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. sgeGaming
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Bioware has turned into money hungry idiots like activision.
    They are just blowing games out of their asses now and expecting to get praised for it. This game was atrocious. It's like playing dynasty warriors with an even worse story. If you are thinking of picking this up for any reason, stop right there. Dont give this company the satisfaction of thinking they made something good. They    Bioware has turned into money hungry idiots like activision.
    They are just blowing games out of their asses now and expecting to get praised for it. This game was atrocious. It's like playing dynasty warriors with an even worse story. If you are thinking of picking this up for any reason, stop right there. Dont give this company the satisfaction of thinking they made something good. They seem to have spent no time in this at all, and need to stop.    … Expand
  2. RainmakerNL
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    What can i say? This game fails on every aspect you can imagine. From promised DX11 graphics we went to watered down character models and a bland city which is the main course of the game. This game suffers from acute and extreme consolitis. Bad graphics, way to simple gameplay (whack a mole) and the interface is completely tailored for consoles! Do NOT believe any "official" reviewWhat can i say? This game fails on every aspect you can imagine. From promised DX11 graphics we went to watered down character models and a bland city which is the main course of the game. This game suffers from acute and extreme consolitis. Bad graphics, way to simple gameplay (whack a mole) and the interface is completely tailored for consoles! Do NOT believe any "official" review sources, they get paid big money by EA to give it a 8 or 9!

    The biggest insult of them all is the load of DLC there is pre-installed on your disc, but you cant acces it without paying or doing stupid facebook games.

    Steer clear of this game and any future BioWare games, vote with your wallet!    … Expand
  3. polluxcastor
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    This is as much an RPG as Sesame Street is PG rated. The low score therefore does not just concern the product, but the way it is advertised: as catering to the RPG crowd. It does not, yet it has deliberately been marketed that way, and even been branded as such.

    If BioWare/Electronic Arts had wanted to be honest, they would not have published this game as part of the Dragon Age    This is as much an RPG as Sesame Street is PG rated. The low score therefore does not just concern the product, but the way it is advertised: as catering to the RPG crowd. It does not, yet it has deliberately been marketed that way, and even been branded as such.

    If BioWare/Electronic Arts had wanted to be honest, they would not have published this game as part of the Dragon Age franchise, a franchise that was named the 'spiritual successor' of Baldur's Gate. Instead, they could have branded it as 'Hawke's Adventures', or God knows what, and I would not have felt the need to be this straightforward with my criticism. For then they would have been honest. Selling this as a Dragon Age game is tantamount to fraud: it is dishonest advertising and BioWare deserve all the criticism that is currently being hurled towards them.

    Dragon Age 2 may be a good game, but it is a terrible RPG and that is how it is being marketed. Therefore, I have to judge it that way. It gets one point for having a story that courageously avoids the 'big bad' RPG trope and frankly that's being generous, as normally frauds shouldn't get away with any points.    … Expand
  4. Shadow04
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    This is not Dragon Age, despite the game's title, the game itself has precious little to do with Dragon Age. It's almost an insult naming this game Dragon Age 2. Very saddening to see a once great rpg turned into something like that. Almost every aspect of a rpg is dumbed down beyond words to better appeal to the console users, seriously. What the hell is the Mass Effect conversation styleThis is not Dragon Age, despite the game's title, the game itself has precious little to do with Dragon Age. It's almost an insult naming this game Dragon Age 2. Very saddening to see a once great rpg turned into something like that. Almost every aspect of a rpg is dumbed down beyond words to better appeal to the console users, seriously. What the hell is the Mass Effect conversation style doing in Dragon Age, it basically give u 3 words and a face beside you to hand hold you telling you that the choice is an evil/good/neutral one. Only one default race, seriously? Much of the appeal, and re-playability, of the previous Dragon Age is that one can choose a different race on each play through and the NPC will react accordingly to your race. Now you are better off deleting the game after your first run through, no re-playability whatsoever. There is so many things fundamentally wrong with this game I dun even know where to end.

    Bioware better off naming it Mass Effect: Origins which tells the story of how Shepherd's ancestor save the world. If we wanted something like Mass Effect we would have waited for the next Mass Effect. In a nutshell, this is NOT Dragon Age, anyone looking forward to reliving the hundreds of hours spent on the original Dragon Age will be sorely disappointed. Better off grabbing Dragon Age: Ultimate Edition and play any dlcs that you missed out previously, even replaying Dragon Age: Origins for the 1000th gives you a better experience. Give us back our original Dragon Age!    … Expand
  5. Gradstudent
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    It's wholly unfair to judge an entertainment product without taking the time to complete and evaluate it on its own terms; if one had skipped the finale to Lars Von Trier's masterful "Dogville," for instance, and judged it merely on its (somewhat dull) first two thirds, the criticisms one would level against it, while technically accurate, would be unfounded and unfair. Here lies myIt's wholly unfair to judge an entertainment product without taking the time to complete and evaluate it on its own terms; if one had skipped the finale to Lars Von Trier's masterful "Dogville," for instance, and judged it merely on its (somewhat dull) first two thirds, the criticisms one would level against it, while technically accurate, would be unfounded and unfair. Here lies my biggest issue with many of the first "0" reviews on Metacritic; unless these gamers live outside our time-space continuum, I cannot fathom how they could have had the time to fully evaluate the game, much less finish it. This damages the impression of many of these reviewers as it sets them up as soapbox preaching whiners who the vast populace should ignore, as well as their opinions.

    That said, I have just completed "Dragon Age II" for the PC. And yes, every complaint railed against it is pretty much dead on: Brain-dead combat that fits the PC like a children's mitten on a camel (the lack of controller support is positively nonsensical), generic writing (at best), weak characterization, massive amounts of retconning (don't expect your save game from Origins/Awakening to matter in the slightest), mostly unreactive world, atrocious, "Saturday morning cartoon" art design (even WITH the texture pack) and a plot that barely even exists. Huzzah EA, you've successfully destroyed the final AAA RPG manufacturer in the world. Congrats. Would you like a cookie?

    Do not buy this game. Please. EA does not need your money.

    Well, unless you wish to buy my used copy on Amazon. If so, do buy it so that I can be rid of this abomination. Speaking of abominations, time to go fight some in Origins.    … Expand
  6. Superstring
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    As an **** CRPG gamer, I wasn't big fan of DA. Though DA had it's good moments. This isn't a proper review, since I could only stand more than 20 minutes of DA2, and I must say it was horrible. Primitive dialog options, characters made of cardboard, enemies spawning from nowhere and swarming the claustrophobic area. Maybe I'm just too old for this kind of entertainment and it's time toAs an **** CRPG gamer, I wasn't big fan of DA. Though DA had it's good moments. This isn't a proper review, since I could only stand more than 20 minutes of DA2, and I must say it was horrible. Primitive dialog options, characters made of cardboard, enemies spawning from nowhere and swarming the claustrophobic area. Maybe I'm just too old for this kind of entertainment and it's time to pass RPG genre to newer generation of players.… Expand
  7. Jez89
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    The amount of effort spent on making the game playable has all but been completely overshadowed by superficial additions to make the game look more appealing. Even so, graphical errors and awkward visuals are abound. Very sad day for RPGs, Bioware has lost its touch completely. Will we ever see a game as good as Neverwinter Nights again? Not if DA2 is any indication.
  8. RedAvatar
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age II is one step forward and three steps back compared to the previous game. On the one hand, you have a solid (if very linear) story, well made graphics and ... well those are the only positives I can really give. The interface has been simplified, lacks any of the nice design and art of the first game, the characters are mostly flat and dull, areas much smaller, interaction withDragon Age II is one step forward and three steps back compared to the previous game. On the one hand, you have a solid (if very linear) story, well made graphics and ... well those are the only positives I can really give. The interface has been simplified, lacks any of the nice design and art of the first game, the characters are mostly flat and dull, areas much smaller, interaction with the world has been severely limited, the combat has less tactics and is more scripted not to mention the game is far too easy on normal and you basically end up spamming every ability and spell while making sure no-one croaks. Do that, and you can easily survive in "hard" mode. Sorry, but that's not how RPGs are supposed to work. On top of that, the game makes so many more mistakes - no free-roaming camera to oversee battles, no way to gear up your team mates or swap gear (meaning every piece of armour or ring you pick up, you have to wear), dialog has become ridiculously simple with the dialog choices having virtually no impact. This is essentially Mass Effect: Fantasy Edition - taking all the stuff that made Mass Effect 2 less fun than the first Mass Effect and jamming it into a game which sold millions and was loved by many.… Expand
  9. darkvadar
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    This is probably the worst RPG I have ever played. I have a hard time even calling it an RPG. I don't even know what to classify it as. Interactive movie, maybe? I really didn't like the first Dragon Age, but it wasn't that bad. I never got around to beating it. My friends kept telling me how awesome this game will be and I checked out reviews which gave it a really high score. From theThis is probably the worst RPG I have ever played. I have a hard time even calling it an RPG. I don't even know what to classify it as. Interactive movie, maybe? I really didn't like the first Dragon Age, but it wasn't that bad. I never got around to beating it. My friends kept telling me how awesome this game will be and I checked out reviews which gave it a really high score. From the sound of the reviews it looked to be GOTY quality. I bought it and played it and was unimpressed through about an hour playing. I just wanted to get through with playing it and it was so repetitive after only an hour. I can't take it any more and I had my stomach sink like when you lose money. I felt like I had been scammed and that my $60 was wasted. I really hate judging a game without even beating it but I just don't have to willpower to wade through this game. Bioware could of at least spent some of the money on commercials for this game on the development instead. It played like World of Warcraft. It was horrible and the only thing I liked about it was the fire that looked pretty cool.… Expand
  10. TiesTorN
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Total crap after DA:O, they really shouldn't have even bothered to release this game to PC, 'cuz this is not a PC game, this is a dumb console game which is an insult to all PC gamers.
  11. danu22
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    This is definately not a worthy sequel to the great original Dragon Age. It is a shame that the pc platform is once again having corners cut everywhere it its games. Even an indie company would be ashamed to shovel this game out. It feels rushed. From the constant crashes, NPC's bugging out on terrain and drab, uninspired landscapes. I'm sorry Bioware, but this is the last time you treatThis is definately not a worthy sequel to the great original Dragon Age. It is a shame that the pc platform is once again having corners cut everywhere it its games. Even an indie company would be ashamed to shovel this game out. It feels rushed. From the constant crashes, NPC's bugging out on terrain and drab, uninspired landscapes. I'm sorry Bioware, but this is the last time you treat us like this. You have lost another customer. Just ready the rest of the reviews! Something is up!… Expand
  12. Siegfriedm
    Dec 9, 2011
    5
    I cancel the preorder of this game, 3 days before the release. I have to say more?
    I cancel the preorder after I tried the demo. Some days ago I had the opportunity to test the final game for a long period and I have to say: My decision was totally right!
    The game is not really so bad, but is too much simplified. The first Dragon Age was really good and sometimes remember me the great    I cancel the preorder of this game, 3 days before the release. I have to say more?
    I cancel the preorder after I tried the demo. Some days ago I had the opportunity to test the final game for a long period and I have to say: My decision was totally right!
    The game is not really so bad, but is too much simplified. The first Dragon Age was really good and sometimes remember me the great period of Baldur's Gate 2 :'( Dragon Age 2, is a kid-fanbase game. It's much near Diablo than to Baldur's Gate 2. All was simplified and changed in bad mode (IMHO): Inventory, graphic, fighting, etc...Anyway, I love the first Dragon Age and MAYBE I buy DA2 and finish it when an all-in-one edition will be available. But I don't like the Bioware method. They make a good 1st game (Mass Effect 1, Dragon Age 1), then they devastate them in 2nd chapter....    … Expand
  13. bareshift
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This camera make my mage go insane.Reality can't replace the conveniences,when I can't enjoy my mage, who care the reality?The NPCs model are rough.Give the economic profit of investment as soon as early will make workers and players feel tired,bring quality trouble,gameplay experience nervous.And then EA will kill another good studio.Who's next after Bioware?… Expand
  14. SuperSalad
    Mar 8, 2011
    6
    Im doing my best not to rate this lower than I feel because of all the bogus 9/10 reviews given to this game by big name gaming sites. This is not a 9/10 game by any stretch, 8/10 maximum.
    I felt this game was a huge step backwards from DA:O, its like Bioware put hardly any effort into it this time around. Almost everything is worse; the dialog, the graphics, the gameplay. I did enjoy the    Im doing my best not to rate this lower than I feel because of all the bogus 9/10 reviews given to this game by big name gaming sites. This is not a 9/10 game by any stretch, 8/10 maximum.
    I felt this game was a huge step backwards from DA:O, its like Bioware put hardly any effort into it this time around. Almost everything is worse; the dialog, the graphics, the gameplay. I did enjoy the new skill system, and I'll give them props for fixing it. But it is still nothing special and pretty boring, it's just better than DA:O's level up system which was a travesty.
    All in all, this game is not good, but it is enjoyable. And the fact that certain sites are rating this 9/10 should be a big 'red flag' on which sites not to trust in their big budget game reviews.    … Expand
  15. Toddc45
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
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  16. thedecline
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Bioware has farted out probably the worst thing ever to come out of their behinds, thank you Biodrones, for supporting the decline of RPG's. The decline of RPG's begins with DA2 The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins withBioware has farted out probably the worst thing ever to come out of their behinds, thank you Biodrones, for supporting the decline of RPG's. The decline of RPG's begins with DA2 The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2The decline of RPG's begins with DA2.… Expand
  17. TheTopazWombat
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    When Dragon Age 2 was announced, I like many hardcore RPG gamers looked forward to it. While in the past several years Bioware hasn't been producing awe-inspiring games as they once did, they've remained a very solid developer who's RPG's are interesting, characters are varied and get you involved, and build worlds which have depth and are enjoyable. Dragon Age 2 is a complete betrayal ofWhen Dragon Age 2 was announced, I like many hardcore RPG gamers looked forward to it. While in the past several years Bioware hasn't been producing awe-inspiring games as they once did, they've remained a very solid developer who's RPG's are interesting, characters are varied and get you involved, and build worlds which have depth and are enjoyable. Dragon Age 2 is a complete betrayal of this standard. The combat feels jolty and unrealistic. The characters wield a 2 handed sword that would make Braveheart sweat like it was made from tissue paper. The weapons were equally large in Dragon Age: Origins, but at least they felt like they were actually that big. Instead, what we have here is a combat system that resembles crappy anime more than anything else. As if the combat wasn't bad enough, the dialogue has been dumbed down into the wheel-of-fail style that was implemented with Mass Effect. Not only that, but every single piece of dialogue feels like it was written by an 8 year old who just read his first fantasy novel. There is no character depth, I'd as soon stab my party members as look at them, and to glue all this together the voice acting feels more like a group of Live Action Roleplayers than paid voice actors. To top all this off, the game not only doesn't look and present itself better than Origins, it actually looks worse. I can't recall another time when a sequel to a game looked worse than its predecessor. It feels as though Bioware did everything in their power to make this a worse RPG in an effort to alienate their hard-earned fan base and sell to the mass media'd console market. The only thing that kept this game from getting a 0 from me is the fact that maybe Bioware didn't intend for this to be an RPG at all, and simply another generic, boring, railroaded action game. As a lifelong Bioware fan, I truly hope they don't stay on this road. They've proven time and again their ability to make a solid RPG, but this game was an utter betrayal of everything I as an RPG fan have come to love and expect from them.… Expand
  18. apexTF
    Mar 16, 2011
    7
    May as well start by saying that if you're looking for a hard-core RPG, then Dragon Age 2 is not for you. It's RPG-lite at best. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you may have to adjust your expectations of the game. Initially I was dissapointed as I was hoping for a bigger and better DA:O, but it feels like bioware has taken DA in a completely new direction.
    I guess the easiest way to sum    May as well start by saying that if you're looking for a hard-core RPG, then Dragon Age 2 is not for you. It's RPG-lite at best. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you may have to adjust your expectations of the game. Initially I was dissapointed as I was hoping for a bigger and better DA:O, but it feels like bioware has taken DA in a completely new direction.
    I guess the easiest way to sum it up is that DA2 is simpler than its predecessor. The combat is faster and less tactical, even on the harder difficulty settings I rarely had to play with the custom tactics or pause to set up an attack. The loss of the tatical overview was dissapointing but I would argue that you hardly need to use it in this game. I actually enjoyed the more arcadey feel to the combat but I think the corpses that explode body parts all over the place at the slightest of touch was abit much!
    The game is centred around one major city and at 30+ hours long there's a reasonable amount of content to get through. The story starts slow (the first 6 hours feels like you are just plodding along) but the second half is definitely better than the first and develops into quite an engaging storyline. The writers do a good job of keeping it interesting but after spending 80% of your time in the same city you do find yourself wishing for newer landscapes, the choice of locales is limited.
    This leads me on to, in my view, one of the major downpoints of the game. The dungeon areas are horribly over recycled. You may not notice it for the first few hours but by the end it becomes jarringly obvious. It seems that blood mages and smugglers are more than happy to share a hidaway while bandits and spirits of the fade clearly swap interior decorators.
    The graphics are a step up from the original and the cutscenes look pretty good but you will find better elsewhere.
    The voice acting and script is competent without ever being spectacular and some of the characters are likable, even producing some chuckles. The conversation wheel works well and some of the choices you have to make are genuinely difficult.
    The skill trees give a pretty decent choice for customisation but some skills feel like fillers. I liked the new approach to crafting, not having to search for millions of ingredients and instead just discovering resources works well, but the range of recipes seems limited.

    I would recommend this game to anyone but for some it may be too bigger step away from the original. If you can look look past that you'll find an enjoyable game, that despite its flaws, easily gives you your moneys worth without ever being anything special.    … Expand
  19. Nemo888
    Mar 24, 2011
    7
    The first 5 hours of this game SUCKS as you can see from my initial impressions below. But it gets better. Much better. By the second act I was really enjoying it. The story and characters are excellent, much better than Origins. If you could skip the first 5 hours I would give it an 8. This is an excellent game once it gets on its' feetThe first 5 hours of this game SUCKS as you can see from my initial impressions below. But it gets better. Much better. By the second act I was really enjoying it. The story and characters are excellent, much better than Origins. If you could skip the first 5 hours I would give it an 8. This is an excellent game once it gets on its' feet
    _________________________________________________________
    Downloaded it and installed all the extra content.
    They wrecked the combat. Randomly appearing spawns, too much mana, etc. There are no tactics whatsoever.
    Most items so far are Hawke only. WTF is that? Items are screwed.
    The game has lost all the tactical tweaks that made RPG's different from shooters. It's just some crappy console game. Maybe it gets better.    … Expand
  20. marchmaninov
    Mar 11, 2011
    8
    AAAAhhhhhhh!!! not you!!! Bioware !!!! what have you done...... its not a good game ....its not a rpg.... and its a rushed development.
    WE ARE NOT COW!!!
    i expect its a unique fail, and unique treason of the pc community. i loved your previous game , Bioware was a god for me , but now , i lost my faith.
    this game is not Dragon age 2, its an adventure action game for massive selling action.
  21. BananaPuncher
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    Bioware's identity crisis and tribute to the color brown gets a sequel with an even greater identity crisis. If Dragon Age: Origin's crisis came from its overly generic universe, it was at least an honest attempt to recreate the magic of Baldur's Gate, even if it had none of the charm of Forgotten Realms, needless micromanaging, and 1% of the monster variety (Darkspawn and dragons, yay. IBioware's identity crisis and tribute to the color brown gets a sequel with an even greater identity crisis. If Dragon Age: Origin's crisis came from its overly generic universe, it was at least an honest attempt to recreate the magic of Baldur's Gate, even if it had none of the charm of Forgotten Realms, needless micromanaging, and 1% of the monster variety (Darkspawn and dragons, yay. I thought dragons were supposed to be hard to kill and usually optional?). In Dragon Age: 2, the identity crisis extends to the gameplay, where it either feels like a dumbed down version of Dragon Age: Origins, or a really bad God of War, depending on your personal preferences. This is really too bad because the dialogue is solid; they replaced the mute character of Dragon Age: Origins with a Mass Effect-style dialogue system and the story is decent enough for an RPG, in my opinion. It just doesn't feel like enough to make up for the bastard-child gameplay.… Expand
  22. Xelian
    Mar 29, 2011
    9
    At first I was like... OMG what a trash game. Crappy combat system. Stupid camera etc etc etc. Just like most of the reviews here are. But I've forced myself to continue playing and after I while i realized that the game is not bad at all. You have the same funny character which made Origins what it was. You have the similar quests. A considerable amount of choices which affect manyAt first I was like... OMG what a trash game. Crappy combat system. Stupid camera etc etc etc. Just like most of the reviews here are. But I've forced myself to continue playing and after I while i realized that the game is not bad at all. You have the same funny character which made Origins what it was. You have the similar quests. A considerable amount of choices which affect many aspects of the game. Even the order of doing quest sometimes results in different dialogue options. The ability to import saves from the Origins and the minor effects (different quests and choices) somehow make you feel that there were a effort put in that game. I have found the game quite challenging at Nightmare difficulty if you think that the combat is like on a film just try that. The only think BIoware must do now is fix the camera, and make the dropping out of nowhere enemies disappear, put some more effort into the level design (after a while it get stupid to fight in the same cave/warehouse for 10 time) and the game will be as good as the original. Lets hope they will be able to do that with one good Ultimate edition and an expansion.… Expand
  23. godfather830
    Mar 9, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age II is a decent game, but fades in comparision with its predecessor. Most of the changes made just made the game less fun and less great. The only two positive changes are that the graphics have improved (slightly) and the main character can now talk.

    I regret purchasing it. I think it may have been worth $15 or so to me, so I would have preferred buying it at a huge discount,    Dragon Age II is a decent game, but fades in comparision with its predecessor. Most of the changes made just made the game less fun and less great. The only two positive changes are that the graphics have improved (slightly) and the main character can now talk.

    I regret purchasing it. I think it may have been worth $15 or so to me, so I would have preferred buying it at a huge discount, even 2-3 years later. But I would have gladly paid $100 for Dragon Age: Origins.    … Expand
  24. Gvaz
    Mar 9, 2011
    7
    I'm not going to go in depth, because no one will read this but here's what's changed in DA2: (PC)
    - combat is sped up
    - voiced MC - even linear than before - Enjoy not taking a long time for quests? Well you can complete some quests by literally walking five feet. - voice actors are hit or miss, the story feels disjointed and it feels a lot like your actions are meaningless, and the wheel    I'm not going to go in depth, because no one will read this but here's what's changed in DA2: (PC)
    - combat is sped up
    - voiced MC
    - even linear than before
    - Enjoy not taking a long time for quests? Well you can complete some quests by literally walking five feet.
    - voice actors are hit or miss, the story feels disjointed and it feels a lot like your actions are meaningless, and the wheel adds nothing to the game. It's not even done properly like in ME2. Frequently your character ends up saying something totally different from the paraprhased note.

    Overall, it's not a bad game, but as a sequel to DA2, it simply doesn't stand up.    … Expand
  25. Danarchist
    Mar 8, 2011
    8
    Great game so far! For the equipment customization options we have lost we got much more developed and usable skill tree's and a major graphics overhaul if you have the rig for it. The combat is fast and exciting, maybe a little too fast, and the animations are a nice change from the clumsy puppet show motion of the last one. The tatics screen is far better worded and actually useful. TheGreat game so far! For the equipment customization options we have lost we got much more developed and usable skill tree's and a major graphics overhaul if you have the rig for it. The combat is fast and exciting, maybe a little too fast, and the animations are a nice change from the clumsy puppet show motion of the last one. The tatics screen is far better worded and actually useful. The downside is your toons seem to be overly dependent on it to actually trigger any of their skills. My tank lady absolutely refused to used shield slam till I scripted it in.

    My only complaints are so far it has seemed very on rails (3 hours in), almost as much movie as game. And in cities its frustrating having to run around with you tab key held down so you can actually find the vendors etc. The inventory screen is reminiscent graphically of x-com and looks slightly rushed to market.    … Expand
  26. javiveras
    Mar 9, 2011
    8
    Although it went away from a hardcore RPG to a more action oriented combat I still find it fun to play and quite addictive (not as much as DA:O). It would be a 9 if it wasn't for the repetitive scenarios. In my opinion, a different game but still a good one.
  27. shakinha
    Mar 9, 2011
    9
    It`s not just a sequel. It`s more like a rebirth in fast-paced style.

    Great storytelling makes you feel like you are really there and care for the cast. The atmosphere is superb and Bioware again nails with voice acting.

    Some will not like some changes in combat, but works for me.

    Awesome game, a must buy for people who loves a great story.
  28. aribter
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Improved upon in almost every way. More immersive, better storytelling mechanics (especially the fact that relationships develop over a series of years) and combat is just downright more fun. If you think the graphics are worse than the original, you are lying to yourself. The combat is strategic as ever, just FASTER AND MORE FUN. The abilities all actually DO something, unlike DA:OImproved upon in almost every way. More immersive, better storytelling mechanics (especially the fact that relationships develop over a series of years) and combat is just downright more fun. If you think the graphics are worse than the original, you are lying to yourself. The combat is strategic as ever, just FASTER AND MORE FUN. The abilities all actually DO something, unlike DA:O where you spent points on things you would never use. And if you really have a problem with the dialog wheel, go play D&D in your basement. Interactive cinema is what its all about.… Expand
  29. RightIKnow
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    This is the Dragon Age game to get into if you have never played Dragon Age Origins. I played through my 120 hour campaign of Dragon Age Origins/Awakenings and this game is a breath of fresh air and this is why.

    I didn't want Dragon Age 2 to be Dragon Age Origins 2. Here are the main gripes people have. 1. It's a console port. 2. The graphics are terrible. 3. The combat is overly    This is the Dragon Age game to get into if you have never played Dragon Age Origins. I played through my 120 hour campaign of Dragon Age Origins/Awakenings and this game is a breath of fresh air and this is why.

    I didn't want Dragon Age 2 to be Dragon Age Origins 2. Here are the main gripes people have.

    1. It's a console port.
    2. The graphics are terrible.
    3. The combat is overly simplified.
    4. The conversation wheel.

    1. There is no way around this. The market is what it is. Vote with your dollar, and know that other people are voting with theirs. If a developer needs to put the title out on multiple platforms, so be it. I'm not sure what they're talking about with this complaint. 2. The graphics are the best I've seen in a fantasy game in a long time. Especially with the day 1 Texture Pack you can download, and if you have a directx11 capable card. 3. Playing through DAO I know the combat was different. The combat in DAO always felt clunky to me. Strategic yes, but clunky. Almost like your characters were in slo-mo. Now, the combat is visceral and fast paced and does not lack the depth that most users have commented on.

    4. I LOVE the conversation wheel. I'm around 4 hours into it and I LOVE the fact that the game plays through like a movie similar to Mass Effect. After 130 hours or so of DAO I was pretty happy not to be reading a novel while I was playing my game. I should let you know that Bioware has been VERY communicative about relaying the information to their fans prior to release and there was a demo on PC. That said, there should be no reason why any fanboys of DAO would be dissapointed as they have had ample time to become educated before making a purchase. This of course would speak to the invalidity of many of these user reviews. If you knew what you were buying why did you buy it? I don't see any legitimacy to the claims the negative feedback users are putting out there. They simply don't like it, and they give it a bad review without playing it. There's no law against it, but I love this game and I wanted to put out my two cents.    … Expand
  30. AdrianaLF
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age II is a great story with lots of emotion. I love the characters and the graphic style. Combat is really good ... one of the best combat executions for an RPG. Best of all words ... I just love the game.
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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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