Dragon Age II

 Xbox 360
User Score
4.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2466 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 795 out of 2466
  2. Mixed: 431 out of 2466
  3. Negative: 1,240 out of 2466
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  1. Vaille
    Mar 11, 2011
    7
    I went into Dragon Age II with high hopes, only to be crushed summarily upon realizing that the Auto-Attack feature had not been implemented as promised, and that the importation system was supposedly broken. Much like Hawke's rise to power, however, my feelings towards the game grew steadily until I found myself staring wide-eyed at the game's climax. I'll start with graphical details,I went into Dragon Age II with high hopes, only to be crushed summarily upon realizing that the Auto-Attack feature had not been implemented as promised, and that the importation system was supposedly broken. Much like Hawke's rise to power, however, my feelings towards the game grew steadily until I found myself staring wide-eyed at the game's climax. I'll start with graphical details, though. Playing on 1080i, the graphics are a moderate improvement over those of Origins. That said, they could be better. There are a few minor clipping issues, and if you pay attention, you can definitely tell that you're playing a video game. Graphically, this is no Mass Effect. However, from an artistic standpoint, the game is impressive, to say the least. Thedesian art is shown over Varric's voiceovers, providing an experience that genuinely immerses you in the world. Furthermore, breathtaking environments outside of Kirkwall can leave you forgetting your quest at times. There are complaints of several technical issues. Most notably is the lack of an Auto-Attack feature. Chris Priestly has promised a patch that will include the feature, but until then, players are committed to button mashing in order to attack. Fans of Origins, I don't have to tell you how much of a nightmare this can be. There have also been reports of the import feature not working. However, as I haven't encountered said glitch, I won't fault the game for it. From a gameplay standpoint, the game has seen noticeable improvements (with the exception of the Auto-Attack issue). Choosing an action now sets that action immediately into motion. No longer do you have to shuffle around enemies or wait for them to stop running from you. Furthermore, ranged characters like archers and mages can now hold their own (to a degree) in close-quarters combat. However, you can no longer customize the armor of your party members, other than accessories. While this has the sense of a lack of control, it does make every party member stand out as unique. The story is drastically different from that of Origins. Where Origins was a high fantasy epic involving the defeat of Thedas' greatest known evil, Dragon Age II is a personal story that slowly builds purpose. The developers were mostly correct when they said that there's no primary antagonist. The game is divided into several acts, with the final two each having their own enemies. After a slow climb, the game reaches a world-shattering climax in its final act, with the opportunity to change Thedas much more than your Warden ever did. Unfortunately, the story to that point is almost totally devoid of the embracing feel of Origins. Additionally, the denouement is short and unfulfilling, and you find yourself hoping for an expansion that will offer some closure. Ultimately, Dragon Age II comes off as a strong game that just barely missed its mark. It hits a high point towards the end, but the journey there often feels cold and uninviting in comparison with the enthralling world of Origins. The graphics, while improved, still don't meet the standards set by many games recently released. Gameplay has seen several improvements, but in an effort to streamline, the developers were perhaps a bit too ambitious for their own good. In short, Dragon Age II is worth playing, but you shouldn't shelf the original just yet.… Expand
  2. Zhijn
    Mar 20, 2011
    6
    Without going into to many details. Great voice acting, love the way your character stay in voice character should you be angry, funny or serious. However that alone does not carry a hole game. DA2 is infact incredible repetitive with the method of reusing areas for pretty much everything throughout the hole game, while the environment is very well made and detailed it gets very and i meanWithout going into to many details. Great voice acting, love the way your character stay in voice character should you be angry, funny or serious. However that alone does not carry a hole game. DA2 is infact incredible repetitive with the method of reusing areas for pretty much everything throughout the hole game, while the environment is very well made and detailed it gets very and i mean very boring really fast. Everything from the city to the dungeons are reused over and over and over, very tireing and you are constantly sitting with a feeling that somethings gotta change soon, but it never does.

    Moving on to combat. I got abit of mixed feelings on this one, while i enjoy the faster combat and the class cross combos you can do i absolutely hate the exploding bodies and massive gore that spew all over the place. Fatalities is another thing i liked from DAO but were totally removed from DA2 with exploding enemies. No much strategy in combat either, while you still got the tactical setup for your party there is no strategy to be made on the go, you can still pause and issue orders but you can no longer zoom as you did in DAO. Planning a combat in DA2 isnt to great either anymore considering the game just throw hordes of weak enms at you from all direction making it a total mess for any type of planning. Its clear the combat was not designed for your typical RPG but more of a hack n' slash type.

    Story time. The Hawke start interesting with them fleeing Lothering. Its all a nice setup for well, nothing. After that you just go around picking up side-quests and do main quests with any real story behind you, without any real sens of a goal or any sens of having a villian to fight. They make it clear that its all about Mages and Templars, but your in for a huge suprise when you realize that everything you did getting to the end didnt matter one bit. Every choice you make have zero matter on the world around you.

    Your party. You got a emo elf which is clearly some homage to J-RPGs, a naive elf, a brute ginger female, a pirate whore and a dwarf. You can romance either of em except two. Sadly DA2 have also gone taken a step back here, the romance that had a nice touch in DAO is just blend and dull in DA2.

    Dialog wheel. While i dont mind it to much, its abit to simple. Gone is persuasion, now you get a clear picture of what is what. If a romance option is ready the wheel make it clear with a heart shaped icon. Very simple, maybe to simple (?).

    Bugs and glitchs. Way to many, and that baffles me. Since iv never played a bioware game where so many glitchs and game breaking bugs actually took out the fun.

    Closing. Being a bioware fan and a fan of Dragon Age Origins i say that BioWare did not come through this time around. DA2 is short, unfufilling, lack and sens of purpose with the characters and the hole game have been simplified beyond words, it dosnt feel much like an RPG anymore. I think might have tried to appeal to a to wide of an audience and came up with something that didnt quite work. In short, it feels very rushed like it had a deadline they just barely made.

    I will look forward to Mass Effect 3 and hopefully Dragon Age 3. And i hope BioWares once and for all start improving their sequels, and dont let a deadline or something else get in their way of making a great game.

    My first thought was a solid 7, but after completing DA2 and learning that nothing you do matters it has lost all appeal to me. So sadly, very sadly i give DA2 a 5. =(    … Expand
  3. CappyBlack
    Nov 28, 2011
    7
    While this game is a step in the wrong direction for the series, overall it is still a fine game. As long as you can overlook some of what they took away, and appreciate the faster paced combat, and more confined space, it is a worthy edition to any rpg gamer's collection. Pros - Likable characters - Clever writing - Good amount of content - Fun gameplay Cons - The game feels very confinedWhile this game is a step in the wrong direction for the series, overall it is still a fine game. As long as you can overlook some of what they took away, and appreciate the faster paced combat, and more confined space, it is a worthy edition to any rpg gamer's collection. Pros - Likable characters - Clever writing - Good amount of content - Fun gameplay Cons - The game feels very confined when compared to origins - The first chapter of the game is very slow, and filled with "fluff" quests - Graphical glitches occur fairly often - The game seems to have been developed around the release of dlc.… Expand
  4. Gamingking007
    Mar 31, 2011
    6
    Repetitive, good graphics , dumb storyline!!! Cools magic but thats about it!Basically the same as the first so I would call it a long expansion! Wish it was better!!!
  5. Cicero
    Mar 23, 2011
    6
    When I go to rate a game that I played I base my score off of my desire to continue playing that game from the time I first turn it on until the time I beat it. Games like DA:O, TES, and ME to a point; even when I wasn't actually playing the game I was thinking about what I wanted to do next or where I wanted to explore next. DA2 I really had to push myself through the game just to finishWhen I go to rate a game that I played I base my score off of my desire to continue playing that game from the time I first turn it on until the time I beat it. Games like DA:O, TES, and ME to a point; even when I wasn't actually playing the game I was thinking about what I wanted to do next or where I wanted to explore next. DA2 I really had to push myself through the game just to finish it. Don't get me wrong DA2 isn't a bad game by any means, it just isn't a great game. Some parts were improved over DA:O (combat, voices, and plot to a point) while other parts of the game seem to have been rushed through development (recycled environments, consequences of your decisions, and bugs) . I played this on the 360, which I think was part of the problem. The number of bugs I ran into was insane, a few bugs here and there are to be expected but multiple game breaking bugs is unacceptable.

    All things said as a stand alone game (assuming you never played DAO) I think DA2 is a 6/10, meaning its barely above average.

    If i were to rate DA2 with DAO in mind it would have to be a 4/10.    … Expand
  6. Apotts
    Apr 3, 2011
    5
    This game would have received a 9 from me, but I am giving it a lower score due to the fact that it has very unacceptable game breaking bugs, which prevent people from finishing the game. I liked the game enough to forgive the bugs if only Bioware had been prompt in releasing a patch, but nearly a month after the release we are still waiting. I liked the game too much to give it a 0-1This game would have received a 9 from me, but I am giving it a lower score due to the fact that it has very unacceptable game breaking bugs, which prevent people from finishing the game. I liked the game enough to forgive the bugs if only Bioware had been prompt in releasing a patch, but nearly a month after the release we are still waiting. I liked the game too much to give it a 0-1 like some hater have done, but I cannot give it a high score either, because as it currently stands the game is broken. I cannot encourage others to buy a broken game. I am surprised that the so called professional game reviewers could score the game so high, did they actually play the same game that I did, and did they do a complete play-through? It is really a shame, because unlike the a lot of the people who felt negatively towards the game, I was really loving it, until my Hawke character slowed down making him unusable in battle. I still want to love this game, but the way that Bioware is handling the patch is killing my respect for them. They make excuses, but no apology, they seem to feel they are entitled to screw up this way and it is perfectly acceptable, but it really isn't. I don't work in gaming, but considering that I have seen other companies put out patches in one-two weeks after release, why is it different for Bioware? Please Bioware, get it together. From the looks of the customer reviews you have already lost a lot of fans, and I would hope you would do everything in your power to hold on to the ones who still love you. Fix the game please, and QC future releases better. Please do not become the next SquareEnix - a company that used to make good games but now just pisses fans off.… Expand
  7. Narnodewish
    Apr 7, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age 2 was a let down from the previous Dragon age game. The more "Spartan" like fighting scheme did not work as well as I first thought. It became less about tactics and became more "Get Money!" and endless pressing of the attack button. It was a good game with a plot that did not enjoy me Although it was a good enough game to play to pass the time.
  8. tbaltimore
    Apr 25, 2011
    7
    This game is a mixed bag both for newcomers to Dragon Age and to players of Origins. On the one hand, the conversation and elements of combat are improved. On the other hand, there's lots to be disappointed in. This is the best game I've played that I'd rate a 7 out of 10. While disappointing in some aspects, it is still fun to play. Unfortunately, the overall story does not feel asThis game is a mixed bag both for newcomers to Dragon Age and to players of Origins. On the one hand, the conversation and elements of combat are improved. On the other hand, there's lots to be disappointed in. This is the best game I've played that I'd rate a 7 out of 10. While disappointing in some aspects, it is still fun to play. Unfortunately, the overall story does not feel as epic as Origins, but the characters are good. There's a little too much sexual innuendo from just about every companion in the game, instead of one or two where appropriate. Probably the worst part of the game is the reuse of the same city, and the same 10 or less "zones" in 3 different Acts. Also, the maps are reused without updating inaccessible areas of the maps. Is the game fun? Yes, I think so, but be forewarned, it is not the game we all hoped for.… Expand
  9. ijy101
    Aug 1, 2011
    7
    while I want to give this game a great rating because I loved origins, this game just felt completely different and wasn't nearly as deep as the first one. It felt very shallow and while I did like the characters, the story just made me want to cry. also the lack of different areas to explore and the same dungeon areas just disappointed the hell out of me. though I do think that if theywhile I want to give this game a great rating because I loved origins, this game just felt completely different and wasn't nearly as deep as the first one. It felt very shallow and while I did like the characters, the story just made me want to cry. also the lack of different areas to explore and the same dungeon areas just disappointed the hell out of me. though I do think that if they can combine origins and two for the third one they can definitely make an awesome game worthy of the the bio ware title.… Expand
  10. ShadowReaver
    Aug 3, 2011
    7
    I would say that this is a brilliant game but despite the awesome graphics and wicked fighting system its flawed in the story line which i think its safe to say is what really built up the dragon age series, it gave our main character a voice which is what i liked i also like the the designs of the equipment but the story again was still to bare, unlike in origins you had multiple startI would say that this is a brilliant game but despite the awesome graphics and wicked fighting system its flawed in the story line which i think its safe to say is what really built up the dragon age series, it gave our main character a voice which is what i liked i also like the the designs of the equipment but the story again was still to bare, unlike in origins you had multiple start points this you only had one also it seemed like a quick fix ending not to spoil anything, but general a good game but a let down for the series but never the less i am looking forward to dragon age 3 and its new installments and with a hope of a more detailed story line one that will surpass origins.… Expand
  11. Kaylith
    Sep 3, 2011
    7
    If you had never played Dragon Age: Origins, you would love this game. Yes, in comparison with the original it isn't as epic, and it feels like it was probably rushed a little bit, however, its still a pretty sweet game. The humor, action, and story were still great. If you have 25 hours to burn you won't be disappointed. On the negitive side alot of the "instance" areas are copiedIf you had never played Dragon Age: Origins, you would love this game. Yes, in comparison with the original it isn't as epic, and it feels like it was probably rushed a little bit, however, its still a pretty sweet game. The humor, action, and story were still great. If you have 25 hours to burn you won't be disappointed. On the negitive side alot of the "instance" areas are copied thru multiple quests, so you will get a bit of repetition from that, and the mobs come at you in waves now which can be a little annoying. Some companions can also be impossible to get on your side based on your class. Some of the original magic is there though and it's a 6 or 7 if you thought Origins was a 9-10.… Expand
  12. IHateFanboys
    Nov 9, 2011
    6
    This one kind of hurts to write because of how much i enjoyed the first one. Many of the things I love about the old game are no longer present. The scenery is very boring since you visit the same places over and over. The game also did little to improve on the base features of the last game. Leaving it feeling more like an add-on then a full fledged release.â
  13. bowflexman
    Feb 1, 2012
    6
    Dragon Age 2 is an enormous disappoint. I feared the worst when Brent Knowles, the lead designer of Origins, left Bioware because he didn't like the direction the company was taking with Dragon Age. My fears have been justified. First I will say that this game is not horrible, nor is it broken. In fact, a few things are better. The graphics, for example, and the character models are farDragon Age 2 is an enormous disappoint. I feared the worst when Brent Knowles, the lead designer of Origins, left Bioware because he didn't like the direction the company was taking with Dragon Age. My fears have been justified. First I will say that this game is not horrible, nor is it broken. In fact, a few things are better. The graphics, for example, and the character models are far more realistic, but that us really where it stops.

    Gone are the epic locales and diverse dungeons, replaced with one city and tons of recycled areas. Gone, for the most part, is the epic, emotionally driven story. Gone is the crafting, and several of the customization options for part members. Most importantly, gone is the complex, challenging battle system, replaced with dumbed down skill trees and button mashing galore. This feels more like an action game now, when it shouldn't. Origins set the tone for the series as he successor to Baldurs Gate, giving us deep, complex battles that rely on wit more than brawn. Why did Bioware do this? For sales I am sure, but I would venture to say their plan backfired because so many of you have already voiced your opinions about this tragic disappointment if a game, and thank you for doing so. Bioware needs to hear us out! Mass Effect is a great action RPG series that is streamlined for a larger audience. Bioware sought their wants and needs, but where are ours? The gamers who long for deep, intriguing combat that requires the utmost strategy have been left to wallow in the shadows! Voice your opinion so that Dragon Age 3 returns to its roots!    … Expand
  14. rpgmaster
    Nov 23, 2011
    7
    Dont think this game deserves to be ranked a 4 on the user scores. Can understand why people did this and that would be frustration in that it did not live up to dragon age origins and the hype surrounding it. The graphics in the game are very good and it has a decent storyline, however the actual combat at times was rediculious.
  15. sias
    Feb 12, 2012
    6
    I had low expectations for Dragon Age 2 when I started playing it. As much as I loved Dragon Age: Origins, I did play the 360 version, which was horrid horrid PC port, with terrible washed out graphics and a disappointingly unmanageable UI. So when I saw that Dragon Age 2 was a lot more console friendly, I was pleasantly surprised. The UI is much more pleasurable to use on a console and isI had low expectations for Dragon Age 2 when I started playing it. As much as I loved Dragon Age: Origins, I did play the 360 version, which was horrid horrid PC port, with terrible washed out graphics and a disappointingly unmanageable UI. So when I saw that Dragon Age 2 was a lot more console friendly, I was pleasantly surprised. The UI is much more pleasurable to use on a console and is overall less frustrating and more intuitive. However, it's really hard to overlook the many many flaws in game design present throughout Dragon Age 2. Firstly the story lacks any of the ambition and scale of the DA:O and instead opts for a more intimate family affair. Which is fine, and does lead to some more memorable moments with your party members which DA:O sometimes really lacked. But, you never feel like you're really part of anything and the links to the first game (you're originally from Lothering) feels a tad contrived. Secondly, the game world is so small and has zero variation. You spend the entire game within the same city, every now and again going to the countryside for a nice stroll. That was a terrible design choice made by Bioware. The world of Dragon Age is so extensive and full of interesting lore, so why not let us explore it?! But, for me, the biggest insult of this game was the way in which they use the exact same maps for different areas of the game. One cave in one area of the countryside, will have the exact same layout as a cave in another part of the countryside. They are the exact same places but certain areas have been walled off, as to bring about the illusion of the caves being different places. In fact, they don't even bother to adjust the mini-map, so even if a door in one occurrence of the one cave design is blocked off, the passage that it is blocking will still appear in the mini-map! That's just disgraceful and for me, has tarnished Bioware's name as a company who produce high-quality games. It's lazy game design at its worst! So, lacklustre story and terrible environment and location design. But, I feel like there are areas of Dragon Age 2 which aren't quite as horrific. The levelling system and talent trees are pretty much exactly the same as Dragon Age Origins, just with a sheen of gloss. The combat, although now less tactical, does look a lot better. In particularly the mage characters now look like more of a part of the action, actually moving their bodies to cast spells instead of just shuddering in the corner while rogues and warriors dance about like in DA:O. But I think they went a bit over kill with the Rogues (why on earth do you have to kick Poison flasks at enemies? That just looks a bit turd really). Overall, I did strangely still enjoy Dragon Age 2, despite the fact it suffers from some terrible terrible design choices, simply because some of the characters are well implemented into the fledgeling story. Anders in particular had a story which simply out-shone the rest of the game and the Mages vs. templar debacle could be quite promising eventually. I actually cared what happened to Anders and I really liked what happened (more dark, unstable, psychopathic characters please!). I think that might have been the only reason I ended up completing the game. I hope that Bioware can learn from there mistakes here and try to put some more effort into a series that is quite obviously loved by many. Just look at the fan rage on here! That's representative of a seriously disappointed fan base.… Expand
  16. DixreuX
    Feb 29, 2012
    7
    It is so sad that the story in DA2 was so bad. In my opinion, DA and DA2 should never have been related.
    BUT the game did have som really good gameplay and fairly god visuals
  17. seriousgamer
    May 15, 2012
    5
    Yes, its dumbed down and no, its not really a RPG game anymore. Its a hack-and-slash action game with some RPG content in that you can chose which silly sidequest you want to do next and you can chose skills and attributes when you level up. The whole point with the baldurs gate series and neverwinter night and DA:1 was the delightful strategy moments in the battle. You planned yourYes, its dumbed down and no, its not really a RPG game anymore. Its a hack-and-slash action game with some RPG content in that you can chose which silly sidequest you want to do next and you can chose skills and attributes when you level up. The whole point with the baldurs gate series and neverwinter night and DA:1 was the delightful strategy moments in the battle. You planned your battle, you skills, your ability points, what characters to pick for what quest and so on. Forget all that. Just take the characters that bores you the least and spam powers until every spawning mob is dead.
    With that said, and realised, its actually kinda fun. Its actually a great hack-and-slash game. I sit in my chair and click until everything is dead, i loot some stuff, i click past conversations that only annoy me. But its not boring. Its not an RPG game, its not in the least challenging (and i play on the most difficult setting), but its casual fun. Therefore i give it a 5/10. Its ok. Not good, not bad, its enjoyable when you feel like you dont have energy to think.    … Expand
  18. billy755
    Aug 23, 2012
    5
    I liked origins quite a bit but this sequel disapointed me. First, positive: Um... the loading screens were cool i guess. The writing had some funny bits, and there were... maybe two characters who weren't really annoying. So Negative: The choice of different races and histories are gone from the first game. You play as Commander Shep- i mean "Hawke". Speaking of Mass Effect the game has aI liked origins quite a bit but this sequel disapointed me. First, positive: Um... the loading screens were cool i guess. The writing had some funny bits, and there were... maybe two characters who weren't really annoying. So Negative: The choice of different races and histories are gone from the first game. You play as Commander Shep- i mean "Hawke". Speaking of Mass Effect the game has a similar dialogue wheel. You can choose between 3 types of dialogue Angelic, Evil or Funny. It's a pain in the ass because you aren't sure what Hawke will say so all of a sudden you'll mean to be intimidating but end up being racist. The actual gameplay isn't extremely different the major change is that instead of a single group of enemies you'll usually start a fight and then have to fight of several waves of enemies. This gets really tedious and can drag on a lot. The rpg elements are really dumbed down. The absolute worst part however is that there are maybe, if i'm being generous 20 different environments in this game. You'll be going throught the same areas about 5- 7 times each. It gets realy annoying. The story's not awful but there are some real annoyances. The framing device is good and it leads to one or two great moments since the narrator's somewhat unreliable. The party members are almost universally obnoxious though. All of them have One character trait and they neer shut up about. One guy used to be enslaved by a mage, so he never shuts about how he hats mages and being a slave. Other memorable characters include slutty pirate and naive elf girl who consorts with demons mage who is literally posessed by a demon. It's a bad sign when you should really have killed several of your party members. This game was clearly rushed. It's certainly not awful and it may be worth checking if you got it for like five bucks or just borrow it, or particularly like the setting but overall i'd say wait out and see what happens with Dragon Age 3.… Expand
  19. demonmind
    Nov 13, 2012
    6
    OK I have no clue what bioware was thinking when they made this game why did they change the game so much. Like when I heard they were making dragon age 2 I immediately perordered cause the first one was so good but as it turns out its half as good just with better graphics. I mean why not pick up were first left off why is that I only get the city to explore. I mean everything that madeOK I have no clue what bioware was thinking when they made this game why did they change the game so much. Like when I heard they were making dragon age 2 I immediately perordered cause the first one was so good but as it turns out its half as good just with better graphics. I mean why not pick up were first left off why is that I only get the city to explore. I mean everything that made to first one good was left out. Though the combat was improved. The story was OK I guess just didnt stack up to origins. Plus it didn't mention anything about my character from origins nethier. Idk the game just felt dull and boring… Expand
  20. Annoymous1
    Feb 2, 2013
    6
    Combat is good, Dragon's are barely there, Story is hard to understand, graphics are good. You barely can understand the story, is there any sense? A C- for me
  21. Jay_Sherman
    Feb 23, 2013
    7
    Dragon Age II is not BioWare's finest game, nor is it the most polished game they've ever released, but I think it's an underrated game whose finer qualities are overlooked because of its flaws. Inevitably it is compared to its predecessor, the superb Dragon Age: Origins. The first Dragon Age game was a labour of love, years in the making.

    Dragon Age II, given even half the time that    Dragon Age II is not BioWare's finest game, nor is it the most polished game they've ever released, but I think it's an underrated game whose finer qualities are overlooked because of its flaws. Inevitably it is compared to its predecessor, the superb Dragon Age: Origins. The first Dragon Age game was a labour of love, years in the making.

    Dragon Age II, given even half the time that BioWare had to work on DA:O, could have been another polished, memorable, well-loved game, albeit one that took risks and changed the formula of its predecessor. Instead, due to publisher pressure, they were forced to put out a game with recycled maps and less content and features than I suspect they would have liked. Its strength lies in its story, its characters, and the themes it contains. With Hawke they attempted to dissect the classic Hero's Journey, and I think they nearly succeeded.

    I refuse to believe that BioWare deliberately trolled fans by putting out an inferior product or were just looking to make a quick buck. Fans are welcome to gripe and nitpick about this or that detail they didn't like or this or that element they thought was poorly implemented or altogether absent. It wasn't a perfect game, but I believe the blame lies with the publisher and they hold executive power over the developers of games under their banner. Like LucasArts when they stupidly forced Obsidian to release Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords early in order to have it available for X-Mas, Electronic Arts made a critical error in forcing BioWare to release Dragon Age II before it was truly ready for public consumption. Blame EA if you must blame anyone.

    Underneath the messier, uglier aspects of Dragon Age II lies a good game, one that could have been a great game. I hope Dragon Age III will be the game that DA2 was never allowed to be. I hope it is able to strike a perfect balance between what made DA:O great and the things that worked well in DA2.    … Expand
  22. alghero
    Feb 7, 2013
    6
    Ok this is my first review here and I read many negative reviews of this game, that's not completely true. Its main problem is that it's a sequel and as so, it's impossible not to compare with its prequel. The story itself is really appealing but there is nothing of the freedom of the first one (and its expansion). Reducing the exploration to a single city and some random external placesOk this is my first review here and I read many negative reviews of this game, that's not completely true. Its main problem is that it's a sequel and as so, it's impossible not to compare with its prequel. The story itself is really appealing but there is nothing of the freedom of the first one (and its expansion). Reducing the exploration to a single city and some random external places simply does not work in a fantasy game. Maybe in a futuristic game where cities are giant, but here...
    And the dungeons: seriously? A couple of identical maps with just some different texture??? They even didn't bother of removing from the map areas not used in that particular cave!!! I spent hours searching to access a place displayed in the map before understanding that in some other exactly identical dungeon elsewhere that area was just accessible normally!!!
    It's not true that characters are flat, some are nice, some really intriguing, but again, do you want to compare Leliana from DAO with Isabela? No way.
    The combat is interesting, you basically control a party of 3 members but you can choose only 2 of them and use a combination of strength, agility and magic. At hard level it can be hard but just because the enemies appear from nowhere. If you can accept that the Darkspawns (demonic zombie-like creatures) could potentially rise from the ground, you simply can't accept humans appearing from nowhere in an harbour! You are almost constantly ambushed reducing possible tactics considerably. Things that were not happening in the previous game and that also makes mages almost useless, even because really depotentiated. So the best way? Pure strength and an healer just in case.
    The sound is average, nothing memorable, but it's not the first thing I look in a game. Surely I notice if it is very bad and this is not the case. Some cinematics are indeed really good.
    So why a vote of 6 and not lower? Well because if you don't compare the 2 games and for a moment you forget was developed by Bioware, a company that produced among the others Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect (I have all their RPGs) it's a decent game, probably with no replay value, but I played it and finished in few weeks because at least the plot was intriguing and I was hoping something interesting happened. I tried only 2 DLC, those that came for free with pre-order edition and they didn't add as much as the golem in DAO for example.
    An average game that will not stop me from waiting Dragon Age III, for any random player who wants to try an RPG there are better options, but if you read about it and love the settings (Thedas is a really interesting world) it's surely worth playing it.    … Expand
  23. sJagstang
    Mar 15, 2013
    6
    As a huge fan of Dragon Age: Origins, I couldn't help but feel very disappointed by Dragon Age II. The gameplay whilst more fluid was made far too easy and basic for an RPG, It loses the thing that made Origins fun which was challenging tactical gameplay, the characters in DA2 are decent but they are not as good as the Origins cast and the decision to make the whole game take place in oneAs a huge fan of Dragon Age: Origins, I couldn't help but feel very disappointed by Dragon Age II. The gameplay whilst more fluid was made far too easy and basic for an RPG, It loses the thing that made Origins fun which was challenging tactical gameplay, the characters in DA2 are decent but they are not as good as the Origins cast and the decision to make the whole game take place in one city and some area's nearby it was a huge mistake and one of the most blatant examples of reusing locations, Dragon Age Origins felt huge in scope but DA2 feels limited, bland and disappointing, I hope BioWare can return to form with Dragon Age 3 because another game like DA2 would be a massive disappointment considering how great DA: Origins was. The game also has one of the worst endings I've seen in recent times, It's like BioWare doesn't know how to end games recently.… Expand
  24. rawrieatchu
    Apr 29, 2013
    5
    If DA2 came before Dragon Age origins, I think then that this would have worked a little better.

    Alas, this is not the case, and when we compare Dragon age 2 to Dragon age Origins, most of us feel disappointment, but if DA2 was a standalone game however, it would have done a little better in my eyes. Downgrade in graphics, lazy design, less customization, and a cast of characters I    If DA2 came before Dragon Age origins, I think then that this would have worked a little better.

    Alas, this is not the case, and when we compare Dragon age 2 to Dragon age Origins, most of us feel disappointment, but if DA2 was a standalone game however, it would have done a little better in my eyes.

    Downgrade in graphics, lazy design, less customization, and a cast of characters I hated half of. The argument here is that DA2 did better on the action standpoint, but I disagree, and found that it was even less fun than the first game.

    DA3 will have to pull of a sodding miracle to save this game franchise, Bioware is going down hard, and not much can pull it's boots out of the fire from the damnation it received from this game, and ME3.    … Expand
  25. doggystyle
    Jul 21, 2013
    6
    Dragon age: Origins was pretty great. The sequel has been dumbed down to be an action game with automatic healing and enemies appearing out of thin air. A sad example of what happens when studios try to go for a broader audience. Don't know if that worked here but at least RPG fans were disappointed.
  26. Deusex
    Mar 3, 2014
    6
    On a technical level dragon age 2 outshined origins.
    Pros:
    Better graphics but just below average.
    Gameplay is better. But nothing special.
    Fully voiced character.

    Cons:
    Repititive.
    Boring.
    Not very open.
    Bad facial animations that detract from the experience.
    No feel for impact in gameplay, feels flat.
    Bad setting.
    Worse characters.
  27. Shimmeywill
    Feb 27, 2020
    5
    The lacking mission design, story and setting make this an overall mediocre RPG experience.
  28. Luccio26
    Feb 3, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Story: 1.5/3
    Let me begin by saying that this is not a bad game. This is not a sub 5/10 game and avoid completely. However for those coming from DAO you will be disappointed as I certainly was. The game starts by firstly taking you away from the massive choice of characters and options that DAO gave you. Rather than starting your adventure from different angles you are given the story and character of Hawke. Where you follow his/her story ark to take down the archdemon. It still has some incredible dialogue. It still has some meaningful decisions that need to be made. The ending sequence is also memorable without being anything too special. The character development of some of the companions are noteworthy and you will still enjoy taking the time to learn more about the different stories of each of them. It does feel stripped down however from DAO in terms of content. Compared to the 80+ hours per campaign you can put in to DAO, this one is only 25 hours, 35 if you do all the side missions and task content. Significantly less but once again this is not a terrible game. It is just not the best in the series.
    The Gameplay 1.5/3
    The clunky feel of melee combat is gone in the DA2. The spell caster combat is more fluid than before and the battles seem more entertaining than in DAO. The biggest problem in this game is how the difficulty scales. You see it isn't based on mechanics and different options you take in combat. However it is the quantity of enemies that are sent to attack you. Boss battles seem like they are just horde mode where waves of monsters/fighters will attack you until you complete the battle. Yes they improved the combat, but making every battle a horde mode fight is just lazy. The progression of the character is standard Bioware. Plenty to choose from and all of it seems meaningful enough.
    Art Design 1/2
    Look, this game actually looks great. The content that is there is really impressive and the graphics are a huge upgrade from DAO. The character models are fantastic and the weapons and cities look great. The only problem is there just isn't enough of it. There are the same maps you traverse over and over. The same enemies over and over. The same city although huge from the outset, seems hollow because of the lack of interactable NPCs.
    Sound/Music 2/2
    Where the game does its best is its voice acting. Bioware just get this right time and time again. I loved the dialogue in this game and probably the only thing that kept me going in the game. I Think the sounds from combat, ambient and sound track are all immersing and this department all in all did a fantastic job.

    My final score for this game is a 6/10. This is not a bad video game, it just isn't the sequel we all wanted from arguably one of the best RPG's to date in DAO. I would still recommend playing this game to any fan of the universe as there is plenty of interesting characters explored in DA2 that appear in DA:Inquisiton and will make that experience even better. However if you choose to skip this, the DragonAge Keep gives you enough of a synopsis in the choice section to clue you in on what you missed when you start DAI.    … Expand
  29. Aivboh
    Jan 7, 2013
    6
    This game is awful. For me, not because of the scenes, graphics, etc. but because of the terrible game play. The story telling makes feel like a marionette whereas my choice could make it different in DA1. The equipment design is a miracle and Bioware never thought to give patch on them instead of thronging DLCs for money. I will not pay DA3 ever.
  30. Amathev
    May 16, 2012
    5
    An average RPG, that's below the Bioware standard.
    Whereas Bioware used to be the flagship RPG developer, this was the game that sunk their boat.
    It feels more as if playing a spin-off series than a serious sequel. There are time when textures and models in the game will look great; and then you'll suddenly see hundreds of things that look like they were made 10 years ago. The story feels    An average RPG, that's below the Bioware standard.
    Whereas Bioware used to be the flagship RPG developer, this was the game that sunk their boat.
    It feels more as if playing a spin-off series than a serious sequel. There are time when textures and models in the game will look great; and then you'll suddenly see hundreds of things that look like they were made 10 years ago.
    The story feels rushed and there's nothing coherent or engaging about it. It's like the entire game is just a series of sidequests.
    When you do quests you will see the same cave 100 times. They actually literally use the exact same cave design over and over again, it is a laziness you often don't see in RPGs these days, what were they thinking?    … Expand
  31. Kwiat_W
    Apr 17, 2012
    6
    Not a bad game, but it's not what it should be.
    It's really hard to find any improvements over the Origins. The graphics are technically better but the art style is worse (locations are empty, characters are to "clean"). I like that the combat is faster and the animations are more dynamic (it's really cool to watch your mage casting spells) but they have overdone it (mages make    Not a bad game, but it's not what it should be.
    It's really hard to find any improvements over the Origins. The graphics are technically better but the art style is worse (locations are empty, characters are to "clean"). I like that the combat is faster and the animations are more dynamic (it's really cool to watch your mage casting spells) but they have overdone it (mages make pirouettes, rogues teleport, warriors fight with swords twice the size of you character). The endless waves of enemies that spawn out of nowhere is the worst aspect of the game to me (THE WORST!). The story is meh and player impact on it is very small.    … Expand
  32. Vincer
    Mar 2, 2012
    6
    One word could describe Dragon Age 2; mediocre. Or one could say 'disappointing.' After playing the fun, action-packed demo, expectations were high for Dragon Age 2. After actually playing the entire game, one would notice the many faults in gameplay, fallacies in the logic and worst of all: a motiveless plot. However, as much as a PC gamer could see, the gameplay is dumbed down forOne word could describe Dragon Age 2; mediocre. Or one could say 'disappointing.' After playing the fun, action-packed demo, expectations were high for Dragon Age 2. After actually playing the entire game, one would notice the many faults in gameplay, fallacies in the logic and worst of all: a motiveless plot. However, as much as a PC gamer could see, the gameplay is dumbed down for console gamers. There is no sense of suspense because the game is too easy for both PC and console gamers. While it's predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins, was fun for both the PC and console (more so on the PC) because it required something that Dragon Age 2 lacks; strategy. Dragon Age 2 is reduced to a simple button masher if the difficulty is on Normal.
    BioWare's Dragon Age team must change writters. The typical gamer could sit down for one whole playthrough and poke holes through the plot. Writters for both the dialogue and plot. Dialogue is lazy. Simply put, the characters have no reaction to your lines. For example, you pick the humorous option on the dialogue tree and only few characters actually react to joke, i.e. Flemeth.
    Also, it feels as if the Dragon Age team got lazy and decided to steal a lot of elements off of it's sister franchise, Mass Effect. The dialogue tree, the pause menu, last name only being mentioned (Hawke/Shepard). While, yes, it is only natural that the company "steals" elements from it's own sister game, but it seems all too similar. One major reason why Dragon Age: Origins did so well was because it felt different from the typical BioWare RPG.
    Another example of BioWare's laziness was the usage of the same levels or areas. Through one playthrough, you'll notice Hawke go through the same dungeon 3-4 times.
    As much as one would complain about the leap from more PC oriented to more console oriented, there are some elements that deserve recognition and praise. For example, the skill tree is easy and intuitive, as mindless as the button mashing is, it's better for console gamers (such as myself) in contrast to Dragon Age: Origins where one would just hit one button and it would auto-attack. The graphics as well as very colorful (sometimes) and the models itself are much better than the predecessor.
    In the end, Dragon Age 2 was rushed and hopefully BioWare understands what went wrong and in the next game, they improve and make entire better game. I cannot see giving this game more than a generous 6/10.    … Expand
  33. SoothSayer
    Feb 14, 2013
    7
    I am a huge DA:O fan, beat the game four times and got all the achievements except for some of the DLC. It was and still is one of my favorite games ever. DA: 2 is a decent sequal and a respectable game. Its terribly low reviews are a cause of two issues. Misleading PR and dramatically different style in both visuals and story.
    The Good. Dragon Age 2, was well polished visually and    I am a huge DA:O fan, beat the game four times and got all the achievements except for some of the DLC. It was and still is one of my favorite games ever. DA: 2 is a decent sequal and a respectable game. Its terribly low reviews are a cause of two issues. Misleading PR and dramatically different style in both visuals and story.
    The Good. Dragon Age 2, was well polished visually and mechanically both in terms of stability and core game mechanics. Animations, cutscenes and voice acting are all well done, dialog and body movements when conversing received a much needed upgrade. Combat is fluid, visually pleasant, stable and easily accessible while retaining its difficulty to master. What is best about the improvements in combat is fundamentally it is still the same combat system, just flashier. For those who were die hard tactics and micromanagers in DA: Origins will still find all the challenge and depth if they knock up the difficulty rating (normal is far to easy).
    The game also makes cameos of prior characters and impressively they actually make comments and intertwine some events which occurred based upon your prior save.
    Some character quests and and core character events were well done and excellently pull some empathy and create suspicion and even worry.
    The best upgrade or improvement in my eyes for DA 2 is the conversation reactions and animation. They were sorely lacking in the first but was made up for by the fine writing and excellent voice acting.
    Much of the conversing with party members was improved, as with the first one, chatting and your actions impact your party and their attitude towards you. The implementation of the Rival Friend system was an excellent move which allowed you to purposely piss off the characters you hate and treat them like dirt without the worry of losing the benefits and stat bonuses or risks of leaving which the first game offered.
    The Bad. Most of the 'bad' stuff in the game really was not all that bad, but the DA:O fanbase simply did not want or expect certain changes.
    Truly the worst part about this game is its story. Although not the worst I have seen, played or read, it suffers more flank and critique because it is the sequel to DA: Origins. Origins had a massive and immersive story where everything and one felt like it belonged and all the choices and action which took place felt like they and you the character had weight and influence in the world.
    Much of these feeling is gone in the second. It removes itself from the beloved Ferelden and all its politics, characters and world which the prior game setup and established. The new story by (keyword here being contrast) contrast feels weak. It also makes no attempt to continue the original story, where they left off with many questions which I cannot say specifically due to spoilers.
    Streamlined RPG. This game is noticeably less customizable and very much less open than its predecessor. They removed the party armor system and simply have it upgrade by buying items in stores which have no visual reflection or upgrade on your party members. The only true weapon and armor customization you may have is with your character, even this though is oddly lacking in variety.
    Many people will disagree with me on this point; the loss of 'choose your own story' element. I loved the take back and traditional move DA:O did with its conversation. The old choose your dialog option took me back to my youth when I read those old choose your adventure style novels which heavily influenced the game. The new Mass Effect dialog wheel is not bad and helps make the conversations flow but I would have prefered the old dialog option.
    Lack of immersion. Never in the game, did I feel fully pulled into the story, or very attached to many of the characters. Their introductions were often random and usually had little impact or relevance to the story. Many of the quests you go about feel tacked on and are there simply as filler. Though to their credit, many of the side quest even if they were boring did get mentioned and had some consequences which affected later story.
    Some of the combat (events) felt very superficial. Like the whole purpose of the quest was just an excuse to go and kill something. Not like DA: O where several quests were literally you talking and making choices which would later affect the game.
    In conclusion, Dragon 2's biggest flaw is it is the sequel to a fantastic and possibly impossible to outdo game. Many of the issues with the first game were resolved and improved upon, while its lack of story polish and open world and adventure feel removed. Character dialog as a whole was less believable (I know its a fantasy game) and several characters felt forced or unnecessary. However, many decent story elements remain Narrative is strong, many actions of the first game influence the second. If you liked the fisrt one, its worth playing the second. Just expect some changes. Good and bad.    … Expand
  34. otakon17
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    This is a disappointment when compared to Dragon Age Origins. The story is haphazardly told, on the first release the combat is lopsided with difficulty spikes and cheap tactics(enemies that literally spawn on top of your weakest characters with no time to react or regroup), your characters are mostly one note individuals(they butchered the character of Anders), lackluster loot, buttonThis is a disappointment when compared to Dragon Age Origins. The story is haphazardly told, on the first release the combat is lopsided with difficulty spikes and cheap tactics(enemies that literally spawn on top of your weakest characters with no time to react or regroup), your characters are mostly one note individuals(they butchered the character of Anders), lackluster loot, button mashing combat, simplified ability tree's. However there is some joy to hear your party members converse with each other and the graphics are improved over DAO with a more unified art style. This is a lackluster sequel in nearly all ways and doesn't really let you PLAY a ROLE in the world of Dragon Age despite the illusion that you are. The story ends the same exact way every time, every major event that happens in the game happens the same way every playthrough, unlike DAO that allowed you to affect the major events through dialogue and gameplay choices. After the patches and DLC, this is playable and is only recommended for die hard fans of the series. If you're interested in Dragon Age, do NOT start with Dragon Age 2, it is a black spot on the world that will most likely turn you off to the rest of the series released.… Expand
  35. matadorred
    Apr 12, 2013
    6
    A game so hated because of its predecessor so loved. lol The amount of hate that DAII has gotten just goes to show how great DAO was, and how far from the mark its sequel was. DAII was a rushed game. They re-used the same caves/areas for most of the playthrough. They didn't have enough options for the player. There were more gay romance options than heterosexual, and your party mates keptA game so hated because of its predecessor so loved. lol The amount of hate that DAII has gotten just goes to show how great DAO was, and how far from the mark its sequel was. DAII was a rushed game. They re-used the same caves/areas for most of the playthrough. They didn't have enough options for the player. There were more gay romance options than heterosexual, and your party mates kept trying to hit on you while you went on grand adventures lol. Even with the different answers/paths you can take, they all lead to the same ending lol. This is the last game I'll ever buy from Bioware, their mass effect series is overrated and this one is just bad and ppl know it.… Expand
  36. Khaosom
    Mar 18, 2014
    7
    While most people try to compare this game to Bioware's other games and along with it, the previous title in the series. I'm taking a different approach to the review of this game. Sadly this game wasn't as fun and didn't hold the same replay to me as other games of the game genre, However it's worth a few play throughs just to see all the stories at the beginning. Not to mention theWhile most people try to compare this game to Bioware's other games and along with it, the previous title in the series. I'm taking a different approach to the review of this game. Sadly this game wasn't as fun and didn't hold the same replay to me as other games of the game genre, However it's worth a few play throughs just to see all the stories at the beginning. Not to mention the game play is solid, and the story isn't half as bad as the others make it out to be. Having played many games in this genre this is one of the top 3 choices for me when I feel like playing an action RPG.… Expand
  37. whitepawn
    Jun 19, 2014
    7
    Some spoilers, kept general enough to not give much away.

    THE BAD: The game was rushed. The landscape closed in. There is one cave that uses different entrances on repeat. There is one house that uses different entrances, or not, on repeat. The companions lacked the depth of DA: O. The romances were a joke (beyond the usual). The tutorial. The game opens on a WTF tutorial and    Some spoilers, kept general enough to not give much away.

    THE BAD: The game was rushed. The landscape closed in. There is one cave that uses different entrances on repeat. There is one house that uses different entrances, or not, on repeat. The companions lacked the depth of DA: O. The romances were a joke (beyond the usual). The tutorial. The game opens on a WTF tutorial and I'm not really sure what the rationale was for that nonsense.

    THE GOOD: Yes, there is some. Expectation breeds disappointment, after all.

    GRAPHICS: Much better. Helmet off option available (personal pet peeve).

    DIALOGUE: Protagonist has a voice! About time. Voice acting again done well for the companions. More bickering, camaraderie, romance as you walk around. There are once again LOL moments sitting at your keyboard, which is as it should be. (Example: See Varric and Isabela discussing chest hair.)

    STORY: Here's where people get upset. They wanted to play a warden again and didn't get one. Boo hoo. Hawke is your everyman trying to get by in the same world, flees the blight and works herself up from nothing. This is also the transition story. This is the explanation of how everything went to Hell in Thedas. Sure, they kicked the blight, but now they have bigger problems. Also, the Qunari. The religion was an alluring addition. Again, simple idea given great depth in this game. One understands Sten much more after this game. The mage/chantry/Trevinter/templar interplay adds much depth to the storyline of Thedas.

    VARRIC: Best. Companion. Ever. Period. Varric narrates. The premise here is that he's telling this story of Hawke to an Inquisitor who wants to know just what catalyzed everything going to Hell. Hawke was there. Varric was with her (or him). And so the story is told...cutting away from your gameplay to a Varric cutscene every now and then as the inquisitor stops him to call **** Which does raise the question...is part of this story **** Guess Inquisition is required to find out.

    BATTLE: I guess the easy mode faceroll whiners got to Bioware because you need to turn the difficulty up to Nightmare to get friendly fire. Nightmare isn't Nightmare, it's about right, which is kind of lame, but tactics are required at least. The AI is so much better. Ranged DPS moves away from people trying to hit them and such. The clunkiness is gone for melee. I had so much fun playing a rogue in DA2. Assassinate and watch your victim explode into bits of gore. It is awesome. Warriors always feel clunky to me, I don't roll them, so I couldn't tell you how that works out.

    DLC: Legacy and the Orlesian bit are worth it. The former for a Warden/Magister tie in. The latter for depth on both Orlesians and Qunari. Nightmare mode on the final fights for both offer some challenge.

    ROMANCE: All the hetero male options here are douchebags. Idk about the female hetero options for the guys, but neither choice looks stable there either. Bioware fail on this one for not offering something other than douchbag, but maybe the developer on this one was just jaded and trying to be realistic by their perception of things...

    REPLAYABILITY: Almost none. Maybe if you want to try another class, but the repeat landscape is so heavy here it's difficult to play this game through more than once.    … Expand
  38. adpirtle
    Dec 5, 2016
    7
    The gap between this game's reception by critics and players shows how much Bioware missed the mark with this one. Not that the game isn't very good, because it is, but it's so different from its predecessor as to be nearly in a different genre. DA:O was a classic-PC-style RPG, which meant going heavy on customization and tactics. Its sequel almost completely eschews those virtues in favorThe gap between this game's reception by critics and players shows how much Bioware missed the mark with this one. Not that the game isn't very good, because it is, but it's so different from its predecessor as to be nearly in a different genre. DA:O was a classic-PC-style RPG, which meant going heavy on customization and tactics. Its sequel almost completely eschews those virtues in favor of fast-paced play and a streamlined design that obviously courted the console market. This was a terrible choice, at least from a marketing perspective, akin to the owners of an action movie franchise deciding to make the next film a romantic comedy. There's nothing wrong with rom-coms, but if you've got a thousand theaters full of people who came to see things get blown up, you're going to have a bad night. This is the frustration expressed over and over again in those 'red' reviews, and it's valid, even if the scores aren't.

    The actual game is pretty good, though it's not going to be remembered as a classic. Since it doesn't seem to want to commit to being either a tactical or an action RPG. it doesn't do either one as well as it should. Even the helpful tips you get in the loading screens seem to illustrate that tension, for instance suggesting you make use of liberal pauses to tactically plan out a battle, even though the tactical view has basically been removed and the liberal splatters and flashes can make it difficult to see what the hell's going on in order to plan the next 10 seconds of a fight, let alone the entire thing (impossible anyway, since new enemies frequently spawn in the middle of combat). Still, if you're quick with your fingers (or comfortable just 'going with it') the flashy, fast-flowing battles can be fun.

    If there's one area where DA2 has improved over its predecessor, it's the main story. The Champion's companions are almost universally less interesting than the Warden's (a real missed opportunity, given the possibility for growth the timescale of the game permits)., but the main plot, pared down to the scope of a single location over half a dozen years instead of the other way around, tells a pretty awesome story. The ending's been divisive (like everything else about this game), because of its tragic inevitabilities, but that's how tragedies work. Ask a Greek.    … Expand
  39. BioAlchemist
    Nov 24, 2014
    6
    All in all this is a dumbed down version of DA:O. Some of the dumbing down was okay, some of it wasn't.

    I think my biggest grip is that no matter what decisions i made, I felt like they had little to no impact on the main story. the only impactful decisions come from your companions and their own stories. Also the reuse of maps was just terrible. I swear you go into the same map 20    All in all this is a dumbed down version of DA:O. Some of the dumbing down was okay, some of it wasn't.

    I think my biggest grip is that no matter what decisions i made, I felt like they had little to no impact on the main story. the only impactful decisions come from your companions and their own stories. Also the reuse of maps was just terrible. I swear you go into the same map 20 times throughout the game, but they just reverse the path and open different doors.

    The good news? I actually enjoyed the combat for the most part though the limit of 6 skills that can be easily accessed was a bit of a pain.    … Expand
  40. 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.
  41. mbrigham1223
    Feb 26, 2017
    7
    While thoroughly suffering in it's predecessors shadow, Dragon Age II is a solid RPG that deserves more leniency from fans.

    Pros: - Excellent combat. I played through the majority of the game on hard, occasionally switching down to normal when things were too difficult. This lead to the strategic pause-order-enact cycle of battle reminiscent of old school CRPGs. Tactical and    While thoroughly suffering in it's predecessors shadow, Dragon Age II is a solid RPG that deserves more leniency from fans.

    Pros:
    - Excellent combat. I played through the majority of the game on hard, occasionally switching down to normal when things were too difficult. This lead to the strategic pause-order-enact cycle of battle reminiscent of old school CRPGs. Tactical and challenging, with plenty of depth and variety - especially the further you venture into the game.
    - Boss battles are suitably epic and memorable. Long, varied and requiring different strategies from normal groups of enemies - you couldn't ask for more.
    - A main character that evolves as you play, acting according to the player's decisions even in cutscenes. Truly gives the character identity
    - Very good voice acting. While side characters can be hit or miss, Hawke and her/his companions are exceptional. The female voice actor for Hawke was exemplary, and I could listen to Varric's stories for hours.
    - The companions are good. Perhaps the best part of the game, outside of combat. While not as varied or memorable as DAO, perhaps, this group does stand on its own. I truly cared for the likes of Merrill and Aveline. Though Fenris did a righteous job at pissing me off occasionally.
    - Interesting and engaging quests. Main, secondary and companion quests are all handled incredibly well. They are almost universally storied and weighted with decisions that often have consequences further down the line. Very few of the fetch or location hopping variety.
    - Seeing the echoes of your decisions in DOA is endlessly satisfying.
    - The world of Dragon Age is deep and interesting, and DA2 builds on that

    Cons:
    - A criminal lack of locations. I honestly guffawed when I "earned" the achievement for visiting ten caves - all ten were the same exact location just cordoned off differently. Hour after hour, you will be traipsing through the same handful of locations, and it gets tiresome fast. All the excitement of exploration is gone within hours.
    - The music is dreadful. Completely forgettable and useless - I had to try to notice it, and even then was disappointed.
    - Abilities unlock far too slowly, creating painfully shallow combat for the first few hours.
    - Not having all of your companions in one place is an unnecessary hindrance
    - NPCs unrelated to quests are completely lifeless, giving "populate" locations the feeling of being on a stage filled with prop mannequins
    - The ending is forced upon you, rather than being a culmination of your previous actions.
    - There are far too few conversation opportunities with your companions, and not enough depth to those that exist.

    Mixed:
    - The story is intriguing enough to keep you moving forward, but ultimately it falls flat when compared to the epic world-scaled adventure of its predecessor. It's not a bad story, but it just isn't epic. It feels like what it is - a tie in between two epic adventures

    Dragon Age II took far too many steps backwards from its near perfect predecessor, but it's excellent combat, memorable companions, and intriguing story line land it solidly into the field of the competent RPG.    … Expand
  42. Viktory_Gaming
    Jan 10, 2018
    5
    A disappointment. Compared to Origins and even other fantasy RPG's Dragon Age 2 fell short of the mark. The entire game is spent in a single city or the outlying areas around it even recycling and reusing those same areas many times. The main character who you create feels like a glorified errand boy instead of a champion and is completely boring. The story is basic and basically boilsA disappointment. Compared to Origins and even other fantasy RPG's Dragon Age 2 fell short of the mark. The entire game is spent in a single city or the outlying areas around it even recycling and reusing those same areas many times. The main character who you create feels like a glorified errand boy instead of a champion and is completely boring. The story is basic and basically boils down to 3 major events nothing more. Most of the characters are wasted potential. The graphics and art style make the areas so bland and uninteresting, I believe they were going for an acrylic painting style but it just looks bleak and devoid. If the art style and graphics were better it would certainly help make the reused areas of the game a bit more enjoyable to explore even though they would still get tedious. To be fair however there are a few positives. I like the change in combat style, it's more fast paced and fluid as opposed to the MMO like style we had in Origins. A few of the characters from Origins that we grew to love appear. And finally the events that take place here have an effect on the events, locations, characters and story in Inqusition.… Expand
  43. OwlCloud
    Nov 2, 2017
    6
    The epitome of the term 'underwhelming follow-up'. Dragon Age 2 wreaks of rushed development. It's no secret that it was just that, a project with one major agenda; 'get it done, quickly'.

    The gameplay mechanics are there, but to anyone who played the it;s critically acclaimed predecessor can feel how watered down they are. Presentation is among one of the game's weakest points. The    The epitome of the term 'underwhelming follow-up'. Dragon Age 2 wreaks of rushed development. It's no secret that it was just that, a project with one major agenda; 'get it done, quickly'.

    The gameplay mechanics are there, but to anyone who played the it;s critically acclaimed predecessor can feel how watered down they are.

    Presentation is among one of the game's weakest points. The city of Kirkwall and it's surrounding areas not only pale in comparison to the lovingly crafted locations in Origins, they are so bland they feel like an unfinished student demo. Dragon Age: Origin's lowly saturated world has far more of a unique visual style and flare than it's sequel.

    The main story is literally just a series of events unfolding without any real focal point. What's worse, in retrospect, the events that transpire in Kirkwall have little to no bearing in the game's sequel, Dragon Age: Inquisition.

    The Characters are hit or miss. Varric is an absolute gem, and Hawke a worthy protagonist. The remaining cast range from pretty good to almost forgettable.

    I remember playing this game for the first time as a teenager with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. 'What have they done?' I asked myself. Dragon Age: Origins had been the peak of any medium for me personally, it literally entranced me and resurrected a childlike curiosity that had long been buried. I will forever remember that as an important moment in my life.

    To go from that to.. 'meh', wasn't just jarring, it was genuinely heart breaking.

    With the Dragon Age world more realised and currently teeming with media such as comics, novels and DLC - I've come to realise that this installment should have and probably had been planned to exist as something of that nature rather than a main entry within the series.

    I'm glad it exists, but what could have been a fantastic DLC pack for Dragon Age Origins or a noteworthy novel was spoiled by EA rushing out the door to cash in a sequel while the first game was fresh in our minds. The result is, for the most part, a tedious 'adventure' in which you will revisit the same damn cave again and again and again and again. The game succeeds in making you dislike locations for no reason other than the fact that you are forced to revisit them so often.

    Ultimately, it's only necessary to those who want to delve into every corner of the world of Dragon Age in search of stories, because there are a handful of decent tales worth experiencing here. The eventual release and success of Inquisition fortunately pushes the necessity to play DA: 2. I no longer play it with a sense of dread or outright anger as at least while you do spend your time in this tiny corner of Thedas, you'll know that better times are yet to come.

    But if you're looking for the worthy sequel to Origins, look a few years later down the line.    … Expand
  44. davey16
    Mar 29, 2022
    6
    This game was enjoyable if I didn't have anything to compare it to for any reason at all...

    That being said, for being a sequel of a game I really enjoyed... its not great.

    Origins is better than it in every possible way and I feel like this whole game is a large missed opportunity.

    I enjoyed it at moments but it simply just was more blah than anything else.
  45. L3Fari0us
    Jan 10, 2022
    5
    Dragon Age 2 feels like BioWare's shot at a more accessible RPG while trying to maintain the quality and depth they're known for.

    Pros: +Gameplay is more action orientated & faster than DA:O +Solid voice acting for the most part +Art style still holds up to this day +Returning characters, making the games feel connected +Story, while linear, is very interesting, albeit a bit    Dragon Age 2 feels like BioWare's shot at a more accessible RPG while trying to maintain the quality and depth they're known for.

    Pros:
    +Gameplay is more action orientated & faster than DA:O
    +Solid voice acting for the most part
    +Art style still holds up to this day
    +Returning characters, making the games feel connected
    +Story, while linear, is very interesting, albeit a bit frustrating at times
    +Armor looks great, specially endgame sets
    +All classes feel good to play
    +The twists are all well executed

    Cons:
    -You can't play as different races, unlike the previous title
    -Your origin story is always the same one
    -Narrative is extremely linear
    -Most dialogue options don't matter
    -Dialogue options are extremely ambiguous
    -Dialogue options are always extreme (either be a super nice person, a terribly mean one, or a jokester)
    -The protagonist's delivery isn't always what you are expecting
    -You can only interact with your companions during their specific quests, aside from that they only offer generic dialogue when you try to speak with them
    -Romance feels like an afterthought
    -There are a lot of reused dungeons
    -Most enemies are too bullet sponge
    -Enemies spawn in waves and sometimes out of thin air
    -The first 1/3 of the game feels like an endless stream of mostly uninteresting side quests & there's a lack of motivation for the player to push through

    Overall, Dragon Age 2 is a game that while it improves on some aspects that the previous game lacked, it drastically misses on the ones a game needed the most in order to be recognized as a sequel for Dragon Age Origins. If you are looking for a well thought RPG with a more tactical and slow combat with meaningful choices and a narrative that warrants different playthroughs, then I do not recommend this game.    … Expand
  46. CausticMisery
    Jan 28, 2023
    7
    It's a travesty compared to the first game, but on its own, it's got a few nice things going for it. Shame about the copy-paste dungeons and enemies.
  47. MadAdventurer
    Jul 2, 2023
    7
    Fine, fine... no so good as the first one, but c'mon, guys! The story was great! And we got Varric on this one!
  48. Magikcarp
    Jul 19, 2023
    5
    Gameplay - 5
    Plot & Characters - 7
    Storytelling - 7
    Pacing - 6
    Music & Sound - 7
    Replayability - 5
    Performance - 10
  49. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    7
    Same as the first entry but worse. Pointless. I remember having some fun with it tho.
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Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
19
#19 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 75
  3. Negative: 1 out of 75
  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. Gaming Nexus
    May 1, 2011
    75
    Faulty game mechanics and disappointing maps, combat scenarios and storyline direction aside, Dragon Age II still has a surprising amount of intrigue hidden beneath the blemishes. The depth of character relationships, as well as the complex nature of the world of the Dragon Age franchise are a savior to a game that would otherwise forever be remembered by its mistakes.
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  3. Game Chronicles
    Apr 22, 2011
    90
    Above all, it seems like Dragon Age II is an experiment. If you're a fan of the first game and expect a direct continuation, either in story or mechanics, you'll be disappointed. If you're not willing to put up with some rough edges and some mechanics that don't quite work as intended, you'll end up having a hard time. But if you're going for a game that has some of the best storytelling in RPGs in a while, or you're looking for a BioWare RPG to tide yourself over until Mass Effect 3, you won't do much better right now than Dragon Age II.
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