay RPG Action game. WithI am really disappointed of the way Bioware is going with one of its major brands. The action parts are ok, but there is little to nothing left of the Dragon Age feeling. Story Failures, Decisions from DA:O are not correct imported. People alive that died... and such things. Boring Hack&Slay Action. DA2 isn't really a PC RPG Game anymore, it is a Console Hack and Slay RPG Action game. With bad Interface and technical Problems. Also the level design repeats constantly, i only counted 2 or 3 different maps for caves and buildings. Monsters and Models of DA:O/A and DLCs get reused, partially as Boss Monsters. Altogether they used what they had, made some little additions and sold it for the full prize.… Expand
  66. supertle
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    This game has NO HEART in it. The world is boring. No NPC to talk to. Full of one liners. All you do is stare at the mini map and follow in one direction towards the marker. There is no exploration. There is no good loot. In fact they made it easy by letting you find a bunch of junk items and a "SELL ALL JUNK" when visiting a merchant. What's the point of picking up junks simply forThis game has NO HEART in it. The world is boring. No NPC to talk to. Full of one liners. All you do is stare at the mini map and follow in one direction towards the marker. There is no exploration. There is no good loot. In fact they made it easy by letting you find a bunch of junk items and a "SELL ALL JUNK" when visiting a merchant. What's the point of picking up junks simply for selling? Normally junk is considered items you end up not using but could be used if you had plans or skills for it. They really took the "role playing" out of RPG. All that left really is just a vanilla game. You cannot customize your party equipment. You are forced into using certain roles for your companion if you want to maximize their potential. The actions of this game also go so fast that it feels like you're in a freaking shooter game with the ability to pause. Don't get me started on the DLC money making scheme either ... ... and be careful with these reviews. Google "dragon age Chris Hoban" and see for yourself. This game should rank somewhere in the low 7s as average score due to the graphics.â… Expand
  67. Takedzo
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    Ð
  68. xsgenefuzz
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    I give this game such a low score because I absolutely cannot review it in a vacuum, as a stand-alone game that has nothing to do with DA:O. Even if it was not in any way related to DA:O, I would still have to give it no more than a 5, because this is not an RPG. It's a flashy, anime-esque hack'n'slash game with a few RPG elements. And that is just not my cup of tea. But because thisI give this game such a low score because I absolutely cannot review it in a vacuum, as a stand-alone game that has nothing to do with DA:O. Even if it was not in any way related to DA:O, I would still have to give it no more than a 5, because this is not an RPG. It's a flashy, anime-esque hack'n'slash game with a few RPG elements. And that is just not my cup of tea. But because this is called Dragon Age 2, I have to compare it to DA:O. It may not be a sequel, per se, but it is still supposed to be the same universe with the same lore, and that is where Bioware went staggeringly wrong. For starters, the artwork and rendering of various races, characters, and creatures have been drastically changed. Elves look like rip-offs of Avatar's Na'vi, Qunari have horns, darkspawn look like humans with stupid skull-mask faces that aren't the least bit scary or revolting, and Flemeth is an armor-clad Disney sorceress. Not only have they turned into cartoon caricatures of themselves, it is practically inconceivable that Bioware would actually expect us to believe that this is in fact the same world. To add insult to injury, Bioware took some serious liberties with the lore of DA:O (e.g. when people are infected with the taint, they no longer simply go insane and die an agonizingly slow and painful death, they actually turn into darkspawn). Call me a fanatic or a purist, but I feel as strongly about this as I would about someone taking liberties with LOTR lore. What makes for great fantasy or science fiction is its internal consistency, its adherence to the reality of its own world. Start taking liberties, start introducing contradictions, and we stop believing in the reality, which is the real magic. I could have dealt with a few cosmetic changes if they hadn't messed with the lore. But this game is disappointing for me in other ways as well. Everything feels "dumbed down." Combat is an over-the-top gore fest with little to no tactics (or thought) required. Enemies constantly explode into little meaty bits, limbs flying in all directions. Two-handed weapons are larger than the characters that wield them. Rogues execute Bruce Lee-style gravity-defying spins and kicks, leaping twenty feet to close with an enemy. The basic rules of physics are non-existent. The story-line is similarly non-existent. While I do like the new Friend/Rival companion system, where a companion will stick with the main character even if they disagree about everything, there is no compelling reason for the Rival companion to stick around. This would have made much more sense in DA:O. Stopping the Blight and killing the Archdemon is precisely the kind of world-at-stake pressing goal that would realistically override hurt feelings, petty squabbles, and political disagreements. In DA2, there is no such overarching world-at-stake goal, so the "I'll stick with you even though I hate your guts" mechanism just doesn't ring true. Everything else RPG fans love about the genre, from armor, weapon, and item systems to skill development, is also "dumbed down." A little "star-rating" system tells you at a glance whether the item you just picked up is "better" than the one you have equipped. Crafting has been vastly simplified, and the need to gather, scavenge, or buy crafting materials virtually eliminated. You can no longer equip companions in any armor, or (in some cases) with any weapon; they are limited to their specific "companion armor." Again, all this does is take the need for thought and tactical planning out of the game. As for the UI, it is obviously designed for consoles, which is extremely aggravating for PC gamers. We don't play consoles for a reason -- because we don't like them! -- and when we are forced to click around in a console UI on our PC, it is just infuriating. This game has left me very sad. Considering that Bioware has been *the* RPG leader of the industry for the past several years, I worry that the future of this beloved genre is bleak indeed.… Expand
  69. lostintime
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    Boring combat system, boring story, boring graphics. I thought bioware turn everything into gold but I was wrong. Mass effect 2 and Dragon Age 2 have both been disappointing for me. Compared to the RPGs of the past, you cannot put this in the same category. Baulders Gate and DA:O was captivating making me wish the game would never end, Dragon Age 2 on the other hand, I find myself pressingBoring combat system, boring story, boring graphics. I thought bioware turn everything into gold but I was wrong. Mass effect 2 and Dragon Age 2 have both been disappointing for me. Compared to the RPGs of the past, you cannot put this in the same category. Baulders Gate and DA:O was captivating making me wish the game would never end, Dragon Age 2 on the other hand, I find myself pressing ESC button a little too often to skip speech so I can mindlessly press 12345 while right clicking on boring enemies at every corner, just so I can finish the game and be done with it. lol. Give this one a miss or at least try the demo first.… Expand
  70. Tata
    Nov 19, 2011
    1
    My previous score was 2, but I have to go lower. Once you try to play a solo run, you will recognize how bad and broken the combat system is. Dodging attacks is basically going 1m to the side and that's It. I also found out this way that enemy archers can shoot through ANYTHING, another slap in the face. Because of the DLC items, you're almost immortal. And this was on Nightmare, I mightMy previous score was 2, but I have to go lower. Once you try to play a solo run, you will recognize how bad and broken the combat system is. Dodging attacks is basically going 1m to the side and that's It. I also found out this way that enemy archers can shoot through ANYTHING, another slap in the face. Because of the DLC items, you're almost immortal. And this was on Nightmare, I might add. Boss fights are a joke. After the I. Act, I didn't have any will to continue playing this game, and I probably never will.… Expand
  71. HGV
    Mar 19, 2011
    1
    Letâ
  72. Gen13
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    A disappointing game to say the least. Companions seem quite shallow compared to DA:O. The fact that you have limited interaction with them does not help. Exploding enemies, in most cases enemies just explode in a shower of blood and gore when i stab them with a regular dagger. I don't mind blood and gore, but this is just ridiculous. Massive re-use of instances for quests, seen one cave,A disappointing game to say the least. Companions seem quite shallow compared to DA:O. The fact that you have limited interaction with them does not help. Exploding enemies, in most cases enemies just explode in a shower of blood and gore when i stab them with a regular dagger. I don't mind blood and gore, but this is just ridiculous. Massive re-use of instances for quests, seen one cave, seen them all.
    Also the game was shipped with a few serious bugs. using a certain companion will reduce your attack speed on a permanent basis. DA2 has limited customization option compared to it's predecessor.
    My recommendation, wait until you can pick up a copy for reduced price before buying it.    … Expand
  73. syg
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    if any bioware employee reads this, i created a metacritic account to post this.

    The transition from ME1 to ME2 is similar to the transition in DA:O and DA2, just magnified in the latter case. In order to deliver a tighter story, bioware hacks off so much of the game which let ME1 and DAO seem so epic. After playing a human noble in DAO i immediately recreated a dwarf noble in an attempt    if any bioware employee reads this, i created a metacritic account to post this.

    The transition from ME1 to ME2 is similar to the transition in DA:O and DA2, just magnified in the latter case.

    In order to deliver a tighter story, bioware hacks off so much of the game which let ME1 and DAO seem so epic. After playing a human noble in DAO i immediately recreated a dwarf noble in an attempt to see how that story develops.

    This scope, is lost in ME2 and DAO. The world feels smaller and more linear. The simple act of exploring a planet in ME1 gave such a feeling of scope, even though it was not essential to the game.

    Honestly I will tolerate any graphics level in order to have greater scope. I honestly dont care if this is sub par, the story delivered in DAO i never had the slightest hangup on the graphics.

    Clunky gameplay in DA2 with certain abilities trivializing the game (assassin spec on rogue made nearly every boss a joke).

    I just want to point out that DAO felt huge and DA2 felt claustrophobic. The re-use of areas without changing the minimap left me frequently running into walls to make sure i had explored the dungeon.

    The structure of ME2 and DA2 takes a great deal away from the scope. ME2 was essentially a list of team-building exercises with a finale at the end. DA2 was ME2 in bite size form throughout the acts.

    The world in DAO was wonderfully fleshed out, and DA2 constructs a much more character driven story around the mage - templar interaction. This grows terribly tedious. Anders in the party made all flavor chat between players absolute agony as all we heard recycled a thousand times was "omg the templars are jerks"

    The NPCS are so one-note that it does not enrich the game at all. The trajectory of the story feels so forced you can anticipate the breakdown from a very early point in the game.

    Honestly, graphics be damned, the reason i bought this game out of reflex was that ME1 and DAO were so epic I was hoping for another story of that scale to take part in. ME2 and DA2 share many of the same flaws, and I hope some serious internal debate might be sparked over the necessity (in my opinion) of appropriate scope in rpgs, and the tradeoff of scope and "tightness" of storytelling.

    I hope you take these complaints seriously, I really enjoyed ME1 and DAO    … Expand
  74. Randomfart
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    A dumbed down experience. Hack and slash combat, cluncky graphics, recycled enviroments bad pacing, boring storyline, bad dialog and companions. All the naysayers have been right since day one, this game has not been made with the spirit of an rpg and it's an insult to what Bioware used to be.
  75. thebaby69
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    Really awful game. Most of the game has you doing low-effort quests in the same quest hub, fighting battles full of constantly spawning waves of garbage enemies that require no thought to defeat. The writing is terrible. All of the companions are written terribly as is BioWare's forte. Almost nothing you do ever seems to matter in the end. They don't even try to hide that the templar areReally awful game. Most of the game has you doing low-effort quests in the same quest hub, fighting battles full of constantly spawning waves of garbage enemies that require no thought to defeat. The writing is terrible. All of the companions are written terribly as is BioWare's forte. Almost nothing you do ever seems to matter in the end. They don't even try to hide that the templar are Nazis.

    Completely forgettable.    … Expand
  76. affewaffe
    Mar 22, 2011
    1
    Refrain from buying this game if you have any expectations. While the game is not a complete disaster when regarded as a standalone game, you will get disappointed if you want to play it because you liked Dragon Age: Origins. Basically it is just a thumbed down, simplified version of its predecessor.

    My rating is not only game related, but mostly Biowares fault. While I would give the    Refrain from buying this game if you have any expectations. While the game is not a complete disaster when regarded as a standalone game, you will get disappointed if you want to play it because you liked Dragon Age: Origins. Basically it is just a thumbed down, simplified version of its predecessor.

    My rating is not only game related, but mostly Biowares fault. While I would give the game a 4-5/10, Biowares extreme failure forces me to make it 1/10. How can a gaming company even dare to censor people opinions about the game in their forums, having workers write ridiculous hymns of praise on metacritic and paying major magazines money to give outrageous scores? Just refrain from buying Bioware products if you can avoid it. Don't support companys with such low ethical standards until they feel the consequences. This is the only way to hurt them for deceiving people in such a shameful, pathetic way. Greedy bastards.

    But now to the game, which I played to the end. DA2 had 18 Months of development time, while DA:O took about five years. This manifests throughout the game which looks nice in the beginning, but lacks quality the longer you run around doing mindless, uninnovative quests. The combat system itself is fun at first but gets annoying due to it repetitiveness and unfair spawn system. A typical mission looks like this: Go to a cave, do x, collect y. Encounter enemies which spawn in weird waves that make no sense at all. When you run into the middle of a room you can be sure that enemies spawn right around you and the first thing you have to do in every fight is moving your fragile casters around the place and kite monsters so they don't die. Monsters are killed, many more enemies spawn for an unknown reason (couldn't they just be there from start) right in your casters again. Repeat kiting. Expect this to happen in 95% of all fights. And why do monsters suddenly spawn in hordes when there was not the slightest sign of enemies seconds before the encounter? Challenge in the fights come from unfair mechanics like hordes of monsters spawning in your ranged characters. This was so annoying, I can't put enough emphasis on it. Boss fights suck. On higher difficulties they are next to impossible due to near infinite health rather than intelligent design. You will do the same few button combinations for half an hour if you decide to fight that dragon/random other boss on hard difficulties. Often the result is endless kiting until the boss is finally dead - not worth it. A really sad game mechanic for a hyped 2011 game but probably the only possible outcome for a game which is rushed to make more money from the franchise.

    Next annoying thing is the game recycling as you advance through the game. While the main city Kirkwall and 4 locations outside of the city are not too shabby at first, EXPECT TO SEE THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN THE WHOLE GAME. EXPECT INSIDE LOCATIONS TO BE SEEN DOZENS OF TIMES WITH DIFFERENT ENEMIES. Every house, every dungeon, every cave is used multiple times. Seriously, there is no excuse for this in any way. Next thing are shallow companions inculding a crappy dialogue system. Low friendship/romance options are usually maxed out by pressing the "friendly" or "heart" answer 3-4 times. Clicking through the choices couldn't be simpler and has really nothing to do with role playing. Random pirate **** which offers sex to you the minute you talk to her, eerie looking elves on crack and other rather uninteresting characters you can have fight along your side.

    The storyline is another failure, since there is NONE. You flee from darkspawn to Kirkwall and try to become a champion there, which you are later on by collecting generic herbs, fighting some bad boys and rescuing maidens. There is no real mainplot which guides you through the game, generally you don't have a clue what to do next or what happens, since you will start running from one questmarker to another. At a certain point I didn't even bother to read quest texts anymore but rather collected the exp from certain generic, really, really, boring sidequests. This game is tricky though, at first it made me think "Aww.. what a bunch of haters, the game is not too bad. Nice fighting, decent graphics." But then you realize more and more that the hate has a foundation. The foundation is bad game design which can hardly be considered standard in a 2011 AAA+ game. Basically you end up running around in the same textures over and over again, slaying the same models of enemies over and over again as you advance through the three acts in the game. I also did not like the unlogical choices you are forced to make later on, but this is rather my personal taste on the story, which I found really awful.

    Do not buy this game if you are searching for a good role-playing game.    … Expand
  77. Skanablu
    Mar 22, 2011
    1
    Biggest disappointment of years... Dialogs for idiots and fight is a freaking hack n slash... Dragon Age 1 was best RPG since the great trio (Torment, Baldur, Fallout) and this is just a n unfunny joke...
  78. jhnxsmth
    Mar 22, 2011
    1
    -enemies warp in from nowhere

    -massive discontinuities in game lore -samey-classes, indistinguishable abilities -zero difficulty -literal copy-pasted environments (didn't even bother to black out unused portions of copied minimaps) -story suddenly ends bizarrely in the super-short last act, despite all the build up -no tactical camera -waves of identical enemies, each presenting no    -enemies warp in from nowhere

    -massive discontinuities in game lore

    -samey-classes, indistinguishable abilities

    -zero difficulty

    -literal copy-pasted environments (didn't even bother to black out unused portions of copied minimaps)

    -story suddenly ends bizarrely in the super-short last act, despite all the build up

    -no tactical camera

    -waves of identical enemies, each presenting no challenge

    -less interesting items

    -all quest and stories are basically unsatisfying

    -Basically bioware hates magic, and went through all the trouble of creating a magical fantasy world to spend the whole time telling you how evil magic and fantasy would be.

    -The Male/Male love interest is a psychopathic nancy. Despite the constant complaints bioware has received on its mincing stereotypes since Skye in Jade Empire.

    -At this late date, despite tireless efforts from fans, and years of negativity towards their decision, it is still not possible for two male characters to love eachother and be together. Or for that matter to even both exist and be sane.

    -I mean come the **** on. The voice actors recorded romance dialogue in Both ME, ME2, and DAO. Bioware cut it because they hate gays.

    -If you hate gays, I guess you should buy this game to support a company that is as bigoted as you are. Pay the hate!    … Expand
  79. Torque
    Mar 22, 2011
    1
    Awful game. Some console slasher, no strategy, only mashing buttons. 0 as the whole game is. No story line, no memorable characters, only ONE location for all game, awful quests, degraded inventory (why i can change my companions armor?). This game was made as a quick money making mashine. I was your fan bioware sins first Never winter. But today i lost all hope in you.
  80. MaelstromX
    Mar 23, 2011
    1
    WARNING: Most of the 9's and 10's on this site are obvious attempts by BioWare employees to skew the negative reviews this game has been getting. It's already been confirmed that an engineer at BioWare named "Avanost" (real name: Chris Hoban) left a 10/10 review for this game -- with ridiculous praise, to boot! Google it yourself if you like. Anyhoo, I am now 2/3 of the way through inWARNING: Most of the 9's and 10's on this site are obvious attempts by BioWare employees to skew the negative reviews this game has been getting. It's already been confirmed that an engineer at BioWare named "Avanost" (real name: Chris Hoban) left a 10/10 review for this game -- with ridiculous praise, to boot! Google it yourself if you like. Anyhoo, I am now 2/3 of the way through in this game and am finally giving up. I'm going to trade this puppy in before its value goes below $7.00 (which is what EB Games offered me). I thought the game would get better but it definitely _doesn't_! I finished the first one (on the PC) and after playing through the second, I feel that the name "Dragon Age" shouldn't be anywhere in the title. This is a hack'n'-slash game through-and-through -- and when I say that, I don't mean in a good way either. I'm saddened to say it, but buy this game at your own risk.… Expand
  81. llyndarae
    Mar 23, 2011
    1
    Dejavu is simply what I've been feeling throughout the game, constantly recycling of the maps and a storyline talking about a champion whose presence is felt only in a single town simply doesnt cut this as an epic adventure nor plot.

    The over reliance on tool tips is ultimately frustrating. Better time can be spent rather then when you have 6-7 item named "Ring" in your inventory and    Dejavu is simply what I've been feeling throughout the game, constantly recycling of the maps and a storyline talking about a champion whose presence is felt only in a single town simply doesnt cut this as an epic adventure nor plot.

    The over reliance on tool tips is ultimately frustrating. Better time can be spent rather then when you have 6-7 item named "Ring" in your inventory and have to mouse over just to see what each one of them are. Have developers became so lazy to even make item names more meaningful. Combat is extremely predictable, instead of throwing quality fights on you, developers have decide to throw waves of predictable mobs on you with a certain fixed combination of mobs.
    Even more absurd is how they do not bother to give these waves a common sense entrance.
    For example, how retarded can it sound when you are in the middle of the docks and mobs appear with a 'jump down from above' animation? What are they? Para-troopers? I never knew dragon age have advanced so much in technology that mobs can make such entrances.

    Money can be better spent else where, do not feel the urge or pressure to buy this just because it WAS a hit in the first release.    … Expand
  82. Gecs
    Mar 24, 2011
    1
    Terrible "Mass effect-style" interface, "mass-effect-style" gameplay, "mass-effect-style resources", "mass-effect-style-place here any thing from DA II"... horrific camera a-la "Lara Croft" and so on. Boring storyline, boring companions, boring enemies, boring fights, boring locations... strange product.
  83. EmperorZorn
    Mar 26, 2011
    1
    Dragon Age 2, sequel to the successful predecessor Dragon Age: Origins does almost everything wrong what made the series great. I could write a long review pointing out all the negative aspects, but I figure I should just sum up the positive ones and spare you the time: well-written companions, good music, stylistic loading screens.

    If you need to buy it, I recommend the console version    Dragon Age 2, sequel to the successful predecessor Dragon Age: Origins does almost everything wrong what made the series great. I could write a long review pointing out all the negative aspects, but I figure I should just sum up the positive ones and spare you the time: well-written companions, good music, stylistic loading screens.

    If you need to buy it, I recommend the console version as it is clearly designed with consoles in mind.    … Expand
  84. Winterwolf
    Mar 27, 2011
    1
    I liked DA:O, so I wanted to try the DA2 Demo. I couldn't finish it. The game seems to have been reduced to a mindless click fest without much substance. I felt no desire to finish the demo and certainly none to buy the game.
  85. azraal
    Mar 27, 2011
    1
    Disapointing...
    We have here a pretty litte Dragon Effect....
    It could have been a perfect spin off as an action aventure game... But as a successor of an rpg, it's a zero... EA and Bioware gives us a game stripped of all real rpg elements... As for the dungeons? Well it's a matter of opened door and locked doors... The dungeons are reused over and over again. Maybe if they release    Disapointing...
    We have here a pretty litte Dragon Effect....
    It could have been a perfect spin off as an action aventure game...
    But as a successor of an rpg, it's a zero...
    EA and Bioware gives us a game stripped of all real rpg elements...
    As for the dungeons? Well it's a matter of opened door and locked doors... The dungeons are reused over and over again. Maybe if they release modding tool, someone will make something out of it? But for now, it's a waste of money if you're looking for something that looks even remotely like a RPG...
    It feels like junk food: You know it's bad, you feel it's a waste of money. But in the end, you buy it, and usually, you regret buying it... At least, the sales are here, so ea will keep going at it...    … Expand
  86. Scalec
    Mar 27, 2011
    1
    Such a disappointment. Dumbed down and SAD. I have to say that PC Gamer has now LOST my respect. How can this be rated at 94? They did the same this for Crysis 2 (89) when critical opinion of the players has revealed that it is also a bitter disappointment. I had such high hopes for DA2, like Crysis 2, and they both have one thing in common don't they? .......Always trust the PLAYERS notSuch a disappointment. Dumbed down and SAD. I have to say that PC Gamer has now LOST my respect. How can this be rated at 94? They did the same this for Crysis 2 (89) when critical opinion of the players has revealed that it is also a bitter disappointment. I had such high hopes for DA2, like Crysis 2, and they both have one thing in common don't they? .......Always trust the PLAYERS not the media to give a true assessment and review of a product.… Expand
  87. mortendynamo
    Mar 30, 2011
    1
    Horrible! I hated it the instant I started playing it. It felt like an everlasting pain playing it, and I gave up halfway and deleted it from my hd. Not worth the time or the money.
  88. PsyXxXDekler
    Apr 2, 2011
    1
    Like everyone else, after i played through DA:Origins i was really thrilled to see that the DA2 is coming so soon. The problem is that it never occurred too me that it is perhaps a little too soon. That said DA2 feels more like a sketch of game than like a fully finished product. Story although not bad in concept (tension between mages and templars) turns out too be just a big pile ofLike everyone else, after i played through DA:Origins i was really thrilled to see that the DA2 is coming so soon. The problem is that it never occurred too me that it is perhaps a little too soon. That said DA2 feels more like a sketch of game than like a fully finished product. Story although not bad in concept (tension between mages and templars) turns out too be just a big pile of random crap, with characters changing their sides all the time and doing really retarded things, that are just way too irational too be believable. Number of stupid situations starting from Bethany going too the circle are too numerous too count. Even at the early beginning, when your brother/sister die, the characters react more like a neighbours dog got hit by car than like one of their own siblings had died. Same with Hawks mother death. Flemeth appearing also doesn't makes any sense, and all the other characters appearing just feels way too forced,and you get the feeling that they are there just to remind you that this is a DA game. But the biggest problem is that the presentation of the whole game is just INSULTING to any average gamer. Recycled areas are really annoying, combat although somewhat improved was dumbed down by waves and waves of magicaly reapearing enemies(I mean WTF people?), totally removing the tactical aproach to fighting(i mean for example, you put your mage in a corner, back to the wall, thinking he is safe there, an then in a second or two while you are not looking some flying ninja falls from the sky next to your mage and starts F###$$ng him in the a...), items are few and verry stupid and there is a general lack of money through out the game, meaning you can only buy one or two of the better items in the game, a large number of the stupidly placed traps are irritating since unless your main character is a rouge, the other party members will warn you way too late, and you get instant injury,buged quests....There are just way too many stupid things to list here.BOTTOM LINE-IF THIS GAME DIDN'T HAVE A DA TITLE IN IT'S NAME, you would probably play through it and forget about it in a day or two. The main reason for the verry low rating is that I felt INSULTED while playing the game and that developers probably thought that we will turn a blind eye to all their crap. And also i don't mind gay rights and all that stuff, everyone should have the same rights in real world BUT WHO THE **** WANTS TO HAVE A GAY TWO HANDED ELF WARRIOR IN HIS TEAM. They should have had the gay romances tied to some random side character....… Expand
  89. kweeks1
    Mar 31, 2011
    1
    What a disapointment no store line, repetative locations, boring quests, hardly any interaction with your companions. Replay ability is about nothing unless you include moving the lever from casual to nightmare mode.
  90. flynch
    Apr 3, 2011
    1
    It's just an action console game, not an rpg like its predecessor. And its a bad console game. The fights are repetitive, the abilities tree is really simple , and the story isnt epic at all.
  91. Fair34
    Apr 4, 2011
    1
    Worst Bioware game ever. Rushed and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Feels like they just dialed it in and tried to dress it up with lots of frills but no substance. I worry for Mass Effect 3 and The Old Republic.
  92. TheangryOne
    Apr 8, 2011
    1
    How can you possible go from something so awesome to this pile of digital crap, Bioware? Seriously! The story, characters, setting, and...well everything have been dummed down so horribly it's an insult to the original. This looks more like Bioware made it for 9 year olds.

    Nice job **** it up, Bioware. Nice job.
  93. kingtz
    Apr 9, 2011
    1
    Under any other name, I would've probably given this game a solid 6.5 or 7. Sure, it's got its share of shortcomings, but it was still much more fun than, say, stabbing red hot needles into my eyes.

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

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

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

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

    This problem, on top of the constantly reused assets and mostly uninteresting companions, makes for a painful and uninteresting story and a mere shadow of the original game.
    I will not buy another game from Bioware before trying it ever again. I want my 60$ back and another 60$ for the insult.    … Expand
  95. Fore
    Apr 10, 2011
    1
    This game deserves 3/10 but because of Bioware employees posting their fake reviews here I decided to give it a 1/10. Like all the other negative comments, stay away from this game. Save your money. If someone told me this was Bioware game I would laugh at them but unfortunately Bioware's name is on the box.
    The people who says this game is good should give you back your $50 after you    This game deserves 3/10 but because of Bioware employees posting their fake reviews here I decided to give it a 1/10. Like all the other negative comments, stay away from this game. Save your money. If someone told me this was Bioware game I would laugh at them but unfortunately Bioware's name is on the box.
    The people who says this game is good should give you back your $50 after you throw this game out your window. This game destroyed bioware's reputation. This game has destroyed the reputation of all the critics who gave this game a good review. This is not a RPG. The story is full of plotholes. Your decisions makes no difference in the ending. The settings are constantly reused. Your companions are all gay too lol. Makes me wonder if Mass Effect 3 will still be called a RPG if bioware "streamlines/consolize" it like DA2.    … Expand
  96. nurofen
    Apr 17, 2011
    1
    For fans of Dragon Age Origins and Awakenings, DA2 is a Epic Fail, which pales in comparison to the original. DA2 will only bring you disappointment. Its a tiny world with recycled maps, recycled music, shallow characters. It is a tedium to play.... and unlike the original you wont want to play it through again.
  97. SlyDragons
    Apr 20, 2011
    1
    I've played and liked quite a few Bioware games. I thought DA:O had a good story and the gameplay was engaging. DA:A was essentially the same gameplay and a slightly less compelling story, but hey, it can't always be The Blight. I even bought a few DLC missions, which usually seemed worth extending my stay in the game world for a few bucks. Dragon Age:II is absolutely horrible. I feelI've played and liked quite a few Bioware games. I thought DA:O had a good story and the gameplay was engaging. DA:A was essentially the same gameplay and a slightly less compelling story, but hey, it can't always be The Blight. I even bought a few DLC missions, which usually seemed worth extending my stay in the game world for a few bucks. Dragon Age:II is absolutely horrible. I feel like a complete sucker for buying it. I even pre-ordered the Signature Edition based on my experience with their previous titles. The story drags along slowly and seems irrelevant. The gameplay and combat system just hack-n-slashing until so that maybe you can use a special ability during a fight. And the fights are no longer strategic. It's just hacking and slashing waves of baddies until the next waves jumps in from all sides like ninjas. The skill tree revamp was interesting and I kinda liked that, but not being able to customize your companions' gear seemed to dumb it down. I will probably still buy Mass Effect 3 on release day (or pre-order) because I think they've prioritized that as their marquis product and won't stray too far from the Mass Effect formula. But as for other Bioware games, especially future Dragon Age games, it will take much more than underhandedly gaming metacritic in order for me to buy it.… Expand
  98. Switch296
    Apr 30, 2011
    1
    Ah Dragon age 2.. By far the biggest letdown so far of 2011 in my eyes. The graphics are worse than the original, the city which you spend almost the entire game in is so incredibly lifeless, stale and repetitive that you would think this game has been made in 2005 by amateur developers, but sadly this game is made by Bioware who in the past has brought us many great games.

    I for one    Ah Dragon age 2.. By far the biggest letdown so far of 2011 in my eyes. The graphics are worse than the original, the city which you spend almost the entire game in is so incredibly lifeless, stale and repetitive that you would think this game has been made in 2005 by amateur developers, but sadly this game is made by Bioware who in the past has brought us many great games.

    I for one really hope this isn't a sign for things to come as Dragon Age 2 should have never been released in the state it is in, poor gameplay, poor graphics and artistic direction, poor RPG elements and immersion factor.

    Extremely poor game. 1/10    … Expand
  99. TheArchitect
    Apr 24, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Horrible disappointment.They took everything that was good in Dragon Age Origins&Awakening and threw it out of the window.Graphics? Poor level design,recycled generic dungeons,90% of the quests are located in ONE CITY! Just terrible.Sound? Also much better in Origins,voice acting in DA2 is poor and unconvincing,music was also waaaaay better in Origins.Dialogues? The dialogue system is a very very poor copy of the Mass Effect dialogue system,with pseudoparagon and pseudorenegade answers and supposedly funny answers that usually spectacularly fail to be funny.Dialogue system in Origins provided much more to choose from and it was much better written.Party members? Extremely annoying and shallow (Varric Tethras is the only half bearable character) and you cannot change their armor AT ALL.Romance? Almost non existant options for any interesting romance,especially for male Hawke,you get to choose from retarded elf woman (Merrill) and a slut (Isabella),that is it if you dont count gay romance with Anders.Combat? One of the most annoying parts of the game,dumbed down to the console click click level catered for the very casual RPG gamers,any true RPG gamer will be extremely disappointed with the new combat system.DAO had pretty good combat system,DA2 combat system is total crap.User interface? DAO had beautifully designed user interface with detailed descriptions of items,now you get a bland black user interface that has no place in any game,let alone a fantasy game.Weapon,armor and item descriptions are also totally dumbed down.Now you actually collect "junk",way to go.Storyline,quests and ending? Unlike DAO,DA2 forces some plot developments on you,regardless of what you do or choices you make,lame.In DAO you could influence even major plot developments,often in significant ways.Now you are forced to accept certain decisions and your influence on them is cosmetics.This game is either rushed so it is half done or Bioware decided to dumb down their best RPG since Baldur's Gate to cater for wider audience,and therefore make more money for Bioware.Hopefully they will listen to the widespread criticism of DA2 and make the likely third installment of Dragon Age once again a real hardcore RPG.DA2 is a great example of what NOT to do with a sequel to a game,take everything that was good,throw it away,add horrible redesign and "new features" that are actually crap and you get this.They even managed to screw up the redesign of DAO character faces like Sandal,Zevran or Alistair.Not to mention that darkspawn now look like a joke.In some moments during gameplay I started laughing on how terrible some things were compared to DAO.I just could not believe that Bioware can screw up the sequel this much.Note-I originally posted this review in the Xbox360 section of DA2,instead of the PC by mistake,by mistake,if anyone knows how can I remove that review let me know.… Expand
  100. Swader
    Apr 24, 2011
    1
    Unimmersive and disjointed story, boring characters, the exact same 4 locations over and over again, dumbed down combat to appeal to the masses of the consoles, respawning enemies right in the middle of a fight out of thin air, third person view exclusive, complete removal of strategy with a switch to storm-in-and-shoot-everything game type, no improvement in graphics, horribly inaccurateUnimmersive and disjointed story, boring characters, the exact same 4 locations over and over again, dumbed down combat to appeal to the masses of the consoles, respawning enemies right in the middle of a fight out of thin air, third person view exclusive, complete removal of strategy with a switch to storm-in-and-shoot-everything game type, no improvement in graphics, horribly inaccurate dialog wheel as in Mass Effect, repetitive questing which almost feels like grinding, inability to change the armor of party members, inability to play a race other than human, limitation of classes to warrior-rogue-mage, these are just some of the negative aspects that made me shelve this game indefinitely. When DA3 comes out, I'd rather read a quick story summary than play through this junk ever again.… Expand
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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

All reviews »
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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