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. Olaf
    Mar 17, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age 2 though being a good game is a big let down for RPG fans. It tries to cater to a very large gamer base thus sacrificing a lot of which made DAO a huge success. The story at best is average, the voice acting is average though it does shine at times, the combat is more of a hack n slash, enemies explode in countless bits with one hit from a weapon. The combat consists of waves nDragon Age 2 though being a good game is a big let down for RPG fans. It tries to cater to a very large gamer base thus sacrificing a lot of which made DAO a huge success. The story at best is average, the voice acting is average though it does shine at times, the combat is more of a hack n slash, enemies explode in countless bits with one hit from a weapon. The combat consists of waves n waves of enemies spawning at you out of thin air which is absolutely immersion breaking and it continues throughout most of the game in the same manner. The environments are reused again n again n again n again....... The companions are not that great no feeling of attachment, romance is not implemented well, no companion customization, poor inventory system. I could go on n on but Ill stop. Please Bioware check you priorities you can't serve two masters at the same time...… Expand
  2. 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
  3. Isisius
    Mar 17, 2011
    7
    BEFORE YOU BUT DRAGON AGE II READ THIS
    ***********This is not a bad game.***********
    That is what i want to say right from the bat. Compared to Dragon Age Origins though, it is probably better in a few ways, and worse in a few, and i think this is what is pissing everyone off. Let me start with the good. --- The Story --- This is up to every person i guess, but i thought the story was    BEFORE YOU BUT DRAGON AGE II READ THIS
    ***********This is not a bad game.***********
    That is what i want to say right from the bat.
    Compared to Dragon Age Origins though, it is probably better in a few ways, and worse in a few, and i think this is what is pissing everyone off.
    Let me start with the good.
    --- The Story ---
    This is up to every person i guess, but i thought the story was fine, pretty epic feel, took a little longer to get into than the first, but other than that not too bad.
    --- The Combat ---
    Loved it, everything reacts when you click it, it looks good, took a while to get used to the slightly different roles of the classes this time, but i much preferred the combat.
    --- The Leveling ---
    It was different and i was skeptical at first, but i really enjoyed the leveling. The abilities menu was good and allowed for awesome customization of the character, by level 20 my character was exactly what i wanted.
    --- Crafting ---
    Much better, rather than have to collect a million elfroot, you find sources of it, and can craft things using money once you have find enough sources. Much cleaner more efficient and i actually used crafting this time round.

    Now the the bad, and i apologize in advance to Bioware for this, but i only do this because i love you.
    --- The Maps ---
    Oh god please please PLEASE give me some different **** maps. I was SO sick of playing through the exact same cave maps over and over again the only difference being some pathways are blocked off in each one. And if you are going to use the same map over and over PLEASE at least change the minimap to only show the paths you can reach, that way it might take me a little longer to work out its the same map. Seriously, the exact same mini map for every cave, for ever vault, for ever house, it gets so old.

    --- The Character Interaction ---
    Now i want to make a point clear here, i actually liked most of the characters, sure everyone thinks Anders is a bit of a whiney **** sometimes, but every game has one of them, however the interaction was a real letdown. I also liked how they talked to each, other some of their conversations were great.
    The first game was great you could take so much time talking to the characters learning about them any time you want.
    This game, they only talk to you if your getting a quest, otherwise its the same canned lines spoken back to you.

    --- The "Choices" ---
    Oh man did this annoy me on my second playthrough. Its just lazy developing. First time i played through i was thinking, hmmm maybe if i do stuff different i can improve that. People who have finished the game will know that there is an event towards the end of the game where it gives you an illusion of having played a part in it, but there is really no way to affect the outcome.
    There were a few things in the game that did this, and it feels like it only did it because they couldnt be bothered making different endings.

    --- The Setting ---
    Kinda ties in with the maps, but i think deserves its own criticism, there are what, 4 places you can go, and only one of them is a city. Whoopde friggin do. DA:O was interesting because it gave you a very diverse number of places you could go, the forests of the elves, the caves of the dwarves, the castle of the humans, or if you had DLC, the mysterious keep you could conquer.
    This game just used the same 4 areas, and a few other locations that were all pretty identical, and chucked different bad guys in them.

    --- Conversation Wheel ---
    I know there are some people that love this, but i am so sick of trying to say something and my character saying something else, especially if you are trying to make the conversation flow and don't notice the symbol on the wheel.
    Example: (Slightly paraphrased)
    Fenris: Mage guy wanna kill me good, wont be happy till he sees my cold dead body
    (I look at my choices and choose "Thats a shame", which is exactly what it says in the game, thinking i will be nice and supportive)
    Hawke: Thats a shame.... you have a great body ;)

    I mean come on, really? Sure there are the symbols, but thats just one example of when i didnt check it, and there are many others of me clicking the option that says "No i wont kill him" and Hawke says, "No i wont kill him, ill kill you instead RAHHHH" and i just sit there going oh balls.


    I could go on forever here but i wont, there were a few more good things, and many more bad, eg
    - lazy romance options, ie everyone is bi-sexual
    - every single combat situation has some SURPRISE guys attack you from behind EVERY TIME!!!
    - those damn quests where you find **** and give it to people for money that made no sense

    But in the end, i played the game through and am halfway through playing it through again, it is not a horrible game, but when you make game like DA:O and have that as a starting point, we set our expectations pretty high, and Bioware, you really didnt impress...    … Expand
  4. MDFD
    Mar 18, 2011
    7
    While I would like to create a long, fully elaborated review on the game to explain the core features and everything in depth, I honestly cannot, as the game is without much merit whatsoever. The combat took a system which felt unrefined in DA:O and rather that improving it and making it better, just completely ruined it to make a system without thought or challenge
  5. Xabong
    Mar 18, 2011
    7
    Playing this game makes me really want to play DA:O to see what the backlash against DAII is all about. For one, I found the combat in this game to be incredibly addictive. It is extremely fast-paced, but still requires you to pause the game frequently to issue orders to your companions. Like any good RPG, there is still a great deal of micro-management to be had: stats, skill trees,Playing this game makes me really want to play DA:O to see what the backlash against DAII is all about. For one, I found the combat in this game to be incredibly addictive. It is extremely fast-paced, but still requires you to pause the game frequently to issue orders to your companions. Like any good RPG, there is still a great deal of micro-management to be had: stats, skill trees, and equipment are all still there. You can't change your companions' armor, but that seems to have less to do with "streamlining" the gameplay and more to do with taking away the ability to change their in-game appearance, since the rest of their equipment is still customizable. What is a bit annoying is that much of the game's challenge comes from it throwing waves of cannon fodder enemies at you. It does make exploring the dungeons feel a bit more like you are playing a God of War style game and I can see why many fans would be disappointed in this regard, but it didn't bother me a whole lot.

    The biggest complaint I have with the game are the recycled dungeons and interiors. It really takes you out of the experience when you you realize that the cavern you are exploring is structurally IDENTICAL to the cavern you were exploring a half an hour ago, or when you enter a house that is identical to your hero's house, right down to the decor. This, more than anything, just seems like pure laziness on Bioware's part. I'd also like to know why they didn't make this a more open-world style game since the vast majority of it takes place within the walls of a single city and its outskirts. Instead, you get a handful of small, disconnected areas you reach by clicking their icon on the map screen. Would it have been that hard to connect them? Graphically, the game is pretty simple. Again, it seems like this was a lazy decision made just to get the game out faster and that's really unfortunate.

    Where I absolutely cannot fault the game is its storytelling and characters, both of which make Dragon Age II an experience I'm not likely to forget anytime soon. As for the story itself, it seemed pretty unfocused and I never really understood where the storyline was headed or if it was headed anywhere at all, but the frame narrative made me much more interested in finding out what would happen next. I was also surprised at how much I came to care about all of Hawke's companions after not caring at all about anyone in Mass Effect. I commend Bioware in particular for creating a great female character in the form of Aveline and for being much more inclusive than in their Mass Effect games by including male same-sex romance options.

    I enjoyed Dragon Age II immensely despite all the recycled interior areas. Yes, the game borrows certain elements from action games, but it is still much more of a true RPG than either Mass Effect 2 or Final Fantasy XIII. Not a total success like ME2, but not an abysmal failure like FFXIII, the game is still a very welcome refresh of a genre. If Bioware has put more effort into designing the game's world, it would be an easy 9 for me. As it is, it's still recommendable because the characters and the underlying gameplay are just so good, but I really hope Bioware doesn't try to cheat us like this in the future.    … Expand
  6. Eibhilin
    Mar 20, 2011
    7
    While not nearly so epic as it's predecessor, Dragon Age II is still a pretty solid entry into the Bioware library. Interesting subject matter for a sequel, while more subdued than the original, it's in keeping with the flavor of Origins. The most disappointing aspect for me was in that it wasn't made clear for many hours into gameplay the direction the story was heading in. While you canWhile not nearly so epic as it's predecessor, Dragon Age II is still a pretty solid entry into the Bioware library. Interesting subject matter for a sequel, while more subdued than the original, it's in keeping with the flavor of Origins. The most disappointing aspect for me was in that it wasn't made clear for many hours into gameplay the direction the story was heading in. While you can theorize earlier on and realize tensions are rising among local factions, the "enemies" were not clearly defined. I feel this greatly crippled the ability for Bioware to establish the same intensity that was experienced in the previous entry and helped the story feel rushed and quite nearly shallow.

    Aside from this, it feels almost as if each character was written in such a way as an attempt to recreate the original cast - a difficult if almost imperceivable task given the emotional impact each of these characters had originally had on me. I find myself indifferent to or even disliking the greater bulk of the party. Using an "enhanced version" of the original engine hurt, though despite this the graphics were a significant improvement over the original (especially with the texture pack) the end result being neither fantastic or terrible. The soundtrack was also acceptable, though not quite as compelling as the original.

    Gameplay itself was simplified, streamlined for console gamers and carried over to the PC release. Battles were less strategic,and were in many cases significantly easier. In a sense it felt like this game were geared at more casual gamers. I would say overall the improvements are significant enough to make up for this games shortcomings, though only to the point where it breaks even in most every facet but for the storytelling. Which is supposed to be the most compelling part of most any game in this genre.

    All things said I did really enjoy this title. It was certainly entertaining for me. I just would have liked to have cared more, like I did for the original. Perhaps this title would have better served as an expansion for the original, as it seems most complaints are about technical issues as opposed to story content. At this point I just feel inclined to beg EA to leave Bioware alone to work their magic free of pressure from publishers.    … Expand
  7. Pelala
    Mar 21, 2011
    7
    Ð
  8. Bitter_Boy
    Mar 21, 2011
    7
    I'm 10 hours in and I'm having fun. I read these user reviews before installing it and held my nose when I started it, expecting the worst. Perhaps these low expectations allowed me to appreciate the things the game has done right.

    Graphics are fine, I'm not sure what people are crying about. Gameplay is simple, but still challenging. Character progression system is unique and    I'm 10 hours in and I'm having fun. I read these user reviews before installing it and held my nose when I started it, expecting the worst. Perhaps these low expectations allowed me to appreciate the things the game has done right.

    Graphics are fine, I'm not sure what people are crying about. Gameplay is simple, but still challenging. Character progression system is unique and allows you to customize each hero nicely. Missions are well done and usually have an interesting twist. Most missions give you a choice at the end - the morally right thing and the monetarily right thing. And unlike most games, the morally right thing has almost no reward, so it's really tempting to do the evil thing. Dialogue is fairly well written.

    I mean, the game isn't spectacular. It's worse than the original in most ways, and isn't worth full price, but guys, it's not a 0/10. There are a lot of unhinged people on the internet...    … Expand
  9. JamieCOTC
    Mar 21, 2011
    7
    Good character development and story. Good use of lore w/in the story too. Combat is faster, but monotonous. Area maps and enemies are recycled ad nauseam. The inventory is tripped down to where only Hawke can wear armor or carry weapons. Mage Hawke's story is not distinct enough from the other two classes and needed to be for the story BW is trying to tell. Convos w/ companions areGood character development and story. Good use of lore w/in the story too. Combat is faster, but monotonous. Area maps and enemies are recycled ad nauseam. The inventory is tripped down to where only Hawke can wear armor or carry weapons. Mage Hawke's story is not distinct enough from the other two classes and needed to be for the story BW is trying to tell. Convos w/ companions are well done, but too short and too few in number. I still give the game a 7 as I did enjoy shaping Hawke's character. Finally, anyone into hard core or "old school" rpg should avoid DA2 like the plague.… Expand
  10. Skoltnik
    Mar 22, 2011
    7
    I just finished the game on pc and i'm still not sure how I should feel about this game. It's definatly a fun game. The story, dialogue wheel and combat mechanics is a positive change for me but the fact to you play the whole game in 1 city and that all the dungeons are the same puts alot of it's charm backwards.

    I give it a 7 cause it has dragon age slap on it and i'm a fan of the    I just finished the game on pc and i'm still not sure how I should feel about this game. It's definatly a fun game. The story, dialogue wheel and combat mechanics is a positive change for me but the fact to you play the whole game in 1 city and that all the dungeons are the same puts alot of it's charm backwards.

    I give it a 7 cause it has dragon age slap on it and i'm a fan of the series.If it had been a new rpg I would have rated it a 5 or maybe 6.    … Expand
  11. BurnLikeIce
    Mar 23, 2011
    7
    The story is good, but riddled with fetch quests. This isn't the best game Bioware has made but they've set the bar pretty high with titles like the original Dragon Age and the Mass Effect series. Fans of RPGs will eat this up, while your average lover of adventure games will find enough appreciation in the storyline to justify trying it out too.
  12. whitespider999
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    To me, dragon age 2 feels like a needed punishment for bioware. They missed the point of the franchise. The took away things that made the original so loved. However, the backlash that followed was black and white. People saw that it was worse, and dismissed it with a lower score than it probably deserved. Dragon age 2 IS a dissapointment. It's also not a 'bad game'. It's a good game. ItTo me, dragon age 2 feels like a needed punishment for bioware. They missed the point of the franchise. The took away things that made the original so loved. However, the backlash that followed was black and white. People saw that it was worse, and dismissed it with a lower score than it probably deserved. Dragon age 2 IS a dissapointment. It's also not a 'bad game'. It's a good game. It even shows glimmers of a great game. The characters are well written the world is good looking on a dx11 pc, and the combat - is more enjoyable. Where it looses it's footing is in it's scope and everything accociated with that. It feels like a DLC to a masterpiece, rather than the original masterpiece. And it certainly does not feel like a dragon age 2. However instead of giving it 0 just to prove a point. Objectivity must remain true. I enjoyed my time with this, and more i forgot dragon age origins, the more I ended up quite enjoying the journey.… Expand
  13. Arawaen
    Apr 3, 2011
    7
    Bioware improved class balance and eliminated many of the difficulty spikes that plagued DAO, but at the expense of a great many options (e.g. dual wield and archery warriors are out). DAO combat animations often seemed slow and dull, but DA2 goes to the opposite extreme of being way too fast. The fun fatality animations of DAO have been removed in favor of opponents who literally getBioware improved class balance and eliminated many of the difficulty spikes that plagued DAO, but at the expense of a great many options (e.g. dual wield and archery warriors are out). DAO combat animations often seemed slow and dull, but DA2 goes to the opposite extreme of being way too fast. The fun fatality animations of DAO have been removed in favor of opponents who literally get pulverized into component body parts in a cloud of blood, it looks ridiculous. Maps get reused a lot, every mansion and cave seems to use the same map. I didn't mind the game being set in a single city and visiting the same areas over and over, but the area is full of caves and almost all of them are identical. DAO reused elements, but the redressing hid the reuse quite a bit, DA2 lacks any major redressing of maps and the reuse is very obvious. The UI in DAO was horrid, DA2 improves upon it greatly, both in terms of clarity, aesthetics and screen real estate. The redesigned races are much more interesting, especially the elves which have a more fey-like appearance, as opposed to the short humans with pointy ears they were in DAO. The game is much more stable than DAO, DAO crashes frequently for me, whereas I have had only one crash on DA2 and that was with me cranking up the graphic options to see how high I could go.

    The characters were great, well voiced and Bioware went above and beyond in terms of the party banter and interaction. Having the different companions have relationships outside the main character was a nice touch. The story as well was good, not another 'save the world epic' where we have to ponder why the villains conveniently wait while the hero does all sorts of trivial side quests. I can't deny there aren't some lame side-quests in DA2 (those delviery quests) but overall the quests for your companions and the people of the city fit together with the main plot much better than they did in DAO, ME1 or ME2, simply because you aren't on this ultra-important mission to save the universe as we know it.

    The silent protagonist in DAO always bugged me, the fully voiced Hawke is a plus for me. The subtle effect your dialogue choices have on Hawke's personality is also a nice touch, if you choose the sarcastic option frequently, your Hawke will be more sarcastic in other conversation. The dialogue wheel is a mixed blessing, I liked the icons that give you a clue as to the tone of what Hawke is going to say, but sometimes the paraphrasing is so far off from what you expect, that you don't get the result you wanted.

    DA2 is a fine game that suffers from 2 main things, a rushed development cycle and Bioware's tendency to over correct for criticism in their previous games.    … Expand
  14. Squadinho
    Mar 25, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age 2 is a decent sequel to its hugely successful predecessor. It does some things a lot better, but unfortunately there are some major problems that drag it down. Graphically, it is a step up, but like the original it is nothing special. You will not be disappointed but you will not be blown away. There is a high res texture pack available, but you will need a DX11 capable graphicsDragon Age 2 is a decent sequel to its hugely successful predecessor. It does some things a lot better, but unfortunately there are some major problems that drag it down. Graphically, it is a step up, but like the original it is nothing special. You will not be disappointed but you will not be blown away. There is a high res texture pack available, but you will need a DX11 capable graphics card to enjoy it, which I sadly do not. A major talking point has been the combat. It is faster paced and more explosive than the original, but realism and immersion is removed by the enemies which now spawn practically in the middle of a fight and just appear out of thin air. Similarly, instead of spiders dropping down from caverns or trees, they now also just drop out of the sky. One particular delight, however are some of the boss encounters which have been beefed up and feel more challenging than the original, but it can still be a case of kiting the boss until you can use your special abilities then kite again. Nearly all the companions, apart from one or two are brilliant. The interparty banter is great and at times had me in fits of laughter, especially the chats between Merrill and Isabella. If you pursue a romance with any of them though, it somehow doesn't feel important like it did in Dragon Age: Origins which is a shame. It is also a shame that you don't really have to put any thought or effort into developing your relationships. The game practically tells you when you should be speaking to a companion, because it will add a new quest for you, and the revamped dialogue wheel tells you exactly what each option will mean. There is no longer the chance you may pick the wrong option. There are numerous cameos in DA2 by characters from Origins and Awakenings, dependant on the game history you choose at the beginning. The game allows you to import your Origins save into the game, or lets you choose from three canonical histories offering different choices. Sadly though, those choices have little to no impact on the game apart from a few different lines of dialogue. As with most RPGs, there is an element of choice, yet in this game it feels pointless. At one point, you are forced to side with a particular faction, yet you end up having to fight both faction leaders, which is perhaps a sign of laziness on Biowareâ… Expand
  15. Varnol
    Mar 28, 2011
    7
    The game is good. At first I was surprised there are so many negative reviews, but after reading through some, I realized that they were not about a game. This talk is about feelings, which were apparently hurt, as the ritual accusation of "dumbing down' a game surface again. Some people obviously fell in love with DAO and feel "cheated" now when the sequel proved to be a differentThe game is good. At first I was surprised there are so many negative reviews, but after reading through some, I realized that they were not about a game. This talk is about feelings, which were apparently hurt, as the ritual accusation of "dumbing down' a game surface again. Some people obviously fell in love with DAO and feel "cheated" now when the sequel proved to be a different game. Well, BG2 is very different from BG1 as well, but it was better (more dialogs, better graphics, less B/W approach to quests). Same goes for FO2.
    Same thing with DA2 - it's different from the original... So what? it's still better! The battles are not as boring, voice acting is good, NPCs are interesting, and there's plenty room for strategy and tactics (well, let's be honest, DA:O was not exactly ummm Total War kind of game, so what can you expect from a sequel...) I played both games on hard difficulty and I can't say DA2 is any less challenging - only it's more pleasant to look at which is apparently a CRIME in the eyes of some people. Oh and you can actually see to the end of a battle without looking at the watch a dozen times now. For those of us with jobs â    … Expand
  16. OrlaisKnight
    Mar 29, 2011
    7
    Not as bad as other people would have you think (battle system was good, some allies were endearing), but definitely not as good as the previous entry. The plot felt a bit rushed, the characters'dialogues were less polished and it didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
  17. rhunter21892
    Apr 3, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age II is not a step in the wrong direction, just a confusing one. The gameplay is faster and more energetic, but less challenging and harder to control. The graphics are crisp and clean, but the textures and settings are not varied and recycled continuously. The worst part for me was the story. There are some really cool moments, and I had a lot of fun saying "Oh I wish I'd madeDragon Age II is not a step in the wrong direction, just a confusing one. The gameplay is faster and more energetic, but less challenging and harder to control. The graphics are crisp and clean, but the textures and settings are not varied and recycled continuously. The worst part for me was the story. There are some really cool moments, and I had a lot of fun saying "Oh I wish I'd made this decision earlier, maybe I will next time." But going back a second time is the problem. I have no incentive to. The game, as hard as it tries to be multi-threaded, is ultimately linear.

    I personally had fun the first time and would recommend it to anyone who didn't play the first game or wished the first game had faster combat. But I can't say that the finished product really lives up to the potential the first game had.    … Expand
  18. c0rel
    Apr 5, 2011
    7
    not as great as the first series, but a good and enjoyable game nonetheless.
    what i really think was great is that the companion that you bring would have a significant plot alteration (although it would been great it there is more quest that could be affected).
  19. Beluve
    Apr 15, 2011
    7
    A So So game. Doesn't feel like Origins at all. A good analogy might be. Dragon Age Origins = An Interview with a Vampire.. Dragon Age 2 = Twilight.. I gave it a 7 because, compared to other games, its a 7 but compared to DAO its more like a 5 or a 6. I still had fun, but it felt like a B movie type of fun..
  20. shavinghill
    Apr 19, 2011
    7
    Although a disappointment after DAO, this game, on its own merits, wasn't especially bad or good in my opinion... just middle of the road. I notice that most reviewers who rate this game highly do so while attacking reviewers who don't. I don't know what this means exactly (I should have studied psychology), but it's interesting. It's almost as if they're ashamed for rating it so high.
  21. Jman5
    Apr 20, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age 2 is a fun game that gets a lot right, but is ultimately overshadowed by a rushed development. If Bioware had spent more time on the game and put less emphasis on streamlining, it could have been a masterpiece. While the game was released quite buggy, at the time of writing this most issues have been resolved.
  22. grizla
    May 14, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. People who had been playing only for a couple of hours should not post reviews. finish the game and them write a review. Anyway this game isn't bad, it's just not what i wanted an it's not an RPG. I don't take the role of the main character, I watch a movie and once in a while I have to decide something, that's the only time when I feel I influence the world around me. By killing enemies I don't feel anything, because they respawn in the same area in the next act. The graphics are good, much better than in the first game but below ME. I hate the dialog wheel. I want to be the main character, so I want full control over him. Plus he sometimes says things that are not what was written in the wheel or things that are just stupid. Also the repetitive environments show that the developer was lazy. The characters are pretty interesting but they are too plain(you can tell that Aveline is all about keeping the law, Isabela is a thief and a whore, Meryl is socially retarded and so on). And I can't forgive Bioware for not letting me chose my own race. I mean, that's a key element of a RPG. The last complains are about the strange story telling(at times I said:e how did it come to this) and the crafting(it don't feel an accomplishment when I craft something) The unchangeable armor of the companion is so so because it saves me money and gives them some personality but it's a departure from RPG elements.. For me this is Dungeon Siege with a couple of RPG elements thrown in it. Damn large corporations who what more money with less work; this is Mass Effect in Thedas, just like Singularity is Wolfenstein in the 50', Fallout New Vegas is Fallout in another part of USA, every FIFA is the same and the list continues.
    All in all Dragon Age 2 isn't a bad game, some parts of the game are enjoyable but it's not an RPG and it's not Dragon Age. I would have called it Chronicles of Thedas: Kirkwall, not Dragon Age 2. Is it had another name and claimed to be an hack and slash adventure it would have given it a lot higher. But when I expect something and you give me something completely different it's unacceptable.    … Expand
  23. VeteranD13
    May 20, 2011
    7
    This game is not terrible by any means,but it makes you wonder what was bioware thinking when they repeatedly recycled environments and npcs'.The story is not quite what DAo was and it feels like it lacks detail and most of all the main point as to continue playing the game. The combat is still enjoyable,but it's more simplistic than it was before.Bioware was pursuing a more action packedThis game is not terrible by any means,but it makes you wonder what was bioware thinking when they repeatedly recycled environments and npcs'.The story is not quite what DAo was and it feels like it lacks detail and most of all the main point as to continue playing the game. The combat is still enjoyable,but it's more simplistic than it was before.Bioware was pursuing a more action packed game and they succeeded,but at the cost of Story,Items,etc...… Expand
  24. Anaron
    May 18, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age II improves upon certain areas in Dragon Age: Origins and, unfortunately, falls behind in others. BioWare has done a great job in terms of giving you more control of your abilities and party members. They've also done a good job at making the game a little more fast-paced; however, that isn't necessarily a good thing. In an attempt to make DA2 more "action-oriented", BioWare hasDragon Age II improves upon certain areas in Dragon Age: Origins and, unfortunately, falls behind in others. BioWare has done a great job in terms of giving you more control of your abilities and party members. They've also done a good job at making the game a little more fast-paced; however, that isn't necessarily a good thing. In an attempt to make DA2 more "action-oriented", BioWare has removed certain elements of the game that made it feel like a true role-playing game - or at least one that lives up to the Baldur's Gate series. All in all, the game is quite enjoyable but don't expect it to be a bona fide sequel to DA:O.… Expand
  25. Admiral_TSon
    Nov 21, 2014
    7
    When compared to DAO, DA2 is a bit of a letdown. Judged on its own, however, it is a decent game which is certainly worth a few play troughs. The biggest let-down of this title is that players are confined to one city, and exposed to the same settings over and over throughout the playthrough. Expanding this title to several cities/regions in the Free Marches might have improved gameplay.When compared to DAO, DA2 is a bit of a letdown. Judged on its own, however, it is a decent game which is certainly worth a few play troughs. The biggest let-down of this title is that players are confined to one city, and exposed to the same settings over and over throughout the playthrough. Expanding this title to several cities/regions in the Free Marches might have improved gameplay.

    Pros:

    -Improved combat system (from DAO)
    -Solid graphics (for 2011 game)
    -Main Character has voice in conversation
    -Great dialogue options for Main Character, especially humorous options.
    -Plot foundations are solid

    Cons:

    -Plot execution botched at times--a lot of "missed opportunities" to push home questions posed by conflicts which were so skillfully executed in DAO
    -Main Character confined to one city
    -Scenes/settings are re-used too much which makes completing side-quests boring after a time
    -Uninspired crafting system
    -Breaking the plot up into 3 "acts" makes the plot seem less linear

    Overall, the game is certainly worth a few playthroughs, but is not a worthy successor to DAO.    … Expand
  26. piraterose
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this game, my friends had convinced me to play it. I tried the demo for the 360 version and didn't like the controls. Tried the PC version and found it much more comfortable to use. The first game seemed very dull, long, and tedious by comparison. Thus my hesitation with picking up the sequal. I loved the characters and the story the most inI was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this game, my friends had convinced me to play it. I tried the demo for the 360 version and didn't like the controls. Tried the PC version and found it much more comfortable to use. The first game seemed very dull, long, and tedious by comparison. Thus my hesitation with picking up the sequal. I loved the characters and the story the most in DA2. There are a lot of strong female characters in this game and there are actually homosexual relationships for the male protagonist. Most of the previous Bioware games I've played have reserved homosexuality for the female protagonist. Dragon Age 1 had just one. Dragon Age 2 has two. Overall the game did not feel like it was meant only for the straight, white male demographic like many games out there are. The game is progressive with the fact that Bioware is clearly recognizing that the video game audience is growing and changing. I applaud them for going against the video game norm.

    The story takes a leap from the typical, predictable Bioware story. There are clear indications they tried to use influences from the Mass Effect series, however a lot of it such as the voiced protagonist and the dialogue wheel was a very good thing. The scenery could stand to have some variation and more creativity put into it. The ending felt a little rushed and if one is not careful, it's extremely easy to trigger it before you're ready by simply reading a message.

    Overall, I wouldn't call it game of the year, but it is an enjoyable game to be considered. I have and will continue to recommend it to customers and friends.    … Expand
  27. wm4l
    Jul 8, 2011
    7
    Ta gra nie jest najgorsza ( wiem że narażam siÄ
  28. JadedPuppy
    Jul 18, 2011
    7
    If you forget that this game is called Dragon Age 2, it is actually quite an enjoyable game. The combat isn't necessarily difficult but it is fast paced and there is quite a variety in combat styles to choose from. The story in itself is decent enough, although at times certain developments feel strained, making it too obvious that certain choices in the story are made to sacrifice goodIf you forget that this game is called Dragon Age 2, it is actually quite an enjoyable game. The combat isn't necessarily difficult but it is fast paced and there is quite a variety in combat styles to choose from. The story in itself is decent enough, although at times certain developments feel strained, making it too obvious that certain choices in the story are made to sacrifice good storytelling just to be able to insert some more (pointless) combat.

    Comparing this to Dragon Age: Origins would leave this game coming up short in every aspect. Had this game been called any differently though, it would not have received such a downright hostile reception as it is receiving on this website. Make no mistake, for the Dragon Age franchise, this game is not a step forward. This game offers less choice, a worse plot, and all in all not as much eye for detail. Of course, Dragon Age: Origins had been in the works for much, much longer, while Dragon Age 2 was clearly rushed out the door, leaving it rather unpolished and unfinished in places. There is no excuse for the way areas in this game are re-used. All in all this is a decent game, it's just not a great game.    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. Pneuvo
    Aug 29, 2011
    7
    I can't believe I put in over 2000 hours playing DA:O! I expected to love this one, too. I liked the look, and the story, and in the end I would say the combat is somewhat improved. Too much change for change sake, reminds me of dogs marking their territory. Too much increasing of the challenge. Not sure if they are trying to appeal to FPS players or hide a shorter story, but itI can't believe I put in over 2000 hours playing DA:O! I expected to love this one, too. I liked the look, and the story, and in the end I would say the combat is somewhat improved. Too much change for change sake, reminds me of dogs marking their territory. Too much increasing of the challenge. Not sure if they are trying to appeal to FPS players or hide a shorter story, but it ruined the replayability. I may never hit 250 hours of game play.… Expand
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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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