Dragon Age II

 PlayStation 3
User Score
4.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1245 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 384 out of 1245
  2. Mixed: 188 out of 1245
  3. Negative: 673 out of 1245
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  1. Merci357
    Apr 21, 2011
    9
    It's better then the hate driven metacritic score indicates, but it's still a somewhat decent game. Since it's now available as a budget game, it's worth a look, despie numerous flaws. Most bugs and glitches are patched by now, and if you get used to the constant area re-use, you'll find some marvelous quests, little stories and funny dialogue/banter hidden in a mediocre shell.
  2. GrumpyReviewer
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    People, PLEASE, get back to your senses! What's up with all this **** about Dragon Age 2?! What is not to like? Graphics, good! Characters, good! Plot, good! Gameplay, good! Bioware may not be perfect (and it isn't) but it is clear to me they tried their hardest to give us the best work possible in such small time. I much rather play this Dragon Age 2, now, then this GOD-MADE-VERSION youPeople, PLEASE, get back to your senses! What's up with all this **** about Dragon Age 2?! What is not to like? Graphics, good! Characters, good! Plot, good! Gameplay, good! Bioware may not be perfect (and it isn't) but it is clear to me they tried their hardest to give us the best work possible in such small time. I much rather play this Dragon Age 2, now, then this GOD-MADE-VERSION you all want in God knows when. People should open their minds to innovation. Games are supposed to do that. Reinvent themselves even if this means breaking a couple of (*cough*fanboys'*cough*) hearts. I'm currently in my second playthrough and I dare say Dragon Age 2 is going to be one of the best games of 2011, period.… Expand
  3. dragonheart
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Sure it was different from DA:O, but luckily, they have been talking about this for months, and even released a demo, that way i knew what i was getting into, and not walking in blind thinking it was gonna be DA:O clone.

    if you don't have it, and are thinking about it, i highly recommend it. (as if my words mean anything) its a nice chapter in the DA universe. seeing things from a non    Sure it was different from DA:O, but luckily, they have been talking about this for months, and even released a demo, that way i knew what i was getting into, and not walking in blind thinking it was gonna be DA:O clone.

    if you don't have it, and are thinking about it, i highly recommend it. (as if my words mean anything) its a nice chapter in the DA universe. seeing things from a non Grey Wardens P.O.V.
    was a nice change. The combat shift, if you can even really call it that, is the same as DA:O only you don't auto attack, and any one saying different must be WANTING to play this like a hack 'n slash, because most of the times i'm blowing cool-downs, and managing my team and hardly have time to sit there mindlessly spamming base attack.)    … Expand
  4. likeitsillegal
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    I enjoyed how fast the action seemed to be in this game - it was a massive improvement as a person who frequently plays a two-handed warrior. I really enjoyed the new Elf and Qunari designs - because no longer did the Qunari look like muscular tanned guys with white hair. But that was almost ALL I enjoyed. I still can't buy the change in Anders' character, and a lot of the story justI enjoyed how fast the action seemed to be in this game - it was a massive improvement as a person who frequently plays a two-handed warrior. I really enjoyed the new Elf and Qunari designs - because no longer did the Qunari look like muscular tanned guys with white hair. But that was almost ALL I enjoyed. I still can't buy the change in Anders' character, and a lot of the story just seemed silly. The dialog just got stupid at times. It's an alright game, but I'd definitely recommend to anyone to wait till it is 30 dollars or less. Especially since there are only a handful of unique maps, which are just recycled over and over. By the time you're at Act II, it becomes painfully apparent. With a lot of the negative out of the way (which basically comes down to bad writing), I really did like some of the party dialog.… Expand
  5. PoisonZO
    Apr 19, 2011
    9
    It seems this game is getting a lot of criticism by fans of the first game. I usually look at the review history of the posters that give 0's and most have reviewed less than 5 games and usually they are multiple systems of a same game.

    I actually prefer this game to the first. I played about 30 hours of the first but just finally got fed up with what I felt like was a very unpolished    It seems this game is getting a lot of criticism by fans of the first game. I usually look at the review history of the posters that give 0's and most have reviewed less than 5 games and usually they are multiple systems of a same game.

    I actually prefer this game to the first. I played about 30 hours of the first but just finally got fed up with what I felt like was a very unpolished game (still great but just not for me). The sequel just feels better. perhaps the story isn't as deep or "wall-o-texty" as the first but I still find it very engaging. The combat is not as deep but then again I don't find myself mired down in overly complicated UI for a simple fight with what should be an easy enemy.

    Ignore the somewhat over hyped reviews and definitely ignore the over sensitive fans of the first and just try it out for yourself.    … Expand
  6. Dreepa
    Apr 17, 2011
    4
    The game tries hard to appeal to a wider audience. Tries to go the story route more than the strategy route. Unfortunatelly even on the story part, the game lacks depth. You have nor real background info on your character, you do not know why you are doing what you are doing and the things you do often seem artificial and not natural. One example: Instead of gathering 50 gold to make aThe game tries hard to appeal to a wider audience. Tries to go the story route more than the strategy route. Unfortunatelly even on the story part, the game lacks depth. You have nor real background info on your character, you do not know why you are doing what you are doing and the things you do often seem artificial and not natural. One example: Instead of gathering 50 gold to make a living you gather 50 gold to invest them in something. In order to get to those 50 goldcoins you do a lot of different quests. A few of them are good, but most of them involve running around for ages seeing the same stuff over and over again... back and forth back and forth.... the story has it peaks, but is overshadowed by really bad character integration. The class you play doesnt matter much do the dialogues. Even the world does not react if you are using magic on the streets, which is forbidden in the game. Combat wise, the game is very chaotic. There is no top down view anymore, so you often have problems with controlling the party or getting a good overview. Handling of NPC equipment is reduced to a minimum and there is no "common goal" that unites your party, but rather loose ties that dont really justify the actions of the companions. To me it didnt make much sense in most cases.

    The game didnt develop naturally but feels forced by guidelines: "We need to have this, we need to have that... " In the end they should ve listened more to their stomach I think. Mediocre game with some good story moments, but lacking in most other areas.

    I can only say this:
    "If you try to please everybody you will end up pleasing noone"    … Expand
  7. EhRaD
    Apr 15, 2011
    2
    If you still believe in specialized critics, this game is the definitive example of how far they are from the user's opinion. I think that some people in the video game market still think that there are only children below 10 buying games and for this (and other) reason they can do whatever they want. There is one word for this game: Bugged. Bugged gameplay, bugged graphics, buggedIf you still believe in specialized critics, this game is the definitive example of how far they are from the user's opinion. I think that some people in the video game market still think that there are only children below 10 buying games and for this (and other) reason they can do whatever they want. There is one word for this game: Bugged. Bugged gameplay, bugged graphics, bugged storyline and even bugged trophies. Talking about trophies, I decided to go in for the platinum because the trophies could give another dimension for DA2 and save me from total sadness. But after end the game for the second time, the EPIC trophy did not appear. I need to say that I'm already in my third PS3 console (I've got two YLODs!) and of course, I lost all my previous DA:O saved games. Considering that Bioware has the complete records of my DA:O game, including all trophy history (and my DA:O Platinum), I can't understand why they are penalizing gamers forcing them to finish that boring DA2 two times if you can't import your previous DA:O save. As a result, Bioware spoiled the good image that I had from Origins and I will think a thousand times before buying another game from them.… Expand
  8. galadriel777
    Apr 15, 2011
    2
    I loved Dragon Age:Origins. I felt "Awakenings" was a bit less strong in terms of the story, however, I loved it too. But Dragon Age 2... BIG disappointment. Yes, the original game is a bit complicated, but once you get to know it, it becomes an experience to remember. However, with DA2, BioWare took the fun out for intelligent people. In addition, the graphics are not so good. It feels asI loved Dragon Age:Origins. I felt "Awakenings" was a bit less strong in terms of the story, however, I loved it too. But Dragon Age 2... BIG disappointment. Yes, the original game is a bit complicated, but once you get to know it, it becomes an experience to remember. However, with DA2, BioWare took the fun out for intelligent people. In addition, the graphics are not so good. It feels as I was playing a version of the game released for a previous console, let's say PS2. I can't believe it.

    Anyway, I have read that BioWare management is pretty convinced that they will never adjust 180 degrees back to DA:Origins. However, I just hope they adjust at least 179 degrees back to its Origins.    … Expand
  9. tallanx
    Apr 13, 2011
    1
    For another company I would probably give it a 4, but I expect better from Bioware so I'm giving it a 1. I've played both the PS3 and PC version. The graphics are worse than DA:O and yet at the same time it runs worse(for PC). Combat is pretty much just pressing X over and over again with one of the other buttons occasionally. Story is really weak. Losing the ability to play as a non-humanFor another company I would probably give it a 4, but I expect better from Bioware so I'm giving it a 1. I've played both the PS3 and PC version. The graphics are worse than DA:O and yet at the same time it runs worse(for PC). Combat is pretty much just pressing X over and over again with one of the other buttons occasionally. Story is really weak. Losing the ability to play as a non-human was a huge mistake. The dialogue wheel is annoying and so is the fact that everybody calls you Hawke. You might as well call this game "Mass Effect 1.5: No Guns, Just Swords". I'm glad I borrowed this game from a friend and didn't spend any of my own money on it. The only good thing I can say about this game is that the voice acting work range mostly from good to excellent. If you've never played DA:O or hated it, then you may like this game. If you liked DA:O chances are you will hate this game.… Expand
  10. IamLegion
    Apr 12, 2011
    9
    I really don´t understand all this hate from so many gamers. Seriously. I loved Dragon Age Origins and I played it all the way until the end. I loved it so much that I even finished Awakening and pretty much all its DLC. When I started playing Dragon Age 2, of course I had my expectations. And, yes, the game feels different. It looks different; it plays different. But doesI really don´t understand all this hate from so many gamers. Seriously. I loved Dragon Age Origins and I played it all the way until the end. I loved it so much that I even finished Awakening and pretty much all its DLC. When I started playing Dragon Age 2, of course I had my expectations. And, yes, the game feels different. It looks different; it plays different. But does this really matter that much? It´s core and soul remain untouched. It is sitll an AWESOME game THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. I love the new characters, the whole "Mass-Effect 2-thing" going on, the improved graphics and the gameplay too. For PS3 users, Dragon Age Origins - although excellent - felt I little clunky for me, I mean, to play with a controller. Now, I REALLY feel empowered while fighting my opponents. I REALLY feel I AM doing it and not just pointing and clicking. Serious, guys. It´s ok to have our own opinions about what we play. But we must be honest with ourselves. Dragon Age 2 is a BLAST (and you know it!) and it does not deserve such bad reviews. It is not perfect, but it is still a gaming gem. I give it 9 out of 10.… Expand
  11. JenniferGoo
    Apr 12, 2011
    2
    The crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just notThe crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just not much to defend here. There isn't a single battle in the game (including bosses) that doesn't involve waves and waves of enemies spawning out of thin air waiting for you to mow them down. Sometimes, even when you give them a gentle whack, they explode into a dozen pieces... which I guess is suppose to make me feel like a bad ass. The entire game takes place in one city made up of a few small disconnected areas and the same two or three dungeons that are reused for the entire game. They even try to trick you into thinking this is a new area by blocking off doors you were previously able to go through and opening other ones. Why can't you go through that door you see this time around? Who knows! You just can't click on it! Look, when asked about this problem in an interview, the developers claim they had two choices: give us all original content and cut the game length down to a couple hours or reuse the same areas over and over until the game lasted twenty-five hours. If that doesn't give you an idea of how rushed this product is, I don't know what will. There is not 60 dollars worth of content here and yet so many people have already bought this game because the video game press is looking out more for themselves and not for us. The sad part of this is that underneath it all, the character interaction is great even if the overally story arc, like the rest of the game, is not well thought out at all. It's clear there were talented people working on Dragon Age II, but they weren't given the liberty or time to make this into a good product. Buyer beware.… Expand
  12. padavid10
    Apr 12, 2011
    7
    I'm quite surprised by the disparity between the critical reviews and the user reviews.

    Dragon Age 2 is a good game, not a great game but another fun adventure through the Universe they've created. Writing this review after 40 hours of gameplay (story and many side and companion quests completed) I enjoyed it. Production values are high and it feels like a solid enough game. On the    I'm quite surprised by the disparity between the critical reviews and the user reviews.

    Dragon Age 2 is a good game, not a great game but another fun adventure through the Universe they've created. Writing this review after 40 hours of gameplay (story and many side and companion quests completed) I enjoyed it. Production values are high and it feels like a solid enough game.

    On the plus side, the fighting is quick and mostly pretty enjoyable although it is a bit of a button basher at times and the characters are great, I could happily spend much more time playing with Isabella and the team.

    On the negative side, the maps are used and reused so much you get little sense of adventure at times and the story lacks any real antagonist; without the Archdemon to work towards killing the story does lack something.    … Expand
  13. TrueGamer2011
    Apr 7, 2011
    0
    Utterly disappointing. I was intending to write a long thought out review explaining in detail my dislike of this game. But why should I bother? Bioware obviously couldn't be bothered to spend time creating a faithful sequel, so likewise I won't bother spending time writing a thorough review. I have totally lost faith in Bioware.
  14. Blastfurnace2k
    Apr 5, 2011
    5
    I wrote a review for the 360 version (wasn't paying attention when I did it) but I have the PS3 version. May as well post my thoughts here. I won't give this game a ridiculous rating of 0, but I'm not going to artificially inflate the score either with a completely undeserving 9 or 10 in some nerd rage fueled attempt at "justice". The game falls short of many expectations, and it shouldI wrote a review for the 360 version (wasn't paying attention when I did it) but I have the PS3 version. May as well post my thoughts here. I won't give this game a ridiculous rating of 0, but I'm not going to artificially inflate the score either with a completely undeserving 9 or 10 in some nerd rage fueled attempt at "justice". The game falls short of many expectations, and it should being as people DID have expectations. Let's not forget this was a sequel folks. To think many people didn't expect DA:O with a new story and gameplay improvements is pretty naive. When people loved Mario Kart, Nintendo didn't turn around for the sequel and remove half the weapons, turn it into a strategy game and focus on just Mario driving around his house (see what I did there?) they built on the strengths and offered more of what the FANS loved. I'm not gonna say this game is horrible, but after playing through it once and starting 2 more characters just to pick up some remaining trophies, I can say it's boring. The feeling of boredom started less than halfway through my initial playthrough and hasn't stopped. The same boring flood of enemies pour in from every nook and cranny or just poof into existance every battle. The same environments are rehashed nonstop and in a completely ridiculous manner, like the Bone Pit mines where one minute there a stone door blocking access (completely unexplained) and when it's time for the "story" it's suddenly open, but then shut again once you're beyond that point in the game. The "quests" are ridiculous as well. I'm sorry, but it's not a quest if I find someones perfume bottle in a barrel in lowtown and they throw a sovereign at me when I randomly talk to them, that's called lazy programming. I don't want to hear anything about time constraints either. Bioware are adults and their time limit isn't part of some self help "attain that goal by 'x' date", it's part of a cash in attempt on success of a former game. Kill, rinse, repeat, same map, rinse repeat, pointless item for a sovereign and some xp, rinse repeat. That sums up DA2. Stripping down character interactions and relationship building was stupid as well. The instances where you actually get to interact are extremely limited. Also, just as in DA:O half the time I chose one path in the dialogue, the outcome and resulting companion reaction made no sense. Lastly, the decision to take away my freedom of gearing my companions was stupid. I haven't spoken to anyone nor read any reviews where anyone was happy with that design choice. Bioware can b.s. and say it was because they wanted to companions to retain a personal look, but at the end of the day, you make the game for your fans, not yourselves and we hated the restriction. Actually to add one more gripe, I'm pretty sure the stats mean absolutely nothing. Bumping my stats didn't seem to have any affect whatsoever, but that's possibly because of the poor design choice to have the gear "degrade" as you level or the fact that the enemies grow stronger with you. No matter how you slice it, there were a ridiculous amount of bad decisions made when developing this game. The only positives are the excellent casting of the voices and the somewhat improved combat, although mashing the x button repeatedly is pretty damn tedious. There is some decent game here, but all in all this was a huge disappointment.… Expand
  15. Zagor
    Apr 5, 2011
    10
    After spending over 70 hours, I'm on my second playthrough and still haven't had enough. Dragon Age 2 is by far the best work Bioware has released and I am looking forward for Dragon Age 3.
  16. Fair34
    Apr 4, 2011
    2
    Worst Bioware game ever. Rushed and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Feels like they just dialed it in and tried to dress it up with lots of frills but no substance. I worry for Mass Effect 3 and The Old Republic.
  17. prettyoptimist
    Apr 3, 2011
    7
    I'm a huge fan of EA/Bioware games. I would pretty much give it a 8 but must I must say I'm a little dissapointed. I played DA:O alot and I had huge expectation for the main story. It turned out it's not even related. I mean yes we see a few wink at the first game but not more than that. The story is not evolving from DA:O to DA2. It takes a whole different direction.

    Why 7 and not 8?    I'm a huge fan of EA/Bioware games. I would pretty much give it a 8 but must I must say I'm a little dissapointed. I played DA:O alot and I had huge expectation for the main story. It turned out it's not even related. I mean yes we see a few wink at the first game but not more than that. The story is not evolving from DA:O to DA2. It takes a whole different direction.

    Why 7 and not 8? Because the graphics are much more elaborated than in the first one but they traded a few interesting things makes it looks more alive. Example : All items picked up from loots all have the same icon. A two handed sword that is worthless is the same icon as a pretty good one. Only the colors of the icon change to difference it. Gems and stuff that you can't actually use have all the "garbage" icon and so on. Althought,they made the characters look more human and that's a plus.

    The land you are growing in is pretty much the same all game long but still, I had fun evolving in it. I hope that they will make a bigger one on the next episodes (Like they did with awakening) or on the DA:3 (if ever there is one)

    As for the characters that follow you all along the game : They're just so funny and different one form another. (Too bad Oghren is not back though...Hehe)

    Why 7 and not 6 or below? Well they did a great job with the the ending (all spoilers appart) and I just hope they're going to fix things noticed above before making a suite.

    Bottom line : I liked it even though it was not what I expected from it.    … Expand
  18. rottencat
    Apr 2, 2011
    0
    I'd imagine that the main reason that people are paying to play this is because its main character on the poster looks like Gordon Freeman.

    The game looked very promising- but this was anything but fun. The fact that this game was allowed to advance past the "script writing" stage is beyond me.
  19. dbcooper
    Apr 2, 2011
    2
    Huge disappointment. A role playing game, with no role playing involved, just hack and slash your way through a bland recycled environment. The skill progression and inventory management are stripped back and the characters that join you along the way are boring. Ultimately if you are expecting the same brilliance as DAO - forget it.
  20. markeras
    Mar 31, 2011
    1
    This game is just another step forward to the destruction of classical rpg. I really love Dragon age:Origins, I think that it's really the successor of Baldur's Gate. But Dragon Age 2 has betrayed that spirit. Rpgs have not to be for a great audience, this is a big mistake!!! Big audience wants games like god of war, call of duty,... I can not talk with the pc's every time i want, and whenThis game is just another step forward to the destruction of classical rpg. I really love Dragon age:Origins, I think that it's really the successor of Baldur's Gate. But Dragon Age 2 has betrayed that spirit. Rpgs have not to be for a great audience, this is a big mistake!!! Big audience wants games like god of war, call of duty,... I can not talk with the pc's every time i want, and when I have the chance to do it i have a stupid symbol that tells me exactly the kind of answer i'm going to choose. The length is shorter than Origins(I suppose I will have to buy a lot of DLCs if i want to play longer). And i can not dress my pcs as I want. I only can choose one race, there are less talents for every class, and a long etcetera. Please, Bioware, if someday Dragon Age 3 is made, return to the system of Origins. That game was for me a great surprise, but Dragon Age 2 has deceived me a lot! If i want to play a jrpg i will play Mass Efect, but Dragon Age is another kind of game, do not destroy this saga only because you want to sell more!… Expand
  21. Deathbehind
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What sucks is all the hype around this for a lackluster game. "Oh DA2 is da best game ever!" Then once you play it, you trade it in and say "I can't believe I gave into hype." I can't believe the words "hype", "improvement", and better yet, "critics." Improvment. What? I thought this was the first game. Hype. Yeah, hype over nothing. Critics. They're just jumping on the "big name" bandwagon that critics jump in. They give alot of positive reviews to crappy games. Just because it's a big name. Do yourself a favor, and avoid. Rental at best. Score 4.0… Expand
  22. knisone
    Mar 29, 2011
    7
    I have finally had a chance to play this game and was not disappointed. There are a few frame issues but tolerable. I am well into the second act and and the story seems to be a bit convoluted. I am willing to take a ride with a story as must as the next guy however this story leaves you just wondering. I do not like the new armor system at all. All the armor you buy and pick up as loot isI have finally had a chance to play this game and was not disappointed. There are a few frame issues but tolerable. I am well into the second act and and the story seems to be a bit convoluted. I am willing to take a ride with a story as must as the next guy however this story leaves you just wondering. I do not like the new armor system at all. All the armor you buy and pick up as loot is for Hawke while you have to purchase upgrades for your team, yeah that sucks big time. In an RGP I like trying to find the best combination of armor and weapons for my characters. I thought I wouldn't like the button mashing battle system they have but I was wrong about that. It is pretty much like DCU Online. where every now and again you have to use a special power to get through a fight. I have gotten my team to level 22 and Fenris is ridiculous. Easily the most powerful slugger on the team. Hell with him in the line up baddies barely have a chance to lay a finger on any of the characters. All and All it is pretty decent for what they were attempting. However the frame issues, the story, and the voice acting weren't all they could be at all.… Expand
  23. LadyDumrotten
    Mar 29, 2011
    4
    There is a lot about this game that I love. It has excellent characters and an addictive, refined battle system... It's just a shame that the ridiculous amount of recycled content really kills it for me. There aren't even that many explorable areas in the game, and those that are there are all narrow corridors that are re-used over and over for the entire game. Also, the storylineThere is a lot about this game that I love. It has excellent characters and an addictive, refined battle system... It's just a shame that the ridiculous amount of recycled content really kills it for me. There aren't even that many explorable areas in the game, and those that are there are all narrow corridors that are re-used over and over for the entire game. Also, the storyline apparently spans nearly a decade, except the only way you would know that are the cut-scenes at the end of each act (of which there are three) telling you a number of years have passed... except, NOTHING, literally NOTHING changes over the years. At the beginning of Act 3 your party starts off standing in the exact spot where you finished Act 2 as if no time had passed at all. Laughable. This game could have been a classic had only more time been put into development. As it is, it's only recommendable if you think you can overlook these huge flaws and enjoy the strong combat and fairly interesting cast.… Expand
  24. SC00per
    Mar 28, 2011
    10
    Great game... Once again nerd-rage strikes and some "fans" of DAO are angry that DA2 is well.... different... Some people just can't cope with change.

    In short: -Improved combat, (strategic control over party is more satisfying and combat with your main character is a lot more fun). -Better voice acting. -Great storyline and characters -Quests are more involving than the usual arbitrary    Great game... Once again nerd-rage strikes and some "fans" of DAO are angry that DA2 is well.... different... Some people just can't cope with change.

    In short: -Improved combat, (strategic control over party is more satisfying and combat with your main character is a lot more fun). -Better voice acting.
    -Great storyline and characters
    -Quests are more involving than the usual arbitrary grinds you sometimes find in games of this genre. -Streamlined inventory / character menus with new features which make everything more manageable.
    -Better graphics. More stylized characters and environment. Great job on this game. A lot of flaws I found with DAO that stopped it being 'fun' at times have been addressed in DA2. If you were put off by the 'PC-feel' of DAO then this is well worth picking up. Equally, if you enjoyed DAO, (and you aren't an angry nerd), then grab a copy of DA2.

    10/10 - Probably the best RPG current;y available for PS3 / 360    … Expand
  25. Marcoo_PL
    Mar 28, 2011
    7
    In my opinion it is 100x better than the first one. Combat system is great for me, dialogues are masterpiece, even better than in mass effect 2 for me. I hope BioWare will keep going the right way (action rpg) because this is what they are doing great..... ANOTHER GREAT GAME BIOWARE!!!!
  26. DaReviewDude
    Mar 27, 2011
    7
    As you can see from the user score, every rpg fanatic has been **** about how this game isn't very good. They need to realize that Bioware is a business. As a business you try to make your product appeal to a large audience so they can make a profit. Bioware did not want to create dragon age II with the exact same gameplay as Dragon Age Origins. People tend to say if its not broken don'tAs you can see from the user score, every rpg fanatic has been **** about how this game isn't very good. They need to realize that Bioware is a business. As a business you try to make your product appeal to a large audience so they can make a profit. Bioware did not want to create dragon age II with the exact same gameplay as Dragon Age Origins. People tend to say if its not broken don't fix it but that doesn't work all the time. People would get bored of it and then complain that nothing had changed. Its a lose lose situation really. So in order to appeal to a broader audience they added more of a hack and slash feel to it rather than just choosing an ability and then watching (Which really doesn't appeal to fans of o lets say God of War). As much as it is very linear compared to most role playing games it still is a fun game. It isn't the best rpg out there on the market but it definitely isn't the worst. If you are a fan of the Mass Effect style of dialogue, then you will enjoy this game. Don't listen to any of the user critic's who are giving games 1s or 0s because these are the hard core fanatics that didn't have the game the exact way they wanted. And they also need to realize the amount of work that goes into creating a game like this.… Expand
  27. Hugodastrevas
    Mar 27, 2011
    10
    This game is really really really good, yes it has some issues but all games have them.
    The story it's pretty refreshing, without the usual cliches and one dimensional characters. The gameplay it's actually fun. This game is NOT "dragon age : origins 2.0" or "mass dragon age effect". It's something new altogether and i effin love it.
  28. Surenkin
    Mar 26, 2011
    0
    I have enjoyed almost all the games Bioware has produced in the past. Hardly anyone can deny that games like Baldurs Gate II, Dragon Age Origins and Kotor provide tons of entertainment. They received high ratings from professional reviewers and the community was pleased.

    What happened? How is it possible for a gaming company to take such a nosedive in one year? It would have been    I have enjoyed almost all the games Bioware has produced in the past. Hardly anyone can deny that games like Baldurs Gate II, Dragon Age Origins and Kotor provide tons of entertainment. They received high ratings from professional reviewers and the community was pleased.

    What happened? How is it possible for a gaming company to take such a nosedive in one year?

    It would have been UNFATHOMABLE to even consider that the average community score for a Dragon Age sequel would be less than 60/100 but here we are.

    How is it that in almost every single installment before Dragon Age 2 we had the ability to impact the world around us and the ending of the game would change depending on our choices? But now it doesn't matter who you support, not one bit. One tragedy after another isn't the core problem here but that you can't do anything about it.

    What's the replay value people? Really, what is it? What can I do differently? Have sex with Merrill instead of Isabela and change my tone of voice while speaking during pre-determined events?

    And how is it that romances have devolved into *press heart symbol to have h0t s3x*

    What happened to gameplay? What happened to stealing, creating potions, collecting resources and having a connection with the world around us?

    Where is the possibility to lie, intimidate and charm during conversations? Isn't that what roleplaying has been all about in your previous releases? You dont even need to read your own lines in DA2 (nor can you). Just choose one option from *calm*, *joke* or *angry*. Talking yourself out from a bad spot isn't really an option if the game has already decided what is going to happen.

    What happened to being able to choose your own race. What's the point of having racism towards elves if you cant even play one anymore?

    Customizing the armor of your companions might not seem like a big deal to many people since we are forced to use the best armor sets anyway and sell all the junk. But it does look completely stupid to have some pirate woman in a prostitute uniform fighting against a high-dragon. This is something I expect to see from square and Final Fantasy, not Bioware.

    And the worst thing is that after investing over 40 hours of gameplay, there is no real ending or closure. So what's the idea behind this? Rip us off with DLC's?

    And people really need to stop being naive. I hardly doubt this is going to be a prequel to some epic tale. Why should I believe that a savegame import would matter now when it has never had a major impact in the past? It's just going to be another set of cameos, letters from the people you saved and a couple of mentions about what happened in the past.

    This game does its job as a linear adventure hack'n'slasher but that's it.

    Just one year ago Bioware put square on blast by stating that "Final Fantasy XIII is not an RPG yadayada". And here we are now....I hope CD Projekt stays silent and walks the walk with Witcher 2, because you guys need a reality check.

    On a scale from 1 to pretzel, I'm mad salty lol. I guess it's time to go back to hyping the upcoming Mass Effect 2 DLC, because atleast you still have dev-teams that know what the hell they are doing.

    Bioware, I am dissapoint :(    … Expand
  29. Corraine
    Mar 26, 2011
    8
    After replaying through the initial Dragon Age multiple a time, it was a no brainer to pick up DA2 as well. While the openers magic is slightly lost along the way the sequel does a lot right. The story itself is written nicely, albeit missing out on a lot of potential drama and interesting scenes. Characters are all around nicely done and actually have a lot of unexpected reactions andAfter replaying through the initial Dragon Age multiple a time, it was a no brainer to pick up DA2 as well. While the openers magic is slightly lost along the way the sequel does a lot right. The story itself is written nicely, albeit missing out on a lot of potential drama and interesting scenes. Characters are all around nicely done and actually have a lot of unexpected reactions and decisions which make the game feel genuinely interesting.

    On the minus side the game has a bit too much of fighting going on. After you learn the gimmick of the fight, it does get nice. Yet wave after wave of extra enemies per each fight does get kind of tiresome. Either way a very well done sequel and a way lengthy as well. Clocked at 90 hours on nightmare after completing about every quest I could find.    … Expand
  30. jomac97
    Mar 26, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age II was 10 times better than the first one, but there was one thing i didn't like about it ; how SHORT it was.I hope the third one is even better than this one.
  31. FaisedOut
    Mar 25, 2011
    0
    This is NOT an RPG, folks. I should've listened to the negative reviews posted here but my excitement for a new console RPG took over and I purchased it anyway. Think of this game as a "Dynasty Warriors" or the related "Samurai Warriors" game. Now if mindless hack-and-slash doesn't appeal to you, this game won't either. Funny thing is, I love hack-and-slash as well as a good RPG butThis is NOT an RPG, folks. I should've listened to the negative reviews posted here but my excitement for a new console RPG took over and I purchased it anyway. Think of this game as a "Dynasty Warriors" or the related "Samurai Warriors" game. Now if mindless hack-and-slash doesn't appeal to you, this game won't either. Funny thing is, I love hack-and-slash as well as a good RPG but this game is neither! Download the demo and you will see what I mean. DO NOT HEED ANY OF THE GOOD REVIEWS ON THIS SITE! Did they even PLAY the game???… Expand
  32. PsiCat
    Mar 24, 2011
    10
    An amazing RPG and excellent addition to the Dragon Age series. Love the faster paced combat compared to Dragon Age: Origins, and while there are a few minor flaws it is definitely not deserving of all the negative reviews from people who probably didn't even play the game. I'm eagerly waiting the next entry in the series.
  33. Zodiackiller
    Mar 24, 2011
    0
    This game is bad! I really hated this game it's a surprise that this game comes from the people who made mass effect 2. This has to be the biggest waste of money in my entire history of playing games. If you say you like this game you are fooling yourself. It sucks!
  34. aadms
    Mar 24, 2011
    4
    Is it a weak RPG game? Is it a weak action game? It's both!! Bioware took a great game like Dragon Age and made it into an average game with it's sequel. The lackluster artwork is a step back to two dimensional caricature, the combat is a button mashing experience for more than half the game until you level up, and frankly they're are much better action games out there withoutIs it a weak RPG game? Is it a weak action game? It's both!! Bioware took a great game like Dragon Age and made it into an average game with it's sequel. The lackluster artwork is a step back to two dimensional caricature, the combat is a button mashing experience for more than half the game until you level up, and frankly they're are much better action games out there without continously pushing one button (ACreed!), you can only talk to your compains when it's time to do their quests, and the disjointed stories that add up to nothing more than just a bunch of dlc wrap around in a forgettable flashback narrative. The game is full of bugs and the importing of your Origin game doesn't work, so I'm going to have to wait for months until Bioware patches this? I can't believe I got burned by pre-ording a Bioware game. This game has Highlander II all over it.… Expand
  35. MaelstromX
    Mar 23, 2011
    1
    WARNING: Most of the 9's and 10's on this site are obvious attempts by BioWare employees to skew the negative reviews this game has been getting. It's already been confirmed that an engineer at BioWare named "Avanost" (real name: Chris Hoban) left a 10/10 review for this game -- with ridiculous praise, to boot! Google it yourself if you like. Anyhoo, I am now 2/3 of the way through inWARNING: Most of the 9's and 10's on this site are obvious attempts by BioWare employees to skew the negative reviews this game has been getting. It's already been confirmed that an engineer at BioWare named "Avanost" (real name: Chris Hoban) left a 10/10 review for this game -- with ridiculous praise, to boot! Google it yourself if you like. Anyhoo, I am now 2/3 of the way through in this game and am finally giving up. I'm going to trade this puppy in before its value goes below $7.00 (which is what EB Games offered me). I thought the game would get better but it definitely _doesn't_! I finished the first one (on the PC) and after playing through the second, I feel that the name "Dragon Age" shouldn't be anywhere in the title. This is a hack'n'-slash game through-and-through -- and when I say that, I don't mean in a good way either. I'm saddened to say it, but buy this game at your own risk.… Expand
  36. spookymuffin
    Mar 23, 2011
    9
    I can honestly say that I don't understand all of the negative attention this game is getting, I'm on my third playthrough and am nowhere near bored with it yet.

    When I first started playing I was a little thrown by some of the changes (how the battle system has been simplified and the way that you can only interact with your companions in their home bases) but I gave the game a fair    I can honestly say that I don't understand all of the negative attention this game is getting, I'm on my third playthrough and am nowhere near bored with it yet.

    When I first started playing I was a little thrown by some of the changes (how the battle system has been simplified and the way that you can only interact with your companions in their home bases) but I gave the game a fair chance and after a few hours of play I was enjoying just as much as (if not more than) Origins.

    One of the game's strongest points is the voice acting (just as it was in the original) and I was impressed when I first met the Dalish and heard their new Irish (is Merill the only Welsh one?) accents and felt that it suited them much better than the American ones that they had before. I was especially pleased (as an Irish person) to hear *real* Irish accents as opposed to something you'd hear from the Lucky Charms leprechaun. I also found the story in this game much more deep than the one in Origins, the plight of the mages and the position of the templars meant much more to me than it ever did in Origins.

    That's not to say that the game is without its issues: -I've had a ridiculous amount of crashes for a PS3 game; times when the game has frozen completely and I have to manually turn off the console. -I feel like the companions have been unnecessarily scaled back, I can't understand why they removed the option to change their armour and I have a feeling that we got much less dialogue simply so that Hawke could have a voice of his/her own.
    -The fact that the game reuses the same 12-odd environments gets old real fast. This is not something I can remember happening in Origins at all and it was something that really began to bother me after a while.    … Expand
  37. SteamConvert
    Mar 22, 2011
    2
    I borrowed a copy of this on a whim to see if it was better on the PS3 than on the PC (version that I purchased). It seems that the many things about DA2 that don't work, don't work on every platform. So, I guess they can at least say that it was a sucessful port.
  38. MINUS-1
    Mar 22, 2011
    0
    *Shame on you* BioWare for destroying an excellent franchise. *Double-shame on you* BioWare for getting your employees to post positive reviews of this game (and no lameasses -- it's *not* the same as Obama voting for himself! Obama voting for himself does not influence others to vote for him. YOUR FAKE REVIEWS posted here on MetaCritic, however, *do* influence people). *Triple-shame*Shame on you* BioWare for destroying an excellent franchise. *Double-shame on you* BioWare for getting your employees to post positive reviews of this game (and no lameasses -- it's *not* the same as Obama voting for himself! Obama voting for himself does not influence others to vote for him. YOUR FAKE REVIEWS posted here on MetaCritic, however, *do* influence people). *Triple-shame on you* BioWare for scamming your customers and adding paid DLC immediately following release (you money-grubbers).

    Take BioWare's fake postings on this site as testament to how bad this game is!

    This *ahem* "sequel" cannot hold a candle to the original DA:O. They have dumbed it down to the extreme and released yet another crappy arcade experience. They have lost their core audience. Out of the gamers I know, there isn't *even one* RPG fan that is picking this title up. I myself am trading in my pre-ordered copy for a store credit -- if they give me five bucks for it I'll consider myself lucky.

    OMG -- I finished DA:O (PC version) and believe me when I tell you: this is not even the same game!

    If you liked DA:O, then go find yourself an old copy of Neverwinter Nights 'cause yer' gonna hate DA II.

    I do recommend it to those people that play every single Dynasty Warriors game, however. "In the action, indeed".

    I had so much high hopes for this game and I can safely say that now I wouldn't even buy it in a bargain bin. If I got it for free, I wouldn't even play it -- we only live so long to waste our time playing rubbish like this.

    As for IGN -- 8.5? 8.5?????? SERIOUSLY?

    I love what you guys wrote in the "Lasting Appeal" section of your review especially. You guys are going to replay this game in order to "develop different relationships". LOL!

    Nuff said.

    All you people that don't know what a BioWare RPG could and should be: please feel free to disagree with me.    … Expand
  39. Loonknight
    Mar 22, 2011
    4
    I found this game a complete disappointment. The voice acting is abysmal, and gameplay left me wondering what happened to the original game that I loved. I've had to restart the game using each class just to be sure that I was not missing something, regrettably I was not. I wouldn't advise picking up this title for less than $25.00 and only if you are a fan of the series.
  40. starlet025
    Mar 22, 2011
    4
    Oh Bioware what have you done? Dragon Age Origins is my favourite game of all time and for the sequel to that amazing game youâ
  41. Vastgirth
    Mar 22, 2011
    0
    Incredibly disappointing. Lots of boring fighting in the same boring environments. Story doesn't tie in with gameplay. Feels very rushed. What has happened to one of my favourite developers :(.
  42. nmaxw63
    Mar 22, 2011
    7
    Not as good as the first game. Bioware have changed too many things and the whole things feels like a bit of a mish mash (designed by committee springs to mind), and story is no where near as tight.
    Support characters are also no where as near interesting (except for possibly Merrill who gave me a chuckle or two). Isabella is a cardboard cut out light relief charcter, Bethany is boring,    Not as good as the first game. Bioware have changed too many things and the whole things feels like a bit of a mish mash (designed by committee springs to mind), and story is no where near as tight.
    Support characters are also no where as near interesting (except for possibly Merrill who gave me a chuckle or two). Isabella is a cardboard cut out light relief charcter, Bethany is boring, Carver - what a whining **** glad he died when you choose the warrior option.
    Still, once past the negatives, I had some fun with the combat, you feel like a kick-ass warrior, instead of a wimp who couldn't survive for 5 minutes without your team like you do in most RPGs. Often I felt like my character was able to come to the rescue of team, rather than relying on them.    … Expand
  43. Thederaci
    Mar 21, 2011
    0
    I've always thought of Bioware as a safe choice when buying a game. When EA took over I was worried that they were going to ruin another good game company, but surprisingly most of the games came out were good ol' Bioware (maybe abit rushed) with some useless DLC content that I did not care about. That was uintil I came across this joke of a game.
    First of all the world feels soulless and    I've always thought of Bioware as a safe choice when buying a game. When EA took over I was worried that they were going to ruin another good game company, but surprisingly most of the games came out were good ol' Bioware (maybe abit rushed) with some useless DLC content that I did not care about. That was uintil I came across this joke of a game.
    First of all the world feels soulless and small. Well actually, the world feels small because it is small. Quoting a critic "You cant have an epic story on your backyard". That pretty much sums it up.
    The game feels more like a grind than a RPG - You're basically running the same linear dungeons over and over again with enemies that have slightly different color and name. Even the bosses are recycled.
    Combat requires no strategy at all, you can basically buttons mash your way trough the game. Increasing difficulty just requires the player to have more potions and the patience to spam the buttons longer. Sure the people looking for a simple game might enjoy it more, but anyone actually looking for a challenge should not bother with this game.
    Something that Bioware has always gotten right is the story, but not this time. Most of the charaters feel hollow and boring, charater cameos from DA:O just makes you wish you were playing DA:O instead.
    The story itself is rather non thrilling and the side quests are very repeative.
    The graphics are outdated (PC) to say the least and there are some annoying gliches with some of the older graphic cards. If the game looks like it was made 10-years ago, it should atleast work with older hardware.
    I could go on pointing out flaws in this game, but I think i made my point - Dont bother paying 60 bucks for a crappy game. If you absolutely must play this game, then do yourself a favour and wait for the GOTY version with all the DLC content and bugfixes.
    When compairing to other games this game does not deserve a 0 though, but on a Bioware scale it absolutely does. It is definitely by far the worst game they have ever done.    … Expand
  44. yalda
    Mar 21, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolutely disapointed, DA II feels like a long trailer for the first expansion. The effects of having played Origins are minimal and also disappointing. Where is Morrigan? Didn't you say the story with her isn't over? And what about Orsino the first enchanter becoming a Golem of Amgarrak with blood magic?!? This is just cheap recycling of already available monster designs. And then all the glitches and bugs: Killed Zevran in part 1, but then he shows up again. After Bethany returns at the final battle she seems to be invincible. everytime she dies I didn't have to revive her, she just resurrected without injury. As if the game wasn't already too easy. Playing on normal I just had to load maybe 2 or three times without ever using any special ability of my warrior. When Monsters appear you could just go to the toilet or watch TV, because you'll win the fight without doing anything. Okay, when there is a demon or a dragon you have to use a few portions. Also the money in the game is useless because these's nowhere anything nice to buy. I could go on like this for hours. I loved DA1 but this was just a big big disappointment :(… Expand
  45. Randomfart
    Mar 20, 2011
    0
    A dumbed down experience. Hack and slash combat, cluncky graphics, recycled enviroments bad pacing, boring storyline, bad dialog and companions. All the naysayers have been right since day one, this game has not been made with the spirit of an rpg and it's an insult to what Bioware used to be.
  46. juhnni
    Mar 20, 2011
    4
    I'm giving this game a 4 because well, with all the obvious bugs(game freezes at random), lackluster story and horribly dumb down game-play. While there was 1 advance(fully voiced main character) in game play, the rest of the game was watered down and recycled. Bad business BioWare. Don't waste your money buying, rent it instead.
  47. DrowZone
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    DA2 simply, is NOT an RPG! It 's an "Hack & Slash Action RPG". All locations cloning. Everything that people liked in the first part, there is no continuation.
  48. florestan123
    Mar 20, 2011
    2
    Along with several other people here, I have never written a review or commented on a game before, but I felt the strong need to voice my opinion about DA2. It just isn't a good game at all. How is it possible that the gaming industry critics have given the game such a favorable review?? Surely they are getting paid by EA in some form or another - we already know that at least one biowareAlong with several other people here, I have never written a review or commented on a game before, but I felt the strong need to voice my opinion about DA2. It just isn't a good game at all. How is it possible that the gaming industry critics have given the game such a favorable review?? Surely they are getting paid by EA in some form or another - we already know that at least one bioware employee (name of Avalone I think?) has posted here with a perfect score. That isn't really bad, and I don't mind that so much, but it sure makes me wonder what else EA/bioware is up to. Here's a message to all RPG fans out there wondering whether to buy this game or not... you will be hugely dissapointed if you enjoyed DAO - because all of the things that made DAO great are missing in this game. Trust me when I say this (because I have no hidden agenda), the general consensus of the user reviews is a lot more accurate than the critics reviews. All of the things that you've read about the game from the user reviews (repeatiing dungeons, hack and slash style play, poor dialogue choices, non-immersion, no caring for characters, no sense of being part of a bigger world), it's all true. Stay away from this one - you can find a much better way to spend $60!… Expand
  49. Raggz
    Mar 20, 2011
    8
    A disapointment from Bioware. But that doesn't mean the game is all bad. I just expected more from Bioware that has made some of the best games in gaming history. Good graphics with an excellent story and dialouges. Combat is definatly a step up from DA:O. Quite many bugs out of the box but Bioware are known for great support. It's definatly worth the buck!
  50. cleggy7
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    There is not one good word I could say about this game. BioWare seem to be the only dev in the industry who dumb absolutely everything down and pass it off as being better than the first game. Truly terrible. And to top it all off, BioWare have been posting dishonest reviews on Metacritic praising the game. They don't deserve your money. LINK -There is not one good word I could say about this game. BioWare seem to be the only dev in the industry who dumb absolutely everything down and pass it off as being better than the first game. Truly terrible. And to top it all off, BioWare have been posting dishonest reviews on Metacritic praising the game. They don't deserve your money. LINK - http://gamrfeed.vgchartz.com/story/84747/bioware-employee-allegedly-caught-boosting-metacritic-scores/… Expand
  51. existentialist
    Mar 19, 2011
    8
    I will preface this by saying the game wasn't what I expected, but I am not going to rate the game on expectations like many people have. While there are many aspects of the game that I felt could have been done better, I can't rightly give it a negative review. No matter its faults, any game that keeps me coming back for more night after night did something right. The biggest fault isI will preface this by saying the game wasn't what I expected, but I am not going to rate the game on expectations like many people have. While there are many aspects of the game that I felt could have been done better, I can't rightly give it a negative review. No matter its faults, any game that keeps me coming back for more night after night did something right. The biggest fault is repetitive environments. The second biggest fault, which I actually didn't mind too much, was the way the story was presented. The point-of-attack (look it up if you're not an English major) was way off. Being a video game this is forgivable, but still a little irksome. Also your character has no real drive through most of the game; Hawke just responds to events that are part of a larger story. This is an interesting perspective, but overall makes the game feel less epic. The real greatness is in character development and relationships. The character subplots, in my opinion, more than make up for the lack of a cohesive overall plot. The voice acting is great and the characters are deep and believable; each of them adds a unique perspective to events in the game. I admit, some of the background chatter between party members can be trite, but for the most part it is interesting and funny. I recommend changing party members every once-in-awhile so you can listen their exchanges with each other. Also the setting, plot, and codices do add much to the history and mythos of Dragon Age. The combat and movement animation is fluid and an upgrade from DA:O. If you enjoyed DA:O combat you will feel right at home. I didn't find the combat overly easy. I am not afraid to admit, I had to change the difficulty to casual for a couple fights. One thing I have heard people complain about, that I think is an improvement, is the companion armor system. I hated the tediousness of buying and equipping armor in DA:O; it took forever going through each piece of equipment for each party member and comparing it to each piece in your inventory. In Dragon Age 2, each companion has their own armor set which can't be switched out. The companions are still highly customizable with armor upgrades, runes, and a whole slew of accessories. I think most players will find, especially when judged on its own merits, that Dragon Age 2 is an enjoyable game. So what if it isn't the pinnacle of Bioware's greatness or didn't achieve the epicness of its predecessor, I had a heck of a fun time playing it and that is really what matters.… Expand
  52. Rizla
    Mar 18, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's sad that this game has turned out how it has. Where i would play DA:O hours on end cause it immersed me into a beautiful world with diversity and a compelling story, i have to take a break from DA II every half hour because of the fatigue the game gives me, it's the same thing over and over, covered in bland and repeating surroundings and a general 'meh' feeling toward anything character or story wise.

    I miss bird eye view alot when positioning party members, which is a shame since you haveto reposition alot due to enemies spawning out of nowhere. Simplified loot system is so uninteresting and easy to get around with that it's an annoyance to be bothering with.

    Managing companions has been reduced to giving them jewelry. I never liked Massive effect to start with and the introduction of that wheel selection thing is just horrid to me.

    In the end i felt like all options that would activate some braincells have been reduced to such simple tasks that i can't find it more challenging than setting one foot in front of another. It's so straightforward and linear :-S

    The character selection system is restrictive and doesn't offer in any way what DA:O did, not at all. I don't feel like i'm playing a unique character at all in this game.

    This game might of been received better if it hadn't been named the sequel to DA:O. But even if you take the first game out of the picture it still doesn't add up to a very good game in it's genre. I'd say i would rate it a 6 without ever playing DA:O. It's just not good. :(    … Expand
  53. drjaxx
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    I'm just going to go ahead and believe that most of the reviewers here and whinny fanboys that really didn't give this game a try. Anyone that wrote a review on or around the 8th shouldn't be counted. You can't really get into the meat of a game like this within a day, or even a couple of days. Truth of the matter is, all you whinny ungrateful fanboys don't deserve a game of thisI'm just going to go ahead and believe that most of the reviewers here and whinny fanboys that really didn't give this game a try. Anyone that wrote a review on or around the 8th shouldn't be counted. You can't really get into the meat of a game like this within a day, or even a couple of days. Truth of the matter is, all you whinny ungrateful fanboys don't deserve a game of this quality, and it looks like most of you are going to miss out because of the all of the annoying whinny rumors of false truths about the game. People these days form opinions way too quick. It's hard to take any of these reviews seriously, so I wont. I don't know why I even care to write anything here, it's like throwing stones at a tsunami. I enjoy gaming, but it's times like these that I wouldn't want to be associated with these immature gamers. I know there are quality people out there in the gaming community, but this is getting ridiculous.… Expand
  54. scribble206
    Mar 18, 2011
    8
    I feel compelled to chime in here and make clear that 0 reviews are unfair to a very good game. I never played the first one so I canâ
  55. scribe206
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    I feel compelled to chime in here and make clear that â
  56. dirtyfinger
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    Combat is ridiculous. Animation speed increased to the point that no strike animations are visible. Intended to speed up combat ... which it doesn't, since the increased speed is offset by higher monster hitpoints and swarms of enemies.also, combat has been "coolified", meaning that every standard attack is the 'Fallout 3' equivalent of 'Bloody Mess', meaning that a killing stab with aCombat is ridiculous. Animation speed increased to the point that no strike animations are visible. Intended to speed up combat ... which it doesn't, since the increased speed is offset by higher monster hitpoints and swarms of enemies.also, combat has been "coolified", meaning that every standard attack is the 'Fallout 3' equivalent of 'Bloody Mess', meaning that a killing stab with a dagger causes humans to explode.


    unconvincing encounters with different factions ... you somehow are constantly forced to kill potential allies. also swarms of enemies, even if you're just on a evening stroll to the nearest tavern.


    also, maps get recycled over and over and over. sure, you're revisiting old locations very very often, but you'll see the exact same dungeon map on up to five DIFFERENT locations!
    Lazy!


    No, this game is a complete fail in the categories Bioware tried to improve.    … Expand
  57. subsided
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    This game is awesome. This game at least rivals the first game only in this one the combat iss 10X better and the character are awesome and have alot of variety. I just cant see how anyone can give this a failing score when theres no major problems to the game and it has such depth.
  58. kingtriumph
    Mar 18, 2011
    8
    As a long time Bioware fan, I can understand the large amount of criticism of this game. For me, however, I found it much more satisfying than Dragon Age: Origins, or even the Mass Effect games. The pacing of the game is quicker and the scope more focused, but I felt that there was still an epic feeling to the whole endeavor. The story seems like it's a set up for something much moreAs a long time Bioware fan, I can understand the large amount of criticism of this game. For me, however, I found it much more satisfying than Dragon Age: Origins, or even the Mass Effect games. The pacing of the game is quicker and the scope more focused, but I felt that there was still an epic feeling to the whole endeavor. The story seems like it's a set up for something much more epic in the long run, while DA: O is like backstory. I understand why a lot of hardcore RPG fans (and believe me, I'm one of them) liked DA: O better, but for me DA: O dragged on for a bit too long and the combat was boring. I enjoyed the new combat system in DA 2 and the fully voiced main character. I liked how decisions had repercussions later on in the story.

    Obviously there are flaws. The recycling of environments is the biggest one. That to me made the game feel a tad rushed. The other common complaints, such as texture pop-in and bugs in cinematics are relatively minor to me.

    When it comes down to it, it's about enjoyment. For me, Dragon Age: Origins felt like a chore to play by the end of the game. Dragon Age 2, however, had me keep coming back for more, staying up late on marathon game sessions but didn't over stay it's welcome. I think that says a lot.

    If you like Bioware's approach to RPGs, you should play this game at least once. I for one will be going back for a second helping of Kirkwall and Hawke's adventure.    … Expand
  59. Corvus
    Mar 18, 2011
    4
    i cant believe what bio did with this game. they take the name of a good rpg and put it on a hack and slash dungeon crawler for consoles. the name of the game reminds of dragon age origins and the theme. nothing else. everything is made with consoles in mind. i don't want to destroy my keyboard and mouse after all. graphics are a joke and the hi res texture pack for pc is nonsense. manyi cant believe what bio did with this game. they take the name of a good rpg and put it on a hack and slash dungeon crawler for consoles. the name of the game reminds of dragon age origins and the theme. nothing else. everything is made with consoles in mind. i don't want to destroy my keyboard and mouse after all. graphics are a joke and the hi res texture pack for pc is nonsense. many say that a good rpg doesn't need good visuals but no one plays text based adventures anymore. we live in 2011.
    the only good thing about the game is that with its lunch dao ultimate edition sells for 18 euros for pc.    … Expand
  60. Marcman59
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    It's rather unfortunate how this game turned out. The combat is no longer tactical, it simply requires you to hit your abilities as the cooldowns refresh. The story is bland, and makes it difficult to press on, nothing "hooks" you. If this game had been released as a stand-alone title not under the Dragon Age name, it wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing. Also, 27 different DLC's atIt's rather unfortunate how this game turned out. The combat is no longer tactical, it simply requires you to hit your abilities as the cooldowns refresh. The story is bland, and makes it difficult to press on, nothing "hooks" you. If this game had been released as a stand-alone title not under the Dragon Age name, it wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing. Also, 27 different DLC's at launch is rather excessive and a terrible trend to follow. I'm all for DLC, but I want game expansion that couldn't have been included on the disc.… Expand
  61. Morri--Xen
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    10.0

    Simply the best RPG of the last 10 years, together with Dragon Age Origins.

    Incredible plot
    Incredible OST
    Incredible gameplay
    Incredible storytelling

    Bioware learns how to create games, as always.

    10.0
  62. kris2fur
    Mar 18, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Summary: poor dialogue choices, no multiple endings, feels like the same level repeated with slight variations and worst of all an involvement in an unimportant conflict.
    No more 4-6 dialogue choices, this has been reduced to 3. The first is diplomatic; you will use this often but find that fact annoying. The second is funny/diamond, funny is useless nothing like joking about how your inheritance was lost or a family members death. Third, aggressive 100% useful if you WANT to turn your party members against you (Maybe it makes Fenris like you.). Then thereâ    … Expand
  63. zagorec92
    Mar 18, 2011
    1
    Origins had a lot more epic and exciting story. Idea of putting story in one city, with 2-3 locations near it is really catastrophic. Combat is not that satisfying as it should be, inventory is awful. In Dragon Age Origins we didn't have so much restriction for armors and weapons like here. I was really surprised by that, but in the wrong way. Graphics, well, I can't complain too muchOrigins had a lot more epic and exciting story. Idea of putting story in one city, with 2-3 locations near it is really catastrophic. Combat is not that satisfying as it should be, inventory is awful. In Dragon Age Origins we didn't have so much restriction for armors and weapons like here. I was really surprised by that, but in the wrong way. Graphics, well, I can't complain too much about it. Characters...there's only one worth mentioning and that is Varric because it seems they only finished him and that the others were in work by the time game was out. Main character is finally voiced and it doesn't seem so dumb like in Origins, but I expected more. I really wanted to like this game, especially because it is from Bioware. But call of money and greed from EA made this game the biggest flop this year. I will give it a 2, only because it gave me 35 hours of gameplay. I really hope this won't happen again, this rushing and placing a half-finished product on the market with Mass Effect 3.… Expand
  64. deadeagle
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    now im a little confused as to whats going on here. for one there is a bunch of idiots on here rating this game over and over with zero's..for one there is no such thing as a game that can rightfully be rated a zero, so if you rated a zero you are a moron, just saying. my next issue is that so many people complained about dragon age origins? and now that bioware did what you wanted yournow im a little confused as to whats going on here. for one there is a bunch of idiots on here rating this game over and over with zero's..for one there is no such thing as a game that can rightfully be rated a zero, so if you rated a zero you are a moron, just saying. my next issue is that so many people complained about dragon age origins? and now that bioware did what you wanted your against them? if you have a problem with a company who does things for the consumer....then your either a troll, or someone who should quit playing video games. now for the review! this is a fantastic game, based on the story of Hawke. hawke is said to be the single most important character in the dragon age lore, and you get to play his story and live his struggles and triumphs. the story is really good and the combat is excellent, the combat is super smooth and very satisfying. most of the characters are really good. there was one that i hated but that just added to my enjoyment of the game. its not as long as origins, and its not on as grand of a scale as origins either, which is a shame cause i was really looking forward to exploring orlaise and some other places. the only thing i didnt like was the recycled dungeons and side quest maps, but these are small complaints for such a vastly improved game. i cant wait for some more dlc and some expansions. i look forward to what bioware will bring me next in the dragon age saga… Expand
  65. I_Hug_Fat_Kids
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    What a shameful piece of garbage. Its like they took 2 years to deliver us an abortion of a game. The only improvement is the upgraded combat system, which by all means is nice, but id much rather have the old combat system if it came with a much deeper story that didnt limit me to 1 ugly, boring, empty city. I had no idea what the whole point of the game really was or who the mainWhat a shameful piece of garbage. Its like they took 2 years to deliver us an abortion of a game. The only improvement is the upgraded combat system, which by all means is nice, but id much rather have the old combat system if it came with a much deeper story that didnt limit me to 1 ugly, boring, empty city. I had no idea what the whole point of the game really was or who the main antagonist even was until almost literally at the end. This game is a massive let down without getting into a huge 100 page report on how poor it is. Try harder next time bioWare, and stop dulling your sequels down to garbage.… Expand
  66. GrandHarrier
    Mar 17, 2011
    8
    Dragon Age 2 is a good game bordering on greatness that suffers a few missteps. Characters are good. Story is good. Combat is good. The reuse of dungeons is problematic but considering the accelerated development cycle it is understandable; While every texture will not be unique they compensate by a very large number of secondary and side quests that flesh out the lore of both Kirkwall,Dragon Age 2 is a good game bordering on greatness that suffers a few missteps. Characters are good. Story is good. Combat is good. The reuse of dungeons is problematic but considering the accelerated development cycle it is understandable; While every texture will not be unique they compensate by a very large number of secondary and side quests that flesh out the lore of both Kirkwall, your Party Members, and the Dragon Age Universe in general. The critic rating is appropriate, please ignore the vast majority of the user reviews. Despite their outrage this game is NOT worse than Superman 64. It does NOT have PS2 quality graphics.… Expand
  67. Deceiver
    Mar 17, 2011
    4
    Ok I am supporter of Bioware who has been the best company for RPG. But this is a disappointment and waiste of my money. I don't think it's their fault I feel its been rushed and ruined by EA.

    :( Bioware still love you tho
  68. Fenro
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    Il make it short on the deal i like the game so far, it doesnt mean i dont think theres anything wrong with it either.
    So heres my pros and cons
    Cons - You cant give your party members (boots, gloves, helmet, chest) pieces and thus their appearance never changes. Alright i understand the fact that in origins some party members just looked stupid because the gear didnt fit them i for    Il make it short on the deal i like the game so far, it doesnt mean i dont think theres anything wrong with it either.
    So heres my pros and cons

    Cons
    - You cant give your party members (boots, gloves, helmet, chest) pieces and thus their appearance never changes.
    Alright i understand the fact that in origins some party members just looked stupid because the gear didnt fit them i for example never changed morrigans main gear until i got the next armour that was styled in the same way. so im not really sure if this is a pro or a con. but what it sure does do is take away from the gear possibilities and thus theres less things you can affect stats wise in your comppanions giving you alot less control.

    - rommance love scenes are done clothes on.. im an adult this game is rated 18.. what the hell is the problem? at least in the DA:O they had most of their clothes off and the scene looked sensual, now its just dry humping?

    Pros

    + The gameplay is fastly paced and requires alot of tactical wits on the higher difficulty levels. sure its not as slow as DA:O was but hey i didnt want to play the same game again.

    + Import the history from old save data, even though the changes arent huge i love the small details

    + graphics and moves have been revamped to look absolutely amazing

    + interface is awesome and journal flags where definetly awesome extra now i dont miss any text entries


    then the opinions that get neutral from me

    +/- Voiced main character: i hate it and i love it. what can you say...

    +/- Parts where you cant controll your characters behaviour, this takes away from the game but then again im getting a feeling this is a good thing, you are trying to tell a story and some things just have to happen for it to go further, there was the part of becoming a greywarden in DA:O and you couldnt affect it either so i really dont mind that much.

    +/- Only 3 playable classes and 1 race. this sure takes some element away from the game but what can you do ive accepted that the game isnt about you making a 100% custom hero but a story of a certaint hero from certaint linneage there are still alot of things i can choose which is enough for me.    … Expand
  69. dgrey
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    This game represents exactly what is wrong with the video game industry these days. What's more is that developers are attempting to inflate the scores of these games by creating fake reviews (see "Avanost"). For that, and the fact that this game is a travesty, I'm giving the game a 0.
  70. ElectricPhase
    Mar 17, 2011
    2
    This not the game we expected. Bioware has a history of making RPGs for RPG gamers like BG, BG2, NWN,KotOR, and DaO. This isn't even a distant relative of the titles that make up Bioware's legacy. As an action RPG, it's mediocre. Measured against what's come before it, it's even less. Button mashing kung-fu fights with preposterously overlength two handed swords? Characters moving likeThis not the game we expected. Bioware has a history of making RPGs for RPG gamers like BG, BG2, NWN,KotOR, and DaO. This isn't even a distant relative of the titles that make up Bioware's legacy. As an action RPG, it's mediocre. Measured against what's come before it, it's even less. Button mashing kung-fu fights with preposterously overlength two handed swords? Characters moving like circus acrobats? Opponents turning into giant exploding blood bags when defeated? Continuity breaking finishing move cut scenes? No thanks...and that's just the combat. I could go on, but there are better things to do with my time--and way better games to spend your money on.… Expand
  71. foofoo2010
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    Dragon Age II has come a long way from its predecessor Dragon Age. Having played Bioware games previously (such as Jade Empire and the Mass Effect Series), the original Dragon Age was somewhat lacking. The lack of emotions for the characters, the boring combat system, the less than gorgeous graphics name a few of the things I did not like about the original game. I had wished that theDragon Age II has come a long way from its predecessor Dragon Age. Having played Bioware games previously (such as Jade Empire and the Mass Effect Series), the original Dragon Age was somewhat lacking. The lack of emotions for the characters, the boring combat system, the less than gorgeous graphics name a few of the things I did not like about the original game. I had wished that the Dragon Age game could be more like Mass Effect where the characters have voice and emotions and the combat system and play was more than "Hit x and sit back to watch the fun".

    Bioware really gave the Dragon Age saga a facelift in Dragon Age II. The most obvious change is the graphics, which have improved dramatically from the original game. They followed more of the Mass Effect style, where the character is generally called "Hawke", male or female, and has a voice to go along with the dialogue wheel and expressions and reactions that fit well with the words coming from the character's mouth. The combat system greatly improved, as well. Rather than following a first person view as seen in Bethesda's games (the Elder Scrolls series), Bioware made the combat akin to a button-mashing (but not quite) game like Dark Kingdom or Dynasty Warriors. Thankfully, more strategy is needed than "BUTTON MASH LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!!!" There is also the option to pause and organize the entire team's attacks and tactics, for those who do not like to jump into the fray flying by the seat of their pants. The graphics associated with the combat system are much smoother, as well. The character's movements are less awkward and the gratuitous amounts of bloody explosions certainly don't detract from the appeal. The story, as well, is much more engaging than was the original game. It is much easier to just jump into the plot in Dragon Age II than it was in the original. The characters are less stereotypical and plain, as well. In Dragon Age, there was Alistair, the Edward Cullen perfect-boy, Leliana, the goody-two-shoes chantry girl, Zevran, the bi-sexual slut, and Ogrhen, who was essentially just Gimley from LOTR. In Dragon Age II, the characters are more multifaceted. Their reactions to various decisions made by the character are less predictable, which makes game play more interesting. There is not the cut-and-dry, "If I behave badly, character A will want in my pants and character B will whine and moan."

    Overall, Dragon Age II has the elements of a good role playing, action-adventure game. As a female gamer, I am partial to role playing games and certainly wish there were more of them. The original Dragon Age: Origins was a bit of a let-down for me, but I had high hopes and expectations for the second installment of the Dragon Age series. I am only too happy to say that the game did not disappoint.    … Expand
  72. Blazing
    Mar 17, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sin duda alguna, una entrega muy inferior en relación a Origins, con muchos puntos flojos.
    Su único punto fuerte es que los combates contra bosses siguen teniendo "algo de estrategia", y otras pequeñas cosas sin mucha importancia. Esta entrega ha sido especialmente enfocada a todos los públicos, dejando de banda a los fieles seguidores del rol. Personajes poco complejos, historia confusa, simplificaciones... un despropósito en si.
    BioWare solo tenía mejorar un poco Origins para hacer un gran juego.    … Expand
  73. tsavostfu
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    Terrible game. Only redeeming feature is combat - everything else is sub-par in every imaginable way.

    Character development for party characters is just terrible. The overall story is completely AWFUL.

    You get almost exactly the same endings regardless of choices... In fact it's barely an RPG at all.
  74. xenomorf
    Mar 17, 2011
    7
    With the reputation that Bioware built in the past years, I really wonder whether Bioware is actually satisfied with the performance they delivered and if they would ever be honest about it. Its not about the combat, which in some ways I found satisfying and enjoying despite its less tactical. Its not about the simplification of the RPG system. The worst thing in my opinion is theWith the reputation that Bioware built in the past years, I really wonder whether Bioware is actually satisfied with the performance they delivered and if they would ever be honest about it. Its not about the combat, which in some ways I found satisfying and enjoying despite its less tactical. Its not about the simplification of the RPG system. The worst thing in my opinion is the lifelessness of the story, the characters, the environments. Bioware games stood for epic and immersive storylines, atmosferic environments, deep and evolving charachters and overall...choice. That is gone with DA2. No epic beginning of the story that leaves you wondering where this is all going. The first 8 hours you spend time to try to 'get into the city' jumping from the same locations to the same locations and worse, a lot of 'different' environments are exactly the same. Not just in textures or anything, but EXACTLY the same map with the only difference is that sometimes certain areas of the map are not accessible by a locked door. Compared to ME 1&2, DA:O, KOTOR etc, Bioware should be ashamed of themselves. If this is the new direction Bioware is taking, I am already worried about their future games. I already bought this one blindly like everyone else being negative about the game, but their next game I will consider with greater care.… Expand
  75. Gylt
    Mar 17, 2011
    6
    I don't really know where to go with this because problem is I truly enjoyed the first game to the point where I bought DLC for the first time! DA:O was such a great game with amazing customization and unique characters and storytelling, and that's what really solidified the game as a fan favorite. The storytelling and unique in depth characters. sad to say this is exactly what DA2 wasI don't really know where to go with this because problem is I truly enjoyed the first game to the point where I bought DLC for the first time! DA:O was such a great game with amazing customization and unique characters and storytelling, and that's what really solidified the game as a fan favorite. The storytelling and unique in depth characters. sad to say this is exactly what DA2 was lacking in. The game play I will admit was just an amazing improvement in DA2 for console gaming and it made the player really get into the combat, making the new combat this games one saving feature. That's the good. . . .yeah I know its not much but please take me seriously, I also think a rating of six is a little harsh but I cant put down 6.5 or something (the site wants full numbers) the game really wasn't all bad its simply that DA2 has one good step forward as a sequel from the original, but too many steps back. I'll start off slow with the little things, to begin the graphics in this game where honestly just bad in comparison to the first and in comparison to many other games with similar art styles, don't ask why but for some reason "Tension the Void" comes to mind. I understand that this new environment is supposed to give you a certain feeling of solitude and just an overall suffocating feel like the many mage inhabitants of Kirkwall (The city where the whole game takes place) feel; but there's no detail in this game it all just looks so bland and well . . . brown. You can notice this lack of detail everywhere in the game! Also the new character designs are not all bad aside from the Elves which where ruined in my opinion (on a different note the Quinari now look amazing!) and the lack of female Dwarves in this game. Moving on I'll begin going over some of the sounds, voices, and music in this game. Now not too many complaints for the sounds in this game because honestly the only negative thing I can quickly think of is the sound of buzzing flies. That sound is literally everywhere! I heard it in the dirty and clean parts of the city and the flies also followed me down to the coasts! But you learn to ignore it when you become more focused with the game play. Now music nothing really wrong here except the load title music I found to be really boring and overall just bad. Voices here we go! this was another step back please take more consideration into the main characters voice actor! the Male Hawk's voice just seems so forced! Only the male though Keep your female voice actress because she did an amazing job! also what happened to the elves!? there voices honestly just pierce my ears and ruin the illusion in this setting. It ruined Merril and I just couldn't take the other Elven character Fenris seriously cause his voice was just so terrible and forced. It was honestly a traumatizing experience seeing my favorite race being reduced to rip offs of the Navi from "Avatar" gone Irish. Now lets go a bit into character customizing and in game options which again, was serious unfortunate step back. One of the things DA:O executed almost perfectly was Character customization which was simply incredible you could choose you characters sex, race, and background which you actually got to participate in! It was amazing! Sadly all that is gone IN DA2 you get a human and only get to choose class and sex and some limited facial customization so its just not all there. At the very least they could have imported the facial building program from Origins. As for in game options my only two complaints here are the fact that your companions cant equip any different or unique armors but can only upgrade their own! instantly making about 60% of in game armor and weapons useless (except u can use it to sell and make some extra coin in game) seeing as your character can only equip armor and weapons limited to his class! (you could change his attributes using the DLC and an item to reset your attributes so you could wear the armor but that kind of defeats the purpose of class specialization) Finally I want to go into what ultimately made me be so stern with this game. I'll give the game points because the overall story was good it kept me interested and playing through it entirety but its the decisions in game which truly disappoint. IN DA:O your character could be more evil and malicious than The Blight itself! Or a true kind soul and inspiring hero! and it would all affect the outcome of the game giving many different outcomes and ends. In DA2 your characters decisions and actions only truly affect what your companions think of you and slightly twitch the story here and there. And sometimes your actions and words don't do anything at all, it just moves the story forward. Also passing you old save file does hardly anything. Its sad but the one thing DA2 did right, was it made me appreciate DA:O. But still this game makes for a solid good rental.… Expand
  76. Ian277
    Mar 16, 2011
    6
    i got this and i sorta liked it. the talking is cool because every dicision you make matters. but the characters you talk to suck and aren't fun or important to talk to. so it feels empty with the bad AI. the button masher i actually like but i like rpg style better. the graphics are fairly good. but the blood is overdone. the adventure is gone and is replaced by combat :(!!! i like thei got this and i sorta liked it. the talking is cool because every dicision you make matters. but the characters you talk to suck and aren't fun or important to talk to. so it feels empty with the bad AI. the button masher i actually like but i like rpg style better. the graphics are fairly good. but the blood is overdone. the adventure is gone and is replaced by combat :(!!! i like the new map but it isn't enough because you go to the same places over and over! i feel a little betrayed becuase the first one was so good. there is nothing new about this game either most thing are just a polished version of the first one and it lacks in so many other areas that polish dont do **** it is fun but disapointing. just like so many great series they go out with a bad half assed games like jak lost frontier. it's fun but just doesn't cut it. do i sugest buying... not really until the price drops.… Expand
  77. Rooksarii
    Mar 16, 2011
    7
    DA:2 is a fun game. It has some good parts, some bad parts, and some buggy parts -- like any other game-- but overall, a decent enough title. The problem I and many of the other reviewers of this game have is that it does not feel like it was a sequel, but more of an offshoot game. More action, less RPG and story, to be honest. "Dragon Age: Champion's Quest" instead of "Dragon Age 2". ItDA:2 is a fun game. It has some good parts, some bad parts, and some buggy parts -- like any other game-- but overall, a decent enough title. The problem I and many of the other reviewers of this game have is that it does not feel like it was a sequel, but more of an offshoot game. More action, less RPG and story, to be honest. "Dragon Age: Champion's Quest" instead of "Dragon Age 2". It could be saved with much more substantial DLC (nudge nudge, free "we are sorry" DLC couldn't hurt) or expansions, but they will need to regain a lot of ground with their core audience, this reviewer included, in order to do so in my book.… Expand
  78. vp1940
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    I really can't believe the negative user reviews on this game. As a veteran of Dragon Age: Origins, no, DA2 is not what I had hoped for in a true numbered sequel, but its still a brilliant albeit smaller work, and more than worthy of a purchase if you liked the original. DA2 ditches DAO's lame offline World of Warcraft combat with a much more responsive system. The story is very intimate,I really can't believe the negative user reviews on this game. As a veteran of Dragon Age: Origins, no, DA2 is not what I had hoped for in a true numbered sequel, but its still a brilliant albeit smaller work, and more than worthy of a purchase if you liked the original. DA2 ditches DAO's lame offline World of Warcraft combat with a much more responsive system. The story is very intimate, has 2 or 3 TRUE emotional punches in the gut, a very cool new protagonist and set of villains beyond the lumbering mindless Darkspawn. In all honestly, the only legitimate complaint that could be leveled against the game is its artstyle, which is up to personal preference, and the very narrow scope of the world in the game. Kirkwall is indeed your prison. All told, the game looks great, plays great, tells a great story, and is worth your money. Don't let the PC elitists bitter over a "consolized" sequel damper your hopes for it, Bioware delivers again, just not in the grand scope and sweeping epic of the original.… Expand
  79. chessmasterhex
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    Wow. Users here are losing it. DA2 is not as good at it's predecessor, fine, but it's far from a total failure. I suppose it's more fun to grief a decent game than it is to actually discuss it rationally.
  80. Mythe87
    Mar 16, 2011
    4
    After enjoying Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening, I've been waiting for Dragon Age II with much excitement. I grabbed my hands on a copy of DA2 on release date, went home, unwrapped the foil from the box and put the disc in my PS3. After setting up the options to my personal liking I was ready to start the journey. Let's start playing.

    I'm writing this review while I am 18 hours in to    After enjoying Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening, I've been waiting for Dragon Age II with much excitement. I grabbed my hands on a copy of DA2 on release date, went home, unwrapped the foil from the box and put the disc in my PS3. After setting up the options to my personal liking I was ready to start the journey. Let's start playing.

    I'm writing this review while I am 18 hours in to the game, somewhere in Act II I presume. The reason I play RPGs are to feel immersion, connected to the main character and it's companion, a interesting story, to explore the world and to find epic loot. Dragon Age 2 is lacking major in every department. Let me tell you why.

    The characters feel too generic, except for Varric and Anders. Their personalities are boring, their stories are boring and the fact that BioWare doesn't give you an opportunity to feel connected with them makes it even worse.

    The story is telling the tale of how you become the champion, but to be honest I don't see it going anywhere. You do some side quests to make money, go on an expedition and after that do some more side quests. In my 18 hours of play I still don't have the feeling I am doing something important or amazing. To end with a positive note on this subject I do like the way they are presenting the story.

    Exploring the word in DA2 is just drama. 90% of the game is taking place in a not so appealing city to say the least. So there's not a lot to explore, but hey we still have dungeons, right? You can scrap that from your list. There are just a few layouts and they are, sadly, reused for every dungeon. So there goes all your of exploring the world. While killing some mobs, you mostly find some loot. It might contain something epic, but sadly you can't wear it because it's another class. So you'd say let's equip one of my companions with it. But some genius at BioWare decided no one cares about equipping their party members, instead we let the player buy upgrades of armor for their companions. Thanks for not taking the weapon and accessory slots away. To end on a positive note the improved combat system is something I enjoy. It's a lot more action based and a lot smoother. From time to time you just don't want to pause the game to play it like a strategy game, but just like a hack 'n slash game.

    All of the things really break the immersion for me. I want to equip my characters, I want to have cool traveling bunch, I want to explore the world and I want to feel that I am in something big. Sadly DA2 doesn't do any of that.    … Expand
  81. Misstotally
    Mar 16, 2011
    4
    I personally play rpg mostly for the story and not so much for the combat, so i cant say much about the combat part. It does feel a bit repetitive, but overall it is not my biggest complaint.
    Problem is they have tried to make Dragon Age 2 into a cross between Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins. Problem is its not close to being as good as either of these games. Its stuck in the murky    I personally play rpg mostly for the story and not so much for the combat, so i cant say much about the combat part. It does feel a bit repetitive, but overall it is not my biggest complaint.
    Problem is they have tried to make Dragon Age 2 into a cross between Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins. Problem is its not close to being as good as either of these games. Its stuck in the murky middle somewhere. There is little to no immersion, and you are stuck in one city with a few variations the whole game through. Apart from more side quests, which i think is good, the whole game feels like your just doing errands around the city, and not much variation in environment. I felt i had no control over (Shepard)Hawk at all. His companions are not boring per se, but the little you actually talk to them makes them feel disjointed from you and each other. The ME dialog wheel can make you frustrated, because it seems you can never convey the right emotions at the right time. Also the romance side of this game seems meaningless as you cant really talk much to them, and you get little heart icons on the wheel to indicate when its flirting time...DA:O was not perfect but it was far from this silly.
    The disappointment for many is probably due to this being called a sequel. It just a completely sub-par and different game ( in a bad way). Its DA:O and ME light. They could have done better with this story. The writing seems good, but they did not have time it seems to implement it the right way. They had to get it out the door quickly , and it shows.    … Expand
  82. bsNYC
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    As with all things, my expectations shape my over-all view of the product's quality. Judged on its own, Dragon Age 2 is a fantastic game. I found the game-play to be extremely enjoyable insofar as I was able to strategically plan out my attack and then get in on the action by taking direct control of a character. Funneling enemies into a trap or a crossfire never gets old and theAs with all things, my expectations shape my over-all view of the product's quality. Judged on its own, Dragon Age 2 is a fantastic game. I found the game-play to be extremely enjoyable insofar as I was able to strategically plan out my attack and then get in on the action by taking direct control of a character. Funneling enemies into a trap or a crossfire never gets old and the combo-attacks are very satisfying. This is the foundation for what could be the best form of RPG combat--at least for my tastes. The graphics are bit lackluster compared to such games as Mass Effect and Uncharted but do not prohibit the player from being immersed in the game. The voice-acting is top notch and the story-telling is superb. The fact that I enjoyed the story so much is a testament to the direction, script, and acting since the plot was lackluster--oscillating between vapid and banal with only a few exciting points (though those points are really exciting). Then why not give the game a 9? Unfortunately, the more defined my expectations, the harder it is to be accepting when those expectations are not met. I loved DAO so much and have never been so immersed in a videogame's story before. Accordingly, I had some expectations about the trajectory of the sequel, including expectations for answers to questions, filled-in plot-holes, and further developed story-lines. None of these were addressed in DA 2 and what made it worse for me was that DA2 has certain parts, which unfortunately turned out to be minor,that ostensibly could have been tied to those plot-lines (an example of a missed opportunity that quickly springs to mind are the lyrium relics in the deep roads somehow connected to the Architect from Awakenings). Am I disappointed? Depends on my perspective. I liken my experience with DA2 to a date with a girl who you've placed on a pedestal but ended up just being friends with. Lovely woman who is a great friend but turned out to be nothing like you expected, romantically. If anything less than the girl of your dreams is a disappointment then I'd be disappointed. If I appreciate gaining a wonderful friend, then DA2 is by no means a regrettable experience (not to mention a lesson about tempering my own expectations) and was worth the $60. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys good storytelling but caution fans of DAO to view this game not as a sequel but as a game simply within the DA universe.… Expand
  83. galaktur
    Mar 16, 2011
    0
    Game - disappointing year. is certainly in the game and the good moments, improvements and new approaches, but unfortunately, disadvantages outweigh all its advantages. in pursuit of excess income, usually leaves the crude product, which subsequently will only exacerbate the situation and standard condemns the continuation of game to fail. ea company should reconsider marketing policy.
  84. Agamemnon
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    The immersion and combat of this game are unmatched! A truly moving and fun epic. Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference. For what it is, it is flawlessly executed and endlessly entertaining
  85. blubseabass
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Why would they do this? What was so broken that it needed such drastic actions? I don't understand anything...of the user complaints. Dragon Age 2 has been criticized for being too easy, dumbed down and bland. I will discuss the gameplay first, then talk a bit about the setting and story. DA2 is not easy. Yes, if you pick normal in DA2 it's easier then in DA:O, but you can go up inWhy would they do this? What was so broken that it needed such drastic actions? I don't understand anything...of the user complaints. Dragon Age 2 has been criticized for being too easy, dumbed down and bland. I will discuss the gameplay first, then talk a bit about the setting and story. DA2 is not easy. Yes, if you pick normal in DA2 it's easier then in DA:O, but you can go up in difficulty if you want a better challenge. Personally, I'm playing hard, and have met quite some interesting challenges. It's even nice that you can play the game pretty easily on normal, so that everyone can enjoy the game without the but-you-played-on-easy-shame. Just pick the difficulty that fits you, and the too easy problem is fixed. I guess it's just too hard to switch to another difficulty. I seriously don't get what's the problem with dumbed down. The skills are well distributed and tons of combinations are possible. While finishing my first game as a two-handed-weapon fighter, I was already thinking how I would make my new two-handed-weapon fighter play different. I've also been moving my characters around a lot more then in DA:O, and not just because I needed to clear the way for a mages fireball. Friendly fire has been disabled, which I applaud since that does not belong in a realtime team-based RPG. Moving all the characters in DA:O before casting AoE was just annoying imo, and I'm glad its gone. The isometric top view is gone, which makes it a little harder to move around the characters or casting AoE spells, but its nothing that hindered me from having fun. The tactics work pretty good, and the AI is very decent. I still paused the game a lot in difficult situations, which is good. Potions and healing have a much bigger cooldown, so health is a valuable resource again. The only problem I have with combat is that it's easy to kite an opponent, buying time until you can drink a new potion. It almost feels like cheating, especially if there are no ranged enemies nearby. Other then that, the combat is fun and quick while being tactical whenever you want it to be due to difficulty settings. It certainly made the game more enjoyable for me. Wrapping up gameplay, it has been one of the best for RPG's, surpassing DA:O.
    The story and setting have a hard time to hit off, but once it does, it sticks pretty well. I'm very happy with the character design and like everyone of the party. I have no idea why people would say it's so much worse then DA:O. However, getting to know a character better and finding out their likes has become somewhat more difficult. The friendship between the characters must develop over the whole game, which sometimes gives an odd feeling. Why can't I talk about an issue now? What do you even like? I don't want to wait 3 years to develop something! Because of these obvious secrets, the characters grow enigmatic, even though they're not meant to be like that. Another thing that is a bit annoying about the story is that because everything is spit into acts, your character only develops significantly at the end of each act. This feels a bit unrewarding. I'd liked to see Hawke gain a normal job, rising in ranks, rising it stature etc. not only at the end of each act. One thing that is annoying in my eyes, is the derailing of the story which is almost mandatory. The game plays in different acts, and every act has 4 to 5 main quests to proceed the story. All other 30 or so quests are sidequests. It's nice to have sidequests to know the city better, but I think they slightly overdone it. The game can be played as a collection of sidequests if you don't know where you're heading, especially in Act 1. This underlines the unrewarding feeling of character development. The sidequests can also be hard to find sometimes, leaving you with the " did I miss something?" feeling a bit to much. I have mixed feelings about the environment. Kirkwall is a great city, but "propped" down a lot. Most people seem static, and if it wasn't for the sidequests, the city might feel dead. The other environments are also pretty grey, like the bonepit and sundermount. This leaves the game in a grey tint, never being refreshing like the forests in DA:O. The graphics look pretty good, but certain animations are still to clunky. especially when two characters are interacting, the suspension of disbelief breaks immediately. The game could do with a little more ambiance. The moral choices you have to make are again suburb, and the dialog wheel, even though it influences your choices to much for my taste (I want to say A, but I don't want to break my character who mostly says B), it gives Hawke some character. THANK GOD they did not made the important choices be influenced by the wheel!
    Wrapping it up together, I enjoyed DA2 alot, and I'll keep playing it to explore different situations and tactics. It certainly has some setting problems, but it's still a lot of fun.    … Expand
  86. foxie1976
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age II is even better than Origins. You feel no pressure because there is no immediate threat, the characters are believable and demons seem to be doing their job as they should. The battles aren't too easy nor too hard in the normal mode and you can feel a difference depending on the race you choose to defend. The only reason I can see why those teenagers are giving this gameDragon Age II is even better than Origins. You feel no pressure because there is no immediate threat, the characters are believable and demons seem to be doing their job as they should. The battles aren't too easy nor too hard in the normal mode and you can feel a difference depending on the race you choose to defend. The only reason I can see why those teenagers are giving this game and Bioware a hard time is because you can't be properly "surprised" in the brothel. Other than that, this game is fantastic.… Expand
  87. nothingtoregret
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    Dragon Age 2 would be one of the best rpg games of all time if it wasn't for its story-line. i wouldn't call it a weak story-line, its just doesn't have anywhere the appeal the original did. origins gripped you from the very beginning with Duncan's speach about the blight. i'll start with the improvements from origins, the fighting is massively improved, i loved origins fighting but it wasDragon Age 2 would be one of the best rpg games of all time if it wasn't for its story-line. i wouldn't call it a weak story-line, its just doesn't have anywhere the appeal the original did. origins gripped you from the very beginning with Duncan's speach about the blight. i'll start with the improvements from origins, the fighting is massively improved, i loved origins fighting but it was way to slow, the rouge class has been vastly improved, i only had a rouge in the party in origins to open locks, but now my hawke is a rouge, its great fun, i also like the fact that if your a ranged fighter and an enemy gets into close range you can the use your weapon to do close range damage as well, like e.g with the mage they'll attack with they're staff or with an archer with an arrow, which is a nice touch, but it also makes sense, unlike in origins if an enemy is at point blank rage and your an archer you'd still try and fire arrows at the enemy. The graphics are better than the origins, the dialogue wheel is better, though from other review i've read regarding this game some people aren't fussed on it, i like the fact that i choose what i'm going to say (which is obviously in origins) but it also tells me how i'm going to be saying it, which i think is a good addition, i like the fact they've overhauled the race designs, i think the kunari look a lot better in this game, as apposed to just being slightly bigger humans, i prefer the crafting element to the original, i would agree with alot of others who say it's been simplified, but i like the fact the you find sources of different ingredients as apposed to having to find individual ingredients which would irritate me in origins,
    the problem with the game is the fact the storyline just isn;t as gripping as origins. Its also seems lazy how the reuse the same maps over and over again. The game just seems to be a watered down version of origins (fighting system not included with that last statement) and i know i've mention alot more pluses than i have minors, mainly because overall i would still say its a good enjoyable game, but the downfalls are big ones, the story is the most important part of an rpg.
    in conclusion the game is an enjoyable one, but seems rushed.    … Expand
  88. Corpsefiend
    Mar 16, 2011
    0
    The biggest failure in the entire history of gaming. Quite comparable to Superman 64. Just a complete and utter disaster. Everything about this game is horrendous. Gone are the days of Baldur's Gate and the days of quality RPG's from Bioware. Overtaken by dollar signs, and nickel and diming their loyal fans to death. The DLC has gone way to far, why would you sell an incomplete gameThe biggest failure in the entire history of gaming. Quite comparable to Superman 64. Just a complete and utter disaster. Everything about this game is horrendous. Gone are the days of Baldur's Gate and the days of quality RPG's from Bioware. Overtaken by dollar signs, and nickel and diming their loyal fans to death. The DLC has gone way to far, why would you sell an incomplete game in the first place. The Q&A is absolutely non-existant. One last thing Chris Hoban thanks to you blatantly lying and altering review scores, you have turned the masses and everyone that supported Bioware against you.… Expand
  89. Xcwking31
    Mar 16, 2011
    2
    I've really tried to give this game the benefit of the doubt, and I just can't anymore. To be fair I love all Bioware games... I'll take a week of from work just to play their latest game. After playing this game for a day I'm ready to go back to work. Storyline is as thick as water, same scenery a lot of the time, and you stat in the same city 90% of the time. One of the best things aboutI've really tried to give this game the benefit of the doubt, and I just can't anymore. To be fair I love all Bioware games... I'll take a week of from work just to play their latest game. After playing this game for a day I'm ready to go back to work. Storyline is as thick as water, same scenery a lot of the time, and you stat in the same city 90% of the time. One of the best things about Bioware is the chance to make decisions for your character... I didn't really care what my character did, ever. I've read a. Lot of reviews and I'm tires of people defending it by saying "don't buy it", but I bought it off of Biowares excellent track record... I had no idea it was rushed which is what the composer stated. I had no idea it wasn't like the other amazing Bioware games... I will be trading it in and I haven't even finished it. Some people say EA is to blame... I'm not sure, but what I do know is if this came out next year we probably wouldn't be having these conversations. As a Bioware fan it does concern me, but there's nothing I can do but be smarter about my future Bioware purchases. Extremely dissatisfied.… Expand
  90. steveANARCHY
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    this game has it's good and bad. 1st the bad, i don't like that i have to have anders in every party. he's designed to be the healer, unless your MC, is a mage then you can make him the healer. that's really weak, i don't want to be a healer i wanna destroy the enemy as a mage. not all mages can learn the same abilities, weak. aveline is designed to be the tank, well i don't like herthis game has it's good and bad. 1st the bad, i don't like that i have to have anders in every party. he's designed to be the healer, unless your MC, is a mage then you can make him the healer. that's really weak, i don't want to be a healer i wanna destroy the enemy as a mage. not all mages can learn the same abilities, weak. aveline is designed to be the tank, well i don't like her character she's what sten was in the DA:O, never used. i don't like the fact that when i'm at the estate, which is like party camp in DA:O, i don't have access to all of my party members. IMHO it feels like enemies don't drop enough coin. have you seen the prices of some of the gear? ridiculous! oh and the same map for every dungeon, warehouse, and mansion come on really?! now for the good, i really like the covo wheel. the party members have some really interesting things to say while running around. the story i think is great. combat system is awesome and yes i button mash until i have to micromanage, hate if you want. the graphics are better. i like that i don't have to micromanage everyones armor just their weapons unless it's bianca, dirty minx. i haven't beat the game yet and i have over 45 hrs. in the game. i've only heard that the cap level is 50, i haven't confirmed it though. DA:O cap was 20 something w/o the DLC, that's lame. don't listen to all the critics and user reviews. instead read them and decide if it's for you or not. you're the only person who can say, for you, that this or any other game is fun, great or horrible. i am enjoying it.… Expand
  91. bitskull
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    I love first one and I love second instalment too. Better graphic, faster game-play with new mechanics and excellent story as excepted! New control system suits consoles very well now.
  92. spacegiraffe
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    To even consider this game as an RPG is insanity.
    Almost every positive reviewer has been paid off by EA/Bioware. Don't believe the positive reviews, DA2 will go down in history as the worst game of 2011.
  93. Backintime
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    Role-Playing Game? A hack-and-slash with bland, uninspired environments. Endless swarms of enemies? Where's the tactical aspect? For a company that became famous because of excellent characterization and sex scenes.... the characters (especially Anders and that Elf Chick Whose Name Starts with M, who just sort of sits there) are one-dimensional, and everyone is fully clothed. Ick. No-buy.
  94. ADogChasingCars
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    Inspired by the success of Mass Effect 2, Bioware decided to send the Dragon Age franchise down the same dirt brown road. Taking an interesting universe, populated by interesting characters, and replacing it with a bland hero story that tries to hard at every direction. The only button you should press to make something awesome happen with this game is the eject button. :D
  95. lithh
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm a huge fan of DA Origins, it was the best game I've played since FF X and VII. I was really excited about DA2, I ordered it in December and when I finally got it, I played it through as quickly as I could. During the whole game I was just waiting it to begin and even just before the end credits I thought the adventure was just about to begin. What a huge disappointment! I don't care about crappy graphics, I didn't even notice if they were bad or not. The battles were quite boring but I could have lived with that, too. I want the game to have a great story and great characters and I think DA2 had neither of these. Instead almost the whole game happened in one boring city! And the characters... They're nothing compared to characters in Origins, I feel like they were just random companions but in Origins I really started to love those guys. There's no Morrigan, no Zevran, no nothing in DA2. The story didn't arouse any feelings, I couldn't have cared less what happened but in Origins I think I actually shed a few tears. And for me RPG:s are all about story and characters and the feelings they make me feel.

    I don't know, it could have been a good game if I had never heard of Origins.    … Expand
  96. mrpoolman
    Mar 15, 2011
    3
    The blood looks horrible as always, in fact it kind of looks like someone drew on the characters faces with a red sharpie. But it is kind of almost fun. I mean it's not a terrible game on its own but after the great game that was DA:O this is a major step back, kind of like a jump back, maybe even a fall. This game is not good enough to pay $60 for and I don't even think I would botherThe blood looks horrible as always, in fact it kind of looks like someone drew on the characters faces with a red sharpie. But it is kind of almost fun. I mean it's not a terrible game on its own but after the great game that was DA:O this is a major step back, kind of like a jump back, maybe even a fall. This game is not good enough to pay $60 for and I don't even think I would bother picking it up for $5 a year from now. I really hope Bioware does better with their next game. Also, really? What's with the critics? did you give them each a BJ?
    Much love Bioware    … Expand
  97. Towel
    Mar 15, 2011
    8
    Don't get sucked in by the negativity surrounding this game, it is in many ways inferior to the original but there are more then enough improvements to make it an enjoyable experience. There are a number of risks taken especially with the story and setting, but I think they work and are worthwhile.
  98. mercenar1e
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    This game is clearly rushed, it has copy and paste dungeons! your going to come across 10-30 side missions that are in the same exact area but a different location entrance.. to the incredibly weak story and an even worse ending, for those that played Dragon Age Origins and are considering about purchasing this game i recommend that you either do 2 things, one is that you rent it, theThis game is clearly rushed, it has copy and paste dungeons! your going to come across 10-30 side missions that are in the same exact area but a different location entrance.. to the incredibly weak story and an even worse ending, for those that played Dragon Age Origins and are considering about purchasing this game i recommend that you either do 2 things, one is that you rent it, the second is that you wait for it to reach a lower price point. I purchased this game for $20 on Amazon and i still feel ripped off.… Expand
  99. AyHy
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    I honestly can't understand the negative reaction to this game. It's one of the best games I've played in a long time. I sunk a whole weekend into it and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

    Here's an analogy I think is apt: DA2 is to DA:O as Fallout:New Vegas is to Fallout 3. That is to say, it's not in the least bit revolutionary, it often feels more like a giant expansion pack than a    I honestly can't understand the negative reaction to this game. It's one of the best games I've played in a long time. I sunk a whole weekend into it and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

    Here's an analogy I think is apt: DA2 is to DA:O as Fallout:New Vegas is to Fallout 3. That is to say, it's not in the least bit revolutionary, it often feels more like a giant expansion pack than a new game, and it feels more disorganized and less focused than the original. Often, in DA2, you feel like you're running around trying to fix the problems of everyone in the city, no matter how small they might be, and you often find yourself wondering "Wait - what's the point of all this?"

    But those are minor complaints. Pretty much everything good about DA:O has been preserved - the lore, the sense of humor, the banter and interactions between your characters, the sense that you're really roleplaying a character.

    Dialogue is fully voiced in this one, like Mass Effect 2, and this has had some mixed reactions. But I think it was a good choice. It makes the whole experience feel cinematic - like a 50-hour movie that you get to guide. In DA:O, I always thought it was downright creepy that everyone talked to your character while he or she just sat there staring at them with dead, dead eyes. Plus, voicing the character gives them the opportunity to say more than just tiny clickable blerbs, and it lets you really watch yourself taking charge of a situation and shaping Kirkwall to the way your character would want it to be.

    Combat, again, is controversial. Yes, DA2 simplified DA:O's combat system, so to some extent it now feels like a hack-and-slash reminiscent of, say, the Dynasty Warriors series. But that's not entirely bad!! I never felt like combat was really the point of DA:O, and the whole system just *dragged* - I found I was spending about 2/3 of battle time with the game paused, issuing commands. In DA2, that's down to maybe 20%. Combat is simpler than it was before, yes - but it's also more cinematic, and, actually, more satisfying. Winning a DA:O battle gave you the feeling of having outmaneuvered an opponent in a simple game of strategy - like winning a game of Connect 4. Winning a DA2 battle gives you the feeling that you've just punched someone in the face. It's more visceral. I like it.

    As for the maps - well, there's no way around it: they suck. They're all nearly completely linear, and they're all reused over and over and over, ad nauseam. But even that didn't really detract from the game's enjoyment for me. Because I don't play Dragon Age to explore. I play it to roleplay.

    And as a roleplayer, this one is in many ways better than the first. I don't know how genuine the illusion of choice is, because I've only played through it once, but it's a good illusion. In the first game, you could tell from about the time you first visited the Circle how the game was going to go: you'd do the elf quest, and the dwarf quest, and the mage quest, and the human quest, and then there'd be a couple more quests, and then you'd face the Archdemon. And all you truly decided was details. In DA2, you sometimes feel like Kirkwall is your own sandbox - like you, and you alone, are going to decide who lives and who dies and who becomes powerful and who doesn't. And that's just fun. That's the fun that really, for me, made all the other flaws in this game nothing more than minor details.    … Expand
  100. 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

    Dragon Age 2 improves a lot of things if you bought the game for PS3. 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    I have to give this game a ten just to balance the score! My honest number would be closer to nine

    Dragon Age 2 improves a lot of things if you bought the game for PS3. 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 for PS3 version unless you're just trying to troll. YES, DRAGON AGE 2 HAS BEEN CONSOLIFIED. So give a low score in the pc section of metacritic but not here. 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
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Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best PS3 Game of 2011
7
#7 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
80
#80 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. GamingExcellence
    Aug 3, 2011
    85
    I'll give Bioware points for trying to do something different in their world, but they really did have it right the first time in terms of character building and the scope of the story.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    May 27, 2011
    80
    Ultimately Dragon Age II feels like a one step past, and two steps back from Origins. It has been specced purely with us console gamers in mind and now has a low barrier of entry that will rally new fans to the Dragon Age banner. That's admirable, but fans who did get into Origins will lament the less masterful storytelling and the noticeably uneven visual presentation. [May 2011 p.78]
  3. Gamers' Temple
    May 16, 2011
    85
    A smaller gameworld and recycled environments make Dragon Age II feel less expansive than Origins, but a number of console friendly game changes may make it more appealing to console gamers than its predecessor.
    Read full review
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