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. UndercoverJack
    Jul 15, 2011
    6
    The pros: Combat is fun. The graphics are better. The companion approval/disapproval system is better. Music is decent, voice acting is mostly excellent.

    The cons: The story is very very disjointed, there is no sense of direction. You cannot talk to your companions whenever. The interface is ugly. Voiced protagonist. Waves and waves of enemies which fall out of the sky and explode at the    The pros: Combat is fun. The graphics are better. The companion approval/disapproval system is better. Music is decent, voice acting is mostly excellent.

    The cons: The story is very very disjointed, there is no sense of direction. You cannot talk to your companions whenever. The interface is ugly. Voiced protagonist. Waves and waves of enemies which fall out of the sky and explode at the slightest touch. Whole game is in 1 small city. Extremely repetitive, boring quests. Underwhelming ending. Overall: Disappointing. Could have been so much better. It is still fun though, and if you're curious about the world of Thedas, then get it for that reason at least. But don't expect more Origins. This is a very different kind of game.    … Expand
  2. tomasdee
    Jun 19, 2011
    0
    awful story / awfully repetitive --> very disapointing.
    It felt like they spent more time on the cut scenes than that actually did on the game content. I didn't mind the combat system so much but the whole effort to complete the game just felt pretty pointless. I"m still a little puzzled at the choice of plot line - in the end there was really no sense of 'satisfaction' at completing the    awful story / awfully repetitive --> very disapointing.
    It felt like they spent more time on the cut scenes than that actually did on the game content. I didn't mind the combat system so much but the whole effort to complete the game just felt pretty pointless. I"m still a little puzzled at the choice of plot line - in the end there was really no sense of 'satisfaction' at completing the game. Certainly not worth a replay IMO.    … Expand
  3. DanMan3395
    Jan 8, 2013
    0
    This game is an abortion. EA was pregnant with a beautiful baby Dragon Age but they took the drug called "Console" and aborted the sweet baby all over the floor. Everything about this game is inferior to DA:O. There is like 1 dungeon graphic, 1 world graphic, the classes all suck, the magic system sucks. 2 armor graphics and 2 weapon graphics. This is EA and what you should expect from EA.This game is an abortion. EA was pregnant with a beautiful baby Dragon Age but they took the drug called "Console" and aborted the sweet baby all over the floor. Everything about this game is inferior to DA:O. There is like 1 dungeon graphic, 1 world graphic, the classes all suck, the magic system sucks. 2 armor graphics and 2 weapon graphics. This is EA and what you should expect from EA. Pure Abortions.… Expand
  4. CRIPLEDPRIEST
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    absolute retardation i have not played a game so stupid in my life and i have played many stupid games
    i felt physically sick looking at the production quality and the content of this shambled together goblin stilbirth frankenstein
  5. Khaos25
    Apr 17, 2013
    0
    Dragon Age II marks the beginning of the downfall of BioWare and the ever-rising scourge which is EA. Make no mistake, DA2 would be a good game (decent) on its own. But when you're a sequel to what is probably one of the greatest medieval RPGs of all time, you have a lot to live up to. Sadly, DA2 doesn't. Not even a little bit. Repetitive dungeons, lousy gameplay, dull characters, plotDragon Age II marks the beginning of the downfall of BioWare and the ever-rising scourge which is EA. Make no mistake, DA2 would be a good game (decent) on its own. But when you're a sequel to what is probably one of the greatest medieval RPGs of all time, you have a lot to live up to. Sadly, DA2 doesn't. Not even a little bit. Repetitive dungeons, lousy gameplay, dull characters, plot holes and so many more. Its literally a blight on gaming. Origins was the first ever medieval style game I actually finished. I wanted to get off this game a few minutes into the actual gameplay. It WAS that bad. I could go on forever but I feel like I'm gonna waste my time doing so cause you all know the drill anyway. The worst part is IF DA3 turns out good, I would have to finish this sad, sad game in order to play through the whole series properly. But somehow, I fear EA has more nasty things up their sleeves.… Expand
  6. Legionator
    Apr 2, 2012
    0
    Maybe the greatest disappointment of the RPG history. Everything that makes Dragon Age: Origins is either watered down or removed. Dialogue system, skills&attributes, inventory, ui, camera, art style, graphics are terrible. Combat is boring, meaningless, mindless. The only good thing about this game is that it can use to understand which critics are honest and which critics are lapdogs of EA.
  7. kwopper
    Jan 11, 2013
    0
    I honestly didn't even play through this game halfway. Dragon age 2 has none of the strategy, customization, or gameplay the original dragon age, or any bioware rpg has. They dumbed down everything . This game might as well have been a fps except with fireballs and swords.
  8. RoboticDevice
    Jul 19, 2012
    2
    For those of you wondering whether or not Dragon Age 2's combat is different from Dragon Age Origins, it is. In Dragon age origins, the combat took timing, it took skill, thought and effort. You had to plan out everything you wanted to do, and it was great. Because if you didn't, you had a high chance of failure. you actually had to think, you had to work, and you had to comply with realFor those of you wondering whether or not Dragon Age 2's combat is different from Dragon Age Origins, it is. In Dragon age origins, the combat took timing, it took skill, thought and effort. You had to plan out everything you wanted to do, and it was great. Because if you didn't, you had a high chance of failure. you actually had to think, you had to work, and you had to comply with real terms of combat. In Dragon Age 2, it's completely different. If you want to win nearly ANY battle, including against dragons, all you have to do is spam the attack button and you will. I cannot tell you how many times I attempted to make it harder on myself just to make it feel like a real game. I attempted to limit my attacks per second, I changed the difficulties to harder, even so, I still won every single battle with ease because of the X button. I have an Xbox remote, during a few fights I just took it downstairs while spamming the X button, made myself a sandwich, came back up, stopped in the bathroom a few times, and came back to see not only me still alive, but everyone else dead because I had killed them. It was that simple. There is no justice in combat for this. However, I give it a 3, simply because of the fact that the campaign and story line do make some sense, they just barely follow Origins, but even so, I highly recommend you put it back on the shelf and run. This teaches kids that when they're in real world situations, all they have to do is spam the button. That's how I got my first girlfriend, ironically, but that's beside the point. Please don't buy this.… Expand
  9. Aeryx
    Jan 19, 2013
    4
    As a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins this game was a big disappointment. You can tell this game was rushed like crazy with the ridiculous number of recycled dungeons, enemies, and graphic tilesets. This should have been a great game but instead fell victim to EA's ongoing overhype-and-overrush-quality-be-damned business strategy at making new games. The fact that most critics gave this gameAs a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins this game was a big disappointment. You can tell this game was rushed like crazy with the ridiculous number of recycled dungeons, enemies, and graphic tilesets. This should have been a great game but instead fell victim to EA's ongoing overhype-and-overrush-quality-be-damned business strategy at making new games. The fact that most critics gave this game a 90+ score just shows how lacking in integrity game journalists are.… Expand
  10. iseeall
    Jul 26, 2013
    4
    Dropped it after reaching the first city. The plot is alwful. There is just nothing to do there. You take a pointless role of a bounty hunter and are told to go some place to grab some riches. Well, I don't find it motivating enough. There was no feeling of story at all.
  11. ActionBastard
    Jan 14, 2013
    3
    This game, despite being somewhere between resoundingly mediocre and offal, was foisted onto the gaming community by a clueless industry and corrupt, bribe-accepting "journalists." If you like RPGS, don't play this. If you believe in journalistic integrity, don't play this. If you like video games and want the industry to improve, don't play this. I'll give this game a 3, because it'sThis game, despite being somewhere between resoundingly mediocre and offal, was foisted onto the gaming community by a clueless industry and corrupt, bribe-accepting "journalists." If you like RPGS, don't play this. If you believe in journalistic integrity, don't play this. If you like video games and want the industry to improve, don't play this. I'll give this game a 3, because it's prequel was excellent and it held much (squandered) potential.… Expand
  12. Jaz
    Feb 23, 2013
    4
    For the original Dragon Age i wrote: Very immersing story, believable world, interesting NPCs, fun and demanding combat. Well, Dragon Age 2 has nothing of those.
  13. Razark9
    May 25, 2013
    3
    Oh.. My.. God... EA ruined this game. Battles were way too easy. The story was boring and I felt almost claustrophobic inside the city of Kirkwall. Every cave looked exactly the same..
  14. Vamrem
    Nov 22, 2014
    0
    I've just finished the review of Dragon Age Origins and this is the opposite in any possible way. While DA:O is the succession of the gameplay from Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, DA2 is more like a "social experiment" to test the players reaction at an "hybrid" of PC and Console gameplay, the result is that all console players love (when they hated DA:O isometric camera), and all PCI've just finished the review of Dragon Age Origins and this is the opposite in any possible way. While DA:O is the succession of the gameplay from Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, DA2 is more like a "social experiment" to test the players reaction at an "hybrid" of PC and Console gameplay, the result is that all console players love (when they hated DA:O isometric camera), and all PC players feels an empty gameplay totally focused to action and combos, it is the same what "build" you have because combos does more damage than skills. I will be clear: this IS a bad game, incomplete, invisible corridors, repetitive, recycle of scenarios, etc, but could be more close to be "digestible" as a "spin-off" in the saga, but that "2" ruined the saga irremediably, now we have to play Dragon Age: Inquisition with shame. And why? Because Bioware wanted to earn a handful of bills more...… Expand
  15. pinkytwist
    Jun 19, 2015
    8
    I don't get all the bad reviews for this game. True, the recycled environments are a big negative but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story and the characters, which is always what I look for on a Dragon Age game. I really enjoyed playing as Hawke, I love that she had a personality, a background, family and the companions actually feel like her friends, unlike the Inquisitor in DAI. II don't get all the bad reviews for this game. True, the recycled environments are a big negative but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story and the characters, which is always what I look for on a Dragon Age game. I really enjoyed playing as Hawke, I love that she had a personality, a background, family and the companions actually feel like her friends, unlike the Inquisitor in DAI. I also liked all the little sidequests with interesting NPCs and stories and the fact that they all had cutscenes which makes things feel more personal. And again, unlike DAI.… Expand
  16. Azazelll
    Jul 14, 2016
    10
    After Dragon Age Inquisition I realized that Dragon age 2 is very good game. Arcade combat system, a lot of simplification of gameplay, but it is still the era of the dragon, dark, cruel, merciless. In contrast to the anime about a hero with a magic hand.
  17. Jtpaldemar
    Jan 29, 2016
    0
    The first Dragon Age is one of the best RPG game made since Baldur's gate series, Dragon Age II is a very good game...for the first 20 minutes. I give to this game 0 because it is an insult to his predecessor: recycled areas everywhere, enemies spawn everywhere without any logic, the interface sucks and there is only one good fight in all the game. This game really disappointed me.
  18. Burkendah
    Feb 29, 2012
    5
    Compared to most other games Dragon Age 2 really isn't that bad with a decent story and overall good combat but unfortunately for Dragon Age 2 it stands in the shadow of dragon age: Origins and almost all rpg games (except for a select few) pale in comparison to dragon age: origins. People hoped for another game as equal in greatness as it's predecessor and were greatly disappointed. ICompared to most other games Dragon Age 2 really isn't that bad with a decent story and overall good combat but unfortunately for Dragon Age 2 it stands in the shadow of dragon age: Origins and almost all rpg games (except for a select few) pale in comparison to dragon age: origins. People hoped for another game as equal in greatness as it's predecessor and were greatly disappointed. I hope this doesn't discourage the game developers from developing dragon age 3.… Expand
  19. Pandafrag
    Jun 3, 2012
    6
    I personally love the new combat, but everything else was dull. Dragon Age Origins was a plot driven game and the story for DA2 felt very weak and dull. DAO also had vast varieties of places to explore but the island centric game felt too confiding. Character development for your companions are boring and you never really "care" for any of them.
  20. Nataraja
    May 31, 2013
    5
    To put it simply this is a total let down after the fantastic first game. I was able to play it all the way through once but had no desire to play it again, It was helped greatly by the post launch day patch but it took them several days to bring that online.

    It certainly is not the worst game I have played but it was by far the WORST that Bioware ever produced and it shows that the    To put it simply this is a total let down after the fantastic first game. I was able to play it all the way through once but had no desire to play it again, It was helped greatly by the post launch day patch but it took them several days to bring that online.

    It certainly is not the worst game I have played but it was by far the WORST that Bioware ever produced and it shows that the change to EA was NOT good at ALL for Bioware    … Expand
  21. Brenden7
    May 6, 2013
    6
    I was thoroughly heart-broken after playing this game. Most of what I had loved from the original game was stripped. The approach of having a "framed narrative" was interesting but I feel that the story just did not deliver (I had to ask myself midway through Act 2 what was my purpose for continuing) and it was certainly not of Bioware calibare. The characters were almost one dimensionalI was thoroughly heart-broken after playing this game. Most of what I had loved from the original game was stripped. The approach of having a "framed narrative" was interesting but I feel that the story just did not deliver (I had to ask myself midway through Act 2 what was my purpose for continuing) and it was certainly not of Bioware calibare. The characters were almost one dimensional with a particular elf who would not look out of place in Stephanie Meyer book. The recycled areas quickly got boring and the gamed ceased being an adventure. But most of all I hated the combat: enemys that explode as if they were made of of balloons filled with cranberry juice; endless waves of trash mobs which seems as a vain attempt to make the game feel longer; bosses battled that bordered on ridiculous (*ahem* Meredith and Corpyheus).

    In the end this game didn't not feel like Dragon Age I will admit in conclusion that there are worse games out there but certainly Bioware is better than this rushed mess. I hope for better in the third installment; having played The Witcher 2 and Tomb Raider the bar is set pretty high now.    … Expand
  22. gloriouspotato
    Oct 5, 2015
    7
    It appears that I don't share the intense vitriol some of the people here have about this game. Dragon Age 2 is not deserving of all the zeroes and ones, but it's hardly a great game either.

    Like many others, I echo how unfortunate and rushed the recycled environments are. It is mainly because of this that gameplay becomes progressively more and more tedious, made worse by the awful    It appears that I don't share the intense vitriol some of the people here have about this game. Dragon Age 2 is not deserving of all the zeroes and ones, but it's hardly a great game either.

    Like many others, I echo how unfortunate and rushed the recycled environments are. It is mainly because of this that gameplay becomes progressively more and more tedious, made worse by the awful amount of backtracking in this game.

    The combat system is a mixed bag. On one hand, I actually liked the faster pace and more flashy animations. It made combat feel much more fluid. However, a noticeable portion of the game's tactical depth is lost by respawning enemies.

    The lack of customization for companion armor was criticized by many, so I think I'm in the minority when I say that I applaud the fact that characters have a distinct outfit that lasts throughout the game. In a sense, it helps to reaffirm the characterisation that Bioware had intended.

    I think I'm in an even smaller minority when I say that i think your companions receive quite a lot of attention in this game, dare I say even more so than in Origins. This is mostly because the game makes it quite apparent when companions have something to say by giving you companion quests. They also have significantly lengthier and more in depth background stories which I enjoyed thoroughly. The writing is also very decent, just as strong as it was in Origins, snarky Hawke simply never gets old.

    To conclude, an obviously flawed game but i still managed to find it at least semi-decent.

    Overall rating: 7.2/10    … Expand
  23. Kyniaz
    Jan 5, 2018
    7
    This game had so much potential , but it was unfinished at release, the story, the UI, the environment, the levels were clearly unpolished.
    But it was fun for the most part, the combat despite less tactic than the first was frenetic and good, despite the enemies spawning mostly behind your unprotected mage and killing him a lot of times, some of the quests were memorable and i still    This game had so much potential , but it was unfinished at release, the story, the UI, the environment, the levels were clearly unpolished.
    But it was fun for the most part, the combat despite less tactic than the first was frenetic and good, despite the enemies spawning mostly behind your unprotected mage and killing him a lot of times, some of the quests were memorable and i still remember them - and three companions really made things better - Aveline, Varric and Merrill.
    It's not a worthy successor to the first one, sure, but it has its own charm and style, it was a really missed opportunity, maybe if added 6 months to the development it would have been a great game    … Expand
  24. Jabberwock
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Very disappointed in this game. While DAO was a real masterpiece for me, this game can offer nothing from what I liked in a firt part. Developers went to simplify everything. Skills, dialogues, spells, talents, inventory, everything! Game become more console-orientated. "Dynamic fighting" seems terrible for me. Plenty of monsters spawning all around. I could forgive part of these things,Very disappointed in this game. While DAO was a real masterpiece for me, this game can offer nothing from what I liked in a firt part. Developers went to simplify everything. Skills, dialogues, spells, talents, inventory, everything! Game become more console-orientated. "Dynamic fighting" seems terrible for me. Plenty of monsters spawning all around. I could forgive part of these things, but not for Bioware. This game is not worthy to stand along with previous company products.… Expand
  25. king_smeagol
    Mar 13, 2011
    2
    users - 3.67/10
    payed critics - 8.40/10
    TRUE SCORE 6.03/10 As you can see the pro's overate games. Pros 84% but we the gamers give it a real score of 38%. AVERAGE META SCORE 60%. Who do you trust? Based on the 'user reviews' the average score is 3.67 out of 10. This is based on 79 votes given 5 or 6, 427 given 7,8,9 or 10 and 822 votes given 0, 1 or 2. The meta critic meta score based    users - 3.67/10
    payed critics - 8.40/10
    TRUE SCORE 6.03/10

    As you can see the pro's overate games. Pros 84% but we the gamers give it a real score of 38%. AVERAGE META SCORE 60%. Who do you trust?

    Based on the 'user reviews' the average score is 3.67 out of 10. This is based on 79 votes given 5 or 6, 427 given 7,8,9 or 10 and 822 votes given 0, 1 or 2.

    The meta critic meta score based on 16 'critics' is 84 out of 100 out 8.4 out of 10.

    I have found over the years the so-called professional reviewers over rate games
    An average game should get 50% not 75% or 85%. We vary rarely see games getting below mid 80's these days even if they are bad.
    So I thought i'd find the average of the true gamers - us the buyer - and combine that score the the payed reviewers to see what the TRUE META SCORE is.    … Expand
  26. JenniferGoo
    Apr 12, 2011
    2
    The crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just notThe crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just not much to defend here. There isn't a single battle in the game (including bosses) that doesn't involve waves and waves of enemies spawning out of thin air waiting for you to mow them down. Sometimes, even when you give them a gentle whack, they explode into a dozen pieces... which I guess is suppose to make me feel like a bad ass. The entire game takes place in one city made up of a few small disconnected areas and the same two or three dungeons that are reused for the entire game. They even try to trick you into thinking this is a new area by blocking off doors you were previously able to go through and opening other ones. Why can't you go through that door you see this time around? Who knows! You just can't click on it! Look, when asked about this problem in an interview, the developers claim they had two choices: give us all original content and cut the game length down to a couple hours or reuse the same areas over and over until the game lasted twenty-five hours. If that doesn't give you an idea of how rushed this product is, I don't know what will. There is not 60 dollars worth of content here and yet so many people have already bought this game because the video game press is looking out more for themselves and not for us. The sad part of this is that underneath it all, the character interaction is great even if the overally story arc, like the rest of the game, is not well thought out at all. It's clear there were talented people working on Dragon Age II, but they weren't given the liberty or time to make this into a good product. Buyer beware.… Expand
  27. Mat
    Apr 16, 2011
    3
    ...silent...still silent cover my mind. I buy this game before they come, and that is my mistake. But i believe, what bioware said...no more my "dear" bioware...I newer buy your game before they come, even if you give me half prize. I WANT MY MONEY BACK. This game is some joke.

    Very angry, and unhappy player.
  28. Irishbrewed
    Apr 23, 2011
    0
    Terrible game on more levels then one. I do not recommend it at all, very linear unoriginal and unimagined game. It is an obvious cashcow and nothing more. The game morphs into and simple point A to point B fairly quick, with hours of back tracking and very dull fetch quest. The story starts strong but quickly turns into something you would find amongst the indie titles of the RPG world.Terrible game on more levels then one. I do not recommend it at all, very linear unoriginal and unimagined game. It is an obvious cashcow and nothing more. The game morphs into and simple point A to point B fairly quick, with hours of back tracking and very dull fetch quest. The story starts strong but quickly turns into something you would find amongst the indie titles of the RPG world. Its a mess and nothing about it warrants your time.… Expand
  29. Swader
    Apr 24, 2011
    1
    Unimmersive and disjointed story, boring characters, the exact same 4 locations over and over again, dumbed down combat to appeal to the masses of the consoles, respawning enemies right in the middle of a fight out of thin air, third person view exclusive, complete removal of strategy with a switch to storm-in-and-shoot-everything game type, no improvement in graphics, horribly inaccurateUnimmersive and disjointed story, boring characters, the exact same 4 locations over and over again, dumbed down combat to appeal to the masses of the consoles, respawning enemies right in the middle of a fight out of thin air, third person view exclusive, complete removal of strategy with a switch to storm-in-and-shoot-everything game type, no improvement in graphics, horribly inaccurate dialog wheel as in Mass Effect, repetitive questing which almost feels like grinding, inability to change the armor of party members, inability to play a race other than human, limitation of classes to warrior-rogue-mage, these are just some of the negative aspects that made me shelve this game indefinitely. When DA3 comes out, I'd rather read a quick story summary than play through this junk ever again.… Expand
  30. bear77
    May 5, 2011
    2
    this is one of the hardest reviews I think I will ever write. I am a long term fan of Bioware. I fondly remember reveling in Baldur's Gate all the way through mass effect and DA1. They are, in my opinion one of the best AAA developers when it comes to story line and polish. So the best description of my play experience with DA2 was a crushing sense of loss. I can only guess at whatthis is one of the hardest reviews I think I will ever write. I am a long term fan of Bioware. I fondly remember reveling in Baldur's Gate all the way through mass effect and DA1. They are, in my opinion one of the best AAA developers when it comes to story line and polish. So the best description of my play experience with DA2 was a crushing sense of loss. I can only guess at what brought about the changes in the level of quality. The monster spawning out of thin air, the feeling of a corridor like linear progression, wooden dialog that leaves the player feeling let down are just some of the elements that, sadly,make this the last game I will buy from Bioware purely based it being crafted by them! if your reading this Bioware earn me back!! one bad title doesn't break you, but it does cause future games to be scrutinized before purchase. as to the critic score....integrity is important...don't you think?… Expand
  31. Prantare
    Apr 10, 2011
    0
    This is the worst game BioWare ever made. I think we have reached a new milestone in history where BioWare lends the crown of RPG to CD Projekt and The Witcher. The game just has no soul... it's not a bad game, but it's a game that really says nothing. I hope BioWare listens to their fans and go back to their roots (Baldur's Gate and KotOR).
  32. Devil_Man_X
    Jul 5, 2011
    3
    The User ratings have this one almost dead on. No it's not the worst game out there but just because you can make a game look relatively pretty doesn't mean it's good. Dragon age suffers from one game breaking flaw, greed. EA and Bioware show their true colors here. They have changed everything that made Dragon Age Origins such an incredible game. Not in the name of improvement but to sellThe User ratings have this one almost dead on. No it's not the worst game out there but just because you can make a game look relatively pretty doesn't mean it's good. Dragon age suffers from one game breaking flaw, greed. EA and Bioware show their true colors here. They have changed everything that made Dragon Age Origins such an incredible game. Not in the name of improvement but to sell more copies. I do see how some of the changes could have been for the better if done properly yet others are just senseless. The battle system needed reworked if only for the console versions. However the changes they made left it feeling less like an RPG and more like a bad hack and slash. Gone are all the deep character customizations. You simply choose gender and class. No more custom backstory. If this was any other franchise it would have been better off. Calling it a sequel to Dragon Age simply ruined it. No one buys a sequel hoping it will be more simplistic with a simple story and fewer options. If you buy a sequel to a beloved franchise you expect it to improve on itself. The story is borderline garbage and the way it's delivered is even worse. Don't get excited for some upcoming exploration or engaging plotline as the game will simply skip ahead just as you're getting into it. Yes this dungeon looks exactly like the last one just make a left here instead of a right. Bioware has openly admitted to using the same dungeon layout multiple times. Here is the bottom line. I like many others was expecting a sequel. Hoping to continue my story or atleast flesh out the world of Dragon Age. Instead I was sold a crappy 5 yr old baldurs gate wannabe with modern graphics. I was not expecting Mass Effect Medieval Edition. Bioware is hands down the most overrated developer around. They consistantly make terrible games that have great stories. They really should just consider making movies instead of games. We would all be better off.… Expand
  33. Demovitron
    Mar 16, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age 2 did disappoint me, because it's not as good, as Dragon Age Origins! There isn't ANY aspect that is be better, than DAO. That said, it's not a terrible game, but it isn't good either.

    Pros: - The Story is quite okay. - The characters aren't bad. - From the technical view point it's quite stable (expect for DX11). - The graphic is good enough. Cons: - Don't like the    Dragon Age 2 did disappoint me, because it's not as good, as Dragon Age Origins! There isn't ANY aspect that is be better, than DAO. That said, it's not a terrible game, but it isn't good either.

    Pros:
    - The Story is quite okay.
    - The characters aren't bad.
    - From the technical view point it's quite stable (expect for DX11).
    - The graphic is good enough.

    Cons:
    - Don't like the new combar system. It's too fast, the spawning of waves of enemies isn't realistic and it feels like stupid hack&slay.
    - RPG features have been cut or removed. Character customization, char. development, inventory, equipment and the diolog wheel are probably the main issues here.
    - Why the useless and ugly comic style? DAO looked much better! Realistic characters and dimensions of equipment build up much more atmosphere.
    - Boring levels without any details. They weren't made with "love".
    - The same boring places are repeated and repeated and repeated again and again and again.
    - DX11 doesn't work correctly. Have to play it with DX9, even though my PC is extremely strong.
    - The High Def. Textures Pack wasn't included in the released version.
    - No Signature Edition on Steam...
    - DLCs before release! Selling me have the pie again...
    - The featured items are too strong/good. It's a balance problem. Summary:
    - The game was released too early.
    - The game has a very poor atmosphere.
    - Too many aspects and features were cut or removed.
    - The game has been dumbed down even more.
    - Don't like the "evolution" from "rpg" to "action".
    - It can't live up to DAO.

    Remarks:
    - Bioware/EA try to bleed the Dragon Age franchise out so that they have enough money for SWTOR. Shame on you! Dragon Age Origins was your most successful franchise so far? Why destroying it then by changing the winning team?
    - Of course people have to compare Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2! It's the same franchise and it shares the same name ...
    - I was stupid enough to trust Bioware and pre-ordered the game. This is a mistake, I won't repeat. Where is the quality people are used to?    … Expand
  34. beyd667
    Mar 9, 2011
    6
    While the game has dialogue that seems much more fluid and the ability to hear your character speak is nice, the game placed the road block of having to be in specific locations in order to speak to each individual member of your party. I'm not sure if that is the major reason for not caring very much about my party members, but the reality is that I don't care about them.

    The    While the game has dialogue that seems much more fluid and the ability to hear your character speak is nice, the game placed the road block of having to be in specific locations in order to speak to each individual member of your party. I'm not sure if that is the major reason for not caring very much about my party members, but the reality is that I don't care about them.

    The environments in the game are very redundant and it doesn't take very long to feel like you've been fighting in the exact same locales for the last 10 hours. It also doesn't feel like you travel much, if any when changing places in the game.

    The combat system is more refined although I found from time to time that clicking on individual targets to switch was annoying, and the moment that I tried to reposition myself behind a character I found myself having to re-click the same target to resume attacking.

    When it came time to ditch side quests and perform things relevant to the actual main storyline, I found myself far more interested in what was going on, but when you take into account the fact that in modern western RPG's side quests are 90% of what you do in the game that doesn't mean much.

    Honestly, while this game has things that are notably better about it when compared to other RPGs and occasionally the original game itself, I found myself very quickly getting bored with this game.    … Expand
  35. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    I expected MUCH more. Dragon Age: Origins had an excellent concept and was much more enjoyable overall. This game definitely does not deserve to be part of the main series. The fact that you're forced to be in one town for most of the game shows how lazy EA is getting.
  36. ravelli
    May 4, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. â… Expand
  37. Winterwolf
    Mar 27, 2011
    1
    I liked DA:O, so I wanted to try the DA2 Demo. I couldn't finish it. The game seems to have been reduced to a mindless click fest without much substance. I felt no desire to finish the demo and certainly none to buy the game.
  38. erynnar
    Mar 27, 2011
    3
    This is not a sequel, this is a stand alone game set in the DA universe. The combat leaves a lot to be desired. The supposed over all story arc really doesn't happen until Act 3.You spend most of your time being a n errand person running from once short story of a quest to another with no unifying thread. It is disjointed and repetitive. They reuse maps (which they admit is a problem) andThis is not a sequel, this is a stand alone game set in the DA universe. The combat leaves a lot to be desired. The supposed over all story arc really doesn't happen until Act 3.You spend most of your time being a n errand person running from once short story of a quest to another with no unifying thread. It is disjointed and repetitive. They reuse maps (which they admit is a problem) and you are pretty much stuck in the city of Kirkwall and places just outside it. So it is claustrophobic in a way. There is no real connection to the character you play who seems to make no impact on the world with their decisions, but rather has to go with the flow and gets pushed into one horrible situation after another. And overall the game is so depressing it is a wonder your Hawke doesn't run mad. There is no break from the angst. You can't talk to your companions when you want, only at their houses and when the game tells you. The convo wheel is horrible, you never know what your character is actually going to say, not that is seems to make any impact on what little story there is. I hate that they basically gave a lobotomy to one of my favorite characters from Awakenings which made me not like the game, and didn't really make me feel for the plot point at the end they were driving towards. Having a relationship with the companions proved difficult most of the time and did not have the connection of the companions in DAO. I hated the zerging battles, endless wave after wave of enemies, which requires no strategy just a lot of potions, mostly for stamina.

    I did love the companions, save the lobotomized one. All of them (despite being tricky in getting your relationship the way you want them) are well done, and fun. I like the new armor designs for my Hawke.

    Overall this game has a shallow feel compared to DAO. The little details, easter eggs, and side quests are missing. hidden items, hidden doorways and passages, small stories and loot missing. This was ready in a year and half, and it shows. It feels rushed and unfinished.    … Expand
  39. Stormcrow666
    May 3, 2011
    3
    The 1st DAO was 100% better than this piece of garbage. I have had it since release and I dont think that I will even bother to finish it. The rehashed areas are boring, the plot is terrible and for a dx11 game(patched..) the graphics are not that great. If you have DX11 running just take a look at your characters(or party members) feet sink into the floor..just shoddy. This game seemsThe 1st DAO was 100% better than this piece of garbage. I have had it since release and I dont think that I will even bother to finish it. The rehashed areas are boring, the plot is terrible and for a dx11 game(patched..) the graphics are not that great. If you have DX11 running just take a look at your characters(or party members) feet sink into the floor..just shoddy. This game seems rushed and has a terrible plot.… Expand
  40. Kenter
    Mar 29, 2011
    2
    i would not count this as a sequel but rather a standalone game. the combat system that was good in the origins was turned to garbage no doubt due to ea's habbit of killing any game they touch. the story could have been better as well as the choice of the diffrent races not been removed. removeing the other races is one of the things that made origins great. unfortunatly the "professionali would not count this as a sequel but rather a standalone game. the combat system that was good in the origins was turned to garbage no doubt due to ea's habbit of killing any game they touch. the story could have been better as well as the choice of the diffrent races not been removed. removeing the other races is one of the things that made origins great. unfortunatly the "professional critics" seem to be a bunch of worthless suckups.. what are you going to do. anyway ea screwed up on this one im one of the people that loved the first one and i was severly disapointed in this. the replayability of this game is zero… Expand
  41. Faith77
    Apr 11, 2011
    0
    Such a disappointment of a game that had so much potential. This game is nothing more than a single player version of Dungeons & Dragons Online. There's zero exploration, every mission takes place in the same 4-5 exact maps. The only positives were the voice acting and art direction. It's really sad to see BioWare fall so far in such a short period of time. It's sad to see all thisSuch a disappointment of a game that had so much potential. This game is nothing more than a single player version of Dungeons & Dragons Online. There's zero exploration, every mission takes place in the same 4-5 exact maps. The only positives were the voice acting and art direction. It's really sad to see BioWare fall so far in such a short period of time. It's sad to see all this new technology and years of game evolution get wasted on dumbed down developed games that are mindless. We're supposed to be moving forward, not backward. SNES games were more challenging then modern day games.

    Also, anything positive you'll see written about this game is an overreaction of personal preference from the bias developers who quickly developed this game in such a short period.    … Expand
  42. Garon010
    Apr 13, 2011
    6
    Yes, it's not Dragon Age: Origins or an Elder Scrolls game, but it was fun to play!

    The bad news: reused maps (extremely so), too linear, relatively short and seemed like a rushed job. In terms of story, it seems like half of it. Nothing like DAO's epic 'Lord of the Rings' scale epic fantasy. The good news: great quests, improved combat, Mass Effect-like speech, great characters and    Yes, it's not Dragon Age: Origins or an Elder Scrolls game, but it was fun to play!

    The bad news: reused maps (extremely so), too linear, relatively short and seemed like a rushed job. In terms of story, it seems like half of it. Nothing like DAO's epic 'Lord of the Rings' scale epic fantasy.

    The good news: great quests, improved combat, Mass Effect-like speech, great characters and great voice acting. Oh and there are one or two fun parts.

    Not a complete train crash, its totally playable. Let's hope DA 3 has more to offer.    … Expand
  43. Wivvix
    Apr 22, 2011
    5
    Dragon Age 2 is not, overwhelmingly, a bad game. What little there is to be found endearing in Dragon Age 2, unfortunately is dwarfed by issues which go to the core fantastical aspects of a role-playing game, those which should be the highest on the list of priorities and in terms of attention to detail, but were evidently almost complete afterthoughts in terms of execution. Dragon Age 2Dragon Age 2 is not, overwhelmingly, a bad game. What little there is to be found endearing in Dragon Age 2, unfortunately is dwarfed by issues which go to the core fantastical aspects of a role-playing game, those which should be the highest on the list of priorities and in terms of attention to detail, but were evidently almost complete afterthoughts in terms of execution. Dragon Age 2 ticks all the necessary boxes on paper, but fails to deliver on too many to be worthy of Dragon Age heritage.

    Environments in Dragon Age 2 lack variety, use of color palette, textured surfaces, remarkable geometry, landscapes and architecture. To some extent it lacks an appreciable depth of field, somewhat owing to the lack of camera control but mostly due to the sheer absence of ambience. According to Dragon Age 2, in the Free Marches you will struggle to find a single living organism that is not humanoid, the few exceptions being confined to dungeons and necessarily so as to provide some degree of enemy variety. Dungeon design is sadly linear, and the contemptuous re-use of dungeons, caves and buildings, speaks to the very limited abilities of the frenetic copy-paste monkey that works in the level design sub-department.

    The story is merely an interwoven series of loosely or altogether unrelated events, which limp along sluggishly in anticipation of core storyline development. The framed narrative is employed desperately to try and give connectedness to the disjointed combobulation of quests, but ultimately is used far too ineffectually and limitedly to achieve this. Short scenes of framed narrative between Varric and his "host" all but gloss over the concerns of almost an entire chapter in mere seconds, before once again thrusting another tedious act of grinding through the same handful of environments and dungeons on the player, this time for, purportedly, different reasons.

    Also concerning with regard to story development was the painstaking effort taken to segment each act, the first desperately trying to convey uncertainty, the second an illusion of stability, and the third, predictable and unsatisfying, proffering an ill-conceived cliche to lead in to Dragon Age 3. Morality was shambolic. Far too often it was born out of a dialogue option, invariably confused with the horrible conversation wheel, further still by ambiguous paraphrasing, and then turned into a wedge issue between two or more companions competing to be your "friend" or "rival". /golfclap

    The problem with this logic barren system of morality, friends and rivals, is in so much that rivals and friends tend not to party or group together, and certainly not in the circumstances presented in this particular tale. This abomination of morality which presents in Dragon Age 2, is actually the moral consequence of actions on relationships, as opposed to actually being held to account for moral decisions oneself. The conversation wheel really has no place in a fantasy wRPG. I literally lost count of the number of times I chose a paraphrased option based on what it said, rather than the wheel icon, and heard the protagonist deliver a line completely at odds with the tone of the paraphrasing. I don't think i've ever quick-loaded more times in a single game play-through in my entire life. In fact i'm sure I quick-loaded less playing through Origins on Nightmare.

    Dragon Age 2 lacked the often dark, dry, mature, double-entendre rich, witty banter that ensued from companion interaction, as in Dragon Age Origins. In stead it has been replaced with cheap jabs between two companions, very occasionally humorous and even then, far short of witty, and far too often of questionable intent. No, even frolicking elves can't redeem a conversation between Varric and Isabela.

    DA2 had the potential to be a good game, even a great one. Unfortunately it missed the mark by a lot. It wasn't due to sequel expectations, but a significant drop in the quality of product. I'm certain even Bioware is not so far removed from reality, as to have been aware they were not releasing an AAA sequel to Dragon Age Origins. If Bioware was really sincere about trying to capture a wider audience, well, good luck to them with that in the future. Once bitten, twice shy.    … Expand
  44. pandateddybear
    Apr 23, 2011
    6
    Before game came out I had big hopes for it. Demo was pretty good ..but very misleading for what the game really is. DA2 is very linear game that take place around one location with very linear quest (go and kill, or bring me this and that) graphics are better then first Dragon Age but not much engine was just tweaked and updated to 2011 standards. Combat is satisfying, changed to moreBefore game came out I had big hopes for it. Demo was pretty good ..but very misleading for what the game really is. DA2 is very linear game that take place around one location with very linear quest (go and kill, or bring me this and that) graphics are better then first Dragon Age but not much engine was just tweaked and updated to 2011 standards. Combat is satisfying, changed to more hit&slash paste so you font have to pause game on every encounter but it's still available for those playing on harder difficulty.overall game is a let down after what dragon age 1 was and not worth 30£ (full price) good rent material

    6/10    … Expand
  45. Idealist
    May 1, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dragon Age II is the sequel of the award-winning roleplaying game Dragon Age: Origins. You play as Hawke, a human trying to survive in the world, and follow his journey to become the Champion of Kirkwall. But although the game boasts improved graphics, combat, and animations, it simply doesn't hold up to its predecessor.

    After seeing the success of Mass Effect 2, both in sales and ratings, BioWare tried to copy the same formula to the Dragon Age franchise. Unfortunately, Dragon Age already established itself as a classic roleplaying game. BioWare themselves called it the "spiritual successor of Baldur's gate", one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Most fans believed that Dragon Age II would follow up on the success of Dragon Age, which led to much disappointment after realizing the changes to the game.

    Graphically, the game sports more stylized art than the first game. The characters are more jagged and move more fluidly. The textures and details are far more fleshed out for some NPCs, but for others look absolutely dreadful. As for the environments, it's a different story completely. Kirkwall feels like a bland, half-created, static world with no real life. After ten years, you would think a city changed even slightly. This comes off as lazy and rushed and truly deserves to be criticized.

    DA2 tries to fix things from Origins. Unfortunately, it fixes what isn't broken. While Origins almost felt turn-based, Dragon Age II feels incredibly chaotic. It has a more dynamic, cinematic action, but comes off as "a button-mashy God of War clone" in several instances. With your attacks going everywhere and spells flying all over the screen, it becomes very difficult to manage.

    What made combat more enjoyable were the animations. Your character no longer moves in battle like he desperately needs to go to the bathroom, and you don't fire bolts out of a staff like you're shoving a pole forwards. Attacking with a staff in Dragon Age II is, aesthetically, better. The same goes for attacking with weapons. The animations in Dragon Age II are vast improvements to the original.

    But sadly, the game falls flat with its equipment, map, dialogue, and leveling system. No longer can you equip party members with the armor you pick up. Each party member has three or four specific armors throughout the entire game, and that's all. Everything else is either for Hawke or ends up as vendor chow. BioWare most likely made this change due to negative backlash over Mass Effect's inventory system. There are two problems with that. One, Origin's inventory system wasn't difficult at all. It was very friendly and easy to navigate. Two, Mass Effect wasn't a standard RPG. When Mass Effect 2 came out and revealed the lack of a companion inventory system, it didn't matter much because Mass Effect had already made itself out to be a different type of game. As for Origins, it painted its skin as a RPG, which is why having no equipment system for party members in DA2 is highly disappointing.

    In DA2, gear is scaled absurdly. Nothing you earn in the game feels valuable, as it will simply be replaced in a few levels. Quest rewards and powerful lore items will be swapped for standard swords in no time at all, which defeats the purpose of earning those rewards in the first place and ruins immersion. Despite having such lackluster scenery, DA2 also reuses its dungeons. Not just once or twice either. It uses a dungeon to death. Get ready to see one area recycled over and over again with different doors opened and closed.

    The wheel from Mass Effect has made its way into Dragon Age. It's a gift and a curse. As a gift, it allows for easier navigation of desired options. If I want to tell Aveline something friendly, I choose the option with the blue feather. As a curse, it allows for easier navigation of desired options. The whole intricacy of Origins' dialogue system was that it didn't blatantly tell the player 'make this choice to gain approval' or 'make this choice to lose approval'. If the game has to tell the player what an option does, then it isn't a very clear system. But also, in the first game it was hard at times to decipher whether or not an option was kind or sarcastic, given that the PC had no voice. It's a hit and miss addition. And I'm sure giving the PC a voice certainly did improve the game for some other gamers. But not me. Hawke felt bland as Kirkwall itself.

    In Origins I was the Warden, a humble dwarf who rose from the slums and vanquished the Blight. In DA2, I was Hawke, a man that's conveniently in the right place at the right time. I feel like I'm along for the ride, not like a hero. Maybe it's just me. I love Origins, I love BioWare, and I had fun playing this game, but really, it isn't worth more than $39.99. If you're looking for something to pass the time, get it. Otherwise, stay clear.    … Expand
  46. vacant
    May 3, 2011
    3
    The same location over and over and over. Utterly uninteresting story and awful, cliched cringe-worthy characters. Nowhere interesting to go, nobody interesting to talk to. Dull, dull, dull...
  47. chompchomp
    May 3, 2011
    1
    what happened between DA:O and this spazzed out sequel? someone left the steak out too long and it turned into garbagemeat. poor poor showing. overall gameplay is like a giant flaming bag on my doorstep - i know what's inside.
  48. Bludfur
    May 4, 2011
    3
    In spite of my love for Bioware's games, I have to further confirm the disappointment of Dragon Age 2. A massive chain of uninteresting one-off quests requiring constant, oversimplistic, repetitive combat, playing out with formulaic results over which you have relatively little control. Generic conversation responses tend to lead to the same outcomes, and with the exception of yourIn spite of my love for Bioware's games, I have to further confirm the disappointment of Dragon Age 2. A massive chain of uninteresting one-off quests requiring constant, oversimplistic, repetitive combat, playing out with formulaic results over which you have relatively little control. Generic conversation responses tend to lead to the same outcomes, and with the exception of your companions, none of the characters are interesting. Graphics look absolutely terrible, reuse of environments is questionable, retardedness of Templar who can't figure out that a mage MC is an apostate is inexcusable. Even despite being motivated to carry over event results to the next game, I ended up leaving this game abandoned, bloated and bleached in a field, uninterested in finishing, and swearing I would never Preorder a game again.… Expand
  49. Daymond
    May 13, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I should have known better. I saw some early signals like a mage in a melee fight in the trailer, but I decided to ignore that fact. What can I add? 17 sets of armor that no one can use, a painful experience as a mage, several characters deserving to die in the first chapter because they are flat out intolerable (starting with Carver), weak plot, recycled graphics, ruined tactics system, boring boss battles... don´t keep shielding yourself behind "critic" scores and famous people tweeting about the game, Bioware. Dragon Age 2 is a failure. And you should protect your reputation by admitting this.… Expand
  50. linksteri
    May 18, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Completely ruined the beautiful concept of DAO and legendary D&D game mechanics... Story does not work. The game does not work. Hollywood style is not right approach for dark and livable role-playing game.… Expand
  51. Kietharr
    Jul 7, 2011
    3
    People will look back at this game and see it as the beginning of the end for Bioware, and the sad part is it's not even their fault, it's EA Game's fault. They're doing to Bioware what they did to Westwood, forcing harsh timelines and production schedules on artists which leads to releases of unfinished **** games, doing this to drive the company and its franchises into the ground beforePeople will look back at this game and see it as the beginning of the end for Bioware, and the sad part is it's not even their fault, it's EA Game's fault. They're doing to Bioware what they did to Westwood, forcing harsh timelines and production schedules on artists which leads to releases of unfinished **** games, doing this to drive the company and its franchises into the ground before absorbing them and milking what little is left from the shriveled remnants of a once great product.

    That aside, I didn't really like the first game so I was not expecting to like this one. I played it through out of boredom while watching a friend's house. But all of the issues that plagued DA:O go double for this one. Intensely dumbed down and consolized to draw in call of duty players. Difficulty is a joke, even on the hardest difficulty I died six or seven times total. The story is a joke, skips around as if they scratched every CD coming off of the production lines by hand to cut out all of the linking things that made the brief episodes of story make sense.

    The game is intensely limited in its scope, but not only is it short, it is also shallow. Zones are reused so much even the characters joke about it. Guess what bioware? We don't think it's funny. I certainly wouldn't be amused if I had spent $60 on this game only to have Bioware designers make fun of me for being such a damned sucker through the game's characters. According to sales statistics I've seen DA2 has less than half of the sales DA:O had at this point. I didn't consider DA:O a gem, but it was certainly better than this, the market agrees. Trying to lure Call of Duty players into a fantasy RPG at the price of pissing off the rest of us nerds probably isn't a good idea.    … Expand
  52. ShtKck
    Jul 7, 2011
    2
    Dragon Age Origins was years in the making. Truly the spiritual successor to Bioware's claim to fame, the Baldurs Gate Series. Dragon Age II however, was made in considerably less time, with considerably less foresight. This is a wonderful example of two steps forward, one step backwards.

    Dragon Age II removes many of the classical RPG elements in order to streamline it into a Mass Effect    Dragon Age Origins was years in the making. Truly the spiritual successor to Bioware's claim to fame, the Baldurs Gate Series. Dragon Age II however, was made in considerably less time, with considerably less foresight. This is a wonderful example of two steps forward, one step backwards.

    Dragon Age II removes many of the classical RPG elements in order to streamline it into a Mass Effect type best seller. What fits one series doesn't work for everything. There are a inane amount of reused environments which are generic and sterile. Everything is rushed, between the lack of character interactions and the "when is it going to end type" story.

    They swore up and down that they didn't forget where they came from while making the first Dragon Age, and for the glimpse of time, maybe they didn't. But.. Alas the memory is gone again.    … Expand
  53. thenameless1
    Nov 17, 2011
    0
    I never even played this POS 'game'. I heard enough, Bioware has killed itself. CDP Red is the new Bioware, even better than the previous one. With the masterpiece of TW2, they have made PS: Torment to look like a joke in comparison. **** this game.
  54. Orthogon
    Sep 17, 2013
    1
    This is certainly one of the worst games I've ever played it reminds me of one disappointment of the 8 bit generation in that despite my wish to write a lengthy and balanced review, I really just want to draw a line under it and never think of it again.

    It shares some things in common with some of the other worst game hall of famers, actually, especially as a sequel. This game has    This is certainly one of the worst games I've ever played it reminds me of one disappointment of the 8 bit generation in that despite my wish to write a lengthy and balanced review, I really just want to draw a line under it and never think of it again.

    It shares some things in common with some of the other worst game hall of famers, actually, especially as a sequel.

    This game has poor animation, horrible graphics, lots of game-breaking camera issues, half of the most enjoyable things from the series were removed or never implemented, most, I really do mean *most* of the game is played in literally the same areas, repeated with different names.

    The writing is shocking think the very worst NanoWrimo entrant or fanfic writer going full they eschew character development they appear to mostly have replaced it with infantile ribaldry, and there is a single unfinished, incoherent story arc with great swathes unwritten, missions will leave you agog at their idiocy.

    The whole story feels like it has been smooshed together by a first year humanities undergrad who thinks they are very clever, and in their mission to avoid "cliche" and seem "edgy" they have written a pulpy fanfic with no cohesion, no FINISHED MAIN STORY ARC, little or no recognizable journey of any of the characters for the player to feel invested in and what there is, what approaches an interesting story just sort of tails off as you realise they obviously didn't have time to write lots of it. You're basically playing a draft.

    As for the combat, imagine if somebody who had no interest in computer games say a space alien, a very lazy space alien with only ten minutes to spare and no play-testers attempted to replicate the gameplay of Fable.

    That's what you've got they've tried to turn the game into pure dumb fun, and missed out the fun part.

    Art direction is a bit worse than the writing, but forgive me I'm going to tail off here because you get the picture and this all seems very negative.

    In short, this game is shocking and I'm sorry I played it.    … Expand
  55. Namutree
    Apr 8, 2014
    0
    This game sucks. It's in no way a faithful sequel. It's a bad mix of hack'n slash and RPG.

    If you like tactical combat: This game doesn't have it.
    If you like in depth RPG: This is not a game for you.
    If you like flashy hack'n slash: Try something else.
    If you like open world games: Don't play this game.
  56. sabaothkelly
    Jul 21, 2019
    0
    Definitely this THING is the worst RPG I've ever played!
    So in short it was a complete waste of time and money!!
  57. darwihn
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age II sees a grand overhaul of the series' underlying systems, and the game benefits greatly as a result. The class system in particular is much improved. It revolves around the three roles you remember from the first game, but the level of distinction between variants within each class is much more defined. Your sword-and-shield warrior, for instance, will play quite differentlyDragon Age II sees a grand overhaul of the series' underlying systems, and the game benefits greatly as a result. The class system in particular is much improved. It revolves around the three roles you remember from the first game, but the level of distinction between variants within each class is much more defined. Your sword-and-shield warrior, for instance, will play quite differently from one wielding a burly two-hander. By the same token, Dragon Age II dives headlong into MMO conventions more avidly than its predecessor did, so if you've yet to internalize the concepts that drive those games, it might all be a little overwhelming. Though there's more than one way to skin a cat--sword-and-board warriors aren't the only viable tanks, for instance--the fact that the game is built around these notions puts some soft limits on your choices when it comes to party composition. You wouldn't dream of going into one of the key boss battles without a mage specced for healing.… Expand
  58. cmoyano
    Mar 16, 2011
    0
    the worse rpg ever made...no customization, cheap web design interface that looks like a student made it, no toggle helmet key, no toggle weapon key, lame story with choices that have absolutely no effect in story line and recycled dungeons over and over again. Origins seemed too complicated for console boys, so EAware decided it would be easy to butcher the game and appeal that consolethe worse rpg ever made...no customization, cheap web design interface that looks like a student made it, no toggle helmet key, no toggle weapon key, lame story with choices that have absolutely no effect in story line and recycled dungeons over and over again. Origins seemed too complicated for console boys, so EAware decided it would be easy to butcher the game and appeal that console crowd and rush the game...horrible graphics, that are way over demanding because they're badly coded...witcher 2 is middle ware, with an 8800gt maxing it out, and it looks 10 times better than this piece of crap...square shapes everywhere, lame environments, and coming form 150 hrs, to 30 (everything done, 15 hrs just story line) this game is the biggest piece of crap ive played in a while..i cant even finish it without cheating because its that **** you bioware… Expand
  59. Blowfish64
    Apr 23, 2011
    5
    Very disappointing sequel. It is sadly inferior in almost every way to its predecessor. The combat has been reduced to button-mashing which is somehow expected to appeal to more people. Also, this game absolutely reeks of shortcuts taken in the name of pushing this pile of garbage out the door. Environments are used over and over and over. Gone are the interesting descriptions ofVery disappointing sequel. It is sadly inferior in almost every way to its predecessor. The combat has been reduced to button-mashing which is somehow expected to appeal to more people. Also, this game absolutely reeks of shortcuts taken in the name of pushing this pile of garbage out the door. Environments are used over and over and over. Gone are the interesting descriptions of items. Forget trying to talk to your companions in any meaningful way unless a quest is involved. Every conversation ends with a feeling of 'that's it? That's the end of the conversation? Where's the rest?' Forget the realism of having half your companions bisexual. Now everyone everywhere is bi all the time, because according to lead writer David Gaider, doing otherwise would have cost too much and taken too much time. Do you like games where your choices matter? In Dragon Age 2 your responses are now limited to three (friendly, snarky, hostile) instead of potentially multiple ones as in DA:O. And those choices have almost no impact on the story. It's incredibly linear and no matter how you respond to people, the outcome is always the same. The disjointed, clunky, and cliched story builds to a decision at the end between two factions and you have to choose between them, only to find at the last second that no, you'll have to fight both. It feels incredibly contrived, and blatantly obvious that Bioware didn't want to take the time to really give you choices that matter because it would make it harder for themselves in a sequel to take those into account. The worst is that instead of acknowledging these issues as faults, Bioware is staunchly defending the awesomeness of these changes as "streamlining" the game. Well I'll tell you what, Bioware, a poptart is a pretty streamlined breakfast. I still prefer steak and eggs.… Expand
  60. Nereitha
    Apr 24, 2011
    2
    Me siento estafada. Origins lo terminé cuatro veces y de este no voy a terminar ni la primera partida. Si el 3 va a seguir este camino, Dragon Age ha muerto para mí.
  61. Higher_Standard
    Apr 8, 2011
    0
    A BioWare employee was caught posing as a consumer on the review site Metacritic. The employee, Chris Hoban, who posted under the name of Avanost gave a score of 10/10 saying "Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference." A representative for EA responded after much online controversy saying "Of course the people who make the game vote for theirA BioWare employee was caught posing as a consumer on the review site Metacritic. The employee, Chris Hoban, who posted under the name of Avanost gave a score of 10/10 saying "Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference." A representative for EA responded after much online controversy saying "Of course the people who make the game vote for their own game. That's how it works in the Oscars, that's how it works in the Grammys and why I'm betting that Barack Obama voted for himself in the last election", though it is unclear if Hoban acted on his own behest or on that of the company.… Expand
  62. ar1ur
    Apr 14, 2011
    1
    I can't describe the level of disappointment with this game. I've bought every Bioware game in the last ten years and thought they can go no wrong - how wrong was I. Dragon Age 2 is a bad game and a terrible sequel. The developers tried so hard to pull in the casual crowd that they changed and destroyed almost everything that was so beautiful about Origins. As a result we got explodingI can't describe the level of disappointment with this game. I've bought every Bioware game in the last ten years and thought they can go no wrong - how wrong was I. Dragon Age 2 is a bad game and a terrible sequel. The developers tried so hard to pull in the casual crowd that they changed and destroyed almost everything that was so beautiful about Origins. As a result we got exploding bodies, combat where you have to pause the game every 2 seconds in order to be tactical on higher difficulty levels, ridiculous waves of enemies, reused environments, bland companions, uninteresting and illogical story ..... i could go on and on.
    Stay away !!    … Expand
  63. 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.
  64. ZenToad
    Apr 12, 2011
    2
    A game so totally devoid of all the depths and charm that made the first in the series interesting that it is a wonder to me how Bioware could shove this out the door. It is so dumbed down in quests, background and especially combat that its just a travesty. I feel combat is in such a state of disrepair with teleporting waves of enemies that all tactics and thought is effectivelyA game so totally devoid of all the depths and charm that made the first in the series interesting that it is a wonder to me how Bioware could shove this out the door. It is so dumbed down in quests, background and especially combat that its just a travesty. I feel combat is in such a state of disrepair with teleporting waves of enemies that all tactics and thought is effectively eliminated from the game, all there is left is a "press whatever cooldown is ready" retardations that its worthy of a bungled flashgame… Expand
  65. zentoo
    Apr 14, 2011
    3
    A game so totally devoid of all the depths and charm that made the first in the series interesting that it is a wonder to me how Bioware could shove this out the door. It is so dumbed down in quests, background and especially combat that its just a travesty. I feel combat is in such a state of disrepair with teleporting waves of enemies that all tactics and thought is effectivelyA game so totally devoid of all the depths and charm that made the first in the series interesting that it is a wonder to me how Bioware could shove this out the door. It is so dumbed down in quests, background and especially combat that its just a travesty. I feel combat is in such a state of disrepair with teleporting waves of enemies that all tactics and thought is effectively eliminated from the game, all there is left is a "press whatever cooldown is ready" retardations that its worthy of a bungled flashgame

    Score (3.1)    … Expand
  66. Crusader793
    Mar 17, 2011
    5
    A disappointment compared to Origins. While I did enjoy it im not going back for a 2nd playthrough anytime soon, this is the complete opposite of origins which i could not get enough of. The responsiveness in combat was nice but i felt it made the game play more like an action than an tactical rpg. The problem with Dragon Age 2 is that it sorta sits half way between origins and mass effectA disappointment compared to Origins. While I did enjoy it im not going back for a 2nd playthrough anytime soon, this is the complete opposite of origins which i could not get enough of. The responsiveness in combat was nice but i felt it made the game play more like an action than an tactical rpg. The problem with Dragon Age 2 is that it sorta sits half way between origins and mass effect and this results in players interested in either 'genre' being disappointed. I find it strange that bioware completely changed the game rather than improving on it like they did between mass effect and mass effect 2.… Expand
  67. BLAHEMOTH
    Mar 25, 2011
    2
    I don't even know where to begin...Pathetic,repetitive gameplay,reused(and reused,and reused)locations,2004 graphics,confined experience(spending an entire game in one city is NOT my idea of epic gameplay)Absolutely inexcusable PC performance-i get twice the framerate of this game on metro 2033 maxed out..which is hilarious when you consider that metro 2033 is probably the mostI don't even know where to begin...Pathetic,repetitive gameplay,reused(and reused,and reused)locations,2004 graphics,confined experience(spending an entire game in one city is NOT my idea of epic gameplay)Absolutely inexcusable PC performance-i get twice the framerate of this game on metro 2033 maxed out..which is hilarious when you consider that metro 2033 is probably the most gpu-intensive game to date-and incredible-looking to boot,and this game looks well,awful.hey,bioware,it's called OPTIMIZATION..maybe you should try it sometime..A terrible,dumbed-down,boring,massive disappointment and in my top 3 worst sequels of all time..fire up knights of the old republic and shed a tear for the good old days of bioware,because judging from this game,those days are long gone....… Expand
  68. Ming120
    Apr 12, 2011
    4
    Disappointment is only part of the story. Not to go into the repeated argument that Dragon Age 2 isn't Dragon Age: Origins, for surely it is not, the game stands very short of what one might consider entertaining on its own merits. The way that this game was designed is often times very counter-intuitive that one has to wonder what the developers were thinking when they came up with theDisappointment is only part of the story. Not to go into the repeated argument that Dragon Age 2 isn't Dragon Age: Origins, for surely it is not, the game stands very short of what one might consider entertaining on its own merits. The way that this game was designed is often times very counter-intuitive that one has to wonder what the developers were thinking when they came up with the original conception. The presentation of the levels is perhaps at the top of the list. There seems little to justify reusing maps short of economic reasons. Yes, there are plenty of games out there that reuse maps, but in Dragon Age 2, this practice goes up into a totally new level where an exceedingly large percentage of the game takes place in the same levels, over and over again. You can have literally twenty or more quests in one single area, and thus you will find yourself revisiting the same areas continuously for the entire game. Even the main storyline (if one can consider it such), takes place in the same areas, and often requires you to do a circuit on the more prominent ones. Little more needs to be said on how annoying this can be.

    In terms of what you do in this game, the truth is, not a whole lot. Almost every quest, every mission, involves you either killing something, looting someplace, finding something someone lost, or simply returning a random item you pick up on the ground to someone you somehow, through the gift of clairvoyance, know who it belongs to. The graphics, while often claimed to be artistically rich, are a step down from Dragon Age: Origins. In fact, its almost a step down from Neverwinter Nights 2. If you wish to see the proof of this, then look up screenshots of Alistair or Leliana, and compare those with the same in the original Dragon Age: Origins and make an opinion for yourself. The main problem, however, is not so much in character modeling, but the overall atmosphere seems like a painting or a cartoon. I can admire paintings, but the Van Gogh depiction of the Dragon Age world probably will not seem as engaging to the average gamer, and does little justice to portray the dark fantasy setting that the original game tried to portray. The other issue with this game is the combat. The combat has been simplified slightly to make it more accessible to the console gamer. This is admirable. Some aspects of the system are in fact, easier to use. The primarily flaw, however, is not about the controls, or accessibility, but by the way combat was handled in the overall context of the game. Your encounters will almost always consist of fighting waves of enemies that spawn out of thin air when you least expect it. Actually, the more you fight these waves, the more that you will expect another wave coming every single time you encounter enemies. While this certainly makes the game more challenging, you will find that immersion will be brittler than ever before in a video game. The story is flat and unengaging. It is often argued that the story in Dragon Age II is a more personal one, without the cliche of always having some big bad boss at the end. I can certainly see the personal aspect of this, but that is also one of its crippling flaws. There is no clear cut antagonist in the game. Nothing that really motivates you to sit down and wonder why you do something in the game. All the "villains" in the game have almost nothing to do with you, and you will often find yourself doing quests for people out of philanthropic reasons (or greed, because they pay you) than for any great reasons. In essence, your character in the game is just another errand boy, or girl.

    The whole game takes about 30-50 hours to complete, but unfortunately, the main plot hardly makes even a fraction of that time. There isn't really a main plot, in fact, for the game is divided up into three acts with almost completely unrelated segments of storytelling. The rest, of course, is filled in with sidequests fitting for the errand running hero that you are. Most of the characters in the game are also forgettable. Almost all of the companions you meet in the game, allies if you wish, are so two-dimensional that you just have to wonder what happened to all the magic that was instilled into characters like Thane, or Jaheira, or Morrigan, or even the scaly lizard of a jukebox bard named Deekin. With the exception of maybe one or two, most of the characters have flat personalities whose depth never goes below the skin. Their motivations only go as far as their graphical portrayal, such as as the dutiful warrior, the stuck-up holyman, the ignorant mage, and a slutty rogue. They are either black, or white, with no grays in the middle. I had to take a point off for each of the points mentioned above. It is truly difficult to, in good faith, to recommend this title to anyone. Its not a broken game, but its so poorly designed that it can hardly hold up on its own.    … Expand
  69. KiSUAN
    Apr 9, 2011
    0
    This game plain sucks, I loved DAO but from the game play to the storyline this game is a freaking pain, I couldn't even finished, every time I started the game I fell like pucking, hated every moment of it, I wish I could get my money back, EA and Bioware really screw this up.
  70. Koalabear135
    Apr 12, 2011
    4
    Okay, did anyone else think the whole.. every mage popping into an A-bom immediately was a little much? its completely unpresidented from the last origins game, and makes the mages ACTUALLY seem evil, unlike in the other game when they seemed moreso like slaves, a brutal waste of time you have to take breaks to stare at your recipt for buying the game before pushing yourself through theOkay, did anyone else think the whole.. every mage popping into an A-bom immediately was a little much? its completely unpresidented from the last origins game, and makes the mages ACTUALLY seem evil, unlike in the other game when they seemed moreso like slaves, a brutal waste of time you have to take breaks to stare at your recipt for buying the game before pushing yourself through the bogus and repetetive side quests, followed by an underwhelming finish were NO ONE WINS, and on top of that, poor graphics, compaired to the games of this time, shugun total war 2 is beautiful in compairison, and also the storyline is too linear, whether im evit or not, the story comes out the same, whether i chose one side of the other i kill them both, its a terrible plot, terrible everything, terrible game, try again Bioware… Expand
  71. Sparox
    Apr 20, 2011
    5
    I realy wonder how people can give a game a 0 rating, whatever. This game ain't bad, it is a bit above average.
    It has flaws, obviously. The graphics aren't that good, the obvious console controls are just slapping you in the face from time to time, but it is infact a fun game.
    It took me about 16 hours to complete, I did most of the sidequest and I died quite alot. The strongest aspect of    I realy wonder how people can give a game a 0 rating, whatever. This game ain't bad, it is a bit above average.
    It has flaws, obviously. The graphics aren't that good, the obvious console controls are just slapping you in the face from time to time, but it is infact a fun game.
    It took me about 16 hours to complete, I did most of the sidequest and I died quite alot. The strongest aspect of this game is obviously the story, which kinda feels just like a bridge between the last Dragon Age Origin DLC and the next DA game, or possibly Dragon Age 2 DLC.
    I would recommend buying it if the game wasn't so repetetive, had more variety and overall, was just more fun. I am a person, that does realy not care about graphics at all, all I got is a PC, which isn't good, so my graphic limit is mostly at medium.. and a medium resolution. It is a fun game if you just complete the story and just look the other direction when a flaw just walks next to you. Characters are fine... didn't think they would have much depth in it, because it was mostly going for Hawk. It's a 6/10.    … Expand
  72. Shadenuat
    Apr 19, 2011
    5
    First RPG from Bioware that can be humbly summarised as a mediocrity or even below. While it still shows us that the team has decent writers and artists, a lack of strong design leadership and quality is something we did't see in Bioware RPG's before. It's a linear adventure with watered story and, to some extent, fun to banter with characters, so-so combat and.. that's it. Dragon Age 2First RPG from Bioware that can be humbly summarised as a mediocrity or even below. While it still shows us that the team has decent writers and artists, a lack of strong design leadership and quality is something we did't see in Bioware RPG's before. It's a linear adventure with watered story and, to some extent, fun to banter with characters, so-so combat and.. that's it. Dragon Age 2 lacks freedom of choice (one we have is actually a masterfuly done illusion, which waves if you try to replay game second time), exploration; to some extend, character customisation; puzzles; it does't give player any tactical challenges. Dragon Age 2 also laughs at many DA:O aspects and characters, beating any decentness from them with black emo stick, and fails to deliver long, gripping dialogues. Overall, one can have some fun with this game, but it's almost painful experience to begin with. This game does't worth it's 60$, and makes you sorry and sad for yourself, your time and money after.… Expand
  73. Augustus
    Apr 21, 2011
    4
    Could have worked as a stand alone title but did not feel like a sequel to DA:O. It was almost as if the developers were trying to fix what was broken in DA:O and improve upon it but the problem was there wasn't a lot wrong with the first title in the Dragon Age franchise. Loved DA:O did not care for Dragon Age II.
  74. Nashtor
    Apr 25, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very bad game... It´s not Dragon Age it´s "Dragon Effect" (but worst). It no have the essence of the firts game... bad of work EA and Bioware... In the game, your decisions are useless...you cant change nothing in the world, all the facts happen without your help...your partners are lineal, they aren´t charming like in origins...is a step back in rol´s game... (sorry for my english...im spanish...)… Expand
  75. tembel
    Apr 27, 2011
    2
    Horrible, horrible game. The recycled maps is completely disrespectful to all people who played the original Dragon Age and Origins. I cannot believe that they did such a poor and sloppy job on this game it even hurts to make a review for it. I for one am glad that a friend let me borrow it to try it and before I WASTED money on such a pile of crap. Dragon Age 3 better not be anythingHorrible, horrible game. The recycled maps is completely disrespectful to all people who played the original Dragon Age and Origins. I cannot believe that they did such a poor and sloppy job on this game it even hurts to make a review for it. I for one am glad that a friend let me borrow it to try it and before I WASTED money on such a pile of crap. Dragon Age 3 better not be anything close to this or else I will most likely never, ever purchase a game from them again.… Expand
  76. AGB
    May 8, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A below mediocre game that doesn't know what it is. I like dumb button-mashers - like Heavenly Sword - and I like skilful button-mashers - like Tekken, or Fight Night - but the fighting in Dragon Age II isn't nearly half as fun and doesn't need skill - its one tactical trick of tag-team combos is permanently spelled out for you. Setting difficulty to hard just means a long boring slog. Besides I bought the game expecting it to be an RPG. It kind of is an RPG, if you think they are just about superficial levelling mechanics. The game world was also really restricted, no free-roaming and interactivity like you get in Fallout 3 for example - and famously you keep going back to the same locations all of the time, sometimes deliberately, sometimes because the makers were lazy.

    Some of the dialogue is funny - it's the only thing that scores any points with me. Unfortunately every 'funny' conversation option you choose as the main character is weak and pathetic. Your interaction with other characters is restricted and the story doesn't make sense, I was meant to be in a romance with Isabella for years, but you get just two scenes about that. I kept trying to avoid fighting and be diplomatic, but the game's story pushed me into killing everyone whatever I did, while giving an illusion that there were other choices.

    Graphics - a few textures are alright, some of the character designs are ok, but a lot of faces are worse than the original game. The city, countryside and sewers/cellars are quite drab and undetailed. The Qunari are ok, but they all look the same. The Elves have weird unappealing faces. Compared to the first game the voice actors didn't sound convincing, though some were good (but not your main character). In fact, apart from some better textures, there were no improvements.

    I feel like I could go on and describe in more detail why this game sucks, but I want to forget about it and move onto something else.    … Expand
  77. Pitelk
    Aug 19, 2011
    2
    I feel very generous today so I will give a 3 to the game. If you have played DA:O don't bother to play this. It is far below expectations and it does not match DA:O in any point... If you have never played DA:O then DA II can be considered an average game with nice graphs, which you can use to kill some spare time... As an RPG sucks.. you done even have control of your parties armor!!!I feel very generous today so I will give a 3 to the game. If you have played DA:O don't bother to play this. It is far below expectations and it does not match DA:O in any point... If you have never played DA:O then DA II can be considered an average game with nice graphs, which you can use to kill some spare time... As an RPG sucks.. you done even have control of your parties armor!!! Dialogs... suck if you are over age 12..story.. the same...… Expand
  78. Orctownorc
    Aug 22, 2013
    6
    The Failure of Dragon Age II is likely to become a saving grace for Bioware. The waves of often vitriolic criticism of the game have surely awoken a sense of professional pride and seriousness in Edmonton. If the developers take it all in and take it to heart we should be able to expect amazing things from Bioware from DA Inquisition. Thus finally the failures of this game will finallyThe Failure of Dragon Age II is likely to become a saving grace for Bioware. The waves of often vitriolic criticism of the game have surely awoken a sense of professional pride and seriousness in Edmonton. If the developers take it all in and take it to heart we should be able to expect amazing things from Bioware from DA Inquisition. Thus finally the failures of this game will finally prove to be GOOD for the studio and great for gaming. For all the great content in their games, Bioware has always had trouble with linearity of plots, and with limited exploration in their worlds. After they dropped the Dungeons and Dragons rule set, they never really developed a satisfactory alternative. While they hinted at building an interesting fantasy world in Thedas, they NEVER actually did so. Basically Bioware has been coasting on its Baldur's gate reputation for WAY too long. And their trust in their own ability to 'tell a story' has blinded them into missing the key design elements of world building. If gamers were less tolerant of the flaws in Dragon Age Origins, they would have noticed that it really WASN'T nearly as GREAT as generally credited. Having an adventure that simply ends with a mega battle, with no enduring world, no real-living environments is actually pretty weak compared to any number of 'open-world' RPGs. Origins was good enough but what was the business with all that DLC going nowhere, adding nothing? Even Awakenings was just another 20 hours of assorted tale-quests that lead to NOTHING. Dragon Age II was bad, but it was not that different from the way Origins ended: with just random, boring pointless, rudderless 'stuff to do in Thedas'. Bioware never looked like making the world live, or of getting serious with building proper character classes or systems where you could have continuous adventures and take a character from creation up to high level. Maybe after the screaming, the hollering and the backlash, they will put their heads down and get serious at last about RPG design. Maybe they will make Thedas a world worth exploring, and allow the players to create characters and stories that will let us invest emotionally (and creatively) in that world. Maybe Bioware will finally grow up and become the developer we always imagined they would be, rather than confused incompetents who lost their way and ended up giving us more than a decade of MEDIOCRE RPGs. Let's hope so. Let's send up a prayer and an encouraging cheer to Edmonton! Thank them for setting the release date for Inquisition a healthy long time into the future (Fall 2014), and ENCOURAGE them, to RESTART this franchise with rock solid foundation so that Thedas becomes THE FANTASY GAME WORLD of CHOICE for all of us. Simply blow our minds with the BEST RPG EVER. You can do it guys! Kisses!

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  79. Theomniadept
    Mar 24, 2014
    0
    Classic example of EA paying reviewers for positive reviews. This game is pure trash. The same five maps are reused hundreds of times (and you are expected to not notice), the writers decided to scrap any and all writing (meaning no talking to party members, no talking to NPCs, no nothing) and this does not even merit the Dragon Age name.
    The game itself is essentially Final Fantasy 13; a    Classic example of EA paying reviewers for positive reviews. This game is pure trash. The same five maps are reused hundreds of times (and you are expected to not notice), the writers decided to scrap any and all writing (meaning no talking to party members, no talking to NPCs, no nothing) and this does not even merit the Dragon Age name.
    The game itself is essentially Final Fantasy 13; a linear game with no choice whatsoever moving you and your party members (who may as well not have names since talking to NPCs was scrapped in favor of flash animation cutscenes) from fight to cutscene until the end of the game. No difficulty, no exploration, all in the name of 'streamlining' (read: dumbing down) combat.
    I can't spoil the story because there is one. You get to pick which of the two factions you want to support, each without any decent in-depth story, then at the end of the game your choice lacks any substance at all because the same thing happens regardless and you get the same lousy cliffhanger ending that may as well be replaced with an add for Dragon Age Inquisition.
    Character creation is literally gone, you pick a class and your name is Hawke and you are a human. No origin stories, no tying in choices, you just ride the railroad tracks.
    Also, for those who did in fact play Origins and Awakening, congratulations, even if you saved everyone at the end of Awakening, because there is no post-game save some of the characters are made dead because this terrible rushed game has no clue what continuity is.
    Ignore all reviews that say this is a good game; this game is objectively too terrible to warrant EA pricing it even a quarter of Dragon Age Origin's price tag.
    Also, Qunari now have horns. Because character development is hard, let's just slap something on to say "hey look, we animated!".    … Expand
  80. lagendofdoom
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    While Dragon Age Origins is in my opinion the perfect game and ive been waiting for it's sequel, i must say the disappointment was too great for me to even finish Dragon age 2. This game just ruined the franchise, it seems like Bioware wanted to make Dragon age 2 to be appealed by the most of the audience and because of that Dragon Age 2 doesn't have anything that might make him differentWhile Dragon Age Origins is in my opinion the perfect game and ive been waiting for it's sequel, i must say the disappointment was too great for me to even finish Dragon age 2. This game just ruined the franchise, it seems like Bioware wanted to make Dragon age 2 to be appealed by the most of the audience and because of that Dragon Age 2 doesn't have anything that might make him different from the others Rpgs games, the gameplay is faster paced but also plain, the story is boring, character also are boring, exploration ? there is nothing to explore... graphics might even be worse than its predecessor. In other words the game is a huge let down and might have just killed the franchise good name… Expand
  81. PsyCoil
    May 26, 2011
    0
    Developer: BioWare
    Genre(s): Role-Playing Those two lines are very inaccurate, This game doesn't look like any game BioWare made and It's certainly not a Role-playing game but an action game. If you have to call it RPG then call it Arcade-RPG.
    The game was clearly designed for little kids, Sexy? No, Nothing sexy about a bunch of companions hypocrites. Better graphics? No. There is no    Developer: BioWare
    Genre(s): Role-Playing Those two lines are very inaccurate, This game doesn't look like any game BioWare made and It's certainly not a Role-playing game but an action game. If you have to call it RPG then call it Arcade-RPG.
    The game was clearly designed for little kids, Sexy? No, Nothing sexy about a bunch of companions hypocrites. Better graphics? No. There is no variety in the graphics, everything is just BROWN, everywhere you look You'll see BROWN. Better Story? NO. Many plot holes from origins. Better gameplay? No. This game combat is so unrealistic, even the Matrix looks more realistic then this.

    I know some of you DA:O fans reading all those bad reviews here and think "It can't be that bad, there's no wayyy". I also know some of you think this is some of sequel to the original game, Well, If you don't listen to those bad reviews here You'll get a BIG FUUUU to your face when playing this game.    … Expand
  82. kosiarzksrz
    May 17, 2011
    1
    The worst game of the year . Don't buy it, it's better to spend money on something else. Everything is inferior to the first game. I don't know what to say about this thing.

    very poor game
  83. thaje
    May 29, 2011
    3
    I started Dragon Age II with eager expectation, but after an hour I found myself having to motivate myself just to keep playing... "It MUST get better soon"... but it didn't. Bioware has stripped out everything good about Origins and made what was bad even worse. The combat is even easier and more simplified; the plot is confusing and hollow at best; the environments are repetetive (c'monI started Dragon Age II with eager expectation, but after an hour I found myself having to motivate myself just to keep playing... "It MUST get better soon"... but it didn't. Bioware has stripped out everything good about Origins and made what was bad even worse. The combat is even easier and more simplified; the plot is confusing and hollow at best; the environments are repetetive (c'mon Bioware, like we wouldn't notice...); the characters are lame and undeveloped. In fact, everything about the game just feels poor. Worth a play for Bioware fans, but by no means get your hopes up.… Expand
  84. Wren
    May 30, 2011
    3
    The combat felt more engaging and exciting, but the interaction with companions was sacrificed, which made the game far less enjoyable. I wouldn't purchase another game in this series if this is the way things keep going.
  85. taupoke
    Jun 18, 2011
    0
    An incomprehensible mess of a cash in. Utterly lazily made with the same dungeon map used over and over, cringe worthy line delivery from the voice actors and a storyline that jumps constantly from theme to theme. This game also highlights what is very wrong with the gaming industry, as almost all "professional" reviewers give it 80+ despite the 4.2 user score. This is because EAAn incomprehensible mess of a cash in. Utterly lazily made with the same dungeon map used over and over, cringe worthy line delivery from the voice actors and a storyline that jumps constantly from theme to theme. This game also highlights what is very wrong with the gaming industry, as almost all "professional" reviewers give it 80+ despite the 4.2 user score. This is because EA blackmails reviewers into giving good reviews by threatening to blacklist them if they don't give positive reviews. In short, it's a pathetic game and anyone who likes it is either a rabid fanboy or a corporate sellout.… Expand
  86. sowiszcze
    Jul 11, 2011
    3
    Wow! This game is just sad. After DA:O, I expected a game at the same (or similar) level. My expectations were huge. Luckily for me, at the time of game release I had my exams so I waited with the purchase. So, when I was almost on my way to the store, I decided to try the game. And thanks to that I have saved 60$. Not to mention cost of DLC. The game is weak. Control is weird. I playedWow! This game is just sad. After DA:O, I expected a game at the same (or similar) level. My expectations were huge. Luckily for me, at the time of game release I had my exams so I waited with the purchase. So, when I was almost on my way to the store, I decided to try the game. And thanks to that I have saved 60$. Not to mention cost of DLC. The game is weak. Control is weird. I played it only for 4 hours, but it was enough to now, I don't want it. Grapics is poor. Gameplay is way too easy. It doesn't seem like RPG to ma at all. Hack'nSlash maybe. The main storyline seems interesting, but on the other hand dialogs are naive. And the fact it is DragoN Age??? It hurts. Because it has nothing common with DA:O… Expand
  87. Catsy
    Jan 26, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dragon Age 2 is a pretty average RPG that strips back the good parts of the last game and replaces them with cheap versions of it.
    I'm giving it a six as it's a quick game, which allows it to be replayed very easily. Even though the replay value is so low, the player still has a chance to go back and play with a different personality Hawke, and romance different characters.
    Good points include unbelievably quick combat that feels action-packed, witty dialogue, a wide range of weapons that look different from one another, and kinda interesting characters with different pasts.
    The downside of the characters are that there are just too obvious stereotypes with them. You have a warped Mage who wants to free his brethren and an elf who hates mages. Put these two together and you just have hate-spew. Other downsides include being unable to tell the party to HOLD and stay where they are, as when you move, after a certain distance, they follow you; being unable to use half the armour and weapons you find as characters have specific armour; being unable to mod the game apart from tiny tweaks; the list goes on.

    Not bad if you're only gonna pay $20 for it, but any more than that and it's not really worth it.    … Expand
  88. Nichtswisser
    Apr 24, 2012
    4
    Behold one of the worst sequels in history: Dragon Age 2, the adventure of Hawk in copy&paste Land. If you ever wanted to see serious recycling this is the game for you.
  89. MarqsS
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Avoid like a plague if you played and enjoyed Origins. If not then you sure can get some fun from it, but as a sequel it fails terribly. Graphics are so-so but overall the game is lacking in every aspect. Characters are not entertaining at all, you just can't feel anything when you interact with them... Hell I don't even remember half of them. Fights are also terrible, just button mashingAvoid like a plague if you played and enjoyed Origins. If not then you sure can get some fun from it, but as a sequel it fails terribly. Graphics are so-so but overall the game is lacking in every aspect. Characters are not entertaining at all, you just can't feel anything when you interact with them... Hell I don't even remember half of them. Fights are also terrible, just button mashing and killing NPC-s who simply appear from nowhere. Oh, and your choices means nothing like in most recent RPG-s. You just kill everyone and only big decision is who will be killed first...… Expand
  90. Lordsmerff
    Apr 29, 2012
    4
    Dragon Age II was the most enjoyable game I will never play again. The companions were great, their side stories were interesting and their dialogue was hilarious. I loved how deep and rich the characters were, as I do in all Bioware games I have played to date. The game is completely different to DA:O with the choices you made having minimal impact in DA2, which is really disappointing asDragon Age II was the most enjoyable game I will never play again. The companions were great, their side stories were interesting and their dialogue was hilarious. I loved how deep and rich the characters were, as I do in all Bioware games I have played to date. The game is completely different to DA:O with the choices you made having minimal impact in DA2, which is really disappointing as this game is supposed to be a trilogy. The gameplay changes were interesting, they are not DA:O but they make for a different game rather than a worse one. I also enjoyed how the main character is more involved within the storyline, however, the gear system was very limiting and I found myself just getting the special "class" set of gear that is available in each act, it really felt like I was back in the day playing Diablo II again but with less customisation. The main plot was very interesting and kept me playing despite the problems of the game. Sadly, the plot within the final act just turns into an abysmal mess and this really damages the experience of the whole game, I absolutely loved the plot in this game but it had such a weak storyline by the end. I play RPG's for the rich immersion I get and despite its final act I still do feel Bioware delivered a wonderful experience overall in this area. By far the biggest disaster of the game, one the developers surely were aware of but decided customers are utterly stupid and won't notice, was the reusing of maps. Not only are maps reused over and over within the world, they are all repeated again every act. No attempt is even made to hide the reuse of maps, the mini map doesn't even show the changes and doorways just appear blocked. This made the game extremely repetitive and I found myself grinding through the same set of maps endless times trying to get my story fix and reach the ending. For this reason alone I will never play Dragon Age II again. This was a disgraceful result from a company that has such a strong reputation for creating worlds to explore and interact with. I really tried to be understanding of this game, I love the games Bioware make and have been a long time fan. Unfortunately, for me Dragon Age II Act by Act started great, stayed great (but annoying in regard to the maps), and then went uncontrollably downhill until the ending. Overall it fell very short of not only my expectations but also what I consider an industry minimum. DA:O was an enormous success and a much desired modern rehash of some classic fantasy RPG's (Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights), I have no idea why they just didn't improve on an already acclaimed format. I'm not saying DA:O was what I wanted in Dragon Age II, I like to mix things up, but Bioware has dropped its standard (except for characters) trying to be different and that is the problem that I have with DA2. I have the feeling that Bioware and EA will need to re-evaluate a lot of things before DA3 if they want to redeem the Dragon Age trilogy.… Expand
  91. 223kazin
    Dec 9, 2012
    1
    I've been a long time fan of Bioware games, I was frothing at the mouth while I played DA:O. I bought all the DLC, played it three or more times, I had a blast. I could barely trug along in DA2. The combat was fairly brainless and easy, which made much of the game dull and exhausting to play. The graphics were underwhelming, with a sly attempt to hide it under copious amounts of gore. TheI've been a long time fan of Bioware games, I was frothing at the mouth while I played DA:O. I bought all the DLC, played it three or more times, I had a blast. I could barely trug along in DA2. The combat was fairly brainless and easy, which made much of the game dull and exhausting to play. The graphics were underwhelming, with a sly attempt to hide it under copious amounts of gore. The dialogue wheel was an unwelcome change. I thought Dragon Age was supposed to be the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate? Baldur's Gate didn't have a **** dialogue wheel. It's well and good to cater to the console crowd, but it's not like you need precision or masterful reflexes during dialogue. Since when were dialogue wheels a staple for console games? Is it really that difficult to use the D-pad to navigate detailed dialogue choices in a drop down format? Also, despite what all these 10 ratings like to spout, the story was boring, and the characters were immemorable. I can remember the likes of Allister, Morrigan, Leliana, Shale, Oghren. I can't, however, remember a single god damn character from DA2, besides "Hawke". I'm not entirely sure what Bioware was thinking, but I couldn't even finish this game. I got 12 hours into it. 8 of those hours I was being incredibly stubborn thinking "I'm going to finish this **** game even if it kills me, it's got to get better at some point." ...It didn't. In the end what really killed this game was how unintuitive the combat was. A game with barely any difficulty to it is doomed to fail in the eyes of any self-respecting player. This is likely a great entry-RPG for your kids, but I'd just as readily suggest Kingdom Hearts, instead.… Expand
  92. Lulgrim
    May 24, 2012
    2
    I borrowed an account to play this after Origins and Awakening made me skeptical about buying any more BioWare games. Wow I'm glad I didn't pay for this. Ugly graphics, bad voice acting, terrible writing, uninteresting story, crappy gameplay, recycled locations... I just have nothing positive to say.
  93. MacrosTheBlack
    May 30, 2012
    3
    Of late game designers seem to have gone the route of making sequels less intricate instead of more intricate. Dragon age II suffers from this exact same problem and ruins the experience. Dragon age 1 was a game for the ages, an old school CRPG in the baldur's gate tradition which met with much enthousiasm from gamers everywhere. I remember thinking to myself "this is going to be AWESOMEOf late game designers seem to have gone the route of making sequels less intricate instead of more intricate. Dragon age II suffers from this exact same problem and ruins the experience. Dragon age 1 was a game for the ages, an old school CRPG in the baldur's gate tradition which met with much enthousiasm from gamers everywhere. I remember thinking to myself "this is going to be AWESOME if they get an expansion going, with a follow up story and more classes!" Imagine my dissapointment when I ordered DA2 and found out that DA2 really has nothing in common with DA1. The story is completely unrelated to the DA1 story, the combat system is incredibly dumbed down to the point of just relentlessly button bashing and seeing pretty colours and the origins system, which was very promising, was axed alltogether. Can't give this one more then a 3, and I'll be holding off on any bioware purchases untill they prove they can get it right again.… Expand
  94. foil
    Jun 17, 2012
    0
    this game was pretty hardcore, but I think it could have been hardcorer. needed more weapons and death animations because they make games better always.
  95. faceless-1
    Aug 13, 2013
    3
    This is the game is one of the worst RPGs i ever played. After brilliant DA:O i had high expectations from DA II. Half of the dungeons in this game are just copy paste. You run same dungeon at least 20 times if you go all side quests. RPG system is garbage in compare to DA:O. At first i liked that story is not trying to be some ultra epic RPG, until i noticed how poorly written it is. AndThis is the game is one of the worst RPGs i ever played. After brilliant DA:O i had high expectations from DA II. Half of the dungeons in this game are just copy paste. You run same dungeon at least 20 times if you go all side quests. RPG system is garbage in compare to DA:O. At first i liked that story is not trying to be some ultra epic RPG, until i noticed how poorly written it is. And the ending is trash too. I give it 3 because of some good NPCs.… Expand
  96. Qis
    Oct 13, 2012
    1
    This game will get boring to re-play, it is because we can't customize our companions so we will see the very same thing. Each companions have their own designed and theme that we can't change it. There is no actual plot for the entire game, it is just about the survivor of the recent war make a living in a new city and then happen to be involve in numerous conflicts either by his/herThis game will get boring to re-play, it is because we can't customize our companions so we will see the very same thing. Each companions have their own designed and theme that we can't change it. There is no actual plot for the entire game, it is just about the survivor of the recent war make a living in a new city and then happen to be involve in numerous conflicts either by his/her companions or the city he/she live. Those conflicts are actually none of his/her problem, he/she doesn't even have to involve in anything either. The ending of the story is the same with a little different no matter what choices we make. Combat is anime-like, with no tactic, because of enemies can pop up from thin air, re-spawn randomly, so it will be hack and slash all the time. The maps are just copy and paste, recycled everywhere. The graphic is okay, but the rest is just dull. This game can be played just for fun and nothing serious about it. This game destroy it's predecessor Dragon Age : Origin.… Expand
  97. suneater
    Dec 17, 2012
    3
    Everything about this game is dumbed down from the original. The plot is terribly written with jumpy pacing, resulting in it feeling like multiple games mashed together but somehow still has significantly less content than the original. It felt like the devs couldn't decide when to finish the game so they just ruined everything they could in it. Your choices have very little if any impactEverything about this game is dumbed down from the original. The plot is terribly written with jumpy pacing, resulting in it feeling like multiple games mashed together but somehow still has significantly less content than the original. It felt like the devs couldn't decide when to finish the game so they just ruined everything they could in it. Your choices have very little if any impact on the game with key characters dying no matter what. Conversations have been dumbed down even by Bioware standards into a Good, Bad, or Silly response, with occasional inquiry options. Replacing the tactical gameplay from the original is a consolified "press X to awesome" anime-style system where by the end of the game you are literally making enemies explode with your sword. Crashes to desktop, worse graphics than the original, uneven voice acting with fake accents, an unlikable cast, the list could go on for a while. This game feels unfinished, unedited, and quickly thrown together unlike the polished original.… Expand
  98. cossayos
    Nov 2, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A cheap ripoff of something that once was great. Fights degenerate to a button fest, complete with exploding enemies. You feel like a monkey on speed. This in itself is something that turned me off so completely that I hardly could muster the strength to get going. Enemy hordes dropping from the sky do additional damage when it comes to immersion. Add to this repeating environments that reek of cheapness and a story that's very ambitious but contradicts itself, and you quickly reach the bottom of what an RPG should offer in my opinion. Sprites and the unnecessary revamping of the races substract another bit of the atmosphere. Give that game a wide bearth unless you're simply into mashing one button. There's nothing else to it. Bearable only after consuming a sixpack of beer.… Expand
  99. ShinoRagnar
    Apr 29, 2013
    2
    If you liked Dragon Age 1 youre probably not gonna like Dragon Age 2.

    Everything good about DA1 has been replaced:

    Combat System: Replaced with a worthless action oriented -no brainer system
    Skill System: Dumbed down to no choices at all
    Maps: THERE IS ONLY 1 MAP! All theyve done is make you enter from different doors. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
  100. jadam914
    Mar 4, 2013
    5
    Dragon Age Origins was the best RPG to come out in a long while. Though DA2 was good over all by the standards of the first game it was a let down.

    First the good parts. It was better than most any game that came out around the time it was released and many that were made before it. The graphics were acceptable but not a home run. There are side quests to do and the character    Dragon Age Origins was the best RPG to come out in a long while. Though DA2 was good over all by the standards of the first game it was a let down.

    First the good parts.

    It was better than most any game that came out around the time it was released and many that were made before it. The graphics were acceptable but not a home run. There are side quests to do and the character leveling and UI were acceptable. Interaction in the story line was good and though there was only a little room to customize the story through your decisions. Some of the old DAO flavor was there. Over all a good but not great game.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The bad parts, mostly comparing to Dragon Age Origins

    Too Linear
    DA2 felt much more linear than DA. There was less content over all than DAO and less options of things to do.

    Graphics were rushed
    It is easy to see for any serious gamer that the game was rushed. The textures could have been better. The map areas were limited and more recycled that DAO. I would have liked to have more area on the maps provided. It reminded me of some of the older games because things were recycled as much as they were.

    A Console game
    This game was console based with PC as an after thought. Big mistake on Bioware's pare because the made most of the DAO fans mad. It was a more of a console button masher than a true PC game.

    Lacking in content
    Though there was a lot of content as a sequel it was too short compared to DAO. The content was not as decision based as DAO. There was no real main map like in DA. At the end I found my self saying "That's it?"

    I say, over all it is a good game but don't get your hopes up too much if you already played the first one.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PC Game of 2011
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
19
#19 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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.
    Read full review
  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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