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. Plautus
    Mar 12, 2011
    6
    Going into this game, I had extremely high hopes, most of which were smashed against the cliffs of mediocrity. Dragon Age II is nothing more than a half-hearted attempt to cash in on the incredible success that was Dragon Age: Origins. That said, the game has both positive and negative features that one must take into account.

    First the negative: Dragon Age II takes place mostly in a    Going into this game, I had extremely high hopes, most of which were smashed against the cliffs of mediocrity. Dragon Age II is nothing more than a half-hearted attempt to cash in on the incredible success that was Dragon Age: Origins. That said, the game has both positive and negative features that one must take into account.

    First the negative: Dragon Age II takes place mostly in a single environment, the city of Kirkwall. Kirkwall is neither attractive nor welcoming in ways Bioware both wanted (art style, ambiance) and ways they most probably did not want (repetitiveness). The set pieces in this game repeat themselves at an unacceptable rate. The combat is more tuned to consoles than to PC gaming, and as a PC gamer, I found this entry in the Dragon Age saga rather boring in terms of combat. While there is blood and gore, it is at a ludicrous level, obviously meant to appeal to the ultra-violence/God of War crowd. What makes combat worse is the fact that enemies spawn in waves, often in absurd quantities, and the player will often have to engage in combat for no reason at all, as mindless thugs will spawn in the streets frequently. If you are a fan of Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins, or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, you will be horribly disappointed by the game's background, writing, and pace as well. Dragon Age II is repetitive in the nature of its quests. There is little gray area to be seen in this game, and such themes as slavery, and "blood magic" (slitting one's wrists to conjure evil spirits or kill people) obviously denote evil, and place a decidedly moralistic overtone on the game. There is also nowhere near enough loot and new equipment to keep the scavenging aspect all-too-crucial to a role playing game interesting. Finally, the whole game is told retrospectively through the narrative of a secondary character, and the plot ends with a massive, pointless cliffhanger. Rather than write a good game with a sense of closure at the end (e.g. DA:O or KOTOR), Bioware has chosen to go the "Halo 2 route" and try to keep us guessing. If only I cared. Now for the good. The combat in this game is, I suppose, rather entertaining for Console players. Despite their repetitiveness, the set pieces are quite pretty. Also, the protagonist, Hawke, actually has a voice, and his dialogue works much like that of Commander Shepard in Mass Effect. Indeed, the lending of a voice to the protagonist actually strengthens this game's otherwise mainly weak narrative. Hawke is a very human character, who is well-acted and who responds believable to situations both grave and light well. On the topic of response, the lip-synch and character design in this game are also fantastic. Each of the game's secondary characters has a unique design, makes them the only visually appealing part of the game. If you wish to know, the secondary characters all have well-written back stories as well, which are actually more interesting than the game's main plot. Other than that, the game is fairly lengthy (my play through lasted about 24 hours) and technically reasonable, meaning that it doesn't crash and lag as much as a game like Fallout: New Vegas.

    In conclusion, Dragon Age II is a decent game. In my opinion, it is nowhere near as bad as other reviewers say it is. Perhaps, they are overreacting because they expected a game closer to the original. Honestly, I was as well. That said, I was able to enjoy this game by putting it aside from Bioware's other work. Such a title is far below their standards; however, it is still a serviceable game and a fairly good adventure yarn. My suggestion is don't bother with the PC version: wait a few months and buy it half-price or rent it for a console. Despite Dragon Age II's myriad flaws, it is still a serviceable game, just not one that is worth sixty dollars.    … Expand
  2. nIMrOD888
    Mar 13, 2011
    6
    An unworthy sequel to a great game. Dragon Age 2 falls short in every single way except the story, that being the story is vastly unrelated to the first game and waits for proper tie in with the expected next sequel. If you were expecting a new game with new innovations then you will be sadly mistaken. If you want closure to stories pertaining to those of Dragon Age Origins/ Awakening thenAn unworthy sequel to a great game. Dragon Age 2 falls short in every single way except the story, that being the story is vastly unrelated to the first game and waits for proper tie in with the expected next sequel. If you were expecting a new game with new innovations then you will be sadly mistaken. If you want closure to stories pertaining to those of Dragon Age Origins/ Awakening then you this will only cause more questions than before. My advice for any dragon age fan is to wait for the next one and then play this, this barely has any purpose as of right now.… Expand
  3. c0mputerus3r
    Aug 26, 2011
    3
    This game probably would have been better if they would have named it Hack and Slash 2. Because if you were expecting any of the greatness of Origins in this game, then dissapointment is all you'll find.
    It really is a comletely different game that happens to have a dragon age theme. This is not an rpg, but an action game. one of the worst aspects is the dialogue which is as unrealistic    This game probably would have been better if they would have named it Hack and Slash 2. Because if you were expecting any of the greatness of Origins in this game, then dissapointment is all you'll find.
    It really is a comletely different game that happens to have a dragon age theme. This is not an rpg, but an action game. one of the worst aspects is the dialogue which is as unrealistic and incoherent as it can be. That's tragic given that what made Origins a masterpiece is the fact the conversations/dialogue brought the characters to life. You could actually connnect to the characters as if they were real people. you could role play. I found myself hating my own character is dragon age 2. not to mention that what you pick on the screen and what your character actually says are two different things. also the fact that your main character speaks for himself doesn't allow you to role play. If you really want a role playing experience get Dragon Age Origins instead. The ultimate edition is 29 dollars on Steam and the game is far better than Dragon Age 2. Orgins is 100 times better for half the price.    … Expand
  4. Ramanujan
    Mar 12, 2011
    5
    A veritable tour de force of mediocrity, corner cutting and action gaming. I struggled to find any semblance of a RPG here. This is BioWare's hero, not mine. I felt as if they were playing the game for me for long periods. Good job too in some respects otherwise I would never have finished it and got at least some value for money. If this game wasn't rushed to hell then Bioware/EA need toA veritable tour de force of mediocrity, corner cutting and action gaming. I struggled to find any semblance of a RPG here. This is BioWare's hero, not mine. I felt as if they were playing the game for me for long periods. Good job too in some respects otherwise I would never have finished it and got at least some value for money. If this game wasn't rushed to hell then Bioware/EA need to start firing people - starting yesterday. Combat bereft of tactics, cave deja vu, camera angles, boring quests - I won't go on repeating what others have said. There were some good moments and this is not a 0/10 game, but neither is it a 10/10. It's definitely not worth paying full price for it - maybe when it's half price you will feel that spending your money was not in vain. My main motivation for signing up and writing this was after reading the Escapists review for this game which is absolutely shameful. Either the reviewer has an IQ slightly above Isabella's chest measurement or it's the other, obvious, less savoury possibility.… Expand
  5. gysa
    Mar 28, 2011
    5
    Quite a disappointment. Stagnant environments are but a tiny issue. While the combat has a decent flow to it, the exploding bodies cheapen the feel of combat after a time. Skill trees and leveling are well done and I didn't mind the unchangeable companion armor as much as I thought I would. The millions of generic rings and self labeled "junk" drops wear on the nerves.Quite a disappointment. Stagnant environments are but a tiny issue. While the combat has a decent flow to it, the exploding bodies cheapen the feel of combat after a time. Skill trees and leveling are well done and I didn't mind the unchangeable companion armor as much as I thought I would. The millions of generic rings and self labeled "junk" drops wear on the nerves. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As far as story goes, Acts 1 and 2 were good enough and pretty enjoyable. When it came to Act 3 (the final), however, the fact that the player's choice is an illusion is made all too clear as one is railroaded down an unchanging series of events. This wouldn't be too bad save for the fact that it almost seems that Act 3 is unfinished, and that the two 'endings' are actually just one ending, stretched to fit two different alignment choices at the end. Because of this, one ending seems blatantly preferable to the other as it's the only one that makes sense. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    PROS
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    * Combat (Characters felt powerful)
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    * Voice Acting (Though voiced protagonist likely limited the storyline)
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    * Act 1, Act 2 are fun enough, if not fleshed out enough to shine
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    * Companions interact with each other in cut scenes and through banter
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    * The story telling method: a reflective narrative that adapts to the player's decisions (however minor they are)
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    /////CONS/////
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    * Character felt less like a 'champion' and more like a footnote in history
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    * Act 3 and its terribly assembled plot/ No satisfying ending
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    * Recycled environments (you will memorize loot spots, etc.)
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    * The game actually feels rushed, spotty, and hollow at points - I don't think anyone would say that this game would not have benefited from more development time. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    * Ridiculous Boss HP - makes some fights more grind than challenge
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    * Economy and crafting are limited and limiting
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    * No background humor, the world and lore are lacking personality (Just copy/pasted from Origins where it isn't bland)
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    * Quests are extremely repetitive
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    * Loot is overly simplistic and "Junk" is a terrible, terrible concept
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    Overall, this game isn't the worst thing in the world, but it falls short in many places. I hope the inevitable sequel can benefit by avoiding the mistakes of Dragon Age II.    … Expand
  6. somathegreat
    Mar 17, 2011
    5
    At first the game is enjoyable, but that turns sour once you complete your 20th or so fetch quest. The game hooks you in and grabs your attention, then your realize you have been in the same damn city/dungeon that you were in for the last five hours. Never have I felt claustrophobic in a video game. This game was rushed and it shows; big-time. In Dragon Age Origins, I felt captivated byAt first the game is enjoyable, but that turns sour once you complete your 20th or so fetch quest. The game hooks you in and grabs your attention, then your realize you have been in the same damn city/dungeon that you were in for the last five hours. Never have I felt claustrophobic in a video game. This game was rushed and it shows; big-time. In Dragon Age Origins, I felt captivated by the unique cities and landscape. In DA2 you feel trapped in a very small sandbox. The combat is improved, but the story, characters, art, lore, and scenerary are all half-assed. I expected better from Bioware, very disappointing.… Expand
  7. Aviod
    Mar 18, 2012
    5
    I am a fan of the DA:O and the expansion Awakenings. I wont go on a hate fest like soo many, I perfered the original dragon ages as they were mainly made for PC and in my opinion better made, You also had different beginnings for different classes which was a plus. I do not mind the gameplay of dragon age 2, or even the graphics. The thing that i really hated on dragon age 2 is the reuse.I am a fan of the DA:O and the expansion Awakenings. I wont go on a hate fest like soo many, I perfered the original dragon ages as they were mainly made for PC and in my opinion better made, You also had different beginnings for different classes which was a plus. I do not mind the gameplay of dragon age 2, or even the graphics. The thing that i really hated on dragon age 2 is the reuse. Basically 1 cave with blocked off areas etc etc and stuck in one town (going out to smallish places) limited the sense of adventure, that is my reason for the low score is because they cheapen out on this game and took a lot of shortcuts, the first made you feel epic, this it was barely on the positive side.… Expand
  8. Syrionn
    Mar 20, 2011
    5
    If you are into putting your money into something that is already horribly overpriced, no closer, a rushed feeling, a console port, and limited decision making when it comes to Bioware games then this is for you. This game is following the ever so trendy genre of a cliffhanger so they can milk the series as much as possible. They are taking a page out of Kotick's book and are wanting toIf you are into putting your money into something that is already horribly overpriced, no closer, a rushed feeling, a console port, and limited decision making when it comes to Bioware games then this is for you. This game is following the ever so trendy genre of a cliffhanger so they can milk the series as much as possible. They are taking a page out of Kotick's book and are wanting to get the most bang for their buck, which makes sense economically, but doesn't make sense when playing the game. Sure the original game had some moments that could be explored in the future but it gave closer to the storyline that it set out to tell. This sequel leaves too much out there and is pretty much if anything a bridge to a next game and isn't a real game itself. DA 2 would have a lot of these issues fixed if it wasn't rushed out. I am again sure it was good for a business stand point but for the player it just feels like a let down from the best RPG makers out there. I remember when games were actually made for the PC instead of us having to deal with an inferior console port. They limited the camera angle on DA2 so you are pigeon holed into playing as the consolers. This might just be an issue for me but eventually I got over it. The reason they said for this is because they didn't want to spend the money on making textures for the drop down camera. When all they really had to do was black out the screen in parts where they needed textures. Lastly I would except a lot more of Bioware from a game. A lot of the storytelling elements just don't make any sense. I am not going to go into any of them and if you want you can go to their forums and read what others are saying. Overall an average game and I have no idea how a score of 8 can be average. Corrupt game reviewers not wanting to give the game a score that it deserves is pathetic.… Expand
  9. Seorl
    Oct 4, 2011
    3
    As a person who absolutely loved games like neverwinter nights and all of its expansions, I naturally fell in love with Dragon Age: Origins. Playing Dragon Age 2 was a massive change of tone from the original to such an extent it doesn't seem similar at all. Massive amounts of functionality and customization were torn from this game when compared to its predecessor. I've tried numerousAs a person who absolutely loved games like neverwinter nights and all of its expansions, I naturally fell in love with Dragon Age: Origins. Playing Dragon Age 2 was a massive change of tone from the original to such an extent it doesn't seem similar at all. Massive amounts of functionality and customization were torn from this game when compared to its predecessor. I've tried numerous times with each class to finish this game, but i inevitably get bored and stop playing after only a few hours. Maybe i had too high of hopes to begin with since Dragon Age: Origins was just so awesome, but I feel now that my money and my time could have been better spent.… Expand
  10. anonVas
    Nov 10, 2011
    4
    To fans of Dragon Age: Origins be warned. This game does NOT do its predecessor justice. The first few hours of the game were fun, I enjoyed the smooth feel of combat and enjoyed Varric's humour very much. However the charm of DA2 wears off after you find yourself completing meaningless quests in the same area you had visited a couple of hours before. Bioware constantly recycle questTo fans of Dragon Age: Origins be warned. This game does NOT do its predecessor justice. The first few hours of the game were fun, I enjoyed the smooth feel of combat and enjoyed Varric's humour very much. However the charm of DA2 wears off after you find yourself completing meaningless quests in the same area you had visited a couple of hours before. Bioware constantly recycle quest environments and have put little effort into making the game as challenging as DA:O. In fact, every fight in the game is the same: You kill one wave of enemies and another instantly appears out of thin air. I am very disappointed in this game and it was no surprise to learn Bioware plans to create Dragon Age 3 by using the best parts of Origins and the best parts of DA2. I'll admit, combat is a major improvement for DA2, but the characters (except Varric) develop weakly. The story could have been soo much better (especially with regards to the Templar v Mages conflict) but it was just poorly executed. If you loved DA:O then heed this warning: The game has clearly been aimed at an audience difference from fans of the original. Do you remember the epic scene of King Cailan at the beginning of DA:O? Do you remember how mad you were at Loghain? You will NEVER feel that affectively connected with any characters in this game. This is a terrible, terrible piece of unimaginative work from Bioware.

    I cannot stress enough how bad it is that they reused the SAME areas over and over again for quests and how enemies materialise out of thin air. If you play on the hardest difficulty the enemies do not get smarter either, they are REALLY stupid.

    If you are about 15-16 or under, are a casual gamer who enjoys a quick 30 minute dip at a game each session, or if you like a quick action-orientated game then I could recommend this title to you. If you prefer detailed storyline, intricate characters, epic storytelling then DO NOT PURCHASE THIS GAME. I don't know how it is getting such rave reviews, but I'd imagine this is coming from its target audience (which is good I guess, considering that is what it was aimed at) but if you loved DA:O NEVER let this game EVER touch your Xbox or PC, EVER! It's quite funny to see how the XboX users found this generally positive than PC users (suggesting a consolified marketplace now).    … Expand
  11. Aemony
    Mar 12, 2011
    5
    The game, while good, doesn't live up to the Dragon Age game, but to the Dragon Effect name. Storywise it's _just_ fine but the rehashes (every area is reused at least 10x somewhere else), lack of dialogue freedom, boring repeated quests, and streamlined plus simplified gameplay elements help bring out the terrible fact for everyone to see. This game is not a sequel to Dragon Age andThe game, while good, doesn't live up to the Dragon Age game, but to the Dragon Effect name. Storywise it's _just_ fine but the rehashes (every area is reused at least 10x somewhere else), lack of dialogue freedom, boring repeated quests, and streamlined plus simplified gameplay elements help bring out the terrible fact for everyone to see. This game is not a sequel to Dragon Age and shouldn't be called DA:II. It's a complete spinoff of the original game and should be treated as such.

    While good enough on its own two feet the game is brought down by sharing the title of the best RPG of the former decade. If you, as like others, are intent on enjoying the game then do not go into it with DA:O fresh in your mind. It will shatter your every expectation and leave you numb from the betrayal of BioWare.    … Expand
  12. JustAGamer
    Mar 20, 2011
    5
    First of all: in my 20 years of C-RPG experience I've never written a game review before because I've never felt the need for it (by the way: apologies for my bad English, I'm not a native speaker). With Drageon Age 2 I believe a worrying tendency emerges I have to adress: short development periods (18 month for DA2), incomplete game world and story, simplistic gameplay to broaden theFirst of all: in my 20 years of C-RPG experience I've never written a game review before because I've never felt the need for it (by the way: apologies for my bad English, I'm not a native speaker). With Drageon Age 2 I believe a worrying tendency emerges I have to adress: short development periods (18 month for DA2), incomplete game world and story, simplistic gameplay to broaden the audience, demanding full prize while preparing DLCs that shall fill in the remaining gaps. Bioware was once regarded as "the bringer of rain" after a drought in the genre of RPGs (for the PC). But now they could play the opposite role: if they are the most prominent agents of the genre (besides Bethesda) and their games are setting trends, then other companies will follow their example, if they haven't already. To be more detailed I'll point out aspects that annoyed me the most: Game World:
    - The most insolent re-use in an state-of-the-art RPG I've seen so far: dozens of times you walk through levels which are IDENTICAL, and I mean identical. Every corner, texture, modell, architecture, lighting etc. are exactly the same, just with another label (for example "cave xyz" instead of "cave abc").
    - The main game world consists of just 15 to 20 small or very small locations in a city (small means an area which takes 20 seconds to 60 seconds to cross, very small means a simple flat)
    - There are no (more or less) diversified regions like snowy mountains, deserts, jungle, forest, real dungeons, castles, other towns etc., just this one city and three outer regions that are not noteworthy
    - The few existing places look sterile and somehow empty although there are a few people standing around, but they are just copies doing nothing. There are no animals, no interesting props, no interesting architecture, no waving foliage, no sounds of wind, loud chatter etc.
    - Most of the levels are extremely tubular: just one way, no possibility for exploration. If you use such level design, you should use it for thrilling script events like in COD to propell the storytelling, but that's not the case for DA2. A proper game world would have been to expensive...

    Gameplay:
    - 90% of gameplay consists of running and killing: go to place X, kill everyone, talk to person Y to have a reason for killing and then go to place Z and kill everyone. Most of the time there are no alternative ways to solve problems (the only exceptions are found in dialogues with companions). But hey: that's what's the world about, ain't it?
    - There are no possible interactions with the environment, just run, fight, talk, (rudimental) barter. No environmental riddles, no forging, no eating, no sleeping, etc. Would be to complex, eh?

    Items and Inventory:
    - Companions can't be equipped with armor, just with a weapon, a ring, a belt and an amulet. Would be to complex...
    - In the inventory and shops items look absolutely uninteresting and the same: each type of item has the SAME grey and white icon, for example the same symbol for a sword. The only difference are the values of the item. To much effort giving them a distinguishable look?
    - Most of the time the few items you can purchase outvalue the few items you find in your travels
    - There are no real item sets or unique items
    - Why does a plate armor take exactly the same space / weight in inventory (= 1 Slot) as a ring or an amulet (= 1 Slot)? Too much to think about?

    Combat:
    - Remember, you have to fight and fight and fight, and sometimes to fight, but don't worry: there isn't much to do, sit back and watch, no tactics needed (you could raise the difficulty but that just means opponents don't take as much damage and hit you harder).
    - No overview allowed: forget Dragon Age Origins or Baldur's Gate, not immersive enough, has to be a close look over the should like Mass Effect 2 or say COD!? Another "advantage": the game world seems to be larger than it is.
    - In many fights there are up to four or five waves of the same opponents like in good old arcade gaming. That's a challenge RPG-players really like. - If a fight ends successfully health, mana and stamina of all your companions are restored instantly. No need for rest, healing etc.... Waste of time, there are more interesting fights waiting 10 yards ahead.
    - Ammunition is for prigs: arrows and bolts are created the moment they are shoot, no buying needed.

    Dramaturgy:
    - The backgrounds and dialogues preceding and following missions are of high quality, BUT what about a larger conflict, to what end am I killing hordes of idiots? Is there any greater inner or outer threat than a killer whom the player seeks to kill? The Qunari are a threat, for twenty minutes of gameplay. Templar and Magicians don't like each other and there's a fight, but that's it. No threat and no thread. Calling Hawke "Champion" is an exaggeration to cover that he hasn't achieved much. The whole game is "unepic" and seems to be a chapter of an epic game.    … Expand
  13. drakkoone
    Mar 19, 2011
    3
    Origin was not perfect, but it was a good game. Here, on DA2, every aspect of the game is a downgrade. No more strategic battle, no armors for companions in inventory, no crafting (NPCs make it for you), no dialogue skills like persuasion or intimidation (you can ask a companion to interfere in conversation, but it's an automatic succes). This game is a waste, and I'm worried about Mass Effect 3.
  14. PlacidDragon
    Mar 12, 2011
    4
    Shortly summed up, i thought DA2 was awful.

    To go a little more indepth, Bioware has done away with things like companion equipment (apart from accessories), changed the camera to an "up your butt" forced view, and max zoomout isnt far at all, its extremely difficult to see much if you are playing a ranged character (like a mage). To top the insult off, they have introduced spawning    Shortly summed up, i thought DA2 was awful.

    To go a little more indepth, Bioware has done away with things like companion equipment (apart from accessories), changed the camera to an "up your butt" forced view, and max zoomout isnt far at all, its extremely difficult to see much if you are playing a ranged character (like a mage).

    To top the insult off, they have introduced spawning waves of enemies, and lots of "flashy" deathmoves with gore whipping all over the place. This has a lot more in common with an action game than it does a role playing game. Definitely the low point of Bioware's career :/    … Expand
  15. gulgamesh
    Mar 14, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age 2 is a step backwards in many ways from Dragon Age: Origins. DA:O was supposedly the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate and while it fell short of that lofty goal, it did manage to be a great step in the right direction and a great first entry for a new RPG franchise. A sequel merely needed to build upon that success by giving the fans more of the same with a new story to sinkDragon Age 2 is a step backwards in many ways from Dragon Age: Origins. DA:O was supposedly the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate and while it fell short of that lofty goal, it did manage to be a great step in the right direction and a great first entry for a new RPG franchise. A sequel merely needed to build upon that success by giving the fans more of the same with a new story to sink their teeth into. Sadly DA2 fails to do this. Many of the great features of the original have been removed. The origins choice and playthrough at the start where a race/class is chosen and it affects the character entirely, has been removed. Full dialogue options have been removed in favour of a simple good/bad/neutral choice. Combat has been made very simple and less tactical. The overhead camera has been removed.

    It has the better graphics that we would expect from a sequel but the substance and the depth and richness that would have been needed to cement this is as a great RPG franchise have been forgotten in favour of flashier animations, extra voice acting and simpler gameplay to appeal to a mass market.

    This is bad enough but the game was also rushed. The environments are recyled to a very noticeable extent that ruins immersion and the gameplay feels linear in comparison to better rpgs.

    I do not know if it is possible in the modern gaming market to produce something with love and care like BG was but Bioware, if you are listening - please go back to your roots and make a TRUE baldur's gate successor! Or at the very least make sure that Dragon Age 3 is more like it's origins.    … Expand
  16. not_good
    Mar 16, 2011
    3
    Alright, so I finished this, and while it may have been a good stand alone game from a lesser known developer, this is not a $60 epic from a critically acclaimed company that we were promised.
  17. garhent
    Mar 12, 2011
    6
    Do not pre-order anymore Bioware Games, I repeat, do not pre-order. Next, look at the gaming sites that advertise Bioware titles, you will notice they are also the ones that tend to satirize a bad game, ie Penny Arcade. Frankly, its a good thing Bioware worked with Penny Arcade before the game was released, because I have a feeling the guys at Penny Arcade would skewer the game.

    The    Do not pre-order anymore Bioware Games, I repeat, do not pre-order. Next, look at the gaming sites that advertise Bioware titles, you will notice they are also the ones that tend to satirize a bad game, ie Penny Arcade. Frankly, its a good thing Bioware worked with Penny Arcade before the game was released, because I have a feeling the guys at Penny Arcade would skewer the game.

    The problem I have is I don't think they actually play tested the game at all. Play on Nightmare mode as a mage and then try to get through intro, try it just try it. They've nerfed healing to the point where its Fecking useless. They put in a cool down on healing potions so can't use them when you need to use them now there is a shared timer. The AI is horrible, you turn off tactics and your fecking tanks run out of cover to get hit by crossbowmen.

    I truly hate Bioware now for this game. The positive non game player reviews of this game is crap, they damn well aren't from fans. If I have anything to tell Bioware it is this:

    1st) Fix TACTICS, give a switch to turn it OFF or ON without having to individually turn off a tactic per player
    2nd) When I don't give a character an order, they should damn well stay put and not rush into a fire of ranged fire
    3rd) Give me the DLC that I paid for at the beginning of the game, don't make me run all over the place trying to find it
    4th) Do actual play testing. I am your market, you took a fan boy who buys all of your products and turned him into someone who will NEVER PREORDER FROM BIOWARE AGAIN IN ONE GAME. Did you actually have people play the intro and see what they thought
    5th) Play test all of the difficulty levels ALL. Nightmare should be beatable by someone who is highly familiar with Bioware and understand the basics, but OH F no, you guys couldn't do that could you.

    You get a 0 from me on this game. Read the reviews here from other posters and release a patch to fix the troubles or you are going to have an Elemental on your hands and destroy your Brand Name.    … Expand
  18. Teaser38
    Mar 11, 2011
    5
    Do not buy this game, yet wait until the GOTY or Ultimate or whatever crap the put out with ALL the DLC. You can especially tell it was rushed because the music was all from the original and the demons were just ported from the first and no Genlocks!. Many locations were simply copy and paste. While I can see the simplified inventory, combat felt stilted rather than simplified and hadDo not buy this game, yet wait until the GOTY or Ultimate or whatever crap the put out with ALL the DLC. You can especially tell it was rushed because the music was all from the original and the demons were just ported from the first and no Genlocks!. Many locations were simply copy and paste. While I can see the simplified inventory, combat felt stilted rather than simplified and had obvious bugs. I am very disappointed in Bioware. This is all too bad because I did find the story and the characters interesting.… Expand
  19. hello4
    Jul 19, 2012
    1
    After playing dragon age 2 I can't help but feeling a bit cheated.Not many games including skyrim can beat dragon age origins but it's the matter in which da2 failed that upsets me. The emotional attachment to characters compared to da:O is non existent,the storyline in my view is boring and the setting of the game leaves further disappointment.Background after background is overused andAfter playing dragon age 2 I can't help but feeling a bit cheated.Not many games including skyrim can beat dragon age origins but it's the matter in which da2 failed that upsets me. The emotional attachment to characters compared to da:O is non existent,the storyline in my view is boring and the setting of the game leaves further disappointment.Background after background is overused and predictable enemy spawning causes frustration.The first game in my view is bigger in size better in quality and nearly has more depth of story in the intros combined than all of da2Don't buy this game you'll regret it.… Expand
  20. Th3laugh1ngman
    Mar 8, 2011
    4
    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. Unless you're on hard    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. Unless you're on hard mode, there is nothing to discuss as far as combat goes, you may as well be watching a film.
    For which matter, the story is far, far below Bioware's standards. Ploddingly written with a conversation wheel that not only dumbs down decisions to their smallest parts with "GOOD BAD SILLY"~esque replies, but are poorly written as they are. Voice acting is a nice touch, however, though it's frequently done without emotion. I'd like to write more on the game, but after a mere few hours with it I honestly have no drive to play it any more. That didn't happen until Orzammar with DA:O.
    Graphics are an utter trainwreck. I'm not even going to go into this. Game outright bugs out, runs horribly or doesn't run at all, despite looking awful WITH an optional HD fix. Utterly pathetic showing on PC.
    If you want the game, do not buy it now. Wait for a sale or a GOTY version with a reduced pricetag. Putting out a game that's blatantly this unfinished and rushed in a year that has many, many blockbuster titles that look stellar is quite frankly a ludicrious move, and Bioware have proven in the past that they are better than this tripe.    … Expand
  21. jazzbrownie
    Apr 7, 2011
    0
    This is an incredibly disappointing game. The story isn't told very well, combat no longer requires much thought (nor enjoyment), and exploration isn't an option. When i played DA:O, I would have moments in which I would have to put down the controller and seriously think about the decisions that I made for my character and his companions. It challenged my values (albeit in a very smallThis is an incredibly disappointing game. The story isn't told very well, combat no longer requires much thought (nor enjoyment), and exploration isn't an option. When i played DA:O, I would have moments in which I would have to put down the controller and seriously think about the decisions that I made for my character and his companions. It challenged my values (albeit in a very small and easy to forget way). I didn't have one such moment in the entirety of DA2. Also, as others have voiced, playing through the same few and recycled dungeons was tiresome.… Expand
  22. Ashin
    Mar 14, 2011
    2
    A step back in every respect from Origins, if you enjoyed Origins, don't expect to enjoy this, it caters for a low tier of gamers, one day DLC is another slap in the face from a money grabbing company.
  23. laek
    Mar 11, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age: Origins was like a father, whom you haven't seen for 10 years, returning home one day, apologizing for his absence, bearing gifts, telling you many stories, resulting in the two of you bonding and having a good time. All is well until he mysteriously disappears again and turns up 1 year later as Dragon Age II, an abusive, burnt-out junky with only one thing on his mind: domestic abuse.
  24. Torashuu
    Mar 14, 2011
    3
    The game is decidely rushed as is apparent in repettitive scenery and combat, poorly fleshed out narrative with stereotypical characterization. It is basically the anti-thesis of what one expects from high quality RPG's from the company that used to set the bar themselves. Not only does the game itself have little merrit, the name behind it makes it all the more tragic. Poor show Bioware,The game is decidely rushed as is apparent in repettitive scenery and combat, poorly fleshed out narrative with stereotypical characterization. It is basically the anti-thesis of what one expects from high quality RPG's from the company that used to set the bar themselves. Not only does the game itself have little merrit, the name behind it makes it all the more tragic. Poor show Bioware, really hope you can step up your game.… Expand
  25. Zeliath
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    Disappointing is all I can say to sum my experience with Dragon Age 2. For fans returning to the series be prepared for a shock because this is nothing like the Dragon Age Origins game you know and love.

    There are quiet a few detrimental cutbacks that cripple the enjoyment of the game. The first is the storyline which is in three sequential acts and made up of many uninteresting    Disappointing is all I can say to sum my experience with Dragon Age 2. For fans returning to the series be prepared for a shock because this is nothing like the Dragon Age Origins game you know and love.

    There are quiet a few detrimental cutbacks that cripple the enjoyment of the game. The first is the storyline which is in three sequential acts and made up of many uninteresting sidequests, there is no longer any main goal or purpose to the story which paints Hawke as less of a hero and more of a skilled warrior that people dump their problems on .

    The next flaw is that your adventure will most of the time will be spent in one city: Kirkwall. There is no spirit of adventure in Dragon Age 2 as you will see the same environments over and over again, which leads to the next point of the recycling of maps. I have never seen an rpg company worth its salt recycle maps to this extent, you will encounter the exact same maps with maybe a few doors locked or if in a cave a boulder in the way of some routes to change it up, but essentially it is the same map you saw maybe ten minutes ago. The next flaw is interaction, in Dragon Age 2 you no longer have the flexibility to say what you want as you had in Origins. You have three choices main choices most of the time which are peaceful, funny and aggressive, this leads to the same problems which were sometimes present in Mass Effect where you pick an option and your character says something you didn't want.

    Another major flaw which really kills it for me is the lack of customisation, you have a few options to customise your character and you can change up his equipment, however party member clothes cannot be changed unless upgraded in a sequential and rigid fashion as well as having some equipment only a specific character can equip. There are quite a few other flaws but I would be typing the list out all day. In summary this is a very disappointing sequel from Bioware, I wouldn't even expect this standard from some other rpg developers. If you're on the fence about buying Dragon Age 2 save your money there are so many better rpgs out there.    … Expand
  26. Azoteh
    Mar 14, 2011
    4
    It isn't Dragon Age 2. Where is the spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate?? If they had call it otherwise might be a good Action-Rpg but not at the expense of destroying his own saga.
  27. onward1614
    Mar 12, 2011
    3
    Only went half through the game and already lost interest. Can't believe this game comes from bioware and is entitled "DA". The plot is not even decent, and all dialogues are plain & boring. Staring to worry the trend bioware is adopting and the future of DA series.
  28. crogue
    Mar 20, 2011
    4
    Generally a very bland and disappointing experience versus other "RPGs" and especially vs its legacy. This game is a linear shooter, barely an RPG and only very distantly related to the first game, Dragon Age Origins, a very strong traditional CRPG. It basically feels like a completely separate team was told to build a console shooter based in the Dragon Age universe. At its core DA2 aGenerally a very bland and disappointing experience versus other "RPGs" and especially vs its legacy. This game is a linear shooter, barely an RPG and only very distantly related to the first game, Dragon Age Origins, a very strong traditional CRPG. It basically feels like a completely separate team was told to build a console shooter based in the Dragon Age universe. At its core DA2 a very simple refined shooter: 1) you run from nondescript environment to the next, 2) spamming AOE attacks to deal with the same waves of enemies, and 3) running circles around tedious boss fights. This is not however an RPG by any stretch: 1) the story is almost non-existent (I'm in Act 2 and no clue), 2) there is no character development, 3) the skill trees are there, but given how streamlined combat is, there is no strategy involved, 4) only the main character inventory can be changed (other than weapons) limited. In summary: Overall: 4 (Gameplay: 5, Story: 3, Graphics/Sound: 6, Fun: 2). Replay value: 0… Expand
  29. Tig
    Mar 19, 2011
    2
    In short, waste of time and money. This game has no strong points whatsoever. Graphics is bland, environment is the same everywhere, at first interior of some houses looks nice but it becomes tedious cos you run through the same looking rooms over and over again (~20 or so times, not kidding). Dialogues are dumb and options you chose rarely change outcome. Quests are the worst I have everIn short, waste of time and money. This game has no strong points whatsoever. Graphics is bland, environment is the same everywhere, at first interior of some houses looks nice but it becomes tedious cos you run through the same looking rooms over and over again (~20 or so times, not kidding). Dialogues are dumb and options you chose rarely change outcome. Quests are the worst I have ever seen in a RPG. Even free to play MMORPGs have better quests than DA2. Battles are nice till you notice that mobs spawn like in some arcade game... You won't have to control your companions so tactics is pretty much gone. They had to stick with Hawke and ditch other 3 party members from the game entirely. Action game fans would have loved that even more! So yeah very bad game, Sadly It has way more weak points than I've mentioned in this review...… Expand
  30. Fulminatrix
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    This game is awful parody of the first game. The depth of my dissapointment is very big. I feel like I was robbed. Seriously the wrote "Dragon Age" on the box which contains absolutely different game. Not RPG even. And Metacritic score is now compromised for me. It doesn't correlate to reality.
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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

All reviews »
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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