Dragon Age II

 PC
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5052 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,397 out of 5052
  2. Mixed: 1,198 out of 5052
  3. Negative: 2,457 out of 5052
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  1. Jyscal
    Mar 15, 2011
    3
    Mindless, dull, boring and generic are the first words that come to mind when playing this game.
    There is literally nothing good you can say about this game, absolutely nothing; the story is boring, the characters have very poor personalities and don't add much depth to the game, love interests are there to appeal to "mature gamers that play mature games" and don't add anything to the    Mindless, dull, boring and generic are the first words that come to mind when playing this game.
    There is literally nothing good you can say about this game, absolutely nothing; the story is boring, the characters have very poor personalities and don't add much depth to the game, love interests are there to appeal to "mature gamers that play mature games" and don't add anything to the story either, the characters themselves look somewhat decent with the texture pack, but the areas and surroundings feel very dead and generic. And oh wow, the UI, it feels like I'm playing **** alpha, it is just that bad, most custom WoW UI's (hell even the regular one) look much better than this piece of **** Luckily I didn't pay for this piece of **** as it truly is depressing for a company like Bioware to **** out a turd like this. I'm still trying to come up with something good I can say about this game, but nope, I just can't do it.    … Expand
  2. nyne
    Mar 15, 2011
    3
    The entire main storyline of DA2 could have been told in a expansion or a DLC and does not compare at all to the epic story of DA:O, the rest of the questing content is irrelevant fillers. Combat is simplified beyond belief and requires no strategy at all. Without the high res pack my graphics were locked at medium and only added to the disappointment.
  3. chibajoe
    Mar 21, 2011
    3
    They would have been better off naming this game "Diablo Age 3". The incessant combat, random loot generator, uninspired voice acting, and complete lack of RPG elements made for a thoroughly underwhelming gaming experience. Had EA been honest and told everyone up front that this was going to be a hack-n-slash gear hunt with some cinematics thrown in for good measure, I think people wouldThey would have been better off naming this game "Diablo Age 3". The incessant combat, random loot generator, uninspired voice acting, and complete lack of RPG elements made for a thoroughly underwhelming gaming experience. Had EA been honest and told everyone up front that this was going to be a hack-n-slash gear hunt with some cinematics thrown in for good measure, I think people would have been willing to cut them a little slack. To claim this half complete abortion as the inheritor of the crown of Dragon Age and the "spiritual" successor of Baldur's Gate is a spit in the face of every RPG gamer who has ever played those games. If you are an RPG player, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, it sucks (as an RPG). If you're just looking for 30 or so hours of mindless hack and slash in repetitive and over used environments on an aging graphics engine, and you have $60 that you just can't find something better to waste on, then this might just be the game for you.… Expand
  4. mjwilliams84
    Mar 16, 2011
    3
    Thoroughly disappointing sequel to a fantastic RPG. Fans of Origins and/or anyone interested in immersive, character-based roleplay should avoid this like the plague. Gone are the multiple choice dialogue options of true RPG classics, replaced by the dialogue wheel seen in Mass Effect. While that works in the epic setting of what is effectively a sci-fi blockbuster, it doesn't here. ItsThoroughly disappointing sequel to a fantastic RPG. Fans of Origins and/or anyone interested in immersive, character-based roleplay should avoid this like the plague. Gone are the multiple choice dialogue options of true RPG classics, replaced by the dialogue wheel seen in Mass Effect. While that works in the epic setting of what is effectively a sci-fi blockbuster, it doesn't here. Its shallow, poorly written characters and script are totally forgettable. Seldom does your choice of action or speech affect anything at all. The environments themselves would look average 10 years ago. Areas that look awful in the first place are re-used many times over. The one saving grace is the combat, but with so many other faults, it's barely worth mentioning. The bullet-point nature of this review feels apt, as the disappointments hit home one after the other. As a friend of mine put it; "About as gripping as a lubed-up hand with no bone structure." Colour me shocked and appalled, Bioware.… Expand
  5. Greyhammer
    Mar 15, 2011
    3
    an absolute disappointment. from begining to end it is far inferior to DA:O and is a complete failure on bioware's part. I hope that DA3 fixes what this game broke because the world of Thedas is a cool one
  6. Suleiman
    Mar 16, 2011
    3
    Per quanto concerne la mia esperienza di gioco, in un'ottica GDR, dopo diverse ore di gioco a questo nuovo titolo, devo dire che è davvero poco appagante.
    Non c'è immersione: ci si limita a galleggiare in superficie, intuendo che poteva esser fatto molto di più.
    La grafica è abbastanza curata, anche se preferivo i toni più    Per quanto concerne la mia esperienza di gioco, in un'ottica GDR, dopo diverse ore di gioco a questo nuovo titolo, devo dire che è davvero poco appagante.
    Non c'è immersione: ci si limita a galleggiare in superficie, intuendo che poteva esser fatto molto di più.
    La grafica è abbastanza curata, anche se preferivo i toni più maturi di DAO. Quello che non va proprio bene è che ci saranno una cinquantina di location che vengono riproposte allo sfinimento, il che non aiuta certo ad immergersi in un gioco di ruolo, dove l'ambientazione dovrebbe essere resa minuziosamente a video.
    La grafica dei menù è a dir poco oscena. Mi chiedo, con una grafica tanto scarna, come sia stato possibile rendere il sistema di menù più confusionario rispetto al precedente DAO... mah: ci sono riusciti, proponendo, ad esempio, un sistema grafico di avanzamento nei talenti che richiede ogni volta di visualizzare un albero di skill, impedendo una visione globale ed un confronto veloce tra le varie abilità.
    Il sistema di dialoghi è abominevole: in base a quale malato ragionamento non si può più cliccare sulla esatta frase che il nostro PG dovrebbe pronunciare, con senso chiaro, ma si deve interpretare una linea di scelta che spesso ci mette in bocca cose che non volevamo dire?
    Lasciamo perdere il combat system, e la gestione dell'inventario, il sistema di crafting, la possibilità di interagiore con gli altri personaggi in senso ampio, che di ruolo qui hanno mantenuto solo ed esclusivamente la dicitura.
    Coerenza a video rispetto alle abilità dei PG, a quelle che dovrebbero essere le loro effettive capacità e limitazioni: inesistente.
    Si salva qualcosa? Forse la storia sì, quella si salva, anche se è raccontata in modo non più che discreto.

    Ma parliamo di altri aspetti: COERENZA ed IMMEDESIMAZIONE..
    Ogni mondo, quello reale, ma anche quelli immaginari, ha delle regole.
    Regole sia fisiche imposte dalla natura, forza di gravità etc, sia convenzionali imposte dalla società, sistemi giuridici, etc., sia di altro tipo.
    Queste regole sono fondamentali perché qualsiasi mondo possa funzionare.
    Stessa cosa in un gioco fantasy, in cui i personaggi si muovono in un mondo di certo immaginario, ma comunque con delle regole.
    Se, ad esempio, un mago passa tutto il suo tempo a studiare magie, di certo non avrà potuto studiare le tecniche di combattimento corpo a corpo... se volesse imparare queste tecniche dovrebbe sacrificare parte del suo tempo (leggi: punti abilità) e così si creerebbe un personaggio ibrido mago/guerriero, che però non eccelle in nessuna delle due classi.
    Stessa cosa per le caratteristiche fisiche del guerriero: un'arma a due mani implica colpi più lenti, ma più potenti.
    Insomma le "regole dei mondi" fanno sì che se tiri la coperta da una parte, la accorci dall'altra...
    E allora?
    Semplice, tutto ciò è fondamentale per due cose importantissime: CREDIBILITA' e, quindi, IMMEDESIMAZIONE.
    E l'immedesimazione è tutto ciò a cui punta un GDR.
    Se faccio venir meno il realismo fregandome delle regole, tutto il mondo immaginario creato crolla, e non è più credibile: e la mancanza di credibilità fa venir meno l'immedesimazione.
    Per questo la COERENZA è tanto importante, in ogni sistema-mondo fantasy: perché rispettando il realismo (con riferimento alle regole del mondo immaginario creato) permette l'immedesimazione.
    Se in un film di cawboy ambientato nel passato del nostro mondo ad un certo punto gli indiani si mettessero a volare come pipistrelli, lo spettatore verrebbe catapultato di forza fuori dalla storia e comincerebbe a ridere.
    In un mondo fantasy, quindi, il realismo è ancor più importante che nel mondo reale: per il semplice motivo che nel mondo reale il realismo c'è per forza... e ci mancherebbe! Mentre in un mondo immaginario va creato e mantenuto con arte e sforzo e fatica: ma è prprio da quel realismo che nasce la magia!
    Ora, Dragon Age 2 non rispetta le regole del mondo in cui è ambientato, e quindi non è credibile, e quindi non è coerente e quindi chiude le porte in faccia all'immedesimazione.
    Cosa comporta ciò? Che:
    - se DA2 fosse un DGR, sarebbe davvero un pessimo GDR
    - se DA2 fosse un gioco action, sarebbe un brutto gioco action se paragonato ad altri del genere (soprattutto dungeon siege...)
    - se DA2 fosse un misto action-GDR, lo troverei tirato via e poco studiato.

    CONCLUDENDO
    Dopo aver giocato per diverse ore la versione definitiva di DA2, purtroppo, devo confermare le mie impressioni inziali.
    Brutto gioco, fatto in fretta e male: basta guardare la ripetività delle location o la scarnissima grafica dei menù.
    Coerenza zero, tatticità zero, personaliazzione zero.
    La storia si salva, ma non è assolutamente ai livello di DAO.
    Io ragiono nell'ottica GDR, che è quello che mi aspettavo di trovare e che mi sarebbe piaciuto giocare.
    Peccato!
    Spero che alla Bio ritrovino presto il senno e sfornino un GDR che sia un GDR vero!    … Expand
  7. Rif
    Mar 16, 2011
    3
    I just signed up to write about this game. I have beaten it, every quest possible and I have completed Origins. The only thing that connects this so called sequel and Origins is the plot at some point, the rest...Im afraid is gone. First thing that kicks the faithfull fans in the nuts is fights - its no longer a well thought battle with deep tactics...its a SLASHER. Is it a good thing?I just signed up to write about this game. I have beaten it, every quest possible and I have completed Origins. The only thing that connects this so called sequel and Origins is the plot at some point, the rest...Im afraid is gone. First thing that kicks the faithfull fans in the nuts is fights - its no longer a well thought battle with deep tactics...its a SLASHER. Is it a good thing? Probably. But the fights, even though fast and flashy, are not memorable - wave after wave of 5-6 faceless enemies (who appear out of this air...yep magic) start to bore after about 1 hour. In the origins you could talk about one battle for 20 minutes, this one - "well I clicked on the dude and his head flew off"...The graphics are not as bad as people say - I mean how would you improve it? Everything looks alright for me. Everyone knew about the lack of customization, so lets forget this issue. The characters in the game are decent with back stories...now lets talk about the REAL PROBLEM - AREAS...I cannot find a good reason for developers to make 2 damn caves which you will have to run through OVER and OVER AGAIN! So lets sum it up:

    In this game: Decent Story and Characters (+1)
    Decent graphics (+1)
    Voice actors did a very good job (+1)
    Fighing techs (would be +1 for Xbox/PS but on pc not so much)

    there you have it - areas are: Denerim is grey textures, 2 caves, a couple of deserted areas with respawning enemies.

    If anyone at Bioware is reading the reviews...guys I will pay twice as much for the next game if you make it more like Origins, I am deeply dissapointed and sad...I couldnt find a game which weill really "take" me and then I bought Origins, so when I heard about 2nd part I was so excited you wouldnt believe...And I get this mindless unfinished H'n'S    … Expand
  8. TheUnknownX
    Mar 16, 2011
    3
    Game is full of bugs, story is stupid and you can't affect anything, graphics are sometimes ok, often ugly, quests are usually stupid and blablabla. Game is worth 10â
  9. Nightfish
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    Dragon Age 2 is the "Phantom Menace" to Dragon Age: Origin's "A New Hope". Thank you George for making this comparison possible and instantly recognisable by nerds everywhere. In many ways, I wouldn't need to say anything more than that, but I will anyway: When writing a review of Dragon Age 2, you probably have to say a few words about where you are coming from first. Are you theDragon Age 2 is the "Phantom Menace" to Dragon Age: Origin's "A New Hope". Thank you George for making this comparison possible and instantly recognisable by nerds everywhere. In many ways, I wouldn't need to say anything more than that, but I will anyway: When writing a review of Dragon Age 2, you probably have to say a few words about where you are coming from first. Are you the wide-eyed fanboy or the disgruntled, estranged hater formerly known as a "true" fan? Then you claim to be neither, but the one true voice of reason who's got a neutral view on this issue. Personally, I have bought and played repeatedly pretty much everything Bioware published since Shattered Steel and I've enjoyed each game on his own merits. I loved Planescape Tormet, Baldur's Gate 2 just as much as Jade Empire, even though that game is radically different in terms of combat. I'm saying that to illustrate that I am very well capable of enjoying a game that does not have the traditional isometric view of tactical combat.

    Dragon Age 2 however, I cannot get into no matter how much I want to like it. This game is a train wreck of Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age and not in a good way. Let's take a look at some of the "bad" things. First of all: Combat. I cannot, for the life of me, see how anyone could view the new system as an improvement. They tried to make combat incredibly fast paced and action packed, but somehow this does not play out the way it's intended, at least not for me. Seeing a guy in full platemail armed with a huge two-handed weapon move faster than Neo in the Matrix doesn't just break immersion for me, it shatters it beyond all hopes of repair. Most enemies die in one hit now and they do so in a spectacularily silly and over the top gory way. There's more blood in here than in the silliest splatter movie I ever saw. There's a fine line between "adult" and "graphic violence" and enemies EXPLODING into 20 gallons of blood and shishkebab upon being stabbed in the chest once. To compensate for all the insta-kills, enemies now spawn in waves by the dozens. This robs the individual enemy of any significance. How can I be intimidated by a blood mage or a horrible demon if there's 20 of each under every other rock? Beats me. The sadest thing about DA2 is that it actually fails where bioware usually excells. The story and dialogue. Take the human noble origin story in Dragon Age Origins, for example. Before everyone dies a gruesome death you spend some time to get to know them. Thus, when they do die, their death has some impact on you. In DA2, we skip the first part in favor of turning the gruesomeness of the death up to 11. The thing is, if some random red shirt dies twice as horribly, I don't care twice as much. The "main story" if it can so be called, is anything but an improvement over the original as well. Granted, you are not saving the world, which in theory can make for an interesting story as well, but many people take this fact alone to mean the story is brilliant. Unfortunately, that is not quite true. The writing is incredibly ham-fisted at times. I cannot count how often the game prevents you from using obvious solutions to problems simply because the plot requires that this problem cannot be solved in a simple manner. This adds to the "rushed" vibe the game gives off in general. There's barely any "fluff" anymore. You cannot talk to your companions at will anymore, for example. Some of the events of DA:O are imported and the game shoe-horns them into DA2, but if you spend even 2 seconds thinking about "Why was Alistair here just now?" you'll notice that he had no significance to the plot, provided no insight whatsoever and was there simply as a little bit of fan-service. Oh yea, and the RPG part got dumbed down some more, but that was to be expected I guess and is barely worth mentioning in light of all the other shortcommings the game has. Still, rating the game a 0/10 as many people do is just as silly as rating it 10/10. There is good to be found if you can look past your expectations for a bit. Some of the quests are indeed well written and fun. The voice actors did a really good job, almost without exception. Flemeth's new look is a vast improvement over her old one, too bad she is in the game for about 5 minutes, tops. It's almost like she notice "Oh snap, this is gonna hurt!" and flapped out of the game on her dragon wings. I cannot say I blame her. In conclusion, Bioware lost a lot of credibilty with me for this game. No longer will I blindly buy whatever they release. Once burned, twice shy. The shady things they did here on metacritic are not helping that image. I hope they learn a lesson from this disaster and can recover and return to what made them successful in the first place instead of succumbing to EA's corruption for good.    … Expand
  10. aLIEnreal
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    TDLR: A fun action game, but a sad disappointing follow-up to the rpg masterpiece "DA:O". It should had been named as a dragon age spin-off ( e.g DA: dynasty warrior/legend or something )||||

    DA2 is a fun action oriented "rpg-ish" game which sadly failed as a sequel. Its only redeeming quality is perhaps the revamped combat system which is much more action and "button smashing". The    TDLR: A fun action game, but a sad disappointing follow-up to the rpg masterpiece "DA:O". It should had been named as a dragon age spin-off ( e.g DA: dynasty warrior/legend or something )||||

    DA2 is a fun action oriented "rpg-ish" game which sadly failed as a sequel. Its only redeeming quality is perhaps the revamped combat system which is much more action and "button smashing". The lacklustre plot, the small set of repetitively recycled dungeons/environment/enemies and numerous glitches indicate a rushed unpolished product. The game has a long long list of flaws, but its cardinal sin was the failure develop any semblance of a role playing game. Most quest were simply reduced to a generic formula of "click me ---> teleport there ---> click/kill". The fame choice system of bioware games became a mere selection of your speech tone as opposed to any significant degree of plot branching. The game has simply been reduced to an excuse for button smashing. EA/Bioware should had just brand and market this game off as a dragon game spin off.    … Expand
  11. Rhey
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    Combat system improved, but everything else is worse than Dragon Age: Origins.
    Nobody needed a game like DA II. There are tons of titles like that.
    We needed an improved realistic, revolutionary & innovative npc interaction. Because there wasn't an RPG like Origins for that aspect before. In DA II you cannot talk to your company whenever you want, you have to wait for a Cutscene (quest or    Combat system improved, but everything else is worse than Dragon Age: Origins.
    Nobody needed a game like DA II. There are tons of titles like that.
    We needed an improved realistic, revolutionary & innovative npc interaction. Because there wasn't an RPG like Origins for that aspect before.
    In DA II you cannot talk to your company whenever you want, you have to wait for a Cutscene (quest or gift). You cannot talk to your party friends about your accomplishments, while the old good Origins did.
    We got a step back to something pointless, instead to improve the innovation, they killed it.
    A static location into the same city for the whole game and some anonymous random cave, BAD.
    No longer an epic journey like Origins, but the dumb match Templars Vs Mages.
    Efforts reduced on DAII, a team weakened to work on an other project like SWTOR. BioWare revealed in July that the ME2 system has been adopted cos the Dragon Age system requires too many efforts and resources, despite the higher quality / success of DA compared to ME2.

    The DA2 sales are pushed by what people know about DA:Origins.
    If DA3 will never ship, it will be a fail, because DA2 won't push anything.    … Expand
  12. Stegzilla
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    I'm quite disappointed tbh. I managed to finish it in 17hrs on normal, doing most of the side quests. After playing the Mass Effects, I was expecting something a little longer. Thought the story was a bit so-so.
  13. Viklo
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Story was my greatest disappointment. I understood that Bioware wanted to make a smaller story this time, but rpg is about making choices which have effect. I did not feel like I had the ability to choose in this story. Certain things happened no matter who I sided with, and the ending and main story remained the same. No replay value here. Different dialogue choices were just for flavor, sarcastic Hawke will have the same story as heroic Hawke.

    Lack of build-up with companions and family. I would have expected that time span of ten years would have added more depth to relationships instead of losing it. There was very little companion interaction.
    The family focus was a joke.

    Recycled areas. All caves look the same, all ruins look the same etc. Only some doors won't open, depending on location. Irritating.    … Expand
  14. Marcman59
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    It's rather unfortunate how this game turned out. The combat is no longer tactical, it simply requires you to hit your abilities as the cooldowns refresh. The story is bland, and makes it difficult to press on, nothing "hooks" you. If this game had been released as a stand-alone title not under the Dragon Age name, it wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing. Also, 27 different DLC's atIt's rather unfortunate how this game turned out. The combat is no longer tactical, it simply requires you to hit your abilities as the cooldowns refresh. The story is bland, and makes it difficult to press on, nothing "hooks" you. If this game had been released as a stand-alone title not under the Dragon Age name, it wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing. Also, 27 different DLC's at launch is rather excessive and a terrible trend to follow. I'm all for DLC, but I want game expansion that couldn't have been included on the disc.… Expand
  15. vklS
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
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  16. Toddc45
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
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  17. lemon01
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. OK I grabbed this from the steam user forum, from "loa1452". Sorry to plagiarize, bit his/her review really hit it on the mark for me. To summarize, this game is TERRIBLE: reused levels (again and again and again), the same fight over and over again, very limited enemy types(lots of spiders...), and incoherent story.

    From loa1452
    _______
    DA:O was not perfect by any means, but boy did it immerse you. There were so many minute details that just sucked you in. Didn't care about the graphics, didn't care that my party of mages steam rolled every battle on the hardest difficulty. It was fun. That is the whole point of RPGs: Laugh, cry, battle and forget that you are playing a game.

    Kirkwall

    One of the well known 'features' of Dragon Age 2 is that the whole "story" takes place in Kirkwall. When I read this in a game preview, I didn't mind. I assumed (wrongly) that Kirkwall must be HUGE. The first thing you will notice after stepping into Kirkwall is how tiny it is. It takes all of 10 minutes to explore the whole entire city. You think you are going up some stairs to explore a new area when a dialog box pops up, "Would you like to gather your party and continue?". Uh, Ok. A screen pops up where you have to click a new area. Boom. You are transported to the new area that looks exactly like the first and is tiny, tiny, tiny. There are a few crates and sacks to open, but that is it.

    Oh well, you say. "I don't care how tiny it is, my attention span is so short every area will seem new to me anyways". Well you will also notice Kirkwall is filled with tons of people going about their business! What a sprawling city just filled with life! Unfortunately, you can't talk to any of these people. None. Zero. Clicking them does nothing. Area recycling

    OK, so now the dreaded area recycling that fangirls everywhere try to justify. I'd like to remind everyone that I play games for fun. I realize many of you now play games as a form of repetitive work (like WoW), in that case, you still won't like this game. It is truly ridiculous. Accept a quest, go through a mine, return back and get a reward. Good, it was fun. Accept another quest, go back to the exact same mine, but now somehow there are doors closed off with rocks, and new doors magically have opened. WTF? Ok whatever, I'll let it slide. Oh wait, please don't make me go back to Kirkwall to accept another quest. I know we have moved past this but Kirkwall is so small that I memorized every area, where everything was in just one pass through of the city. I can see how people can convince themselves that this area recycling is fine, as I did myself for a little while. But finally I cracked. I hate it. I hate this game. If you haven't cracked yet, just keep playing. It will happen. I promise.

    Battles

    Not much to say about this one. Every battle is the exact same, with the a lot of the same enemies. This is just a real let down. Here is how it works: Approach an area, kill off about 7 - 10 enemies, a second wave of 7-10 enemies appears. Kill them. Move on. Every. Single. Battle. Is. The. Same. Two waves. Then done. All of them. So when you enter a battle, you know exactly what will happen, this absolutely kills immersion. Items They seemed to have made an effort to add a ton of gear into the game. Only problem is that most of it is only for the main character. That leaves a tiny subset of stuff you can actually equip to others. It is obvious that the game was rushed. A few items have actual clever names like, "Gloves of the unknowable unknown". Ok, whatever. Cool. But then it stops. Items that have different attributes are all named the same, "Ring. Belt. Helm. Staff". Annoying to sort through 5 "Rings" in your inventory that all have different properties.

    Story
    Ah what else. How about the story? I never could figure out what was going on. It's full of endless side quests. Inever did figure out what the overall goal was. There was an area in the journal that listed the "main plot" quests, but they were no different than the endless, forgettable side quests.

    Conclusion
    I was expecting an epic sequel to DA:O. This is such an embarrassment of an RPG that I actually feel used, and conned. There is no possible way that BioWare was putting the finishing touches on this baby and thought, "Wow, good job guys. This game is really fun". The game is small, repetitive and just plain boring. Why are there 2 waves to every fight? Why are all the areas the same? Why is Kirkwall so damn small?! I am surprised that it took them this long to release the game. It should have taken 4 months, max. I just wish the gaming media websites would actually rate games truthfully. They should be embarrassed.    … Expand
  18. drakkoone
    Mar 19, 2011
    3
    Origin was not perfect, but it was a good game. Here, on DA2, every aspect of the game is a downgrade. No more strategic battle, no armors for companions in inventory, no crafting (NPCs make it for you), no dialogue skills like persuasion or intimidation (you can ask a companion to interfere in conversation, but it's an automatic succes). This game is a waste, and I'm worried about Mass Effect 3.
  19. mindguru
    Mar 19, 2011
    3
    As an absolute lover and fanatic raver of Dragon Age: Origins, I was desperately looking forward to the series' second installment. Unfortunately, for every step forward this game took, it removed everything that made it's predecessor special to RPG players. The removal of the tactical camera, seemingly endless and predictable waves of repetitive enemies, and an AI that makes yourAs an absolute lover and fanatic raver of Dragon Age: Origins, I was desperately looking forward to the series' second installment. Unfortunately, for every step forward this game took, it removed everything that made it's predecessor special to RPG players. The removal of the tactical camera, seemingly endless and predictable waves of repetitive enemies, and an AI that makes your allies slip into loops of stupidity make combat frustrating, though it is not as difficult as in Origins. Non-customizable or usable loot/armor for allies makes treasure hunting, one of the keystones of the RPG genre, feel largely unimportant. The WORST part is the constantly recycled dungeons. Each setting only has one map, with different doors closed off or opened up. These, among other travesties, are what makes this game a nightmare to play. It is not a follow up to Dragon Age: Origins in any sense of the word, and has gone from being an RPG to make you think and formulate tactical strategy to being one of mindless hack-and-slash. Do yourself a favor: save your money and pray that Dragon Age III, if it is ever made after this hack-job, goes back to its roots.… Expand
  20. JJDrakken
    Apr 10, 2011
    3
    Reason it's getting such a High Critic review, E.A./Bioware are literally throwing money at them to write anything nice & give it high numbers. Trust the User's, we know how much this game failed us.

    This game should never came out when it did, they just wanted to make money & be damned of the issues, they'll just throw more money at it, say look see have this great game, expect stupid    Reason it's getting such a High Critic review, E.A./Bioware are literally throwing money at them to write anything nice & give it high numbers. Trust the User's, we know how much this game failed us.

    This game should never came out when it did, they just wanted to make money & be damned of the issues, they'll just throw more money at it, say look see have this great game, expect stupid awards for it, because more money is being thrown at the judges.

    JJ    … Expand
  21. Seolas
    Mar 21, 2011
    3
    The storyline really isn't bad and certain side-quests are of interest, often tying into the bigger picture. Unfortunately the mechanics and gameplay have been popamole'd to the extreme, with many of DA:O's best things "streamlined" (dumbed down) or removed. Companions range in quality from very good (Varric) to very bland (Fenris). The re-use of maps is unforgivable and makes even theThe storyline really isn't bad and certain side-quests are of interest, often tying into the bigger picture. Unfortunately the mechanics and gameplay have been popamole'd to the extreme, with many of DA:O's best things "streamlined" (dumbed down) or removed. Companions range in quality from very good (Varric) to very bland (Fenris). The re-use of maps is unforgivable and makes even the above-mentioned side-quests a grind at times as you run through the same cave you've seen 100 times with a door blocked here and opened there. Bioware's attempt to "streamline" the game in an attempt to attract younger action game fans seems to have failed big. Not only have they failed to draw in a significant amount of those based on early sales but they have also jaded those of us who love a proper RPG and had faith in them to improve on the original title. Instead, not only is this much inferior, even the rushed out expansion to DA:O, Awakenings, is a better game than this. I worry for Mass Effect 3 now...… Expand
  22. TheBedivere
    Mar 23, 2011
    3
    Terrible game. It's poorly written, has no MAIN PLOT whatsover. It feels like a crappy collection of side quests. You never really get to know any of the characters. The combat is abysmal, and felt like crap to play.

    Just go play Dragon Age: Origins again, and you'll get 100 times the enjoyment out of that than this crap.
  23. addyftw
    Mar 23, 2011
    3
    The combat system revamp does not bother me. What does bother me is when party members don't ****ing hold position when I tell them. Let me give you an example: fighting the first dragon you come across in the deep roads. I want to kite the boss back to a better position, I tell my party to HOLD POSITION, meaning that unless I get a loading screen, or a cut-scean, they should not moveThe combat system revamp does not bother me. What does bother me is when party members don't ****ing hold position when I tell them. Let me give you an example: fighting the first dragon you come across in the deep roads. I want to kite the boss back to a better position, I tell my party to HOLD POSITION, meaning that unless I get a loading screen, or a cut-scean, they should not move from that spot under any circumstances no matter what. What actually ends up happening is that the horrible party AI system decided to teleport them to me three times in the course of no more than a 15 second walk from where I told them to HOLD POSITION. Since I'm playing on nightmare and my party for the most part is completely useless anyway, due to iffy at best aggro mechanics, (I have abandoned my warrior since she does so little damage, once the 10 second taunt is up, it all runs to the casters anyway), and party member's AI being too stupid to move out of the way of 1 shot kill boss mechanics, I have abandoned my party almost all together. This has let to the already nearly non existent party member story lines, to be nonexistent all together since it is not worth it to bring them with me.

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

    My largest gripe BY FAR is how lazy the level design team was: FIVE count them FIVE times, the game reused the EXACT SAME DUNGEON. I don't mean, oh you have to go back into the dungeon, no, a completely different area has the EXACT SAME DUNGEON layout, even the set pieces are the same. This game has no re-playability at all, $60 is a rip off for this piece of garbage, maby $20 is worth it. I wouldn't know, I'm glad I torrented it or I woudl have been pissed off that I wasted $60.    … Expand
  24. Airiak
    Mar 24, 2011
    3
    DA:O is one of my all time favorites. In one play through of the base game, expansion and DLCs I've racked up over 200 hours. I explored every companions back story, I've read nearly every codex entry, and I doubt there is a stone anywhere in Fereldon that I haven't seen at least once.

    DA2 on the other hand has been a struggle to play. I've forced myself to give it 10 hours, and I highly    DA:O is one of my all time favorites. In one play through of the base game, expansion and DLCs I've racked up over 200 hours. I explored every companions back story, I've read nearly every codex entry, and I doubt there is a stone anywhere in Fereldon that I haven't seen at least once.

    DA2 on the other hand has been a struggle to play. I've forced myself to give it 10 hours, and I highly doubt I'll ever touch it again. Boring, lackluster, repetitive, uninteresting, dumbed down, and just bad.

    This game has no business wearing the Dragon Age title.    … Expand
  25. Freetex
    Mar 25, 2011
    3
    Whilst I truly enjoyed, the immersive, dynamic storytelling of the first game, I have to say, the second installment is very much a disappointment. The scripting seems exceptionally stunted in comparison, and the voice acting, a key selling point of the first ranges from poor, to absolutely terrible. The combat feels unwieldy, and unintuitive, the party system unbalanced, and the storylineWhilst I truly enjoyed, the immersive, dynamic storytelling of the first game, I have to say, the second installment is very much a disappointment. The scripting seems exceptionally stunted in comparison, and the voice acting, a key selling point of the first ranges from poor, to absolutely terrible. The combat feels unwieldy, and unintuitive, the party system unbalanced, and the storyline contrived. Granted, these are all points relative to the quality of Bioware in general, and the original Dragon Age, but they set the bar- And instead of clearing it, they've rushed an underdeveloped, flawed sequel to release, seemingly in the hopes that the Bioware name, and the success it's predecessor alone will create a good gaming experience. Sadly, I'm certain that it will be enough to ensure sales, at least, however undeserved....… Expand
  26. GrumpyDwarf
    Mar 26, 2011
    3
    So I made a metacritic account simply to put in two cents about the game, it was that disappointing. DAO was a well refined game. Did it have it's difficulties, yes. Needing Wynne in the party or a massive amount of health potions was a frustrating element.

    However, DA2 is bad. It's Chrono Trigger to Chrono Cross bad. The combat has lost all semblance of strategy, it is an orgy of lights    So I made a metacritic account simply to put in two cents about the game, it was that disappointing. DAO was a well refined game. Did it have it's difficulties, yes. Needing Wynne in the party or a massive amount of health potions was a frustrating element.

    However, DA2 is bad. It's Chrono Trigger to Chrono Cross bad. The combat has lost all semblance of strategy, it is an orgy of lights and effects with no tactical element whatsoever. I am not sure you even really need to control the main character most of the time to survive through combat. Rather, you can sit there are watch the fireworks. The lack of coherent purpose or direction has me drifting in a video game wasteland of purposelessness. I went from saving Ferelden in DAO to owning half a mine in DA2. Honestly, if I wanted my days to feel like a vain wandering through menial tasks, I would stay in the real world and quit playing video games. All in all I will see the game through, but it feels like a slow, inevitable death; the game is a giant slow-motion train wreck. I want my 59.99 back for DA2, 59.99 for MA2, and 10k for pain and suffering.    … Expand
  27. erynnar
    Mar 27, 2011
    3
    This is not a sequel, this is a stand alone game set in the DA universe. The combat leaves a lot to be desired. The supposed over all story arc really doesn't happen until Act 3.You spend most of your time being a n errand person running from once short story of a quest to another with no unifying thread. It is disjointed and repetitive. They reuse maps (which they admit is a problem) andThis is not a sequel, this is a stand alone game set in the DA universe. The combat leaves a lot to be desired. The supposed over all story arc really doesn't happen until Act 3.You spend most of your time being a n errand person running from once short story of a quest to another with no unifying thread. It is disjointed and repetitive. They reuse maps (which they admit is a problem) and you are pretty much stuck in the city of Kirkwall and places just outside it. So it is claustrophobic in a way. There is no real connection to the character you play who seems to make no impact on the world with their decisions, but rather has to go with the flow and gets pushed into one horrible situation after another. And overall the game is so depressing it is a wonder your Hawke doesn't run mad. There is no break from the angst. You can't talk to your companions when you want, only at their houses and when the game tells you. The convo wheel is horrible, you never know what your character is actually going to say, not that is seems to make any impact on what little story there is. I hate that they basically gave a lobotomy to one of my favorite characters from Awakenings which made me not like the game, and didn't really make me feel for the plot point at the end they were driving towards. Having a relationship with the companions proved difficult most of the time and did not have the connection of the companions in DAO. I hated the zerging battles, endless wave after wave of enemies, which requires no strategy just a lot of potions, mostly for stamina.

    I did love the companions, save the lobotomized one. All of them (despite being tricky in getting your relationship the way you want them) are well done, and fun. I like the new armor designs for my Hawke.

    Overall this game has a shallow feel compared to DAO. The little details, easter eggs, and side quests are missing. hidden items, hidden doorways and passages, small stories and loot missing. This was ready in a year and half, and it shows. It feels rushed and unfinished.    … Expand
  28. frostb
    Mar 28, 2011
    3
    Ð
  29. LinkeWimpie
    Mar 28, 2011
    3
    This is actually the first time after completing a game that i felt compelled to register at this website just to state my opinion about this game and warn people who are thinking of buying this game not to make the same mistake as I did. In my opinion, the only thing that's close to being decent in DA 2 compared to DA:O is the combat system (for the Xbox 360 anyway). Any professionalThis is actually the first time after completing a game that i felt compelled to register at this website just to state my opinion about this game and warn people who are thinking of buying this game not to make the same mistake as I did. In my opinion, the only thing that's close to being decent in DA 2 compared to DA:O is the combat system (for the Xbox 360 anyway). Any professional reviewers who gave this game more than a 3 should be ashamed of themselves. The entire game consists of repeating areas and a weak storyline not to mention the horrible graphics. The whole time I was playing this game I just felt like I was on a one-way track to the end. At least in the first Dragon Age there was a sense of adventure where you were travelling from town to town meeting new people etc. I think I spent roughly 80% of my playtime in DA 2 in one stinking city... and even when I got a new sidequest it just involved visiting an area I ran through 10 mins earlier. I must say I am very disappointed with Bioware for releasing the game as it is now and I'm even more disappointed with the so-called critics who actually give the game more than 3.… Expand
  30. Stormcrow666
    May 3, 2011
    3
    The 1st DAO was 100% better than this piece of garbage. I have had it since release and I dont think that I will even bother to finish it. The rehashed areas are boring, the plot is terrible and for a dx11 game(patched..) the graphics are not that great. If you have DX11 running just take a look at your characters(or party members) feet sink into the floor..just shoddy. This game seemsThe 1st DAO was 100% better than this piece of garbage. I have had it since release and I dont think that I will even bother to finish it. The rehashed areas are boring, the plot is terrible and for a dx11 game(patched..) the graphics are not that great. If you have DX11 running just take a look at your characters(or party members) feet sink into the floor..just shoddy. This game seems rushed and has a terrible plot.… Expand
  31. jamesinchains
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    I was very upset to see DA2 go this way, I must admit. After spending hundreds of hours playing and replaying DA:O, it fast became one of, if not my favourite game ever. It was so in depth, you feel in love with the world and with the characters, such an amazing storyline etc. Like any game, it had its flaws but they were minimal compared to its successes. DA2 is frankly, the biggestI was very upset to see DA2 go this way, I must admit. After spending hundreds of hours playing and replaying DA:O, it fast became one of, if not my favourite game ever. It was so in depth, you feel in love with the world and with the characters, such an amazing storyline etc. Like any game, it had its flaws but they were minimal compared to its successes. DA2 is frankly, the biggest letdown sequel I have ever played or seen. It has no character to it, the storyline is anything but engaging, the game itself is far too short and felt too me to be far shorter than its predecessor. The characters are bland and boring, with no particular personality or back story to them. Hawke him/herself is in my eyes a complete failure, aided by juvenile dialogue, no emotional depth and the typical generic broody hero trait ¬_¬
    The graphics are apalling. Games on my iPhone have better graphics. Games on my ps2 had similar graphics. Kirkwall is horribly unattractive and plain, as are the few other locations in the game, including all the locations that are EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE REST.
    The combat is I suppose interesting in its own way (I liked the actual time fighting rather than swinging your weapon once every 5 seconds) but also incredibly repetetive and easy. Even on the harder difficulties, I could wipe out a group of 10 enemies with only my mage (a feat that was impossible in DA:O)
    But on to the real aspect of an RPG, the story. Well, what of it? There is no story in DA2 as such. The whole game is just a series of monotonous 'go there, do that' tasks with little story in between. It didn't bring anything new to the table because we know the Qunari invaded Ferelden and are constantly trying to conquer the land, we know the mages hate the templars and vice versa. But then anything it does tell us, it doesn't tell us anything about. What the hell was up with Flemeth? With all the media and press that had come out before DA2's release, it seemed like she was going to be heavily involved. She barely had 5 minutes in the game, all of which explained and went towards nothing. It was like 'Oh, there's Flemeth, the monsterously powerful Witch of the Wilds. Ok, that's done with.' And what the hell was up with the whole thing witn Cassandra and the ending. Ok, we gather the world is apparently on the brink of war, BUT WHY? GIVE US SOME DETAILS!!!! And then the ending is left not even on a cliffhanger, it's like the designers just gave up halfway through making the game! Nothing is explained, in fact, everything just becomes 10 times more confusing, and not in a good makes you want to know more confusing way, just in a well that **** sucks confusing way.
    DA2 is an insult to DAs legacy, a less that mediocre game that was evidently rushed beyond belief due to corporate greed. It has no fire or soul to it and has not even one aspect to compare it to DA:O. I can see why the original producer left, I'd die of shame if that empty souless piece of crap was associated with me in any way.
    For those of you considering buying it, here's a tip. Don't. Especially if you're a fan of the series. You will be heartbroken. There are plenty of great games out at the moment; Crysys 2, Rift, The Sims Medieval etc.
    I have two words for you Bioware: EPIC FAIL.    … Expand
  32. maliusmaximus
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    Epic fail. So disappointed as Dragon Age was the game that got me interested in Bioware. Bought Mass Effect 1 and 2, also Bioshock as a direct result of DAO. There is enormous re-use of maps that makes the game feel very repetitive (they just seal and open different parts of the same map for many quests).
    The killer though is the game breaking Isabela friendship bug. This corrupts the    Epic fail. So disappointed as Dragon Age was the game that got me interested in Bioware. Bought Mass Effect 1 and 2, also Bioshock as a direct result of DAO. There is enormous re-use of maps that makes the game feel very repetitive (they just seal and open different parts of the same map for many quests).
    The killer though is the game breaking Isabela friendship bug. This corrupts the character file and makes the game literally completely unplayable on PC after a few hours if you switch Isabela in and out often. No solution by Bioware so unless you are happy to edit your savegame, you are stuck with a PC copy that doesn't work. A game always has known bugs upon release, but the developer can choose if the bugs are major enough to warrant a release delay. Bioware felt that they could still release a game that literally does not work on PC after a few hours. This either shows a complete disregard for their customers or far too little beta testing. This is the first time I pre-purchased a game. It will certainly be the last time I pre-purchase (and possibly pay for at all) a Bioware game.    … Expand
  33. Rataan
    Apr 1, 2011
    3
    The developers tried to combine hack and slash and role playing with predictable results. Predictable, evidently, to everyone but them. It's hard to convey how ironic it is, because we went through the exact same thing with Bioware in 2002 with Neverwinter Nights. Dragon Age was supposed to be a return to roots after the fan reaction to the weak first installment of Neverwinter Nights,The developers tried to combine hack and slash and role playing with predictable results. Predictable, evidently, to everyone but them. It's hard to convey how ironic it is, because we went through the exact same thing with Bioware in 2002 with Neverwinter Nights. Dragon Age was supposed to be a return to roots after the fan reaction to the weak first installment of Neverwinter Nights, which was essentially a shotgun marriage of the Baldur's Gate franchise and elements of Diablo II. Fast forward to 2011, and we get another mishmash that tries to be all things to all things to all people. No doubt the Bioware developers sold themselves and their "ideas" to their corporate overlords as faster, better and cheaper and would take the world by storm. Either that, or they knew it was a half-baked cash-in to fill in quarterly revenues in the lull before bigger and better releases later in the year. Don't believe the big name reviews. The 80+ average here and at Gamerankings is far too generous. Big titles like this seldom get the honest criticism they deserve. DA2 does have high production values, and maybe that is what they are actually reviewing. The voice acting is top notch, and it has many individual scenes and lines of dialog that show there was some talent at work. But while that may be a good start for an RPG, DA2 doesn't deliver a cohesive story overall. It's more like three short stories in one book. But if you are a diehard fan of the genre, then maybe DA2 is still worth the price of admission. Just be forewarned that you see many game elements that will leave you baffled and wincing.… Expand
  34. hawkeman72
    Apr 11, 2012
    3
    This game is so amazing! i mean who could ask for a better game from bioware! the game centers around a character named Hawke, he has a pointed beard that points out on both sides! thats so badass! thats what more RPGs need, badass things like that! I love badassery in video games. I love the blood splatters on the cover, it shows that its a dark and mature game, for mature gamers such asThis game is so amazing! i mean who could ask for a better game from bioware! the game centers around a character named Hawke, he has a pointed beard that points out on both sides! thats so badass! thats what more RPGs need, badass things like that! I love badassery in video games. I love the blood splatters on the cover, it shows that its a dark and mature game, for mature gamers such as myself. Gone are the diverse dungeons and cityscapes of Dragon Age: oregins. Now you will be spending the entire game in Kirkwood! i bet thats a reference to captain kirk! im glad bioware are such Nreds like i am *squee**Glomp* nreds are so cool!. The Dungeons are copied and pasted like they should be! people who want variety are just entitled! The graphics are a step backward from the original dragon age, which is a good thing! those shiny new graphics just hurt my eyes!. The game deals with many real world issues, like killing, violence, and homosex. It deals with the latter in a very mature manner, there are multiple option for homosex in Dragon Age II, some of them can be initiated after a few positive lines of Dialogue! this is exactly what homosexes are like in real life, i walked to the hardware store today and recieved at least 3 or 4 homosexual encounters after asking for directions, its a very accurate and non patronizing portrayal of homosexes. Drag Age II is game of the year, its the best game of the decade and is amazing and good and great in every way. If you dont like it you are a homophone and a nazi.… Expand
  35. zentoo
    Apr 14, 2011
    3
    A game so totally devoid of all the depths and charm that made the first in the series interesting that it is a wonder to me how Bioware could shove this out the door. It is so dumbed down in quests, background and especially combat that its just a travesty. I feel combat is in such a state of disrepair with teleporting waves of enemies that all tactics and thought is effectivelyA game so totally devoid of all the depths and charm that made the first in the series interesting that it is a wonder to me how Bioware could shove this out the door. It is so dumbed down in quests, background and especially combat that its just a travesty. I feel combat is in such a state of disrepair with teleporting waves of enemies that all tactics and thought is effectively eliminated from the game, all there is left is a "press whatever cooldown is ready" retardations that its worthy of a bungled flashgame

    Score (3.1)    … Expand
  36. Mat
    Apr 16, 2011
    3
    ...silent...still silent cover my mind. I buy this game before they come, and that is my mistake. But i believe, what bioware said...no more my "dear" bioware...I newer buy your game before they come, even if you give me half prize. I WANT MY MONEY BACK. This game is some joke.

    Very angry, and unhappy player.
  37. Tweete
    Apr 18, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is very weak compared to the first game. The story was not as good and didnt flow well at all. The game seemed to want to push the player towards a gay romance was a real negative for me. (No I dont care about your politically correct ideas about it....I played the game and thats how I feel) This is the first bioware game I will not play a second time. I would tell my friends not to buy this game.… Expand
  38. HypeUsNotThem
    Apr 21, 2011
    3
    Pros:
    + The clear abilities points distribution system is a improvement
    + Voiced protagonist dialogs
    + "Sell All Junk" button (Only a requirement when you have junk)

    Cons:
    - Cheap dungeon design
    - Excessive gore and unnatural moves in combat animations
    - Spiders drop gold (What?)
    - Shallow characters and dialogues
  39. lolcats
    Apr 22, 2011
    3
    its a working game with 3d graphics, a story, and characters(not compelling, interesting, deep, or smart in any way, no sign of intelligence from the ones responsible for character design)
    this can be said about almost any game, and thats why we look for what makes the games unique, and that is what DA:O was, this looks like DA:O got robed of its limbs and head, whats left is a bloody    its a working game with 3d graphics, a story, and characters(not compelling, interesting, deep, or smart in any way, no sign of intelligence from the ones responsible for character design)
    this can be said about almost any game, and thats why we look for what makes the games unique, and that is what DA:O was, this looks like DA:O got robed of its limbs and head, whats left is a bloody gory torso with no depth or the "true" rpg feel that, some people may argue that DA2 should not be compared to its predecessor, because its a different game, but it should, it realy should, they sat the standard with DA:O and if they expect the game to be received well, they need to make a game of equal or better quality, not a dumbed down thing meant for the larger demographic.    … Expand
  40. vacant
    May 3, 2011
    3
    The same location over and over and over. Utterly uninteresting story and awful, cliched cringe-worthy characters. Nowhere interesting to go, nobody interesting to talk to. Dull, dull, dull...
  41. Bludfur
    May 4, 2011
    3
    In spite of my love for Bioware's games, I have to further confirm the disappointment of Dragon Age 2. A massive chain of uninteresting one-off quests requiring constant, oversimplistic, repetitive combat, playing out with formulaic results over which you have relatively little control. Generic conversation responses tend to lead to the same outcomes, and with the exception of yourIn spite of my love for Bioware's games, I have to further confirm the disappointment of Dragon Age 2. A massive chain of uninteresting one-off quests requiring constant, oversimplistic, repetitive combat, playing out with formulaic results over which you have relatively little control. Generic conversation responses tend to lead to the same outcomes, and with the exception of your companions, none of the characters are interesting. Graphics look absolutely terrible, reuse of environments is questionable, retardedness of Templar who can't figure out that a mage MC is an apostate is inexcusable. Even despite being motivated to carry over event results to the next game, I ended up leaving this game abandoned, bloated and bleached in a field, uninterested in finishing, and swearing I would never Preorder a game again.… Expand
  42. Antix
    Jun 16, 2011
    3
    A really bad game. Plain and simple. The 'level design' - and you have to use that term loosely - just consists of a few a very narrow corridors. The areas are shamelessly reused. How a developer can get away with making about 6 tiny areas for a 40 hour long game and calling it a day is beyond me. The game mostly takes place in a city and its surroundings. Needless to say, they never evenA really bad game. Plain and simple. The 'level design' - and you have to use that term loosely - just consists of a few a very narrow corridors. The areas are shamelessly reused. How a developer can get away with making about 6 tiny areas for a 40 hour long game and calling it a day is beyond me. The game mostly takes place in a city and its surroundings. Needless to say, they never even bothered to design a city, only 3 separate and small areas that you can fast travel to.

    The combat is frantic. Gone are the strategic battles of Origins. A lot of enemies bumrush you in the small corridors and you have to press the awesome button. On top of that, it is very tedious, since each and every single encounter you have will have about 4-5 waves of the exact same enemies literally teleporting in out of nowhere to bore you to death. Ridiculous game design. Not to mention that most encounters are random i.e. you just walk around and explore and don't see your enemy until the fight begins. Quite ironic from the company that bashes jrpgs. The difficulty curve is pretty much nonexistent if you keep your equipment in check since level scaling is in effect. A hurlock won't be easier to kill at lvl20 than at lvl1.

    Your character, Hawke, has 3 stock replies locked in their respective places: Good, funny or aggressive. Funny is especially bad. Like "wanting to punch whoever wrote that crap" kind of bad. Good or aggressive is most of the time what you'd expect. Emphasis on most of the time, since the few words they put in the dumb dialogue wheel so you don't bother your pretty litle brain with too much reading can be misleading. Sometimes extra options or questions show up but most of the times they're just stuff that isn't worth asking or has already been answered.

    The party members feel like wasted potential. You have to visit them in their homes so they all explain their backstories in about 2-3 conversations over time and all have a chain of quests tied to it. At the core, they're not all that bad but everything feels very formulaic so you end up not caring much about them. But hey, they're mostly bisexual and you can romance them since that's obviously more important than the rest of the game, so it's all good. Their armor isn't customizable but weapons, stats and skills are up to you.

    Finally, the story. If you last long enough (trust me, that's difficult) to make it to the final act, you'll have a somewhat interesting story on your hands that just ends up being predictable, but at least you get the 'epic' high fantasy feel for a while and a laughable final boss. The first act just feels like a needless prologue and you will feel a general lack urgency or motivation. Act 2 is more bearable but still nothing to write home about. The side quests are all derivative and boring.

    Lazy game design, bad writing, and poor production values are what make this a title that isn't just hard to recommend, but should simply be avoided by anyone. The icing on the cake is that overall, the game feels like a slap to the face for the people who had hope in the Dragon Age franchise and took it the exact opposite direction from what they were hoping for.    … Expand
  43. zairis
    May 7, 2011
    3
    A failed attempt at making Dragon Age a mix of action an RPG. What we get is a severely dumbed down RPG with unsatisfactory action element, that take up the majority of play time. Plus and uncompelling story that has nothing to do with Origins...

    I do not get how this game has gotten so many positive reviews... This is not a BioWare grade product, this is something straight from the    A failed attempt at making Dragon Age a mix of action an RPG. What we get is a severely dumbed down RPG with unsatisfactory action element, that take up the majority of play time. Plus and uncompelling story that has nothing to do with Origins...

    I do not get how this game has gotten so many positive reviews... This is not a BioWare grade product, this is something straight from the bowels of EA's rush'n'cash department.

    So where do I start? First of all, as I stated before, the story has virtually nothing to do with Origins. If you were hoping to see big time consequences of your actions in the previous game, you are in for an unpleasant surprise. Nothing you did in Origins has any impact on DA2, apart for some minor and negligible side quests. Furthermore, the story itself feels incredibly forced at times. In Origins, I really wanted to defeat the Blight, even while playing an "evil" character. DA2's story didn't make me care about it's main plot, mainly because, for the most part, it was being shoved down my throat. There is a quest quite early on, which you are forced to do to advance the story, but there is no logical train of thought nor are there any circumstances in game that would make your character want to do this quest, unless they felt a certain way towards one of the main groups presented in the story. It feels more like an optional side quest than a main plot one . And the side quests themselves are a travesty. Mind you, there are some cool ones that clearly have been thought through, but they are drowned in the sea of identical, almost grind-like, minimum flavour text, quest you get in a shoddy MMO.

    Let's have a look at the game mechanics then. The new stats system feels more transparent and logical, the talent trees are better designed than those in Origins, but that's where the good stuff ends. The Mass Effect style dialogue tree looks well and all, except for the fact than in most cases, all you choose is they way your character will say, "Yes I agree". Fortunately this doesn't happen too often, but it becomes very annoying if you want to play, what is after all an RPG game. And speaking of RPG elements, you cannot equip your party with armour, and by that I mean that you can't customize your companions helmet, torso and boots slots. You are stuck with what they have, until you find a special upgrade, and every companion only gets four. Not four upgrade slots which you can fill in from randomly dropped upgrades, because there are no random upgrades. Each companion will only ever get four armour upgrades, so you don't overheat that brain of yours choosing which one to give to who. The combat would be great if not for one thing: enemies that spawn mid fight, usually off camera. And again it wouldn't be so bad if the newly spawned guys were just minions helping the big boss you are currently fighting. But more often than not, they are pretty powerful, and can seriously mess up your party if you don't spot them the instant they are spawned. Also, the difficulty settings have been dumbed down, so now you get friendly fire only on the highest level. And the gap between the two top settings (Hard and Nightmare) is so big, it seems no one had any time to tweak them. On Hard the game is still laughably easy, and on Nightmare it becomes, at times, downright frustrating. Graphically it is an improvement over Origins, allthough I was never the one to dislike a game just because it had old graphics. What I cannot abide however is the endless and shameless recycling of locations. Most of the main ones are ok, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are only so many side quest ones. And it's not like some quest just take place in the same location. The cave you enter on a beach will be the exact same cave you have already visited in the mountains, but maybe with an entrance that is located elsewhere, and with some areas sealed away. You really get the feeling they either rushed the game out, or were just plain lazy about it.

    In an effort to appeal to a broader audience (namely the drunken frat boy demographic) BioWare has dumbed down their game to the point you can barely call it an RPG and added a ton of sub par action and clumsy gore. If this was a game by any other developer, and not a sequel to Origins, this would be an average game with a few memorable moments. Being as it is, it is a poor game with lots of memorable failures...    … Expand
  44. Cthalion85
    May 9, 2011
    3
    The shamelessly hyped and massively inflated "professional" reviews of this guy are absolutely pathetic. The combat is terrible, it feels like diablo except it isn't the mid 1990s anymore. The combat system becomes tedious and boring very early on. I do not consider this to be a true rpg. It is action or hack and slash style "adventure" with very little in the way of environmental andThe shamelessly hyped and massively inflated "professional" reviews of this guy are absolutely pathetic. The combat is terrible, it feels like diablo except it isn't the mid 1990s anymore. The combat system becomes tedious and boring very early on. I do not consider this to be a true rpg. It is action or hack and slash style "adventure" with very little in the way of environmental and item variety. A massive dissappointment to anyone who played Dragon Age: Origins, or anyone actually expecting a full fledged Bioware RPG.… Expand
  45. Ghostrider
    May 11, 2011
    3
    Bottom line: mostly disappointed.

    My main complaint about DA2 is extremely weak story line. For entire game you are completely in the dark waiting for something epic to happen only to have your hopes dashed in the end. Store is nowhere near what is was in DA:O or even DA:A Secondly, did Bioware try to cut development costs? Graphics wise the game was pretty much unchanged compared to    Bottom line: mostly disappointed.

    My main complaint about DA2 is extremely weak story line. For entire game you are completely in the dark waiting for something epic to happen only to have your hopes dashed in the end. Store is nowhere near what is was in DA:O or even DA:A

    Secondly, did Bioware try to cut development costs? Graphics wise the game was pretty much unchanged compared to DA:O. You would assume that they would put a lot of effort in level design. Not so - the game brutally reuses same locations over and over again. There are less unique locations than in DA:A which is an expansion.

    Thirdly, while it is nice that they have voiced the main character, overall dialog system has taken a turn for the worse. You pretty much have no control over your own character. Hawke's replies are completely unpredictable (so why even give player a choice). The same system works fine in ME and ME2 but is completely screwed up in DA2. And in the end dialog choices have very little effect on the direction of the game.

    There isn't that much equipment available for main character to chose from and even less so for companions.

    To be fair there is one improvement I can name - like simplified rune system (that got unwieldy in DA:A

    Conclusion: If you liked DA:O and aren't desperate to play this game - don't. Wait for DA3 if it ever comes around (and not in the form of MMORPG as it very well may) and see if Bioware would do better then.    … Expand
  46. Overmannus
    May 18, 2011
    3
    A deeply flawed game with empty world and recycled graphic assets. Limited to a single city where nothing changes over a decade and artificially prolonged with pointless quests and waves of mobs who totally destroy combat tactics. I can't remember a RPG where i wanted to single handedly slaughter most of my companions because they were so annoying. s.
  47. Lanzmann
    May 21, 2011
    3
    A huge disappointment overall. Completely fails to live up to its predecessor. A consolized, streamlined and dumbed down game target for the Call of Duty market. Gameplay is okay; the rest is pure garbage: lack of different environments, stupid story, crappy ending, fails to deliver true choice-and-consequence mechanics, cardboard character textures, lack of an interesting roster... pickA huge disappointment overall. Completely fails to live up to its predecessor. A consolized, streamlined and dumbed down game target for the Call of Duty market. Gameplay is okay; the rest is pure garbage: lack of different environments, stupid story, crappy ending, fails to deliver true choice-and-consequence mechanics, cardboard character textures, lack of an interesting roster... pick one. Not to mention the protagonist, a failed attempt to create a medieval Shepard. You might even have some fun while playing it, but if you actually enjoyed the first game, some tears of grief are along for the ride.… Expand
  48. Dariune
    May 17, 2011
    3
    This game, in almost every way is poor. Lets forget for a moment that it is the sequel of what was heralded as the spiritual succesor to one of the greatest roleplayng games of all time and try to judge the game on its own merits. The problem being, that the game has very few merits. It is Biowares obvious step into stripping out the crpg aspects and going for the more action orientatedThis game, in almost every way is poor. Lets forget for a moment that it is the sequel of what was heralded as the spiritual succesor to one of the greatest roleplayng games of all time and try to judge the game on its own merits. The problem being, that the game has very few merits. It is Biowares obvious step into stripping out the crpg aspects and going for the more action orientated market. The game however totally fails in both areas. As an action game it is boring. Compared to a game like God of War (the game i think it is most akin to) it lacks finesse, momentum and ends up playing like a chore instead of an immersive entertainment medium. The combat is laughable. You press attack and your character does a silly anime styled move. The skills are over the top and too quick and the tactics are almost non existant. The enemies just appear from the sky and the battles are so numerous that once your half way through this very shoprt game you will be dying for it to end. The characters (Normally one of Biowares strong points) are actually pretty boring and 2d i this game. Some are fun and make you want to learn more about them but for he most part they are straight out of a kids cartoon, trying to be cool to the point of cliche. Im afraid this isnt just a poor game for Bioware (who have been steadily getting worse for a number of years now). This is just a poor game and i wouldnt reccomend it even it is in the bargain bucket. Leave well alone.… Expand
  49. neppakyo
    May 18, 2011
    3
    What can I say that others haven't? DA2 is a commercial failure. See what short dev time, and an idiotic Lead Dev who does a 180 to fix things that weren't broken, and break other things. Why if you have such a short time, you go and tr to re-invent the wheel? Why not fix, tweak, and build upon origins instead of doing this silly drivel? I did love the concept of the story, but it wasWhat can I say that others haven't? DA2 is a commercial failure. See what short dev time, and an idiotic Lead Dev who does a 180 to fix things that weren't broken, and break other things. Why if you have such a short time, you go and tr to re-invent the wheel? Why not fix, tweak, and build upon origins instead of doing this silly drivel? I did love the concept of the story, but it was horribly executed, so many plot holes that you could drive an aircraft carrier through. Not to mention all the immersion breaking stuff as well. Don't get me started on BW's attempt at Final Fantasy characters(Fenris is cloud) and flashy lame combat that takes no thought at all.
    Story: 7 (good idea, bad execution. Drop the frame narrative bioware, you suck at it)
    Graphics: 5 (overly not an improvement over DA:O. Some better character models, but I prefer the grittiness of DAO over it)
    Audio: 6 (Even the music was rushed. Inon did an excellent job regardless and upped my score for it.)
    Combat: 2 (While some balance issues were addressed, the whole balloon body exploding meth induced speed combat, idiotic animations, waves, armored ninjas falling from the sky..)

    When I originally played it, I was generous and gave it a 6-7 /10 on the "official" forum. As you spend more time with it, the lower the score keeps going. Way too many faults. The piles of crap in DA2 out weigh all the good thats in it.
    4 / 10. Must be nice having EA pay off a bunch of professional reviewers, eh?    … Expand
  50. dasiu
    May 18, 2011
    3
    I liked this game, seriously. Finally they voiced the main character, some original approach to story, but if I can only give a Witcher 2 a 10/10, then 3/10 is the most I'm giving this game. Don't get me wrong, it's not all that bad, It's just like rating an Suzuki Swift after driving a Ferrari. The first one is not bad, just the other is so much better it spoils all the fun
  51. Venomaxiv
    May 24, 2011
    3
    How can i say it. This game is bad.
    Compared to Dragon Age 1 you don't have too big choice on the character selection.
    Hordes of the enemies spawning from everywhere, you cannot keep mages in the back, they are nearly always surrounded . Rouge skills - he is disappearing and reappearing at the enemies back... mercy - teleportation in fantasy game? Without magic? I'm very happy that i could    How can i say it. This game is bad.
    Compared to Dragon Age 1 you don't have too big choice on the character selection.
    Hordes of the enemies spawning from everywhere, you cannot keep mages in the back, they are nearly always surrounded . Rouge skills - he is disappearing and reappearing at the enemies back... mercy - teleportation in fantasy game? Without magic?
    I'm very happy that i could see the demo and play at my friends PC before buying. It would be big waste of money.    … Expand
  52. tobas1
    May 27, 2011
    3
    I have only one thing to say - don't fix things that are not broken-this will never work. Instead of fixing working ideas when you have clearly not enough time given to you by investors than just focus at content. Coz if you have not enough time and still trying to change not only scenario and environment but also game-play, mechanics and graphics and doing it for few platforms at the sameI have only one thing to say - don't fix things that are not broken-this will never work. Instead of fixing working ideas when you have clearly not enough time given to you by investors than just focus at content. Coz if you have not enough time and still trying to change not only scenario and environment but also game-play, mechanics and graphics and doing it for few platforms at the same time you just can't win. If this game would have unchanged gameplay and only little more polshed graphics it would be also bashed for not being creative but wouldn't get REAL avarage rating less than 7-8, but with focusing at scenario and as a sequel of good game i would expect at least 8,5-9,5. now it has 4 and in my opinion still too much… Expand
  53. UWHusky
    May 25, 2011
    3
    I found this to be a very difficult game ot review. I was extremely excited about getting this game as I am a long-time fan of bioware's products: Knights of the Old Republic, KOTOR II, DA:O, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect II were all games that I greatly enjoyed, and as such I had rather high expectations from Dragon Age II. I guess I should say that my first hint at my concerns showed upI found this to be a very difficult game ot review. I was extremely excited about getting this game as I am a long-time fan of bioware's products: Knights of the Old Republic, KOTOR II, DA:O, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect II were all games that I greatly enjoyed, and as such I had rather high expectations from Dragon Age II. I guess I should say that my first hint at my concerns showed up with the initial watching of the trailer where the main character summons something to rip the arms off of his enemy. The trailer itself didn't make any sense, and I was wondering to myself why he just didn't do that in the first place.

    I guess you could say that this about sums up the game.... It doesn't make any sense. I played the game for hours, continually expecting some sort of solidified story to show up, and after what seemed like an eternity, I realized that I was no longer interested in the game whatsoever. The story line never materialized, the combat, while initially was intriguing, rapidly became frustrating as I realized my NPC healer, Anders, couldn't heal anything, my tank couldn't hold aggro, and generally, as a rogue all I did was mash buttons. My biggest letdown though was something many people have already brought up: Bioware apparently ran out of ideas in creating their areas as they decided to create one area and make it work for multiple areas by opening and closing doors. The first time I saw it I didn't think much of it, but later I realized that it was the norm rather than the exception, I quickly started losing interest in the game.

    So.... breakdown:
    Pros:
    -Improved combat in that you no longer just point and click, but this does get old when you realize all you ever do is button mash.
    -Characters: this has historically been bioware's strong suit, and Dragon age II doesn't disappoint. I was generally intrigued with the characters, with the exception of Anders who simply came across as a big crybaby.

    Cons:
    -No longer can choose multiple races, like in DA:O. This offered a slightly different option for multiple playthroughs.
    -Lame, boring storyline. I have to be honest and say that I gave up on the game before Act III, so maybe a storyline does eventually appear, but I don't think a game should take 6 hours of gameplay to create the rudiments of a storyline that is intriguing.
    -Lame, boring side-quests.
    -Poor combat balancing. Initially I enjoyed the multiple waves of enemies that appear which makes combat sequences last longer, but later in the game I came to realize that this was a huge pain because your tank's taunt ability doesn't keep up with these waves, your healer can't heal anything because his heal skill takes what seems like 10 minutes to recharge, and everybody ends up dying unless you continually use healing items, which cost money. Frustrating.
    -DLC content abuse? Don't know how else to put it. I was rather shocked when I checked the DLC content and found about 100 things to download on the first day I played the game. This tells me that I paid 60 bucks for an incomplete game. I don't mind buying DLCs down the road, but it makes me wonder when such a huge amount of DLC content is not included with the game on day one. It screams of Bioware attempting (and succeeding) in extorting more money from their fan base.

    Overall... Very disapointed. Was very excited about this game, which is why I think I put up with the game for as long as I did. This game reeks of mass-produced money raking. Shame on bioware. I traded it back in to Amazon today with a tear in my eye. Here's hoping they don't mess up Mass Effect 3.    … Expand
  54. jim008
    May 26, 2011
    3
    This is a prime example of don't trust the critics to be objective. This game tried to reinvent the wheel and instead completely alienated those who enjoyed the first Dragon Age. Problem is that they designed this game to be a cheap action thrill. After awhile you completely lose interest in the story and might as well skip every scene. Seriously, how can anybody be interested in aThis is a prime example of don't trust the critics to be objective. This game tried to reinvent the wheel and instead completely alienated those who enjoyed the first Dragon Age. Problem is that they designed this game to be a cheap action thrill. After awhile you completely lose interest in the story and might as well skip every scene. Seriously, how can anybody be interested in a story so thin as you are now the badass so keep on questing because that's what badasses do. The combat is good and that's basically it because cheap action games only focuses on game play. The graphics are so good that the developers decided that you must run through the same areas over and over again until you want to poke your eyes out. I'm sorry but if DA origins was anything like this game, it would have flopped and nobody would have purchased this sequel. I think they purposely made this game horrible so that DA3 would be like a legend among the Dragon Age series. This game tried to be an RPG but the story sucked and there is absolutely no real feel in the world as monster just randomly spawn when you're running through the same area for the 12th time. This game tried to also be an action game but it's not really fun since it only has pretty good combat. Basically it tried to be good at multiple things but failed at being good with anything.… Expand
  55. google_calasade
    May 27, 2011
    3
    In a word, this game is atrocious. The NPCs are shallow. The graphics are cartoonish. The storyline is, well, boring. This is not its predecessor. Indeed, I am not sure what it is, or what it tries to be. It attempts action, hack n slash and RPG and succeeds at NONE of those. In my life, I've never rated a game below a 5...until now. Being an optimist, I start at 10 and deductIn a word, this game is atrocious. The NPCs are shallow. The graphics are cartoonish. The storyline is, well, boring. This is not its predecessor. Indeed, I am not sure what it is, or what it tries to be. It attempts action, hack n slash and RPG and succeeds at NONE of those. In my life, I've never rated a game below a 5...until now. Being an optimist, I start at 10 and deduct points (normally decimals) for those areas where I believe a game is lacking. If it lacks enough, I will subtract a whole point.

    Immersiveness = -2

    Repeated Areas = -2

    Wow, we're already down to 5. There is no immersiveness here. Kirkwall is a blank slate. The people within it stay the same and have no life cycle during the game's timeline (10 years). They do not react to you nor what happens around them. Fun, huh?

    The repeated areas? No game prior to this has offended by repetition quite so badly. It is AWFUL.

    Storyline = -1
    Graphics = -1
    Gameplay = -1

    And voilla, we're well below a 5, which is average.

    Do not waste your time or money with this rushed hack job.    … Expand
  56. thaje
    May 29, 2011
    3
    I started Dragon Age II with eager expectation, but after an hour I found myself having to motivate myself just to keep playing... "It MUST get better soon"... but it didn't. Bioware has stripped out everything good about Origins and made what was bad even worse. The combat is even easier and more simplified; the plot is confusing and hollow at best; the environments are repetetive (c'monI started Dragon Age II with eager expectation, but after an hour I found myself having to motivate myself just to keep playing... "It MUST get better soon"... but it didn't. Bioware has stripped out everything good about Origins and made what was bad even worse. The combat is even easier and more simplified; the plot is confusing and hollow at best; the environments are repetetive (c'mon Bioware, like we wouldn't notice...); the characters are lame and undeveloped. In fact, everything about the game just feels poor. Worth a play for Bioware fans, but by no means get your hopes up.… Expand
  57. Wren
    May 30, 2011
    3
    The combat felt more engaging and exciting, but the interaction with companions was sacrificed, which made the game far less enjoyable. I wouldn't purchase another game in this series if this is the way things keep going.
  58. Marsten
    Jun 5, 2011
    3
    I consider myself to be a hardcore RPG gamer, and I am a huge fan of BioWare Games. I was raised on Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and I also love their modern titles such as Mass Effect, and also Dragon Age:Origins. But dragon Age 2 is just a big misunderstanding. This rushed, inconsistent and monotonous piece of crap is just a sad, sad attempt to cash in on a promising franchise. HowI consider myself to be a hardcore RPG gamer, and I am a huge fan of BioWare Games. I was raised on Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and I also love their modern titles such as Mass Effect, and also Dragon Age:Origins. But dragon Age 2 is just a big misunderstanding. This rushed, inconsistent and monotonous piece of crap is just a sad, sad attempt to cash in on a promising franchise. How can such good IP deteriorate so quickly, is just beyond me. Remember how in Origins we could travel through Ferelden, have an epic adventure fighting Darkspawn, and save the whole land? You can forget that here. Action takes place in one city - Kirkwall. ONE GOD DAMN CITY! Yeah, sure, we have few locations in the outskirts, but they are recycled so often, that you will constantly return to the same places, and just fight different mobs depending on the quest that you will be doing. That is just a lazy design. And what about the plot? In Origins we were trying to stop a monster invasion, so we traveled from city to city, trying to unite the land and build an army. You can forget such epic storytelling here. To tell you the truth there is no backbone for a plot here, it just feels like one overlonged prolouge. You want to know what the plot is? Warning spoilers: How we became a champion. Thats it. We have three chapters, that seem totally unrelated with each other. And so first we will be preparing for a trasure hunt (best one), and then we will just be dealing with political machinations. It is all just boring, and uninspired. Whats more, this game is laughably easy even on hard difficulty, and has a dumbed down dialog system. Combat? Please. Characters animation during the fights reminds me a free to play korean MMO. Furthermore forget about any tactics. You will be fighting waves after waves of weak enemies, that will literally fall from the sky or even from ceilings. You will just maw through them without any strategy. it looks like a damn cartoon, and not a hardcore dark fantasy RPG. What to say more... How abou the fact, that your decisions in Origins have almost no impact on the plot of Dragon Age 2. Yeah, sure you'll meet some references here and there, and once I think you'll meet a character from the first game. But it does not change anything overall. Summarising Dragon Age 2 is a worst BioWare Game I have ever played. I hope they will takes their fans opinions to heart and improve upon in the next installment. I really, REALLY hope so.… Expand
  59. Fursnake
    Jun 6, 2011
    3
    I really enjoyed the first game a good deal and ultimately found the sequel to be a big letdown. The combat is more enjoyable and I the companion AI seems more flexible and responsive. The main character feels like it has a bit more personality having a voice. That is about as good as it gets. The narrative does not feel as cohesive as the original game nor does it feel like it has theI really enjoyed the first game a good deal and ultimately found the sequel to be a big letdown. The combat is more enjoyable and I the companion AI seems more flexible and responsive. The main character feels like it has a bit more personality having a voice. That is about as good as it gets. The narrative does not feel as cohesive as the original game nor does it feel like it has the same epic sense. The lighter roleplaying elements and the more limited character creation choices detract from the freedom of the roleplaying experience. I did not feel like I was forging my own destiny/story in DA 2 like I did in DA:O. The game world design sucks; the city hub setup that lasts for the whole game is uninspiring both in layout and in visualizations. The repeated use of the same scant amount of maps/areas throughout the entirety of the game is repetitive and speaks of cheap, lackluster game design. Overall DA2 is mostly a letdown as a sequel and part of the Dragon Age world. The overall experience feels a bit more streamlined but at the cost of being much more on rails than the sequel, as well as having a narrower and less epic storyline and being entirely too repetitive and un-immersive. Honestly, I am in the third act of the game, almost near the end, and I just can't find the interest to finish it. Poorly done Bioware, poorly done… Expand
  60. ducklings
    Jun 12, 2011
    3
    I am not a long-term Bioware fan (I have to admit never played BG or Neverwinter back in the day) but I am a lover of RPGs and Dragon Age: Origins was my introduction to Bioware's games. Needless to say I was very impressed. It was a fantastic, well-written and beautifully executed game that I fell in love with. Despite being warned that Dragon Age 2 will not live up my expectations, I hadI am not a long-term Bioware fan (I have to admit never played BG or Neverwinter back in the day) but I am a lover of RPGs and Dragon Age: Origins was my introduction to Bioware's games. Needless to say I was very impressed. It was a fantastic, well-written and beautifully executed game that I fell in love with. Despite being warned that Dragon Age 2 will not live up my expectations, I had to give it a go. How can another Dragon Age be so bad? So I went into this game with a fairly positive yet cautious attitude. And... well... it's disappointing. Not just as a sequel to Origins, but as a roleplay game in general. Especially from a company like Bioware who I'm led to believe is a bit of an authority on the genre.

    The combat is tedious. It's altogether less tactical and more hack-and-slash. There's no tactical camera, and wave combat with enemies appearing from all angles and even dropping from the sky that makes it pretty impossible to place companions, manage potions and generally devise a battle plan. I may be hyperbolising here, but this sort of combat is fit for games like Serious Sam, not Dragon Age. I have no idea why they dumb-downed the combat in this way. It's obvious that a lot of fights were added in as filler combat. There's various encounters that are just waves and waves of uninteresting unimportant enemies that last far too long and then just as you finish up and turn the corner... another one. And another. It gets boring.
    To add to that, it looks ridiculous. Perhaps Origins' combat needed to be speeded up a bit, but not like this. It feels like a JRPG, and instead of looking cool it looks stupid. Also, far too much blood. And exploding bodies.

    The companions are okay. I wouldn't say they are as well-written as Origin's characters, but they're okay. Interaction is quite horrible though. You only ever get to speak to your companions in their house, and that's only when they have something to say to you, usually involving a quest, or when you give them a gift, of which there about 2 for each. You get a very limited amount of these brief scenes with them, and that's it. For a romance, you get a sex scene and a couple extra conversations - well, I say /sex/ scenes - Origins' sex scenes may have been a little comical, but at least their was some nudity. For an M rated game, I expected a little more than a bit of making out.
    I don't know about others, but I felt a lot more distant to my companions than I did in Origins. And I think that being able to speak to your companions when you want, for as little or as long as you want, is important. It's something that felt missed in Awakenings, and it's worse in DA2.
    Party banter, however, is just as golden as it ever was! Hawke was an awkward invention. It seems Bioware couldn't decide on creating a blank-canvas character that can be almost fully imagined and created as your own (like the Warden was) or a pre-defined personality (say like, Geralt from The Witcher). And so they went with... both. Hawke felt half like your own creation, and half like a pre-defined character. This was difficult to contend with. It was hard to imagine Hawke as you wanted as you never knew what he was going to say or how he was going to behave. Sure you could choose 'good/funny/bad' but that isn't enough freedom. You also couldn't assume Hawke's personality and roleplay him, because you weren't given enough definition for him. Because there was hardly any of it. As a result, a lot of the time it almost felt like watching a film. You can dictate what Hawke does, but you can't really invent him and you can't really roleplay him. It just didn't work. The story was very messy. I liked the idea of the game being retold by a character, but the time skips were awkward to deal with. There was some interesting writing, but instead of being pushed along with a sense of urgency to an important goal like in Origins, it felt very much like you were just dawdling around a city and falling into trouble. Companions felt more like hirelings going along for the ride or using you now and again, then people devoted or forced into aiding your cause. There's no real drive to do anything except at the end of act 2 and the end of act 3. Not to say the story wasn't enjoyable, it was, but it wasn't great.

    Overall, I enjoyed the game. But I wouldn't pay for it. Perhaps in a year or so for a knocked down price, or bundled in with an expansion or some DLC, but not now - it's not worth it. And although I feel I shouldn't compare it to Origins, surely I am allowed to, as it's supposed to be a sequel. It not only failed to improve on Origins, it failed to even reach it's level. In fact, it was considerably worse than the original Dragon Age and that is not a success. Oh, and I think the graphics got worse. The eyebrows in the game are frightening. And Zevran - poor Zevran.    … Expand
  61. jacob-renner
    Jun 16, 2011
    3
    Dragon Age 2 is an action-RPG developed by Bioware . The story which spans a decade is told through a framed narrative. The time skips break the immersion and the outcome of your tale is already known and fixed. The poorly written main plot line revolves around political intrigues and features boring and tedious quests. The game gives you choices, but they don't effect the outcome at theDragon Age 2 is an action-RPG developed by Bioware . The story which spans a decade is told through a framed narrative. The time skips break the immersion and the outcome of your tale is already known and fixed. The poorly written main plot line revolves around political intrigues and features boring and tedious quests. The game gives you choices, but they don't effect the outcome at the end. Party members are shallow and forgettable. The game world is small. Most of the game takes place inside a city called Kirkwall. The city is lifeless, dull and lacks atmosphere. Inhabitants stand around in the same spot for years and the city doesn't change over a decade. There are many identical environments like back alleys, interiors and a few caves outside Kirkwall which are being reused and recycled throughout the game. Combat in Dragon Age 2 is action orientated. Waves of enemies pop out of nowhere. There is not much strategy involved. The dialogue system is simple, you choose a good, bad, or funny response. The paraphrases often don't match the actual answers. There are no dialogue related skills in Dragon Age 2. Party equipment management is very limited. You can't change the armor of your party members. The graphics in Dragon Age 2 are sub-par. The art style is bad. Hurlocks look like Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe franchise and the elves look like non-blue Na'vi from the Avatar motion picture.
    My final verdict: Dragon Age II is an obviously rushed game plagued with bad design decisions. 3/10    … Expand
  62. DubiousPigeon
    Jun 16, 2011
    3
    The cons glaringly outweigh the good, which is unfortunate. The levels/areas are reused and recycled despite being purportedly different places. The flexibility of the game is extremely limited. Combat is fun to look at for awhile but becomes boring and repetitive after fighting the same bandits in the same 3 places with the same 2 weapon types.

    It looks like visual designs of weapons    The cons glaringly outweigh the good, which is unfortunate. The levels/areas are reused and recycled despite being purportedly different places. The flexibility of the game is extremely limited. Combat is fun to look at for awhile but becomes boring and repetitive after fighting the same bandits in the same 3 places with the same 2 weapon types.

    It looks like visual designs of weapons were handled by different parties and thrown in the game without communicating with one another. it leaves a sense of disconnect to see cartoony, over-colored plastic swords next to weapons whose designers were trying way to hard to make them look edgy and cool.

    Alot of the character writing is excellent, which is one of the few redeeming qualities of the game. And while the areas are absurdly recycled, they tend to be visually appealing.

    I really wanted to like this game but there is simply too much wrong with it to be content.    … Expand
  63. xMaschine
    Jun 28, 2011
    3
    Looking at the trailers, advertisements, and all the marketing beforehand, DA2 looks spectacular and comes by as a must have for every avid fantasy rpg fan. In reality, the game was sloppily put together, designed with no room for creativity or imagination, it's presentation and storyline poorly executed, and many of the role-playing elements that capture the imagination and bring RPGsLooking at the trailers, advertisements, and all the marketing beforehand, DA2 looks spectacular and comes by as a must have for every avid fantasy rpg fan. In reality, the game was sloppily put together, designed with no room for creativity or imagination, it's presentation and storyline poorly executed, and many of the role-playing elements that capture the imagination and bring RPGs to life were "dumbed down" or completely removed in order to attract an audience that doesn't care for such things. Looking back at the short development cycle and it's primary goal of "reaching out to a wider audience", it's obvious the game was designed with the concept of quantity over quality in mind.… Expand
  64. Caiobrz
    Jun 30, 2011
    3
    The first game was awesome: nearly perfect graphics, involving (and evolving) story-line, decent story-telling, very likable characters with good nuances on their relationships, good game dynamics and so on. NONE of that is found at this second instance.

    Graphics are on the same level (actually, the design is cartoonist instead of realistic like the first), but system requirements are    The first game was awesome: nearly perfect graphics, involving (and evolving) story-line, decent story-telling, very likable characters with good nuances on their relationships, good game dynamics and so on. NONE of that is found at this second instance.

    Graphics are on the same level (actually, the design is cartoonist instead of realistic like the first), but system requirements are bigger (try to understand that), characters are simple and plain, there is actually no story and you have NO CLUE why you are playing - you just play, you know you are supposed to do something but have no idea why, and all of the sudden, the game ends. If you try and pursue relationships with your companions, you will be disappointed - and don't expect anything spicy for the more intimate moments, for there are none!

    Add the fact that strategy was ruined with friendly-fire not existing, and the dumbing-down of most game mechanics, and what you have here is weak and pointless, and the hard fan will only play it just to see it though and pretend he/she got a minimal worth from the money ill spent.

    In short: a perfect example of how to ruin a good game because of consoles, money and dumbing it for "the masses". Result: 4.2 user score, hope E.A. and Bioware get the message.    … Expand
  65. Tolhaller
    Jul 3, 2011
    3
    Nice graphics, but I never felt I was in control of anything except slashing things. Apalling game play, but no doubt delicious for the console crowd who don't demand too much depth to their gameplay.
  66. Vlorious
    Jul 5, 2011
    3
    I was completely disappointed by this game. I kept playing only because I thought it could get better, but it actually got worse.

    The things I didn't like: The new combat system. It's extremely consolish - I play on a PC for a reason (and any tactics completely wasted by enemies springing from mid-air in the middle of a fight!) The reused graphics (over and over) Quests that finished    I was completely disappointed by this game. I kept playing only because I thought it could get better, but it actually got worse.

    The things I didn't like: The new combat system. It's extremely consolish - I play on a PC for a reason (and any tactics completely wasted by enemies springing from mid-air in the middle of a fight!)
    The reused graphics (over and over)
    Quests that finished without me even knowing they were a problem
    A end-story line that completely blew featuring "choices" between two directions I wouldn't go when the most obvious choice wasn't listed, NPC's making completely illogical choices, etc.

    I was very disappointed with this because I loved DA - Origins and played through it multiple times, have the DLC, etc. I won't be purchasing any DLC for DA2, nor do I intend to jump into another bioware game without waiting first (sorry MA3 and SWTOR).    … Expand
  67. Kietharr
    Jul 7, 2011
    3
    People will look back at this game and see it as the beginning of the end for Bioware, and the sad part is it's not even their fault, it's EA Game's fault. They're doing to Bioware what they did to Westwood, forcing harsh timelines and production schedules on artists which leads to releases of unfinished **** games, doing this to drive the company and its franchises into the ground beforePeople will look back at this game and see it as the beginning of the end for Bioware, and the sad part is it's not even their fault, it's EA Game's fault. They're doing to Bioware what they did to Westwood, forcing harsh timelines and production schedules on artists which leads to releases of unfinished **** games, doing this to drive the company and its franchises into the ground before absorbing them and milking what little is left from the shriveled remnants of a once great product.

    That aside, I didn't really like the first game so I was not expecting to like this one. I played it through out of boredom while watching a friend's house. But all of the issues that plagued DA:O go double for this one. Intensely dumbed down and consolized to draw in call of duty players. Difficulty is a joke, even on the hardest difficulty I died six or seven times total. The story is a joke, skips around as if they scratched every CD coming off of the production lines by hand to cut out all of the linking things that made the brief episodes of story make sense.

    The game is intensely limited in its scope, but not only is it short, it is also shallow. Zones are reused so much even the characters joke about it. Guess what bioware? We don't think it's funny. I certainly wouldn't be amused if I had spent $60 on this game only to have Bioware designers make fun of me for being such a damned sucker through the game's characters. According to sales statistics I've seen DA2 has less than half of the sales DA:O had at this point. I didn't consider DA:O a gem, but it was certainly better than this, the market agrees. Trying to lure Call of Duty players into a fantasy RPG at the price of pissing off the rest of us nerds probably isn't a good idea.    … Expand
  68. sowiszcze
    Jul 11, 2011
    3
    Wow! This game is just sad. After DA:O, I expected a game at the same (or similar) level. My expectations were huge. Luckily for me, at the time of game release I had my exams so I waited with the purchase. So, when I was almost on my way to the store, I decided to try the game. And thanks to that I have saved 60$. Not to mention cost of DLC. The game is weak. Control is weird. I playedWow! This game is just sad. After DA:O, I expected a game at the same (or similar) level. My expectations were huge. Luckily for me, at the time of game release I had my exams so I waited with the purchase. So, when I was almost on my way to the store, I decided to try the game. And thanks to that I have saved 60$. Not to mention cost of DLC. The game is weak. Control is weird. I played it only for 4 hours, but it was enough to now, I don't want it. Grapics is poor. Gameplay is way too easy. It doesn't seem like RPG to ma at all. Hack'nSlash maybe. The main storyline seems interesting, but on the other hand dialogs are naive. And the fact it is DragoN Age??? It hurts. Because it has nothing common with DA:O… Expand
  69. ricesautes
    May 25, 2012
    3
    The game isn't bad, but as the estimable Gertrude Stein noted: "There's no there there". I would probably give it a 5 on its own merits, but I have to deduct 2 points for ruining the luster on the incredibly awesome DA:O. Everything that was right in the original has been toned down and dumbed down. The story is meh, the characters are meh, the loot is meh, the locations are meh, and theThe game isn't bad, but as the estimable Gertrude Stein noted: "There's no there there". I would probably give it a 5 on its own merits, but I have to deduct 2 points for ruining the luster on the incredibly awesome DA:O. Everything that was right in the original has been toned down and dumbed down. The story is meh, the characters are meh, the loot is meh, the locations are meh, and the outcome is meh. I realize it would have been hard to top the first game, but this pales in comparison to even the Awakening DLC.… Expand
  70. 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
  71. 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
  72. 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!!!
  73. 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
  74. 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
  75. 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.
  76. JackDanielz79
    Nov 16, 2015
    3
    So sad that we got this after DA:O. Feel like Kingdom of Amalur to me, but cheapest. No emotion out of it, no tactic in combat, story was boring and same maps again and again. As much I wanted to play again DAO with others characters and make other choice, I don't want ever to play this one again. Very disapointing. Sounds is ok, load fast and no crash however, I must give it that atSo sad that we got this after DA:O. Feel like Kingdom of Amalur to me, but cheapest. No emotion out of it, no tactic in combat, story was boring and same maps again and again. As much I wanted to play again DAO with others characters and make other choice, I don't want ever to play this one again. Very disapointing. Sounds is ok, load fast and no crash however, I must give it that at least. Get it on sale at 5$, no more.… Expand
  77. 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
  78. Carda1972
    Jun 16, 2015
    3
    Even an 4.4 is too high user score for this game. This truely shows the 'critics' with their 8.2 average have no clue anymore what games are about these days. They only look at graphics? (While graphics are disappointing too actually). Story is blend, I have absolutely no bonding with my partymembers like I had with DA:Origins for example. I have to complete this game cause I wanne playEven an 4.4 is too high user score for this game. This truely shows the 'critics' with their 8.2 average have no clue anymore what games are about these days. They only look at graphics? (While graphics are disappointing too actually). Story is blend, I have absolutely no bonding with my partymembers like I had with DA:Origins for example. I have to complete this game cause I wanne play Inquisition and wanne know the story from two. It's a BIG BORE to play through this game, but I'll manage (I think)… Expand
  79. saintos123
    Mar 28, 2012
    3
    Such a poor, poor game...not nearly as good as dragon age I.
    This is just a laim game, poor text, poor design, i even encounterd repeatable maps, different quest same map different location. Poor design of charchter, voice acting, dialogue is annoying.
    Hawke feels like retard, I can honestly say that this game has one of the worst dialogue in rpg. I think this game has been made by some    Such a poor, poor game...not nearly as good as dragon age I.
    This is just a laim game, poor text, poor design, i even encounterd repeatable maps, different quest same map different location. Poor design of charchter, voice acting, dialogue is annoying.
    Hawke feels like retard, I can honestly say that this game has one of the worst dialogue in rpg.
    I think this game has been made by some other studio not bioware, cause its so dissapointing.
    I am trully sorry that i have paid for this game    … Expand
  80. 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.
  81. 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
  82. MarqsS
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Avoid like a plague if you played and enjoyed Origins. If not then you sure can get some fun from it, but as a sequel it fails terribly. Graphics are so-so but overall the game is lacking in every aspect. Characters are not entertaining at all, you just can't feel anything when you interact with them... Hell I don't even remember half of them. Fights are also terrible, just button mashingAvoid like a plague if you played and enjoyed Origins. If not then you sure can get some fun from it, but as a sequel it fails terribly. Graphics are so-so but overall the game is lacking in every aspect. Characters are not entertaining at all, you just can't feel anything when you interact with them... Hell I don't even remember half of them. Fights are also terrible, just button mashing and killing NPC-s who simply appear from nowhere. Oh, and your choices means nothing like in most recent RPG-s. You just kill everyone and only big decision is who will be killed first...… Expand
  83. Shechu
    Apr 2, 2012
    3
    This game is bad, initially it can seem that it goes for good way but then it becomes monotonous, boring and short. And yes, it is possible that the system of battle is better than DAO but for everything else it's a pity that shares name with a great game, his predecessor.
  84. Gothic90
    Sep 10, 2012
    3
    It's a game that tries to cater to everyone, but in the end is satisfying to no one.
    Yes combat fluidity is improved, but making it an action game with wild swings of greatsword, and that one where you can't even use the top down camera? That takes too much away from the tactical, group based combat experience.
    In fact, there are mods to DAO like Nightmare+ and Combat Tweaks on dragon    It's a game that tries to cater to everyone, but in the end is satisfying to no one.
    Yes combat fluidity is improved, but making it an action game with wild swings of greatsword, and that one where you can't even use the top down camera? That takes too much away from the tactical, group based combat experience.
    In fact, there are mods to DAO like Nightmare+ and Combat Tweaks on dragon age nexus that resolves the drawbacks of DAO's combat system, without taking away the core experience.
    Also, while it ventured into the area of action based combat, there is hardly anything it can offer to compete with real action games, there's no rolling or even jumping. You do it right, or you don't do it at all.

    The characters are also rather bland characters. Many are minor characters of Origins with one dimensional personalities. Which is fine, but when they become major characters of DA2, you have to add more dimensions, and by that I don't mean Isabela's boob size.

    This is the game that marks the beginning of Bioware's downfall. It is no longer a game; it is a formulated product. Bioware thinks writing + combat = game, which is definitely not true.    … Expand
  85. MacrosTheBlack
    May 30, 2012
    3
    Of late game designers seem to have gone the route of making sequels less intricate instead of more intricate. Dragon age II suffers from this exact same problem and ruins the experience. Dragon age 1 was a game for the ages, an old school CRPG in the baldur's gate tradition which met with much enthousiasm from gamers everywhere. I remember thinking to myself "this is going to be AWESOMEOf late game designers seem to have gone the route of making sequels less intricate instead of more intricate. Dragon age II suffers from this exact same problem and ruins the experience. Dragon age 1 was a game for the ages, an old school CRPG in the baldur's gate tradition which met with much enthousiasm from gamers everywhere. I remember thinking to myself "this is going to be AWESOME if they get an expansion going, with a follow up story and more classes!" Imagine my dissapointment when I ordered DA2 and found out that DA2 really has nothing in common with DA1. The story is completely unrelated to the DA1 story, the combat system is incredibly dumbed down to the point of just relentlessly button bashing and seeing pretty colours and the origins system, which was very promising, was axed alltogether. Can't give this one more then a 3, and I'll be holding off on any bioware purchases untill they prove they can get it right again.… Expand
  86. faceless-1
    Aug 13, 2013
    3
    This is the game is one of the worst RPGs i ever played. After brilliant DA:O i had high expectations from DA II. Half of the dungeons in this game are just copy paste. You run same dungeon at least 20 times if you go all side quests. RPG system is garbage in compare to DA:O. At first i liked that story is not trying to be some ultra epic RPG, until i noticed how poorly written it is. AndThis is the game is one of the worst RPGs i ever played. After brilliant DA:O i had high expectations from DA II. Half of the dungeons in this game are just copy paste. You run same dungeon at least 20 times if you go all side quests. RPG system is garbage in compare to DA:O. At first i liked that story is not trying to be some ultra epic RPG, until i noticed how poorly written it is. And the ending is trash too. I give it 3 because of some good NPCs.… Expand
  87. suneater
    Dec 17, 2012
    3
    Everything about this game is dumbed down from the original. The plot is terribly written with jumpy pacing, resulting in it feeling like multiple games mashed together but somehow still has significantly less content than the original. It felt like the devs couldn't decide when to finish the game so they just ruined everything they could in it. Your choices have very little if any impactEverything about this game is dumbed down from the original. The plot is terribly written with jumpy pacing, resulting in it feeling like multiple games mashed together but somehow still has significantly less content than the original. It felt like the devs couldn't decide when to finish the game so they just ruined everything they could in it. Your choices have very little if any impact on the game with key characters dying no matter what. Conversations have been dumbed down even by Bioware standards into a Good, Bad, or Silly response, with occasional inquiry options. Replacing the tactical gameplay from the original is a consolified "press X to awesome" anime-style system where by the end of the game you are literally making enemies explode with your sword. Crashes to desktop, worse graphics than the original, uneven voice acting with fake accents, an unlikable cast, the list could go on for a while. This game feels unfinished, unedited, and quickly thrown together unlike the polished original.… Expand
  88. bjaz
    Dec 3, 2012
    3
    a failed rpg game
    can't found anything great
    dragon age origin was a epic game and this game unable to touch e...
    hoping dao3 would be better.....
  89. insanity82007
    Aug 29, 2013
    3
    The game looks nice, the cinematics are ok, the story line and cut scenes are disjointed and all of this could be forgiven if the controls/camera weren't so abysmally, horribly awful. I'm not sure if they were making an FPS RPG, an RPG or an RTS. IT doesn't really matter which one because they screwed it up pretty badly either way.
    I tried the demo ages ago and couldn't remember why I    The game looks nice, the cinematics are ok, the story line and cut scenes are disjointed and all of this could be forgiven if the controls/camera weren't so abysmally, horribly awful. I'm not sure if they were making an FPS RPG, an RPG or an RTS. IT doesn't really matter which one because they screwed it up pretty badly either way.
    I tried the demo ages ago and couldn't remember why I stopped playing after 10 minutes. Now that I've given it a second go, I can remember why.    … Expand
  90. ActionBastard
    Jan 14, 2013
    3
    This game, despite being somewhere between resoundingly mediocre and offal, was foisted onto the gaming community by a clueless industry and corrupt, bribe-accepting "journalists." If you like RPGS, don't play this. If you believe in journalistic integrity, don't play this. If you like video games and want the industry to improve, don't play this. I'll give this game a 3, because it'sThis game, despite being somewhere between resoundingly mediocre and offal, was foisted onto the gaming community by a clueless industry and corrupt, bribe-accepting "journalists." If you like RPGS, don't play this. If you believe in journalistic integrity, don't play this. If you like video games and want the industry to improve, don't play this. I'll give this game a 3, because it's prequel was excellent and it held much (squandered) potential.… Expand
  91. Razark9
    May 25, 2013
    3
    Oh.. My.. God... EA ruined this game. Battles were way too easy. The story was boring and I felt almost claustrophobic inside the city of Kirkwall. Every cave looked exactly the same..
  92. Dogtanian81
    Nov 9, 2013
    3
    Terrible. No scope. Recycled dungeons. Dragon age origens was a far superior game in many ways. I really hope inquiistion improves on this tripe.
  93. PRoxy_oQ
    Dec 30, 2013
    3
    This sequel is pathetic, story line sucks, characters suck and gameplay is completely ruined no complexity only button mash and it is obvious it's just a console port... maybe it is not bad game but it is awful as an RPG. Force finished Costume Quest had more 'RPG-inges' to it than this... at least it did not have false moral choices.. am not even comparing it to Dragon Age Origins fromThis sequel is pathetic, story line sucks, characters suck and gameplay is completely ruined no complexity only button mash and it is obvious it's just a console port... maybe it is not bad game but it is awful as an RPG. Force finished Costume Quest had more 'RPG-inges' to it than this... at least it did not have false moral choices.. am not even comparing it to Dragon Age Origins from PC... Completely different league… Expand
  94. KaienShiba
    Jan 9, 2015
    3
    So it's absolutely necessary to have 2 healers in this game when play on higher that normal setting, they did away with each character carrying heal potions for whatever reason, probably when they were high, they chose to have them as a party item, which of course if you have 2 or more characters needing healing, tough **** you'll just have to reload, then they got rid of Isabella'sSo it's absolutely necessary to have 2 healers in this game when play on higher that normal setting, they did away with each character carrying heal potions for whatever reason, probably when they were high, they chose to have them as a party item, which of course if you have 2 or more characters needing healing, tough **** you'll just have to reload, then they got rid of Isabella's dueling skills and replaced with worse tree. Then you have Anders story line, it's a no-win situation, you kill him banish or side with a mass murderer. Killing him is a mercy, as a mage he's about average, merril's is even worse, you either pat the naïve pyscho or head or you think how quaint and naïve she was.… Expand
  95. northernlad
    Apr 30, 2014
    3
    how do you take dao and turn it into this one of my biggest let downs in recent years utter rubbish press a button and something awesome happens yes i eject the game.
  96. Inkgazer
    Nov 18, 2014
    3
    Wow.
    I picked up Dragon Age 2 recently, having played and very much enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins. This game utterly fails as a sequel. Everything people played Origins for seems to have been skimped on, dumbed down, or just completely removed in DA2. The combat system, for example. On paper, it seems like an improvement (to DA:O's somewhat lacking system), but in practice it gets very    Wow.
    I picked up Dragon Age 2 recently, having played and very much enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins. This game utterly fails as a sequel. Everything people played Origins for seems to have been skimped on, dumbed down, or just completely removed in DA2. The combat system, for example. On paper, it seems like an improvement (to DA:O's somewhat lacking system), but in practice it gets very boring very fast. It's insultingly easy and repetitive, with little to no thought involved. That's the least of this game's problems, however. The plot is a mess; it's packed full of sub-plots which just fade out with no real resolution, and aren't really that interesting to begin with. Things just sort of happen, leaving the player with no feeling of agency or importance in the world. The characters as a whole weren't very engaging either, with many a stereotype and one-dimensional character. The characters are, in my opinion, the most important part of any Dragon: Age game. Without compelling characters, Dragon Age doesn't have much going for it. Had I not been such a huge fan of Origins, I wouldn't have played it through if I hadn't been such an avid fan of DA:O. A waste of my time, and certainly a waste of yours. Do not buy this game.    … Expand
  97. Athansor
    Nov 30, 2014
    3
    Frankly, I found this game boring. The intro promised an exciting story, but once I actually got going, things seemed to slow down. The entirety of the first "Act" is just trying to make money by doing random small quests. I don't mind a bit of build up in a game where we get to meet characters and find out what's going on, but in Dragon Age 2 you simply don't find anything out at all.Frankly, I found this game boring. The intro promised an exciting story, but once I actually got going, things seemed to slow down. The entirety of the first "Act" is just trying to make money by doing random small quests. I don't mind a bit of build up in a game where we get to meet characters and find out what's going on, but in Dragon Age 2 you simply don't find anything out at all. You meet some characters, but they're an odd bunch. They claim to have their own lives and goals, but they just stand around waiting for you. And even when you do come along, they only say the same one liners over and over again!
    The combat is fine, but that can be found in any given video game. It needs to be great in order for a game to be good, but it isn't enough to make a bad game good again. Even if it was perfect (which it isn't) it's impossible to carry a game this large all on its own. It got boring quickly because it was the only thing to really do in the game.
    The recycled locations that get used over and over again are painfully obvious. You can't help but notice and be disappointed.
    I figured it couldn't be as bad as everyone said it was, so I laid down my 20 bucks and wanted to set up my world state for Inquisition. I had more fun looking at the decisions in Dragon Age Keep than I did playing them in the game. Don't bother with this stinker.    … Expand
  98. woodelf
    May 7, 2016
    3
    This... thing has nothing in common with the masterpiece DA:Origins
    The combat system is oversimplified, and hated the linear gameplay where whatever you do the outcome is always the same. I had to struggle hard to finish my one and only run before Inquisition. Characters are well written but hastily developed. EA was too eager to grab the money, as always.
  99. Broyax
    Nov 18, 2021
    3
    Déjà fini sur 360, je lui avais accordé la moyenne, sans doute en raison de la dissonance cognitive que cette suite ratée ne manquait pas de provoquer : comment une suite pouvait-elle être aussi médiocre, aussi énervante, aussi répétitive après un Dragon Age Origins aussi exceptionnel ?!… division par zéro, plantage, redémarrage du cerveau en cours… veuillez patienter.

    Je l’ai    Déjà fini sur 360, je lui avais accordé la moyenne, sans doute en raison de la dissonance cognitive que cette suite ratée ne manquait pas de provoquer : comment une suite pouvait-elle être aussi médiocre, aussi énervante, aussi répétitive après un Dragon Age Origins aussi exceptionnel ?!… division par zéro, plantage, redémarrage du cerveau en cours… veuillez patienter.

    Je l’ai recommencé sur PC avec les DLC (qui sont bons ou du reste, moins mauvais, aussi étonnant que cela puisse paraître, car ils sont plus cohérents). J’ai pu alors apprécier les graphismes certainement un poil plus beaux mais surtout les 60 im/s facilement accessibles (sur une 6870) si on limite le jeu au DX9 (le DX11 n’en vaut pas la peine). D’ailleurs, la patte graphique est bien agréable et c’est évidemment (techniquement) plus beau que Dragon Age Origins… et pourtant le « vieux » ne démérite toujours pas.

    Effets sonores fort convaincants, de même pour la musique assurément inspirée tout comme dans le premier, pareil pour la très bonne VF : Dragon Age II ne peut pas être mauvais partout !

    Mais venons-en au fait : à cette belle ville en vérité, dans laquelle on va passer les trois quarts du jeu (!) et le quart restant dans quelques grottes et une vague cambrousse copiées-collées (!). Ce foutage de gueule ! Ensuite, l’interface parfaite de Dragon Age Origins a été mise à la trappe et simplifiée à outrance et la vitesse des combats a été tellement accélérée qu’on se croirait dans un « hack & slash » de merde (pléonasme). La vue tactique (aérienne) a été supprimée (mais pourquoi….!?) et les ennemis ne cessent de ré-apparaître par vagues entières (comme dans un jeu d’arcade de merde).

    L’histoire, pour sa part, est incroyablement décevante, maladroite et tarabiscotée avec les Qunari en porte-à-faux (qui ne servent ici à rien à dire vrai) ; de trop nombreux choix qui n’en sont absolument pas (Meredith mon dieu !) et un environnement familial du héros dont on n’a que faire. Heureusement il reste des personnages comme seul Bioware sait les faire (ah Merrill…) : on les aime ou on les déteste, pas de demi-mesure. Certains sont drôles, d’autres idiots, prétentieux ou emmerdants… ils ont de vraies personnalités !

    Enfin et globalement, on est confronté dans ce DA2 à énormément de remplissage et trop de combats partout à n’en plus finir malgré quelques uns parfois épiques, certes. Beaucoup trop de recyclage en tout cas : Dragon Age II est un gros DLC qui s’est fait passer pour un jeu complet… en l’occurrence étonnamment mauvais.    … Expand
  100. SilverOrlov
    Oct 15, 2019
    3
    What I liked about this game: the constant excellent humor of the companion and certain phrases of dialogues with the main character. Beautiful and seasoned in a strict and strong graphic style of the city. Interesting last battle, but very... prosaically. Very simple scenery for the final event and battles, everything is very short and predictable(except for the sword at the end, but hereWhat I liked about this game: the constant excellent humor of the companion and certain phrases of dialogues with the main character. Beautiful and seasoned in a strict and strong graphic style of the city. Interesting last battle, but very... prosaically. Very simple scenery for the final event and battles, everything is very short and predictable(except for the sword at the end, but here too many could guess where everything was going too I suppose). Pleased only the very-very last battle, not even the entire finale.
    ...
    What I did not like in this game: EVERYTHING ELSE!
    1. The idea with meta phrases is just awful. Very often they literally do not correspond to what follows after pressing the button.
    2. Just a wretched and disgusting system of "one and the same location for different events". Literally all or almost all of the quests that must take place in a large cave will be in the same cave, just in one quest some passages are opened, in others - closed. And it is so everywhere.
    3. Damage ... what the hell? You can destroy a warrior in heavy armor in three seconds and hit a simple archer for half a minute. In this game, the damage system is completely broken.
    4. You can forget about such a thing as tactics. In this game, enemies literally wallow on your head. Sometimes they stand in sight, but very often they simply appear from nowhere, and after the first wave, a lot of enemies will come running from all over the sides as the second or third wave. And the tactical cells themselves are literally for no reason, they are a lot of them in the second part, but they are all useless. And yes, you CAN'T use magic not in battle, so you just can't to lure or defeat the enemy aside, only having faced with his foreheads.
    5. The absolutely disgusting idea to make companions without armor. Now you can only change weapons and rings, and all the armor has been replaced by the ability to slightly improve "your armor chained to the character" with pieces of blueprints.
    6. Perhaps for some it is insignificant, but for me, after the first part, such a truncated change of angle is a fail.
    7. A completely incomprehensible system of relocation between levels: in one case you go out just in a random location of the next zone, in the other case - you are given a choice on the map. And no, it does not depend on cases when the locations are near one to the other. I noticed this throughout the whole game. And yes, many times it took a very long time to run empty space - the lack of "quick relocation" is a minus.
    8. The incomprehensible logic of zeroing auras of characters. Auras work like a permanent buff, but when switching between locations, they may turn off ... or may not turn off. When loading the game, they may turn off ... or may not turn off too(in the first part it infuriated me too by the way).
    9. Soulful conversations between companions are just mean cheap and short dialogues about almost nothing. No, the texts themselves are almost always interesting and funny, but they don’t even draw on what would be separate quests. Yes, in the second Dragon Age there are about 100500 mini-quests in category "Friend's quests" consisting of two or three drunken phrases in a bar or at someone's house.
    10. The system of skills and specializations is simplified and does not look good, just like drawings of a schoolboy. But at this point, it might just be my taste. I did not like.
    11. I hate this system of "Friendship/Rivalry". It is terrible and broken at all. Throughout the entire game, there were so obvious situations where, for example, Captain of the guard, who honors the law, suddenly gave out "+friendship" for things completely unusual for this type of character. This is just extreme dullness, which makes it treat this system as some banal roulette, instead of planning adequately relations with your colleagues.
    12. Combat system... it's some kind of "Power Rangers show". If warrior and thief are more or less move normal, the Mage is DANCING with his staff like a pole dancer.
    ...
    For all those years that I play games - this is the first one for which I am so embittered and disappointed. The first part was magnificent, albeit with its own flaws. But this part is literally BAD. I went through it solely because of the general history and the fact that this is part of the trilogy... but this game was also the first in the fact that after a certain moment I was corny does not matter for all the chests encountered, the development of skills, objects, ingredients . I was devastated by such a vile attitude towards the players and simply passed it by inertia in order to forget and proceed to the third part.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

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