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. dayman75
    Aug 8, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There are some improvements in combat visuals, and the mechanics is a lot easier to handle, which attract newcomers to the DA series. But for those who enjoy the complex combat system of DA:O (I consider myself one of them) some disappointment might come from this game.
    The game is not a brilliant achievement in graphics (and sometimes it does disappoint, in trees, buildings and the sky) but the characters are pretty well modeled. Reusing locations is also a bad thing that must be noted.
    The storyline could be better, its true. This game is basically babysitting a huge city and (the final act of the game) witnessing what will be the story for DA:Inquisition.
    The quests are pretty entertaining, but the secondary characters can sometimes be quite forgettable.
    Conclusion: Dragon Age 2 is a GOOD game, but it falls short of DA:Origins.    … Expand
  2. AmongstYou
    Jul 29, 2013
    0
    I never thought that a series could be more bastardized, more streamlined, more simplified, than when I had so unfortunately played Final Fantasy XIII. With Final Fantasy XIII however, it was clear that Square Enix was already going down a dangerous path and something as insulting to role playing game fans as Final Fantasy XIII was to be an expected outcome.
    The difference between Square    I never thought that a series could be more bastardized, more streamlined, more simplified, than when I had so unfortunately played Final Fantasy XIII. With Final Fantasy XIII however, it was clear that Square Enix was already going down a dangerous path and something as insulting to role playing game fans as Final Fantasy XIII was to be an expected outcome.
    The difference between Square Enix and Bioware is that Bioware should have known better. Considering that these people brought us Baldur's Gate, the best video game sequel of all time Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, and of course, Dragon Age: Origins, you would think that Dragon Age II would have been decent, if not better than the already spectacular Dragon Age: Origins. I could not have been farther from the true result.

    Dragon Age II elects to take the winning formula of Dragon Age: Origins and tries to do something new. My first problem is why do so? Dragon Age: Origins was absolutely fine and needed not revamping. The best way to make a sequel is to add some new original content, expand the world and story, and also improve and fine tune the few problems of Dragon Age: Origins. Instead, Dragon Age II tries to reinvent the wheel and does so poorly.

    To sum it up shortly, they simplify anything that required strategy the first game's combat into button mashing garbage that makes it feel like Mass Effect with swords and magic. The globe trotting and exploration is now walking through one linear corridor that will give you flashbacks to Final Fantasy XIII. Interaction is non existent. You have more luck talking to a wall in this game than your own god damn party! When the companions don't have their own story arcs and interesting backgrounds, the player ceases to care about them emotionally, making the experience feel incredibly detached.
    "Hand holding" is an understatement when it comes to how the game presents things to you. It practically pushes you to success with you not doing hardly anything. The game is so easy it's boring and feels like a chore to get through. The worst part? The lackluster, no surprises, plot line that feels like a really bad fan fiction and the unbelievably basic dialogue wheel.

    So, final words? It's the worst thing BioWare has produced followed shortly by the god awful and overrated Mass Effect games. BioWare, what the hell happened? Baldur's Gate is the reason I got into role playing games. Dragon Age: Origins was one of the first masterful RPGs in the last five years. To see you put little to no effort in it's follow up is sad. Hopefully Dragon Age: Inquisition is better, but I'm not getting more hopes. Neither am I getting my wallet out. I'll spend my money else where, preferably on CD Projekt Red's next title.    … Expand
  3. 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.
  4. Velnon
    Jul 19, 2013
    8
    Dragon Age II is a very enjoyable experience. It has a greatly refurbished combat system that feels like DA:O while still improving on the clumsiness of the original, it feels smooth and enjoyable and significantly faster paced then the original. The story, while not following the grey wardens, is both well written with plenty of references to the DA:O story. The characters are wellDragon Age II is a very enjoyable experience. It has a greatly refurbished combat system that feels like DA:O while still improving on the clumsiness of the original, it feels smooth and enjoyable and significantly faster paced then the original. The story, while not following the grey wardens, is both well written with plenty of references to the DA:O story. The characters are well designed, and even though you are stuck in one city, the city feels vibrant and interesting. A great game to get if you want to get into Dragon Age or you played the first one and want more to do in the same universe.… Expand
  5. Whiskerbro
    Jul 3, 2013
    2
    I never played Dragon Age 1, and after playing this game, I think I never will. The combat is so dull. The voice acting is bad, and the story is stupid. I care about none of the characters. NONE OF THEM! They are all shallow and could be described with one word. I was never surprised about how characters acted. This game was very little fun.
  6. Rennn
    Jun 27, 2013
    8
    Dragon Age 2 is a mixed improvement over Dragon Age: Origins.

    The game is not as short as many people say. It's easy to put in about 40 hours on one playthrough, as long as you go out of your way to find side quests. If you just try to burn through the story, you'll come out at probably 15 hours. This is a departure from DAO, because in DAO you run into almost every side quest simply by    Dragon Age 2 is a mixed improvement over Dragon Age: Origins.

    The game is not as short as many people say. It's easy to put in about 40 hours on one playthrough, as long as you go out of your way to find side quests. If you just try to burn through the story, you'll come out at probably 15 hours. This is a departure from DAO, because in DAO you run into almost every side quest simply by visiting the story locations. In DA2 you have to search. This isn't necessarily good or bad, it's just a change that many people missed.

    The characters are at least as good as those in Origins, though they're not similar in personality. Stories are consistently multifaceted, with many correct points of view, and which characters you love mostly depends on which one you find the most convincing. Every character's motivations make sense from their point of view. I love Merrill, but I've met people online who think she's the biggest idiot of all time. Likewise, I hate Fenris, but some people love him. Bioware's curse is that they always make characters so deep and multifaceted that a significant portion of the audience hates most of them, because their personalities don't line up with that specific player's view of a good person.

    The story is completely different from Origins. Rather than a single epic climax, it has two climaxes, and the setting is halfway across the world from Origins. A completely different set of problems faces the characters in DA2. It's not a good or bad thing for the series, simply different.

    Combat has immeasurably improved. You can now actually stab with your daggers and swing your sword, rather than flopping every weapon through the air like a broken tennis racket. More spells are available for mages that allow them to funnel enemies into position for tanks, and every class has more methods of breaking up crowds (which were hopelessly annoying in Origins). The downside to this is that enemy AI has not noticeably improved from Origins, meaning that all your new abilities, it's easy to win after the first 10 hours unless you play on the hardest difficulty.

    As usual for a Bioware game, the characters are the incredible part, and they're better than ever. Only Mass Effect does characters as well, and that makes sense considering they're from the same developer.    … Expand
  7. Crimsonking58
    Jun 4, 2013
    6
    All in all, Dragon Age 2 isn't a bad game, but I could never shake the feeling that the game would've been better suited as an expansion pack. There are probably about 10-15 hours of Bioware quality content that doesn't feel like filler amidst the MMO-like pedestrian quests (Playing this after The Old Republic couldn't have helped that feeling one bit); if they had cut off the fat andAll in all, Dragon Age 2 isn't a bad game, but I could never shake the feeling that the game would've been better suited as an expansion pack. There are probably about 10-15 hours of Bioware quality content that doesn't feel like filler amidst the MMO-like pedestrian quests (Playing this after The Old Republic couldn't have helped that feeling one bit); if they had cut off the fat and delivered a more focused title I believe this game would've been much better off. Still, I don't regret playing it, and the moments of greatness pulled me through the moments of mundanity. Origins remains the far superior title, but if you absolutely love the Dragon Age universe you're missing out on quite a bit of good stuff if you decide to skip the second outing.

    Score: 6/10
    Time to beat: 37 hours doing all but two quests
    Play this if: You love the Dragon Age universe and don't mind a few filler quests    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. eroeru
    May 28, 2013
    1
    A huge letdown. Took away all the beauty of the first game, substituted it with a cheesy and cheap overall. Combat is less strategic and less ambient "thanks" to the speed of it and the impossibility to differentiate moves. Characters are twofold. Quests are boring. Environments are simply bland, and as-made-from plastic and paper. Fantasy becomes believable not from overcoloring but fromA huge letdown. Took away all the beauty of the first game, substituted it with a cheesy and cheap overall. Combat is less strategic and less ambient "thanks" to the speed of it and the impossibility to differentiate moves. Characters are twofold. Quests are boring. Environments are simply bland, and as-made-from plastic and paper. Fantasy becomes believable not from overcoloring but from an imaginative and convincing set-up. Needs to be more smart overall. This game is not quality story-telling nor an ambient experience. Doesn't make you think, doesn't move nor make one feel much.… Expand
  10. 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..
  11. Cell1e
    May 24, 2013
    6
    I have changed my score for this game based on the fact that it has very little replay value for me since I bought and played it.
    They removed most of the things I love about rpgs and especially from DAO and flashed up the combat a lot. Saying that I liked some aspects of the combat but not enough to justify the removal of all the crafting and personalising of characters and party    I have changed my score for this game based on the fact that it has very little replay value for me since I bought and played it.
    They removed most of the things I love about rpgs and especially from DAO and flashed up the combat a lot. Saying that I liked some aspects of the combat but not enough to justify the removal of all the crafting and personalising of characters and party members.
    I missed terribly the immersion from being able to converse with my team members whenever I liked and of course the romances were for me totally lacking especially compared to other Bioware games.
    The story was pretty dark and bleak, death of loved ones a constant theme throughout the game, not much fun to play of you are struggling with your own grief in rl. The mirror of transformation a nice idea but the awful ghastly shop with the droning and terrible shopkeeper...who likes that kind of place? Twelve year old boys?
    It's an ok game but a HUGE let down after Dragon Age Origins. I've also missed the player made mods as there was no tool kit released for this game. Therefore our modding community have been extremeely limited in what they could do with the game. Such a shame.    … Expand
  12. MaxGayLord
    May 16, 2013
    10
    Yes, the level design is utterly terrible and the visuals are sub-par, but everything else is pure gold. I acknowledge the game has its flaws, however I feel that those flaws are only minor blemishes when compared to the many redeeming aspects of Dragon Age 2.
  13. 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
  14. aborle
    May 2, 2013
    7
    More like Dragon Age Episodes.
    If DA O was like a tasty soup, then consider DA 2 a watered down version of that same soup. Hence my rating doesn't go lower, because there is still some goodness left. enough to enjoy the game. Still, here comes the bad:
    So what happened? It honestly appears as though EA has twisted Bioware's nuts and asked them to make a sequel in such a short time. The    More like Dragon Age Episodes.
    If DA O was like a tasty soup, then consider DA 2 a watered down version of that same soup. Hence my rating doesn't go lower, because there is still some goodness left. enough to enjoy the game. Still, here comes the bad:
    So what happened? It honestly appears as though EA has twisted Bioware's nuts and asked them to make a sequel in such a short time. The main problem in Da 2 is the content, or rather the lack of it. 3 different stories occur and then the third one leads to a cliffhanger ending. Choice system this time is annoying this time which leads to the mages screwing up no matter what you choice is. Half the character roster is annoying and we are limited to 1 city (which still manages to be repetitive in itself).

    But i guess there is enough good that will still make DA O fans play this. For other ppl, pick up DA O instead its a better game    … Expand
  15. Dimppa
    Apr 29, 2013
    2
    i'm giving it 2, because i had so high hopes for this thing, i didn't even want to find anything about it in advance at it turned to that crap. of-course there are several things i like but due to critics way too high reviews i can't give 6/7 as i first thought just above average. might have been worth 7/8 without DA Origins
  16. ShinoRagnar
    Apr 29, 2013
    2
    If you liked Dragon Age 1 youre probably not gonna like Dragon Age 2.

    Everything good about DA1 has been replaced:

    Combat System: Replaced with a worthless action oriented -no brainer system
    Skill System: Dumbed down to no choices at all
    Maps: THERE IS ONLY 1 MAP! All theyve done is make you enter from different doors. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
  17. Adyman
    Apr 20, 2013
    5
    LOL! 82 score, cmon this game is so bad compared with first one! trolllolololololololololololololololololooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  18. 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
  19. Gravin
    Apr 17, 2013
    1
    After Dragon Age: Origins I was so hyped and wanted to get my hand in this game. And what a waste of time that waiting was. It's not a good game. Almost everything that was good in Origins are thrown out of the window and what we get is a generic, action rpg for consoles. The story is horrible, they use the same caves and areas over and over again. And we cant even leave the god damn city!After Dragon Age: Origins I was so hyped and wanted to get my hand in this game. And what a waste of time that waiting was. It's not a good game. Almost everything that was good in Origins are thrown out of the window and what we get is a generic, action rpg for consoles. The story is horrible, they use the same caves and areas over and over again. And we cant even leave the god damn city! It's horrible, dont touch this piece of garbage!… Expand
  20. Rockodss
    Apr 5, 2013
    1
    Dragon Age 1 was one of those games you buy because it looked cool. I had no idea what I was about to live. So since the 1st one was amazing I thought DA2 would be similar.... don't be fooled... Gameplay 0 everything that made DA1 is dropped on DA2... you better get a controller for your PC version because you simply get a bad port from console to PC....

    DA1 had 2 differents type of    Dragon Age 1 was one of those games you buy because it looked cool. I had no idea what I was about to live. So since the 1st one was amazing I thought DA2 would be similar.... don't be fooled... Gameplay 0 everything that made DA1 is dropped on DA2... you better get a controller for your PC version because you simply get a bad port from console to PC....

    DA1 had 2 differents type of gameplay, console and PC. in DA2 they just said F*** PC lets go easy way.
    Story as nothing near DA1...

    Everything seem wrong with this version.... Wonder what Bioware had in mind...    … Expand
  21. MightyThor
    Mar 17, 2013
    8
    I'm very disappointed in the massive amounts of negative reviews for DA:2. It is not origins 2, it is not skyrim, it is dragon age 2 so stop trying to make it what you want it to be and enjoy the game for what it is! I understand to an extent where they are coming from, but for the most part it is a good game, and the number one complaint is it's not Dragon Age Origins 2 but a totallyI'm very disappointed in the massive amounts of negative reviews for DA:2. It is not origins 2, it is not skyrim, it is dragon age 2 so stop trying to make it what you want it to be and enjoy the game for what it is! I understand to an extent where they are coming from, but for the most part it is a good game, and the number one complaint is it's not Dragon Age Origins 2 but a totally different game. Why can't each game stand on its own? I think DA:2 does. First to address the poor points of 2 in my opinion, one the world has very few locations. It is not open, but neither was origins. Origins just had more instanced places to go. DA2 focuses on a central location and unlocking small instances there for storyline and quests. It plays very similarly to mass effect 2 in that way. Which personally is fine by me, but many people criticize that feature.

    The other flaw to me is the combat animations can get a little over the top. It's a little bit borderline anime when you're playing a rogue. But to me it's a huge improvement over origin's animations (try playing a two handed dwarf in origins, you look ridiculous when you swing).

    The last flaw is you can't create your own hero or play races other than human. Boohoo. Playing a dwarf would've been fun but I can live with this.

    The good points, I like the fully voiced dialogue more. Instead of picking a fully written response you select a flavor of response or question and your hero speaks it, like you pick a humorous response or an angry one so you don't know exactly what he'll say. The game keeps track of what you pick and you start to sort of develop a personality. And it's much better than mass effect's series where you're always trying to be all bad or good because it doesn't work that way here so you can respond to each situation however you like and reactions are done individually and don't need to be unlocked that way.

    Another thing I like is the talent tree. It's an actual tree now so it feels like you're making more of a build instead of just picking a selection of skills. You can also combine effects with other classes for combos so there's some depth there. Battle is not as tactical as origins but in general I like the combat and talents.

    The story is compelling and good to me. It's not on such a grand scale as origins but you're following a family as they rise in importance and it's cool to watch it play out. There's still plenty of lore involved and it's immersive enough.

    In general it's not as deep as origins but still a very enjoyable game.    … Expand
  22. jadam914
    Mar 4, 2013
    5
    Dragon Age Origins was the best RPG to come out in a long while. Though DA2 was good over all by the standards of the first game it was a let down.

    First the good parts. It was better than most any game that came out around the time it was released and many that were made before it. The graphics were acceptable but not a home run. There are side quests to do and the character    Dragon Age Origins was the best RPG to come out in a long while. Though DA2 was good over all by the standards of the first game it was a let down.

    First the good parts.

    It was better than most any game that came out around the time it was released and many that were made before it. The graphics were acceptable but not a home run. There are side quests to do and the character leveling and UI were acceptable. Interaction in the story line was good and though there was only a little room to customize the story through your decisions. Some of the old DAO flavor was there. Over all a good but not great game.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The bad parts, mostly comparing to Dragon Age Origins

    Too Linear
    DA2 felt much more linear than DA. There was less content over all than DAO and less options of things to do.

    Graphics were rushed
    It is easy to see for any serious gamer that the game was rushed. The textures could have been better. The map areas were limited and more recycled that DAO. I would have liked to have more area on the maps provided. It reminded me of some of the older games because things were recycled as much as they were.

    A Console game
    This game was console based with PC as an after thought. Big mistake on Bioware's pare because the made most of the DAO fans mad. It was a more of a console button masher than a true PC game.

    Lacking in content
    Though there was a lot of content as a sequel it was too short compared to DAO. The content was not as decision based as DAO. There was no real main map like in DA. At the end I found my self saying "That's it?"

    I say, over all it is a good game but don't get your hopes up too much if you already played the first one.    … Expand
  23. 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.
  24. sindrealmost
    Feb 19, 2013
    7
    There is mixed feelings on this game, as it not a "true" rpg, but after a while the game grew on me. I must also say, that this game now only cost just under 20USD which makes it good value for money. However had I paid full retail for this game I would most likely give it 5.5 or 6/10. But for 20USD this is a good game and the storyline is good, not mass effect good, but good.
  25. misscityhunter
    Feb 11, 2013
    0
    mauvais...très mauvais même. Après avoir joué un chef d'oeuvre comme dao ça fait un peu l'effet de se prendre une bonne baffe dans la figure (incredibly bad)
  26. AlienSpaceBats
    Feb 4, 2013
    7
    I didn't think very much of Dragon Age II at release, though I found it engaging enough to play through twice (and purchase some *ahem* DLC Legacy). My overall view was it wasn't as bad as I'd been led to believe (though not as amazing as "professional" reviews made out either). A post Mass Effect 3 perspective does this game many favours; by comparison Dragon Age II is succinct, nicelyI didn't think very much of Dragon Age II at release, though I found it engaging enough to play through twice (and purchase some *ahem* DLC Legacy). My overall view was it wasn't as bad as I'd been led to believe (though not as amazing as "professional" reviews made out either). A post Mass Effect 3 perspective does this game many favours; by comparison Dragon Age II is succinct, nicely made and high quality. It is missing a number of cRPG elements present in its predecessor, but for the most part it seems this was a successful attempt at streamlining things, the (free) hi-res texture pack makes a lot of difference, as does the DirectX 11 support. So for the most part; nicely written (though not devoid of contrivance or sloppiness minimal), excellent voice acting with some engaging and likeable characters with neat arcs. DA2's positives far outweigh its negatives.… Expand
  27. Flash_Over
    Jan 27, 2013
    5
    Wow, where to start. I played Dragon Age: Origins. I also played other Bioware RPG games dating back to the Star Wars Old Republic games... and I haft to say... this was by far... the worst game they ever made. Thought I liked a few changes they did, I also feel they took two steps forward and 6 steps back. This game is not and shouldn't have been be called a Dragon Age game and be namedWow, where to start. I played Dragon Age: Origins. I also played other Bioware RPG games dating back to the Star Wars Old Republic games... and I haft to say... this was by far... the worst game they ever made. Thought I liked a few changes they did, I also feel they took two steps forward and 6 steps back. This game is not and shouldn't have been be called a Dragon Age game and be named something else. Since DA2 and DA:O are completely different... First off... The combat. I loved the combat style and killing-blow animations in Dragon Age: Origins. It's Lord of the Rings style hack and slash, blood gore, ect... Thats what was expecting in DA2 from DA:O... I was so disappointed. Though I liked the now fast paced style action (Without pausing). The attack animations, the sounds... it was all terrible and unsatisfying. Plus, the selectable classes were all mashed into only 3 classes. Plus where is my option to play as a tank?! I played a Tank in DA:O... For the games setting, looking back to Star Wars and Mass Effect, I though that I would be able to play my character again from previous saves, or what I did in DA:O would be immensely relevant to the next sequel. Boy, was I wrong. Besides a few differences in dialog what you did in DA:O DOES NOT MATTER, and doesn't even effect the story in hardly anyway. In DA2 it all plays out 95% the same with, or without DA:O saves. But, the meat and bones of the game is the story and the characters... The story, the game takes place in a large city, thought i was surprised at first since I was expecting another cross country adventure as in DA:O, but no. Besides venturing out of the city walls every so often, 75% of all the activity take place in the city. In the same places, same districts, same streets, same buildings, same home, same room, same alley same cave... the only thing that changes is the name of the enemies. Its absolutely repetitive! All it is, is hacking through respawns all in hope the story will get better. But, it doesn't! The story lacked depth and it felt so vague! What happened to the epic battles against the dark spawn orcs? The Arch Demons? It is all gone. Though the Darkspawn is the ultimate evil in the Dragon Age universe you will only fight them on a HAND full of occasions. You will find yourself killing spiders... more spiders... some zombies... demons, and endless re-spawns of humanoids. All in the same places you cleared a hour or so ago. For the characters, besides Varren and Hawks sister... I hated them all... All of them. They all feel so hollow as I did not care for them. Plus, Hawks sister either dies(If you bring her to the Dark Roads) or she gets captured and jailed till the very last scene in the game! WTF? So you and Varren are stuck with a Sesame Street gang... I was not to big on Romances in RPGs, but DA2 has even less to offer. For females you have a STD ridden pirate whore, A frail and awkward elf that looks under-aged and a lesbian ginger woman. For males you have a Pretty boy elf that is always pissed off, Anders who is a whiny heterosexual wuss! Me myself, I found ever reason not to like any of them. Plus, they had to make the only normal some what attractive characters your brother and sister... So scratch them too... This game was a HUGE disappointment... This game didn't even give me any nostalgia what so ever... There was also, no crafting, no armor for your companions besides weapon and jewelry... But, to end on a positive note, the game was in a way fun to play. The UI was well dressed and organized, and the game was not as long as DA:O, but it was fairly full of content. I do think i got my monies worth of entertainment (As in time wasted). Plus, the game works and is well polished as I found NO bugs or glitches while playing. It was a very solid platform, no lag, no crashes. Which is rare in games these days. I am generously giving this game a 5/10. Simply because this game would have been INCREDIBLY good and popular if it was not related to Dragon Age; with it's title changed to something else. But, naming this game Dragon Age... Bioware simply shot themselves in the foot.… Expand
  28. oliver1h
    Jan 22, 2013
    1
    A very big letdown after the previous installments! The gaming world feels empty. The rpg elements are dumbed down, and the combat mechanism feels like playing with an arcade game. The story is weak, and the missions feel generic. Art direction is lazy. Japanese rpg like huge sword (I prefer when weapons look realistic). This franchise took a very bad direction.
  29. 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
  30. Pantheon
    Jan 18, 2013
    8
    I could write paragraph after paragraph here about why DA2 isn't even 25% as bad as the majority of critics here would want you to believe, but it would be to no avail I'm sad to say. In the first place, I'm suspect of any rating between 0-3, I'm also suspect of 10's. I could see some people finding this game enjoyable enough to give it a 9, or annoying/disappointing enough to give it aI could write paragraph after paragraph here about why DA2 isn't even 25% as bad as the majority of critics here would want you to believe, but it would be to no avail I'm sad to say. In the first place, I'm suspect of any rating between 0-3, I'm also suspect of 10's. I could see some people finding this game enjoyable enough to give it a 9, or annoying/disappointing enough to give it a bland mediocre rating of 4-6. I can see where some people don't think the graphics are better than in DA: Origins, but the graphics are fine --- not exceptional. The storyline was interesting and some of the characters were downright hilarious, so I really don't understand any complaints on that end. Sure, some of the dialogue could be better ... and all games seem to suffer from repetitiveness, some more than others. I do agree that they overused the same areas/caves which almost gave the game a DLC quality, but I can't see how that merits a drastically diminished overall rating. It's true that combat is simplified and any difficulty encountered relies more on the excessive respawning of mobs than on the mobs' AI and innate abilities .... and it's true that they removed the complexity (or hassle to some) of having to outfit/equip your companions ... still though, the story is fun and intriguing despite its slightly bizarre ending. Yes, it falls short of DAO, then again how many sequels truly surpass their predecessors? I was hesitant to give it an 8, but giving it a flat 7 seemed a bit too low. I think this is one case where the Critic Reviews are closer to the truth than the User Reviews ---- note that they range from 58 to 95. Buy this game on sale and decide for yourself.… 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

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

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