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. 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
  2. Deiradinn
    Feb 28, 2012
    9
    To give a game a 0, you either have to moronic or completely biased some stupid reason... a third option just being clinically insane. 0 means the game is a complete mess, unplayable, glitches, severe anomalies and complete loss of design and function. People are stupid. Here's an honest review.

    It's more action oriented, it is no longer an MMORPG clone but an button command issued and    To give a game a 0, you either have to moronic or completely biased some stupid reason... a third option just being clinically insane. 0 means the game is a complete mess, unplayable, glitches, severe anomalies and complete loss of design and function. People are stupid. Here's an honest review.

    It's more action oriented, it is no longer an MMORPG clone but an button command issued and then they preform the attack. The design, literature, music, sound effects, character design and story are solid. How is this boring? If they're not fighting giant godlike monsters then I guess it's boring. It's more of a "your pace" kind of game. It doesn't throw myriads of locations at you all at once. Like real life adventure. It's up do you how the story progresses and the interactions of NPC's and your characters, which you can control if you choose to and some cases need to. I honestly don't see what the fuss is about. I love the game. Any RPG is redundant, how is assigning actions to a character in real time over automatically and hotkeys use an argument. I don't know, my opinion, people get their underwear in a bunch for no reason. Most of use have no idea how complex it is to even make a game, at all, beyond RPG maker and most fail horrible at that. So, stop being immature and rate it reasonably. Even Duke Nukem isn't that terrible. Rate it reasonably. I think if a game is clearly of worthy design, no major flaws, playable... then the option to rate it lower than a 5 shouldn't even be in your mind. Idiots think they know it all. Pfft.    … Expand
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. AgentGoodwrench
    May 13, 2011
    9
    Dragon Age 2 is a game that old school RPG fans love to hate. I approach it from the same perspective as I do all games. A perspective of a gamer. Not an RPG gamer, or a shooter gamer, but simply a gamer. It saddens me to see it being ripped apart just it is not exactly what some players expected, and they need to take their anger out on the poor game.

    Is DA2 perfect? By no means.    Dragon Age 2 is a game that old school RPG fans love to hate. I approach it from the same perspective as I do all games. A perspective of a gamer. Not an RPG gamer, or a shooter gamer, but simply a gamer. It saddens me to see it being ripped apart just it is not exactly what some players expected, and they need to take their anger out on the poor game.

    Is DA2 perfect? By no means. However, it is an enjoyable experience that few video games can provide. True, changes from Origins have been made which turned DA2 into a more actionized sequel. The speed of combat has increased and attacks became flashier, though otherwise it is about the same as before. It does not take away from the tactical side of the gameplay, nor does it make the game feel any less of an RPG. What is different from the prequel is how companions are handled. The player can no longer equip their armor and choose their combat specializations. Instead, each companion maintains a unique appearance which can be upgraded by finding and buying certain armor upgrades. You still can choose which weapons the companions wield but on a more limited scale. Certain rogue only uses ranged weapons, while the other only daggers. To someone who used the default weapon styles of the companions in previous Dragon Age releases it is not worth fussing about. Each companion has access to a unique to him/her specialization tree. This spices up each character and separates them from one another.

    The story, characters, and dialogue are standard Bioware fare. As usual they're pretty much excellent. The main difference is that you're no longer able to choose the origin of your character and she or he has a voice now. Some would argue that for this release the story is on the weaker side, and in a certain way I'm inclined to agree. The final act seemed a bit rushed and some interesting opportunities for story development were missed. The antagonist could have used more screen time and character development as well. That's not to say that the game wasn't filled incredible moments that just tug at the player's hear. DA2 is filled with tales of love, hate, betrayal, and horror.

    The game looks quite good for the most part though everyone has the same gripe about it. Bioware reused maps way too generously. By the final act you can run trough them with your eyes closed. Definitely not a good thing. That's the biggest problem I experienced in the game. Sure, there were a few glitches here and there but most were minor and there was less of them compared to Origins (from what I experienced in my several playtroughs at least). DA2 also runs much smoother on the PS3 than it's predecessor, and does not have that irritating save lag of Origins.

    Overall, Dragon Age 2 is two steps forward, two steps back. It is better than Origins in some areas, while worse in others. It is not a worse instalment, just slightly different. All in all, it is a good game worthy of several playtroughs.    … Expand
  10. Sci-Fi-Dude1456
    Nov 1, 2011
    8
    Now that I played Dragon Age 2 again except on PS3 ( I sold my xbox 360 version), Dragon Age 2 is a good game if you forgive that the combat is dumbed down. The story is decent and graphics are pretty good. I dont like the main character Hawke and I just want my Warden from the 1st game. Not as good as the 1st game but I recommend you to go rent it or buy it when its cheaper.
  11. Schuback
    Aug 5, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age II is a good game but for those who had an amazing experience with Dragon Age Origins, don't expect DAII to be DAOII. There are improvements to certain aspects of the first instalment and I can understand why many fans were furious about the changes made in DAII. In fact, those who have been following the Mass Effect series you'll probably understand too. Anyway, from what IDragon Age II is a good game but for those who had an amazing experience with Dragon Age Origins, don't expect DAII to be DAOII. There are improvements to certain aspects of the first instalment and I can understand why many fans were furious about the changes made in DAII. In fact, those who have been following the Mass Effect series you'll probably understand too. Anyway, from what I gather, the storyline is not as epic. You play as a human named Hawke either as a warrior, rogue, or a mage and you can customise his/her appearance. The game spans over 10 years and you discover and learn how Hawke becomes the Hero of Kirkwall. The story has 3 Acts, mostly unrelated and therefore lacking a central theme seen in DAO (gathering arms across Fereldan against the Blight). And the story is quite linear though you'll be making a lot of minor choices throughout the game. Another flaw of this game is that the characters are not as interesting as the ones in DAO. This time they won't be telling you stories about their past or legends, nor will they share jokes. This time converstions with your companions are more about activating their individual quests and acknowledging that you have completed those quests. Some of the companions I found to be unlikable. And let's be honest here, Isabela doesn't hold the candle to Morrigan in every single way. Thirdly, this game uses repeated maps and dungeons. So while there are many quests to take up, you'll be completing them at the same area. Even the dull city of Kirkwall remains exactly the same throughout the ten year period. What's strange is that the graphics are sub par and the level of details and texture of buildings and environments are poor despite the game only having one city and reused caves.. The gameplay is more action oriented this time meaning that it is more fast-paced and requires button mashing (which is optional) to execute moves and attack which I felt was a good addition especially for one playing this game on a console. You'll be seeing some characters from DAO which brings back sweet memories. So despite all the flaws I found in this game, DAII does has it's charms and I certainly enjoyed playing it. It is a good game in itself and if there wasn't a DAO in the first place, this game would have been received much better by the fans.… Expand
  12. Salamunic
    Aug 26, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age II does not feel like a true sequel. Despite the setting and references to Origins, it is more of a redesign of the series, a new start, with too many elements cut and pasted from Mass Effect 2. This isn't a completely bad thing, but it appeals to an entirely different audience and might leave fans of the original very angry and frustrated. From an oversimplified inventoryDragon Age II does not feel like a true sequel. Despite the setting and references to Origins, it is more of a redesign of the series, a new start, with too many elements cut and pasted from Mass Effect 2. This isn't a completely bad thing, but it appeals to an entirely different audience and might leave fans of the original very angry and frustrated. From an oversimplified inventory system to sped up gameplay mechanics, it leaves little room for strategy and requires too much button mashing. While the action-rpg fan in me was still ok with some of the new changes, the game truly suffers from its bland characters. Fantasy stereotypes that are obnoxious and annoying, especially the emo elves whose whining never stops echoing in the big city of Kirkwall. Now understand that this is being compared to DA:Origins, a game that had characters you really cared about until the very end. So as a whole, Dragon Age II is still solid compared to other rpgs, it's just not comparable to its predecessor. Graphically, the game is much sharper with a smoother frame rate, but it suffers from poor, repetitive level design. For the 30 + hours of gameplay, you will feel like you've never left the surroundings from the first few hours of the game. Despite my heavy criticism, this is still a fun action-rpg. It's obvious that the developers worked with an unreasonable deadline but my hopes are high for Dragon Age III. Would I recommend this? If you have played Origins, I would recommend this as a small appetizer for DA III, but just make sure you lower you expectations. For anyone else, I'd highly recommend the fantastic DAL Origins first and wait till this finds its way into the bargain bin.… Expand
  13. the_blueprint
    Dec 17, 2013
    2
    Almost as bad as the first one this game does the exact same thing: very engaging at first and challenging and at one point the difficulty peaks so high it becomes impossible to get past it.
  14. Rhino3
    Dec 9, 2011
    9
    Honestly, I don't understand why this game has gotten some much grief from people. I avoided buying this game because of the terrible user scores on here. The game is actually great, the story is good, gameplay is fun,(if you don't like constantly pressing the x button to attack you can toggle it in the options to attack when you just press x) and the way dialogue is chosen(and the factHonestly, I don't understand why this game has gotten some much grief from people. I avoided buying this game because of the terrible user scores on here. The game is actually great, the story is good, gameplay is fun,(if you don't like constantly pressing the x button to attack you can toggle it in the options to attack when you just press x) and the way dialogue is chosen(and the fact that your character is fully voice acted) is much more immersive. DA2 takes most of what DAO does and improves on it, and as expected from a Bioware game the characters are great; a lot of people complained about the characters for some reason, they are just like actual people who don't tell you every thing about themselves and don't wear their hearts on their sleeves like the first one. Despite being a great game it does do some things wrong; such as the repetitive environments, how the city just feels dead no matter what your doing, and the reworking of how some of the Darkspawn look. But don't be scared away by what the fanboys are crying about, if your looking for a fun game with a great story this would be it.… Expand
  15. Nichtswisser
    Apr 24, 2012
    3
    Behold one of the worst sequels in history: Dragon Age 2, the adventure of Hawk in copy&paste Land. If you ever wanted to see serious recycling this is the game for you
  16. DeusXCom
    Feb 21, 2015
    7
    After hearing extreme negative criticism from all sides, I was avoiding this title for a long time, but I loved Dragon Age: Origins and I wanted to experience this one before going into Inquisition, at least for the sake of lore and story, so I finally gave it a spin. It's not as tragically bad as everyone says, but the problem is that when you're making a sequel, especially when you're aAfter hearing extreme negative criticism from all sides, I was avoiding this title for a long time, but I loved Dragon Age: Origins and I wanted to experience this one before going into Inquisition, at least for the sake of lore and story, so I finally gave it a spin. It's not as tragically bad as everyone says, but the problem is that when you're making a sequel, especially when you're a company such as Bioware, people expect it to be better, to make some improvements, to go further, to be bigger. Unfortunately, Dragon Age 2 is worse than Origins in basically every single aspect. Huge world full of various beautiful places and cities to go and explore has been shrank into 1 single city and it's surroundings. Not only that, most of the locations are heavily reused and repeated, so you're visiting the same few places all over again? What the hell happened? Perfectly functional inventory management with tons of beautifully hand-drawn pictures for every single item has been massacred into a simple consolized interface, with only same simple visual signs for items, or only text descriptions. Again, what happened? Character creation, one of the best things about Origins, where you could really tailor your character, including it's race and origin, which affected the starting of your game has been again radically dumbed down into simple choice Warrior/Mage/Rogue and your start is always the same. Open world feeling where you can go anywhere has been changed to pretty strict linearity. Challenging and complex tactical battles has been crippled into what is now basically a mindless hack'n'slash button masher. You can clearly see why scores for this title are so tragic, because nobody coming from Origins to this could have been satisfied with this. Fortunately, I came to this expecting the worst and hoping to enjoy the story and I did. I like the more personal approach, Origins was basically typical saving the world type cliche, so I'm glad this is a bit different, some quests were fun. Characters, while not as strong as in Origins were also well-written. Overall, going into DA2 to enjoy the story is not a bad idea, just avoid comparing it to Origins and thinking about how much worse this is. 6/10… Expand
  17. gamerblue
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    I want to start and say the bad press this game gets is simply bitter gamers who think video game companies "owe them something." This is not a bad game, not even close. Its actually a good game that just isnt as good as the first game. It does has it's redeeming qualities though. I love the fact the main character has a voice now (ala Shepard). The characters are just as strong as OriginsI want to start and say the bad press this game gets is simply bitter gamers who think video game companies "owe them something." This is not a bad game, not even close. Its actually a good game that just isnt as good as the first game. It does has it's redeeming qualities though. I love the fact the main character has a voice now (ala Shepard). The characters are just as strong as Origins as well (Bioware rocks at characters). The story is good, not great, but still has its redeeming qualities. Overall, I say this is still better then alot on the market and needs to be given its due.… Expand
  18. dragonagefan
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    This should have been a different game, they should have named something else like the "Swords of Kirkwall", this is nothing like the first one and I was stupid enough to preorder it, I wont preorder the next one until I know what Im buying
  19. RVallant
    Aug 27, 2015
    1
    Where DA:O set up the foundations of a solid, fantasy cliche'd RPG, Dragon Age 2 tears it down and creates a game that draws inspiration from social recluses with no writing ability whatsoever.

    Characters are a running joke, the plot is ridiculous, contradicting itself or allowing itself to break immersion frequently. The art style of Origin has been destroyed in favour of a    Where DA:O set up the foundations of a solid, fantasy cliche'd RPG, Dragon Age 2 tears it down and creates a game that draws inspiration from social recluses with no writing ability whatsoever.

    Characters are a running joke, the plot is ridiculous, contradicting itself or allowing itself to break immersion frequently. The art style of Origin has been destroyed in favour of a 're-imaging', and every race now has a default normal 'accent' from various countries. There is so much ret-conning going on, that it is clear the writers have lost touch with the foundations of Origin. (Google: Dragon Age 2 memes', particularly in relation to Gaider and feel free to be in awe of how immature and childish the lead writer and his team are... It is astounding, any 'plot holes' have been declared as the players fault as the writing is perfect..)

    Combat has been dumbed down, the developers wanted you to 'press a button and awesome sauce happens' (google, it's a real quote) with enemies teleporting in from absolutely nowhere, essentially killing combat tactics and immersion.

    Effectively, while a lot of people blame EA for killing the Origin series with this utter tripe of a game, -and they certainly are at fault for rushing this copy/past dungeon game out of the door - the problem lies in the socially awkward writers, who think waving a schlong in the air will cause romantic feeling to be evoked between a tree and a chicken. An utter travesty, just don't waste your money.    … Expand
  20. Jonas2301
    Oct 12, 2019
    10
    In my opinion this is probably the most underrated game I've ever played. Ignore the negative scores, the game has flaws, but they're mostly trivial, and the great writing, fun combat, and amazing cast more than makes up for it. I legitimately can't recommend this game enough, it's so sad that people are too stupid to appreciate an awesome game like this just because it's different thanIn my opinion this is probably the most underrated game I've ever played. Ignore the negative scores, the game has flaws, but they're mostly trivial, and the great writing, fun combat, and amazing cast more than makes up for it. I legitimately can't recommend this game enough, it's so sad that people are too stupid to appreciate an awesome game like this just because it's different than its predecessor.… Expand
  21. Bellicose
    Apr 10, 2012
    1
    Unbelievably disappointing. I can't fathom why they abandoned what proved to be an awesome style of game (Dragon Age Origins) in favour of generic garbage like this.
  22. diehard-gamer
    Mar 25, 2014
    9
    Very, very good.

    I played dragon age 2 soon after completing the Mass Effect Trilogy and, in my opinion DA2 is every bit as good as Mass Effect. Bioware are prety much masters of story driven RPGs and DA 2 is no exception. Good story, good characters, interesting choices and fun from start to end. Technically the graphics and audio are good - closer to Amalur than Skyrim. As are    Very, very good.

    I played dragon age 2 soon after completing the Mass Effect Trilogy and, in my opinion DA2 is every bit as good as Mass Effect.

    Bioware are prety much masters of story driven RPGs and DA 2 is no exception. Good story, good characters, interesting choices and fun from start to end.

    Technically the graphics and audio are good - closer to Amalur than Skyrim. As are the movement and combat mechanics.

    The camera angle is different to the ME series with you looking a bit further away from the characters - but then you're not 'iron sight' aiming firearms.    … Expand
  23. herman_toothrot
    Jan 8, 2012
    9
    Dragon Age 2 is a solid, enjoyable game, especially, those new to RPG's or looking for something different to the generic FPS's, but as many before have pointed out, have failed to meet the needs of the hardcore RPG fans, due to it's linear nature, repetitive locations and simplified fighting mechanics. The story moves along at a nice pace and the dialogue from your main cohorts is theDragon Age 2 is a solid, enjoyable game, especially, those new to RPG's or looking for something different to the generic FPS's, but as many before have pointed out, have failed to meet the needs of the hardcore RPG fans, due to it's linear nature, repetitive locations and simplified fighting mechanics. The story moves along at a nice pace and the dialogue from your main cohorts is the best I have seen in any game. Around half way through the game I found myself picking my companions due to their personalities, rather than there skills with weapons. The fact that so much attention went into the script writing and actors is a superb addition to this game. If you're a gamer who skips past the dialogue sequence, then this isn't the game for you. But if you like fisting and dwarfs in drag references and smutty humor from your characters, then you might be pleasantry surprised, I know I was. Passed this game by when it first came out, due to the low metacritic score, but having played it, the user score of 3.9 does not reflect the actually quality of this game. Is it a quality RPG, no it's not but that does not stop it from being a great adventure game.… Expand
  24. Loco
    Jan 9, 2012
    1
    Dear EA.............We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.............. ButDear EA.............We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.............. But killing Dragon Age? After all the promise the first game had? All that potential, just wasted? Even you, EA, must recognise that you've crossed a line too far this time.............. So go ahead. Kill my favourite developers. Drain the life out of the whole industry if you have to. But leave Dragon Age alone. For the love of Ferelden, please, stop Mass Effect-ing what was once the greatest RPG franchise of this generation. Even you have to draw the line somewhere. -Loco… Expand
  25. Kaden101
    Apr 22, 2012
    5
    Didn't expect much from this after seeing some of the user reviews, but managed to get hold of it cheap, & you know what, it wasn't bad, but could have been so much better.

    Pros : Good acting, & characters, mostly convincing dialogue. Okay companion missions. In my experience bug free, which is more than I can say for some RPG's. Cons : Disgustingly lazy & repetitive level design. They    Didn't expect much from this after seeing some of the user reviews, but managed to get hold of it cheap, & you know what, it wasn't bad, but could have been so much better.

    Pros : Good acting, & characters, mostly convincing dialogue. Okay companion missions. In my experience bug free, which is more than I can say for some RPG's. Cons : Disgustingly lazy & repetitive level design. They really cheaped out on this one using exactly the same levels for different locations, but just locked a few doors & opened some others. I saw in the credits when I finished this that there were 11 level designers/developers...they needed more. Main story - felt weak, & only held up due to the acting & characters. When I'd finished I just thought, is that it, wasn't very epic.

    Overall, it was a pleasant enough rpg, but not a patch on the first one. If you like a story for the dialogue & characters, you'll probably get on okay with it, otherwise it's probably not your cup of tea.

    I'd recommend it only if you can pick it cheap. I don't reckon it's worth £40 of anybodies money.    … Expand
  26. Staf
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    If this game was called anything but Dragon Age it would have been a pretty decent game. Now, i say that because i wouldn't have judged it as a RPG game but rather a action-adventure game. If the aim for this game was to create a good action-adventure game with some minor RPG elements and it wasn't called Dragon Age 2 i would have probably given it a 6.

    With Dragon Age origins BioWare had    If this game was called anything but Dragon Age it would have been a pretty decent game. Now, i say that because i wouldn't have judged it as a RPG game but rather a action-adventure game. If the aim for this game was to create a good action-adventure game with some minor RPG elements and it wasn't called Dragon Age 2 i would have probably given it a 6.

    With Dragon Age origins BioWare had a successful concept where they found a way to make a cRPG work not only on the PC but on consoles. This is something which can be confirmed by looking at the sales figures of Origins, which is among the highest in the company history. You would think that the natural approach to a sequel would be to take the same system as their very successful predecessor and do minor upgrades to the games flaws. Instead BioWare did a 180 and did not only removed the flaws of the first game but removed the very foundation that made it such a success.    … Expand
  27. skinny_mean_man
    Mar 26, 2012
    4
    if your a fan of the first game, there is a good chance you will not like this one very much. all of the original elements that made the first game great have been watered down. its more of a hack and slash experience which some may find better suited towards their tastes.

    i would give it a slightly higher score if it wasn't billed as a sequel to Origins. but the game has little to do    if your a fan of the first game, there is a good chance you will not like this one very much. all of the original elements that made the first game great have been watered down. its more of a hack and slash experience which some may find better suited towards their tastes.

    i would give it a slightly higher score if it wasn't billed as a sequel to Origins. but the game has little to do with original and , in my opinion, was just an attempt by bioware to turn the game into something more suited to a wider audience which in the end, ends up ruinining it for the games original fans.    … Expand
  28. johncol
    Jan 14, 2015
    9
    I played Dragon Age II after having read a lot of bad reviews and I don't think they are well deserved. I mean, the combat style is someway different, much more faster, the creation of your character is highly influenced by the default one that is presented in the trailer and the development of some companions is not as deep as you would expect.

    Given my personal preferences, what I    I played Dragon Age II after having read a lot of bad reviews and I don't think they are well deserved. I mean, the combat style is someway different, much more faster, the creation of your character is highly influenced by the default one that is presented in the trailer and the development of some companions is not as deep as you would expect.

    Given my personal preferences, what I didn't like was all these events related to some companions who you don't even care about; they just appear in the story and decide to be part of it. It just don't fit. On the other hand, their personalities are clearly defined and are much easier to understand, so you are capable of maximizing your friendship or you rivalry.

    And again, just like in Origins, the story is well developed. A nice bonus here is that you can load your save-data from Origins, so the game is adapted to some of the decisions you took there.    … Expand
  29. Lycanthropunk
    Oct 1, 2016
    6
    Dragon Age: Origins is still one of my all time favourite games. A RPG for grown-ups. Adult themes, brilliant story, the best characters and voice acting ever and it packed an emotional punch. Dragon Age II however is a sad example of the current trend of dumbing down a genre which should never be dumbed down. I know developers want their games to appeal to as wide a range of gamer asDragon Age: Origins is still one of my all time favourite games. A RPG for grown-ups. Adult themes, brilliant story, the best characters and voice acting ever and it packed an emotional punch. Dragon Age II however is a sad example of the current trend of dumbing down a genre which should never be dumbed down. I know developers want their games to appeal to as wide a range of gamer as possible to maximise sales, but if in doing so you alienate your origiinal fan base, then you are a capitalist douchebag. This game is a prime example. In it's own right it is still a good RPG, and one I still enjoyed playing (hence my score), but as a sequel to one of the greatest games of all time, it is a travesty. A decent RPG SHOULD be for a niche market- it's for gamers who want a whole lot more from a game than the simple sport of amassing huge numbers of headshots in every FPS ever released. The same thing happened with Mass Effect 3. Stop it already! I want depth and options, good story and characters in a RPG, and this provides none of that.… Expand
  30. Vorch
    May 3, 2012
    4
    This game was the first hint that Bioware would be taking player choices and then removing them entirely from the equation.

    They removed everything that was enjoyable about DA, scrapped your choices from the old game, and then charged you the full price...

    GG, Bioware.
  31. RKotick420
    May 15, 2012
    2
    Horribly optimized, casual RPG with forced homosexual romance scenes, brown and bloom, casualized RPG elements, bestiality, and all sorts of sick debauchery. I highly recommend NOT buying this piece of crap.
  32. X_Matt_X
    Nov 4, 2012
    3
    Loved the first one, but this is just too much. If you liked the first one you can't pretend to like this one, despite the hype that was involved. Overall a waste of time, not the same feeling.
  33. MrRPG
    Sep 13, 2012
    6
    This is a fantastic game, I don't understand all the negativity towards it, simply because it's different to the first one, it's a great game in its own right, But I guess the people just wanted a shinier version of origins..

    The combat system is close to the same with a little more depth in the actual combat.. Characters are likable, but forgettable, this is one part where I will    This is a fantastic game, I don't understand all the negativity towards it, simply because it's different to the first one, it's a great game in its own right, But I guess the people just wanted a shinier version of origins..

    The combat system is close to the same with a little more depth in the actual combat..
    Characters are likable, but forgettable, this is one part where I will compare the 2, the characters of origin were some of the greatest and most memorable RPG characters of all time, while these ones won't take long to forget..

    The game is lengthy, the story is well written, and it's a lot of fun..
    If your not a fan boy, Hurrdurr different to Origins, definitely pick this title up..    … Expand
  34. thatkid1995
    Feb 6, 2013
    7
    A fantastic RPG experience. There are several negatives, however. The reuse of dungeons is very annoying. Really I would've prefered to wait another 6 months or so for BioWare to finish it rather than have it as it is. The story is quite good and kept me involved for a good 30 hours. The combat is deep and involving and the characters are all well written and interesting.
  35. Abstractpurpose
    Oct 31, 2012
    2
    Here lies an example of a company creating a product people liked and as it started getting more attention the company says...hey lets change the core of the game cause people liked it...we cant have that. The first thing youll notice is the graphics are better and your character has a voice. Ok thats fine and good. However the next thing you notice is....omg did it just turn into a hackHere lies an example of a company creating a product people liked and as it started getting more attention the company says...hey lets change the core of the game cause people liked it...we cant have that. The first thing youll notice is the graphics are better and your character has a voice. Ok thats fine and good. However the next thing you notice is....omg did it just turn into a hack and slash game? YES IT DID. And let me say thats not a good thing. Yes iys smoother yes it apoeals to a bigger audience but now youve shown your avid fanbase looking for more of what you made them love last time that you dont care. Hack and slash cuts out a wide array of combat options from the first game and this company doesnt make it as good as other hack and slash games. The fans buying this are doing so because they actually liked the last game is conversation and it lacks the depth and effect of the last game. I cant understand creating a increasingly popular game then changing the mechanics so badly. Even if you like the hacking and button mashing bioware still took something that was established and enjoyed and scrapped it. Its a poor buisness choice to gamble on the now established fans to be acceptant of them unestablishing the core game mechanics. Very dumb move

    Then theres the setting. From last game involving several cities and lots of travel they built this game around 1 city and an immediate surrounding area. The only thing that carried over from the last game is.c    … Expand
  36. Blyzzard
    Nov 1, 2012
    2
    This is horrible. The only people who could possibly enjoy it are die-hard Bioware fans (and while I do like Bioware, I'm not blind to their wrongs). Horrible story, horrible characters, horrible gameplay, horrible dialogue-wheel, horrible recycled maps, horrible everything.
  37. Juras
    Mar 16, 2017
    4
    Poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, dungeon, poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, same dungeon (almost), poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, same dungeon (almost), poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, same dungeon (almost), poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, same dungeon (almost), poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, same dungeon (almost), poorest ever graphics, Kirkwall, same dungeon (almost), jedi, ending.
  38. gmpawesomeness
    Feb 6, 2013
    6
    I have mixed feelings about this game. I love Bioware and think they make amazing games. I enjoy the options you have and the dialogue. It has an interesting combat system although its wierd to use. I personally found it hard to get interested in the game, I hope if they make another one they will make some improvements
  39. Yukari
    May 4, 2013
    6
    Dragon Age II is a huge disappointment, especially after the epic DA:Origins. Well to begin with good things...the combat system improved, and the graphics are better. And now the bad things, beside the graphics been better the environment and background are so simple that is stupid for a game like this, tha characters are not epic and fun anymore, they are all very winy and don't haveDragon Age II is a huge disappointment, especially after the epic DA:Origins. Well to begin with good things...the combat system improved, and the graphics are better. And now the bad things, beside the graphics been better the environment and background are so simple that is stupid for a game like this, tha characters are not epic and fun anymore, they are all very winy and don't have much of a personality the only one that is an exception is Varric (thank god of the dwarfs). The story is so basic and not that memorable and what you will be doing in the entire game is babysitting and clean the streets from thieves and not much else, even the boss battles are not that amazing.… Expand
  40. hcurrie7
    May 5, 2013
    10
    I know a lot of the Dragon Age fans did not like this game. I thought it was great. It is different but still one of the greatest games I have ever played. Choices you make actually do affect the game. I like the fighting much better than DA1. I was not as fond of my companions but the others were so great it is hard to compete. Still all in all this is a great game and great story.
  41. rohbi
    Nov 2, 2013
    7
    I'm probably the only one who thinks this but I thought that Dragon Age II is actually an improvement over Dragon Age: Origins in a few ways; and I actually am enjoying the time I'm spending in the game right now. For one, I think the combat is better, I still think it is a little boring but it fits within the mechanics of the game. The graphics are better, the game is much moreI'm probably the only one who thinks this but I thought that Dragon Age II is actually an improvement over Dragon Age: Origins in a few ways; and I actually am enjoying the time I'm spending in the game right now. For one, I think the combat is better, I still think it is a little boring but it fits within the mechanics of the game. The graphics are better, the game is much more comfortable to look at here on the PS3 than Origins. Some may complain about the story and I agree that it is not as exciting as the story in Origins but the story here picks up faster than in Origins and generally it is engaging. I actually want to continue playing just to see what happens with Lord Jayford Hawke and his companions. On the downside, the environment that you spend the game in is horrible and it is boring, Kirkwall is interesting to explore at first but it gets tiresome after a few hours, and the outside and cave levels are all copy and paste and it reminds me of Halo: Combat Evolved. I'm shocked that Bioware didn't spend more time here to make better environments to match what they wanted in a exciting story and character driven game. This game gets a 7, it's good, but it could have been so much better.… Expand
  42. zanatadrummer
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    All this people say this game is bad, but if you compare to other in the same genre, Dragon Age are too better than others.
    Of course for me DA origins is unbeatable, but Origins is Origins and DA2 is DA2 ...
    If u dont like go to play these Japanese RPG.
  43. SyrupForDragons
    Jun 13, 2014
    7
    No clue why people hated this game so much. I personally didn't much care for Origins the 1st time I tried it b/c I couldn't stand its combat, so when I heard 2's combat was more action oriented, I had to try it out. I'm happy to report that I liked it & it got me back into the series. Sure, the game is a bit more linear than it should & everything takes place in pretty much the same area,No clue why people hated this game so much. I personally didn't much care for Origins the 1st time I tried it b/c I couldn't stand its combat, so when I heard 2's combat was more action oriented, I had to try it out. I'm happy to report that I liked it & it got me back into the series. Sure, the game is a bit more linear than it should & everything takes place in pretty much the same area, but I'm willing to overlook these shortcomings for the game's improved combat & wonderful followers. My only real complain is that I wish there was more of a main story, as the game definitely lacked focus.… Expand
  44. beeblebrox
    Aug 1, 2014
    8
    Not as good as the first installment of the series. The plot wasn't as epic as in DAO, but considering the canon it is quite understandable. The graphics were improved, the characters were interesting and the battles were still cool. The continuous re-utilization of areas, however, was really annoying.
  45. Kai82
    Sep 13, 2014
    7
    It is not a terrible game but compared to Dragon Age it is a decline on nearly all levels. The game fells rushed and the main story ends abrupt. The good things are as in nearly all Bioware games the characters. They are all interesting and I always stopped to listen when they starting conversations. Varric and Isabella are always funny. The main story is O.K nether bad or a masterpiece.It is not a terrible game but compared to Dragon Age it is a decline on nearly all levels. The game fells rushed and the main story ends abrupt. The good things are as in nearly all Bioware games the characters. They are all interesting and I always stopped to listen when they starting conversations. Varric and Isabella are always funny. The main story is O.K nether bad or a masterpiece. The side quests are more interesting and better than in the original Dragon Age. Also the dialog wheel is an improvement. On the bad side the graphic looks dated, the locations were recycled over and over and the battle system was switched to action instead of strategy. Overall 2 additional years of programming would have improved this game a lot.… Expand
  46. bigboss1964
    Oct 20, 2014
    7
    Dragon Age II

    Game-play:The game play in this game is great even an improvement from the first game i could say the combat is fast and you have the control over it this was my only complain from the Dragon Age :Origins but the new spells and skills are very disappointing. Story:The story is not so bad it has its moments but the character development is crap here the only interesting    Dragon Age II

    Game-play:The game play in this game is great even an improvement from the first game i could say the combat is fast and you have the control over it this was my only complain from the Dragon Age :Origins but the new spells and skills are very disappointing.

    Story:The story is not so bad it has its moments but the character development is crap here the only interesting people in the game are the protagonist Hawke and Varric.The ending sucks.The story will take you about 24 to 26 hours and with the sides about 36 to 38.

    Graphics:A small improvement but nothing special.

    Notes:The side quests are nice and interesting, i did not like that you can not choose the race of your character.The game is good if you are a RPG fun you should buy it but if you are a hardcore Dragon age fun you probably will be disappointed by the changes but i am fin of the first game and i do like this one as well but the first was surly better than this one.buy it especially when the price drops.    … Expand
  47. MetaRogue
    Oct 14, 2015
    5
    Dragon Age 2 is definite departure from the original, but there are no good connotations to this statement. The meditated button pressing from Origins has transformed into mindless button mashing as you orchestrate your character's attack on enemies. Your character also has a preset identity who is horribly named 'Hawke', a hang over from the Mass Effect series.

    Map traversal hasn't    Dragon Age 2 is definite departure from the original, but there are no good connotations to this statement. The meditated button pressing from Origins has transformed into mindless button mashing as you orchestrate your character's attack on enemies. Your character also has a preset identity who is horribly named 'Hawke', a hang over from the Mass Effect series.

    Map traversal hasn't changed and the characters are predictably dull like before. The only praise that the game can receive is that it continues the story (woefully at that).

    In the end, DA2 is the only RPG that is loosely affiliated with the genre.    … Expand
  48. The_Arkiteck
    Jan 9, 2015
    3
    This game is going down in my books as one of the worst games i've ever played, which is quite funny since the first game is one of my favorite games i've ever played, the only reason i've given it more than a 1 is because it gave some good filler lore between origins and inquisition.
  49. AriseAndBe
    Aug 5, 2015
    7
    The battle system is a great improvement over the original game. That's really all that improved in this game. The characters were okay but I preferred the ones from Origins. The story was actually quite boring and when you compare the two games in this department, II doesn't even come close. Also, the choices you make in this game have a dramatically reduced effect on the outcome ofThe battle system is a great improvement over the original game. That's really all that improved in this game. The characters were okay but I preferred the ones from Origins. The story was actually quite boring and when you compare the two games in this department, II doesn't even come close. Also, the choices you make in this game have a dramatically reduced effect on the outcome of the game which was disappointing.… Expand
  50. SrPepe
    Oct 30, 2017
    7
    Más que Dragon Age II, este juego parece el capítulo 1 de Dragon Age Inquisition. La única mejora frente a la primer entrega es el combate, que es más llevadero. Por lo demás decepcionante. Buen juego, muy mal Dragon Age.
  51. BigEvilSquirrel
    Aug 12, 2018
    6
    3 out of 5.
    Dragon Age II suffers from either being rushed, laziness, or both. Environment assets are reused so much it becomes painfully obvious. Enter a cave, and it’s the same map as the previous cave. Gameplay is fun, I really enjoyed playing as a mage. I do recommend giving it a play, but not at full retail.
  52. WardenofSilence
    Jul 4, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. DA2 is one game I cannot understand why people defend as being good.

    Hawke is a refugee fleeing from the Blight to Kirkwall, a dreadfully dull, ugly, and unchanging (despite time jumps) city. Hawke is a human and has a set family this time around, cutting down roleplaying potential and replay value. Others argue the game is more personal, but it really isn’t. Your mother is one of the blandest characters in the game, your siblings barely show up after Act1, and nothing you do ever makes any sort of real impact. Your personality is defined by your most used dialogue choice (diplomatic, sarcastic, and aggressive).

    The main plot is broken up into three parts. Act 1: Getting money for the deep roads expectation. Act 2: Dealing with the Qunari. Act 3: Dealing with the Mages/Templars. While Qunari and Mage/Templar plotlines bleed into the previous acts, each act tries to have an end goal surrounding its focused area. Unfortunately, none of them really get the needed depth or time to become good plots. And the awkward pacing at times weakens the overall story structure. The cast isn’t that great. Most companions have a sort of personality trait that defines their entire character, with very few other traits being explored.

    The writing can be laughable at times, despite the fanbase calling it gold. There are moments the make no sense or break established lore. In one instance, you can tell a former slave that “slaves are useful” after getting your own slave in front of him. This would be fine until you can continue to have a relationship with said character. You can even sell him back into slavery, and have another character who hates slavery, approve of it (this could be hypocritical instead of bad writing, depending on the outlook). In another instance, you can refuse to give an item that is completely needed to do a ritual to your companion, only to find out she can do it anyway, despite saying she absolutely needed it. Despite the city being one of the most controlling of mages in the world, you can go the majority of the game as a Mage, which the Templars admit to knowing about, with complete freedom, which is silly. One character might kidnap one of your companions because he thinks you might be against the mages, despite the possibility of you siding with the mages the entire game, something he was often there for. At the end, it is possible for you to save every mage in the Circle, yet the cutscene shows all of them dead, which cases a significant character to go mad and fight you.The mages you encounter are constantly Blood Mages, crazy, or both, which makes trying to build sympathy for them a pain. The final main choice is a complete 180 of this, having you either kill an entire group that didn’t do anything, or defend them. Because that is real hard, morally grey choice.

    Gameplay is a mess. You have your traditional three classes to choose from, and an improved talent/spell tree that allows freedom. However, this is dragged down by the awful level design and enemy placement. The levels, in addition to repeating all the time (with poor attempts by BioWare to hide this fact) and being dreadfully ugly much of the time (which kills your enjoyment of going anywhere), are poorly constricted. Enemies (most of which are completely generic and offer little thought to how to counter them) spawn in waves, just appearing from the sky, which completely defeats the purpose of planning ahead for a given encounter. Often times, this coupled with the often tight places where you fight, can leave you having to kill your entire party just to survive. The game can get hard not because of true challenge, but because it has bad design. Even the most exciting quests (not much besides fetch quests are memorable) get dull and tedious.

    RPG elements have been removed in various ways. First, Skills are completely gone. Things like Persuasion are now depended on class, personality type, and who you have in your party. Second, dialogue, now being voiced, has much less dialogue options to choose from, and most of them leading to the same end goal. Gone are the days of Origins where you can piss off a companion to where they refuse to talk to you about something. Third, Companion armor is no longer controllable, with each companion having their set look that serves one function. Forth, not all companions have access to the same trees, despite being the same classes (Anders can have Creation but Merril can’t). These last two points limit each companion into a set role, and while you could argue it is to make them more unique, it limits the overall freedom the player has.

    Fans often say it tried to be different, which makes it good. But trying and succeeding are not the same. DA2 failed in all of its important ways. This game deserves to be remembered as a complete failure, that hopefully gamers and developers can look at to remember that we deserve better. This game is simply awful.    … Expand
  53. Kvantaliani03
    Nov 20, 2021
    4
    rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
  54. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    2
    Thus is a terrible game, it is evident the developers did not care about it, just avoid it and play something else.
  55. mxnu54
    Aug 12, 2021
    10
    Its really not that bad, obviously Origins was better but its still an extremely good Western Fantasy RPG with very good combat, this game is not a 4.4 lol. The Console Version is very good.
  56. FidelGastro
    Apr 22, 2021
    8
    Its hard to believe how much better this game is than Origins. This game is unfortunately so underrated.
    Yes, i know... world in this game is so smaller than in Origins, quest locations are repetitive. But hey... thanks to that this game is more dynamic than first one. its simplyfied, so everyone can enjoy it right now. You dont have plan on paper how you are going to spend your ability    Its hard to believe how much better this game is than Origins. This game is unfortunately so underrated.
    Yes, i know... world in this game is so smaller than in Origins, quest locations are repetitive. But hey... thanks to that this game is more dynamic than first one. its simplyfied, so everyone can enjoy it right now. You dont have plan on paper how you are going to spend your ability points. Skill tree is clear and understandable. Its shame that you can equip with armor and weapons you find only yourself, because all your buddies have their set of armor which you cant change.

    In the end i must say that this game was a big surprise. Im kinda surprised that this game has only 4.4 rating. But i can understand how these ultra-fans could be dissapointed. So from my side its decent game with 8/10 rating.    … Expand
  57. Kzart
    May 20, 2020
    2
    The whole game is awful and not fun at all, I really tried to like it but to no avail. At least I bought it while it was in promotion.
  58. NxtDoc
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    Dragon Age II is a great story. With a great supporting cast.. Just like Mass Effect 2 (and eventually 3) before it.. Broware clearly wanted to make Dragon Age II for a more casual action oriented audience. And so it does take a slight step back as far as world building. But Dragon Age 2 does still have plenty of charm
  59. storygamer
    Sep 1, 2020
    6
    After the terrific predecessor, I was very hyped about the release of Dragon Age II. Storytelling is great and the fights are really decent. But this game has many flaws. It really doesn`t feel like a RPG, because many elements, that made the first game so precious were canceled. Sad to see how good ideas turn out to be disappointing. Ok, but nothing special...
  60. Awanka
    Jul 3, 2022
    8
    The Dragon Age you know and love with an updated combat system. The combat is polarizing. It's much more action-oriented and difficult than Origins. You either love it or hate it. Enemies attack in multiple waves, and healing is very limited, forcing the player to manage resources carefully. I personally love hard combat, so it was a plus for me.

    The story is also controversial,    The Dragon Age you know and love with an updated combat system. The combat is polarizing. It's much more action-oriented and difficult than Origins. You either love it or hate it. Enemies attack in multiple waves, and healing is very limited, forcing the player to manage resources carefully. I personally love hard combat, so it was a plus for me.

    The story is also controversial, because it's not the usual save the world trope. The story follows a family just trying to get by after being forced to be refugees from the Dark Spawn invasion. They then get caught up in the major events of the city of Kirkwall that they fled to. Again, I personally dislike cliched stories, so it was a positive in my book.

    Negatives are that they reuse a lot of areas for exploration and combat. The other party characters aren't as memorable or interesting as the Bioware standard.    … Expand
  61. odderking
    Aug 23, 2023
    9
    A incredibly underrated game. A lot of people complain about the combat, but I actually prefer it to origins, I feel like I’m in control. Also I absolutely love the characters. I think it’s definitely a game worth your time.
  62. Prink34320
    Dec 19, 2020
    9
    A truly underrated sequel to the wonder that was Dragon Age: Origins. Although I do agree that the game fails to match up with its predecessor in many ways - from player choice practically being ignored to reusing many areas and enemies, the game still manages to be a thoroughly immersing and enjoyable experience.

    Although Hawke, the game's protagonist cannot be as well-defined as the    A truly underrated sequel to the wonder that was Dragon Age: Origins. Although I do agree that the game fails to match up with its predecessor in many ways - from player choice practically being ignored to reusing many areas and enemies, the game still manages to be a thoroughly immersing and enjoyable experience.

    Although Hawke, the game's protagonist cannot be as well-defined as the protagonist in Origins, having a definitive background allows Hawke to be have the most personal storyline, as opposed to being isolated from the narrative as a savior archetype. Not only that, but Hawke themselves is a very personable character, whose personality can be defined and redefined by the dialogue choices you make, which do have some impact in dialogue and subplots.

    Furthermore, restricting the game to a singular location allows you to have a more personable experience with the location, as opposed to simply stopping by for a few hours to save everyone, you experience what life is in Thedas, and you see how the narrative in the world around you progresses.

    The narrative, although being my least favorite aspect of this game, especially due to the game's third act and how it handles the overarching conflict, still manages to be immersive - out of every Dragon Age game and DLC, this is the only game that has made me legitimately cry because the game managed to make me care about its more minor characters.

    The gameplay is also the most enjoyable in the series. Some do not enjoy the more fast-paced and action packed change of style, but it personally made the game's combat more enjoyable for me - Dragon Age is partially notorious for having rather bland gameplay, and Dragon Age: II provides the most enjoyable combat experience.

    Finally, the characters are what truly make this game my favorite of the series. Not only are there practically no restrictions of who you can romance - a win for player-choice and homosexual gamers, but your relationship with the characters is more three-dimensional, as you can either be a friend or a rival to them, and in both instances you can romance the character, leading to a lovey dovey romance, or a toxic relationship. The best part about the new relationship system is how rivalries might actually be better for those characters, as friendships often enable them to do dangerous things, whilst rivalries can prompt a change in perspective.

    Dragon Age: II is truly an underrated gem, despite all of its flaws, much like Origins was despite its flaws.    … 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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