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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Shiki
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect in fantasy-land, rather than a sequel to the more decent RPG Dragon Age Origins. A protagonist set in stone, Hawk, dumbed down, actiony combat, press button for awesome, ugly console graphics with some "decorative npc" in the city that are extremely low poly and use low ress texture, dungeons that were all cloned from a single map, story that makes no sense and gives you noMass Effect in fantasy-land, rather than a sequel to the more decent RPG Dragon Age Origins. A protagonist set in stone, Hawk, dumbed down, actiony combat, press button for awesome, ugly console graphics with some "decorative npc" in the city that are extremely low poly and use low ress texture, dungeons that were all cloned from a single map, story that makes no sense and gives you no choice nor conséquences to your actions, emo party NPCs which outfits that would have made more sense in anime than in a western RPG. A complete cash grab that has **** all of the fans of the original DAO which was an oddity in itself, an anomaly, an UFO that was primarily made for PCs in a sea of dumbed down games targeting the consoles.… Expand
  2. CRIPLEDPRIEST
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    absolute retardation i have not played a game so stupid in my life and i have played many stupid games
    i felt physically sick looking at the production quality and the content of this shambled together goblin stilbirth frankenstein
  3. Gakka
    Mar 1, 2012
    2
    Really disappointed with this game. I have been a fan of BioWare games since BG1 and this game along Jade Empire(if I remember the name correctly) are the biggest disappointments. This honestly just feels like a huge money grasp. Hopefully BioWare learned from this that they can't just put out anything and expect to people to be happy with it...
  4. Burkendah
    Feb 29, 2012
    5
    Compared to most other games Dragon Age 2 really isn't that bad with a decent story and overall good combat but unfortunately for Dragon Age 2 it stands in the shadow of dragon age: Origins and almost all rpg games (except for a select few) pale in comparison to dragon age: origins. People hoped for another game as equal in greatness as it's predecessor and were greatly disappointed. ICompared to most other games Dragon Age 2 really isn't that bad with a decent story and overall good combat but unfortunately for Dragon Age 2 it stands in the shadow of dragon age: Origins and almost all rpg games (except for a select few) pale in comparison to dragon age: origins. People hoped for another game as equal in greatness as it's predecessor and were greatly disappointed. I hope this doesn't discourage the game developers from developing dragon age 3.… Expand
  5. Kosheus
    Feb 28, 2012
    5
    Hmm.. Mixed senses.
    This is not 'thrash game' like many others. Just mediocre action with some cinematic value..
    But it is not Dragon Age. Where is the characters? Full, long and deep story? Nothing here. Just 1-2 story sketches in the mid-late game and then it fail. =(
    All my DA hopes is for the third part.
    Many graphic glitches too..
  6. brigitte134
    Feb 24, 2012
    10
    Great game.
  7. Westbound
    Feb 23, 2012
    0
    This game is horrible. It's sexist, moronic, and boring. The writing is terrible at best, the gameplay is countless copy & paste cave after cave with boring combat. Also, I just wanted to share this. It pretty much sums up how I feel about DA II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9UDRbjm94

    Quit padding your reviews Bioware. No one likes you anymore. Just make Baulders Gate against with    This game is horrible. It's sexist, moronic, and boring. The writing is terrible at best, the gameplay is countless copy & paste cave after cave with boring combat. Also, I just wanted to share this. It pretty much sums up how I feel about DA II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9UDRbjm94

    Quit padding your reviews Bioware. No one likes you anymore. Just make Baulders Gate against with better graphics. Don't change a single word of dialog or combat.    … Expand
  8. ref
    Feb 18, 2012
    1
    Complete and utter disappointment. Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favorite titles of all time and one of the only games I enjoyed so much that I'm passionate enough to still be angry with it's rushed, lackluster sequel years later. Everything about Dragon Age 2 is simply awful, quite honestly. All the love, time and effort put into DA:O is simply stripped away from DA2. Devoid of lifeComplete and utter disappointment. Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favorite titles of all time and one of the only games I enjoyed so much that I'm passionate enough to still be angry with it's rushed, lackluster sequel years later. Everything about Dragon Age 2 is simply awful, quite honestly. All the love, time and effort put into DA:O is simply stripped away from DA2. Devoid of life and character, Dragon Age 2 was simply made and only made to cash in on the success of DA:O.

    So, what specifically is wrong with DA2? Everything. The combat is now reduced to anime-like fast game play where tactics aren't really needed (I played on Nightmare, PC), re-spawning waves of enemies that drop out of the sky in combat, re spawning enemies every time you zone in and out of towns, it's just ridiculous, tedious and extremely annoying.

    The story is unfocused and has no idea what it's doing. Hawke is not likable in any way shape or form, you perform meaningless tasks all game until near the end, which is completely rushed and unrealized. The ending is pathetic, quite honestly. There are a few interesting characters you can go on with, but there way more bland and uninteresting characters then there are interesting, the only decent ones in my opinion happen to be written by David Gaider, who did not have much to do with DA2, but wrote the majority of DA:O. Anders was completely butchered and DA2 just doesn't have interesting companions compared to pretty much everyone in DA:O.

    The inventory system and skill system have been dumbed down, and BioWare likes to boast that they made every skill useful and that simply is untrue, it's not better than DA:O in any way shape or form. Restoration magic is almost gone besides "heal and group heal", and combat is now flashy and "awesome" and no longer tactical.

    Oh, let's not forget about the DLC. There is more DLC weapons and armor in this game then actual armor in the core game. There is only about 5 models for every armor type and weapon in the entire game, pathetic.

    All in all, it's so disapointing that this game was released. It's worse than Deus Ex: Invisible War.    … Expand
  9. whitespider999
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    To me, dragon age 2 feels like a needed punishment for bioware. They missed the point of the franchise. The took away things that made the original so loved. However, the backlash that followed was black and white. People saw that it was worse, and dismissed it with a lower score than it probably deserved. Dragon age 2 IS a dissapointment. It's also not a 'bad game'. It's a good game. ItTo me, dragon age 2 feels like a needed punishment for bioware. They missed the point of the franchise. The took away things that made the original so loved. However, the backlash that followed was black and white. People saw that it was worse, and dismissed it with a lower score than it probably deserved. Dragon age 2 IS a dissapointment. It's also not a 'bad game'. It's a good game. It even shows glimmers of a great game. The characters are well written the world is good looking on a dx11 pc, and the combat - is more enjoyable. Where it looses it's footing is in it's scope and everything accociated with that. It feels like a DLC to a masterpiece, rather than the original masterpiece. And it certainly does not feel like a dragon age 2. However instead of giving it 0 just to prove a point. Objectivity must remain true. I enjoyed my time with this, and more i forgot dragon age origins, the more I ended up quite enjoying the journey.… Expand
  10. Equinocio
    Feb 9, 2012
    0
    A huge deception. Boring gameplay, dumbed down combat, poor graphics. Very sad indeed, doesn't even get near the firt game in terms of overall quality. Shame on you Bioware.
  11. Diabolos
    Feb 8, 2012
    1
    Short development time and EA joining up with Bioware shows. Dragon Age 2 is the successor to the now famous and great Dragon Age Origins. What went wrong? For starters this game, separated into 3 different chapters will have you using the same environment repeatedly. It reuses the same enemies repeatedly also. For example you will be in chapter 3, the final parts of the game in the sameShort development time and EA joining up with Bioware shows. Dragon Age 2 is the successor to the now famous and great Dragon Age Origins. What went wrong? For starters this game, separated into 3 different chapters will have you using the same environment repeatedly. It reuses the same enemies repeatedly also. For example you will be in chapter 3, the final parts of the game in the same locations fighting the same enemies as you were doing in chapter one. I have not seen a game reuse the same environments this many times as this in years. To make matters worse this game uses a spawning combat system. What I mean by that is, before an encounter you may be facing 3 thugs in an ally. When the actual fight starts you will be facing 8. Once those 8 are defeated, another randomless, nameless 4 appear. It is like this throughout the entire game, and it is completely immersion breaking. As for the story? You will spend 80% of the game collecting cash doing pointless fetch and return quests just to continue. Take my advice, avoid this game at any costs. It is repetitive, slow, and painfully boring to play.… Expand
  12. orca9999
    Feb 5, 2012
    10
    OK here it is ...

    It plays like a MMORPG and made it single player. But the AI is not good enough to act like other players, so they let you do so for combat. Now that being said, the combat is so fast, and the AI sucks so much that you will continually die to your stupid party mates. They found that out, so they let you "recover" or some such so every time you die becasue the party AI    OK here it is ...

    It plays like a MMORPG and made it single player. But the AI is not good enough to act like other players, so they let you do so for combat. Now that being said, the combat is so fast, and the AI sucks so much that you will continually die to your stupid party mates.

    They found that out, so they let you "recover" or some such so every time you die becasue the party AI is so bad, you can at least come back.

    But really why a MMO for a single player? I mean really we WANT TO DO cool combat stuff on our own, not just push a key when it it is not greyed out.

    Next, in this day and age we can load a HUGE world (like SKYRIM), why are we in this game only able to go to a shot list of area's?

    And even then, the running to an area made us aware of our "locality" in a world. With this game it feels like levels on a causal game map, not like were in an epic adventure.

    I did not try it without the high textures download. but one of the nice things is the great graphics. The story is fun, but when I am in it it makes me feel like I am just a bit part.

    It is a BIG step down from their last game and I am glad I got it on sale, so wasting a few hours didn't feel so bad.    … Expand
  13. Catsy
    Jan 26, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dragon Age 2 is a pretty average RPG that strips back the good parts of the last game and replaces them with cheap versions of it.
    I'm giving it a six as it's a quick game, which allows it to be replayed very easily. Even though the replay value is so low, the player still has a chance to go back and play with a different personality Hawke, and romance different characters.
    Good points include unbelievably quick combat that feels action-packed, witty dialogue, a wide range of weapons that look different from one another, and kinda interesting characters with different pasts.
    The downside of the characters are that there are just too obvious stereotypes with them. You have a warped Mage who wants to free his brethren and an elf who hates mages. Put these two together and you just have hate-spew. Other downsides include being unable to tell the party to HOLD and stay where they are, as when you move, after a certain distance, they follow you; being unable to use half the armour and weapons you find as characters have specific armour; being unable to mod the game apart from tiny tweaks; the list goes on.

    Not bad if you're only gonna pay $20 for it, but any more than that and it's not really worth it.    … Expand
  14. alceste007
    Jan 19, 2012
    9
    I recently got this game plus the downloadable content for a xmas present. I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the game. I liked the evade in combat that Bioware added to the game. I am surprised at the negative comments.
  15. Loco
    Jan 9, 2012
    1
    Dear EA.............We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.............. ButDear EA.............We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.............. But killing Dragon Age? After all the promise the first game had? All that potential, just wasted? Even you, EA, must recognise that you've crossed a line too far this time.............. So go ahead. Kill my favourite developers. Drain the life out of the whole industry if you have to. But leave Dragon Age alone. For the love of Ferelden, please, stop Mass Effect-ing what was once the greatest RPG franchise of this generation. Even you have to draw the line somewhere. -Loco… Expand
  16. amateurExpert
    Jan 4, 2012
    2
    This is a major let down and insult to the Dragon Age fans, solely made to make a quick buck by abusing fan base trust and expectations hold in a sequel to a great game.
    Usually a sequel builds on its predecessor making it better and bigger, DA2 does the exact opposite.
    Less races, less choices, less story, smaller world, less environment less depth, shorter production time etc. What can i    This is a major let down and insult to the Dragon Age fans, solely made to make a quick buck by abusing fan base trust and expectations hold in a sequel to a great game.
    Usually a sequel builds on its predecessor making it better and bigger, DA2 does the exact opposite.
    Less races, less choices, less story, smaller world, less environment less depth, shorter production time etc.
    What can i say, they did a sloppy short production sequel to milk money from trusting fans and used pre purchases to succeed in this SCAM.
    Never again will i buy anything from these crooks without testing it.
    Also they bought off the corrupted game reviewers who gave ridiculously high scores to this abomination.    … Expand
  17. Frek
    Dec 21, 2011
    3
    There were high expectations after the retail success of DA:O. I've decided to rate DAII a '3'. Here's my reason's for a 7 point deduction:
    Objective reasons: Recycled places. Every area in the game is copy and pasted several times throughout the game. A lot of RPG's do this but DAII takes this to the extreme. Enemies are spawned in 'waves' and often times magically appear above your head    There were high expectations after the retail success of DA:O. I've decided to rate DAII a '3'. Here's my reason's for a 7 point deduction:
    Objective reasons: Recycled places. Every area in the game is copy and pasted several times throughout the game. A lot of RPG's do this but DAII takes this to the extreme. Enemies are spawned in 'waves' and often times magically appear above your head in mid-air and drop onto the play field. Characters; because of the dialogue wheel any characters that are the same sex as your PC will appear to be gay. You'll feel that you are 'hit' on by every same sex character. This was a major negative for me. For example, as you play though the game as a male, both anders and fenris will 'make a pass' at you. You can either hit the 'heart' or 'break-heart' icons in the dialogue wheel. The end result is that you will feel like all romancable characters of the same sex are gay regardless of what you do.
    Subjective reasons: The art style, while I could have liked it had of this been the first game in the series, it was so drastically different from the first that it ended up changing the very lore and make up of the game. Darkspawn were now goofy looking stooges and such. I did not care much for the combat. It was much better paced but I found it to be considerably easier than DAO as far as tactics go. I played the PC version and on "hard" setting. The combat was quite easy and only challenged me on a handful of encounters.
    To date I can easily say this has been Biowares worst game. For the year 2011 there were a lot of noteable RPG's released. Bioware who in the past has always had the top RPG of the year will probably not be winning any awards. They were quite honestly beat at the own game by several other studios who released RPG's that were in a different league when it comes to excellence. Even the non-user metacritic scores will bear this out. Take a look at how many other RPG's scored much higher than DAII for the year 2011.
    I gave DAII a '3' for the reasons above. It would have been '0' had I of written this in March. It earned a '3' because I did manage to end up finishing the game, though with much perseverance and hope that at some point the game would actually redeem itself. DAII is now sitting on my shelf and I can quite confidently say that I will never touch it again after just one playthough. A sad first with all the Bioware games I have played since 1998.    … Expand
  18. Ztride
    Dec 21, 2011
    5
    When compared to is epic predecessor, DA: Origins, this is a joke. It features slightly improved combat, but the story is so goddamn boring and dull! Bioware should have spent twice as much time on this as they did, to make sure it is worthy of its name, and not just some linear, uninteresting spin-off.
  19. Broly
    Dec 21, 2011
    0
    Dumbed down game not worthy of the Dragon age name ... Everything was horrible compared to the original. But the sad part was that it sucks even as a stand alone game, regardless that the previous part was the game of the year. From the poor written script at the beginning of the story to bad interface and spawning creeps from thin air ... its just awfully bad

    pure money making ****
  20. Linx_vm
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    Terrible game on pc mediocre 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!!!!
  21. HD3
    Dec 16, 2011
    3
    It's hard to think of anything that probably hasn't been said already about this game, short of just how badly Bioware has handled it. Before this i was convinced they could not make a bad game but DA2 will dissapoint you especially if you enjoyed Bioware's earlier work. Suggest getting Baldur's Gate instead.
  22. Cauthon
    Dec 16, 2011
    5
    Let´s be fair about this one. While I share the disappointment of most Critics about this game:
    Compare it with most other PC games it´s still way above average. Compare it with Origins it fails utterly.
    After a long thirst in the PC: RPG world DA:O came along and delivered what we had missed since Knights of the Old Republic 1, almost Planescape Torment maybe: a    Let´s be fair about this one. While I share the disappointment of most Critics about this game:
    Compare it with most other PC games it´s still way above average. Compare it with Origins it fails utterly.
    After a long thirst in the PC: RPG world DA:O came along and delivered what we had missed since Knights of the Old Republic 1, almost Planescape Torment maybe: a damn good story in an RPG with atmosphere and well made none-archetype characters.

    This sequel now lost most of what made it´s predecessor special, the Matrix 2+3 of the gaming industry; somehow making part 1 worse in the bargain because the name is tainted now. That´s why we are rightfully angry about it. We paid money for it but the love is gone, they ripped us; the cow gives milk because it´s famous now. Why not exploid that?...

    but ...if they´d named it different, we´d all buy it and probably give it an 8 out of 10. Because this is what the genre has become. Predictable characters slashing their way to the next loot. Like watching a Wesley Snipes movie.    … Expand
  23. Siegfriedm
    Dec 9, 2011
    5
    I cancel the preorder of this game, 3 days before the release. I have to say more?
    I cancel the preorder after I tried the demo. Some days ago I had the opportunity to test the final game for a long period and I have to say: My decision was totally right!
    The game is not really so bad, but is too much simplified. The first Dragon Age was really good and sometimes remember me the great    I cancel the preorder of this game, 3 days before the release. I have to say more?
    I cancel the preorder after I tried the demo. Some days ago I had the opportunity to test the final game for a long period and I have to say: My decision was totally right!
    The game is not really so bad, but is too much simplified. The first Dragon Age was really good and sometimes remember me the great period of Baldur's Gate 2 :'( Dragon Age 2, is a kid-fanbase game. It's much near Diablo than to Baldur's Gate 2. All was simplified and changed in bad mode (IMHO): Inventory, graphic, fighting, etc...Anyway, I love the first Dragon Age and MAYBE I buy DA2 and finish it when an all-in-one edition will be available. But I don't like the Bioware method. They make a good 1st game (Mass Effect 1, Dragon Age 1), then they devastate them in 2nd chapter....    … Expand
  24. Wargizmo
    Dec 4, 2011
    7
    Amazed at all these butthurt fanboys giving this a 4 or below when it's clearly not a horrible game. No, it doesn't have nearly the depth of the first one, but on the other hand the combat feels greatly improved and the general interface, skill trees, inventory system and companion AI are extremely well thought out and eliminate a lot of the boringness that tends to go along with so manyAmazed at all these butthurt fanboys giving this a 4 or below when it's clearly not a horrible game. No, it doesn't have nearly the depth of the first one, but on the other hand the combat feels greatly improved and the general interface, skill trees, inventory system and companion AI are extremely well thought out and eliminate a lot of the boringness that tends to go along with so many RPGs, such as wasting time on inventory management or babysitting every companion so they actually do what they're supposed to in battle. The story and character development aren't quite as gripping as the original, but it's still 100 times better than what you would get in most games. I found the game challenging on hard, without being frustratingly difficult - most difficult encounters can be figured out after a couple of tries.

    The worst thing about the game is probably the recycling of all the environments; the game could have used a few more templates for cave and dungeon design, or better yet use a Diablo style dungeon generator. The other bad thing is, because the game progresses more over time than over game area it feels much less epic than the original, you seem to have a lot less of a world to explore so to speak, and the cities and towns feel a lot more generic, and hence have much less atmosphere. E.g. the difference between the mage, dwarf and elven areas in the original was huge, whereas in DA2 all the town areas kind of look alike, apart form the general difference between rich and poor areas. I appreciate the game might have been worse on release than it is now, since I'm currently playing on the 1.03 patch and haven't experienced any real quest bugs, glitches or crashes yet. To sum up, this is a solid RPG that's worth playing, especially if you're into more tactics/combat based RPGs. It's not as good as the first one but it's definitely worth more than a score of 3 or 4.    … Expand
  25. Mystril
    Nov 29, 2011
    2
    The first, and hopefully last, miss-step from Bioware. After about 10 hours play time I couldn't play the game anymore, I have before noticed copy paste dungeons/tiles/textures, but NOTHING to this degree. This game is one big copy paste and, it seems, the developers have been doing ALOT of sitting around, staring into the wall, not knowing what to do. I am sorry but the combat does notThe first, and hopefully last, miss-step from Bioware. After about 10 hours play time I couldn't play the game anymore, I have before noticed copy paste dungeons/tiles/textures, but NOTHING to this degree. This game is one big copy paste and, it seems, the developers have been doing ALOT of sitting around, staring into the wall, not knowing what to do. I am sorry but the combat does not make up for it, the "improved" graphics does not make up for it, the added voice acting to the protagonist does not make up for it. Because none of these improvements actually work in any meaningful way. I was hoping for a Dragon Age II, that was worthy of the title coming from the really well made Dragon Age: Origins, but I was seriously let down here. I wish I could get my money back, but alas, I am on the pc, so I can't. I did manage to drag myself through the game and complete it, and forget it. This game is not worth your money or your time, stay well clear.… Expand
  26. Lady_Chloe
    Nov 23, 2011
    2
    What is this? Oh yes, it is the latest greatest RPG - Dragon Age 2! WOW! That must be amazing, DX11 graphics, a successor to DA: Origins... what else can you hope for? I do not know if you can "hope" for this but you start a new game, are given a choice between a warrior, a mage and a rogue (OMG you can EVEN choose your sex!) and you are hurled into the game. Well, "game"... you are shownWhat is this? Oh yes, it is the latest greatest RPG - Dragon Age 2! WOW! That must be amazing, DX11 graphics, a successor to DA: Origins... what else can you hope for? I do not know if you can "hope" for this but you start a new game, are given a choice between a warrior, a mage and a rogue (OMG you can EVEN choose your sex!) and you are hurled into the game. Well, "game"... you are shown some weird videos and then an in-game scene with interrogration. Wha... INTERROGATION? AGAIN? Nooooooooo! No no no, this is a joke, right? Unfortunately, not. The guy in that chair is again reminiscing, talking in the same way like the guy in Battlefield - "yeah, I'm cool". Then you get bumped into the game.

    I will spare you lengthy descriptions of what can actually be ruined in an RPG. I will just sum it up - from a great RPG with a unique atmosphere, storytelling, dialogues... they just whipped up a terrible modern "action" RPG for consoles - for the masses. Characters talk like they are the "coolest guys" - yes, like the smart-ass you can run into everywhere these days. I do not even like my own character! Even her way of talking is irritating and the movement animations! OMG WHAT is that? I thought I would create a great elven sorceress (well elven, you cannot choose to be an elf in DA2 - and thank the Maker for that! Elves look disgusting in DA2!) but I am playing as a smart-ass modern city girl who is cosplaying as a mage. There goes the immersive experience... oh yes, just add some combo moves in DA3, will you? That will be PERFECT for the target audience.

    I forgot to say one thing. One more thing... the gorgeous DX11 graphics. The latest technology, it must look... in some places worse than Origins? Yes, I mean that. And the game is stuttering weirdly even though I am playing at "30 FPS". I guess there are 30 frames per second but nobody cares that two or three of them take 100ms to render (each)? Even the facial generation system was apparently rewritten because I am not able to create such a beauty like in Origins. Basically - beauty is nowhere to be found in DA2 and you are lucky when you manage to create an acceptable face (as long as you do not look at your character's head from the side).

    If I take DA2 as a mindless waste of time then yes, it is usable for that purpose. But as a great role playing experience, it fails miserably.    … Expand
  27. Jensen2023
    Nov 20, 2011
    2
    Oh DA II, let me count the ways in which you are a terrible game.

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

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

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

    I would imagine most people think otherwise.    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. thenameless1
    Nov 17, 2011
    0
    I never even played this POS 'game'. I heard enough, Bioware has killed itself. CDP Red is the new Bioware, even better than the previous one. With the masterpiece of TW2, they have made PS: Torment to look like a joke in comparison. **** this game.
  30. CKhound
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    This game is very very good to be honest. I know that some people throw some bad scores at it but the fact is that it does provide a very good experience. Now, having said that, i am a huge dragon age and bioware fan in general. This game is moreso like a mass effect game when you look at the speaking options in the game and also the way that you interact with things. It is stll a dragonThis game is very very good to be honest. I know that some people throw some bad scores at it but the fact is that it does provide a very good experience. Now, having said that, i am a huge dragon age and bioware fan in general. This game is moreso like a mass effect game when you look at the speaking options in the game and also the way that you interact with things. It is stll a dragon age game but it just doesnt feel like the first one at all, i 100% find dragon age origins to be one of the most fun games that i have ever laid my hands on, and even though dragon age 2 doesnt live up to it hardly, it is still an amazing game that is recommended for anyone who likes rpgs.… Expand
  31. Hazard
    Nov 15, 2011
    1
    Playing Dragon Age II is like having a bad case of food poisoning... Some new things happen in the same old areas, but none of it is any good and you wish it would end almost before it begins. I preordered the game to ASAP to get the free upgrade to the collectors edition and even upon receiving the game box I was already disappointed. It was just a DVD case with a single disc and somePlaying Dragon Age II is like having a bad case of food poisoning... Some new things happen in the same old areas, but none of it is any good and you wish it would end almost before it begins. I preordered the game to ASAP to get the free upgrade to the collectors edition and even upon receiving the game box I was already disappointed. It was just a DVD case with a single disc and some cards with codes on them. Couldn't even be troubled to send the sound track on a cd. Instead I had to download it. Then I started the game, I liked the beginning until the game play started then it went down hill fast. The choices didn't feel natural at all, the characters were forgettable and their motivations lacking. By the time I got to Kirkwall and started doing quests in the same dungeon I was thoroughly bored. Last time I preorder a Bioware game.… Expand
  32. moua
    Nov 14, 2011
    0
    TO ALL the gamers that never played DA:O first before this one? Your going to pour out your heart loving this game, but to all us veterns? We already know this is an Unholy Abominations that needs to destroyed. Or a possessed mage that's need to "Tranquil". Tranquil is exactly what happen to Dragon Age Origin. Tranquil+DA:O=DA2. 5/10*
  33. SirLance
    Nov 13, 2011
    5
    DA II failed to be remotely as good as the first game. Much as Mass Effect 2 was nowhere as good as the first one, Bioware has tried to make it "easier" with a lot less elements of role play. Instead of making a great PC game, they have made a console game and ported it over the PC. I give the first one a 10, this one was hardly worth playing, was it not for Isabela's great lines, itDA II failed to be remotely as good as the first game. Much as Mass Effect 2 was nowhere as good as the first one, Bioware has tried to make it "easier" with a lot less elements of role play. Instead of making a great PC game, they have made a console game and ported it over the PC. I give the first one a 10, this one was hardly worth playing, was it not for Isabela's great lines, it wouldn't be.… Expand
  34. Nytrox
    Nov 12, 2011
    0
    0-0 When i first tried DA: origins i thought that oblivion were the only "king of rpg's". I had to eat that back, because i suddently fell in love with that game, everything were at his place: the quests, the kind of battles, the plot, the dialogue... It was really awesome! while playing a little bit i realise that DA2 is gonna be released, i think to myself "its a little early, since its0-0 When i first tried DA: origins i thought that oblivion were the only "king of rpg's". I had to eat that back, because i suddently fell in love with that game, everything were at his place: the quests, the kind of battles, the plot, the dialogue... It was really awesome! while playing a little bit i realise that DA2 is gonna be released, i think to myself "its a little early, since its just 1 year of development from the first" but i didnt care much. Some months later i see DA2 in the store, so i gain some money to get it, I install it I try it oh dear. whats goin on with the battle? it looks like a button mashing contest everytime i have to challenge somebody, the graphics are if not equal even worse to the first one, even if its DX11 and the quests were all the goddamn same, collection quests all over the place! GET THIS GET THAT KILL THIS KILL THAT. gimme a break! In synthesis: 50 euros regretted… Expand
  35. Demonbox
    Nov 11, 2011
    4
    Sorry but no, this is how you ruin a good game (DA:O) with potential.
    If you liked the first one chances are you will not like much this new chapter.
    My vote could be a bit higher, but form this new franchise i was expecting way more than a console hack&slash with decent graphics. What bugged me more is the total lack of customization, you can just choose if bein female or male,mage    Sorry but no, this is how you ruin a good game (DA:O) with potential.
    If you liked the first one chances are you will not like much this new chapter.
    My vote could be a bit higher, but form this new franchise i was expecting way more than a console hack&slash with decent graphics.
    What bugged me more is the total lack of customization, you can just choose if bein female or male,mage warrior or rogue (which is just a weirdo fighter) but are forced to be human and forced to be a friggin Hawke that jumps and squeals like a weirdo to chop heads (yes even if you'r a mage you make weird moves).
    Story is decent, but straight: run here do this, run there do that, skip some ages, run there again (yes locations r repetitive) , skip some more ages and BAM ..the end!
    I felt abosolutely nothing about the character, it wasn't me, i didn't care at all, unlike the first episode.
    Next time we'll be forced to play a male warrior named Bingo Bongo with no option to choose?    … Expand
  36. anonVas
    Nov 10, 2011
    4
    To fans of Dragon Age: Origins be warned. This game does NOT do its predecessor justice. The first few hours of the game were fun, I enjoyed the smooth feel of combat and enjoyed Varric's humour very much. However the charm of DA2 wears off after you find yourself completing meaningless quests in the same area you had visited a couple of hours before. Bioware constantly recycle questTo fans of Dragon Age: Origins be warned. This game does NOT do its predecessor justice. The first few hours of the game were fun, I enjoyed the smooth feel of combat and enjoyed Varric's humour very much. However the charm of DA2 wears off after you find yourself completing meaningless quests in the same area you had visited a couple of hours before. Bioware constantly recycle quest environments and have put little effort into making the game as challenging as DA:O. In fact, every fight in the game is the same: You kill one wave of enemies and another instantly appears out of thin air. I am very disappointed in this game and it was no surprise to learn Bioware plans to create Dragon Age 3 by using the best parts of Origins and the best parts of DA2. I'll admit, combat is a major improvement for DA2, but the characters (except Varric) develop weakly. The story could have been soo much better (especially with regards to the Templar v Mages conflict) but it was just poorly executed. If you loved DA:O then heed this warning: The game has clearly been aimed at an audience difference from fans of the original. Do you remember the epic scene of King Cailan at the beginning of DA:O? Do you remember how mad you were at Loghain? You will NEVER feel that affectively connected with any characters in this game. This is a terrible, terrible piece of unimaginative work from Bioware.

    I cannot stress enough how bad it is that they reused the SAME areas over and over again for quests and how enemies materialise out of thin air. If you play on the hardest difficulty the enemies do not get smarter either, they are REALLY stupid.

    If you are about 15-16 or under, are a casual gamer who enjoys a quick 30 minute dip at a game each session, or if you like a quick action-orientated game then I could recommend this title to you. If you prefer detailed storyline, intricate characters, epic storytelling then DO NOT PURCHASE THIS GAME. I don't know how it is getting such rave reviews, but I'd imagine this is coming from its target audience (which is good I guess, considering that is what it was aimed at) but if you loved DA:O NEVER let this game EVER touch your Xbox or PC, EVER! It's quite funny to see how the XboX users found this generally positive than PC users (suggesting a consolified marketplace now).    … Expand
  37. fox294
    Nov 10, 2011
    3
    A true disappointment. I loved the original, but this couldn't be less engaging. I don't care about any of the characters and running back and forth through this stupid town has become a chore. I'd love to know how the Critic score is so high.
  38. Mr_Big
    Nov 10, 2011
    0
    After having had beat Baldur's gate before trying out this game, I can only think to myself how hard Bioware has fallen.Depth exchanged for puerile romance and tasteless violence.
  39. The_Gooser
    Nov 9, 2011
    6
    Not the most polished game, a little rushed, EA has taken control and mind wiped everyone at Bioware. Why must big publishers ruin a new franchise that was looking to be a mega hit regardless if it was not "actiony" enough.
  40. dobserver
    Nov 8, 2011
    7
    I played the first game, which was amazing and unique. I loved the story and the gameplay, the sound and the graphics and the characters! And I had high expectations for Dragon Age 2 (DA2). However, I was surprised that they tried to make the game more action packed for the more causal gamer. The graphics have been improved and they have added a story that is more like a movie. The storyI played the first game, which was amazing and unique. I loved the story and the gameplay, the sound and the graphics and the characters! And I had high expectations for Dragon Age 2 (DA2). However, I was surprised that they tried to make the game more action packed for the more causal gamer. The graphics have been improved and they have added a story that is more like a movie. The story telling is very typical Bioware which I always enjoyed, but I found that the impact of my decisions had less effect then in the previous game. The characters were also not as well built (no backstory, don't really get in touch with the personalities like in the first game). The gameplay is okay if you enjoy fast action/adventure type games, as opposed to the traditional 'pause' and lets plan our next move...which has been the tradition. Gamers who enjoyed the old system may be quite disappointed (hence the negative reviews). Overall a pretty okay game, but overshadowed by its predecessor. (Score 7.0)… Expand
  41. Chaozzak
    Nov 6, 2011
    4
    Horrible. port of console with average graphics and poor level design. Fast and easy combat where enemies popping everywhere. I finished this game and its really disappointing again Origins. I hope that DA3 will be much better
  42. Elco32
    Nov 2, 2011
    1
    A consolized mess of sloppy and lazy game design. DA:O is one of my favorite RPG's ever, and ive been playing them since the atari computer. DA2 shares nothing in common with its predecessor except for the core IP.

    some of the story elements were well done, but I can't give this game a higher score, because I felt betrayed as a loyal Bioware fan by what they did with thie "sequel"
  43. chaway
    Nov 2, 2011
    6
    As a very big fan of the RPG games, like Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale etc. and after playing Dragon Age : Origins + Awakening, i really couldn`t wait for this game. Everything what developers showed us on trailers looked amazing, new battle system, new story, everything. Then day of relase came and i was more suprised than ever. After Dragon Age : Origins i expected something good as it orAs a very big fan of the RPG games, like Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale etc. and after playing Dragon Age : Origins + Awakening, i really couldn`t wait for this game. Everything what developers showed us on trailers looked amazing, new battle system, new story, everything. Then day of relase came and i was more suprised than ever. After Dragon Age : Origins i expected something good as it or even much better, but EA and Bioware suprised me with wrong decision. Ok, let`s say the main plot wasn`t that bad but could be better, side quest was almost the same and then cherry of the top of the cake THE SAME CAVES. Ok, i can understand that making some maps or caves can be very boring but if you are making game when all the caves are the same, then something is wrong, oh and one small minus for equipment for team members which you can change apart of weapons... that sux. Anyway, apart of those mistakes everything was quite ok, new battle system is very interesting, new dialog system is quite good aswell (BUT DELETE THIS SYMBOLS NEXT TO EVERY SENTENCE). If you are big fan of RPG, you can play it but don`t expect from this game too much.… Expand
  44. roboticsun
    Nov 1, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age 2 is still a average to good game from Bioware. After putting 50 hours in this game, I can understand why so many people hate this game, but if you calm down and try to enjoy it you will find it has its won merit. I spent 45 hours on my first play through in hard difficulty, right now still on my 2nd play through in nightmare difficulty. Story wise, I read a lot of reviewsDragon Age 2 is still a average to good game from Bioware. After putting 50 hours in this game, I can understand why so many people hate this game, but if you calm down and try to enjoy it you will find it has its won merit. I spent 45 hours on my first play through in hard difficulty, right now still on my 2nd play through in nightmare difficulty. Story wise, I read a lot of reviews saying how shallow the story is. However, I think the reason is most people are used to 'the lord of ring' formula. This game is not about slaying evil like the first game but a story through Hawke's life in Kirkwall. It seems there is no clear goal for the story, but there are lots of lore about dragon age world. The plot is simple, just about How the Ferelden refugee Hawke gains power in Kirkwall. But through Hawke's life you will find the conflicts between Qun and Chantry (the religion conflicts between human and qunari), you will know more about Dalish's and surface dwarves culture and of course you will learn more about the struggles between Templars and mages. The most engaging part of the game is Hawkes family and companions all have their own story, you wont feel they just suddenly pop out. Though the plot is pretty linear, you can still make lots of choices, side with different forces and influence how they will end including the companions. Origins did better Companion characters. Dragon age 2 is similar to Awakening. You can not interact with companions unless there are companion's quests. Of course there are a lot of quests from companions. Through those quests, you can push them to Friendship or Rivalry with Hawke based on your dialog choices. It's actually interesting to see how different they will treat Hawke as friend or as rivalry. And one thing I like about dragon age 2 is you actually can see how the companions are interacted with each other through cut scenes, also they will act differently as friend or as rivalry. To avoid the spoilers, I do not want to talk about companions in dragon age 2, but generally Origins' companions have more distinct personalities, of course you can see several cameos of them. Also the Warden in first game is cited a couple of times. as for combat, Many hardcore rpg gamers may hate this combat system. I can see the reason behind that. But generally combat in dragon age 2 is better and well balanced despite the animations. I did not play in easy and normal difficulties, because I know they are not designed for PC gamers. However, I found the hard mode is a satisfying tactical combat experience. Mages and rogues are vulnerable to physical damages and their actions will be interrupted often, so you will need to pause often and relocate them to avoid damage and use warrior to taunt enemies wisely. Boss fights will take quite a while, because of their huge amount of health and continuous reinforcements, however most bosses in the main plot are not very challenging, the hard parts are all in side quests. So it wont be very difficult to finish the game in hard mode. I played in nightmare for a few hours, it really takes a long time for a single battle, because you either have to relocate party members or kite frequently to avoid friendly fire or you have to kill enemies one by one without skills or spells with area effects. And bioware is being lazy on this, they put even more health and resistances to enemies but not working on AI, so some battles are just being tedious at the end. The environment design is the major flaw of this game. A lot of recycle dungeons and recycle music from Origins. I can see Bioware really rushed this game to be released (or EA forced them to rush). However, I probably will tolerate this, since this is really not the thing I care about. Because of the revamped combat system, I can see a lot of people will lose interests in this game, Though personally I do enjoy my first play through for 45 hours and I still have a couple of side quests I found but did not finish them. It's certainly shorter than Origins which took me 60 hours for first play through on hard mode. But this is still a good game if you really get into it. if you like party based tactical combat like dragon age origins and world of warcraft, I suggests you start with hard difficulty and most likely you will like dragon age 2.… Expand
  45. ttocs
    Oct 31, 2011
    8
    It's in no way a bad game, it just doesn't reach the heights that the first one did. The console heavy gameplay on the PC really isn't well suited for the type of game most people expected. This should have been an off shoot Dragon Age game, not 2.
  46. Adoramei
    Oct 30, 2011
    2
    This was a TERRIBLE game. Especially following Dragon Age: Origins. DA:O was one of my favourite games of all time. Yes, there is a graphics upgrade, but no, it doesn't look great. Whomever decided that the tribal cardboard cutout idea was a great idea.. really should have been reevaluated. It feels lazy to me. In fact, many things about this game feels lazy to me. (Including theThis was a TERRIBLE game. Especially following Dragon Age: Origins. DA:O was one of my favourite games of all time. Yes, there is a graphics upgrade, but no, it doesn't look great. Whomever decided that the tribal cardboard cutout idea was a great idea.. really should have been reevaluated. It feels lazy to me. In fact, many things about this game feels lazy to me. (Including the copy-paste maps. I mean.. come on!) I feel like they put everything into paint and then enlarged it and saved it that way. There are these missing pixels that show up as random white dots in the middle of black/dark spaces.
    And as a female player, I'd have to say.. we've gone back to the big-boobs-sell-all thing now? Ugh. Have some class. At least the women are more shapely than in DA:O.. but then again, just barely. Speaking of character designs.. what the heck were they smoking when they remade EVERYONE? I mean, I think that Elves have the worst of it. Qunari probably had the best. I mean, first off, who decided that every single Dalish had to suddenly have Irish accents? (Save for Merril, who has a Welsh accent.) I LOVE Irish accents, but I feel like the whole thing is forced in this case. I mean, yeah, we get it.. they're different. We really don't have to have our hand held like we're slow. That's a minor thing though. But their new designs.. Oh my god. Okay, don't get me wrong. I grew up as a huge anime fan. I was one of those kids that dreamed of becoming a manga-ka one day. But.. Holy gods. Did some 12 year old Asianophile girl that just started drawing.. design the elves? Seriously. I drew better than this at that age. Basically, elves are now emaciated anorexics with beach balls for heads and giant anime eyes, which wouldn't be complete without their generous amounts of sparkles! It just.. doesn't fit. It looks terrible. It looks like elves have to chase their heads around pretty often because if they lean too far one way, it might snap right off of their neck. Oh, and in case we weren't smart enough to tell that they were elves with that, they made sure that the ears are big enough to be noticed. Because, y'know, we all lack the power of observation.
    I'd run out of room if I put all of my complaints here, by the way, so I'll try to keep it short.
    The characters are awful. I mean, at first, I was freaking out that Anders would be in DAII. Now, I wish they hadn't touched him. He.. is.. ruined. Now, the characters all have their vital flaws. I really don't feel like they took into account the fact that we can think for ourselves. They really, really shove the flaws into your face constantly in the game. I seriously think that the voice actors must have been very confused about why they had to repeat the same lines over and over and over again. Let's just say that I think Fenris said the word "mage" more times in the game than I ever have in my lifetime.
    But wow. Vital flaws. Let's just say that all in all, your character means nothing. Your character is a "Champion", yes, but it really doesn't mean anything. No matter how many times you play through the game, it will end the same way. The same things will happen. The same people will do fool-arsed things, and no matter what you say or do.. your decisions only affect a very, very small part of the game. This is really obvious too since there is no recognition for your hard-fought decisions. So.. do whatever you want. It won't matter.
    I love the pat on the back for making the right decisions. Having the credits tell me, "You united ___ with ____ and despite their hardships, they ended up making the world better by not returning in Dragon Age II to be ruined!" True story. I was there. And being a chick gamer, character development is what I really focus on. ALL of the characters are predictable in their "development". They are all dufuses in their own right. Varric, although pretty amusing, is pretty bland. I almost never remember to mention him. Fenris is my chosen romance for any playthrough, despite his massive flaws. (By the way, if you're a total romantic, his is probably the worst romance. Almost akin to.. Carth Onasi's, which was in a game where I really don't think that they catered to female players.) I figure that it's still better than any other romance option. Merril makes me homicidal. They first make her an absolute idiot. THEN, they tried to really push the "cute" factor with her. Have they FORGOTTEN the whole.. forbidden magic thing? I could write on for DAYS about her. Isabela is hilarious, but she's a whore, and I'm a bit of a purist in that sense. So.. I'm stuck with a character with Gideon Emery's voice. I think that makes him > all. Anyhow, I'm out of room. Let me just say that.. The game is an overall downgrade. The critics who recanted and now say that the story is incredible.. well.. we know EA has deep pockets. This game is more for WoW kiddies vs. real gamers. Easy analogy.    … Expand
  47. icarusorigin
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Worst game I have ever played. I have nothing much to say about it but man I am disappointed with it..after dragon age 1 being such a great game this was a huge let down
  48. Viljanen
    Oct 25, 2011
    3
    Compared to Dragon Age: Origins this game is totally uninspired and boring. It seems they took everything that was good in the prequel, removed it and replaced it with everything that was bad in DA:O. The combat system is too simplified and the story never takes off.
  49. zachirag
    Oct 13, 2011
    10
    What a great game... not perfect but very good.
    in fact it just like DAO.
    so why i gave it a 10. Well because i dont agree with the user score. the user score need to be at least 8.5 I didnt play BG1 or 2 so I am not a "true" fan of rpg but i finished DA1 with over 120 hours and of DA 2 and the two DLC MOTA , legacy with over 70 hours, fallout 3 -60, fallout NV-150, oblivion-350, DIABLO    What a great game... not perfect but very good.
    in fact it just like DAO.
    so why i gave it a 10. Well because i dont agree with the user score. the user score need to be at least 8.5
    I didnt play BG1 or 2 so I am not a "true" fan of rpg but i finished DA1 with over 120 hours and of DA 2 and the two DLC MOTA , legacy with over 70 hours, fallout 3 -60, fallout NV-150, oblivion-350, DIABLO 1-2-90, torchlight-55, dungeon siege 1,2,3-76 , sacred 1-2-140, Divinity 1,2-135, so yea i am not what you consider a rpg lover, i dont role play,, expect in bed, i dont play D&D of any kind, i dont buy most games but DAO and DA2 i pre-ordered.
    skyrim here i come............ DA3333333    … Expand
  50. Aiden_Cora
    Oct 9, 2011
    0
    What a horrible, horrible sequel. Boring story, boring quests, recycled locations, boring and shallow dialogue and insulting ending. This game should have been called "Flashy Hack & Slash OMG!" And to all that said to judge DA II on it's own and not as a sequel, well it IS a sequel. It's called Dragon Age II, that's like saying not to treat Spider Man 3 like a Spider Man movie...
  51. Zarmi
    Oct 8, 2011
    3
    Dragon Age II is like taking everything that made Dragon Age: Origins good, strip it away, add a mediocre mainstreamed gameplay with repetitive actions and environment, a story where your choices doesn't affect the outcome at all and the most boring overall game I have played in a long time. Yes, the combat is more action packed and flashy, but it ultimately is also a lot more boring,Dragon Age II is like taking everything that made Dragon Age: Origins good, strip it away, add a mediocre mainstreamed gameplay with repetitive actions and environment, a story where your choices doesn't affect the outcome at all and the most boring overall game I have played in a long time. Yes, the combat is more action packed and flashy, but it ultimately is also a lot more boring, because it stripped away the entire strategic element. I speak this after completing the game on Hard and not needing any sort of healer or crowd control at all. A simple combo of damage, damage, damage and damage was more than enough due to the fact you can easily set up group kills with the Disorients or Frozen, easing up the gameplay even further. The game, is bad, and I suggest buying Origins instead if you're new to the Dragon Age series.… Expand
  52. ZzrowGraff
    Oct 7, 2011
    0
    I LOVED DAO. It was a masterpiece. DA2 is garbage well-described in many earlier reviews. My purpose in writing this review is to bring to your attention the fact that at gamestop.com Morrowwind:GOTY costs $19.99 while DA2 costs $19.95. Bioware's tour-de-farce is less marketable several months after its release than a game that came out in 2002. If that doesn't clue you in, go ahead andI LOVED DAO. It was a masterpiece. DA2 is garbage well-described in many earlier reviews. My purpose in writing this review is to bring to your attention the fact that at gamestop.com Morrowwind:GOTY costs $19.99 while DA2 costs $19.95. Bioware's tour-de-farce is less marketable several months after its release than a game that came out in 2002. If that doesn't clue you in, go ahead and waste your money. I wish I could sell you my copy for the $60 I paid for it. :)… Expand
  53. Seorl
    Oct 4, 2011
    3
    As a person who absolutely loved games like neverwinter nights and all of its expansions, I naturally fell in love with Dragon Age: Origins. Playing Dragon Age 2 was a massive change of tone from the original to such an extent it doesn't seem similar at all. Massive amounts of functionality and customization were torn from this game when compared to its predecessor. I've tried numerousAs a person who absolutely loved games like neverwinter nights and all of its expansions, I naturally fell in love with Dragon Age: Origins. Playing Dragon Age 2 was a massive change of tone from the original to such an extent it doesn't seem similar at all. Massive amounts of functionality and customization were torn from this game when compared to its predecessor. I've tried numerous times with each class to finish this game, but i inevitably get bored and stop playing after only a few hours. Maybe i had too high of hopes to begin with since Dragon Age: Origins was just so awesome, but I feel now that my money and my time could have been better spent.… Expand
  54. smash_monsanto
    Oct 4, 2011
    4
    It isn't a really bad game. But compared with DAO, Kotor 1+2 or BG 1+2 it is completely useless. Just another milestone on biowares way down to become a casual game company.
  55. hypertension
    Oct 4, 2011
    4
    Having played to the end I can definitely say this is a step backward from the first game. While the original might have needed slight improvement many of the role-playing elements here are overly streamlined and are now lacking depth. The main problem for me though is the agonising repetition of locations which has held back any thought of going through the game a second time.
    I might    Having played to the end I can definitely say this is a step backward from the first game. While the original might have needed slight improvement many of the role-playing elements here are overly streamlined and are now lacking depth. The main problem for me though is the agonising repetition of locations which has held back any thought of going through the game a second time.
    I might have given this a 5 if I had a better graphics card but then graphics in these types of games aren't that important.    … Expand
  56. Zerael
    Oct 2, 2011
    2
    Take everything that made Origins great and strip it out from its grandness; congratulations: you have acquired the new installment on "new" and "modern" crpg, Dragon Age 2.

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

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

    Definitely, not only one of the major disappointments in the recent game industry, also a clear case of a big company "buying" good reviews from specialized press.    … Expand
  57. ardacakir
    Sep 27, 2011
    1
    As a RPG player, this game should not interest you a little bit. If you haven't played Dragon Age Origins, go do that and forget about there is a sequel. Dragon Age story ends there, this game is only showing us how we can kill the same kind of monsters we met at DAO and how we can kill in large quantities. This game is an action game do not expect RPG. After this game, I actually begin toAs a RPG player, this game should not interest you a little bit. If you haven't played Dragon Age Origins, go do that and forget about there is a sequel. Dragon Age story ends there, this game is only showing us how we can kill the same kind of monsters we met at DAO and how we can kill in large quantities. This game is an action game do not expect RPG. After this game, I actually begin to hate the new face of Bioware.… Expand
  58. Kimmeh
    Sep 23, 2011
    8
    1st and foremost, taken on it's own merit, dragon age 2 is a good game. It tries to do a lot of things different from its predecessor and it has mixed success. Giving it a score of anything below a 5 is ridiculous. Why? Because it's still a good rpg. Having said that, there are things that stand out as annoying. I didn't like the constant reuse of dungeon areas but it wasn't a deal1st and foremost, taken on it's own merit, dragon age 2 is a good game. It tries to do a lot of things different from its predecessor and it has mixed success. Giving it a score of anything below a 5 is ridiculous. Why? Because it's still a good rpg. Having said that, there are things that stand out as annoying. I didn't like the constant reuse of dungeon areas but it wasn't a deal breaker. The choices you make don't really effect a huge proportion of the story either. Certain events are inevitable and the choices that have some presumable impact don't do it on the scale we saw in origins with choices effecting allies we could call upon in the end of the game. It's still a good game after the fact. Party members can still have their abilities and skills tailored if not their outfits. You have to play Hawke but it's not a bad thing. I find it difficult to see how dragon age 2 is continually slated and the Witcher 2 gets away with a lot less. For instance dragon age 2's controls are far more intuitive and easier to customize. If you play the Witcher 2 you have to exit the game before being able to effectively customize keyboard controls. Combat is even less strategic than da2 and party customization is non existent given that Geralt is a one man show. I think it's important to compare the two. Both are good games with there own faults but da2 is taking a lot of flack for not being dragon age origins 2. I enjoy da2 and I replay it a fair bit. It's definitely different, from the experience of dragon age origins but trying something a bit different is sometimes a good thing. Don't be put off by scores less than 5 in my opinion. It may not have been the dragon age 2 everyone was hoping for but it's still worthy of a good long play through or two.

    Unless of course not being able to change your party's outfits drastically, turns you emo    … Expand
  59. chargerboy
    Sep 19, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very poor game, especially considering that BioWare didn't have to fix very much that was wrong with Origins anyway. The premise of Dragon Age 2 is fine, and at first glance seems to set the scene really well for any future sequel, and indeed would have made for a fine game if they hadn't completely dumbed it down for console players, er I mean, tried to 'capture a larger audience'. They took what was essentially a very decent RPG that had a few flaws, and turned it into a consolized corridor slashfest with wave based combat that fails nearly everywhere Origins succeeded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Final word. If you're expecting a sequel to Origins, this ain't it. DA2 had so much promise, I was actually expecting it to expand on Flemeth's plans that were alluded to in Origins, and thereby set the scene for an awesome Dragon Age 3, but no...it was ruined by a developer trying to appeal to as many people as possible, and also stinks of a big rush job to capitalize on the success of Origins. By itself the game barely rates a 5/10, but because it has a big fat 2 in its title and wasn't the sequel I wanted despite being marketed as such, I'm giving it 2/10.    … Expand
  60. Sh0dan
    Sep 18, 2011
    2
    With DA: Origins BioWare captured a tiny bit of the magic they used to have in their heyday with the likes of Baldurs Gate 2 and KOTOR, and in my opinion that strategic, tactical "thinking" gameplay felt like a step in the right direction, particularly the PC version with its overhead distant perspective allowing us to get a good view of the battlefield. However this game just feels soWith DA: Origins BioWare captured a tiny bit of the magic they used to have in their heyday with the likes of Baldurs Gate 2 and KOTOR, and in my opinion that strategic, tactical "thinking" gameplay felt like a step in the right direction, particularly the PC version with its overhead distant perspective allowing us to get a good view of the battlefield. However this game just feels so watered down and casualised its just lost all of that past BioWare magic. I felt the same about Mass Effect 2 also, which seemed dumbed down and more about mindless action. So if anyone else out there reading this felt the same about that game, then trust me, DA2 will disappoint you too.… Expand
  61. Marou
    Sep 14, 2011
    4
    I have always enjoyed Bioware games...until the last couple of years. This game includes multiple 0-day DLC that are integrated obtrusively directly into the game. You will receive a quest, which will then ask you to give EA your credit card information to complete. The combat looks wonderful but is regrettably very shallow; enemies drop directly on top of your characters (spawn inI have always enjoyed Bioware games...until the last couple of years. This game includes multiple 0-day DLC that are integrated obtrusively directly into the game. You will receive a quest, which will then ask you to give EA your credit card information to complete. The combat looks wonderful but is regrettably very shallow; enemies drop directly on top of your characters (spawn in waves), making any types of strategic approach impossible. Hit and miss chances are not even calculated, taking "press a button and something awesome happens" to it's logical extreme. This has the unfortunate effect of making every fight a grueling battle of attrition that lasts quite a long time. The story leaves much to be desired; it's admirable that Bioware wanted to do a more personal story, rather than a grand epic. However, this sentiment falls flat on it's face in multiple ways. The first several hours of the game involves running around town and doing MMORPG style quests for random NPC's, this was very tedious and boring; and it took me quite a long time to build up the motivation to continue. Interactions with companion characters and NPC's are dumbed down into clearly marked categories. These seem to be Goody-Goody, Smartass, and Evil. Many NPC's can't be interacted with at all, and spout one line of dialogue when clicked on. This is by far the majority of the NPC characters in the world, and it's very reminiscent of SNES era Japanese RPGs. The environment is very limited, and very often copy pasted. You will travel the same caves and interior rooms over and over. Optional content is very shallow, and while fully voiced always results in you killing people. As mentioned earlier, the quests over-all have a very MMORPG feel to them. I completed this game in 25 hours. Due to Bioware's decision to strip modding capability from this sequel, I will likely never play it again. I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone, there are much better things out there to spend your money on.… Expand
  62. Yddraiggoch
    Sep 10, 2011
    0
    I'm really not going to waste an awful lot of my time on this. Wasted enough time and money by buying the game in the first place Terrible interface and camera view.
    Dumbed down combat.
    Dumbed down skills system.

    I thought DA:O was as about as low as you can go for "Inclusiveness" - DA2 has shown me how wrong I was!!!! But what do you expect from Electronic Arse and Blow-Ware?
  63. dreambob
    Sep 10, 2011
    6
    This game is not up to standard with today's AAA games. the environments are boring and lifeless, I've spent more time looking at the mini map than my surroundings simply because there is int much to look at. The dungeons are a copy and paste of one and a other. I wont complain about the fighting, it's fast ,exciting and you need to use strategies in most fights.
    The best part of dragon    This game is not up to standard with today's AAA games. the environments are boring and lifeless, I've spent more time looking at the mini map than my surroundings simply because there is int much to look at. The dungeons are a copy and paste of one and a other. I wont complain about the fighting, it's fast ,exciting and you need to use strategies in most fights.
    The best part of dragon age 2 is the conversation system. The graphics are a lot better, the voice acting is excellent and the dialog choices are fun however, the story line is not that engaging. Dragon age 2 feels cheep and unfinished, I do not recommend.    … Expand
  64. Rosiello
    Sep 10, 2011
    5
    After having played DA2 for a while and calming myself down from the initial rage - it took months believe - I can write a review of this game with reason.

    Is DA2 a bad game per se? No, it's not. It's fun in its own way, but If the game was called "Grandma Hawke killing ugly monsters" I wouldn't have problems with it, maybe I would have enjoyed it, but fact is it's called Dragon Age 2;    After having played DA2 for a while and calming myself down from the initial rage - it took months believe - I can write a review of this game with reason.

    Is DA2 a bad game per se? No, it's not. It's fun in its own way, but If the game was called "Grandma Hawke killing ugly monsters" I wouldn't have problems with it, maybe I would have enjoyed it, but fact is it's called Dragon Age 2; THAT is a problem.

    The combat system, with all its flaws is fun and well thought. With a higher level of difficulty it manages to be quite tactical and yet frenetic. But for all it's bloody glory it's still not as good as the first title's system.

    The graphics are not bad, but they're not improved either. They look more polished, but the old flaws of the first Dragon Age - like the low quality textures - are still there. The fact we see the same locations all the time it doesn't help much.

    The companions, with the exception of Varric and Aveline, are not very imaginative. Moreover there is one I loathe with passion: Fenris. If a "Mary Sue Grand Prize" will ever be created I think he'll win the 2011 edition hands down. I don't think I've ever met a character so predictable and uninteresting I could speak his own lines before he delivered them.

    The thing that puzzles me is that Dragon Age 2 looks more like a Mass Effect 2 sequel than a Dragon Age one, and it just does not make sense, given the fan base. The game mechanics, the storytelling, even the character design are very similar, DA2 manages to be even more linear. For example trying different dialogue options in a different play-through gives similar results in a lot of side-quests, and sometimes even in the main ones. Of course there are multiple endings, but the fact is that they are poorly executed and some of the companions will end doing things that don't have sense at all!

    One of the problems is that Dragon Age was marketed as the spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate; and it was. It expanded the concept, added a great storytelling, compelling characters, but it was true to its roots. Everyone who loved Baldur's Gate loved Dragon Age too, maybe more. So we were expecting a title that was similar, expanding the concept, but remaining true to its roots. With DA2 it was not the case, the game was something different and at times not even a roleplaying game. There is no exploration, limited character development and interaction.

    Looking for innovation is not a bad thing, but the game is not innovating in any field and so it's hard to appreciate it, even if, as I said, it's not that bad, but it's a rushed job and it looks like one.    … Expand
  65. Lorenna
    Sep 5, 2011
    9
    There is very little wrong with Dragon Age II regardless of what others may say. Aside from the limited number of talks you can engage in with party members and the reuse of the same areas in the game which I will admit left me feeling a little disappointed, DA2 is otherwise an excellent game. It has come a long way from the mess that was Dragon Age: Origins. First and most noticeablyThere is very little wrong with Dragon Age II regardless of what others may say. Aside from the limited number of talks you can engage in with party members and the reuse of the same areas in the game which I will admit left me feeling a little disappointed, DA2 is otherwise an excellent game. It has come a long way from the mess that was Dragon Age: Origins. First and most noticeably Bioware has greatly improved the combat. I have seen another user, Danarchist, describe the combat from DA:O as a 'clumsy puppet show'. I can think of no better way to describe the combat from the first game. In DA2 instead of the silly looking combat animations of the first game where you lift a sword into the air for about 5 seconds before even striking your foe, the combat is now a much faster, aggressive, exciting and active system. The combat is not 'dumbed down' in DA2, it is more exciting and gripping and less likely to bore you to death unlike the slow paced combat of DA:O. Visually, DA2 is beautiful. While DA2 graphics might not be the best graphics ever, they are still much better in comparison to the sloppy graphics of its predecessor. For a game released in 2009 DA:O had some of the worst graphics I've seen. Games years older than it had better graphics. While DA2 does not have the best graphics they are still beautiful and can at least compete with other games out there today. Many people have expressed disappointment that you could not customize your party members appearance. I found that I hardly noticed as it does not impact your gameplay. I actually preferred it. It makes more sense. Why would people run around wearing what you told them to wear? The look of what your companions wear suits them and you can find items to upgrade the stats so you are not put at a disadvantage. Aveline for example is a member of the guard.How would it make sense for me to throw some big clunky armor on her that is not even guard uniform? It just doesn't. What companions chose to wear suits them and like with Aveline represents who they are. Bioware could have had different outfits like in Mass Effect 2 that you can unlock and switch to. However, as it stands I do not believe it's something worth crying over. It does not make the game terrible. If your really that bothered about it go find a mod. There a few out there that alter companions outfits and looks. My biggest disappointment with DA2 was that there was very few instances where I could go to have a conversation with party members. I would have liked to be able to go visit them and strike up a conversation with them at other points during the game too. This is perhaps one thing Bioware could look into in future games. The addition of each party member having their own 'base' or home was a nice change though and one I liked very much. Another thing I have heard much complaint about in DA2 is the absence of a real story, or that the story was terrible and had no structure. This is simply not true. With DA2 Bioware have attempted to do something different from your run of the mill RPG and have done so very well. The intro to the game is one of the best I've seen and pulls you in right from the beginning. The ending also is very satisfying. For those who played DA:O, it has one of those rare WTF moments you rarely find in games. The last few moments of the game change everything you thought you knew about the game from playing it to something completely different. It is not only the ending and the beginning that is very well done though, the whole story is one that is well worth experiencing. DA:O had a bland story in comparison to DA2. It does not even compare. Like so many games out there DA:O was simply monster/bad guy trying to take over the world. Go here get allies, go here get more then kill it. DA:O's story was boring and unimaginative and where it tries to shock and excite you with plot twists, they are sadly something anyone with any intelligence would have suspected from the beginning of the game. This was not the case with DA2. It is not simply a case of big scary evil that we must work to defeat. Instead each act holds new surprises. There is no big bad guy at the end which you must work through the whole game to defeat. In DA2 Bioware have tried to do something different and have done so remarkably well. DA:O is said to be the spiritual successor to Baldurs Gate. True DA:O is done in the style of older RPGS like BG but it also tries to be something its not. DA:O is not KoToR or BG and will never compare to these epic RPGS. Nor will DA2, but it's not trying to. DA2 is done in a style different to that of other RPGS and cannot be faulted for not being as good. Those who say DA2 is not as good as DA:O have perhaps not realized that games develop. They will not stay the same forever nor should they. DA2 does not pretend to be something its not, it's a new way of playing an RPG and is worth your money, more so than DA:O even for just its story.… Expand
  66. Joha
    Sep 5, 2011
    2
    While I absolutely loved Dragon Age Origins, I had too big expectations for this game. TO me it does not feel like Origins where strikes were realistic and strategy was a must. Endless spawns of enemies and anime-like combat and weapons (bigger better!) are the things that kill the game. Graphics are cartoonish and I am ok with that. As for locations, you practically see 3 or 4 differentWhile I absolutely loved Dragon Age Origins, I had too big expectations for this game. TO me it does not feel like Origins where strikes were realistic and strategy was a must. Endless spawns of enemies and anime-like combat and weapons (bigger better!) are the things that kill the game. Graphics are cartoonish and I am ok with that. As for locations, you practically see 3 or 4 different ones, since all the dungeons are the same... just with different doors open. BUt the thing I absolutely dislike about this game is the dialogue wheel where it even shows you what kind of approach is that. Where are the multiple options where you had to think to not piss some people off? Guess most of today's games are made for fast selling and 12-14 year old public.… Expand
  67. zimm
    Sep 2, 2011
    3
    Pathetically Simplified to what is basically a hack n' Slash fest.
    The only reason i have not given it a 0/10 is for the second act plot. the first act was dull and the third act seemed as if it had been cobbled together by a drunken 13 year old. the second act however was very interesting and presented intriguing questions of morality, and a growing tension between the qunari and the    Pathetically Simplified to what is basically a hack n' Slash fest.
    The only reason i have not given it a 0/10 is for the second act plot. the first act was dull and the third act seemed as if it had been cobbled together by a drunken 13 year old. the second act however was very interesting and presented intriguing questions of morality, and a growing tension between the qunari and the citizens of kirkwall.
    User choice plays little role, repetitive non varied environments, no need for thought about combat, and a cast of forgettable characters + a darkspawn redesign that changed them from creatures that i was at times genuinely scared of to waddling clowns    … Expand
  68. mwak
    Aug 30, 2011
    2
    +2 for the artistic effort. But even if you look at it like a hack and slash, it's not fun and repetitive. If you look at it like a sequel to Dragon Age , it's ... not that ... it's just a name + II on a box. The scenario is no so bad ... realization is so very bad. It's not a bioware game at all ... just a bad-o-ware game. Too Human was really more interresting in the same game style.+2 for the artistic effort. But even if you look at it like a hack and slash, it's not fun and repetitive. If you look at it like a sequel to Dragon Age , it's ... not that ... it's just a name + II on a box. The scenario is no so bad ... realization is so very bad. It's not a bioware game at all ... just a bad-o-ware game. Too Human was really more interresting in the same game style. (how is it even possible :( )… Expand
  69. dule711
    Aug 29, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age: Origins was one of best games I have ever played so I expected from Dragon Age 2 to be even better than original. I was wrong. Dragon Age 2 is a good game but is simpler in all means than Origins It looks like Mass Effect with dialogue wheel, no option to change companion armour, less opportunities to talk with them witch resulted in weaker characters and more action inDragon Age: Origins was one of best games I have ever played so I expected from Dragon Age 2 to be even better than original. I was wrong. Dragon Age 2 is a good game but is simpler in all means than Origins It looks like Mass Effect with dialogue wheel, no option to change companion armour, less opportunities to talk with them witch resulted in weaker characters and more action in combat. Combat is faster and more exciting but also simpler with almost no tacticts or difficulty. Spels and talents are easier to use and unlock and that is not bad thing. Story is really weak and all you are doing is jobs to some guys in Kirkwall. Ah, yes DA2 is placed in only one poorly designed city with a lot of area recycling that makes it sooooooooo boring to do quests involving those parts of city. It is a good game but a lot weaker than DA:O in every part.… Expand
  70. Pneuvo
    Aug 29, 2011
    7
    I can't believe I put in over 2000 hours playing DA:O! I expected to love this one, too. I liked the look, and the story, and in the end I would say the combat is somewhat improved. Too much change for change sake, reminds me of dogs marking their territory. Too much increasing of the challenge. Not sure if they are trying to appeal to FPS players or hide a shorter story, but itI can't believe I put in over 2000 hours playing DA:O! I expected to love this one, too. I liked the look, and the story, and in the end I would say the combat is somewhat improved. Too much change for change sake, reminds me of dogs marking their territory. Too much increasing of the challenge. Not sure if they are trying to appeal to FPS players or hide a shorter story, but it ruined the replayability. I may never hit 250 hours of game play.… Expand
  71. Relathor
    Aug 28, 2011
    6
    Dargon Age 2 is fun definitely, but it lacks that which Origins had: Quality. Playing through Dragon Age 2, you'll quickly noticed recycled landscapes. Another disappointment is the rigid nature of the story line. Your decisions matter, they just don't matter THAT much. I enjoyed playing this game on Nightmare, very very difficult since friendly fire was impractical but I like a challenge,Dargon Age 2 is fun definitely, but it lacks that which Origins had: Quality. Playing through Dragon Age 2, you'll quickly noticed recycled landscapes. Another disappointment is the rigid nature of the story line. Your decisions matter, they just don't matter THAT much. I enjoyed playing this game on Nightmare, very very difficult since friendly fire was impractical but I like a challenge, even if it comes from bad mechanics rather than hard to master combat.… Expand
  72. evilhippo
    Aug 26, 2011
    2
    Huge disappointment. Combat was speeded up absurdly so it it felt like a cheesy arcade fighter game. Animations were corny, characters were uninteresting and contrived. DA:O was not a perfect game but DA2 failed everywhere that DA:O succeeded.

    Bioware said they made Dragon Age 2 more 'accessible" and that is true... is worth remembering that "accessible" is an industry code word for    Huge disappointment. Combat was speeded up absurdly so it it felt like a cheesy arcade fighter game. Animations were corny, characters were uninteresting and contrived. DA:O was not a perfect game but DA2 failed everywhere that DA:O succeeded.

    Bioware said they made Dragon Age 2 more 'accessible" and that is true... is worth remembering that "accessible" is an industry code word for two things: "aimed at a younger, less thoughtful demographic" and "not a role playing game". If you are looking for an RPG and a dev says their game is "accessible", keep your credit card in your pocket and look elsewhere.    … Expand
  73. Daematune
    Aug 26, 2011
    2
    It's extremely unworthy, so unworthy it should not possess the "Dragon Age" title. Mostly everything about the game is either extremely underdone or just extremely bad, seriously. Bioware tried way too hard on attempting to make this game successful. If I were to explain what went wrong with this game I'd be writing this for hours, don't buy it, stick to Origins if you must. Bioware hasIt's extremely unworthy, so unworthy it should not possess the "Dragon Age" title. Mostly everything about the game is either extremely underdone or just extremely bad, seriously. Bioware tried way too hard on attempting to make this game successful. If I were to explain what went wrong with this game I'd be writing this for hours, don't buy it, stick to Origins if you must. Bioware has always been a developer that you could trust with the uniqueness and success of their content, their trust has most definitely been shaken.… Expand
  74. c0mputerus3r
    Aug 26, 2011
    3
    This game probably would have been better if they would have named it Hack and Slash 2. Because if you were expecting any of the greatness of Origins in this game, then dissapointment is all you'll find.
    It really is a comletely different game that happens to have a dragon age theme. This is not an rpg, but an action game. one of the worst aspects is the dialogue which is as unrealistic    This game probably would have been better if they would have named it Hack and Slash 2. Because if you were expecting any of the greatness of Origins in this game, then dissapointment is all you'll find.
    It really is a comletely different game that happens to have a dragon age theme. This is not an rpg, but an action game. one of the worst aspects is the dialogue which is as unrealistic and incoherent as it can be. That's tragic given that what made Origins a masterpiece is the fact the conversations/dialogue brought the characters to life. You could actually connnect to the characters as if they were real people. you could role play. I found myself hating my own character is dragon age 2. not to mention that what you pick on the screen and what your character actually says are two different things. also the fact that your main character speaks for himself doesn't allow you to role play. If you really want a role playing experience get Dragon Age Origins instead. The ultimate edition is 29 dollars on Steam and the game is far better than Dragon Age 2. Orgins is 100 times better for half the price.    … Expand
  75. auberonh
    Aug 25, 2011
    8
    A good if somewhat tragic story in the Dragon Age universe, that is smaller than the first game's but spread over a ten year time span. I still find the design of some of the characters to be off-putting and the story is not quit as epic as advertised, but I enjoyed my playthrough and getting to know more of the Dragon Age world.
  76. Fenarid
    Aug 23, 2011
    0
    I am very, Very disappointed with this game. Worst game in the history of BioWare. They should be ashamed of releasing such crap. Dragon Age 1 was in every respect better than the DA2.
  77. alexania
    Aug 21, 2011
    9
    I know everyone slates this game and while everything everyone says has some merit to it, I still enjoyed this game IMMENSELY. I enjoyed the Rogue combat much more than the first game, I enjoyed that two shades of grey they made me pick between, I enjoyed stabbing a certain character in the back and watching him die. They could have added more fully straight guys though... just saying.I know everyone slates this game and while everything everyone says has some merit to it, I still enjoyed this game IMMENSELY. I enjoyed the Rogue combat much more than the first game, I enjoyed that two shades of grey they made me pick between, I enjoyed stabbing a certain character in the back and watching him die. They could have added more fully straight guys though... just saying. Can't wait for three.… Expand
  78. Pitelk
    Aug 19, 2011
    2
    I feel very generous today so I will give a 3 to the game. If you have played DA:O don't bother to play this. It is far below expectations and it does not match DA:O in any point... If you have never played DA:O then DA II can be considered an average game with nice graphs, which you can use to kill some spare time... As an RPG sucks.. you done even have control of your parties armor!!!I feel very generous today so I will give a 3 to the game. If you have played DA:O don't bother to play this. It is far below expectations and it does not match DA:O in any point... If you have never played DA:O then DA II can be considered an average game with nice graphs, which you can use to kill some spare time... As an RPG sucks.. you done even have control of your parties armor!!! Dialogs... suck if you are over age 12..story.. the same...… Expand
  79. clos4life
    Aug 15, 2011
    0
    Pros: More fluid combat, less boring treks through long dungeons, great story, half your characters are interesting, liked ME2 style of missions, nice graphics

    Cons: Horrible horrible ending, at the end of the game you feel like you didn't win and you accomplished nothing, can't romance a strong moral character (ie: Aveline, Isabella is slutty even if she somewhat reforms when you romance    Pros: More fluid combat, less boring treks through long dungeons, great story, half your characters are interesting, liked ME2 style of missions, nice graphics

    Cons: Horrible horrible ending, at the end of the game you feel like you didn't win and you accomplished nothing, can't romance a strong moral character (ie: Aveline, Isabella is slutty even if she somewhat reforms when you romance and Merrill is an insecure and irritating idiot blood mage like almost every mage in the game), repetitive dungeon city environments (having to run through same cities, dungeons and outdoor areas over and over is just lazy design), half of your party characters absolutely suck balls to the point I didn't do any of their quests or want them in my party.

    Overall a 1 because the cons are so overpoweringly strong compared to the pros, specially the worst ending of a game I've seen in years where nothing is accomplished and lots of loose ends are left.    … Expand
  80. ErwinCole
    Aug 14, 2011
    8
    The game has been good but i didn't kept me playing to finish. The storyline presentation just felt so flat I didn't feel adventuring but rather like an outsider. There are several plot that has its potential but during the transition between plots, there are dialogues took place, and these dialogues felt quite out of place with the continuing event. This comment is, perhaps, aThe game has been good but i didn't kept me playing to finish. The storyline presentation just felt so flat I didn't feel adventuring but rather like an outsider. There are several plot that has its potential but during the transition between plots, there are dialogues took place, and these dialogues felt quite out of place with the continuing event. This comment is, perhaps, a consequences of no continuing event in Dragon Age II. The story of Dragon Age II is more of a collection of events that happened in someone life. Stories are branch-driven (with follow-up quest), and each branch rarely in connection to another. There's also missing a climax in the plot, like a line measuring from start to finish, it didn't flow as good as it should. One brilliant idea, I think, is using varric re-telling of the story to advance the plot.

    I think the game did not introduce the characters properly, and the result of that is a cast of unmemorable characters. I remember Alistair and Morrigan, their behavior, their thoughts and association and I don't think I can pinpoint any specific traits that recognized a person in Dragon Age II, other than stereotyping. Dialogue between characters feel a little bit old. Some of them are funny, but some of them are also repeated sarcastic remarks. I thinks it's better to gave out a little memorable story rather than arguing.

    For several moment i felt slightly tired to play through because there are so many unrelated events and they are quest driven rather than goal driven. I think generating motivation is important, especially one that born from the beginning of the story that's end at the final mission. Motivation, in turns generate enthusiasm and energy to play. The lack of that in Dragon Age II is like playing the Sims 3, jumping from one sim to another and then nothing.

    I read many negative comment about the combat system, but really I didn't felt a thing in that regard. However, I found it pointless to play as a mage without the spell combination in the first game. The graphic change so much it felt strange at times.

    The game felt like a prologue with a concluded event that will be carry on to the next game. The game itself managed to be interesting and funny at times. However, it doesn't feel epic or story-wise rewarding.    … Expand
  81. Gamerplays
    Aug 13, 2011
    8
    Well now, I'll be honest to say that its quite a bit different than its predecessor. Does it mean its bad? No, its just DIFFERENT but done quite nicely. It's kinda beyond me why sequels (apparently) have to be the same as the original. Doing the same trick over and over gets dull (just look at the CoD series). If you're looking for a good solid action-rpg, DA2 won't be disappointing justWell now, I'll be honest to say that its quite a bit different than its predecessor. Does it mean its bad? No, its just DIFFERENT but done quite nicely. It's kinda beyond me why sequels (apparently) have to be the same as the original. Doing the same trick over and over gets dull (just look at the CoD series). If you're looking for a good solid action-rpg, DA2 won't be disappointing just don't expect it to be an exact copy of the original DA.… Expand
  82. riker13
    Aug 11, 2011
    9
    Hey , I dont like posting/checking user review online because very often I tend to disagree with them, Dragon Age 2 is no exception... Here is my quick take on the game: Granted Im disaapointed on a few level with the game (because ya we have to compare it to the first one), but all and all I realy enjoyed the game, so here are my reason why I liked it and why I didnt. So the fact thatHey , I dont like posting/checking user review online because very often I tend to disagree with them, Dragon Age 2 is no exception... Here is my quick take on the game: Granted Im disaapointed on a few level with the game (because ya we have to compare it to the first one), but all and all I realy enjoyed the game, so here are my reason why I liked it and why I didnt. So the fact that they removed the tactictal view is frustrating at time to say the least, each time you click a protrait its centers the view on that charcater wich is a bit annoying because you never can get a general view of the damm thing. The massive reuse of asset, by the beginning of ACT II you start to remember that you ve seen some of the dungesons/cave (some a lot) and it get worst as the game progress, dont mind that the action is centered in one big city but please add variety so we dont the same corrirdor everywhere and more location outside that we dont go 20 times (small exageration here) by the same passage/corridor. And my last negative item is a bit of a mix feeling, the dumbing down of RPG element like removing the ability to thinker with companion Armor, realy bugged me at first but in the end I forgave the game because I liked searching everywhere to find those damm upgrade, but please dont do it again in the next installement or give us the choice to disable it if we want to equip companion ourselves. Now to the good, the heroe has a voice, witch doesnt seem big but is a big help on the immersion factor, I was much involve emotionally wih my companions than in origins, due in part how the story is told, in other part because some origins companions returned, some as new companions and some other as cameo, but mainly I was realy sad to see that I lost one of my companion for the better part of the game, and well without giving anything away, well some have chocking trutch behind them and some die + I liked the fact that you charter evolves through serveral years, made the relationship more meaningfull for me.. I didnt find as some people said that your missing some information between acts, but thats me and I like Varric as the Narrator telling what happened to the seeker on a one on one interrogation, those moment are not too frequent but it give a sense of mistery to the game, but the main focuse here is the journey of the Hawks, the benter between companions are pretty funny, from those I remebered I liked way better than those of originis, espically those between Isabelle and Merill (youll see) :), oh and last bit while I didnt like that fact that I couldnt zoom out ot have a general view of the battlefield, I like very much the new combat system, more focus, action packed. The attributes screen ares alos way more efficient, every stats are weel explained and shows what derives stats it will improved, I also like that they did with the revamp of the abilities, like it better like that... and while some say the graphics are horrible, I found to see a lot less "fuziness" on charcater and the scenery is definitely an imporvement...… Expand
  83. IronGuy410
    Aug 10, 2011
    8
    There are lots of people writing hateful and malicious reviews about this game because it didn't live up to their sky high expectations and in my opinion when you're expectations are as high as theirs then you are bound to be disappointed. But that's just my opinion. While it's true that this game feels somewhat rushed and quite simple compared to its hard, strategy-heavy predecessor, it'sThere are lots of people writing hateful and malicious reviews about this game because it didn't live up to their sky high expectations and in my opinion when you're expectations are as high as theirs then you are bound to be disappointed. But that's just my opinion. While it's true that this game feels somewhat rushed and quite simple compared to its hard, strategy-heavy predecessor, it's not the complete disaster many people make it out to be. The combat is fun for the first two acts of the game but becomes kind of repetitive towards the end because of the fact that it has been simplified to the point where not much strategy is required in battle and there isn't much variety to the enemies that at certain points towards the end feel like they are endlessly respawning to drag out the length of the game. The story is split into three acts, with an overarching plot that is somewhat present in the first two acts and eventually builds up to the events of the third act and an ending begging for a third game. The problem with this is that the acts don't really feel connected to each other as a plot, so it's almost like you are playing three completely different stories. The characters, however, are very interesting and complex, and by the end of the game I really grew to like them all. Graphically the game looks great, with colorful environments and nice character models. However, as you are always in the same city throughout the entire game, the scenery can get repetitive. The music and voice acting are fantastic, and they really sold me on the world the developers have created. Overall, this game absolutely does not deserve all the hate its been getting for the fact that it's a solid sequel to an incredible first game, because despite failing to live up to it's predecessor, it's still a very good game and with a length of about 40 hours, it's definitely worth buying if you're a fan of Bioware or RPGS.… Expand
  84. Fumes
    Aug 10, 2011
    1
    Never ever have I been so bored playing a BioWare game. While I liked the original DAO this followup was a HUGE disappointment in so many ways. I will go so far as so say I have lost faith in BioWare if this game is the new direction they are taking. I recommend you stay clear of this inferior over-hyped mess of a game and instead feast on the delicacy that is The Witcher 2.
  85. GO-Round
    Aug 9, 2011
    0
    I clearly expected to play another ... This is an absolute failure! Boring gameplay, repetitive locations, stupid plot, monotony of what is happening ...
  86. Berachan
    Aug 7, 2011
    3
    This is the most disappointing sequel I've played in the last few years... Poor interaction, ugly interface, stupid AIs, feeble script... You get bored during the first two game play hours. I don't know what were the people of Bioware thinking when they planned this, but I can tell you they didn't dedicate much time into it. Boring, awful, hideous!!!
  87. Stub
    Aug 6, 2011
    1
    A forgettable and regrettable abomination of a sequel. Did anyone at BioWare actually play this game before it was released? I seriously hope that some [lead] heads will roll as a result of this botched, repetitive, snooze-fest. Completely underwhelming, unacceptably short and shallow. What made the original fun has been 'stream-lined' out in this sequel.
  88. Gjefflin
    Aug 2, 2011
    2
    I've been playing RPG's for over 22 years starting with Legend of Zelda and my first PC game in 1992 "Ultima Underworld". I've played games before that were bad because the developers didn't know what they were doing. In this case however, it was sheer corporate greed that turned what could've been a great Bioware game series into something unrecognizable and not up to snuff with ANY ofI've been playing RPG's for over 22 years starting with Legend of Zelda and my first PC game in 1992 "Ultima Underworld". I've played games before that were bad because the developers didn't know what they were doing. In this case however, it was sheer corporate greed that turned what could've been a great Bioware game series into something unrecognizable and not up to snuff with ANY of Bioware's past games. Had they not packaged this as "Dragon Age 2" and instead called it perhaps...."Dragon Age: Kirkwall" and charged half the price I wouldn't have been as upset as I was due to the fact that I wouldn't have been "expecting" a game that was to be if not as good as DA:O...hopefully better. I have no patience with gaming companies that put out rushed, sub-quality games and expect their fans to shell out full price for it because they're expecting the same quality of the game that they played previously. "Turd" sums up my feeling of being "taken" for my money. Here's my "constructive criticism".

    "DA2 was not the worse game I've ever played. But it was certainty among the most disappointing. The more cartoony graphics, repetitive use of maps, dwellings and dungeons, the extremely poor character development, the confusing ending, the frustratingly restrictive character inventory (Not being able to use any weapon, armor or ability to outfit any of your party members) the ridiculous spawning of mass enemies out of thing air to create the illusion of difficulty was in my opinion a complete and utter embarrassment and a rip-off to fans of the original Dragon Age game. On the positive side, I did like the fact that vendor trash was easily recognizable and you could sell it all in one shot. There was also one story (The serial killer) that was very well written. Outside of that, this was definitely one of Biowares (Actually the only one I can think of in their history as a gaming company) failures. I am trying to keep faith in Bioware games going forward as everyone makes mistakes. Time will tell. I will NOT be buying any DLC until i see lots of critic and player reviews.    … Expand
  89. gvazdas
    Aug 2, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was a LARGE disappointment.
    As a big Dragon Age fan for it's great story, character development and etc, this game was a downer.
    Every aspect of the game got worse.
    The only thing that kept me going for the game and not just throwing it out the window were the action sequences. They were improved over the last game and kept me playing.
    However, the story and character development was horribly poor in this game.
    Not to mention this game shoves homosexuality to your male character's throat.
    After you have helped Anders' in his acceptable quest mission, he wants you to be his boyfriend.
    If you neglect that request, Anders' disapproves of you because you are straight. This is very dumb and has made this game shameful. The story was poor and has not connected to anything, and what disappointed me the most that we did not meet most of the characters from Dragon Age 1. I really wanted to at least stumble open Oghren and Dog.
    The characters have no original story whatsoever. It's like shoving down a pile of stupid stereotypical ideas down into a bucket and just accepting them into this game. Every single imaginable stereotypical character is in this game.
    Emo person who hates the world? Check.
    A wench who has sex with everyone? Check.
    A person who keeps crying and needs your help? Check.
    A person that has infinite stories to tell you? Check. (Actually, even although it might be stereotypical, this character was really acceptable and funny at times).
    And what annoyed me the most is the main character.
    He had NO development WHATSOEVER. This person was either the dumbest knight in existence of video gaming or the writer was he dumbest writer in the history of life.
    This game is unplayable due to a very unpolished city. You could think, the game is focused only in a city and a mountain, and the city looks like crap. There are many games that have lots of locations and every location is carefully polished? But no. This game has offered no decorations or landmarks to the city or mountains whatsoever.
    If you do optional quests you will be bored by the game. The game uses repetitive hallways and rooms for every single mission and you never see any new locations or interesting plot twists.
    Unless you do not care about story and only the action, you can try getting this game. But it is not worth y our money. Rent it or buy it on a sale. And by sale I mean at least 50% off.    … Expand
  90. Sunder_Prime
    Jul 31, 2011
    3
    If I want to be generous 3/10 is the maximum I could give this game. Ignoring its predecessor entirely, the game still fails to do what it says on the tin - the game is not immersive; you feel massively disconnected from the main character you create and, as such, from every event that takes place during the game. The graphics are unforgivable even with the PC patch from Bioware. TheIf I want to be generous 3/10 is the maximum I could give this game. Ignoring its predecessor entirely, the game still fails to do what it says on the tin - the game is not immersive; you feel massively disconnected from the main character you create and, as such, from every event that takes place during the game. The graphics are unforgivable even with the PC patch from Bioware. The controls remove strategy altogether and leave PC gamers with a repeatative and boring experience for the sake of Xbox player experience. The few events that wound have tied you to the character are not seen and are often referenced in past tense, happening off-camera, removed to get you right back into running around the same dungeons and cityscape over and over and over again with little to no feeling of accomplishment! Bioware has sacrificed a good idea, probably at the behest of EA and a developer who needs some sense beaten into him with a tree trunk, to create something that seems to only give the Xbox gamers any sense of a worthwhile experience - such a massive shame considering that PC gamers got Bioware off the ground and made them what they are. My biggest concern is that they listen to only the Xbox reviews and assume they've done well. They are steadily alienating their patrons and will soon find their figures dwindling as though someone dropped them off a sheer cliff if they dont get their act together. Funnily enough, CD Projeckt did what Bioware tried to do in the first 30mins of Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, except they did it right, completely immersing the player. If you have to know what happens in Dragon Age 2 then wait until it drops heavily in price! If you want an immersive RPG played the way gamers have come to expect RPGs to play, buy Witcher 2 - even at full price.… Expand
  91. Afreemanuk
    Jul 31, 2011
    0
    This proves to me that the "Critics" dont actually know what they are talking about. This was supposed to be one of the best sequal titles to come from Bioware / EA and sadly it wasnt even close to being anywhere near as good as Dragon Age: Origins.

    I love bioware, i think they are a fantasic RPG company and have great games under their belt but they dropped the ball with this sequal    This proves to me that the "Critics" dont actually know what they are talking about. This was supposed to be one of the best sequal titles to come from Bioware / EA and sadly it wasnt even close to being anywhere near as good as Dragon Age: Origins.

    I love bioware, i think they are a fantasic RPG company and have great games under their belt but they dropped the ball with this sequal bigtime.

    There is nothing positive to say about this title, its simply one of the worst games ever made, one of the worst sequals to one of the best selling and biggest epic RPGs of all time and thirdly one of the biggest wastes of time any production team has spent on.

    There is nothing good about this game, the graphics are substandard compared to the first game, even if you download there "Hi-res" pack it still looks about 6 years old in terms of modern day graphics. The voice acting is terrible really terrible. But thats not the worst part. The worst part is the combat. Yes in DA:1 the combat was pretty basic but you had to be smart, tacticicly outwit your foe and try to survive as well as take them out. But in DA:2 that dont happen unless you play it on easy , then every battle is tedious your cool downs on your potions are too long, as are your healers spells and on top of that you fight wave after wave of bad guys that seem to just pop out of the floor. the boss battles are a laugh too. They have a silly amount of Hp and after 20 mins of hacking and slashing you find yourself pulling your hair out and looking for that 1 hit 1 kill cheat. The gear system is awful you cant even gear up your party members but have to search every vendor under the sun to find them "upgrades" or progress story with them to unlock certian benefits (utter nonsense). On top of that you have to travel to your compainons "base" to talk to them about something even if you are standing next to them you cant interact at all, unlike the freedoms of the first game. The menus are clunky the character development screens are poorly laid out and your ablites you get are laughable and barely make a difference in the fights, most of the time its 1 click kills with 1 or 2 spams of special attacks and you usually win....after about 20 mins.

    Its terrible. Bioware let there fans down here, themselves down and most of all, everyone hoping for a fantasic return to the world of DA, only to be stuck in a castle / town for the 30 odd hours of boring gameplay, and when it ends. Well lets just say it has the worst ending in video game history. They took a great game / series like DA and turned it into a laughing stock. Bioware better not make the same mistake with its other releases otherwise they will be knocked off there pedistal rather quickly.    … Expand
  92. Aodecim
    Jul 30, 2011
    4
    Despite its wonderful action sequences and revamped combat system, I am thoroughly disappointed with this mess of a game. Wonderful voice acting, character development, and a slightly interesting plotline mixed with generic....VERY generic dungeons and caves made this game unbearable for me. The copy and paste dungeon designs made me rage as I remembered the genius level-design andDespite its wonderful action sequences and revamped combat system, I am thoroughly disappointed with this mess of a game. Wonderful voice acting, character development, and a slightly interesting plotline mixed with generic....VERY generic dungeons and caves made this game unbearable for me. The copy and paste dungeon designs made me rage as I remembered the genius level-design and immersion that presented itself in the very first Dragon Age. The developers really dropped the ball on this one.… Expand
  93. Surg3on
    Jul 30, 2011
    3
    At its core the problem with this game is that it was too boring to push on with. I didn't feel like I was doing anything special... maybe it happens towards the end, i'll never know. being concerned with your wallet the whole game isn't very heroic!
    Some parts hint at a great story but ultimately the whole game is let down by the actual mechanics of the game, you know, actual gameplay!).    At its core the problem with this game is that it was too boring to push on with. I didn't feel like I was doing anything special... maybe it happens towards the end, i'll never know. being concerned with your wallet the whole game isn't very heroic!
    Some parts hint at a great story but ultimately the whole game is let down by the actual mechanics of the game, you know, actual gameplay!). I assume to get greater graphical fidelity the user became boxed into what seems to be a series of corridors and rooms. You never get to explore a world, you just seem to be going from point to point.
    Combat is dull. Having waves of filler spawn while you fight a boss with a crazy long health bar is not fun. Having your teammates unable to wear most loot items smacks of laziness.    … Expand
  94. FenrisPlz
    Jul 30, 2011
    10
    I understand how people are quite upset since the story is different as to the story in DAO. Never the less I loved this game, like I loved Origins. 10/10 for sure
  95. krkbomb
    Jul 26, 2011
    2
    When compared broadly to other video games, DA2 is far above average. But when you compare it to other Bioware games, or to Dragon Age: Origins, one of Bioware's best, this game is far below anything else in the lineup.

    The combat is rendered meaningless by long cooldowns on essential spells, poor mana-efficiency, and ridiculously high respawn rates, making hack-and-slash builds the only    When compared broadly to other video games, DA2 is far above average. But when you compare it to other Bioware games, or to Dragon Age: Origins, one of Bioware's best, this game is far below anything else in the lineup.

    The combat is rendered meaningless by long cooldowns on essential spells, poor mana-efficiency, and ridiculously high respawn rates, making hack-and-slash builds the only real option (and you can forget about healing). The respawn rates are the breaking point here, because it ruins virtually every other aspect of the gameplay, because why put any effort into killing things if a million more are going to spawn when they die?

    The RPG elements are equally meaningless. The decision to automatically move items to the "vendor trash" bin in your inventory only highlights that you really aren't making any decisions, you're just playing a game on rails. Throughout the game it is painfully obvious that some items are intended for you while others are useless. About the only thing you have to recognize is whether or not an item fits your class, and usually this is done for you by making it impossible to equip another class's gear.

    The look of the game is pretty, but too cartoonish to be taken seriously, and the texture resolution is appalling. The environments are boring and repetitive (MOST areas in the game were literally recycled assets). The general aesthetic is just ridiculous: a blend of "DARKER AND EDGIER ZOMG" and japanophilic anime-envy.

    The worst problem with this game is that, unlike previous BioWare games, the player is provided with no real choice and is instead placed on rails through a storyline that really is not all that compelling. Cutscenes continually interrupt the story, only to force you to watch two people sitting in a room and talking about nothing in particular, while the main story meanders around with no real goal or purpose for your character. The "light/dark" or "paragon/renegade" system or whatever is meaningless to the story as well. Instead, your dialogue choices determine what tone of voice you will use to say EXACTLY THE SAME THING and take EXACTLY THE SAME ACTION. Your choices range from sarcastic to dry to caustic. And that's a bit of a stretch since all your choices are basically the same blend of these three.

    Without spoiling anything, the ending is actually a pretty good piece of story-telling, but the problem is, since you have absolutely no control over you character's speech or actions, this ending will either be:

    completely satisfactory (yay, FINALLY something interesting happened)

    or

    UTTERLY TERRIBLE (why did I even bother playing this?)...

    depending upon what you were trying to do. They would have been better served to simply discard the dialogue and alignment systems altogether and let the player experience the story in the way BioWare clearly intended.

    Overall, the game was generally playable but usually unpleasant throughout, and while the ending was somewhat interesting, it also left complete disappointment at the game's overall shortcomings, and guaranteed that I would never play this game or any other Dragon Age game again. I would write off BioWare entirely after this, but instead I think the ideas they were working with in DA2 were promising, just poorly executed and a bad fit for the Dragon Age franchise. Mass Effect 2 is a good example of similar ideas with better execution in a franchise better suited to those concepts. Here's hoping that they find their way again for ME3 and their Star Wars MMO.    … Expand
  96. Eavg148
    Jul 24, 2011
    5
    If you want to see how a company cashes in on a hot property by churning out a terrible sequel, then look no further then DRAGON AGE 2. The first dragon age was a classic for the ages, and this game is a classic for the dumpster. I knew withing the first 20 minutes playing this game that something had gone horribly wrong! For example the first time i used a "shield bash" attack, theIf you want to see how a company cashes in on a hot property by churning out a terrible sequel, then look no further then DRAGON AGE 2. The first dragon age was a classic for the ages, and this game is a classic for the dumpster. I knew withing the first 20 minutes playing this game that something had gone horribly wrong! For example the first time i used a "shield bash" attack, the enemy literally exploded and his arms and legs and head fell off. I can not begin to explain hwo humoursly stupid it looked and how horrified i was. Not horrified by the ultra violence, but horrified by how gosh darned stupid it was. Maybe i shouldnt have played the orignal DRAGON AGE ORIGINS from beginning to end the week before DA2 was released, because it really showed how far the game had sunk. I will make this review a bit shorter by saying the characters, story, equipment, enviroment, and for some reason even the graphics seemed to take a step or two in the wrong direction. If the first game had never existed, then this game would have been OK and thats about it. It plays just like every other console action-rpg out there today and that the problem right there. Dragon age origins was designed to be a PC GAME that got ported to consoles, and the Dragon age 2 is a CONSOLE GAME that was ported to the pc. Thats it in a nutshell. The two games were designed and made for two different groups of people and those two groups of people will see this game in two totally different ways.… Expand
  97. Emblis
    Jul 23, 2011
    2
    Dragon age 2 is not a bad game, it is just an all around complete let-down from DA:O. Had the title not been Dragon Age it would have been a decent game but as a sequel to one of the history's best RPG is just do not hold up at all. The combat system has been simplified to and the story is uninteresting and frankly a bit hard to follow at times since there are no clear plot to follow.Dragon age 2 is not a bad game, it is just an all around complete let-down from DA:O. Had the title not been Dragon Age it would have been a decent game but as a sequel to one of the history's best RPG is just do not hold up at all. The combat system has been simplified to and the story is uninteresting and frankly a bit hard to follow at times since there are no clear plot to follow.

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

    Dragon Age 2 is a major disappointment, I recommend staying away from it. Now, if you excuse me, I am going to play some Dragon Age:Origins.    … Expand
  98. Accountant
    Jul 20, 2011
    10
    Well I just got done with the game (ah the joys of the long 4th of July weekend). I am someone who loved DA:O and wrote a glowing review on it. Frankly I liked DA2 more and find it hard now to go back to DA:O anymore. I just don't really understand the hate for this game but than everyone is entitled to their views. When I play games I am looking for some good, fun times and really not anyWell I just got done with the game (ah the joys of the long 4th of July weekend). I am someone who loved DA:O and wrote a glowing review on it. Frankly I liked DA2 more and find it hard now to go back to DA:O anymore. I just don't really understand the hate for this game but than everyone is entitled to their views. When I play games I am looking for some good, fun times and really not any kind of serious challenges or overly complex tactical scenarios maybe because my real life already has all that and games to me are mechanism of fun escapism and DA2 fits the bill here perfectly. I am currently on my second play through as a mage and it's again fun so far playing a different class and I am not bored or anything. I think Bioware kind of fumbled really bad on the marketing of this game. This is not a true sequel but rather a stand alone rpg set in the world of DA:O. I guess if they would have positioned the game correctly it may not have suffered the kind of wrath it did. Now that being said the game in my view has been trashed sometimes unfairly bordering on hate for the sake of hate just because it's not a clone of DA:O. A lot has been said on this game so I am going to keep my review concise and highlight what I liked and disliked about the game. The game does have some Cons but the Pros far exceed them. PRO's: 1) The graphic engine (with the high texture patch) is leagues ahead of the original. The buildings, interiors, exteriors, dungeons, armor, cut-scenes etc. look beautifully rendered and highly detailed in my view. 2) The voiced protagonist lends a more cinematic and personal feel to the game. One of my complaints with the original game was the disconnect I felt with my silent Grey Warden and DA:O to me felt backwards coming to play it after ME2. The conversation wheel in my view makes it more stream-lined to follow the story of the quest and it is much more intriguing to see what Hawke will actually say which lends to a more cinematic feel. 3) The story line of the game feels more personal as it is the story of Hawke rising to fame & glory from rags. It doesn't have the epic feel of clear-cut good vs evil fight of the original but it does appeal to me more in the form of my (Hawke) story line amidst all the political and other schemes going on. 4) The combat system is indeed a real improvement over DA:O. I many times thought of giving up on DA:O just because the combat was slow, sluggish and boring. DA2 combat is lot more fun, faster plus the animations are real good, and funny sometimes (I can never have enough of those exploding enemies hehe). Playing a warrior in DA2 was lot more fun than it was in the original. 5) The banter between the companions is back and is better than ever. Try to put Isabella with other ladies and hear the amusing fireworks. Sometimes it's quite fun to be had. :) CONS: 1) Repeated use of the same maps. Initially it doesn't matter much but as you are in Act 2 and up you do begin to notice this. Frankly DA:O used the same recycled maps in most interior dungeons but the game did had us travel to different locations which eased the fact that interior dungeons were recycled. I think in DA2 having the player just stay in and near Kirkwall exacerbated this feeling greatly. I hope in DA3 Bioware really pays attention to this fact. 2) Limited ability to equip the party members. I am 50/50 on it. In DA:O though initially i liked dressing up my party members but later it just became a irritating hassle. I am somewhat glad they toned it down in DA2 but i think they toned it down too much. I think I should be allowed to equip my party members with basic armor and weapons of all kind without any restrictions. Bioware should address this too in DA3. 3) A bit too overt gay angles in the game. I mean it looks like almost all male characters wants to start a romance while it takes quite a effort to work on the females party members (except Isabella ofcourse). Very soon whether it was the optimal configuration or not my team members were all females hehe. In all I ended my journey of DA2 on a happier note, felt my money spent was worth it and looking forward to DLC's and DA3. Now if Bioware can combine what made DA2 great like the voiced protagonist, the new combat system with DA:O epic story line and customization options they might make amends to the offended fan base and have a hit rpg once again.… Expand
  99. Jagtus
    Jul 20, 2011
    8
    In some areas, it fell short compared to Dragon Age: Origins. In other departments, it surpassed it. If you aren't expecting Origins 2, you will like this.
  100. JadedPuppy
    Jul 18, 2011
    7
    If you forget that this game is called Dragon Age 2, it is actually quite an enjoyable game. The combat isn't necessarily difficult but it is fast paced and there is quite a variety in combat styles to choose from. The story in itself is decent enough, although at times certain developments feel strained, making it too obvious that certain choices in the story are made to sacrifice goodIf you forget that this game is called Dragon Age 2, it is actually quite an enjoyable game. The combat isn't necessarily difficult but it is fast paced and there is quite a variety in combat styles to choose from. The story in itself is decent enough, although at times certain developments feel strained, making it too obvious that certain choices in the story are made to sacrifice good storytelling just to be able to insert some more (pointless) combat.

    Comparing this to Dragon Age: Origins would leave this game coming up short in every aspect. Had this game been called any differently though, it would not have received such a downright hostile reception as it is receiving on this website. Make no mistake, for the Dragon Age franchise, this game is not a step forward. This game offers less choice, a worse plot, and all in all not as much eye for detail. Of course, Dragon Age: Origins had been in the works for much, much longer, while Dragon Age 2 was clearly rushed out the door, leaving it rather unpolished and unfinished in places. There is no excuse for the way areas in this game are re-used. All in all this is a decent game, it's just not a great game.    … Expand
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »