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. UndercoverJack
    Jul 15, 2011
    6
    The pros: Combat is fun. The graphics are better. The companion approval/disapproval system is better. Music is decent, voice acting is mostly excellent.

    The cons: The story is very very disjointed, there is no sense of direction. You cannot talk to your companions whenever. The interface is ugly. Voiced protagonist. Waves and waves of enemies which fall out of the sky and explode at the    The pros: Combat is fun. The graphics are better. The companion approval/disapproval system is better. Music is decent, voice acting is mostly excellent.

    The cons: The story is very very disjointed, there is no sense of direction. You cannot talk to your companions whenever. The interface is ugly. Voiced protagonist. Waves and waves of enemies which fall out of the sky and explode at the slightest touch. Whole game is in 1 small city. Extremely repetitive, boring quests. Underwhelming ending. Overall: Disappointing. Could have been so much better. It is still fun though, and if you're curious about the world of Thedas, then get it for that reason at least. But don't expect more Origins. This is a very different kind of game.    … Expand
  2. tomasdee
    Jun 19, 2011
    0
    awful story / awfully repetitive --> very disapointing.
    It felt like they spent more time on the cut scenes than that actually did on the game content. I didn't mind the combat system so much but the whole effort to complete the game just felt pretty pointless. I"m still a little puzzled at the choice of plot line - in the end there was really no sense of 'satisfaction' at completing the    awful story / awfully repetitive --> very disapointing.
    It felt like they spent more time on the cut scenes than that actually did on the game content. I didn't mind the combat system so much but the whole effort to complete the game just felt pretty pointless. I"m still a little puzzled at the choice of plot line - in the end there was really no sense of 'satisfaction' at completing the game. Certainly not worth a replay IMO.    … Expand
  3. DanMan3395
    Jan 8, 2013
    0
    This game is an abortion. EA was pregnant with a beautiful baby Dragon Age but they took the drug called "Console" and aborted the sweet baby all over the floor. Everything about this game is inferior to DA:O. There is like 1 dungeon graphic, 1 world graphic, the classes all suck, the magic system sucks. 2 armor graphics and 2 weapon graphics. This is EA and what you should expect from EA.This game is an abortion. EA was pregnant with a beautiful baby Dragon Age but they took the drug called "Console" and aborted the sweet baby all over the floor. Everything about this game is inferior to DA:O. There is like 1 dungeon graphic, 1 world graphic, the classes all suck, the magic system sucks. 2 armor graphics and 2 weapon graphics. This is EA and what you should expect from EA. Pure Abortions.… Expand
  4. CRIPLEDPRIEST
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    absolute retardation i have not played a game so stupid in my life and i have played many stupid games
    i felt physically sick looking at the production quality and the content of this shambled together goblin stilbirth frankenstein
  5. Khaos25
    Apr 17, 2013
    0
    Dragon Age II marks the beginning of the downfall of BioWare and the ever-rising scourge which is EA. Make no mistake, DA2 would be a good game (decent) on its own. But when you're a sequel to what is probably one of the greatest medieval RPGs of all time, you have a lot to live up to. Sadly, DA2 doesn't. Not even a little bit. Repetitive dungeons, lousy gameplay, dull characters, plotDragon Age II marks the beginning of the downfall of BioWare and the ever-rising scourge which is EA. Make no mistake, DA2 would be a good game (decent) on its own. But when you're a sequel to what is probably one of the greatest medieval RPGs of all time, you have a lot to live up to. Sadly, DA2 doesn't. Not even a little bit. Repetitive dungeons, lousy gameplay, dull characters, plot holes and so many more. Its literally a blight on gaming. Origins was the first ever medieval style game I actually finished. I wanted to get off this game a few minutes into the actual gameplay. It WAS that bad. I could go on forever but I feel like I'm gonna waste my time doing so cause you all know the drill anyway. The worst part is IF DA3 turns out good, I would have to finish this sad, sad game in order to play through the whole series properly. But somehow, I fear EA has more nasty things up their sleeves.… Expand
  6. Legionator
    Apr 2, 2012
    0
    Maybe the greatest disappointment of the RPG history. Everything that makes Dragon Age: Origins is either watered down or removed. Dialogue system, skills&attributes, inventory, ui, camera, art style, graphics are terrible. Combat is boring, meaningless, mindless. The only good thing about this game is that it can use to understand which critics are honest and which critics are lapdogs of EA.
  7. kwopper
    Jan 11, 2013
    0
    I honestly didn't even play through this game halfway. Dragon age 2 has none of the strategy, customization, or gameplay the original dragon age, or any bioware rpg has. They dumbed down everything . This game might as well have been a fps except with fireballs and swords.
  8. RoboticDevice
    Jul 19, 2012
    2
    For those of you wondering whether or not Dragon Age 2's combat is different from Dragon Age Origins, it is. In Dragon age origins, the combat took timing, it took skill, thought and effort. You had to plan out everything you wanted to do, and it was great. Because if you didn't, you had a high chance of failure. you actually had to think, you had to work, and you had to comply with realFor those of you wondering whether or not Dragon Age 2's combat is different from Dragon Age Origins, it is. In Dragon age origins, the combat took timing, it took skill, thought and effort. You had to plan out everything you wanted to do, and it was great. Because if you didn't, you had a high chance of failure. you actually had to think, you had to work, and you had to comply with real terms of combat. In Dragon Age 2, it's completely different. If you want to win nearly ANY battle, including against dragons, all you have to do is spam the attack button and you will. I cannot tell you how many times I attempted to make it harder on myself just to make it feel like a real game. I attempted to limit my attacks per second, I changed the difficulties to harder, even so, I still won every single battle with ease because of the X button. I have an Xbox remote, during a few fights I just took it downstairs while spamming the X button, made myself a sandwich, came back up, stopped in the bathroom a few times, and came back to see not only me still alive, but everyone else dead because I had killed them. It was that simple. There is no justice in combat for this. However, I give it a 3, simply because of the fact that the campaign and story line do make some sense, they just barely follow Origins, but even so, I highly recommend you put it back on the shelf and run. This teaches kids that when they're in real world situations, all they have to do is spam the button. That's how I got my first girlfriend, ironically, but that's beside the point. Please don't buy this.… Expand
  9. Aeryx
    Jan 19, 2013
    4
    As a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins this game was a big disappointment. You can tell this game was rushed like crazy with the ridiculous number of recycled dungeons, enemies, and graphic tilesets. This should have been a great game but instead fell victim to EA's ongoing overhype-and-overrush-quality-be-damned business strategy at making new games. The fact that most critics gave this gameAs a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins this game was a big disappointment. You can tell this game was rushed like crazy with the ridiculous number of recycled dungeons, enemies, and graphic tilesets. This should have been a great game but instead fell victim to EA's ongoing overhype-and-overrush-quality-be-damned business strategy at making new games. The fact that most critics gave this game a 90+ score just shows how lacking in integrity game journalists are.… Expand
  10. iseeall
    Jul 26, 2013
    4
    Dropped it after reaching the first city. The plot is alwful. There is just nothing to do there. You take a pointless role of a bounty hunter and are told to go some place to grab some riches. Well, I don't find it motivating enough. There was no feeling of story at all.
  11. 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
  12. Jaz
    Feb 23, 2013
    4
    For the original Dragon Age i wrote: Very immersing story, believable world, interesting NPCs, fun and demanding combat. Well, Dragon Age 2 has nothing of those.
  13. 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..
  14. Vamrem
    Nov 22, 2014
    0
    I've just finished the review of Dragon Age Origins and this is the opposite in any possible way. While DA:O is the succession of the gameplay from Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, DA2 is more like a "social experiment" to test the players reaction at an "hybrid" of PC and Console gameplay, the result is that all console players love (when they hated DA:O isometric camera), and all PCI've just finished the review of Dragon Age Origins and this is the opposite in any possible way. While DA:O is the succession of the gameplay from Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, DA2 is more like a "social experiment" to test the players reaction at an "hybrid" of PC and Console gameplay, the result is that all console players love (when they hated DA:O isometric camera), and all PC players feels an empty gameplay totally focused to action and combos, it is the same what "build" you have because combos does more damage than skills. I will be clear: this IS a bad game, incomplete, invisible corridors, repetitive, recycle of scenarios, etc, but could be more close to be "digestible" as a "spin-off" in the saga, but that "2" ruined the saga irremediably, now we have to play Dragon Age: Inquisition with shame. And why? Because Bioware wanted to earn a handful of bills more...… Expand
  15. pinkytwist
    Jun 19, 2015
    8
    I don't get all the bad reviews for this game. True, the recycled environments are a big negative but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story and the characters, which is always what I look for on a Dragon Age game. I really enjoyed playing as Hawke, I love that she had a personality, a background, family and the companions actually feel like her friends, unlike the Inquisitor in DAI. II don't get all the bad reviews for this game. True, the recycled environments are a big negative but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story and the characters, which is always what I look for on a Dragon Age game. I really enjoyed playing as Hawke, I love that she had a personality, a background, family and the companions actually feel like her friends, unlike the Inquisitor in DAI. I also liked all the little sidequests with interesting NPCs and stories and the fact that they all had cutscenes which makes things feel more personal. And again, unlike DAI.… Expand
  16. Azazelll
    Jul 14, 2016
    10
    After Dragon Age Inquisition I realized that Dragon age 2 is very good game. Arcade combat system, a lot of simplification of gameplay, but it is still the era of the dragon, dark, cruel, merciless. In contrast to the anime about a hero with a magic hand.
  17. Jtpaldemar
    Jan 29, 2016
    0
    The first Dragon Age is one of the best RPG game made since Baldur's gate series, Dragon Age II is a very good game...for the first 20 minutes. I give to this game 0 because it is an insult to his predecessor: recycled areas everywhere, enemies spawn everywhere without any logic, the interface sucks and there is only one good fight in all the game. This game really disappointed me.
  18. Burkendah
    Feb 29, 2012
    5
    Compared to most other games Dragon Age 2 really isn't that bad with a decent story and overall good combat but unfortunately for Dragon Age 2 it stands in the shadow of dragon age: Origins and almost all rpg games (except for a select few) pale in comparison to dragon age: origins. People hoped for another game as equal in greatness as it's predecessor and were greatly disappointed. ICompared to most other games Dragon Age 2 really isn't that bad with a decent story and overall good combat but unfortunately for Dragon Age 2 it stands in the shadow of dragon age: Origins and almost all rpg games (except for a select few) pale in comparison to dragon age: origins. People hoped for another game as equal in greatness as it's predecessor and were greatly disappointed. I hope this doesn't discourage the game developers from developing dragon age 3.… Expand
  19. Pandafrag
    Jun 3, 2012
    6
    I personally love the new combat, but everything else was dull. Dragon Age Origins was a plot driven game and the story for DA2 felt very weak and dull. DAO also had vast varieties of places to explore but the island centric game felt too confiding. Character development for your companions are boring and you never really "care" for any of them.
  20. Nataraja
    May 31, 2013
    5
    To put it simply this is a total let down after the fantastic first game. I was able to play it all the way through once but had no desire to play it again, It was helped greatly by the post launch day patch but it took them several days to bring that online.

    It certainly is not the worst game I have played but it was by far the WORST that Bioware ever produced and it shows that the    To put it simply this is a total let down after the fantastic first game. I was able to play it all the way through once but had no desire to play it again, It was helped greatly by the post launch day patch but it took them several days to bring that online.

    It certainly is not the worst game I have played but it was by far the WORST that Bioware ever produced and it shows that the change to EA was NOT good at ALL for Bioware    … Expand
  21. Brenden7
    May 6, 2013
    6
    I was thoroughly heart-broken after playing this game. Most of what I had loved from the original game was stripped. The approach of having a "framed narrative" was interesting but I feel that the story just did not deliver (I had to ask myself midway through Act 2 what was my purpose for continuing) and it was certainly not of Bioware calibare. The characters were almost one dimensionalI was thoroughly heart-broken after playing this game. Most of what I had loved from the original game was stripped. The approach of having a "framed narrative" was interesting but I feel that the story just did not deliver (I had to ask myself midway through Act 2 what was my purpose for continuing) and it was certainly not of Bioware calibare. The characters were almost one dimensional with a particular elf who would not look out of place in Stephanie Meyer book. The recycled areas quickly got boring and the gamed ceased being an adventure. But most of all I hated the combat: enemys that explode as if they were made of of balloons filled with cranberry juice; endless waves of trash mobs which seems as a vain attempt to make the game feel longer; bosses battled that bordered on ridiculous (*ahem* Meredith and Corpyheus).

    In the end this game didn't not feel like Dragon Age I will admit in conclusion that there are worse games out there but certainly Bioware is better than this rushed mess. I hope for better in the third installment; having played The Witcher 2 and Tomb Raider the bar is set pretty high now.    … Expand
  22. gloriouspotato
    Oct 5, 2015
    7
    It appears that I don't share the intense vitriol some of the people here have about this game. Dragon Age 2 is not deserving of all the zeroes and ones, but it's hardly a great game either.

    Like many others, I echo how unfortunate and rushed the recycled environments are. It is mainly because of this that gameplay becomes progressively more and more tedious, made worse by the awful    It appears that I don't share the intense vitriol some of the people here have about this game. Dragon Age 2 is not deserving of all the zeroes and ones, but it's hardly a great game either.

    Like many others, I echo how unfortunate and rushed the recycled environments are. It is mainly because of this that gameplay becomes progressively more and more tedious, made worse by the awful amount of backtracking in this game.

    The combat system is a mixed bag. On one hand, I actually liked the faster pace and more flashy animations. It made combat feel much more fluid. However, a noticeable portion of the game's tactical depth is lost by respawning enemies.

    The lack of customization for companion armor was criticized by many, so I think I'm in the minority when I say that I applaud the fact that characters have a distinct outfit that lasts throughout the game. In a sense, it helps to reaffirm the characterisation that Bioware had intended.

    I think I'm in an even smaller minority when I say that i think your companions receive quite a lot of attention in this game, dare I say even more so than in Origins. This is mostly because the game makes it quite apparent when companions have something to say by giving you companion quests. They also have significantly lengthier and more in depth background stories which I enjoyed thoroughly. The writing is also very decent, just as strong as it was in Origins, snarky Hawke simply never gets old.

    To conclude, an obviously flawed game but i still managed to find it at least semi-decent.

    Overall rating: 7.2/10    … Expand
  23. Kyniaz
    Jan 5, 2018
    7
    This game had so much potential , but it was unfinished at release, the story, the UI, the environment, the levels were clearly unpolished.
    But it was fun for the most part, the combat despite less tactic than the first was frenetic and good, despite the enemies spawning mostly behind your unprotected mage and killing him a lot of times, some of the quests were memorable and i still    This game had so much potential , but it was unfinished at release, the story, the UI, the environment, the levels were clearly unpolished.
    But it was fun for the most part, the combat despite less tactic than the first was frenetic and good, despite the enemies spawning mostly behind your unprotected mage and killing him a lot of times, some of the quests were memorable and i still remember them - and three companions really made things better - Aveline, Varric and Merrill.
    It's not a worthy successor to the first one, sure, but it has its own charm and style, it was a really missed opportunity, maybe if added 6 months to the development it would have been a great game    … Expand
  24. Jabberwock
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Very disappointed in this game. While DAO was a real masterpiece for me, this game can offer nothing from what I liked in a firt part. Developers went to simplify everything. Skills, dialogues, spells, talents, inventory, everything! Game become more console-orientated. "Dynamic fighting" seems terrible for me. Plenty of monsters spawning all around. I could forgive part of these things,Very disappointed in this game. While DAO was a real masterpiece for me, this game can offer nothing from what I liked in a firt part. Developers went to simplify everything. Skills, dialogues, spells, talents, inventory, everything! Game become more console-orientated. "Dynamic fighting" seems terrible for me. Plenty of monsters spawning all around. I could forgive part of these things, but not for Bioware. This game is not worthy to stand along with previous company products.… Expand
  25. king_smeagol
    Mar 13, 2011
    2
    users - 3.67/10
    payed critics - 8.40/10
    TRUE SCORE 6.03/10 As you can see the pro's overate games. Pros 84% but we the gamers give it a real score of 38%. AVERAGE META SCORE 60%. Who do you trust? Based on the 'user reviews' the average score is 3.67 out of 10. This is based on 79 votes given 5 or 6, 427 given 7,8,9 or 10 and 822 votes given 0, 1 or 2. The meta critic meta score based    users - 3.67/10
    payed critics - 8.40/10
    TRUE SCORE 6.03/10

    As you can see the pro's overate games. Pros 84% but we the gamers give it a real score of 38%. AVERAGE META SCORE 60%. Who do you trust?

    Based on the 'user reviews' the average score is 3.67 out of 10. This is based on 79 votes given 5 or 6, 427 given 7,8,9 or 10 and 822 votes given 0, 1 or 2.

    The meta critic meta score based on 16 'critics' is 84 out of 100 out 8.4 out of 10.

    I have found over the years the so-called professional reviewers over rate games
    An average game should get 50% not 75% or 85%. We vary rarely see games getting below mid 80's these days even if they are bad.
    So I thought i'd find the average of the true gamers - us the buyer - and combine that score the the payed reviewers to see what the TRUE META SCORE is.    … Expand
  26. JenniferGoo
    Apr 12, 2011
    2
    The crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just notThe crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just not much to defend here. There isn't a single battle in the game (including bosses) that doesn't involve waves and waves of enemies spawning out of thin air waiting for you to mow them down. Sometimes, even when you give them a gentle whack, they explode into a dozen pieces... which I guess is suppose to make me feel like a bad ass. The entire game takes place in one city made up of a few small disconnected areas and the same two or three dungeons that are reused for the entire game. They even try to trick you into thinking this is a new area by blocking off doors you were previously able to go through and opening other ones. Why can't you go through that door you see this time around? Who knows! You just can't click on it! Look, when asked about this problem in an interview, the developers claim they had two choices: give us all original content and cut the game length down to a couple hours or reuse the same areas over and over until the game lasted twenty-five hours. If that doesn't give you an idea of how rushed this product is, I don't know what will. There is not 60 dollars worth of content here and yet so many people have already bought this game because the video game press is looking out more for themselves and not for us. The sad part of this is that underneath it all, the character interaction is great even if the overally story arc, like the rest of the game, is not well thought out at all. It's clear there were talented people working on Dragon Age II, but they weren't given the liberty or time to make this into a good product. Buyer beware.… Expand
  27. 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.
  28. Irishbrewed
    Apr 23, 2011
    0
    Terrible game on more levels then one. I do not recommend it at all, very linear unoriginal and unimagined game. It is an obvious cashcow and nothing more. The game morphs into and simple point A to point B fairly quick, with hours of back tracking and very dull fetch quest. The story starts strong but quickly turns into something you would find amongst the indie titles of the RPG world.Terrible game on more levels then one. I do not recommend it at all, very linear unoriginal and unimagined game. It is an obvious cashcow and nothing more. The game morphs into and simple point A to point B fairly quick, with hours of back tracking and very dull fetch quest. The story starts strong but quickly turns into something you would find amongst the indie titles of the RPG world. Its a mess and nothing about it warrants your time.… Expand
  29. Swader
    Apr 24, 2011
    1
    Unimmersive and disjointed story, boring characters, the exact same 4 locations over and over again, dumbed down combat to appeal to the masses of the consoles, respawning enemies right in the middle of a fight out of thin air, third person view exclusive, complete removal of strategy with a switch to storm-in-and-shoot-everything game type, no improvement in graphics, horribly inaccurateUnimmersive and disjointed story, boring characters, the exact same 4 locations over and over again, dumbed down combat to appeal to the masses of the consoles, respawning enemies right in the middle of a fight out of thin air, third person view exclusive, complete removal of strategy with a switch to storm-in-and-shoot-everything game type, no improvement in graphics, horribly inaccurate dialog wheel as in Mass Effect, repetitive questing which almost feels like grinding, inability to change the armor of party members, inability to play a race other than human, limitation of classes to warrior-rogue-mage, these are just some of the negative aspects that made me shelve this game indefinitely. When DA3 comes out, I'd rather read a quick story summary than play through this junk ever again.… Expand
  30. bear77
    May 5, 2011
    2
    this is one of the hardest reviews I think I will ever write. I am a long term fan of Bioware. I fondly remember reveling in Baldur's Gate all the way through mass effect and DA1. They are, in my opinion one of the best AAA developers when it comes to story line and polish. So the best description of my play experience with DA2 was a crushing sense of loss. I can only guess at whatthis is one of the hardest reviews I think I will ever write. I am a long term fan of Bioware. I fondly remember reveling in Baldur's Gate all the way through mass effect and DA1. They are, in my opinion one of the best AAA developers when it comes to story line and polish. So the best description of my play experience with DA2 was a crushing sense of loss. I can only guess at what brought about the changes in the level of quality. The monster spawning out of thin air, the feeling of a corridor like linear progression, wooden dialog that leaves the player feeling let down are just some of the elements that, sadly,make this the last game I will buy from Bioware purely based it being crafted by them! if your reading this Bioware earn me back!! one bad title doesn't break you, but it does cause future games to be scrutinized before purchase. as to the critic score....integrity is important...don't you think?… 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.
    Read full review
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