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. Slumlord722
    May 18, 2011
    2
    My question is this: are the journalistic reviewers playing the same game we are? And if so, why is there such a discrepancy?

    Now, I'm not gonna lie to you, I started off liking DA:2. Graphics aren't a huge deal to me, and I thought the voice acting was pretty good. Then...then I realized I was running into the same places I had been, doing re-skinned quests for dull reasons, and I just    My question is this: are the journalistic reviewers playing the same game we are? And if so, why is there such a discrepancy?

    Now, I'm not gonna lie to you, I started off liking DA:2. Graphics aren't a huge deal to me, and I thought the voice acting was pretty good. Then...then I realized I was running into the same places I had been, doing re-skinned quests for dull reasons, and I just put the game down. It just gets boring. And that's terrible.    … Expand
  2. IrishK
    May 18, 2011
    2
    After Dragon Age: Origins I was very excited at the prospect of a sequel. One of the best RPGs of our time could only get bigger and better, and improve in areas where the original fell short. Yes, you would think that would be the logical progression. While Dragon Age 2 does make some improvements - chiefly to the combat - it completely misses the mark in almost every other area. It'sAfter Dragon Age: Origins I was very excited at the prospect of a sequel. One of the best RPGs of our time could only get bigger and better, and improve in areas where the original fell short. Yes, you would think that would be the logical progression. While Dragon Age 2 does make some improvements - chiefly to the combat - it completely misses the mark in almost every other area. It's like the developers removed everything that made Origins... so magical.
    Gone are the dialogue choices that had risqué implications. Where before there was a grey area when it came to certain actions and their outcomes, everything in Dragon Age 2 is in black and white and signposted so the game's dialogue choices (denoted by icons) serve as a sort of moral compass, which removes much - perhaps all - of the spontaneity.
    Gone is the world where you could explore and suspend belief. I often found myself experiencing moments of déjà vu when I entered a "new" location in Dragon Age 2, and that is because many of the game's locations are reused. This completely breaks the immersion and makes the game's stages feel like a low budget panto.
    As for the game's difficulty level, you will be hard pressed to find a challenge at "Normal" level, which is the equivalent of Origins' "Hard" setting. While this may seem like a nitpick, I feel that it's important to point out because Dragon Age 2 seems to make a concentrated effort throughout to distance itself from Origins, right down to the nitty gritty little details.
    While Dragon Age 2 attempts to tread new ground, it is mired by its many bad defaults. In summary:

    The Good
    -Bethany Hawke
    -Some of the music
    -The new Qunari
    -Character art and detail
    -New combat mechanics

    The Bad
    -The new Avatar styled elves, with their strange Grecian noses
    -The new Skeletor styled Darkspawn
    -Repetitive environments
    -The game's time lapse, which breaks immersion when you meet characters that seem to know you, yet whom you've never met before
    -NPCs can only wear armour prescribed to them by the game
    -The new dialogue system
    -Brazen romantic dialogue that is contrived/forced on the player
    -Weak writing

    I rate this game a generous 2 out of 10.    … Expand
  3. asschun
    May 19, 2011
    0
    Okay, maybe my score isn't accurate but I do believe it deserves a 3. An average of 4.3 is too generous for a piece of trash like this. Hopefully my score will contribute to lowering the rating to where it truly belongs.

    Boring, dumbed-down, derivative, glitchy. Day one DLC. I'd like to think this isn't the actual sequel but a casual minigame to tease us for the real game. It's like    Okay, maybe my score isn't accurate but I do believe it deserves a 3. An average of 4.3 is too generous for a piece of trash like this. Hopefully my score will contribute to lowering the rating to where it truly belongs.

    Boring, dumbed-down, derivative, glitchy. Day one DLC. I'd like to think this isn't the actual sequel but a casual minigame to tease us for the real game. It's like Bioware is experimenting to see if they can make a lot of money without any effort.    … Expand
  4. varden
    May 19, 2011
    6
    The Good: I enjoyed this game and the dark storyline. Most of the characters particularly Hawke were fantastic. The combat was fast and fun, and I enjoyed many of the side quests in this game.

    The Bad: The final fantasy styling was ridiculous. Really, a 5'2" elf wielding a 6'2" sword that is a foot wide all over the battle field. I thought I was playing a game version of yu-gi-oh or    The Good: I enjoyed this game and the dark storyline. Most of the characters particularly Hawke were fantastic. The combat was fast and fun, and I enjoyed many of the side quests in this game.

    The Bad: The final fantasy styling was ridiculous. Really, a 5'2" elf wielding a 6'2" sword that is a foot wide all over the battle field. I thought I was playing a game version of yu-gi-oh or Voltron. Also, the pirate wench was insane. Really, I'm insulted by ME2 and DA2 with their Alicia Silverstone look alikes in tight clothes (or none). I'm in my 30s and yes I enjoy some eye candy, but it played more like a high school drama than an adult oriented RPG. The reuse of levels was the killer for me...I was bored out of my mind about half way through the game.

    I'm generously giving this game a 6 only because the production quality was high. Still was it high out of effort or because there was so little to develop for?    … Expand
  5. siremil
    May 20, 2011
    0
    BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us!
  6. PresCthulhu
    May 20, 2011
    4
    When I first saw DA2 I was blown away. Its combat became a lot better than the first installment, it looked and felt refined. Then I started to know better. It has like 10 re-used area and they did not even bother to alter them after chapter 1. It has nothing to do with a roleplaying game it is much more like a hack and slash. Your decisions count literally nothing. You have basicly oneWhen I first saw DA2 I was blown away. Its combat became a lot better than the first installment, it looked and felt refined. Then I started to know better. It has like 10 re-used area and they did not even bother to alter them after chapter 1. It has nothing to do with a roleplaying game it is much more like a hack and slash. Your decisions count literally nothing. You have basicly one ending and cannot alter the flow of the game in any possible way. It is really what it looks like: Varrick's story, not yours and not even Hawke's. I think the worst part is that the whole mess want's to take itself seriously and ends up with a plothole ridden meaningless tale where the only thing that matters how it looks like. The problem is that after a few hours you actuall saw everything combatwise so the story should keep you interested, but it fails hardly to do so. I had to actually force myself to finish the game. The first two chapter is quite good if you can forgive several smaller plotholes, but the chapter 3 and the ending is the worst garbage I saw in a long time in an "rpg". Also it was marketed as an 18+ game. Please... The only thing that is hardcore in this is that people explode literally if you backstab them. I honestly hope BW leaves EA and fires some of the responsible guys... I love BW please do something to reverse the spiral!!! Alo this was the very last BW game I pre-ordered. I lost my faith even in ME3... :-(… Expand
  7. Michiyuki
    May 20, 2011
    4
    It's really sad they spoiled the game so much.We were waiting for something like DA:O and got nothing but a raw Mass Effect:Medieval.Thank you,EA guys...I believe it's their fault.Entirely.
    Though,battle animation is nice.
  8. Mystril
    Nov 29, 2011
    2
    The first, and hopefully last, miss-step from Bioware. After about 10 hours play time I couldn't play the game anymore, I have before noticed copy paste dungeons/tiles/textures, but NOTHING to this degree. This game is one big copy paste and, it seems, the developers have been doing ALOT of sitting around, staring into the wall, not knowing what to do. I am sorry but the combat does notThe first, and hopefully last, miss-step from Bioware. After about 10 hours play time I couldn't play the game anymore, I have before noticed copy paste dungeons/tiles/textures, but NOTHING to this degree. This game is one big copy paste and, it seems, the developers have been doing ALOT of sitting around, staring into the wall, not knowing what to do. I am sorry but the combat does not make up for it, the "improved" graphics does not make up for it, the added voice acting to the protagonist does not make up for it. Because none of these improvements actually work in any meaningful way. I was hoping for a Dragon Age II, that was worthy of the title coming from the really well made Dragon Age: Origins, but I was seriously let down here. I wish I could get my money back, but alas, I am on the pc, so I can't. I did manage to drag myself through the game and complete it, and forget it. This game is not worth your money or your time, stay well clear.… Expand
  9. spaghettiwestrn
    May 29, 2011
    0
    A god awful abortion of a game, made by a development team of pompous, arrogant children who can not take criticism in any form. David Gaider and Stanley "End of Line" Woo spent more time trolling their company forums than they did writing or developing.
  10. Hiei987
    Jul 3, 2011
    0
    One step forward, 5 steps back. This game has better interface than the original and fails at eevrything else. The ratings and sales should be a good sign for Bioware to think about with their future games.
  11. Tolhaller
    Jul 3, 2011
    3
    Nice graphics, but I never felt I was in control of anything except slashing things. Apalling game play, but no doubt delicious for the console crowd who don't demand too much depth to their gameplay.
  12. Freeman1977
    Jul 5, 2011
    1
    Baldur's Gate is Dungeon's and Dragons at it's finest. Memorable story, D&D game play, and the ability to build a character and then transfer that character into the sequel. Dragon Age has none of these virtues. It's a boring click-fest.
  13. krkbomb
    Jul 26, 2011
    2
    When compared broadly to other video games, DA2 is far above average. But when you compare it to other Bioware games, or to Dragon Age: Origins, one of Bioware's best, this game is far below anything else in the lineup.

    The combat is rendered meaningless by long cooldowns on essential spells, poor mana-efficiency, and ridiculously high respawn rates, making hack-and-slash builds the only    When compared broadly to other video games, DA2 is far above average. But when you compare it to other Bioware games, or to Dragon Age: Origins, one of Bioware's best, this game is far below anything else in the lineup.

    The combat is rendered meaningless by long cooldowns on essential spells, poor mana-efficiency, and ridiculously high respawn rates, making hack-and-slash builds the only real option (and you can forget about healing). The respawn rates are the breaking point here, because it ruins virtually every other aspect of the gameplay, because why put any effort into killing things if a million more are going to spawn when they die?

    The RPG elements are equally meaningless. The decision to automatically move items to the "vendor trash" bin in your inventory only highlights that you really aren't making any decisions, you're just playing a game on rails. Throughout the game it is painfully obvious that some items are intended for you while others are useless. About the only thing you have to recognize is whether or not an item fits your class, and usually this is done for you by making it impossible to equip another class's gear.

    The look of the game is pretty, but too cartoonish to be taken seriously, and the texture resolution is appalling. The environments are boring and repetitive (MOST areas in the game were literally recycled assets). The general aesthetic is just ridiculous: a blend of "DARKER AND EDGIER ZOMG" and japanophilic anime-envy.

    The worst problem with this game is that, unlike previous BioWare games, the player is provided with no real choice and is instead placed on rails through a storyline that really is not all that compelling. Cutscenes continually interrupt the story, only to force you to watch two people sitting in a room and talking about nothing in particular, while the main story meanders around with no real goal or purpose for your character. The "light/dark" or "paragon/renegade" system or whatever is meaningless to the story as well. Instead, your dialogue choices determine what tone of voice you will use to say EXACTLY THE SAME THING and take EXACTLY THE SAME ACTION. Your choices range from sarcastic to dry to caustic. And that's a bit of a stretch since all your choices are basically the same blend of these three.

    Without spoiling anything, the ending is actually a pretty good piece of story-telling, but the problem is, since you have absolutely no control over you character's speech or actions, this ending will either be:

    completely satisfactory (yay, FINALLY something interesting happened)

    or

    UTTERLY TERRIBLE (why did I even bother playing this?)...

    depending upon what you were trying to do. They would have been better served to simply discard the dialogue and alignment systems altogether and let the player experience the story in the way BioWare clearly intended.

    Overall, the game was generally playable but usually unpleasant throughout, and while the ending was somewhat interesting, it also left complete disappointment at the game's overall shortcomings, and guaranteed that I would never play this game or any other Dragon Age game again. I would write off BioWare entirely after this, but instead I think the ideas they were working with in DA2 were promising, just poorly executed and a bad fit for the Dragon Age franchise. Mass Effect 2 is a good example of similar ideas with better execution in a franchise better suited to those concepts. Here's hoping that they find their way again for ME3 and their Star Wars MMO.    … Expand
  14. Surg3on
    Jul 30, 2011
    3
    At its core the problem with this game is that it was too boring to push on with. I didn't feel like I was doing anything special... maybe it happens towards the end, i'll never know. being concerned with your wallet the whole game isn't very heroic!
    Some parts hint at a great story but ultimately the whole game is let down by the actual mechanics of the game, you know, actual gameplay!).    At its core the problem with this game is that it was too boring to push on with. I didn't feel like I was doing anything special... maybe it happens towards the end, i'll never know. being concerned with your wallet the whole game isn't very heroic!
    Some parts hint at a great story but ultimately the whole game is let down by the actual mechanics of the game, you know, actual gameplay!). I assume to get greater graphical fidelity the user became boxed into what seems to be a series of corridors and rooms. You never get to explore a world, you just seem to be going from point to point.
    Combat is dull. Having waves of filler spawn while you fight a boss with a crazy long health bar is not fun. Having your teammates unable to wear most loot items smacks of laziness.    … Expand
  15. Westbound
    Feb 23, 2012
    0
    This game is horrible. It's sexist, moronic, and boring. The writing is terrible at best, the gameplay is countless copy & paste cave after cave with boring combat. Also, I just wanted to share this. It pretty much sums up how I feel about DA II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9UDRbjm94

    Quit padding your reviews Bioware. No one likes you anymore. Just make Baulders Gate against with    This game is horrible. It's sexist, moronic, and boring. The writing is terrible at best, the gameplay is countless copy & paste cave after cave with boring combat. Also, I just wanted to share this. It pretty much sums up how I feel about DA II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9UDRbjm94

    Quit padding your reviews Bioware. No one likes you anymore. Just make Baulders Gate against with better graphics. Don't change a single word of dialog or combat.    … Expand
  16. desmond
    Mar 10, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age II is a slap in the face of CRPG fans. The combat system has been revamped to an action-oriented style. The aerial tactical view from the first game is gone. Targeting specific enemies is often problematic, due to the limited camera view.
    The graphics are average, and not on par with Mass Effect 2. A dialogue system, similar to the Mass Effect series, is used in Dragon Age II.    Dragon Age II is a slap in the face of CRPG fans. The combat system has been revamped to an action-oriented style. The aerial tactical view from the first game is gone. Targeting specific enemies is often problematic, due to the limited camera view.
    The graphics are average, and not on par with Mass Effect 2. A dialogue system, similar to the Mass Effect series, is used in Dragon Age II. You'll get to choose from a set of paraphrased dialogue options rather than full text lines. These paraphrased dialogue options rarely have the expected result, which turns the dialogue system into a confusing guessing game.
    Most of the game takes place in Kirkwall. There are only a few outside locations. Several cave maps are identical, despite the relatively small game world.
    The item system, or more precisely party management, has taken a turn for the worse. You only have full control over the equipment for your main character. You can't change the armor of your party members.

    Bioware turned Dragon Age II into an action RPG, and tailored it for consoles. They simplified the dialogue system, added hack-and-slash combat, and removed a fundamental RPG feature - the party members equipment management. Dragon Age II has some good points like storytelling, but that's about it. The bad parts outweigh the good ones. It's sad to see a company, which released a masterpiece like Baldur's Gate II, fall to such a low level.    … Expand
  17. Rock-o
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dear Bioware,

    I just made a metacritic account for the sole purpose of giving my review(more like ranting/flaming two cents) for this game that I was so excited for......... and I am too depressed to write it. Why would you do this bioware? After so many great games you give me this. I thought that when I beat the game, I was still somewhere in the middle of the plots/storyline...nope. The credits appearing literally felt like a smack in the face. I'm just so utterly dissapointed right now that I don't even know what to type. Way to dumb down absolutely everything about the original game that I loved so much. I have never, ever, beaten a game and felt confused/depressed thereafter until I played this. I am absolutely refusing to buying a single DLC for this game as I am not giving any money to the people that just robbed me of sixty bucks.. besides the fact that this is going to be the very first bioware game I have ever traded back in as of tomorrow morning. Thanks for wasting my time setting yourselves up for another sixty dollar expansion.. With Love, Already Dreaming Of Uncharted 3    … Expand
  18. Digitalkid
    Mar 13, 2011
    5
    Payed 60$ on steam just because of a review, and got what?! DAO was weak enough, but this ...! Simplifying everything to nothing.

    Dialogs reduced to 2-3 phrases, and thats great! Cause world and chars are totally empty. Their acts are so nonlogic and unpredictible, that in a half an hour i was just clicking icons. "Be nice", "be rude". Why DA2 is so gay?! Seriosly, in a few hours 3 f..    Payed 60$ on steam just because of a review, and got what?! DAO was weak enough, but this ...! Simplifying everything to nothing.

    Dialogs reduced to 2-3 phrases, and thats great! Cause world and chars are totally empty. Their acts are so nonlogic and unpredictible, that in a half an hour i was just clicking icons. "Be nice", "be rude". Why DA2 is so gay?! Seriosly, in a few hours 3 f.. proposing "their services" and not even one girl blinking.

    Enemies are just fallin at you from nowhere like in some DMC. Do you need any tactics in chess when opponent can put any figure anywhere he wants?..

    Plot reminded ME2. Just get 50 sovereins (10 companions) to get to the new chapter. And you call that a scenario? Written in 15 minutes?! I dont even know what i'm doing when takin quest in 2 clicks, killing some more enemies, done in 2 clicks. What was is?!

    Locations look like Orzamar entrance. Sooooo lowpoly. No more to say.

    3-4 hours of DA2 was enough. Looks like nothin left of Bioware i ones knew. Bye guys.    … Expand
  19. Jowdet
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    What a horrible game. Bioware dropped the ball on this one, don't waste your money. It's really short - It took me 17 hours to complete, and I wasn't even rushing. Compare that to the original Dragon Age which took me well over 60 hours to complete. Then you have DLC's ready to milk your wallet on the friggin same day as the game was released.

    This sucks. Bioware sucks. EA sucks.
  20. Backintime
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    A pile of ass. Really, why does this exist? Did the demo not tip you off? If you're going to buy it, I probably can't stop you... just be aware that you could buy many better games for the same $60. Also, I paid $60 for a PC game. Brb, shooting self.
  21. Pandabearparade
    Mar 16, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game gets a 0 from me as a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins, which is among my favorite all-time games. As a stand-alone title I would give it a 7, but it isn't a stand-alone title, and it tarnishes a far superior game in its mediocrity.

    Dragon Age 2 gets everything that Origins did right, wrong. The characters are great, but you don't get nearly enough time with them so they feel underdeveloped and rushed. The plot is excellent for the first two acts on the first play through, but the entire narrative falls apart in the third act and on the second play through you realize that you aren't actually being given any choices in the game, merely the illusion of choices. None of your actions affect the outcome of the story, which wouldn't bother me if this wasn't a Bioware game that is sold almost entirely on the story and characters. Worse than that is the fact that your choices in Origins are barely included, and some are completely disregarded. For example, if you kill Leliana or Anders, they both still appear in Dragon Age 2 as if that never happened. The environments are great, until you get to the second act and realize that they are all reused over and over again, so that every cave and dungeon looks exactly the same. This is a common theme in the game as a whole, things are just reused over and over and I guess the developers hoped you wouldn't notice. Items have the same generic names (ring, belt, boots), and vendor items all have the same trash can icon. The music, which at first is excellent, really starts to wear you down when you hear the same repeated 60 second track over and over. Dragon Age 2 was rushed out to capitalize on the success of Dragon Age: Origins. The game does not contain a story that needed to be told for its own sake, it's just a way to milk customers out of money while the franchise still has a lot of momentum. The narrative doesn't have an 'ending' as much as a full stop with no wrap-up, followed by a (metaphorical) "To be continued..."

    If you loved Origins, Dragon Age 2 is going to be a jagged pill to swallow. I'd suggest waiting for an ultimate edition so you at least get the DLC for the same price, because as the game stands right now it isn't even close to worth your 50+ dollars.    … Expand
  22. Paulie_C
    Mar 13, 2011
    2
    I would have given this game 7 or 8/10 if it wasn't called DA2. This is not the sequel the first game deserved and is a traversty to the RPG genre set forth from its predcessor. Having said that, if you ignore the title and assume this game isn't within the DA lineage then it is actually quite entertaining, even though it is a hack & slash 'RPG'.
  23. ZieGentleman
    Mar 10, 2011
    2
    So terribly dissapointed. Don't we have enough watered down mainstream games out there? That might even have been okay if this game was a good mainstream game. But its not. It tries to be a hybrid between an action game like God of war and a classical rpg, and it ends up failing at both. The story is also the worst I have seen from Bioware. The story never picks up a main goal and all youSo terribly dissapointed. Don't we have enough watered down mainstream games out there? That might even have been okay if this game was a good mainstream game. But its not. It tries to be a hybrid between an action game like God of war and a classical rpg, and it ends up failing at both. The story is also the worst I have seen from Bioware. The story never picks up a main goal and all you do ALL game is run around in one city and do quests that all feel like side missions. Suddenly the game ends with a bam and a cliffhanger... Not only that but they reuse every dungeon like 15 times, and there are only like 6-7 small dungeons. Any real rpg elements are taken out, you never even get the opportunity to talk your way out of a fight everyone just charge you. If I want an action rpg I will rather play diablo or titan quest.... this is a bad action rpg and it shames the dragon age franchise. I might be a little harsh, its an okay game, but nothing more... don't expect anything.… Expand
  24. Waterboy2go
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    A far cry from its glistening counterpart. The graphics feel dumbed down and is impossible to not notice all their flaws. The dialogue sounds as if it was written by a fanfic writer, and takes a lot of atmosphere and emotion out of the game. The clunky controls make the game nearly impossible to play. Overall, the game feels very rushed and is more of an open alpha then a genuine release.
  25. Lupus
    Mar 26, 2011
    3
    Bioware itself sets the bar for quality RPG, where the act out role was paramount. Now act out the role can not, in principle, the class character only changes the way of killing meat, not the sollution quests . ring of conversation way interactive system (hello Mass Effect) also does not help back the role. Since by the choice of possible answers, we only permit the tone of theBioware itself sets the bar for quality RPG, where the act out role was paramount. Now act out the role can not, in principle, the class character only changes the way of killing meat, not the sollution quests . ring of conversation way interactive system (hello Mass Effect) also does not help back the role. Since by the choice of possible answers, we only permit the tone of the conversation. (Good-neutral-evil). Sad to see how Bioware rejects all "unnecessary" gameplay elements to please a wide audience. Perhaps if the game was called Adventure not RPG, she would have received a much higher score. If only player would not be bored running around the monotonous dead locations.… Expand
  26. dopigsfly123
    Mar 13, 2011
    5
    While I think the "0" and "1" ratings here are unwarranted and a little unfair (this isn't E.T., people), I do agree that this was a shockingly disappointing game; why Bioware chose to so drastically alter a new, highly successful franchise is beyond me.

    Their mantra while developing this game seems to have been "repetition, repetition, repetition!". Most combats proceed exactly the same    While I think the "0" and "1" ratings here are unwarranted and a little unfair (this isn't E.T., people), I do agree that this was a shockingly disappointing game; why Bioware chose to so drastically alter a new, highly successful franchise is beyond me.

    Their mantra while developing this game seems to have been "repetition, repetition, repetition!". Most combats proceed exactly the same way: random group of enemies encountered - group killed - second wave attacks - group killed - end of encounter. This might not be so bad if the strategies you used to defeat these groups weren't roughly the same every single time. Alas, I found myself mindlessly clicking the same buttons to defeat the same enemies in the same number of waves for the entire duration of the game. The environments are repeatedly re-used as well. Not only do you find yourself returning to the same cave for like five different quests, but that same cave layout is used for other quests as well. Then there's mansion levels, warehouse levels, and city levels; they're all the same. How lazy can Bioware get? You never even get to venture beyond the city of Kirkwall and its four adjoining (repeatedly re-used) environments. That said, the story wasn't terrible (although I don't think it compares well to DA:O). I would argue that the basic mechanics of combat have been improved as well; it's snappier, faster-paced, and generally cooler looking. Unfortunately, they took a great deal of depth out of the game when they "streamlined" (gutted) the abilities and skill trees. The end result is a great looking combat system that is less strategic, less active, and more repetitive than the one in DA:O. They have the framework, but they didn't do anything good with it.    … Expand
  27. Kyreth
    Mar 16, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age 2 seemed like it had a good potential at first, but ultimately feels like a rushed product that didn't receive the care and love it deserves. I wouldn't say I regret the purchase, but it certainly left me a little disappointed and lowered my interest in the franchise.

    But there are some good points buried somewhere in there. The story is decent, albeit predictable, and    Dragon Age 2 seemed like it had a good potential at first, but ultimately feels like a rushed product that didn't receive the care and love it deserves. I wouldn't say I regret the purchase, but it certainly left me a little disappointed and lowered my interest in the franchise.

    But there are some good points buried somewhere in there. The story is decent, albeit predictable, and presented clearly enough that it flows naturally without those "wait, why is this happening?" moments. Voice acting is for the most part remarkable and quite possibly the strongest point of this title, breathing life into our cast of companions. Nothing as memorable as Morrigan's personality, but characters such as Varric make for decent substitutes. Combat, while overall arguably inferior to its predecessor's, is more responsive and abilities more distinct from each other, which is a good thing.

    However, there are more negative points than I'd like to list. Graphics are at best average, with low resolution textures that are very distracting, especially during cutscenes. Areas are reused over and over again (houses, caverns, warehouses) which totally kills the sense of danger, and any motivation you might have had to explore their world. Combat is more focused on killing hordes of weaklings and far too easy, bordering on hack & slash more than a strategy rpg, although some boss battles are interesting. Many fun elements from the first game have been removed (crafting, isometric camera, consumables diversity, companion conversations, etc), further supporting the hack & slash mentality while removing a great deal of depth. Menus design is inconvenient (talents all thrown together, no easy distinction between character-specific, general, unlockables), some informations are on different tabs for no reason (why are resistances shown alone on their own tab again?). At least the in-game UI is decent.

    Long story short, they tried and didn't quite get there. I can only hope they'll be given all the time they need for whatever DA game comes next, instead of getting another rushed one.    … Expand
  28. alexboculon
    Mar 16, 2011
    6
    DA2 is very impressive at first. A huge step up from Origins in terms of graphics and fluidity of the interface, making it much faster paced and exciting to watch. It's really beautifully done. However, the whole idea of a great RPG should be that it's like reading a great story (only better, since there's no reading!), so a great plot is an obvious necessity. Simply put, the plot of DA2DA2 is very impressive at first. A huge step up from Origins in terms of graphics and fluidity of the interface, making it much faster paced and exciting to watch. It's really beautifully done. However, the whole idea of a great RPG should be that it's like reading a great story (only better, since there's no reading!), so a great plot is an obvious necessity. Simply put, the plot of DA2 is boring. .
    In comparison to Origins, everything is on a much smaller scale. Rather than moving across a country to thwart the apocalypse, all you do is move around a city increasing your fame, and putting out minor fires in your personal life and local politics. Sure, the political implications of the characters' actions are sort of interesting, but on a much smaller scale than, say, saving the world. .

    My other complaint is that the setting is so limited. Spending the entire game in one city means they had to reuse the same settings over, and over, and over, and over. And over. I get that it's hard to design maps and textures, and that reusing them somewhat is necessary, but they really went to far with the recycling. We aren't just talking about going back to the market district a few times, or playing through a map once, then revisiting it later under different circumstances (that can even be cool sometimes, like in Origins you revisit a familiar city during a siege and all the familiar sites are burning). We're talking about repeatedly performing "new" missions in the exact same cave, with the exact same rooms, only you're supposed to pretend it's different. "Gee what a coincidence, this is the 8th quest I've been in a cave with a staircase EXACTLY like this one." There are times when they use map layouts designed for the deep roads as if they were sewers beneath the city. COME ON!! :(
    .

    It just feels like they wrote a game with about 10 hours of gameplay worth of plot, then tried to stretch it out with a bunch of filler missions, without drawing up new settings. I'd almost say it feels like an expansion pack in it's laziness, but that would be going too far since the graphics and gameplay engine really is all new. Maybe the best description would be to say this is an all new game, but just a really lazy one. One they wrote half of, got tired, and just threw together some filler in the end to round it out. .

    I won't include any spoilers, but I will say that the game's claim that you rise to power to become the most important character in the world, is ridiculous. More like you rise to power to be "pretty important, I guess."    … Expand
  29. aLIEnreal
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    TDLR: A fun action game, but a sad disappointing follow-up to the rpg masterpiece "DA:O". It should had been named as a dragon age spin-off ( e.g DA: dynasty warrior/legend or something )||||

    DA2 is a fun action oriented "rpg-ish" game which sadly failed as a sequel. Its only redeeming quality is perhaps the revamped combat system which is much more action and "button smashing". The    TDLR: A fun action game, but a sad disappointing follow-up to the rpg masterpiece "DA:O". It should had been named as a dragon age spin-off ( e.g DA: dynasty warrior/legend or something )||||

    DA2 is a fun action oriented "rpg-ish" game which sadly failed as a sequel. Its only redeeming quality is perhaps the revamped combat system which is much more action and "button smashing". The lacklustre plot, the small set of repetitively recycled dungeons/environment/enemies and numerous glitches indicate a rushed unpolished product. The game has a long long list of flaws, but its cardinal sin was the failure develop any semblance of a role playing game. Most quest were simply reduced to a generic formula of "click me ---> teleport there ---> click/kill". The fame choice system of bioware games became a mere selection of your speech tone as opposed to any significant degree of plot branching. The game has simply been reduced to an excuse for button smashing. EA/Bioware should had just brand and market this game off as a dragon game spin off.    … Expand
  30. Yddraiggoch
    Sep 10, 2011
    0
    I'm really not going to waste an awful lot of my time on this. Wasted enough time and money by buying the game in the first place Terrible interface and camera view.
    Dumbed down combat.
    Dumbed down skills system.

    I thought DA:O was as about as low as you can go for "Inclusiveness" - DA2 has shown me how wrong I was!!!! But what do you expect from Electronic Arse and Blow-Ware?
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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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