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. iamthespark
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    MAIN PLOT: This game's storyline is a slow build, but once I got to Act 2 everything changed. I started appreciating the plot and the almost gentle progression.

    SIDE QUESTS: I dont think I've had so much fun playing the side quests before. I basically ignored most of them in DA1. COMPANIONS: (a) Voice Acting. Awesome. (b) Subplots. I like that we have subplots with them in    MAIN PLOT: This game's storyline is a slow build, but once I got to Act 2 everything changed. I started appreciating the plot and the almost gentle progression.

    SIDE QUESTS: I dont think I've had so much fun playing the side quests before. I basically ignored most of them in DA1.

    COMPANIONS:

    (a) Voice Acting. Awesome.

    (b) Subplots. I like that we have subplots with them in every act. Fenris and Aveline's subplots were very well done and definitely memorable (and funny!). (c) Same-Sex Romance: I still feel the need to thank bioware for including this again and in full form.

    (c) Romance in General. I romanced Merril, and the only thing I kept thinking was that I wish I had a chance to talk to her more. I felt as through the romance was based on very limited dialogue (more like a mass effect 2 kind of romance as opposed to DA1). BUT the romance scene itself was so well executed that I forgot about how little I spoke with her before that. The pillow talk after the scene was *great* too! Also, as it goes with romance pacing, it was strange to have Merril move in after our first sex scene, especially since we weren't really dating or anything like that. And now that we've moved in, nothing is being said about it.

    (d) Dialogue: There feels like much less companion dialogue in this game. BUT I also like that I haven't exhausted the dialogue yet either. Being able to speak with your companions of the fly was nice. Merril has very few things to say about herself, the past or the Dalish. Also, I found the flirting lines with Merril really cheesy, and only did because I wanted to proceed with a romance.

    (d) Banter. Lots of good stuff here and with the number of companions, I don't think I'll ever hear all of the banter.

    (e) Character designs. I love how distinct everyone looks and acts. The new body types are great.

    (f) Comforting Hawke. I am soooo grateful that someone asks me how I am!

    (g) Companion Interactions. Its refreshing to see the companions visiting each other and seeking their guidance. Like everyone else, I love that dog is there. The fact that now I can ask a question to my party while in conversation with someone else is a good thing.

    THE WORLD: I have no problems with being in one city, but I guess I expected the city to change more than it does. I don't mind the reused areas too much. I'm fine with there being a few places you always visit (the bone pit and sundermount) but its when I go into other places that seem very similar to each other, that's when it loses flavour for me. I would have appreciated more fantastical locations (like in DA1 Sacred Ashes quest). I will insert thought that I love the fact that mines/maps/areas have multiple exits now and that leaving a dungeon is so much easier.

    INVENTORY
    (a) Companion Inventory: The fact that I can still equip my companions with their own weapons saved the day for me. If they were completely static, it would have been boring, but I am still able to upgrade their weaponry. As for their armour, I also like the idea of upgrades. I sort of wish I'd see the upgrades though, as a different colour of armour or *something*. The fact that I didnt have to equip the upgrades myself was nice too.

    (b) Junk: This container has gotten a lot of heat, BUT it does serve a purpose. i can now mark items as junk and sell them all with one button when I get to the store, how convenient is that? Very!

    TIME JUMPS: This left me feeling disconnected from the game. I believe its because I'm not filled in on what happened during the jump with myself or my companions (or perhaps the lack of control). The game tries to remind me that 3 years have passed, but its hard to "get into" that.

    ACTION: I loved the speed and looks of the action. This game is so much fun to play, now I actually enjoy the battles unlike in DA1. The skill trees are fun as well.

    WHAT ITS MISSING
    Its hard to explain what this game is actually missing for me without saying its missing "charm" or "soul". What I think has happened to create that feeling is the mix of: 1) not enough companion dialogue/backstory/progression, with 2) the fact that I'm not sure why my companions are still following me around.

    In DA1 we were a group of people thrown together to save the world. Even though its not unique, the fact that we were drawn together and that we had that camp common space created a feeling of "we're in this together" and "us against the world" which is missing from DA2. In DA2 I just feel like "stuff happens" and maybe some of my companions will be around later. They, currently, don't feel integral to Hawke, not even my LI.    … Expand
  2. MoralityGames
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    Don't feel as though this games deserves a 10 (an 8 would be fairer) but everybody else seems to be doing hyper-positives or hyper-negatives to draw attention to their opinions so I might as well participate. Combat: Never had a problem with Origin's combat system and was never aware anybody else did, so I wonder why Bioware changed it, but I can't help but feel as though people who areDon't feel as though this games deserves a 10 (an 8 would be fairer) but everybody else seems to be doing hyper-positives or hyper-negatives to draw attention to their opinions so I might as well participate. Combat: Never had a problem with Origin's combat system and was never aware anybody else did, so I wonder why Bioware changed it, but I can't help but feel as though people who are deeply upset about it are letting their negative impressions about other aspects of the game color their experience of an otherwise solid system. Why exactly is an intense and fast-paced RPG-party brawl with plenty of room for diversity and optimization a bad thing? And on a more positive note, the spell/ability animations are beautiful. Difficulty: The game itself flashes messages in-between loadings which often recommend you adjust the difficulty if you've reached a segment of the game that is too hard or too easy. People want a golden mean where the game perpetually hits a point where things are hard enough to feel challenged but never difficult to the extent you feel obstructed; people need to realize that video game's almost never turn out that way, and when they do it is mostly a happy development accident. And in the 8-bit era they were almost universally hard. In letting you switch difficulty modes within the game, Bioware let the player do as much as any gaming company can be expected to do. So, difficulty works fine as long as you are prepared to pull up the menu and adjust it. Story: Dragon Age II has the best paced plot and character development of any game ever made, an artistic achievement that has been completely overlooked for some reason. Telling the story in "Acts" divided over years allowed them to approach the characters and the story in a distributive way unprecedented in any game. I thought it was fascinating, but other people seem disappointed it didn't conform to the inferior Origins standard. The one thing Origins had over Dragon Age II is a larger and somewhat more epic setting, but in terms of characterization and pacing the plot Dragon Age II surpassed it. I'd be happy to explain my viewpoints more in depth to anyone who wants to inquire. Inventory: Always the weak point of a Bioware game; their inventories are either cluttered with useless objects or all options are streamlined into oblivion with equipment divided into early game and late game. They combined the Mass Effect 2 streamlined system with Dragon Age: Origin's Graphics: Graphics aren't really important to me. Granted superior graphics are consistently more aesthetically pleasing, but I think any game which combines colors and images dynamically can look good, regardless of its time period. I think that the aesthetic of A Link to the Past and Final Fantasy VI (two of the best Super Nintendo games) have a unique appeal that no contemporary title can bring to the table. Comparing 16-bit to a game like Crysis is like comparing Impressionism to Cubism; they aren't comparable and both have unique appeal. In those terms, I think Bioware's attention to detail pulls through to make a visually compelling game. The biggest point against them is that they recycle sets a lot, but that's nothing new. Bugs: The single biggest problem with Dragon Age II is also a trope of early Bioware releases; there are bugs. The ones that intrude upon companion quests are particularly grating. Prospective customers might put off buying the game until a few patches get released that address these problems.… Expand
  3. idee
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An excellent successor to DAO2. The story is engaging and the conflict between mages and templars is compelling, forcing you to make some hard decisions. The combat has been streamlined in a good way, and although I personally find some of the combat animations abit over the top, I found that it was actually better than DAO after going back to DAO and comparing.

    DAO's animations looked tortured and sluggish by comparison. I know this is what people call "realism" but seriously? The way people swing 2handers in DAO is full of defensive holes and quite unrealistic in its own way.

    People who complain about the story not being as epic or good as DAO are simply expressing an opinion coloured by their butthurt over how this game has evolved over DAO. The story in DA2 is just as unique and entertaining. You just don't get to play the hero.

    Also not being able to choose your race was negligible, having a voiced character is leagues better in terms of the role-playing experience.

    In summary i'd give this about an 8. However actually I'll rate this full marks to spite the idiot band-wagon jumpers who thinks this is the worst game ever made. GTFO and take your butt-hurt with you.    … Expand
  4. E11imist
    Apr 10, 2011
    10
    The first mistake people make regarding DA2 is to think that it is the same as DA1, the game has been streamlined for the less devoted RPG fans. This game is made for the masses, and I love it. Yes it is not as long as DA1, yes it is not as complicated as DA1, but it is still a good game which you should not dismiss because you don't like the new combat system. This game is epic, I couldThe first mistake people make regarding DA2 is to think that it is the same as DA1, the game has been streamlined for the less devoted RPG fans. This game is made for the masses, and I love it. Yes it is not as long as DA1, yes it is not as complicated as DA1, but it is still a good game which you should not dismiss because you don't like the new combat system. This game is epic, I could not stop playing since the moment I sat down to play it. Stop judging and just play, you will enjoy it.… Expand
  5. Cowson
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    I have no idea why people are rating this game so low and saying some very outrageous things. People, don't listen to these loosers. The game is fantastic. I think the voice acting is spot on and I love how it's darker than the previous. The graphics and sound are a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to see how it progresses!
  6. Leanansidhe
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Don't listen to the nitpickers. This game has an amazing story and fun combat. Yes, some of the areas get a bit repetitive, but all the old-schoolers who keep going on about it have obviously forgotten about the cut and paste areas of BG 1 & 2. Every wizard tower, every tomb, looked exactly the same. Same with Mass Effect, so they changed it to make every area different, and peopleDon't listen to the nitpickers. This game has an amazing story and fun combat. Yes, some of the areas get a bit repetitive, but all the old-schoolers who keep going on about it have obviously forgotten about the cut and paste areas of BG 1 & 2. Every wizard tower, every tomb, looked exactly the same. Same with Mass Effect, so they changed it to make every area different, and people still find a reason to complain. If you've played the first game, you definitely owe it to yourself to pick up the second. The ending is amazing.… Expand
  7. Fireside
    Mar 17, 2011
    8
    Seriously folks- this game on the nightmare setting is a man's endeavor. It requires utilization of cross class combos, precise management of group member placements during AOE attacks, constant pausing to micro-manage, and twice as much mustard as DOA. The black emporium DLC is pretty much a requirement so you can respec your character and your party members (like countless times to getSeriously folks- this game on the nightmare setting is a man's endeavor. It requires utilization of cross class combos, precise management of group member placements during AOE attacks, constant pausing to micro-manage, and twice as much mustard as DOA. The black emporium DLC is pretty much a requirement so you can respec your character and your party members (like countless times to get everything right). Again, I think the reuse of dungeons and the lack of an immersive or expansive environment really detracts from this game, and I can get behind the grumblings where that is concerned, but I am really appalled by players saying this game is too easy or requires no strategy. This is about 66% harder than DOA on nightmare (although I did play DOA with the OP arcane warrior spec, so there's that to consider). For the half-men out there, goto the dragon age nexus website and download the mod that allows you to make nightmare difficulty setting easier but still play with Friendly Fire: without it the game is for preemies.… Expand
  8. anonymous86
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Good game. Excellent story. Great RPG. Much room for improvement so Dragon Age 3 will be even more playeble. I anticipate more joy from Bioware in the future.
  9. Macleish
    Mar 12, 2011
    9
    Not as good as DA:O. A great game nonetheless. The combat is excellent. Fast paced, while still being tactical. And the Story actually flows better than Origins in my opinion. Well worth the price of admission! Well, at least I'm having fun.
  10. DrGulag
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    I have to give this game a ten just to balance the score! My honest number would be closer to nine or nine point five

    Dragon Age 2 improves a lot of things if you bought the game for PS3 or Xbox360. I understand how PC players are frustrated though. Bioware removed the isometric camera and took out certain elements from the game that will most certainly annoy the Baldurs Gate generation.    I have to give this game a ten just to balance the score! My honest number would be closer to nine or nine point five

    Dragon Age 2 improves a lot of things if you bought the game for PS3 or Xbox360. I understand how PC players are frustrated though. Bioware removed the isometric camera and took out certain elements from the game that will most certainly annoy the Baldurs Gate generation. I'm in the third act at the moment and the game is very entertaining. The story has more depth this time around and the voice acting works really well. I'm slightly dissappointed with the removal of other races but that's what happens when you decide to give a voice to the main character, compromises compromises.

    I would have liked the option of being able to customize the equipment of all your team members but atleast you can give them weapons and rings. People are obviously overreacting at the moment. I don't know how you can justify a score between 0-4 unless you're just trying to troll. YES, DRAGON AGE 2 HAS BEEN CONSOLIFIED but it's still a very good game. BOTTOM LINE : DO NOT trust the reviews! Yes, the game has decided to abandon a lot of old school rpg elements but most of these people are just pissed off teenagers and pc elitists from rpgcodex / **** This game is still great if you can appreciate it as a stand alone title. Do not go in expecting to play a remake of the original or Baldurs Gate. It's a consolified action RPG.    … Expand
  11. Zloom18
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age 2 - I liked it. I think this is the best game I ever played. Graphics, combat, story telling, its all better. I think, DA2 take its rightful place in the world of computer games.
  12. Kentathon
    Mar 12, 2011
    9
    Lots of angry players who wanted the game to fail or rated it low without ever playing it. It's a great RPG in a great series.

    There are copy/pasted caves all over the place and that is a flaw, but that is the one and only flaw in the entire game. Whatever Bioware did to make so many kids cry and pray that their game will fail, my hat is off to you. Keep curb stomping the haters and    Lots of angry players who wanted the game to fail or rated it low without ever playing it. It's a great RPG in a great series.

    There are copy/pasted caves all over the place and that is a flaw, but that is the one and only flaw in the entire game.

    Whatever Bioware did to make so many kids cry and pray that their game will fail, my hat is off to you. Keep curb stomping the haters and make more quality content.    … Expand
  13. Merrill4Life
    May 17, 2011
    10
    No longer bound by the aging cRPG format, Bioware presents the greatest RPG of the decade if not the entire genre. Kirkwall is a living breathing city that evolves based on the decisions you make through your ten year rise to power as Hawke one of the most dynamic and charismatic leads ever created in any form of media. Coupled with the deeply strategic and visceral gameplay there isNo longer bound by the aging cRPG format, Bioware presents the greatest RPG of the decade if not the entire genre. Kirkwall is a living breathing city that evolves based on the decisions you make through your ten year rise to power as Hawke one of the most dynamic and charismatic leads ever created in any form of media. Coupled with the deeply strategic and visceral gameplay there is only one word sufficient to describe this game: Awesome!… Expand
  14. Alexandr_n
    Mar 19, 2011
    10
    She was the most anticipated game of the year. With trepidation, I watched all the interviews and news. And now the game is released. A feeling that we were betrayed and sold.
  15. jaward1
    Mar 12, 2011
    9
    I have to say I don't understand all the negativity surrounding this game. I really enjoyed it. Like really. The conversation wheel is exciting, the main character (you) is cool and funny and quests are generally entertaining. There is a consensus among 'hard-core' gamers that this has been 'dumbed down' from Dragon Age:Origins. I disagree. The combat is slightly easier (this can beI have to say I don't understand all the negativity surrounding this game. I really enjoyed it. Like really. The conversation wheel is exciting, the main character (you) is cool and funny and quests are generally entertaining. There is a consensus among 'hard-core' gamers that this has been 'dumbed down' from Dragon Age:Origins. I disagree. The combat is slightly easier (this can be changed by putting it on hard difficulty though), the graphics are better than the predecessor (although not stunning) and the city of Kirkwall full of life and things to do. It is my opinion that people are riding a wave of dislike for this game as they judge it too firmly on the previous one. This is a different game in some respects. However it is also a brilliant one. Flaws include many loading screens and a small world map, but the new dynamic combat, the improved visuals, the main character speaking and the depth of the gameplay (where your decisions really seem to matter) make this a brilliant role playing experience. Just not one for the hardcore, baldurs gate loving PC gaming community that seem to spawn from troll land at the moment.
    Overall:
    Graphics - 8 (if on very high detail)
    Gameplay- 8.5 (a little repetitive but fun)
    Presentation- 9 (Beautiful loading screens, simple menus)
    Sound- 9.5 (great music and superb voice work)
    Lasting appeal- 9 (a long game with multiple plot lines)
    OVERALL- 9/10

    Bottom line- If you liked Mass effect 2 you will love this game.    … Expand
  16. Anastasia
    Mar 14, 2011
    9
    This is the worst... First Person Shooter ever. BUT IT IS THE BEST RPG EVER! Dragon Age 2 is absolutely phenomenal in every single way. I bought it and I still can't put it down. It is a brilliant technical accomplishment by BioWare, and is easily one of their best games. BioWare never fails to impress, and Dragon Age 2 is no different.
  17. miker17
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Sorry for my bad english but after reading some most idiotic rev. i had to write rev. myself.
    From my point Dragon Age 2 is good game that removes very draging areas of 1st game (like Fade,Deep roads) where you spend hours and only point is to go from point A to point B and kill every one in your way.
    Story is well writen and dialogs and voice acting is amazing(different accents for    Sorry for my bad english but after reading some most idiotic rev. i had to write rev. myself.
    From my point Dragon Age 2 is good game that removes very draging areas of 1st game (like Fade,Deep roads) where you spend hours and only point is to go from point A to point B and kill every one in your way.
    Story is well writen and dialogs and voice acting is amazing(different accents for people from other areas of the Thedas)dialog tree is practicly same only he is done ME style wheel. Story is more personal and follow your character rise to power over years, they dont put you against evil gods to deafeat or demons that threatens to consume worlds and this is nice change from stereotype. Pople who have problem whit it there are millions other RPG whit this plot. My only problem in this game is reused areas and open ending (witch smells by EA DLC policy)
    Game have only few bugs and most of them only shows in Nightmere Mode
    Hate campaign this game have is unjust.
    9.0    … Expand
  18. sparrow667
    Mar 14, 2011
    9
    DA2 took me 36 hours of gameplay (skipped 10+ quests). Good:
    Bioware games are always about the story - and it is the best story written by David Gaider so far. Connections between DAO/DAA and DA2 are far more complex than in Mass Effect 2. Crafting system was nicely improved. Combat changes may seen controversial, but itâ
  19. CroGamer002
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    Game is just absolutely amazing. But let me start with cons. I seriously dislike new design of the Darkspawn and I hate those horns on Quinari. Didn't like idea that party members can't be equipped with other armor and robes and reused maps is just stupid. Well now the pros. Characters are amazingly on same level as DA:O characters which was a huge surprise for me. Plot is far, FARGame is just absolutely amazing. But let me start with cons. I seriously dislike new design of the Darkspawn and I hate those horns on Quinari. Didn't like idea that party members can't be equipped with other armor and robes and reused maps is just stupid. Well now the pros. Characters are amazingly on same level as DA:O characters which was a huge surprise for me. Plot is far, FAR superior to DA:O and plot twist at the end was just shocking and wanted to beat the crap out of my favorite character for that, in the good way. Some side quest actually impact main story, graphics are nice, soundtrack nice too. Gameplay is largely the same as DA:O, only is much more fast-paced which makes it harder and more fun.

    This game is a must buy for anyone who like RPG games and future DLC's are expected for this game and Bioware doesn't fail with DLC's.    … Expand
  20. phil_is_random
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    DA2 is not your "traditional" Dragon Age, mind you - but what means traditional, if there has only been one title of the series so far? It's fast-paced, action-filled, gory goodness and at least I enjoyed playing it very much. Just don't expect as much RPG as in Dragon Age - if you are okay with that, you will have fun!
  21. Dosker55
    Mar 14, 2011
    10
    Revel, savour and bask in the brilliance; this is a game that no gamer can afford to ignore. Everything here is bigger, better, brighter, faster, longer, sicker, cooler than the series has ever been before
  22. leg_lamp
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    Sleeker and faster combat, improved interface, improved graphics, and great characters. The plot isn't as urgent or immersive as the former game, but the game was still quite enjoyable.
  23. voodoohao
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    C'mon guys those of you who gave it less than 6 are pretty harsh aren't you? What did you expect a perfect game from Bioware? For God's sake if you didn't like the demo why the heck did you buy the game and then **** and moan and give it a zero?! I've played it for 10 hours so far and personally I feel that the story feels more personal this time, I'm quite intrigued by the whole idea ofC'mon guys those of you who gave it less than 6 are pretty harsh aren't you? What did you expect a perfect game from Bioware? For God's sake if you didn't like the demo why the heck did you buy the game and then **** and moan and give it a zero?! I've played it for 10 hours so far and personally I feel that the story feels more personal this time, I'm quite intrigued by the whole idea of 10 years of the main protaganist's life spanning the entire game. Really interested to see how things will progress from here on. And when you do things in the game it feels like you'll actually building up your reputation and relationships, due to the no so insignificant matter of the main character actually able to speak. That's a welcome addition and personally I feel that it covers whatever the game lacks as compared to DAO. Yeah inventory was simplified and stuff but c'mon did it really matter what your party was equipped with? If all you guys out there wanna compare DAII with Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate or whatever fantasy epic you've put on a pedestal go ahead. And continue to **** and moan and probably not enjoy any of the games coming out now and in the near future cause you guys never will, since no modern rpg will ever match whatever exacting standards you guys have. Don't get me started on those zeros, now those are really insanity at work. Personally I'll give it a 9 because Bioware is one of those companies who consistently push out decent and enjoyable RPGs, despite having to endure the crapstorm that inevitably follows every time people don't like certain changes. Imagine having only Baldur's Gate to play for what the next ten years? I WILL go insane. Anyway just wanted to say a big thank you to the developers for loving what they do and being brave enough to change certain aspects of the game, for better or for worse, rather than spinning out Dragon Age Origins II… Expand
  24. thedarthknight
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    I really, really liked this game even after playing the first one and all of its rpg glory. In all honesty, that stuff got a tad boring - I mean the strategy was great and all, but the game looked like crap, ran like crap, and lacked a personal story. This game fixed nearly everything - the story is great (albiet a bit choppy), characters voice their own opinions, and combat is satisfying.I really, really liked this game even after playing the first one and all of its rpg glory. In all honesty, that stuff got a tad boring - I mean the strategy was great and all, but the game looked like crap, ran like crap, and lacked a personal story. This game fixed nearly everything - the story is great (albiet a bit choppy), characters voice their own opinions, and combat is satisfying. People need to stop complaining about how it isn't like Baldur's Gate because this ISN'T Baldur's gate. Dragon age is its own franchise, and they can change things to appeal to a broader audience. This was a lot like Mass Effect 2, so many things got revamped, people started complaining. Grow up, accept change, and have fun with one of the best rpgs ever.… Expand
  25. weingeist
    Mar 19, 2011
    10
    I like every bit of the game. Better story, gameplay, grafiks (pc texturepatch) and characters than in DA1. Since BG2 their best game. The camera and the recycled environments are the 2 things i can complain about. Maybe the shouldn't have called it DA2, because so many people expected DA1 style with a proceeding story. Give it a try, you will like it.
  26. simejack
    Mar 20, 2011
    9
    Great game, not quite sure what people seem to have against it, i'ts great story, and much improved game-play; just look at the critic's reviews to see how good a game this actually is.
  27. grenzmord
    Mar 20, 2011
    10
    Generally still a great game.

    Compared to Origins the story is a lot more interesting and believable, the antagonists are actually interesting, and Hawke is more than you typical hero, the choices are not based on straight "good and evil" and especially the aggressive choices feel a lot more believable, than your typical "evil" choices. You can play a selfish character that does not    Generally still a great game.

    Compared to Origins the story is a lot more interesting and believable, the antagonists are actually interesting, and Hawke is more than you typical hero, the choices are not based on straight "good and evil" and especially the aggressive choices feel a lot more believable, than your typical "evil" choices. You can play a selfish character that does not threaten to break every ones legs all day...

    Graphics are more unique, which makes them more risky, personally i really liked the characters and urban environments, natural environments were rather bad though.

    Recycled Dungeons are never a good design-decision, but its bearable.

    Don't listen to the haters, have faith in one of the best developers of our time.    … Expand
  28. allquixotic
    Mar 20, 2011
    6
    As a die-hard Bioware aficionado, I'm slightly disappointed with some aspects of DA2, and extremely disappointed with one particular aspect.

    First, the good: I enjoyed the graphics and most of the voiceovers. I think the graphics turned out just fine, as I am not a stickler for having sharp textures and screen-filling special effects. I don't play Bioware games for their graphics; I play    As a die-hard Bioware aficionado, I'm slightly disappointed with some aspects of DA2, and extremely disappointed with one particular aspect.

    First, the good: I enjoyed the graphics and most of the voiceovers. I think the graphics turned out just fine, as I am not a stickler for having sharp textures and screen-filling special effects. I don't play Bioware games for their graphics; I play them for the story and the gameplay. I really enjoyed the main characters' voiceovers, though a lot of the supporting characters seemed either over-done, or they sounded like they were Tranquil (when in fact the character was not Tranquil).

    When I play a Bioware title of late, I usually end up regretting that the game was so short, because it was so much fun while it lasted, but the mostly linear stories leave little room for replay. With DA2, I thought the game might end at a certain point, only to have it continue to drag on from there. I feel like the length of the game was up to what I would like to see more often in Bioware titles, but unfortunately, the added length seems to have harmed the epic feel of the story. Because there is a denouement partway through the game and then another build-up to the end, it feels like you are playing one exciting and fun game up through the first denouement, then a second, much shorter, less exciting game with an extremely anticlimactic finish afterwards.

    My biggest gripe, which single-handledly changes my rating of the game from an 8 to a 6, is the massive and wanton reuse of levels. No Bioware game to date has re-used levels this much, not only for side quests but also the main ones! Seeing the same levels, same enemy spawn areas, same music repeat over and over and over again led to my fatigue and general lack of interest in the game as it wore on. I wanted to complete it to see how it would end, but I really found the final 30% of the game to be absolutely exhausting and depressing to play.

    One of the things that immerses me in Bioware games is the way that your hero travels from place to place, making a major impact (for better or worse) on lives and building up notoriety, and then moving on. I think this feeling of the dynamic, wandering hero is stripped out of DA2, whereas you can find it in significant measure in all the other recent Bioware titles, particularly DAO, Mass Effect 1 and 2, and even the NWN and Baldur's Gate titles.

    The epic feel of Mass Effect is also gone. While I felt from the beginning that the Dragon Age story is decidedly less seminal than the Mass Effect story, there was definitely appeal and charm to DA:O's story, and you could see that it was quite "epic". Related to the concept of the lack of travel in DA2, you also get a feel that the scope of your actions in DA2 is much smaller, and you are basically fighting for control over a small microcosm. More disappointingly, just as it starts to become apparent how this microcosm might impact the rest of the Dragon Age universe, the game comes to an abrupt close.

    Bioware also gets "credit" (in a pejorative sense) for releasing the second game in a row with an extremely gimmicky-feeling final boss fight. It just seems like something you would see in an old CONTRA game on NES, and has little relevance or relation to the rest of the story.

    I haven't read any of the other user reviews yet so as not to bias mine, but I see a lot of negative reviews. I don't feel the need to be overly harsh; Dragon Age 2 is an enjoyable game with interesting mechanics that I would like to believe will have a series of redeeming expansions, or better yet, an excellent finisher in Dragon Age 3. Story-wise, it feels a bit like a trailer for a (hopefully) fantastic game to come; I wish they could have made it epic in its own right in a similar way to other mid-trilogy titles (Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, Mass Effect 2, etc).    … Expand
  29. andysdead
    Mar 22, 2011
    9
    9/10 (would have given a 9.5 or so), because it's obviously not perfect, but I think it's a very good game. The new combat system is really a step in the right direction -- more action, more gore, more fun. I don't like all the characters, but I don't get the feeling like I'm supposed to like all the characters. The ones I do like, I like a lot, and the ones I don't like, I hate. I'm not9/10 (would have given a 9.5 or so), because it's obviously not perfect, but I think it's a very good game. The new combat system is really a step in the right direction -- more action, more gore, more fun. I don't like all the characters, but I don't get the feeling like I'm supposed to like all the characters. The ones I do like, I like a lot, and the ones I don't like, I hate. I'm not talking about the way they've been characterized, but I mean their actual personalities. I find the game very engaging.

    I like the new skill tree system, and the dialog wheel that gives you an indication of what kind of persona you're going to portray before you select something. Some of the dialog options in DA:O were a little vague so you might accidentally say something you didn't mean. The wheel system (ala Mass Effect) takes the vagaries out.

    I also find the story to be very engaging, and for me this is the most important aspect of any RPG. Without getting into spoilers, I have found the story to be driving enough to lead me to replay the game multiple times in order to get a different story. I'm also something of an achievement addict, so naturally I have to get all the achievements!

    Technically, the graphics are very nice, and the game actually has less bugs (for my system at least) than Dragon Age: Origins did. Overall, the game would have gotten a 10/10 if it weren't for the companion armor system (which I don't like).    … Expand
  30. BlueBangkok
    Nov 30, 2015
    1
    I started this game three times over the past 4 years, only to uninstall it well before the end of Act I. That's how bad DA2 actually is. I just couldn't bring myself to go past all the crap that Bioware put into this game to see the supposedly good narrative.
    Granted, the story itself is somewhat passable, maybe even more so than DA:O, but that is the only good thing about DA2.
    If you    I started this game three times over the past 4 years, only to uninstall it well before the end of Act I. That's how bad DA2 actually is. I just couldn't bring myself to go past all the crap that Bioware put into this game to see the supposedly good narrative.
    Granted, the story itself is somewhat passable, maybe even more so than DA:O, but that is the only good thing about DA2.
    If you want to see insulting references about sexuality which are supposed to be elaborate love stories for adults, dialog wheels with "humorous" choices that are insulting to anyone whose IQ is above 70, Flemmeth after boobs surgery, enemies appearing out of thin air, shallow, bland characters who only act based on their most basic instincts (sex & killing) then by all means, give Dragon Age 2: The Awesome Uninstall Simulator a try.    … Expand
  31. zachirag
    Oct 13, 2011
    10
    What a great game... not perfect but very good.
    in fact it just like DAO.
    so why i gave it a 10. Well because i dont agree with the user score. the user score need to be at least 8.5 I didnt play BG1 or 2 so I am not a "true" fan of rpg but i finished DA1 with over 120 hours and of DA 2 and the two DLC MOTA , legacy with over 70 hours, fallout 3 -60, fallout NV-150, oblivion-350, DIABLO    What a great game... not perfect but very good.
    in fact it just like DAO.
    so why i gave it a 10. Well because i dont agree with the user score. the user score need to be at least 8.5
    I didnt play BG1 or 2 so I am not a "true" fan of rpg but i finished DA1 with over 120 hours and of DA 2 and the two DLC MOTA , legacy with over 70 hours, fallout 3 -60, fallout NV-150, oblivion-350, DIABLO 1-2-90, torchlight-55, dungeon siege 1,2,3-76 , sacred 1-2-140, Divinity 1,2-135, so yea i am not what you consider a rpg lover, i dont role play,, expect in bed, i dont play D&D of any kind, i dont buy most games but DAO and DA2 i pre-ordered.
    skyrim here i come............ DA3333333    … Expand
  32. neowiz73
    Jun 6, 2012
    9
    Awesome game, It ties in story elements from the first one real well and makes a nice continuation of the original. Great story effecting elements Bioware has crafted into all it's newer games. Great story, Great gameplay and Great character development options. Not much else I could want.
  33. AlexanderVallin
    Mar 28, 2012
    9
    I'm a huge fan of DA:O and enjoyed this game as well. I understand that people would have appreciated more variety in the landscape, but I found the storyline to be interesting and I liked the cast. I played through this game twice, which says a lot given my limited free time these days. Anyway, if you play primarily for character development and character interaction, this might beI'm a huge fan of DA:O and enjoyed this game as well. I understand that people would have appreciated more variety in the landscape, but I found the storyline to be interesting and I liked the cast. I played through this game twice, which says a lot given my limited free time these days. Anyway, if you play primarily for character development and character interaction, this might be worth picking up.… Expand
  34. mrqrvitz
    Apr 7, 2012
    8
    I've bought the game knowing that it has many bad reviews and made Bioware fans angry. But I like this game. It's story is far better than the story of its predecessor. We have some plot twists, not many things are predictable. The gameplay is very dynamic, but it lacks of tactics. You can take control over your companions, but it's not necessary. The only use of that is when you try toI've bought the game knowing that it has many bad reviews and made Bioware fans angry. But I like this game. It's story is far better than the story of its predecessor. We have some plot twists, not many things are predictable. The gameplay is very dynamic, but it lacks of tactics. You can take control over your companions, but it's not necessary. The only use of that is when you try to avoid damage from area spells. Anyway, it is fun. Crafting system is also quite good. Main flow of the game is area recycling - you will march through the same caves, mansions and underground passages all the time. But it's not that you will come back to the same places - you visit completely new locations looking like several other places but with different doors locked, blocked passages etc. It's the same mistake that was made during developing original Mass Effect. It seems that someone was very lazy. Anyway, I am very fond of this game, especially its plot. At last, we are not saving the world, we are watching a political struggle. It's more mature than contemporary RPGs, particularly other games made by Bioware.… Expand
  35. Certate0
    Apr 30, 2012
    8
    I try to review based on the merrits of the game in question, not on its predecessors and not on ideas about how the game should have been. Dragon age is graphically great, the fighting is enjoyable and the story works well. The dungeons and other areas are very repetetive which was a little dissapointing but did not marr the experience. The inability to enhance armour on team mates alsoI try to review based on the merrits of the game in question, not on its predecessors and not on ideas about how the game should have been. Dragon age is graphically great, the fighting is enjoyable and the story works well. The dungeons and other areas are very repetetive which was a little dissapointing but did not marr the experience. The inability to enhance armour on team mates also dissapointing. These are all minor issues and overall I really enjoted the experience and would recommend giving it a spin.… Expand
  36. shyrofox
    May 15, 2012
    9
    Honestly I loved Dragon Age II. The quests felt important, the story had wonderful immersion, and the voice acting was incredibly fun to play with and listen to. I admit the lack of a variety of equipment was a little disappointing, but I never found that to be horribly important to the overarching plot. The ending is lovely and epic, but it has a very cut short feeling to it that leavesHonestly I loved Dragon Age II. The quests felt important, the story had wonderful immersion, and the voice acting was incredibly fun to play with and listen to. I admit the lack of a variety of equipment was a little disappointing, but I never found that to be horribly important to the overarching plot. The ending is lovely and epic, but it has a very cut short feeling to it that leaves you going, "That's it? Wait... that's the end?" I look forward to Dragon Age III in hopes that this confusion might be cleared up. Still, one of my favourite games, even if the combat does lack the challenge present in DA:O.… Expand
  37. Panopticon
    Nov 16, 2014
    5
    I just finished DA2 for the first time a few minutes ago and it's only now struck me how bad BioWare's writers are. The story is uninspiring. The references to DA:O feel forced (I'm meant to believe King Alistair came all the way to this crappy island just to say hi to a nobody, and that he's been wearing an impractical suit of armour the whole way?) The dialogue alternates betweenI just finished DA2 for the first time a few minutes ago and it's only now struck me how bad BioWare's writers are. The story is uninspiring. The references to DA:O feel forced (I'm meant to believe King Alistair came all the way to this crappy island just to say hi to a nobody, and that he's been wearing an impractical suit of armour the whole way?) The dialogue alternates between cringeworthy, skippable and jarringly anachronistic. Characters will shout their secret motivations in full view of their enemies, whose ears are probably bleeding from the booming echoes. The player's companions are one dimensional (I'm glad I was given the opportunity to tell the tragic and mysterious elf hipster to jump off a bridge, my score would probably be even lower if I had to bring him along too). The NPCs are largely forgettable. The ending is a bizarre sequence of boss fights that feel ripped from a Final Fantasy game, complete with oversized swords and screaming characters leaping around impossibly.

    Besides the writing, the music wasn't as good as it could have been and there were consistent texture issues with DirectX11 which I haven't seen in any other game. On the positive side, the graphics were generally good after reverting to DX9, and the art style (oversized Final Fantasy swords excluded) was coherent.    … Expand
  38. Sunfire
    Jan 6, 2015
    4
    As a fan of DA:O i was very sad when i started playing this game.
    At first,the locked main char was a stab in my back.
    Then i got some hope after introducing the story,and meeting flameth(who looked awesome there),but it all failed. After 2-3 hours,i was still killing bandits in Kirkwall,it didn't feel like anything.It was... boring. They tried to widen the target audience,but for me    As a fan of DA:O i was very sad when i started playing this game.
    At first,the locked main char was a stab in my back.
    Then i got some hope after introducing the story,and meeting flameth(who looked awesome there),but it all failed.
    After 2-3 hours,i was still killing bandits in Kirkwall,it didn't feel like anything.It was... boring.

    They tried to widen the target audience,but for me they just changed it.    … Expand
  39. kane148
    Aug 13, 2012
    7
    I felt that this game wasn't so much bad as it was a disappointment. While it takes place in the same world as Dragon Age: Origins and shares the same basic gameplay, it feels very different--and not in a good way. The item/inventory system has been vastly simplified but, unlike Mass Effect 2, this does not remove the need to manage loot: it just makes it far less rewarding for those whoI felt that this game wasn't so much bad as it was a disappointment. While it takes place in the same world as Dragon Age: Origins and shares the same basic gameplay, it feels very different--and not in a good way. The item/inventory system has been vastly simplified but, unlike Mass Effect 2, this does not remove the need to manage loot: it just makes it far less rewarding for those who want to take the time, while still forcing everyone else to sort through a pile of generic rings, belts, and swords to see which are worth keeping. The combat system has also been changed to make it more action-oriented and fast-paced, and while it does make hacking or zapping enemies more fun, the changes remove much of tactical depth present in DA:O. Moreover, unlike its predecessor, most fights now feature waves of enemies which spawn all around your party (shades rising from the ground, thugs jumping down from buildings, etc.), making any useful strategy difficult. I did find that the characters and story in this game were pretty good--not quite as good as DA:O but still worthy--and I thoroughly enjoyed developing relationships with my party. One improvement is the friend/rival system, which means that unlike DA:O you don't have to suck up to party members to get their bonuses: each character has 2 unique bonuses, one for a friend and one for a rival. This game severely limits your main character by forcing you to be a human with the surname Hawke who must follow a single basic path throughout the game, and who has far fewer dialogue choices than in DA:O. The upside is that your character is fully voiced, so NPCs are no longer the only ones talking aloud. One significant fault of this game, however is that all the events after the intro take place in and around a single city, so you spend the whole game visiting the same locations over and over. This didn't have to be a major setback, but the developers failed to incorporate much variety into the locations: every cave, warehouse, backstreet, and tunnel look the same--they just reused the same blueprint for almost every location, with certain doors added to seal off unneeded areas. There is also a paucity of variety in enemies: you spend most of the game fighting the same spiders, bandits, and blood mages. Between these two problems, the game-play is far less fun than it could be. One final point is the graphics: overall they are improved from DA:O (except for the tiresome re-use), but for some reason the handful of characters from the first game just look AWFUL. Most look very weird and poorly done, like the artists did them over lunch one day. As someone who spent dozens of hours playing Origins, I was appalled to see my beloved friends looking so horrendous. Overall, I still think this game is worth playing--mostly for the story/character development--but unlike DA:O, this is not a game I can see myself playing again and again.… Expand
  40. DrVarsims
    Dec 25, 2014
    5
    Reused and boring environments make this game a chore to finish, but if you like Origins you may still like this game. This sentence is here to make this review 150 characters long.
  41. Ensaabahnur
    Mar 8, 2019
    8
    Good sequel to Dragon Age Origins but it feel more like a side story than a true sequel, but i still enjoyed it greatly. A bit annoying is the constant reuse of locations but i got over it.
  42. jcasetnl
    Oct 1, 2015
    7
    Not nearly the game that Dragon Age: Origins was, but a good action-rpg all the same. A key change includes making combat more action-oriented, but sadly, far less strategically deep. The game world is also much smaller as most of the events take place in and around a key city. Graphically, without the high-res texture pack, it looks worse than Origins in some respects. Speaking ofNot nearly the game that Dragon Age: Origins was, but a good action-rpg all the same. A key change includes making combat more action-oriented, but sadly, far less strategically deep. The game world is also much smaller as most of the events take place in and around a key city. Graphically, without the high-res texture pack, it looks worse than Origins in some respects. Speaking of graphics, they get reused quite a bit, which is both lame and confusing. For example, a single dungeon or mansion is reused several times, just in each "different" instance, some doors don't open and others do, yet the entire environment can be seen on the overhead map. This caused me to think I might have missed some secret passage or route, but no, it was because of code reuse. And one last dig: dialog and interaction don't impact the story nearly as much as DA:O.

    What DA2 retains, however, is strong characters, great dialogue and quests which rarely feel mass-produced, arbitrary or rote. It also retains an "epic" feel as the events transpire over a ten-year period, though you don't start to get a sense of it until around halfway through the game, when your actions from much earlier affect the story.

    It's not a bad game at all, but compared to its older brother, the disappointment from fans is easily understandable.    … Expand
  43. lynxx
    Jun 5, 2015
    4
    I have played 8 hours of this game and I'm not willing to play more. Dragon Age II lacks almost everything what made Origins unique, epic and fun and does not improve enough on bad mechanics from the first one. My biggest gripe is the combat. The combat is much simplified, no friendly fire anymore. But it can't be too easy right? Right. So what they did is that they chose DREADFUL cooldownI have played 8 hours of this game and I'm not willing to play more. Dragon Age II lacks almost everything what made Origins unique, epic and fun and does not improve enough on bad mechanics from the first one. My biggest gripe is the combat. The combat is much simplified, no friendly fire anymore. But it can't be too easy right? Right. So what they did is that they chose DREADFUL cooldown on the skills which makes them usable a max amount of 2 in fights. And that's the offensive spells. The biggest stab is the heal. In Origins, there is 5 second cooldown on the heal. And it still was challenging, fun and difficult. In Dragon Age II, it has an unbelievable 45 second cooldown, and it's neither of the three. The story is bad. Very simple and I do not care about any of the characters. The only character I liked was Flemeth, that cameo was awesome. There are a lot of fetch quests this time around, this makes my heart break, because of the originality, length and difficulty of the side quests in Origins is exactly the opposite as it is in this one. It also has much less fantasy and imagination put in it, even the main questline is completely uninteresting. Another gripe is the companion system change, which is one of the worst changes I've seen in a sequel ever. They changed the PARTY MEMBERS to COMPANIONS. This means they cannot, I repeat CANNOT get customized by items you loot around the world, only upgraded at the store. This means that looting in the game becomes completely uninteresting and just a gripe... I kill a lot of guys and I get a fantastic rogue armor... i'm a mage. Yey! Thanks game, **** you too. I also do not like the animation change on casting spells and things like that. It looks like a Kung-Fu in Wizard Land... I want my Origins animation back of just simply pointing with the staff and magic happens. They also changed the map. As there are almost NO random encounters and which are in there are quest related. At least, now the quests' location is very easy to find. The enemies are simply boring. Remember, I have played 8 hours of this game and except from the prologue the only enemies I fought are Thugs or Qunari mercenary, no abominations, no demons, no darkspawn, no wolves or any kind of animal, no mystical creatures, only thugs... Now that the cons are done, there are very few pros. The main character has a voice this time and I really welcome this change, the quest markers are much better and the graphics are improved or I should say modernised... That's about it. This game is NOTHING like it's predecessor. It's a completly soulless RPG with a boring story, lame characters, terrible combat system, ridicolous companion system and full of fetch quests. The only reason this gets a 4 instead of a 1-2 is because mechanically it's stellar, I found no crash, bugs or glitches and I kinda had fun playing it for the first hour. Now I don't. I loaded it up, started doing quests, quit. I'm done with this game, this is not what I was expecting honestly, I know this game got a huge amount of backlash, but I thought it's exaggerated. Believe me, it's not. This is one of the most soulless, boring RPGs I have ever played. Cannot recommend to anyone. Not even for 5$. Fortunately, I got this in a Humble Bundle so I do not feel like my money went down the drain.....

    4/10 - BELOW AVERAGE
    + Voice acted main character
    + Simplified quest marker system
    - Boring story
    - Lame characters
    - Uninteresting foes
    - Combat simplified too much
    - Too easy
    - Party system changes
    - Length

    Soulless game. I do not consider this Dragon Age, because other than the universe it has nothing to do with Origins.    … Expand
  44. King_Angusii
    Dec 4, 2014
    4
    You can tell that not nearly as much work has been put into Dragon Age II as was put into Dragon Age Origins. They rushed to complete this game in a year and it shows. I'm going to outline the some of the many flaws that this game has then round things off on a positive note.

    After a little while playing the game you will start to realise that many of the areas that you are exploring    You can tell that not nearly as much work has been put into Dragon Age II as was put into Dragon Age Origins. They rushed to complete this game in a year and it shows. I'm going to outline the some of the many flaws that this game has then round things off on a positive note.

    After a little while playing the game you will start to realise that many of the areas that you are exploring seem familiar. That's because they reuse the exact same map layouts over and over (and over and over and over) throughout the game and just change 2 or 3 objects on that area's map layout. There would be hundreds of areas to explore throughout the game but I would say they probably have about 30 different map layouts. Seriously, do they think that we are that stupid that we won't notice this?!

    Furthermore there is a lot less story branching in II than there was in O (origins). Once you have played the game once it feels like you're finished. There is basically no replay value. Also, there are no alternate beginnings for each class that you pick (Mage, Rogue, Warrior) and you no longer even get the option to choose your species like you did in O (Human, Elf, Dwarf). There's a lot of choices to make throughout the game however the choices that you make seem to have little to no effect on story progression. Often choosing the aggressive approach will land you in exactly in the situation as choosing the passive or witty approach.

    All of the Critics that gave this game a great score should be ashamed of themselves for accepting bribes. I assume this is the case because it's not hard to tell that this game is not quality. There were many other aspects of the game that just proved that the hardwork was not put into it. For example: graphics that have not improved since O, text that is blurred making it hard to read, attention to detail non-existent (eg sheathed swords are displayed about half a meter off the person etc), little variation to the enemies, inability to customise companion armour and I'm sure the list goes on.

    Well I did say that I'd end on a positive note: I still enjoyed the game. The characterisation was strong, the storyline was unique and it saw many of the aspects from O return that we loved. The skills trees are similar to O (why fix something if it's not broken I guess), the allure of blood magic returns and you get to learn more about the lore and fantasy of the Dragon Age universe. However, to be honest it did feel like poor quality version of its predecessor.    … Expand
  45. KaienShiba
    Jan 9, 2015
    3
    So it's absolutely necessary to have 2 healers in this game when play on higher that normal setting, they did away with each character carrying heal potions for whatever reason, probably when they were high, they chose to have them as a party item, which of course if you have 2 or more characters needing healing, tough **** you'll just have to reload, then they got rid of Isabella'sSo it's absolutely necessary to have 2 healers in this game when play on higher that normal setting, they did away with each character carrying heal potions for whatever reason, probably when they were high, they chose to have them as a party item, which of course if you have 2 or more characters needing healing, tough **** you'll just have to reload, then they got rid of Isabella's dueling skills and replaced with worse tree. Then you have Anders story line, it's a no-win situation, you kill him banish or side with a mass murderer. Killing him is a mercy, as a mage he's about average, merril's is even worse, you either pat the naïve pyscho or head or you think how quaint and naïve she was.… Expand
  46. PrincessRose
    Nov 10, 2020
    7
    I was hesitant about buying and playing this game because of all the negativity and it was the only DA game I was yet to play. I can never be sure if I will like or dislike a game from reviews and watching game play. As games that people love and rave on about I've hated and I have enjoyed some games that others say are bad.

    I enjoyed playing through this game and it was much better    I was hesitant about buying and playing this game because of all the negativity and it was the only DA game I was yet to play. I can never be sure if I will like or dislike a game from reviews and watching game play. As games that people love and rave on about I've hated and I have enjoyed some games that others say are bad.

    I enjoyed playing through this game and it was much better than I thought it would be, so don't listen to the haters and see for yourself.

    I like the friendship and rivalry system, that's a nice change as I thought the gift system of Origins a bit silly as hated feeling like I was buying them with gifts.

    What I liked most was the story is enjoyable and the characters interesting. The game play and lack of exciting exploration was a big let down for me. But I feel it's a good game overall, sure it's not as good as Origins, but it's still enjoyable and it's good to not have complete game clones.

    But even so I can see why some people hate the game as the game does seem very rushed with some things and the areas are very repetitive and end up feeling tedious. The areas become uninteresting when you've seen it for the 100th time and nothing is a joy to explore, it's all the same there is nothing to discover or feel excited about when it's like *sarcastic yay that's the same place I've seen for the 100th time, so boring.

    An RPG should be a joy to explore and discover new places, but everything is boringly the same.

    I did not like how enemies seemed to spawn out of the sky that was just weird as well as annoying having them suddenly appear behind your mages.

    I really dislike that you can't choose your race, so disappointing I can't play as an elf.
    I usually have my main first play through as an elf.
    I like diversity and playing as different races and backgrounds makes it more interesting to play through more than once. But I guess only 1 race as this game was rushed out with such a short development time. A RPG should be made over at least 6 years and not just 16 months.

    Iam glad they decided not to have Hawke as the main character in Inquisition as prefer not to be stuck as playing human only.
    I also dislike lack of dialogue choices for your main character, options are too simplified and limited by the tone, as in nice choice, joke choice or aggressive choice. It also feels like a weird guessing game as the text choice hardly matches what is actually said.

    I bought the game through Steam as it's my preferred game platform and got the DLC bundle through Origin/EA on special for $14AUD as it has the best price and works with the Steam base game and is the best way to buy the DLC as I have heard the DLC bought through steam doesn't work and is also dearer.

    I did not have any technical issues and the game ran without any problems at all.

    I liked the Legacy DLC mostly but the fire walls for the last boss made the fight longer than it needed to be. The Mark of the Assassin was ok.

    I like DLC that extends the story and gives you insight into the overall picture. I feel Legacy is a must play DLC for DA2 and likely to be played on each playthrough. Mark of Assassin is something I'd play just once and don't care if I never played it.

    The game is worth getting and playing if you like to have a complete DA story as playing this game as a DA fan it helps complete the story, playing the third and then the 2nd game I see things I missed not playing it and playing the second game makes the third game feel complete.
    I also like conversing with new characters and don't mind that it isn't like Origins. And there are appearances from Origins companions. And even though the game was rushed out it's still a good RPG that I enjoyed playing. If you don't expect it to be a DAO clone and love RPG's you'll probably enjoy it too.

    Overall I thought it was a reasonably good game with interesting companions and story. But does not deserve a score higher than 7 because of boring repetitive areas and no choice of race or background.    … Expand
  47. childofconsoles
    Oct 20, 2014
    7
    It's a good game. I start by saying that because it's easy to forget with all the flaws, but it is. The gameplay is faster and more visceral and the dialogue system is much improved with a fully voiced pc and dialogue wheel. Characters are memorable and well developed. Now the bad: dungeon maps are recycled again and again, the plot is nearly linear for the most part, and the setting isIt's a good game. I start by saying that because it's easy to forget with all the flaws, but it is. The gameplay is faster and more visceral and the dialogue system is much improved with a fully voiced pc and dialogue wheel. Characters are memorable and well developed. Now the bad: dungeon maps are recycled again and again, the plot is nearly linear for the most part, and the setting is limiting in scope when compared to previous Bioware games. In addition there's really no through line within the plot. This is all harder to swallow because of the massive potential in the game. In a city like Kirkwall, with nobility, mages, and templars all plotting, and a rags to riches story for the main character, Bioware had the opportunity to make a dynamic political thriller in the vein of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) which it should be noted was one of Bioware's biggest influences in the first Dragon Age. The small confines of Kirkwall could have been expanded and varied into a medieval Vice City. Add to that a Qunari uprising and you'd have one hell of a story. But alas this is not so. Still as I said, a good game.… Expand
  48. jimbobslimbob
    Dec 10, 2014
    5
    A somewhat disappointing sequel to an all-time favourite of mine. Attempting to appeal to the masses, Bioware/EA decided to dumb down all the RP aspects of the first game. On top of this, they also decided to make the actual game world so dull and repetitive that it actually makes your eyes bleed. What happened?

    Jimbo Rating: 5/10
  49. ollie_lks
    Dec 16, 2014
    6
    I actually enjoy the game quite a bit even though it is a step down from origin or a step up depending on your point of view the gameplay in my opinion has been improved because of the action combat that makes you feel more immersed into the game. the story is not as good as in origins or in inquisition but its still very good but the choices you make usually have very little impactI actually enjoy the game quite a bit even though it is a step down from origin or a step up depending on your point of view the gameplay in my opinion has been improved because of the action combat that makes you feel more immersed into the game. the story is not as good as in origins or in inquisition but its still very good but the choices you make usually have very little impact overral in the world. and one definate step down is the companion cast some of them are just not very interesting unless you like great gameplay and don't really care about the story i would say its best if you just buy inquisition or origins instead… Expand
  50. tsakiym
    May 12, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything more. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it............................… Expand
  51. Zzzleppy
    Jun 11, 2015
    2
    This game is totally different from Origins, and not on a good way. The worst sequel ever, maybe because the first one left me with high expectations. The characters are all simple and kinda cliche now, and the choices you make don't impact the story much now. There are many repetitive locations and quite a few bugs, especially when it comes to one of the companions which is pretty bigThis game is totally different from Origins, and not on a good way. The worst sequel ever, maybe because the first one left me with high expectations. The characters are all simple and kinda cliche now, and the choices you make don't impact the story much now. There are many repetitive locations and quite a few bugs, especially when it comes to one of the companions which is pretty big since it's part of the main story so you would have fixed that but no. I think what I hate the most is that you are either this or that, it's no longer like origins where you could choose to be a mix of evil and nice, you gotta choose and the choices are not even that good for example you now gotta have a certain personality and sometimes the character says things that were not exactly what you chose so you end up having to guess which really means what you want to say! And so much drama why call it Dragon Age when it's more about Mages and Church people!? I didn't finished it because it was actually boring all the characters have just this one thing you know them for: The **** The clueless, The boring, The um sexually active, The jealous younger brother, etc so in the end none of them feel like they are more than that. And the ending was terrible and didn't made sense, oh I also forgot the combat system is like it's made for kids, it's just so simple that it became boring. In the end if you buy it good luck being able to finish it after having it for a while, I certainly couldn't!… Expand
  52. grikor13
    Sep 25, 2015
    5
    This game is the most mediocre game in existence with some interesting characters and interesting situation Hawke is put through. But with interesting characters it is not enough to use the same f***** layout for every single level. This game incorporated nothing of what made the last game good including the massive open world, the interactions with all types of people from makingThis game is the most mediocre game in existence with some interesting characters and interesting situation Hawke is put through. But with interesting characters it is not enough to use the same f***** layout for every single level. This game incorporated nothing of what made the last game good including the massive open world, the interactions with all types of people from making friends with assassins to killing highway robbers just for trying to rob you. Kirkwall is one of the worst conceived ideas ever by Bioware and I consider myself a big fan of them.… Expand
  53. OberiousLocke
    Dec 14, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A sound improvement over 1st game. Graphical quality vastly improved despite being on the same engine. The terrain doesn't look so funky anymore, the armor is nice and varied (though this is mostly due to Allies having their own outfits that you can just upgrade with things instead)

    The gameplay is buttery smooth compared to Origins, so that you can now land more than one hit every hour or two as a warrior or rogue. Excellent, easily lovable characters, a fairly simple but well-written story that had me begging to slice up some Templar zealots by the end of it.

    I very much like how it did away with the black/white approval system from the first game, and how it actually remembers my personality choices (Sarcastic Hawke is best Hawke) and instead gives the Friend/Rival system where unless you go around murdering babies you don't really have to risk losing a team member, which is nice considering I successfully managed to lose my healer in Origins.

    They've still got the stat system, which I was never too keen on but it's been a bit simplified so if you want, you can just focus on the main stats for your class (Dexterity for rogue, for instance) but you'll probably have a bad time if you don't invest in stamina as a warrior or cunning as a rogue. On the upside the talent system just as good with different sets and playstyles to pick from. As a rogue you can play the silent killer brandishing daggers, the expert marksman with a bow, or one of the above augmented with stuns and smoke bombs.

    It does have some down sides when compared to the first game. You're still given 3 classes to pick from, but are locked into being a human instead of a elf or dwarf. It takes place in a relatively small area of the world of Thedas, in the Free March city of Kirkwall and the surrounding area. The thing about this is (and what some people seem to forget) that Origins was essentially just a bunch of prefab area's assembled in a few varied layouts, much like the original Mass Effect, so 2 still wins out over Origins for me. DA2 is still guilty of this, but to a lesser extent I feel like. I also feel that Kirkwall is a very engrossing place. Lowtown actually feels like a slum, Hightown actually feels like a rich snob's district. Given that part of the prologue and the first act, you are one of the people living in Lowtown, it really fits. I do feel like it's a bit easy to trivialize even the greatest of enemies, my rogue having knocked out a high dragon in about 30 seconds or less. There are also a few balance issues. I may have been building them wrong but both warrior and mages feel really wimpy, where in the first game both were perfectly overpowered and rogue was a bit weaker.

    Really, it's not as bad as people make it out to be, though. If you really loved Origins, chances are you'll enjoy the second one.    … Expand
  54. nensen
    Dec 2, 2016
    1
    Very disappointed, this game is nothing than DA:O used to be. Difficulty settings differ only with number of enemies you face at time. I can not find single good thing about this game. Did not finished, wast of time.
  55. Diegochocho
    Jul 3, 2018
    7
    Considero que lo único que supera al Origins es el combate, pero por lo demás es un contenido mas pobre en todos los sentidos, en especial tener que pasar por escenarios repetidos, pero aun así la historia y el protagonista me encanto muchísimo.
  56. greenbey
    Jun 27, 2020
    7
    B
    Gameplay is fun but very simple its a back step from its predecessor.
    Same dungeons are used over and over again you actually get surprised that this is a AAA game.
  57. asunder
    Feb 28, 2019
    10
    Real fun playing as a mage, just bunch them up and roast 'em with firestorm & tempest, or auto atk with haste. Took about 30+ hrs ingame
  58. zbysiek123456
    Sep 14, 2019
    2
    I expect more from Bioware... Fighting system is very bad, game is linear, animations looks so synthetic. If you want good DA then turn first game.
  59. Hawk0
    Sep 13, 2019
    10
    Мне игра понравилась, довольно простой сюжет. Геимлей могло быть и лучше, за-то за ним интересно смотреть.
  60. laertan
    Feb 10, 2020
    6
    Game has many flaws: repetitive locations, pathetic armor system, huge amount of worthless loot, unhandy view, pointless final that didn't explain events of the game at all. However, there are two things that make up for all this: memorable characters and awesome story.
  61. hazsch
    Jan 6, 2021
    7
    Dragon Age II is a game I recommend, with a few caveats.

    I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first: - The entire game is set in and sometimes around one city - Kirkwall - Kirkwall looks like sh*t - Dungeons and indoor areas in general are reused over and over and over - Almost every trash mob has reinforcements. It sucks. It sucks so badly, I turned the difficulty down to Casual    Dragon Age II is a game I recommend, with a few caveats.

    I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first:
    - The entire game is set in and sometimes around one city - Kirkwall
    - Kirkwall looks like sh*t
    - Dungeons and indoor areas in general are reused over and over and over
    - Almost every trash mob has reinforcements. It sucks. It sucks so badly, I turned the difficulty down to Casual in Act 3 just to get through it without boring myself to death. Luckily, there are no difficulty based achievements.
    - The overarching plot is weak, and the main quests all feel like side quests
    - There are so many side quests (but they're somewhat interesting, and they're all marked on your map, so there's no running around blindly, thank god)
    - The dialogue wheel is frustrating
    - Male Hawke voice actor sucks (don't play as male Hawke, he sucks)
    - Until I downloaded mods to edit the preset appearance, Hawke just felt like a discount Morrigan

    For the good... I actually enjoyed the combat. I played a mage (which made me feel even closer to the main story) and the flashy, over the top spells felt amazing. I only stopped enjoying wreaking havoc with lightning and fire storms on the third wave of Rage Demons. Also, the UI is fantastic. A big step up from Origins, and way way better than whatever they did in Inquisition.

    The characters, for the most part, are fantastic. Varric is a natural favourite - he's the narrator of the story and I never left for a mission without him. Anders returns from Awakening, and he gets a lot of hate from both fans of the game and NPCs alike, but he was one of my favourite characters. Fenris is traumatised, edgy, and a total bigot, but his voice makes me swoon so I love him. I never stopped wanting to punch Carver in the face, Aveline was Just Okay and her headband looks dumb.

    I forgot Sebastian was even in the game when writing this, but he is. I think. Isabela is written to have like three personality traits - pirate yarrrr, sex, and causing the deaths of tonnes of innocents in a pointless conflict caused by her own selfishness. Then there's Merrill, but why talk about her when we can talk about Dog? He can play poker in this game. My main crew was Anders, Varric and Fenris throughout the whole game. They had a lot of fun banter and I would often just stop what I was doing so I could just listen.

    There are a LOT of references to Awakening, so I'm glad I played that before II. It made me appreciate it more, and I'm probably gonna go back and play both of these games again. On the topic of DLC though...

    Mark of the Assassin (best played in late Act 2) is a fun DLC that introduces Tallis, an elf voiced by Felicia Day. I didn't care for her too much but I did enjoy stealthing around and killing wyverns. Some nice wildlife environments too, at least compared to Kirkwall.

    Legacy (best played in mid Act 3) was kind of a drag and the endless stream of carta dwarves was what drove me to put the difficulty down to casual. Not due to difficulty, as I was seriously powerful at this point, but because having tonnes of reinforcements around every corner is just so damn boring. I put it back on hard for the final battle and it was seriously tense (I sided with Larius). The final 15 minutes were also really cool lore-wise as well. Definitely bring Anders and Carver along for this one.

    Also you get a bunch of DLC equipment at the start of the game that sells for one copper but is also so good that you won't need to replace a lot of it until end game, at least for your companions. It'll help on hard difficulty, but if that's not your thing then just don't open the DLC chests.

    So... yeah. It took me three weeks and 56 hours to 100% complete Dragon Age II, and I enjoyed it a lot. Ending oppression and getting revenge on those who betray you is oddly satisfying, and if you can spare 25 hours to just do main quests and companion quests, I think you'll find a lot of enjoyment here.    … Expand
  62. kabskannar12
    Apr 19, 2020
    8
    Despite being overshadowed by the first game, I find Dragon Age 2 as much fun as it is. Despite everything, this game is good and I definitely like to try it. It does not deserve all of the bad comments written about it.
  63. TudorPopescu
    Nov 1, 2020
    10
    Dragon Age: Origins was a stellar RPG and there were very high expectations for its sequel. So is Dragon Age II as good or even better than Origins? No, but I still think it's a competent RPG who deserves a chance. However, if you're expecting Dragon Age: Origins 2, then you'll probably be a bit disappointed by this one.

    The biggest change in Dragon Age II is the combat system. It's    Dragon Age: Origins was a stellar RPG and there were very high expectations for its sequel. So is Dragon Age II as good or even better than Origins? No, but I still think it's a competent RPG who deserves a chance. However, if you're expecting Dragon Age: Origins 2, then you'll probably be a bit disappointed by this one.

    The biggest change in Dragon Age II is the combat system. It's more fast-paced, less tactical, and more streamlined. The main character is also voiced now. These aren't inherently bad things, they're just different. Personally, I don't mind them.

    The new companions are easily the best thing in Dragon Age II. They're very interesting. I enjoyed building up my relationship with them and finding out more about them.

    What I didn't like was the fact there isn't a lot of geographic diversity. Pretty much the entire game takes place in one city. But to its credit, that does make sense in the context of the story.

    Dragon Age II is a good RPG. I had fun playing it. Most of the negative reactions are from people who wanted more Dragon Age: Origins. Dragon Age II isn't Origins. It's different. And not as good. But people are way too harsh on it. Give it a chance.    … Expand
  64. FuzzyPackRat
    Aug 17, 2020
    6
    Story: 8/10
    Gameplay: 7/10
    Music: 7/10 Animation/Graphics: 6/10 DA2 is quite different in gameplay from origins and it's not my favorite change I'll admit. They tried something new but it's better to make sure you know what your players love when making a sequel. That being said, it's not that bad of a game- just very very average and not my cup of tea. Takeaways Pros: again- your    Story: 8/10
    Gameplay: 7/10
    Music: 7/10
    Animation/Graphics: 6/10
    DA2 is quite different in gameplay from origins and it's not my favorite change I'll admit. They tried something new but it's better to make sure you know what your players love when making a sequel. That being said, it's not that bad of a game- just very very average and not my cup of tea.

    Takeaways
    Pros: again- your character can be in a relationship (I think also a same sex one) and the combat is faster? but you have less control over it than origins.
    Cons: playstyle of game is very different from origins, relationships with companions are either love or hate and it's not my personal favorite.    … Expand
  65. GVB
    Oct 30, 2020
    8
    So many bad critics for a great game... ok, i get it: it is not so good as DA: Origins, but it has a much more interesting main questline, and a much more focused story. So... an 8, maybe? The development of the game was rushed. And the companions are not as interesting/lovable as Origins or, of course, Inquisition, but even with that... It has some things that are brilliant.
  66. gotterpotter56
    Jan 29, 2021
    8
    Игра оказалась не так уж и плохой, как говорят другие. Из минусов: однообразные локации, тонны врагов (для меня это показалось минусом). Из плюсов : сюжет, красочная боевка, прописанные персонажи (это всегда был главный козырь bioware). В общем мне игра понравилась!Игра оказалась не так уж и плохой, как говорят другие. Из минусов: однообразные локации, тонны врагов (для меня это показалось минусом). Из плюсов : сюжет, красочная боевка, прописанные персонажи (это всегда был главный козырь bioware). В общем мне игра понравилась!
  67. Shadowxxx
    Jan 8, 2023
    0
    Trash Trash trash trash trash trash trash trash trash trash trash trash trash
  68. xboy1024
    Jul 19, 2022
    8
    Pros
    +Story
    +Gameplay

    Neutral
    Graphics

    Cons
    -Just a few locations
    -The same 2-3 cave and room types are used repeatedly
  69. 9r33n
    Mar 29, 2023
    6
    An average grade to an average game, could be better, but it seems the development cicle was rushed and the devs got bent by EA.
  70. Fredvdp
    Jul 25, 2017
    7
    While Dragon Age II certainly makes compromises due to a rushed release, the characters and storyline are just interesting enough to warrant a playthrough.
  71. Mattheusheck
    Mar 19, 2017
    6
    Great, nontrivial story, unbelievable relations with party members and interesting dialogs. It's sad fighting system is a complete crap. I definitely encourage to play this game, however prepare all patience you have to endure long, numerous battles giving no satisfaction.
  72. Tomle1202
    Mar 15, 2021
    7
    Dragon Age II is by no means a bad videogame, but it surely is a rushed one.
  73. Konrak
    Sep 5, 2017
    5
    This game isn't complete garbage, but it really pales in comparison to origins. If you're a dragon age fan and need to follow the story though, go for it.
    +Personally I enjoyed the voiced protagonist, It adds a bit more immersion compared to a mute character, though it does end up limiting your responses to Nice/Joke/Bad.
    ~The fast pace (hack and slashy) way fighting goes was definitely    This game isn't complete garbage, but it really pales in comparison to origins. If you're a dragon age fan and need to follow the story though, go for it.
    +Personally I enjoyed the voiced protagonist, It adds a bit more immersion compared to a mute character, though it does end up limiting your responses to Nice/Joke/Bad.
    ~The fast pace (hack and slashy) way fighting goes was definitely a huge change and though it was fun blasting everything with aoe spells, the slower and strategic fights in dao where more rewarding.
    -Ultimately what drove me mad was the repetitiveness of the maps! If you're a completionist for quests then get ready for the lack of variety as you walk into the same cave, building, dungeon over and over again.
    Overall, don't spend more than $10 on this game if you want your money's worth.    … Expand
  74. Topfpflanze
    Apr 21, 2021
    8
    Perhaps surprisingly, I find this game immersive and beautiful. Yet the story is so linear that every decision made by the player basically leads to the same result indiscriminately. Many scenes are cheaply made: copies of their predecessors, some well-known corridors taped shut, others opened. But it's all told in such a rousing way that it's still fun to play. Until, at the end, thePerhaps surprisingly, I find this game immersive and beautiful. Yet the story is so linear that every decision made by the player basically leads to the same result indiscriminately. Many scenes are cheaply made: copies of their predecessors, some well-known corridors taped shut, others opened. But it's all told in such a rousing way that it's still fun to play. Until, at the end, the difficulty level suddenly increases from "beginner" to "advanced". Maybe it's not a good role-playing game, but it's a great story told.… Expand
  75. Nyakuya
    Dec 20, 2016
    7
    Si bien este juego tiene escenarios muy pequeños y los graficos de los mismos son muy repetitivos, este juego te da un acercamiento con los personajes que ninguno de los demás dragon age tiene. En lo que a elecciones respecta no es el mejor, pero tampoco el peor, ya que el peor es dragon age inquisition.
    Tiene algo malo que ninguno de los otros 2 dragon age tiene, y es que no puedes    Si bien este juego tiene escenarios muy pequeños y los graficos de los mismos son muy repetitivos, este juego te da un acercamiento con los personajes que ninguno de los demás dragon age tiene. En lo que a elecciones respecta no es el mejor, pero tampoco el peor, ya que el peor es dragon age inquisition.
    Tiene algo malo que ninguno de los otros 2 dragon age tiene, y es que no puedes equiparles diferentes armaduras a tus compañeros, solo puedes cambiarle las armas.

    Sin embargo, no deja de ser un juego entretenido si ignoras el hecho de que los mapas son pequeños, pues en lo demás, es muy bueno.    … Expand
  76. Panica3643D
    Jun 16, 2018
    5
    Настолько хуже первой части, что и сравнивать их нет смысла. Такое чувство, что игру делали Spiders, так как во многом прослеживается их стиль.
  77. kobe_briant
    Jun 7, 2017
    6
    0/10 can't romance rage demon
  78. ANTtheKNEEEE
    Dec 6, 2021
    8
    Really not as bad as people make it out to be. It's only because of how good the first one is. It is definitely a downgrade but in my opinion, the combat is more fun, and the great lore and story are still there. The bads are just the limitations to the map/game world.
  79. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    7
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good goodgood good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good da 2
  80. PappyBakesCakes
    Dec 17, 2017
    5
    This game has a lot of positive aspects to it. The combat feels and looks really nice, the companion interactions add a lot of immersion and liveliness, and the story tries some refreshing ideas (at least for me) that I wish were explored in other games I've played. Compared to the first game the main change is the feeling of "epicness"; the city looks huge and the combat pits you againstThis game has a lot of positive aspects to it. The combat feels and looks really nice, the companion interactions add a lot of immersion and liveliness, and the story tries some refreshing ideas (at least for me) that I wish were explored in other games I've played. Compared to the first game the main change is the feeling of "epicness"; the city looks huge and the combat pits you against hordes of enemies like you are a god of some sort. The issue is that the game does not handle these concepts well. The combat is incredibly repetitive and body once you understand it and you are not displayed these huge towers that face you - I didnt look up at the sky until the end of the game. This just leaves you looking at the mediocre design choices put at eye level and playing against mediocre opponents that all do the same thing. Oh also, all the side quest "dungeons" have 1 templated map each - the only difference being entrance/exit and the doors scattered around being opened or closed. Overall it seems like there were good intentions going forward but they didnt pan out and now it is filled with a lot of padded content that leaves the good stuff in between hardly worthwhile.… Expand
  81. joe_g7
    Jan 28, 2018
    4
    I played DA2 a few years back and really enjoyed it, I was even more surprised when I learned how disliked it was by the DA fans...but recently, after having the pleasure of playing DA:O, I can finally say that I understand how much of a mediocre game DA2 is. It can be fun at certain moments, but overall it is a very rushed and disappointing sequel.
  82. zodak
    May 24, 2021
    8
    well, i completed DA2 yesterday and I can actually say for the most of the time I enjoyed it. maybe that's because I can overlook weaknesses. i know it has issues. you've seen one dungeon, you've seen them all. it's not as good as DAO, but the hard truth is, I still liked it nonetheless and that's all that matters to me. still has nice characters and let's be honest; who wouldn't reload awell, i completed DA2 yesterday and I can actually say for the most of the time I enjoyed it. maybe that's because I can overlook weaknesses. i know it has issues. you've seen one dungeon, you've seen them all. it's not as good as DAO, but the hard truth is, I still liked it nonetheless and that's all that matters to me. still has nice characters and let's be honest; who wouldn't reload a lot of times just to start a romance with Isabela.… Expand
  83. GarethB
    Apr 10, 2019
    7
    Whilst definitely weaker than the first I had fun, there are great characters, but the combat is faster and the world is smaller and repetitive.
  84. LordFarquad
    Jun 3, 2019
    6
    This is not Dragon Age. Very unrealistic boevka, everything happens quickly, the same locations - it bothers you! Predictable plot, no forks, went through the game, did not like it at first, then it seemed to be normal, at the end tired, for an amateur. Not that, but it seems to go. 6 out of 10.
  85. Norleft
    Sep 12, 2020
    5
    Ufff de primeras voy a decir que este juego es bastante malo.. aún no he jugado los DLC´s o las supuestas ""expansiones"" de EA, las cuales ya me puedo imaginar porque vengo de Origins y de ahí merecían la pena 2 de 15 dlcs que tenía.

    El juego empeora respecto a Origins en muchísimas cosas las cuales no puedo llegar a entender y prefiero hacer una lista para que lo entiendas mejor ya    Ufff de primeras voy a decir que este juego es bastante malo.. aún no he jugado los DLC´s o las supuestas ""expansiones"" de EA, las cuales ya me puedo imaginar porque vengo de Origins y de ahí merecían la pena 2 de 15 dlcs que tenía.

    El juego empeora respecto a Origins en muchísimas cosas las cuales no puedo llegar a entender y prefiero hacer una lista para que lo entiendas mejor ya que este juego en planteamiento y todo es un desastre:

    - La ciudad: Te pasas literalmente TODO el juego en las misma ciudad, y no, no tienes opción a ir a otro lado y las pocas veces que vas al exterior es la misma cueva o barranco que rodea Kirkwall todo el rato. El problema no es que tengas 0 opción de exploración aparte de volver a visitar el mismo callejón en otro acto para ver si esta vez hay algo nuevo, cosa que rara vez ocurre, el problema esque te tiras en la misma ciudad todo el juego y tengo que decir que es la ciudad más muerta que he llegado a jugar en cualquier RPG. No comercias con las tiendas (Miras cofres que te dan una ventana de inventario) no hablas con nadie aparte de aquellas personas que te dan misiones o están paradas con su única frase que decir y no hay mucho que hacer en ella aparte de ver como los NPC´s van de un lado a otro sin rumbo, ya que no tienen ni animaciones para simular que están comprando o algo lo que sea.

    - Las misiones: TODAS las misiones del juego se sienten como una larga y estúpida secundaría, todas las misiones se inician y se hacen igual, tiene el mismo trabajo una secundaria de conseguir un anillo perdido que una principal la cual pone final a la trama o es importante para el lore en general. No hay animaciones de ningún tipo hablando entre personajes, solo planos los cuales se repiten una y otra y otra vez.

    En las misiones tanto principales como secundarias no vas a tener decisiones, el juego te da la opción de ser Serio, gracioso o enfadado diciendo SI a todo pero ya esta. La única decisión real que tomas en las misiones es llevar a x compañero o decidir si hacer la misión o pasar. Y debo decir que como persona que le gusta leer todo y hacer todas las secundarias para conseguir el mejor equipo etc.. este juego es insufrible, porque no deja disfrutarse, porque da igual lo que hagas porque la historia y el mundo que te rodea esta predestinado a un fin. Literalmente sin hacer spoiler hay 3 o 4 puntos del juego el cual tomas una decisión la cual el juego va a mantener su importancia y no va a hacer como si nada, porque el resto no llevaran a nada o el juego te quitara aquello que has hecho.

    Y paro de decir cosas malas porque al fin y al cabo opino que este juego es un 5 y voy a hablar de las cosas que me parecen interesantes como para no tener menos nota aún y que merezca la pena pasárselo.

    - La historia apesar de estar contada de pena es super interesante y me habría encantado jugar este guión con un juego muy distinto porque de verdad he seguido hasta el final y he querido hacer todas las secundarías porque quería saber como podía acabar y apesar de querer para de jugar, muchas veces he seguido por algún que otro personaje (Los cuales son menos profundos que una piedra la gran mayoría de ellos, pero aun así no están tan mal). En resumen la historia me parece que es importantísima para la saga apesar de que aún no he jugado Inquisition.

    - Compañeros: A diferencia de Origins los compañeros tienen sus propias casas y eventos personales los cuales no necesitan necesariamente ser activados a través de llevarlos siempre en le grupo, lo cual hacía que muchas veces en origins hicieses secundarias sin sentido para ver cuando este personaje x el cual no sueles llevar te hablara de sus cosas. Aquí no hace falta hacer eso, puedes ir a hablar con ellos a su respectivo hogar o donde suelen estar y tomar algo con ellos y saber que necesitan y como puedes ayudarlos en sus propias metas, se sienten más como personas y no tanto como seguidores random los cuales les da igual cumplir sus metas o no llegar a cumplirlas porque te siguen ati.

    En resumen este juego parece ser un caos en todos los sentidos, la historia que quieren contar es muy interesante y los personajes apesar de no tener animaciones ni el transfondo necesario para creer sus acciones, se sienten más o menos bien. Es una pena porque el guión esta muy bien pero tiene pinta que en este juego no hay presupuesto y quisieron vender un juego a precio de Triple A cuando parece ser un juego Indie en todos los sentidos menos en su lore y historia.    … Expand
  86. LaDix
    Nov 12, 2019
    4
    IDK what to say about this game tbh, my first DA was DA:I, and before I played this game, I just finished DA:O, the game is just not even half as good as both of them. The game was just boring, I seriously tryed really hard not to fall af sleep and finish the game.
  87. SilverOrlov
    Oct 15, 2019
    3
    What I liked about this game: the constant excellent humor of the companion and certain phrases of dialogues with the main character. Beautiful and seasoned in a strict and strong graphic style of the city. Interesting last battle, but very... prosaically. Very simple scenery for the final event and battles, everything is very short and predictable(except for the sword at the end, but hereWhat I liked about this game: the constant excellent humor of the companion and certain phrases of dialogues with the main character. Beautiful and seasoned in a strict and strong graphic style of the city. Interesting last battle, but very... prosaically. Very simple scenery for the final event and battles, everything is very short and predictable(except for the sword at the end, but here too many could guess where everything was going too I suppose). Pleased only the very-very last battle, not even the entire finale.
    ...
    What I did not like in this game: EVERYTHING ELSE!
    1. The idea with meta phrases is just awful. Very often they literally do not correspond to what follows after pressing the button.
    2. Just a wretched and disgusting system of "one and the same location for different events". Literally all or almost all of the quests that must take place in a large cave will be in the same cave, just in one quest some passages are opened, in others - closed. And it is so everywhere.
    3. Damage ... what the hell? You can destroy a warrior in heavy armor in three seconds and hit a simple archer for half a minute. In this game, the damage system is completely broken.
    4. You can forget about such a thing as tactics. In this game, enemies literally wallow on your head. Sometimes they stand in sight, but very often they simply appear from nowhere, and after the first wave, a lot of enemies will come running from all over the sides as the second or third wave. And the tactical cells themselves are literally for no reason, they are a lot of them in the second part, but they are all useless. And yes, you CAN'T use magic not in battle, so you just can't to lure or defeat the enemy aside, only having faced with his foreheads.
    5. The absolutely disgusting idea to make companions without armor. Now you can only change weapons and rings, and all the armor has been replaced by the ability to slightly improve "your armor chained to the character" with pieces of blueprints.
    6. Perhaps for some it is insignificant, but for me, after the first part, such a truncated change of angle is a fail.
    7. A completely incomprehensible system of relocation between levels: in one case you go out just in a random location of the next zone, in the other case - you are given a choice on the map. And no, it does not depend on cases when the locations are near one to the other. I noticed this throughout the whole game. And yes, many times it took a very long time to run empty space - the lack of "quick relocation" is a minus.
    8. The incomprehensible logic of zeroing auras of characters. Auras work like a permanent buff, but when switching between locations, they may turn off ... or may not turn off. When loading the game, they may turn off ... or may not turn off too(in the first part it infuriated me too by the way).
    9. Soulful conversations between companions are just mean cheap and short dialogues about almost nothing. No, the texts themselves are almost always interesting and funny, but they don’t even draw on what would be separate quests. Yes, in the second Dragon Age there are about 100500 mini-quests in category "Friend's quests" consisting of two or three drunken phrases in a bar or at someone's house.
    10. The system of skills and specializations is simplified and does not look good, just like drawings of a schoolboy. But at this point, it might just be my taste. I did not like.
    11. I hate this system of "Friendship/Rivalry". It is terrible and broken at all. Throughout the entire game, there were so obvious situations where, for example, Captain of the guard, who honors the law, suddenly gave out "+friendship" for things completely unusual for this type of character. This is just extreme dullness, which makes it treat this system as some banal roulette, instead of planning adequately relations with your colleagues.
    12. Combat system... it's some kind of "Power Rangers show". If warrior and thief are more or less move normal, the Mage is DANCING with his staff like a pole dancer.
    ...
    For all those years that I play games - this is the first one for which I am so embittered and disappointed. The first part was magnificent, albeit with its own flaws. But this part is literally BAD. I went through it solely because of the general history and the fact that this is part of the trilogy... but this game was also the first in the fact that after a certain moment I was corny does not matter for all the chests encountered, the development of skills, objects, ingredients . I was devastated by such a vile attitude towards the players and simply passed it by inertia in order to forget and proceed to the third part.    … Expand
  88. Daermon
    Dec 19, 2018
    5
    The Dragon Age 2 is the far far worst episode in the trilogy.
    Story and Hawke, Merill, Varric is ok, but console sh*t gemeplay and all other thing (grapich, the world, game mechanics, etc) is very bad.
  89. Hochbichler
    Jul 28, 2022
    8
    Dragon Age II is a second installment in the classic fantasy RPG series Dragon Age. It is set after the blight, in a different part of the world, you play a different character than in Dragon Age: Origins, but the overall Dragon Age atmosphere is still here. I want to start with the negatives this times. The most important one for me is pretty general. Several major game aspects areDragon Age II is a second installment in the classic fantasy RPG series Dragon Age. It is set after the blight, in a different part of the world, you play a different character than in Dragon Age: Origins, but the overall Dragon Age atmosphere is still here. I want to start with the negatives this times. The most important one for me is pretty general. Several major game aspects are simplified versions from the DA:O. Companions no longer have armor slots, only weapons and trinkets, that does not make any sense to me at all. The tactical view is mostly gone, AOE ridiculously sticks to targets, which will make your life hell. The intro/tutorial in the Ferelden mountains look terribly bleak, I remember I could not believe that this was supposed to be an improvement of DA:O the first time I played this game. All the dungeons and caves use the same model, just some doors are sometimes blocked. That also seems like a very amateurish idea. All in all, the developers rushed this game, developed it in a little over year and it shows. However it does not make the game bad, far from it. The companions are again great and you really built strong friendships and rivalries and romantic relationships with them, that is easily the strongest aspect of the game for me. I do not hate the idea that the game is set within one city, but I would expect more parts of the city to be explorable. The story happens over 6 years and deals mostly with the good old story of mages vs. templars. There is a number of well written and interesting side quests, which present you with the typical vast array of choices, some of which are pretty harsh. I really enjoyed that part. The enemies lack greater diversity and the fights can get repetitive. The game font sucks, should be replaced with DA:O font from a mod. The difficulty seems to be pretty balanced for an RPG. Also the very end does not make much sense and feels very forced if you side with the templars all the time. This game has plenty of Horse Armor type microtransactions, no SJW politics. I played on Nightmare difficulty. Total playtime with both major DLCs: 82 hours.

    DLCs: Many, many Horse Armor DLCs. Only major ones are:

    Legacy - A nice little dark excursion underground and foreshadowing for the Inquisition. This should have been the story of Corypheus. Final boss fight is by far the longest in the game.

    Mark of the Assassin - Qunari spy game in Orlais. This whole story seemed a little far-fetched and the she-elf is very annoying. Contains the most difficult fight in the entire game (for me) - sky cult arcane horror.

    The Exiled Prince - Adds a companion with an interesting backstory. Honestly, not anyone's favorite, but plays well into your anti-mage setup or as (poor) Varric substitution.

    Dragon Age II has plenty faults when compared to its predecessor, but strangely I still have a very good feeling from this playthrough. This is not the one that ruined Dragon Age. Final Verdict: 84 %    … Expand
  90. GraysonUA
    Mar 31, 2020
    6
    Механіка з 1-ї частини, але халтурний підхід до усього: сюжет, наповнення світу, постійні повторення підземель.
  91. Sego
    Jan 23, 2022
    3
    After cool DA:Oriring it's just a trash, I just want Origins Remake, and EA can die after this
  92. NNNPavelB
    Feb 12, 2021
    1
    For me, this game was the biggest disappointment, because it is the worst continuation that could only be made. The only plus of this game is the appearance of Qunari.
  93. shostakn
    Oct 15, 2020
    4
    Summary: EA announced that a new installment in the Dragon Age series will arrive in the first quarter of 2011. Summary: EA announced that a new installment in the Dragon Age series will arrive in the first quarter of 2011. Summary: EA announced that a new installment in the Dragon Age series will arrive in the first quarter of 2011.
  94. Dom007
    Mar 28, 2021
    3
    This is literally inferior in every way to dragon age origins. Thankfully I didn't get to experience the hype around release, otherwise I would have had to endure the disappointment of the game as well.
  95. folmas
    Aug 14, 2023
    6
    the worst part in the series DA, but if you don't compare it with the first part, then it's not that bad. The plot is normal.
  96. Torgall
    May 12, 2022
    5
    Enormous step down after very good Origins. They took everything and apparently decided to make it worse. I liked many of the characters, but the gameplay is a joke when you think about it. They just made one big city that is copy, of a copy of a copy and some small locations on the outskirts of it, and that is for them good sequel. To stretch gameplay time they force you to travel theEnormous step down after very good Origins. They took everything and apparently decided to make it worse. I liked many of the characters, but the gameplay is a joke when you think about it. They just made one big city that is copy, of a copy of a copy and some small locations on the outskirts of it, and that is for them good sequel. To stretch gameplay time they force you to travel the same maps and fight the wave attacks on your team - it didn't change that there is not much to do.… Expand
  97. AltumSilentium
    Apr 20, 2021
    6
    Вроде и Dragon Age, но не всегда веришь. Я думаю все знают печальную историю создания этой игры, но разработчики сумели всё таки внести что-то хорошее в серию. Изменения боевки изначально сделали геймплей более зрелищным, сохранив часть тактического боя. Сюжет получился прекрасным, да это всего лишь один, заранее прописаный персонаж, но сюжет удивляет и не оставляет равнодушным. ПерсонажиВроде и Dragon Age, но не всегда веришь. Я думаю все знают печальную историю создания этой игры, но разработчики сумели всё таки внести что-то хорошее в серию. Изменения боевки изначально сделали геймплей более зрелищным, сохранив часть тактического боя. Сюжет получился прекрасным, да это всего лишь один, заранее прописаный персонаж, но сюжет удивляет и не оставляет равнодушным. Персонажи естественно тоже не подвели. Но по итогу всё это перекрывается минусами, так что игра не заслуживает больше 6 из 10 и то в рамках серии.… Expand
  98. hyoputer
    May 7, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story of Kirkwell was better than just saving world story. and I loved friendly/rivalry system. Dialogue words were still ambiguous, it's not good, I couldn't expect how Hawke said. And using same maps was very disappointed. But, It was great sequel of DAO.… Expand
  99. Eatt
    Mar 9, 2022
    6
    Played all mass effect and DA:O, I would say this is the weakest game from old-bioware. You can see here and there bioware magic, also I liked the simplified combat system rather entertaining - however the writing was overall quite bad, the dialog options you chose and the things Hawke said where sometimes totally different and also the revisiting of the same handfull locations wasPlayed all mass effect and DA:O, I would say this is the weakest game from old-bioware. You can see here and there bioware magic, also I liked the simplified combat system rather entertaining - however the writing was overall quite bad, the dialog options you chose and the things Hawke said where sometimes totally different and also the revisiting of the same handfull locations was tedious.

    I would disagree with most raitings here, since they aim to review-bomb the game because it is not as good as DA:O was instead of giving it a fair chance.    … Expand
  100. Asp_klg40
    Aug 10, 2021
    8
    The main plus in this game is that this is one of the few RPGs where you don't need to save the world. We play as an ordinary person with simple desires (status, money, position in society, love). This is what is lacking in RPG games - the ability to play as a human character and not just another superman. As for the minuses, enough has been written about them, I will not repeat myself
    ...
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 18, 2011
    90
    Moving even further from the classic RPG, strong story and clever combat are nonetheless still found within Dragon Age II. [May 2011, p.52]
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Apr 12, 2011
    58
    Despite some advancement in storytelling approach and liberal borrowing from Bioware's Mass Effect approach to gameplay, Dragon Age 2 on the PC has a lot of bugs and is populated with re-used settings that make this feel like a play performed on a stage with two sets.
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  3. CPUGamer
    Apr 11, 2011
    85
    For a rushed product that is still battling bugs, the currently offered product still provides 40 hours of challenging and engaging gameplay. This combines to provide a good, but not great gaming experience.
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