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. Klim
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Really, bioware? Really? This is a disaster, and such a step back for Dragon Age (and RPG's in general).
    The game is still buggy, and graphics are just lazy (don't know how they look on high resolution pack, hope the people who have two polygons on their faces now have at least 4), I'd like to review music, but there is NONE. At battle is rarely noticeable, but if not in battle all you    Really, bioware? Really? This is a disaster, and such a step back for Dragon Age (and RPG's in general).
    The game is still buggy, and graphics are just lazy (don't know how they look on high resolution pack, hope the people who have two polygons on their faces now have at least 4), I'd like to review music, but there is NONE. At battle is rarely noticeable, but if not in battle all you have is silence.
    Bioware stated that FF 13 was not really a RPG, because you can't really feel like the character, or make any important choices (which I agree with, don't get me wrong.)... and what happens with Dragon Age 2?
    You have already a character chosen for you, the only option you get is how he looks and what is his/her gender. While in first game you could choose between races, multiple backgrounds, and really feel like it's a character YOU created. Now we just get someone we don't know, we're supposed to care about him and his lost home and family, even though we didn't get to know them more for a minute.
    And the whole dialogue dumbed down to basically 3 choices? How is that an improvement? Not like the choice really matters story-wise anyway, so what bioware just accused of in another game, is doing itself to Dragon Age. What a shame.
    Dumbed down RPG with one-day DLC's and consolized game-play.
    Sorry, but I have to say no to that.    … Expand
  2. Evil_Jeff
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    So, Dragon Age 2. This is an amazing game which involves a great story, interesting characters and fantastic action. Great job Bioware! I can not wait, Mass Effect 3!
  3. Jay44225
    Mar 10, 2011
    2
    i liked the story of dragon age 1 despite the mediocre graphics. what i really dont liked, was the straight forward level design its the same with mass effect which is exactly taken just "dragon age in space"

    after playing da1 i really felt like it was roleplaying for dummies. roleplaying for me ist always something like oblivion (or baldurs gate) or fallout (every part of it) different    i liked the story of dragon age 1 despite the mediocre graphics. what i really dont liked, was the straight forward level design its the same with mass effect which is exactly taken just "dragon age in space"

    after playing da1 i really felt like it was roleplaying for dummies. roleplaying for me ist always something like oblivion (or baldurs gate) or fallout (every part of it) different paths a open world linked with decision making and character development with different impacts.

    but what are the changes in dragon age 2? they try to make it easier and more simple to meet the casual gamers wishes. are you serious? show me one person who quit dragon age, cause it was too hard and too confusing...

    i hope this works out for EA its good that nobody is forced to buy this game. life is too short for another "run of the mill hack and slay" game    … Expand
  4. omgwot
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Its hard to make a game worse than this nowadays. Any decision-maker who played this and approved it for release has either the wrong job or was under heavy pressure, or maybe he had a moment of silly or was on drugs, or both. Maybe they just wanted to deliberately piss off their user-base and destroy their image, forever.
  5. DA2sucks
    Mar 10, 2011
    3
    DA2 is misdirected.

    DA:Origin generates so much hype before it's release was due wholly to BioWare's legacy of the Baldur's Gate series. To dump this all down into a sanitized, mass effect like non-RPG is just doing a disservice to it's fanbase. I am the very few that hated the Mass Effect series. Hated the sanitized look and feel, hated the linear progression, hated the radial based    DA2 is misdirected.

    DA:Origin generates so much hype before it's release was due wholly to BioWare's legacy of the Baldur's Gate series. To dump this all down into a sanitized, mass effect like non-RPG is just doing a disservice to it's fanbase. I am the very few that hated the Mass Effect series. Hated the sanitized look and feel, hated the linear progression, hated the radial based conversation option.

    Here it's just Mass Effect: Fantasy. Combat is unengaging, strategy is non existance, graphic is not as impressive as ME and for all it's marketing effort to label this as a RPG. It is not even close. It shouldn't even be categorized as an RPG. A more apt category is a fairly competent Diablo clone. A hack and slash.

    So if you love DA:Origin you would hate this. If you love Baldur's Gate, you will deplore this and banish it to the attic while you wait on Witcher 2. And never believe for a second that BIOWARE would come back to it's glory days of D&D type RPG or for all the hype they would generate for another so-so hack & slash.

    Seriously, what are all these critic's smoking?    … Expand
  6. teras
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age Origins was a good game. It had an interesting story, interesting characters and quests and good tactics combat. However it suffered from ugly outdated visuals, lack of proper controls for the ps3 (controlling a character with the stick felt very loose and the characters themselves felt weightless), no sense of immediacy (you sent someone to do an action, you didn't do theDragon Age Origins was a good game. It had an interesting story, interesting characters and quests and good tactics combat. However it suffered from ugly outdated visuals, lack of proper controls for the ps3 (controlling a character with the stick felt very loose and the characters themselves felt weightless), no sense of immediacy (you sent someone to do an action, you didn't do the action with the press of a button) and ..tactics combat. I didn't like the strategic tactics combat of the first, it never drew me in and although I have put more than 70 hours in that game it felt like a choir and I only did it for the story. It also suffered from a lot of micromanagement and combined with a bad font type that was just too small for a 40 inch LCD it resulted in sore eyes. In this respect Dragon Age 2 is a major improvement to say the least. This time the game looks good, in fact at times it looks great, the character models are good and detailed, the background is nice, the buildings and castle walls look great. The controls are tight this time, the characters have some weight and although they move fast and swing great swords with much ease, the feel is right. The combat is a lot more action oriented with the immediacy that I mentioned earlier. You hit X and the character lands a blow. This way the combat is a lot more satisfying although tactics fans will disagree. The excessive micromanagement is gone, and the menus are well designed. Overall the game is more streamlined and console friendly but that's not a negative thing for ps3 owners. Also gone are the endless lines of petty dialogue that led nowhere. The conversations now are more to the point and this time thanks to the mass effect wheel it's easy to understand the motions that hide beneath the phrases so you know what to choose.

    So, to sum things up I would say that DA2 is a more streamlined action RPG game than it's predecessor but without sacrificing depth for looks. The tactics game is still in there for those that prefer it but now it appeals to the action gamer as well. Unless you are a die hard old school RPG player that refuses to accept its changes, you will probably like this game.    … Expand
  7. Roycon
    Mar 10, 2011
    4
    Fans of RPGs will find this a huge disappointment. It's falsely-advertised and very dumbed down in order to appeal to a younger audience.

    There's little good to be said. And there's a lot of bad things to known. Sadly, truth hurts. The most noticeable change lies in combat. It's faster, grittier, more responsive and... not very tactical. I kept using the very same tactic throughout the    Fans of RPGs will find this a huge disappointment. It's falsely-advertised and very dumbed down in order to appeal to a younger audience.

    There's little good to be said. And there's a lot of bad things to known. Sadly, truth hurts.

    The most noticeable change lies in combat. It's faster, grittier, more responsive and... not very tactical. I kept using the very same tactic throughout the game the whole. 'Cause it was the fastest way to slay my foes. It involved having one melee unit (in this case a warrior specialized in two-handed combat) and 3 ranged units (one, preferably a healer). It's simple. I would let the A.I. control the warrior, he jumped into the fray and did whatever he wanted - Gathering the attention of my enemies. At the same time I would have all my 3 units selected at all times. And order to them to focus fire on the same target and when it dies, move onto the next target. Most often combat lasted less than a minute using this method - It was very dull.

    But what about the story? I can tell you it's great, though disappointing. It's a lot like the one in Mass Effect 2. Dragon Age 2 lacks a real [visible] plot. Instead you'll follow Hawke and company for years in the city of Kirkwall. While playing, it will feel like a giant side quest, that contains side quests. It's not too bad, as there's a lot of good moments in the game, some that comes completely unexpected, depending on your relationship to your companions. The ending is however very disappointing and makes the game seem like a pro-logue.

    The visuals are mostly dull. There's very little to be seen and the animation is stiff and awkward, which is strange seeing how we've had, and it still is, outstanding animation in games that was released in the early 2000s. And there's a total of 3-4 dungeons in the game that you will be visiting, over and over and over again (in side quests). AND THE BLOOD IS STILL AWKWARDLY APPLIED TO YOUR CHARACTERS FACES.

    To summarize the whole game. It traded in the strategic and tactical thinking that Dragon Age: Origins had for a hack'n KITE and some slash game. Story is hidden and it will feel like a side quest, but you'll go "ah" when it's all revealed and probably disappointed. The interactions between you and your companions are better than ever. But even that won't save the game from it's flaws.

    5/10. Bioware made the same mistakes in Mass Effect 2. Which you'd think they learned anything from. But it couldn't be further from truth. They are forsaking the RPG players tactical play, characters customization and much more in order to appeal to none-RPG players.    … Expand
  8. polko-m
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game is very good I don't know why each is crying ??? I would gave it 8,5/10, however to help it fight with not fair scores as 0 or 1 I gave 10.!!! It's similar cery much to DA: O (on consoles) so I don't know why there are such differences in score?… Expand
  9. homer73
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    There are more than enough depressing things about the world - sociopathic societal elites; rampaging corporations; climate change; ignorance everywhere you look (to name but a few); did Bioware really need to add Dragon Age II to the list?

    DAII stinks. It didn't remotely live up to the billing and attention it received in the wake of its release announcement. I've thrown away several    There are more than enough depressing things about the world - sociopathic societal elites; rampaging corporations; climate change; ignorance everywhere you look (to name but a few); did Bioware really need to add Dragon Age II to the list?

    DAII stinks. It didn't remotely live up to the billing and attention it received in the wake of its release announcement. I've thrown away several perfectly good hours on this steaming turd and I will not waste a moment more. Sunk costs be damned.

    Don't waste your time or money. It's not an RPG it's a button masher. Total disappointment. I'm sure Bioware is thrilled to see that people who can spell dislike the game; that means their target audience for this turd, an audience that I suspect consists of your very average 12 year old, will probably like it. Doubt I'll be buying Mass Effect 3.    … Expand
  10. Tamarzan
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Very bad. Sony has terrible sauce with stuff that makes everybody sad, and they cry because they think it's supposed to be good. TL;DR: very very bad, do not
  11. GodlikeSlayer
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    This game was a poor attempt at an Rpg even for an action Rpg it's dated graphics and poor gameplay let this title down, when compared to the original dragon age origins it is indeed seen as being an inferior sequel.
  12. rawros
    Mar 9, 2011
    4
    Exploration has been completely removed from the game. Quests are just a sequence of go here and talk/fight with these characters. Most zones are reused along the game so you feel like going through the same places again and again. Conversations and characters are fine, same for the story, not as epic as the first one though (which is not bad at all). There are just three classes, whichExploration has been completely removed from the game. Quests are just a sequence of go here and talk/fight with these characters. Most zones are reused along the game so you feel like going through the same places again and again. Conversations and characters are fine, same for the story, not as epic as the first one though (which is not bad at all). There are just three classes, which looks poor, and not much abilities to choose. Game is too easy at least on normal, too much: normal difficulty shouldn't be easy, there's an easy difficulty for that. Play it at hard or you will be missing the little combat deepness the game has. There are a few interesting combats though, like the one with the Ancient Rock Wraith that involves original mechanics like taking cover. Music is good, voices could be better but are fine. Graphics a little poor, they look good but a little more detail on scenarios would be good, everything looks too clean and not lively. Controls are a little messy, like characters moving even having "on hold" active or having difficulties to click on certain camera angles to move the character. Enemies, equipment and abilities could be more original and varied.

    Overall it's worth to be played but no a game to be remembered. Or in other words it will be remembered because of the marketing invested in it, not because it's really a great game. If you are planning to buy it, better wait for it to lower its price. Not worth the full price.    … Expand
  13. RPGFan2
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Bioware has created what could go down as the worst "RPG" ever made. Of course, I have to say RPG in quotations, because all RPG elements have been stripped. It is a "role playing" game I guess, but that role is a very strict one laid down by Bethesda. There are no choices to make now, as has become a Bethesda trademark, and very few dialogue trees. The dialogue now is just a linearBioware has created what could go down as the worst "RPG" ever made. Of course, I have to say RPG in quotations, because all RPG elements have been stripped. It is a "role playing" game I guess, but that role is a very strict one laid down by Bethesda. There are no choices to make now, as has become a Bethesda trademark, and very few dialogue trees. The dialogue now is just a linear rambling between two bored sounding cookie cutter people, and the instead of influencing the conversation, you are only allowed to select whether the character will do the conversation angry, soft, or sarcastic.

    Gone is any hint of stategy of depth to combat. The game is a click fest, a poor mans devil may cry, that requires no skill to beat on hard or lower difficulties. On nightmare, a mode they obviously ran out of time on balancing, is just frustratingly impossible, not because it provides a good challenge, but because instead of balancing it, they just added 10000hp to every enemy and said "done".


    The graphics represent and huge step back not only from Dragon Age origins, but for the whole generation. This looks like something you'd find on the Playstation 2. The game lacks any art direction, and any sense for colors other than brown.

    Dragon Age 2 is not only a huge step back for the series, but a huge step back for video games in general. The dumbing down of the series marks the biggest leap in what has become a trend in video game design. I can only hope that Bioware listens to the fans after this outing and, pun intended, return to their origins as RPG designers in their next outing.    … Expand
  14. nothere413
    Mar 9, 2011
    4
    The game on the whole is not BAD. It's just amazingly sub par. The dialogue and voice acting are ok, but characters really don't have anything important to say. The combat is fine, but there's not much variation in movesets, so after awhile it feels like a chore. The art style is nice, but at least half of the textures are REALLY low-res. The main plot points aren't established wellThe game on the whole is not BAD. It's just amazingly sub par. The dialogue and voice acting are ok, but characters really don't have anything important to say. The combat is fine, but there's not much variation in movesets, so after awhile it feels like a chore. The art style is nice, but at least half of the textures are REALLY low-res. The main plot points aren't established well enough. Conflicts come and go at the drop of a hat, which made me feel generally uncaring as to the outcome. There's not enough substance, and the framed narrative aspect feels like a gimmick.

    There was a lot of reusing of dungeon models, too. Which made the entire game feel half-assed. Almost like Bioware got lazy and stopped caring if the game felt repetitive or not.

    The ending was the biggest kick to the face of them all, though.

    I really can't see myself buying any downloadable content for this game. I don't hate it... but it's certainly not Dragon Age: Origins in terms of quality and enjoyability.    … Expand
  15. Tizlor
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    I'll preface this mini-review with: I actually like the game.

    I do, it's mindless. After working long days and my terrible menial job that saps my mental capacities; it's nice to sit down with a mindless game that takes absolutely no thought what-so-ever to get through. But that's a problem. This is a Bioware game. It's set to a higher standard than other games, it's supposed to draw you    I'll preface this mini-review with: I actually like the game.

    I do, it's mindless. After working long days and my terrible menial job that saps my mental capacities; it's nice to sit down with a mindless game that takes absolutely no thought what-so-ever to get through.

    But that's a problem. This is a Bioware game. It's set to a higher standard than other games, it's supposed to draw you in with it's story and setting; the characters are supposed to be memorable, witty, devious, intelligent.

    But none of that really applies here. What we got was a game so vapid, so unintelligent, so... test grouped, that it's now not much more than a mindless Facebook game.

    Re-used maps everywhere. Lack of personality in it's setting and characters. Plenty of loot, but only one character to equip it on. (Oh that's nice, a 'mage only' item that has stats that my rogue will never be able to equip. Maybe I'll equip it on to one of my mages on my team, oh wait..) Poorly written characters that are voice acted quite well.

    And what happened to the Qunari? I mean, what? I honestly thought they were Darkspawn. Who even thought that was a good idea?

    I'm starting to go off the rails, the game itself is not worthy of calling itself a sequel. The people who spent the passed year or two working on this game should not be proud of their work. They were forced to make a game that they I'm sure knew would be a big disappointment for the people who actually enjoyed the first game.

    Sorry fellas, people aren't trolling, they're genuinely disappointed that you (Bioware) made a subpar game.

    Borrow this from your friends if you really really want to play it, please do not spend your (or your parents') hard earned money on this.    … Expand
  16. Elvenhunter
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    just a terrible game! i totally agree with the people saying this takes out the "role-playing" out of the roleplaying game. hawke isnt even that cool and the story was flat out... well just that, FLAT. DA2 just destroyed what was to be a great franchise
  17. pppotamo
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible decepción. Se ha consolidado el juego en PC. ¿Ha esto ha quedado reducido el legado de Baldur´s gate?
    Graficos desfasados, falta la visión cenital.
    Parche con texturas de casi 1GB tras su venta.    … Expand
  18. snafeer
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    I cannot believe what Bioware did.. they $#!^ on the entire community. This game screams "WE WANT MONEY". This game had little to no effort put into it, it feels like you are playing the role of an inbred retard who needs your help. Yes, your help. You need to help him stop repeatedly punching himself in the face, because he is so damn stupid. The visuals are also terrible, the repeatedI cannot believe what Bioware did.. they $#!^ on the entire community. This game screams "WE WANT MONEY". This game had little to no effort put into it, it feels like you are playing the role of an inbred retard who needs your help. Yes, your help. You need to help him stop repeatedly punching himself in the face, because he is so damn stupid. The visuals are also terrible, the repeated textures and horrible emotions shown on the slapped on character faces remind me of 9/11. Bioware, you should feel ashamed, this is not a game, this is a joke.… Expand
  19. zwaps
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    1. Rogue Archer is useless. The NPC dude is much better and it's almost impossible to run from mobs with two rogues and one mage. I had to cheese every single engagement. I hope you get a warrior if you keep playing because ****
    The worst thing: The difficulty on insane is not from tactical depth. All you need is luck and button-mashing (and running around in circles, if your party    1. Rogue Archer is useless. The NPC dude is much better and it's almost impossible to run from mobs with two rogues and one mage. I had to cheese every single engagement. I hope you get a warrior if you keep playing because ****
    The worst thing: The difficulty on insane is not from tactical depth. All you need is luck and button-mashing (and running around in circles, if your party sucks).

    At least I can spec the Dwarf to be melee if I want my character to be ranged.
    Oh wait I can't. That's right, **** your RPG-ism. You play like we want.


    2. The gameplay has nothing to do with tactical RPG. Your only real option is when to press the ability buttons.
    Tactical placement of characters, stealth, backstab etc. doesn't mean **** All you need to do is press the button since _everything_ is an ability now.
    I don't even see what I could be doing differently. There are a few battles where you can chokepoint enemies in doorframes, otherwise there is little to do tactically.
    It feels like half of the elements of BG2 combat are missing. In BG2 I usually ended up planning hard engagements, leading different enemies into traps I set earlier, buying specific items and buffs just for that engagement. DA2 is so far away from that complexity. DA:O wasn't perfect, but it was at least a bit closer.
    Rogue used to be about using a few things like stealing, positioning and stealth. Now it's just like beeing a mage - a Rogue mage.

    Also, I hate the amount of enemies. The screen is littered with em and any amount of tacticality that remained is pretty much an efford in futility. Most mobs should have been about the size of your party, but with interesting foes. I don't even particulary analyze what enemies I am fighting, I am doing the same charade over and over again.
    Miles and miles away from previous RPGs.


    3. You never get to plan ahead anyway, since ALL enemies just drop on you literally. This is the worst thing ever and I can't grasp how they thought this would be a good idea.
    It's almost like Mass Effect 2 now. "Oh look an empty room. Welp, ambush. How surprising"
    Preparation doesn't get you any further. I also haven't used any potions or buffs yet previous to engagements. Maybe it was too early in the game for that though.

    4. Camera angle.. whatever. Isometric view wouldn't have salvaged the gameplay.

    5. Everything feels so restricting. You have almost no choice in what your character does and how he looks etc. Inventory has become more or less obsolete. It doesn't even feel like an RPG in that sense.
    For some reason the character creation process and the initial RPG immersiveness has - for me- never felt so disappointing in any PC RPG.
    It feels like a movie.
    Everytime. Cutscene. Go somewhere, enemies appear out of thin air, second wave, cutscene. Repeat. Every.. single .. time.
    Immersion level is very low. If you care about those things.

    6. Graphics are fine, voice acting is nice etc.

    7. Art style is ****ed. The ****ing Dalish elves look like cartoon characters. This has bothered me the most. It's like an anime. I expect this will be even worse later on. Not that the gameworld is completely unattractive. It just feels like EVERY SINGLE THING they changed is worse than in DA:O.
    I HAVE to use that dwarf with the cyberpunk Machine gun in an high fantasy RPG? Yeah thanks, totally works for me. **** you.

    8. You can interact even less with the gameworld. In the spirit of dumbing it down this is not too surprising. But there is so little loot, so little to pick up or see or get.
    You just don't get the feeling the enemies are actually carrying weapons or whatever.
    It feels like you get a generic reward, instead of actually "going through their stuff for useful ****".
    Feels wrong.

    9. The interface is **** I don't even know why, but it annoys me hugely. Probably because back in the day the interface symbolized a backback or inventory or a spellbook or whatever. Now it's literally a list of computer buttons. Just like the loot is not actual loot, but a computer-given reward. Also feels wrong.



    With a decent story I could see myself buying this for 10â    … Expand
  20. sulsa11
    Mar 9, 2011
    9
    I am a die hard PS3'er and I enjoyed the first game except that the combat was cludgy and difficult to manage tactics between characters. This version, imho, has taken and rebuilt the combat issues into a manageable console experience that I find very immersible and fun. I loved ME2 and the feel of DA2 just elevates what they did right in ME2 to make this game find its place in myI am a die hard PS3'er and I enjoyed the first game except that the combat was cludgy and difficult to manage tactics between characters. This version, imho, has taken and rebuilt the combat issues into a manageable console experience that I find very immersible and fun. I loved ME2 and the feel of DA2 just elevates what they did right in ME2 to make this game find its place in my library. I tend to agree with Tesseract, this may not be what the PC gamers wanted, but it is exactly what I was looking for in an rpg. I am just disappointed in the tactics that EA uses to stop the resale and re-playability of games by issuing codes that have to be purchased to experience the full gaming experience. There are ways of trying to stop piracy without compromising our efforts to resale or loan titles to friends. EA you are stepping over the line.… Expand
  21. x181
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Perfect for the knucklehead console gamer. Great for mashing buttons and smashing beer cans on your forehead. Console trash at its finest. Wait for the bargain bin or BUY THIS USED if you are thinking of purchasing this game.
  22. Chainer3000
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    Game is insanely glitch for the PS3, with freezing occuring every 5-10 minutes. Have been unable to get past the customization screen - and that's if I get lucky and manage to get past the "new game" loading screen from the main menu.

    The PC version works fine and is fun, though dumbed down. If this game WORKED I am sure it would get at least a 7 out of 10 from me but the reality is I    Game is insanely glitch for the PS3, with freezing occuring every 5-10 minutes. Have been unable to get past the customization screen - and that's if I get lucky and manage to get past the "new game" loading screen from the main menu.

    The PC version works fine and is fun, though dumbed down. If this game WORKED I am sure it would get at least a 7 out of 10 from me but the reality is I was shipped a bug-plauged signature edition that is poorly dev'd. A shame.    … Expand
  23. Jasko45
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    a piece of chicken > dragon age 2
    (Preferably with sauce) Dragon Age: Origins is superior in ever possible way - Unfortunately I wasted my $65 crack money on this piece of garbage, and wasn't able to get a full refund - craigslist here I come.
  24. bugbear1
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    What a POS. Repeated environments, insipid dialogue banter between party members, empty dungeons with practically NO detail and get this: you cannot swap out gear for your party! that's right, u CAN trade jewelry and such, BUT you cannot "tailor" your party at all. extremely short, with little to NO exploration, overall trash story with pandering cutscenes, recycled locations,What a POS. Repeated environments, insipid dialogue banter between party members, empty dungeons with practically NO detail and get this: you cannot swap out gear for your party! that's right, u CAN trade jewelry and such, BUT you cannot "tailor" your party at all. extremely short, with little to NO exploration, overall trash story with pandering cutscenes, recycled locations, insta-spawning enemy rogues that can teleport across the little maps and on and on--

    this drek makes FFXIII "look" like the greatest game ever made- It's readily apparent that EA have finally converted BIOWARE to their way of creating games.
    -lackluster money-grab with no conscience and no-soul gameplay, DA2 panders to the ADD crowd with spamming, action-adventure combat, minimal RPG elements, and in-short: welcome to the suck!    … Expand
  25. RainmakerNL
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    What can i say? This game fails on every aspect you can imagine. From promised DX11 graphics we went to watered down character models and a bland city which is the main course of the game. This game suffers from acute and extreme consolitis. Bad graphics, way to simple gameplay (whack a mole) and the interface is completely tailored for consoles! Do NOT believe any "official" reviewWhat can i say? This game fails on every aspect you can imagine. From promised DX11 graphics we went to watered down character models and a bland city which is the main course of the game. This game suffers from acute and extreme consolitis. Bad graphics, way to simple gameplay (whack a mole) and the interface is completely tailored for consoles! Do NOT believe any "official" review sources, they get paid big money by EA to give it a 8 or 9!

    Steer clear of this product and vote with your wallet!    … Expand
  26. johnGamer34
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    I'm giving this game a 1 because coming from Bioware this is just insultingly bad. Horrible. DA2 has to be the saddest excuse for either an action game or a roleplaying game, or a combination of the two. The glitches that result from trying to import the save file from Origins alone make it clear that Bioware wasn't even trying with this one. Just rush out a sequel as quickly asI'm giving this game a 1 because coming from Bioware this is just insultingly bad. Horrible. DA2 has to be the saddest excuse for either an action game or a roleplaying game, or a combination of the two. The glitches that result from trying to import the save file from Origins alone make it clear that Bioware wasn't even trying with this one. Just rush out a sequel as quickly as possible to milk your fans for all they're worth. Really pathetic. The gameplay is horrible, the graphics are from 2 generations ago at best, and the story is completely forgettable garbage. They even had the gall to end on a cliffhanger!!!! Probably just to sell more DLC that will hopefully end the story properly. Disgusting, Bioware. You've lost a customer.… Expand
  27. Someguy52
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Terrible graphics, terrible dialogue, forgettable music, bland characters, linear gameworld, uninteresting locations, terrible button-mashing gameplay. Overall: A very very bad game that you should avoid
  28. aribter
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Improved upon in almost every way. More immersive, better storytelling mechanics (especially the fact that relationships develop over a series of years) and combat is just downright more fun. If you think the graphics are worse than the original, you are lying to yourself. The combat is strategic as ever, just FASTER AND MORE FUN. The abilities all actually DO something, unlike DA:OImproved upon in almost every way. More immersive, better storytelling mechanics (especially the fact that relationships develop over a series of years) and combat is just downright more fun. If you think the graphics are worse than the original, you are lying to yourself. The combat is strategic as ever, just FASTER AND MORE FUN. The abilities all actually DO something, unlike DA:O where you spent points on things you would never use. And if you really have a problem with the dialog wheel, go play D&D in your basement. Interactive cinema is what its all about.… Expand
  29. Websurfer
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    DA2 simply, is NOT an RPG! It 's an "Hack & Slash Action RPG" with a grotesque amount of blood, a very poor system of attack, a ridiculous (console oriented) interface, a limited scenario, bad dialogues, an horrible rule-set ... Add to this that is technically worse than DAO and we have the biggest FAIL of this year!
  30. rzarbowski
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    Bought the game yesterday at GameStop--wish I had known about the BioWare Signature Edition that everyone else was picking up. Started playing it at around 9:30 and the next thing I know it's 5am?!?!?!!! This game is AWESOME! Didn't play the first one, but hot damn this game rocks. Not sure what everyone is complaining about.
  31. Hunter-Wolf
    Mar 9, 2011
    9
    After trying both DA:O and DA2 i can say for sure that DA2 improves a lot of things .. and while few changes might at first seem a downgrade .. they simply are for the better to the overall experience ... removal of ability to choose from three races is compensated by a framed narrative (along with time skips) and a more rewarding story with a protagonist that actually has a personalityAfter trying both DA:O and DA2 i can say for sure that DA2 improves a lot of things .. and while few changes might at first seem a downgrade .. they simply are for the better to the overall experience ... removal of ability to choose from three races is compensated by a framed narrative (along with time skips) and a more rewarding story with a protagonist that actually has a personality and a voice .. it is nothing as simple as SAVE THE WORLD FROM EVIL plot in DA:O .. sure DA:O has all those morally ambiguous tough decision to cover up for the cliche "save the world" story .. but those still exist in DA2 and even better since many of them take effect after time skips and you have to deal with the consequences of your choices sooner than you think .. add that to a story about the rise of the main character from a refugee to a hero and all the political struggles and friction between the different factions in the city and you have a very interesting story.

    As for the combat .. i don't understand how can someone in their right mind like the cumbersome laggy fest DA:O combat was .. having "dice based" combat mechanics in a real time game is an atrocity .. it isn't turn-based nor is it hex based RPG .. it is real time .. the combat system must be responsive and fluid not cluncky and laggy like in DA:O ... and DA2 did it just right .. you move and attack with the fluidity of an action game (and just like any RPG in real time MUST be like) and still have all the tactical depth and strategy of DA:O intact (pause and issue order, FF damage on any difficulty higher than normal, AI tactics assignment, cross-class combos .. etc etc etc) .. and all those who claim otherwise have no freaking idea what they are talking about.

    As for the Dialog and conversation wheel .. first i have to say i'm super glad the main character actually has a voice (because giving everyone and their grandmother a voice in DA:O except your own character was a bad joke) .. and the whole dialog wheel works just great and is slightly different from ME .. it rewards consistency and affects your tone and dialog even in conversations that doesn't involve much choice ... also the friend/foe system is quite nice and it rewards consistency as well .. just hoped there were bigger rewards than just a single passive skill .. but still quite a big improvement over DA:O.

    As for the items .. while it might seem like a step back that you can only fully equip Hawk .. it is actually a step forward .. now whenever you get a new item you won't spend 20 mins checking the inventories of your entire party to see if someone might benefit from it .. it is just cumbersome and annoying .. i'm not playing an RPG version of Sims .. i want to play the game itself not stare at menus for 20 and 30 mins arranging and managing a bazillion items for half a dozen characters .. blah .. you can still upgrade your characters gear and also quip them with accessories .. fair enough and makes the game far more accessible and playable.

    As for the grahpics .. yes .. it isn't top of the line indeed .. but for me a great art direction like in DA2 more than makes up for it ... i don't care if they don't use technology (X) or technology (Y) or if the shadows are or aren't dynamic .. only graphics junkies do care about this nonsense .. the art direction in DA2 triumphs the extremely generic fantasy art and soulless designs of DA:O and looks very close to the concept art.

    Finally i have to say DA2 is an excellent game that improved a ton of things from DA:O and is a move in the right direction .. the only thing it might be lacking in is content .. it should have been lenghtier than it is now .. but it is forgivven since you will replay it over and over again.

    a final note: to all the DA:O fanatics how keep making "zero" score reviews (probably using multiple accounts) .. you guys are a joke .. shame on you .. if anything you have shown how desperate you are .. really people .. get a life.    … Expand
  32. JRenalds
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    I can't believe how much better this game is than Origins! The graphics are way better, the combat is actually enjoyable, and the framrate is smooth as silk. Another BioWare hit!
  33. RPGLover
    Mar 9, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What is this? I loved your games over years Bioware! Even Mass Effect 2, but this is horrible.
    Dynasty Warriors with more talking? no thx alot. No npc reaction for stealing, fighting, etc.?
    Level Recycling incl. NPC (thx for the big **** BW!) on mass in this small world?    … Expand
  34. uk_john
    Mar 9, 2011
    3
    Not worthy of the time to even type this! But I am told by Metacritic that I have to have at least 150 characters so here you go: Not worthy of the time to type this!
  35. cryocore
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    I tried to like DA2, but I cant. This console centric garbage isnt worth the effort. Yes it looks better, the combat is smoother, and im sure the story is good (Bioware always excels here), but come on removed customisation, NPC interactions, put big bloody flag on the next objective, quests are almost all self fulfilling. Its like an RPG made for 6 year olds. Bioware peaked with 2 epicI tried to like DA2, but I cant. This console centric garbage isnt worth the effort. Yes it looks better, the combat is smoother, and im sure the story is good (Bioware always excels here), but come on removed customisation, NPC interactions, put big bloody flag on the next objective, quests are almost all self fulfilling. Its like an RPG made for 6 year olds. Bioware peaked with 2 epic games. Baldurs Gate II, and KoTOR. Both epic, complex and requiring intellect to play. DA2 breadcrumbs the entire game... garbage, utter garbage.

    After ME2 I thought Bioware would have learned, but it seems the EA dragon has once again put down the "APPEAL TO THE MASSES!!!!" mantra and ensured that a rich, deep and complex title wont get made by any dev under its umbrella of mediocrity.

    I'm sure there will be cries of "PC Elitist" or some such, but when the muelling mob is appeased by sunstandard and lesser entries from a previously high sepc developer its really hard not feel better than them.

    Just another example of the big publishers slowly eroding away the quality to lower the barriers so Joe Casual wont get lost.

    Well Bioware I WAS a loyal fan. BG 1 and 2 + exp. KoTOR, NWN, DA:O, ME1, and even Jade Empire were epic and enjoyable RPGs worthy of praise and what your reputation was built on. ME2 while an epic tale was the first obvious step down the path to Casual land. Strip out RPG mechanics, focus on twitch/non RPG gameplay and profit.

    I hope EA rides Bioware into the ground, as I have lost all respect for the company.    … Expand
  36. EMelo01
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    I do feel like DA2 stepped back in SOME aspects and forward in others. They did 'dummy' down the whole RPG aspect of the game. There's a lot of little things that are over looked, that make a good RPG game. little things that became second nature in DA:O are gone and it leave DA2 feeling empty. Abilities, talents and spells are a lot better now and I don't mind the new combat system. TheI do feel like DA2 stepped back in SOME aspects and forward in others. They did 'dummy' down the whole RPG aspect of the game. There's a lot of little things that are over looked, that make a good RPG game. little things that became second nature in DA:O are gone and it leave DA2 feeling empty. Abilities, talents and spells are a lot better now and I don't mind the new combat system. The list can go on and on, about whats different about this game compared to DA:O, and if DA:O didn't exist and DA2 stood alone, it would have got better user ratings. So as a stand alone game its pretty good. but compared too... it falls short!… Expand
  37. GHawke
    Mar 9, 2011
    10
    This game is AMAZING! It has improved everything over the original. Graphics, combat, story telling, its all better. I don't know what the rest of these people are talking about.
  38. Wildfire8
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age II will be recorded as one of the worst blunders in video game history. Bioware somehow managed to take a promising series, and do a Tomb Raider with it. The game visually looks like a mod for Knights of the Old Republic, if that mod were to lower all the games textures and was inspired by minecraft. The writing in this game is exactly what you'd expect an autistic 12 year oldDragon Age II will be recorded as one of the worst blunders in video game history. Bioware somehow managed to take a promising series, and do a Tomb Raider with it. The game visually looks like a mod for Knights of the Old Republic, if that mod were to lower all the games textures and was inspired by minecraft. The writing in this game is exactly what you'd expect an autistic 12 year old farm hand. Gone are the "grey" moral areas, and choices that affect the story. Instead, a dialogue wheel now lets you choose between 3 options, Sissy school girl, comedic relief in b-movie, and complete jerkwad. With such rivieting dialogue options as "Hey, I wunna be a dragon too!" and "Boy, I'm hungry", it's hard not to believe that Bioware is doing a psychological experiment to see how much punishment masochistic fans will put up with. Most of the game takes place in the confines of a single "city". I say "city" loosely, because it is actually nothing more than a collection of buildings, devoid of life. All areas outside of the city and bland and repetitive. Let me be clear on this: EVERY SINGLE OUTDOOR AREA outside of the city consists of a rock wall on one side of the map, and a large, lifeless, poorly textured vista on the other. I've seen 2 year olds that can color better than the job Bioware did with this vista. Dungeons are frequently repeated. Yes, you heard that right, the exact same cave is used over and over and over again. You can no longer equip armor to companions, and the new companions are dull and lifeless. Every voice actor in the game sounds the exact same, and they all sound utterly bored with their jobs. Of course, I needed even comment on the combat to anyone who has played the demo. Bioware decided to strip out all tactical and RPG elements, and instead turn the game into a poor man's Dynasty warriors, complete with waves of spawning powder rangers running at you, while you perform the same over the top animations over and over carrying massive JRPG styled swords. I award this game no points, and may God have mercy on it's soul.â… Expand
  39. Nekator
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    Sadly DA2 is no roleplay Game in my Opinion anymore. The only thing this game has is fighting (with much blood and exploding hordes of enemies - like the Marketing said.. for every button something flashy happens) also there are no Skills anymore, beside the fighting skills... The other thing is the story presentation, which Bioware still is good at.
    But things like the restricted    Sadly DA2 is no roleplay Game in my Opinion anymore. The only thing this game has is fighting (with much blood and exploding hordes of enemies - like the Marketing said.. for every button something flashy happens) also there are no Skills anymore, beside the fighting skills... The other thing is the story presentation, which Bioware still is good at.
    But things like the restricted inventory and kodex entries (50% percent of the things you find are nondescript junk?? really?), the MMO Interface.. this all makes it to an Action Adventure at best. As a roleplay game it sadly fails in nearly every way :(    … Expand
  40. Ramaah
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    One of the most overrated games ever, second to Treyarch's works. You say graphics are good? In my opinion old Dungeon Siege looks better and juicier. Game looks like poor MMORPG. Dialogues are flat, boring, predictable, and trying so hard to be epic, that are actually parody of RPG genre. The whole history of hero's family is like "The Bold and the Beautiful" or "Dallas" with dragons. TheOne of the most overrated games ever, second to Treyarch's works. You say graphics are good? In my opinion old Dungeon Siege looks better and juicier. Game looks like poor MMORPG. Dialogues are flat, boring, predictable, and trying so hard to be epic, that are actually parody of RPG genre. The whole history of hero's family is like "The Bold and the Beautiful" or "Dallas" with dragons. The most funny thing is the masturbation mode for 12 y.o.: dragon-sized boobs everywhere. Hell yeah, I just drowned in epicness, singing the song of the old days. What is good? I really don't know, maybe music here and there? This game is not BAD, it deserves more than 2.9 (user score at the time I'm writing) - I'd say it's something between 5 and 6 (7 if you really love dragons). It still offers adventure and ugly creatures to kill and for sure it's better than Arcania.. But in order to balance these crazy optimistic rates I give it 1. Because I have enough of this stupid trend, that if BioWare did this, or Bethesda did this, or some part of the title says "Call of Duty", than we give 8 or 9 at the very beginning and then we play the game. No, folks, all the glitters is not gold! And Dragon Age 2 don't deserve to be called VERY good game (8/10), fantastic game (9/10) or masterpiece (10/10). This game has nothing more to offer, than dozens of similar RPG games. My score is my protest against such practice mentioned above. (Sorry for bad spelling).… Expand
  41. qwertxy
    Mar 9, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is just a disgrace to the name Dragon Age and even more so to the name Bioware. Just stay away from this misery, it represents everything that goes wrong right now in the gaming industry. Dont buy Dragon Age 2, thank you!… Expand
  42. Mehter
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    The first one was a lot of fun. The second one is decent, but still pretty terrible. Changing the appearances of already established races is never a good thing, and giving said races different accents was just silly.
  43. Pancakes
    Mar 9, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age 2 is an abomination. The gameplay is boring and primitive, the story is linear and cliched, the writing is godawful fanfiction.net Naruto fanfics-level crap and the characters are ranging from mediocre to awful (especially Merrill, who is a disgusting moeblob without any personality). Oh, and it's ugly, and i'm not only talking about graphics - the artstyle is... bad. Very, veryDragon Age 2 is an abomination. The gameplay is boring and primitive, the story is linear and cliched, the writing is godawful fanfiction.net Naruto fanfics-level crap and the characters are ranging from mediocre to awful (especially Merrill, who is a disgusting moeblob without any personality). Oh, and it's ugly, and i'm not only talking about graphics - the artstyle is... bad. Very, very bad. DA2 looks like something that a 12 year old with ADHD could make.

    Oh, and the Nightmare difficulty that was hyped as being super great stuff for truly hardcore gamers? It's crap too. Instead of giving new abilities to the opponents and making them smarter Bioware just gave them really high stats and called it a day.    … Expand
  44. Maggeus
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    I am extremely disappointed by Dragon Age 2 as a RPG game style, but if you can cast away the nostalgia of Baldur's gate, you'll find a good game nevertheless. Too bad this series have to continue like that, since the previous system was so much better... Why did they want to butcher the combat system like that ? They should have tried to improve it, not drastically change it ! On hardI am extremely disappointed by Dragon Age 2 as a RPG game style, but if you can cast away the nostalgia of Baldur's gate, you'll find a good game nevertheless. Too bad this series have to continue like that, since the previous system was so much better... Why did they want to butcher the combat system like that ? They should have tried to improve it, not drastically change it ! On hard difficulty, it feels like a hack'n slash ! But sadly, this is how developers tend to do their games... And sadly, it works beautifully. I won't say this game is stupidly bad, it's not. It's a good game, but far from being a real sequel to one of the best RPG of these last years, The Witcher included. I guess we'll have to wait for The Witcher 2.… Expand
  45. Shodan
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    At the time of writing this, the user score (based on 143 ratings) is *3.6*; the critic score (based on 12 ratings (11 "positive")) is 8.4. You could not have a more embarrassingly obvious exposition of the vapid, dead vacuum-of-integrity that is games journalism. Really, it should be obvious to everyone now that the people who wrote these reviews don't have a single atom of sincerity orAt the time of writing this, the user score (based on 143 ratings) is *3.6*; the critic score (based on 12 ratings (11 "positive")) is 8.4. You could not have a more embarrassingly obvious exposition of the vapid, dead vacuum-of-integrity that is games journalism. Really, it should be obvious to everyone now that the people who wrote these reviews don't have a single atom of sincerity or regard for truth. As far as the game itself is concerned, it's a lobotomized, bordering on the retarded, dumb-down of a game which was itself a lobotomized rehash (of the Baldur's Gate series). You really could not remove more depth from this if you were desperate to. We're at rock-bottom here, and hopefully that means the only way is up. Generic, unremarkable, uninspired, utterly forgettable fast-food for the masses. Nobody who worked on this should be proud.… Expand
  46. Surematt
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Ive never reviewed a game on here before, but after about 10-15 hours into this, i just could not do it anymore. i needed to tell people not to buy this game. you might argue that that game has good RP systems, or whatever, and it dosent deserve a flat out 0, mabye a 3 or 4, but a game that when i play it, all i want to do is **** STOP playing it, deserves a 0 in my eyes. god i hope i canIve never reviewed a game on here before, but after about 10-15 hours into this, i just could not do it anymore. i needed to tell people not to buy this game. you might argue that that game has good RP systems, or whatever, and it dosent deserve a flat out 0, mabye a 3 or 4, but a game that when i play it, all i want to do is **** STOP playing it, deserves a 0 in my eyes. god i hope i can get my money back on this junk. it is a total insult to all DA:O fans, and PC gamers in general. terrible console port, from a company that once made such great games. Bioware, if you are reading this, do NOT let your DA team ANYWHERE near Mass Effect 3.… Expand
  47. hellogoodbye
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    From a company that made fun of FF13 about it being an rpg, they sure seemed intent on one upping Square in making one of the most horrid 'rpgs' of all time.

    From the dumbing down of even the most simple features to some of the worst voice acting I've ever had to put up with and the difficulty that would even make a halo or cod player think it's just a tad too easy, it really made me    From a company that made fun of FF13 about it being an rpg, they sure seemed intent on one upping Square in making one of the most horrid 'rpgs' of all time.

    From the dumbing down of even the most simple features to some of the worst voice acting I've ever had to put up with and the difficulty that would even make a halo or cod player think it's just a tad too easy, it really made me sympathise with the former lead developer that left Bioware because of the direction they took with this game. While the game had nothing but disappointment and failures to pick from, it was actually hard to choose which one I should start off with. Departing from the loveable old system of being able to choose what your character was going to say which really helped to define your Warden and the ability to immerse yourself with the character, Bioware decided it was a great idea to adopt the dialogue wheel from Mass Effect which has proven to be quite bad in this situation. I especially like it when my character would all of a sudden go on a random hate speech when all I wanted was for him to say yes.

    The amount of day 1 dlc has always been a hot topic when it comes to games, especially with Rockstars LA Noire recently showing that it has actual gameplay content up as pre-order incentives from different retailers. Bioware has decided to hop on to this gravy train and insists on showing nothing but utter contempt to fans by using the stick and carrot method of throwing day 1 dlc at fans to help advertise this 'game'. Apparently learning nothing from DAO, pretty much every piece of dlc breaks the game and makes it crazy easy, even at 'nightmare' mode. I'd place the games difficulty on par with the opening few hours of FF13 where you basically just pressed x to win.

    At this point of where I am up to in the game, I'm actually thankful that I hadn't bothered to register any of the dlc coupons that came with my signature edition yet. I've already put it up on ebay and it's going for $90, $50 more than I paid for the thing. I don't know if I should be happy or not that there's still people crazy enough to buy such garbage but hey, we live in a world where COD sells 7 million in 1 day.    … Expand
  48. Friedhamster
    Mar 8, 2011
    0
    I'm not sure where to even start. How about the demo? The demo that barely loaded, the frame-rate was so bad (this on a 3.2GHz, i5, GTX 460 SE, 8gb desktop) it was unplayble. My brother, telling me that he liked DA:O enough to play... half... got me to delete the demo and reinstall. This time it worked, this time I played it to the end, and this time I wanted to stab my eyes with dullI'm not sure where to even start. How about the demo? The demo that barely loaded, the frame-rate was so bad (this on a 3.2GHz, i5, GTX 460 SE, 8gb desktop) it was unplayble. My brother, telling me that he liked DA:O enough to play... half... got me to delete the demo and reinstall. This time it worked, this time I played it to the end, and this time I wanted to stab my eyes with dull spoons.

    Gameplay: Mindless drivel
    Graphics: My eyes bled dry
    Sound: I don't remember hearing anything over the waterfall of blood pouring from where my eyes had been due to looking at this heap of trash that looks worse than games made in 2002    … Expand
  49. tobi963
    Mar 8, 2011
    3
    Never good when you make a game worse than it's prequel. So many problems with the game. So much hype over it by DA fans. The "professional" reviewers are giving it a high score for some reason I do not know.
  50. rich
    Mar 8, 2011
    0
    oops forgot to put my score
    really dont like what bioware and EA have done to this game i really liked the first game but this one doesnt fill like an RPG to me it feels more like a action game.I got very bored very quickly of the combat in DA2 i dont like the dialogue wheel it is fine in a game like Mass Effect but not in a RPG its just stupid.Also why cant you change your teams armour    oops forgot to put my score
    really dont like what bioware and EA have done to this game i really liked the first game but this one doesnt fill like an RPG to me it feels more like a action game.I got very bored very quickly of the combat in DA2 i dont like the dialogue wheel it is fine in a game like Mass Effect but not in a RPG its just stupid.Also why cant you change your teams armour all rpg in know have that option sorry but this game is poor.    … Expand
  51. FourTHEO
    Mar 8, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dragon Age II was terrible, I'm uninstalling it as I write this review.

    Please avoid this "game" if you want to keep yourself from spending hours fighting off boredem and being generally in a poor mood. This game is bad, the entertainment value cannot even be replenished some by laughing at the poorly crafted models and effect, the slap-in-the face linearity that one would expect wouldn't be there if your in-game decisions actually had any effect of the overall outcome of the game or minor scenarios. Not being able to change the equipment to be worn by your party is a minor but needed feature of a title such as this. I can't believe I wasted my money on this.

    If of course time equals money, I spend 2 hours downloading this game and that's 2 hours wasted, not to mention the bandwidth! I have a monthly cap, too.

    Spoilers: This game blows and Stens' race is changed for the worse.    … Expand
  52. jaysenedwinward
    Mar 8, 2011
    7
    It's still the same game in terms of combat. Having to press a button to swing your weapon, instead of auto-attacking is literally the only combat system change. On harder difficulties, I would give you a purple heart if you could beat the game without pausing and using the correct abilities. The potion system is excellent!!!!! No more potion chugging. Now you have to make correctIt's still the same game in terms of combat. Having to press a button to swing your weapon, instead of auto-attacking is literally the only combat system change. On harder difficulties, I would give you a purple heart if you could beat the game without pausing and using the correct abilities. The potion system is excellent!!!!! No more potion chugging. Now you have to make correct decisions. Mana and stamina matter. No abilities are just silly copies of each other like part one was. (E.G. you had earthquake and blizzard which essentially did the same exact thing) They have a true combination system to make SURE you had one of each class in your party for max efficiency. (Brittle, staggered, disoriented people take extra damage from other classes)

    I DON'T like however, that you can only gear up the main character in detail. The other characters have stock gear sets they can equip.. The game is also much shorter (50 hours as opposed to 100). The most disappointing though is that for some reason, i never am given the opportunity to care about whatever is going on. I don't care about the story and the characters don't ever get a chance to become real to you since they removed the ability to talk to them during their time in your party. You feel alone most of the time.    … Expand
  53. Kihoshi
    Mar 8, 2011
    8
    I think it's very easy to dismiss this game because of its faster combat and intent wheel. I have welcomed these changes. I like to know the intent behind my replies. I like not watching my character stumble over and poke a darkspawn. I have enjoyed the five hours I have spent with this game. Your party members don't just show up and stand in one place. They make an entrance. I like theI think it's very easy to dismiss this game because of its faster combat and intent wheel. I have welcomed these changes. I like to know the intent behind my replies. I like not watching my character stumble over and poke a darkspawn. I have enjoyed the five hours I have spent with this game. Your party members don't just show up and stand in one place. They make an entrance. I like the idea that your characters have lives outside of you. The frame narrative is an interesting concept to use and Bioware is using it wonderfully. I look forward to completing this game. I gave the game a score of "eight" only because I haven't finished it yet. I have only spent about five hours with this game, as I stated before. I felt the need to write this review because of the overwhelmingly negative reviews on this website. Thank you for reading this if you did. And if you didn't, thank you for reading at least the second to last sentence. :)… Expand
  54. Sagebeat
    Mar 8, 2011
    5
    Dragon Age II...where can I begin. Where along the lines of game development did Bioware think to themselves, we need to remove immersion, and role playing, from a role playing game? When did we think choices, false or real, taken from the character would make them enjoy a character driven storyline MORE?

    At what point did they think we wouldn't notice the re-use of the same map over 8    Dragon Age II...where can I begin. Where along the lines of game development did Bioware think to themselves, we need to remove immersion, and role playing, from a role playing game? When did we think choices, false or real, taken from the character would make them enjoy a character driven storyline MORE?

    At what point did they think we wouldn't notice the re-use of the same map over 8 times in the beginning of the game, when being sent to different places? This isn't the postate cave, this isn't the qunari mine, this isn't even the cave the wayward son was in. THIS IS THE CAVE THAT I WENT THROUGH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME WITH THE AMULET.

    Combat has been sped up at the cost of strategy, there is no more thinking in fights, there is no more friendly fire, you simply hack away, and drink a potion, which they've handily hotbar'd to their own UI, knowing this was all that was required to win. Fought my first dragon 3 hours into the game, it was a 2 minute fight, consisted of me watching auto attacks and popping the occasional potion, and that was it. No special achievement, apparently dragons are super common now, also it dropped 20s, and a hatchet. Not a unique hatchet, a regular hatchet.

    resources reused from DA:O, and resources reused again and again in this one make for non unique dungeons, landscapes, and immersion

    combat has been oversimplified to a fault, it's no longer hard or involving to do anything, which is a pity, due to half the content being waves of hapless enemies.

    Dialogue and conversation are a joke, no control, and even in the small glimpses where they game tries to give them to you, the wheel will screw it up by captioning what Hawke will actually say incorrectly. What you say either doesn't matter, or isn't what you wanted to say.

    I cant say much about the story as of yet, but its shaping up to be your standard Bioware fare, which isnt nessicarily a bad thing, but the graphics have somehow taken a step backwards on top of all this, and it runs even worse on my computer then DA:O did, which is a big slap in the face.

    The game feels rushed, incomplete, even with the DLC you pay an extra 15$ for, and everything in it minus some of the characters are just lowest tier in quality. Sadly characters do not make up for the rest of the games flaws.    … Expand
  55. Galeon22
    Mar 8, 2011
    1
    What a slap in the face to everyone who played and loved the first one...dumbed down combat, ugly graphics...does Bioware care anymore or are they just trying to reach a crowd so stupid it'll buy anything as long as its marketed en masse? Expect to have to pay many DLC just to finish the game, the cliffhanger ending and poorly crafted story seems to point to a number of additional episodesWhat a slap in the face to everyone who played and loved the first one...dumbed down combat, ugly graphics...does Bioware care anymore or are they just trying to reach a crowd so stupid it'll buy anything as long as its marketed en masse? Expect to have to pay many DLC just to finish the game, the cliffhanger ending and poorly crafted story seems to point to a number of additional episodes to explain backstories or events.

    You should be ashamed Bioware, how low you've dropped.    … Expand
  56. BarerRudeROC
    Mar 8, 2011
    1
    Horrible rehash,
    Honestly it plays like a standalone mod, Nothing but disappointment, it's even prompted me to sign up to meteoritic to voice my opinion because it's that much of a flop compared to the first DA
  57. zeister
    Mar 8, 2011
    0
    Terrible.
    To sum it up, every single mechanic has been dumbed down, Dialogue has become of the wheel type, and you can't put much thought into your choices.
    The story is cliche and it doesn't even feel like they are trying. The game play is simplified, it's easier, and even at the highest difficulty, not much thought has to be put into it. The graphics are absolutely terrible, compared    Terrible.
    To sum it up, every single mechanic has been dumbed down, Dialogue has become of the wheel type, and you can't put much thought into your choices.

    The story is cliche and it doesn't even feel like they are trying.

    The game play is simplified, it's easier, and even at the highest difficulty, not much thought has to be put into it. The graphics are absolutely terrible, compared to the old prequel, it's hard to believe how bad the graphics are, and they even advertise themselves on it.

    do not buy it, if you must, you could sate your curiosity by borrowing it or something.    … Expand
  58. ravenXII
    Mar 8, 2011
    0
    Combat system is riddled with bugs which really show on nightmare difficulty like your commands reset multiple times during and before battle (seems to only trouble ranged characters) and you cant target aoe spells in tight spaces accurately due to lock in target. Crafting system is over simplified, can't set gear on followers, small amount of total followers fixed by premade dlc, hdCombat system is riddled with bugs which really show on nightmare difficulty like your commands reset multiple times during and before battle (seems to only trouble ranged characters) and you cant target aoe spells in tight spaces accurately due to lock in target. Crafting system is over simplified, can't set gear on followers, small amount of total followers fixed by premade dlc, hd textures are what they are, extremely idiotic sounding conversations if you pick multiple different conversation choices, other weird audio breaks when transitioning to next cutscene, still bioware quality character run animations (hopefully fixable by capable modder) and so much more.… Expand
  59. BrutallyHonest
    Mar 8, 2011
    1
    Designed by focus group. By trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, Bioware has created game that never really develops it's own personality. Utterly forgettable, DA2 tries in vain to be darker, edgier and sexier, but only succeeds in trying too hard. The violence is bloody, the "sexiness" is a bit blatant and ham-handed, all the while giving the impression that behind theDesigned by focus group. By trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, Bioware has created game that never really develops it's own personality. Utterly forgettable, DA2 tries in vain to be darker, edgier and sexier, but only succeeds in trying too hard. The violence is bloody, the "sexiness" is a bit blatant and ham-handed, all the while giving the impression that behind the scenes is a 40-something game director saying "this is what the kids want, right?" Rather than focus on making a solid, entertaining game, Bioware tried to include all things for all gamers. They have created a game with something for everyone, but not enough for any one group to enjoy the experience.… Expand
  60. KhaaL
    Mar 8, 2011
    2
    I'm a big fan of the original DA and really got into the lore. Unfortunately that dosen't help me trying to like this sorry mess for sequel. The combat is extremely simplified (and meaningless), the story is told in a most unexciting way and the game just feel like a downgrade compared to the predecessor.

    Usually i belive "less is more", but not to the point when its so simplified it    I'm a big fan of the original DA and really got into the lore. Unfortunately that dosen't help me trying to like this sorry mess for sequel. The combat is extremely simplified (and meaningless), the story is told in a most unexciting way and the game just feel like a downgrade compared to the predecessor.

    Usually i belive "less is more", but not to the point when its so simplified it becomes braindead.    … Expand
  61. xXAnthonyXx
    Mar 8, 2011
    4
    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"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.â… Expand
  62. 2gameornot2game
    Mar 8, 2011
    10
    Bioware has done it again! DA2 is a brilliant game and fixes all the problems of Origins. The interface is much more streamlined (making it playable for console players) and the particle effects are especially dazzling on PS3. DA2 has everything a nerd could dream of in a sword and magic game. There is interesting story, romances you can engage in, crazy characters to meet, and reallyBioware has done it again! DA2 is a brilliant game and fixes all the problems of Origins. The interface is much more streamlined (making it playable for console players) and the particle effects are especially dazzling on PS3. DA2 has everything a nerd could dream of in a sword and magic game. There is interesting story, romances you can engage in, crazy characters to meet, and really satisfying combat. On top of that, the game is extremely long and as a Bioware game, you can be sure that healthy servings of DLC will be on the way. Its going to take me weeks upon weeks to finish this game!… 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

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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.
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  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.
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