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. 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
  2. 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
  3. flynch
    Apr 3, 2011
    1
    It's just an action console game, not an rpg like its predecessor. And its a bad console game. The fights are repetitive, the abilities tree is really simple , and the story isnt epic at all.
  4. rottencat
    Apr 2, 2011
    0
    I'd imagine that the main reason that people are paying to play this is because its main character on the poster looks like Gordon Freeman. The game looked very promising- but this was anything but fun. The fact that this game was allowed to advance past the "script writing" stage is beyond me.
  5. lustral
    Apr 2, 2011
    4
    People are right putting the lowerest score, it can be only be zero to destroy instead to improve. People is angry.
    Copy and paste the same locations. Inconsistent lore like players allowed to be mages without any reason (grey warden? no). Brilliant dialogues but too few. This is an expansion camouflaged by tons of side quests and almost experienced romances.
  6. jkprice
    Apr 2, 2011
    10
    Outstanding game. At their core, RPGs are about the characters and dialogue. The combat is good, but ultimately, this doesn't matter. These are the deepest, most interesting bunch of characters ever assembled for an RPG. Because you cannot really focus on developing more than about 3 in a single play through, it highly adds to the replayability, too.

    A few minor bugs need to be patched    Outstanding game. At their core, RPGs are about the characters and dialogue. The combat is good, but ultimately, this doesn't matter. These are the deepest, most interesting bunch of characters ever assembled for an RPG. Because you cannot really focus on developing more than about 3 in a single play through, it highly adds to the replayability, too.

    A few minor bugs need to be patched out, and if I were going to knock it a point (which I'm not), the repeating dungeon environments need to go.    … Expand
  7. PsyXxXDekler
    Apr 2, 2011
    1
    Like everyone else, after i played through DA:Origins i was really thrilled to see that the DA2 is coming so soon. The problem is that it never occurred too me that it is perhaps a little too soon. That said DA2 feels more like a sketch of game than like a fully finished product. Story although not bad in concept (tension between mages and templars) turns out too be just a big pile ofLike everyone else, after i played through DA:Origins i was really thrilled to see that the DA2 is coming so soon. The problem is that it never occurred too me that it is perhaps a little too soon. That said DA2 feels more like a sketch of game than like a fully finished product. Story although not bad in concept (tension between mages and templars) turns out too be just a big pile of random crap, with characters changing their sides all the time and doing really retarded things, that are just way too irational too be believable. Number of stupid situations starting from Bethany going too the circle are too numerous too count. Even at the early beginning, when your brother/sister die, the characters react more like a neighbours dog got hit by car than like one of their own siblings had died. Same with Hawks mother death. Flemeth appearing also doesn't makes any sense, and all the other characters appearing just feels way too forced,and you get the feeling that they are there just to remind you that this is a DA game. But the biggest problem is that the presentation of the whole game is just INSULTING to any average gamer. Recycled areas are really annoying, combat although somewhat improved was dumbed down by waves and waves of magicaly reapearing enemies(I mean WTF people?), totally removing the tactical aproach to fighting(i mean for example, you put your mage in a corner, back to the wall, thinking he is safe there, an then in a second or two while you are not looking some flying ninja falls from the sky next to your mage and starts F###$$ng him in the a...), items are few and verry stupid and there is a general lack of money through out the game, meaning you can only buy one or two of the better items in the game, a large number of the stupidly placed traps are irritating since unless your main character is a rouge, the other party members will warn you way too late, and you get instant injury,buged quests....There are just way too many stupid things to list here.BOTTOM LINE-IF THIS GAME DIDN'T HAVE A DA TITLE IN IT'S NAME, you would probably play through it and forget about it in a day or two. The main reason for the verry low rating is that I felt INSULTED while playing the game and that developers probably thought that we will turn a blind eye to all their crap. And also i don't mind gay rights and all that stuff, everyone should have the same rights in real world BUT WHO THE **** WANTS TO HAVE A GAY TWO HANDED ELF WARRIOR IN HIS TEAM. They should have had the gay romances tied to some random side character....… Expand
  8. diblob
    Apr 1, 2011
    0
    Severely disappointed in this game, which is absolutely nothing like Dragon Age: Origins. This is basically a Mass Effect beat em up in the Dragon Age setting (except with worse graphics, storyline, voice acting and gameplay). Bioware have unfortunately dropped their standards to unbelievable depths and 'Consolofied' what was a once brilliant PC style RPG. Gameplay is so simple you can doSeverely disappointed in this game, which is absolutely nothing like Dragon Age: Origins. This is basically a Mass Effect beat em up in the Dragon Age setting (except with worse graphics, storyline, voice acting and gameplay). Bioware have unfortunately dropped their standards to unbelievable depths and 'Consolofied' what was a once brilliant PC style RPG. Gameplay is so simple you can do it with your eyes closed, no tactics just button mashing. Graphics are very bland, brown, basic and repetitive. Just look at the majority of NPCs up close and they look like they came from Tomb Raider 1! And how can you call this an RPG when all you can explore is one tiny city? Pathetic. This game is a huge mistake on Bioware's behalf. They seem to have rushed this out, maybe to make some quick money to further fund development of SWTOR?? I have played every Bioware game I can think of, and this is the first one ever to go straight back to the shop for part exchange. Sorry Bioware, but I no longer love you... you have failed me miserably. To coin a phrase from Darth Vader that seems to apply here, "Now his failure is complete".… Expand
  9. grammarye
    Apr 1, 2011
    6
    An astonishingly disappointing entry from Bioware. As a fan of many Bioware games, of Dragon Age: Origins, as well as other classic RPGs, I was all set to return to the world of Thedas & continue in what should be a landmark Bioware RPG... Right? No, not so much. In fact, in complete contrast to RPGs where I just couldn't close the game, where the game cried out for 'just one more hour!' -An astonishingly disappointing entry from Bioware. As a fan of many Bioware games, of Dragon Age: Origins, as well as other classic RPGs, I was all set to return to the world of Thedas & continue in what should be a landmark Bioware RPG... Right? No, not so much. In fact, in complete contrast to RPGs where I just couldn't close the game, where the game cried out for 'just one more hour!' - DA2 I had to make an effort to play it.

    Negatives:
    Complete lack of immersion would be my number one killer for this game. Companions requiring you to be at their home before you can talk with them, terrible space-age user interface, the same unmoving NPCs for an entire decade of gameplay, in-combat spawns (!), the absolutely identical three-four buildings/dungeons reused throughout the entire game - these are just the beginnings of why I didn't immerse in DA2.

    Mass Effect 2 managed to paper over any repetition issues with an engaging story, and combat that was diverse enough that you had to occasionally engage the braincell. Not so with DA2. In fact, strategic planning goes out the window thanks to the spawning system - you can never be sure when the next batch of enemies will mysteriously appear. No isometric-style view was very lacking.

    The characters & story are not much better. Try as I might, I just can't engage with DA2. It's not for lack of effort - the writing and voice acting is excellent - it's just that whoever produced the overall story arc seems to have completely forgotten how to do it. Imagine if the opening of Baldur's Gate had begun with explaining how you were the child of Bhaal destined to defeat Sarevok, dropped you at the encounter with Sarevok bypassing Candlekeep entirely, and some NPC gets killed. Emotional involvement? None. Mystery? Well you've just told me the ending.

    Everyone and their dog can figure out that the protagonist of an RPG will be someone important - take Mass Effect 2; everyone knows Shepard is the hero, but we got to make him/her the hero in ME1 from humble roots - Shepard's Our hero. Hawke starts the game as badass numero uno for hire, and there's no emotions of success or progression involved.

    The companions are awful, barring Merrill & Varric. I found it hard to like any of the others, mainly because they spent so much time diametrically opposed to practically anything I did, for no adequate reason. I honestly felt I couldn't win; that any choice I made had the potential to have my current companions' friendship/rivalry oscillating back & forth yet again; that for each conversation, they have just met you.

    No origin stories, no different race perspectives, little in the way of meaningful influence from DAO, and a story that bludgeons you over the head with the primary warring antagonists, yet inexplicably allows you to make either no meaningful decisions about them or such polarised decisions, all left me feeling railroaded. The distressing thing is that it has all the hallmarks of Bioware great storytelling, and yet somehow manages to be irritating.

    The inventory & loot & armour system are so cut down as to not even be worth bothering with. Your loot is only really useful to you; you can't outfit companions with a different look beyond weapons. Even useful loot is all 'A ring' or 'A belt' with no meaningful descriptions.

    Positives:
    A voiced protagonist in my view really helps the game & immersion, what little was to be found.

    The graphics & sound are generally excellent & good to look at. It's just unfortunate that so much potential was wasted on the same recycled environments. The stale repetitive combat is at least good to look at, with lovely animations & explosions and so on, although mages annoyed me with their ninja-like staff wielding.

    Despite all the immersion-breaking, the core design of the UI is good. The actual interaction bits of the UI were sensible, with good visual feedback, and finally, a decent character level editor that explains what does what.

    The dialogue wheel of ME2 makes an intro, and I loved the concept, especially a decent feedback system for what option was flirting, what was nice, and so on. However I deserve to preview the full text of what Hawke is about to say and not be incredibly surprised when my flirty flippant remark turns out to be rude & unfunny.

    Applause goes to the continued adult treatment of issues like child abuse, same-sex relationships, blood (everywhere), violence, and generally treating an adult audience like adults. Long may this continue. I was disappointed the romance & sexual themes were not handled with a bit more in-depth focus and a bit less 'consider this foreplay! - fade to black', but it's a start that they're in there at all.    … Expand
  10. JLTex
    Apr 1, 2011
    5
    I want to like this game but I just can't do it. The characters and story in this game seem small and unimportant. Almost random with no big "hook" to keep you committed to the story. It is a kind of fun time-waster but seems brainless. The sidequests require no thought at all. Just look at the map and go exactly where it tells you to go. Instead of trying to solve problems or questsI want to like this game but I just can't do it. The characters and story in this game seem small and unimportant. Almost random with no big "hook" to keep you committed to the story. It is a kind of fun time-waster but seems brainless. The sidequests require no thought at all. Just look at the map and go exactly where it tells you to go. Instead of trying to solve problems or quests you are just following the road map. In combat you generally face a room full of enemies and after you kill them, a whole bunch more just "parachute" into the screen. Are we supposed to pretend this is not happening? It ruins the flow of combat. And unfortunately this is a combat-RPG. I will finish playing through it but not purchase DLC.… Expand
  11. snoeownsyou
    Apr 1, 2011
    10
    I don't really think this deserves a ten - maybe an 8, but I just can't stand the pathetic internet culture that says a game is rubbish and rates it a 0 because it wasn't as good as its successor. Yes, the environments are a bit repetitive and yes, it has been dumbed down a bit, but it was a damn fine game and it kept me interested the whole time. I'm so sick of these people who bawl andI don't really think this deserves a ten - maybe an 8, but I just can't stand the pathetic internet culture that says a game is rubbish and rates it a 0 because it wasn't as good as its successor. Yes, the environments are a bit repetitive and yes, it has been dumbed down a bit, but it was a damn fine game and it kept me interested the whole time. I'm so sick of these people who bawl and moan because a game isn't the absolute best thing they've played.… Expand
  12. salarus
    Apr 1, 2011
    3
    Awful...I thought the user reviews might be a bit off, so I took a chance. After loving the first game so much I can now see why everyone says this is just horribly bad. I will not go into all the problems with the game as they have been explained over and over...but I'll just say that Bioware has completely done themselves a disservice by completely removing the challenge and strategicAwful...I thought the user reviews might be a bit off, so I took a chance. After loving the first game so much I can now see why everyone says this is just horribly bad. I will not go into all the problems with the game as they have been explained over and over...but I'll just say that Bioware has completely done themselves a disservice by completely removing the challenge and strategic combat of the first game. Just plain awful from story to combat...how disappointing indeed.… Expand
  13. Rataan
    Apr 1, 2011
    3
    The developers tried to combine hack and slash and role playing with predictable results. Predictable, evidently, to everyone but them. It's hard to convey how ironic it is, because we went through the exact same thing with Bioware in 2002 with Neverwinter Nights. Dragon Age was supposed to be a return to roots after the fan reaction to the weak first installment of Neverwinter Nights,The developers tried to combine hack and slash and role playing with predictable results. Predictable, evidently, to everyone but them. It's hard to convey how ironic it is, because we went through the exact same thing with Bioware in 2002 with Neverwinter Nights. Dragon Age was supposed to be a return to roots after the fan reaction to the weak first installment of Neverwinter Nights, which was essentially a shotgun marriage of the Baldur's Gate franchise and elements of Diablo II. Fast forward to 2011, and we get another mishmash that tries to be all things to all things to all people. No doubt the Bioware developers sold themselves and their "ideas" to their corporate overlords as faster, better and cheaper and would take the world by storm. Either that, or they knew it was a half-baked cash-in to fill in quarterly revenues in the lull before bigger and better releases later in the year. Don't believe the big name reviews. The 80+ average here and at Gamerankings is far too generous. Big titles like this seldom get the honest criticism they deserve. DA2 does have high production values, and maybe that is what they are actually reviewing. The voice acting is top notch, and it has many individual scenes and lines of dialog that show there was some talent at work. But while that may be a good start for an RPG, DA2 doesn't deliver a cohesive story overall. It's more like three short stories in one book. But if you are a diehard fan of the genre, then maybe DA2 is still worth the price of admission. Just be forewarned that you see many game elements that will leave you baffled and wincing.… Expand
  14. kweeks1
    Mar 31, 2011
    1
    What a disapointment no store line, repetative locations, boring quests, hardly any interaction with your companions. Replay ability is about nothing unless you include moving the lever from casual to nightmare mode.
  15. FlawlessWallace
    Mar 31, 2011
    0
    This game was terrible. What a waste of $60 bucks. All the kissing up to EA is getting old. EA ruins every good game. Dragon Age Origins was at least interesting and fun to go through the story, but this game used the same buiding designs throughout the boring story line and there was nothing unique. Its like they ran out of time and decided to use the same building designs throughoutThis game was terrible. What a waste of $60 bucks. All the kissing up to EA is getting old. EA ruins every good game. Dragon Age Origins was at least interesting and fun to go through the story, but this game used the same buiding designs throughout the boring story line and there was nothing unique. Its like they ran out of time and decided to use the same building designs throughout the whole game. I want my money back for buying this crap.… Expand
  16. Nigatsu
    Mar 31, 2011
    5
    I am so flabbergasted, that I have no clue what to write about this game. The first Dragon Age is probably in my top 5 of all time, so this had a lot to live up to; and seeing BioWare as the company behind it, who was I to predict a disappointment? They've proven, with Mass Effect 2, that they can do sequels. And not just "sequels", but sequels that, in my opinion, outdo theirI am so flabbergasted, that I have no clue what to write about this game. The first Dragon Age is probably in my top 5 of all time, so this had a lot to live up to; and seeing BioWare as the company behind it, who was I to predict a disappointment? They've proven, with Mass Effect 2, that they can do sequels. And not just "sequels", but sequels that, in my opinion, outdo their predecessors.

    Sure, the combat is now much more fun and responsive this time around, but that's about the only thing they've changed for the better. Where is the well-written dialogue with the companions? Much of my time spent in Dragon Age: Origins, was spent exploring the past and the future of my fellow companions, yet here I only get to visit their homes twice during the course of the entire game, leaving many personalities woefully unexplored.

    And where are the compelling characters? In Origins, we had a wide array of interesting personas, yet here we have only a couple of memorable people - most of which I'll probably forget, 'less I force myself through more plays. Fenris was one of the first companions I got, yet he was still a complete stranger to me in the end; I knew nothing about him or his wants or anything - except his tunnelvisioned hatred of mages. The romances don't work at all. After trying to flirt around with Isabela, over the course of what must be seven or so years in the games time, I finally get to bed her. Twenty minutes later, she tries to bed a cameo from Origins. What the heck? Talk about a lousy pay-off, immediately making me regret ever trying to sweet-talk her.

    The characters aren't as complex and compelling as in Origins (or any other Bioware-title). An example is Meredith, who's presumably the big bad: she hates mages. Why? Because that's what templars do, and she's a templar. We're not really given any reasons why she carries this extreme hatred, but alas. Compare her to Loghain, who wasn't even the main evil force of Origins: a haunted war-hero, standing up against a dynasty he saw as everything he fought against in his days of glory. He had an understandable motivation that we, as players, could understand, yet still find appaling. Meredith in contrast is just a McGuffaw-carrying evil force. To think this is the same developers/writers that gave us Garrus, Mordin, Jack, Tali, Morrigan, Sten, Leliana, Minsc, Jaheira and Jon Irenicus is just mindbaffling beyond belief.

    And don't get me started on the recycling. You'll run through exact replicas of boring mountainous-cave-with-paths-randomly-blocked and earthy-tunnel tens of times in the course of the game. Clearly a sign of this game being rushed to the shelves. Also, all combat-encounters will have you swarmed with enemies randomly teleporting in or rapelling down building, completely making you disregard what could otherwise have been a good revamp of the combat-system. Kirkwall is a really desolate and lifeless city, yet whenever combat is near, you're suddenly swarmed by thirty bad-guys - and after that, sixty more.

    Is it a horrible game? Not at all, but it's treading around so far below what it should/could/would have been that it's a travesty and a major disappointment. To consider it's the same company that made the masterpieces of Baldur's Gate 2 and Mass Effect 2, can't do anything but leave you completely dumbfounded. What happened, Bioware? You used to be the pinnacle of the great gaming industry, but now you've rushed out an unpolished turd.

    This single game has made me decide not to pre-order Mass Effect 3, for fear of it being just as unpolished a game as this - and I likely won't buy Dragon Age 3 (did I mention that this ends in a **** cliffhanger?) if it's met with the same scorn as this installment of the series. Bioware singlehandedly ruined my blind love and trust for them in one sweep, and it's one I doubt they'll be able to reclaim anytime soon.

    Final words: Go play The Witcher, Baldur's Gate 2, Mass Effect 1+2, or hell, even replay Origins instead of buying this. Don't trust the obviously paid shiny reviews.    … Expand
  17. MikePushkin
    Mar 31, 2011
    7
    I loved Origins. Great game, a game in which you feel the weight of your decisions, you realize what you are doing, you realize that you are responsible for major changes in Ferelden. I expected something similar from DA2, but more refined and deeper. Sadly, what we get is an unfinished game instead of a masterpiece like the first game. It took me 20 hours less to beat Dragon Age 2I loved Origins. Great game, a game in which you feel the weight of your decisions, you realize what you are doing, you realize that you are responsible for major changes in Ferelden. I expected something similar from DA2, but more refined and deeper. Sadly, what we get is an unfinished game instead of a masterpiece like the first game. It took me 20 hours less to beat Dragon Age 2 compared to Dragon Age Origins. It took exactly 40 hours. Just like Mass Effect 2. Or Mass Effect. You know what, that feels strange, like Bioware is trying to adjust the length of its games to 40 hours. Anyway, on topic, the game is better in almost every aspect than Dragon Age Origins: we have better combat system, better RP system (not simplified but adjusted) now warrior gets benefited from investing a point or two in Magic. Design of new inventory makes a lot more sense and is much more helpful. Quests are numerous, yes, but not very much unique... Graphical part is better than Origins in every way, but the fatal flaw of Origins never got rid of in DA2, - same locations. This is very sad part, actually, because it kills the unique feel of locations you visit and destroys the atmosphere of what's happening. In DA2 the decisions you make, don't feel the same way as in Origins. Storyline in general seems weaker, but its personal opinion. What's not personal is the way story is told. 10 bloody years. What the heck?! You do something important, a couple of years passes. You do something again and another couple of years passes. WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! What's he sleeping or something in between?! Conclusion: A very good game with nice combat system, nice graphical part, more intuitive dialog system, improved RP system, better design overall, great voice work BUT with poor storyline, poor locations, the blasted Kirkwall over and over and over again, abundance of DLCs, more of a popular product than a work of art. Sad. 7/10… Expand
  18. Itsapaul
    Mar 31, 2011
    6
    Problems with Bioware turning into a pretty shady company aside, I can't believe they thought this would pass as a real sequel. There is no main plot, you're playing a tactical rpg that's mostly in a city, and the reinforcements thing is just retarded. Your party members are still a hoot and the gameplay isn't awful tuned like this, but they needed more than 18 months to make it amazing.Problems with Bioware turning into a pretty shady company aside, I can't believe they thought this would pass as a real sequel. There is no main plot, you're playing a tactical rpg that's mostly in a city, and the reinforcements thing is just retarded. Your party members are still a hoot and the gameplay isn't awful tuned like this, but they needed more than 18 months to make it amazing. Oh and it looks worse than Dragon Age: Origins, and even sadder is the HD graphics mod that isn't from Bioware doesn't even make it look better. I guess the company that made Baldurs Gate and Mass Effect is long gone; hope Mass Effect 3 isn't crap like this.… Expand
  19. jesE
    Mar 31, 2011
    9
    Great action oriented, mixed with strategy elements, gameplay, Very strong storytelling, all new development Skill Tree. Loved the ability to evade an attack like an action game combined with the need of strategic gameplay (at least in Hard difficulty setting).
    People judge not for what it is but for what it could be. Game looks a lot like Mass Effect which was a huge success.
    This game    Great action oriented, mixed with strategy elements, gameplay, Very strong storytelling, all new development Skill Tree. Loved the ability to evade an attack like an action game combined with the need of strategic gameplay (at least in Hard difficulty setting).
    People judge not for what it is but for what it could be. Game looks a lot like Mass Effect which was a huge success.
    This game can't get a score of 1. I understand for some it's a bad game, but it can't be THAT bad.    … Expand
  20. maliusmaximus
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    Epic fail. So disappointed as Dragon Age was the game that got me interested in Bioware. Bought Mass Effect 1 and 2, also Bioshock as a direct result of DAO. There is enormous re-use of maps that makes the game feel very repetitive (they just seal and open different parts of the same map for many quests).
    The killer though is the game breaking Isabela friendship bug. This corrupts the    Epic fail. So disappointed as Dragon Age was the game that got me interested in Bioware. Bought Mass Effect 1 and 2, also Bioshock as a direct result of DAO. There is enormous re-use of maps that makes the game feel very repetitive (they just seal and open different parts of the same map for many quests).
    The killer though is the game breaking Isabela friendship bug. This corrupts the character file and makes the game literally completely unplayable on PC after a few hours if you switch Isabela in and out often. No solution by Bioware so unless you are happy to edit your savegame, you are stuck with a PC copy that doesn't work. A game always has known bugs upon release, but the developer can choose if the bugs are major enough to warrant a release delay. Bioware felt that they could still release a game that literally does not work on PC after a few hours. This either shows a complete disregard for their customers or far too little beta testing. This is the first time I pre-purchased a game. It will certainly be the last time I pre-purchase (and possibly pay for at all) a Bioware game.    … Expand
  21. jamesinchains
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    I was very upset to see DA2 go this way, I must admit. After spending hundreds of hours playing and replaying DA:O, it fast became one of, if not my favourite game ever. It was so in depth, you feel in love with the world and with the characters, such an amazing storyline etc. Like any game, it had its flaws but they were minimal compared to its successes. DA2 is frankly, the biggestI was very upset to see DA2 go this way, I must admit. After spending hundreds of hours playing and replaying DA:O, it fast became one of, if not my favourite game ever. It was so in depth, you feel in love with the world and with the characters, such an amazing storyline etc. Like any game, it had its flaws but they were minimal compared to its successes. DA2 is frankly, the biggest letdown sequel I have ever played or seen. It has no character to it, the storyline is anything but engaging, the game itself is far too short and felt too me to be far shorter than its predecessor. The characters are bland and boring, with no particular personality or back story to them. Hawke him/herself is in my eyes a complete failure, aided by juvenile dialogue, no emotional depth and the typical generic broody hero trait ¬_¬
    The graphics are apalling. Games on my iPhone have better graphics. Games on my ps2 had similar graphics. Kirkwall is horribly unattractive and plain, as are the few other locations in the game, including all the locations that are EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE REST.
    The combat is I suppose interesting in its own way (I liked the actual time fighting rather than swinging your weapon once every 5 seconds) but also incredibly repetetive and easy. Even on the harder difficulties, I could wipe out a group of 10 enemies with only my mage (a feat that was impossible in DA:O)
    But on to the real aspect of an RPG, the story. Well, what of it? There is no story in DA2 as such. The whole game is just a series of monotonous 'go there, do that' tasks with little story in between. It didn't bring anything new to the table because we know the Qunari invaded Ferelden and are constantly trying to conquer the land, we know the mages hate the templars and vice versa. But then anything it does tell us, it doesn't tell us anything about. What the hell was up with Flemeth? With all the media and press that had come out before DA2's release, it seemed like she was going to be heavily involved. She barely had 5 minutes in the game, all of which explained and went towards nothing. It was like 'Oh, there's Flemeth, the monsterously powerful Witch of the Wilds. Ok, that's done with.' And what the hell was up with the whole thing witn Cassandra and the ending. Ok, we gather the world is apparently on the brink of war, BUT WHY? GIVE US SOME DETAILS!!!! And then the ending is left not even on a cliffhanger, it's like the designers just gave up halfway through making the game! Nothing is explained, in fact, everything just becomes 10 times more confusing, and not in a good makes you want to know more confusing way, just in a well that **** sucks confusing way.
    DA2 is an insult to DAs legacy, a less that mediocre game that was evidently rushed beyond belief due to corporate greed. It has no fire or soul to it and has not even one aspect to compare it to DA:O. I can see why the original producer left, I'd die of shame if that empty souless piece of crap was associated with me in any way.
    For those of you considering buying it, here's a tip. Don't. Especially if you're a fan of the series. You will be heartbroken. There are plenty of great games out at the moment; Crysys 2, Rift, The Sims Medieval etc.
    I have two words for you Bioware: EPIC FAIL.    … Expand
  22. dare2shine
    Mar 30, 2011
    8
    As a major fan of the previous game, I had Dragon Age:II preordered since September. Having now played through the game twice, I feel i can fairly review it. There's a definite lack of freedom and choice, which origins offered to players in abundance, and the lazy re-use of locations is a critical error by Bioware, it pulls down what is in all honesty a very decent game. The battleAs a major fan of the previous game, I had Dragon Age:II preordered since September. Having now played through the game twice, I feel i can fairly review it. There's a definite lack of freedom and choice, which origins offered to players in abundance, and the lazy re-use of locations is a critical error by Bioware, it pulls down what is in all honesty a very decent game. The battle system has been upgraded and it much more efficient and enjoyable and the action is much smoother but at the cost of the lore of the game's predecessor
    The characters and dialog system, i thought, were better than the previous game, though the structured methods of character interaction was tedious. It felt harder to play the game 'your way', something Bioware normally prides itself on. The graphics were a lot smoother and generally prettier than Origins, but again the re-use of locations rather marred this. I found the game to be engaging with an interesting plot, but I didn't feel I could have such radically different play-throughs as I did on my re-plays on Origins. Personally I really enjoyed the game and it's characters, especially Fenris, and found their personalities to be deeper, if a bit more 'emo' than Origins. There is definite replay value, and Bioware should be proud of the game. It's just a shame they didn't spend a little longer designing levels and less time offering bonus DLC items on their website.
    8/10    … Expand
  23. mortendynamo
    Mar 30, 2011
    1
    Horrible! I hated it the instant I started playing it. It felt like an everlasting pain playing it, and I gave up halfway and deleted it from my hd. Not worth the time or the money.
  24. joemama127
    Mar 30, 2011
    5
    I just have one question for Bioware but I don't expect it will ever be truly answered: exactly how many Bioware employees remain from the team that made KOTOR....never mind some of the older games such as Baldur's Gate? Seriously guys, before hiring a new employee to become a part of Bioware you should test them on knowledge of your older games to insure that they've actually played them.I just have one question for Bioware but I don't expect it will ever be truly answered: exactly how many Bioware employees remain from the team that made KOTOR....never mind some of the older games such as Baldur's Gate? Seriously guys, before hiring a new employee to become a part of Bioware you should test them on knowledge of your older games to insure that they've actually played them. I suppose that even if most of the team is still intact (which I highly doubt) EA has worked their magic to kill yet another great development team..

    That's all I have really, the other "reviews" here go into details about why the game itself is a low point for Bioware. And just so you don't think I'm some bitter old school RPG'er...I loved KOTOR 1&2, Mass Effect 1&2, Jade Empire and DAO.    … Expand
  25. Deathbehind
    Mar 30, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 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… Expand
  26. JaylaClark
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    No, I'm not clinically insane, or a hack-and-slash fan. I actually do like the game enough that its flaws are overcome by the enjoyment, in my opinion.

    Combat, to my eyes, is improved -- I don't feel constrained to take more than one warrior to any one place anymore, as opposed to the last game where my tank (Alistair, or Sten) had to come by every single mission. The story, too, is    No, I'm not clinically insane, or a hack-and-slash fan. I actually do like the game enough that its flaws are overcome by the enjoyment, in my opinion.

    Combat, to my eyes, is improved -- I don't feel constrained to take more than one warrior to any one place anymore, as opposed to the last game where my tank (Alistair, or Sten) had to come by every single mission. The story, too, is more immersive by my standards.

    If it weren't for fit and finish issues, like the recycled maps and the more cartoonish face morphs, I'd say this was clearly the better game. They're enough of an issue to cause me to take two whole points off, I'll admit, but they didn't kill the game for me.    … Expand
  27. noa
    Mar 29, 2011
    4
    I liked the original Dragon Age, and most other Bioware titles. This game, however, was a huge disappointment. As a prospective buyer, you may wonder about the disconnect between user reviews and professional review scores. I would put it like this: Dragon Age II is like the student who goes to class, memorizes all he needs to know, and does well on the exams, but never actuallyI liked the original Dragon Age, and most other Bioware titles. This game, however, was a huge disappointment. As a prospective buyer, you may wonder about the disconnect between user reviews and professional review scores. I would put it like this: Dragon Age II is like the student who goes to class, memorizes all he needs to know, and does well on the exams, but never actually understands the material. In the same way, DA2 has a story, but it fails to come together, and at the end you're left wondering "That's it? Did I miss something?" DA2 has locations, but as early as the first Act, you will have seen every single one of them, and hopefully you liked them the first time around, because you'll see them again, and again, and again. DA2 has sleek skill trees allowing you to customize your character, but the gameplay has been so dumbed down (even on harder difficulties) that there's just no incentive to try things out, or if there is challenge, it is of the frustrating, repeat the same thing over and over kind (boss fights where the boss has ridiculous amounts of hitpoints come to mind). I could go on, but most of my complaints have been voiced already: this game is not worth your money.… Expand
  28. harmattan
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    After having played nearly the entire way through the 1st chapiter (about 12 hrs so far), I am very much enjoying this game. The story is very good (more "the little guy's" quest than DA:O) and the voice acting and dialogue absolutely superb. I'd say the main detractions are the interface and item use is dumbed down, there's a good deal of repetition of areas and what I would describe aAfter having played nearly the entire way through the 1st chapiter (about 12 hrs so far), I am very much enjoying this game. The story is very good (more "the little guy's" quest than DA:O) and the voice acting and dialogue absolutely superb. I'd say the main detractions are the interface and item use is dumbed down, there's a good deal of repetition of areas and what I would describe a empty graphical interfaces (obvious laziness/rush-job here). Overall however, the graphics and animations are much improved over DA:O, especially with the high-res texture pack. Contrary to most posters, I didn't feel penned in being limited to a single city and its periphery: there was enough detail and variation in each space to keep me interested and sticking to some of the same areas gave them a sense of intimacy that the sprawling world of DA:O did not have.… Expand
  29. Elricsson
    Mar 29, 2011
    10
    A mature, queer and thoughtful fantasy that finally feels like it's set in the pretty original world of Thedas, not The Forgotten Middle Azeroth blandathon we all know and hate from the last ten years of CRPG. The powerful Chantry-centric story grows organically trough 15-minute long "sidequests" (though most of them link back to the main arc eventually) mixed with act-long serial storiesA mature, queer and thoughtful fantasy that finally feels like it's set in the pretty original world of Thedas, not The Forgotten Middle Azeroth blandathon we all know and hate from the last ten years of CRPG. The powerful Chantry-centric story grows organically trough 15-minute long "sidequests" (though most of them link back to the main arc eventually) mixed with act-long serial stories as well as in the opinions and actions of your followers. Nowhere is the one-dimensional "epic journey to save the world" - **** we are forced to wade through all too often, including in Origins. Instead the city of Kirkwall is locked in an all-too recognizable political conflict between fanatic ideologies, all with their respective merit. These factions are everywhere, even in the bedchamber as your lovers take a political stand that you may have a hard time accepting. And talking about the love - BioWare has finally discovered that the first patch made to their games is usually the gender-neutral and polyamorous tweeks, so this time it's all queer all the time! While many old-schoolers may find the Hawke-persona restrictive, the character-driven setup is really no different from The Witcher, Mass Effect or any adventure game you have ever played. "Roleplaying" opportunities within the part and the story are ample and the massive hypertext novel that is DA2 is of staggering complexity, with choices from act one haunting you in act 3. The haters who find the "diplomatic, sarcastic, hateful" response-cycle restrictive have missed this: to roleplay a believable character (for instance a mage-hater) you have to constantly switch Hawke's attitude - spamming one option constantly (Paragon vs Renegade choice - I'm looking at you!) gives you a spineless git, a psychotic joker, and a very angry fellow. Think about the context of the choices and the game rewards you by reaffirming your imagined personality in a way that is sometimes downright uncanny. If you loved Mass Effect 2's focus on character arcs and minimalist rpg mechanics this is pretty much the fantasy version. If you love spending hours on optimizing builds and inventory for hour-long dungeon slogs this is not your game. But yes: if you enjoy tactics at all - playing on hard is mandatory. And finally: this is not BioWare's Great Betrayal - that came years ago when they scrapped the multiplayer for Origins, changing them from a Roleplaying Game company to a Storytelling Game company. I have never before (or after I might add) boycotted a developer. I finally got over it and played Mass Effect and yeah, even if the abandonment of the NWN-community can never be forgiven, they are decent storytellers as far as computer games go.

    Some other gripes and why they are bull****: Only one map/city - More focused. Saying it should travel more is like saying The Wire should leave Baltimore more often.

    Dumbed down - Slick. I laughed with joy at the "junk" category of the inventory. And the cross-class combo system makes battles more tactical than in Origins, not less. No RTS-style camera - Wow, I can actually see characters in action and not little moving ants that symbolize my optimized stats-packs. More immersive and better realism.

    No direct sequel - Thank the lord. Newsflash: Dragon Age: Origins wad NOT original or brilliant, it was a standard if well-executed fantasy cliché-fest with buckets of blood and some Game of Thrones thefts. And a predictably impressive hyper-text-relationship-novel on top of the ho-hum dungeoncrawling. So all you reactive, inventory-loving, chauvinist, conservative, narrow-minded crpg-freaks out there; unchain your mind, set diff to Hard and behold the quietly subversive escapist glory that is Dragon Age 2!    … Expand
  30. 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.
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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.
    Read full review
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