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. yowave
    Jan 4, 2013
    4
    Dragon Age 2 is a bad game.

    The Bad: The game is short almost feel rushed, the story is lacking beyond believe, characters are not memorable, encounter areas get recycled throughout the game, your followers can't equip armor, the soundtrack is bad, enemies appear out of nowhere. The Good: Mediocre combat mechanics. It's almost as if they didn't really gave their all to create    Dragon Age 2 is a bad game.

    The Bad:
    The game is short almost feel rushed, the story is lacking beyond believe, characters are not memorable, encounter areas get recycled throughout the game, your followers can't equip armor, the soundtrack is bad, enemies appear out of nowhere.

    The Good:
    Mediocre combat mechanics.

    It's almost as if they didn't really gave their all to create this game, and i think the one to blame should be EA, the publisher who probably rushed this game and didn't gave Bioware enough time to make yet another master piece.
    I bought this game on day one solely because it's "little" brother Dragon Age: Origins was such a great game, and i was disappointed.

    When comparing Dragon Age 2 to it's "little" brother Dragon Age: Origins, you start to wonder what went wrong. it takes some effort to ruin such a game, especially when the ground have been taken care of by their previous game.

    There were days that i swore loyalty to Bioware, those days are gone.    … Expand
  2. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    I expected MUCH more. Dragon Age: Origins had an excellent concept and was much more enjoyable overall. This game definitely does not deserve to be part of the main series. The fact that you're forced to be in one town for most of the game shows how lazy EA is getting.
  3. Rox22
    Dec 12, 2012
    7
    There is allot wrong with this game. It feels like it was rushed and released far to quickly. The repeated environments and rather poorly rendered character models (aside from Isabella) are proof of this. HOWEVER, production SNAFUs aside, the game is pretty good. I loved the almost all the characters (I just love Merrill to bits!) Story is really dark and really focuses on the Templars vsThere is allot wrong with this game. It feels like it was rushed and released far to quickly. The repeated environments and rather poorly rendered character models (aside from Isabella) are proof of this. HOWEVER, production SNAFUs aside, the game is pretty good. I loved the almost all the characters (I just love Merrill to bits!) Story is really dark and really focuses on the Templars vs Mages theme. A really clever comparison to the church vs free thinking of the dark ages (but I'm sure the average gamer didn't notice this.) Overall: A good really good game with a great story and solid combat mechanics, but it should have left in production for at least a further 6 months. This is what happens when you rush. A shame.… Expand
  4. 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
  5. Riven126
    Oct 28, 2012
    4
    Dragon Age 2 is a bad game. It may be a sequel to Origins in name, but the game itself tells a very different story, and that;s the ultimate problem. Not only is Dagon Age 2 a huge departure from the original, but it's also worse in almost every way.

    Level re-use is easily the worst offense. The game lasts about 30-35 hours on normal difficulty and if you complete all the side quests.    Dragon Age 2 is a bad game. It may be a sequel to Origins in name, but the game itself tells a very different story, and that;s the ultimate problem. Not only is Dagon Age 2 a huge departure from the original, but it's also worse in almost every way.

    Level re-use is easily the worst offense. The game lasts about 30-35 hours on normal difficulty and if you complete all the side quests. In that time, you will revisit the same three or four dungeons over a dozen times. To call this game repetative would be an understatement.

    The combat in the game is a mixed bag. It often feels like Bioware was trying find a happy middle ground between God of War and the original combat system. Because of this, combat suffers and both camps are left unsatisfied. While the combat is more flashy than the original, things quickly become chaotic when "waves" of enemies begin attacking. Combined with overly long cool downs for your main abilities, combat feels more like a chore.

    Graphically, the game also fails to impress. From the art direction to the textures, the lighting, and atmosphere (or lack there of) all fail to rise above the mediocre level. Kirkwall (the city you are imprisoned in) is full and lifeless. NPC's are tucked away in corners and never interact with you. The city lacks detail and looks very unfinished because of it. Character models are too clean and also lack detail. That said, animations have been improved from the original and look more fluid.

    The UI has been redesigned and for the most part, it looks a bit cleaner. Sadly, functionality has taken a hit. Unlike Origins, the "tier" system that was used to determine the value of an item has been replaced with a "star" system. This makes it very difficult to manage inventory and find matching sets of armor. The "junk" bin still exists, but is primarily used to store things that you randomly pick up around town instead of it's role in Origins as a folder to store all your unwanted gear in before selling it to a merchant.

    The story fails to make a compelling case for the player to care about what's goin on within the city. The two central conflicts are the Qunari invasion and the Mage/Templar conflict. This may come as a shock to those who expected the story to pick up where Awakening left off. These two major conflicts essentially go nowhere and leave the player out in the wind. They feel very forced thanks to the abysmal writing that's present.

    Because the writing is so poor, the characters and character interaction really suffer. Unlike Origins, you cannot simply talk to your companions whenever you like. Instead you have to wait until you get a message in your journal telling you to go visit that character. Interactions are often very brief and feel forced. The most annoying part about this is you must travel across Kirkwall to preset destinations in order to talk with your companions. Which means you have to sit through load screens before you get there.

    The characters themselves range from uninteresting to almost interesting to "I want to kill that guy". Unlike Origins, which had truly interesting and deep characters with a a good amount of dialogue, Dragon Age 2 offers characters that feel like cardboard cut outs that are simply there to amuse or frustrate you. Anders frustrates you and Isabela amuses you. Banter is actually far more interesting to listen to than real dialogue.

    Unlike Origins, Dragon Age 2 uses a voiced-protagonist. The voice acting is terrible and sounds like there was just no effort put in. The dialogue wheel has been imported from Mass Effect to replace the dialogue tree from Origins, leaving the player with only three responses in most situations: Good, sarcastic, and evil. The wheel simply doesn't work as well as it does in Mass Effect despite Bioware adding pictures to the center of the wheel to help players understand what's good, sarcastic, and evil.

    At the end of the day, Dragon Age 2 is an uninspired mess of a game. While there may be some redeeming qualities to be found, it is without a doubt a step backward for the series. It does to many basic things wrong that the first game got right the first time. It fails to deliver compelling characters and a strong narrative. The world of Thedas has never felt smaller and Kirkwall is more of a prison than a city. My advice to anyone who enjoyed Origins and Awakening is to replay those great games and forget about Dragon Age 2. But if you absolutely must play it, I strongly suggest you rent it or borrow it from a friend.    … Expand
  6. ChrisGames
    Oct 23, 2012
    0
    This is the worst video game i have ever played without a doubt. You will go to the same cave 100 times, and each time the game will rename the cave, telling you it is a new and mysterious place you have never seen before. And then its just the exact same cave. Bioware has no shame for releasing something like this.
  7. Aeryx
    Sep 20, 2012
    4
    Requires no brains to operate. STAY AWAY fans of Dragon Age Origins. As a long-time of Bioware, Dragon Age 2 for me was the first tangible indicator that something was really wrong with them and they were no longer interested in making great games--- only milking their franchises. The gameplay is bland, the dungeons freakishly recycled and the gameplay requires no brains. It you hate yourRequires no brains to operate. STAY AWAY fans of Dragon Age Origins. As a long-time of Bioware, Dragon Age 2 for me was the first tangible indicator that something was really wrong with them and they were no longer interested in making great games--- only milking their franchises. The gameplay is bland, the dungeons freakishly recycled and the gameplay requires no brains. It you hate your money, burn it in the fireplace just don't buy this game.… Expand
  8. Ocelot113
    Sep 5, 2012
    0
    For a game that really only had to improve on the fluidity of combat, they changed pretty much everything from the first game, for the worse I might add. Combat seems to be the only thing they got right, for the most part.

    The story was linear not allowing for multiple outcomes to situations. Bringing a hero through tragedy is okay, but absolutely dropping the story after the downfall    For a game that really only had to improve on the fluidity of combat, they changed pretty much everything from the first game, for the worse I might add. Combat seems to be the only thing they got right, for the most part.

    The story was linear not allowing for multiple outcomes to situations. Bringing a hero through tragedy is okay, but absolutely dropping the story after the downfall is not. The point of a hero is the journey back from disaster and the choices that they make shortly after tragedy. Dragon Age 2 after every major event skips ahead in time missing all those pivotal choices. Immense tragedy with no option for justice is a good way to piss people off, not get them emotionally invested. because there was no proper response to events it made me realize that this is a game, and I don't want to play it anymore because my reaction was not expressed. Not even close. That's the opposite of immersion.

    Speaking of immersion, the use of a main voice actor could have been an amazing addition, IF... the tone of the voice were more versatile. RPG's requires that you feel like you are the role you are playing and when you cannot be aggressiveness sharp-tongued or be righteously stern then voice acting obliterates immersion. Forcing voice acting into pansy good guy, cheery joker, and jack-off bad guy, means you do not get real characters but cliche stereotypes. And when you are choosing multiple reactions during a scene you get unrealistic multiple personality mood swings.

    Party Character options got an axe to the face. No ability to equip characters with armor and no ability to choose any skill tree, killed this game for ever RPGer that played, and loved Dragon Age: Origins. One of the great things about DAO was that if you didn't like someone in the party, you could give that role to someone more interesting. The fact that I had to run 90% of the game with the soulless, emotionless, thought and humor inept Aveline because she was the only tank, was... well the dumbest character choice I've ever come across in a game.

    Lastly, I'll quickly touch on the combat. Really the only problem I had with the combat was the cooldown system. In DOA there was a dedicated tank and a dedicated healer, for the most part. This system works, use it. Healers were made extinct because of the over-powering cooldown system. I downloaded a mod to lower all cooldowns making this game faster paced and much more fun since the healer was viable again.

    Needed mods to enjoy:
    http://dragonage.nexusmods.com/mods/3194#content (Armor for Party Members)
    http://dragonage.nexusmods.com/mods/2407#content (All Skill Trees for Party Members)
    http://dragonage.nexusmods.com/mods/2186 (Reduce All Cooldowns)    … Expand
  9. 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
  10. Tubey
    Jul 3, 2012
    2
    This game, along with Fable 3, destroyed my RPG soul in the space of six months, as these two releases made me realise that big studios no longer give a monkeys about producing a technically proficient game; rather, they're more interested in rushing a half finished product out the door as soon as possible to bring in the cash.

    My proof? The game is graphically inferior to Dragon Age 1,    This game, along with Fable 3, destroyed my RPG soul in the space of six months, as these two releases made me realise that big studios no longer give a monkeys about producing a technically proficient game; rather, they're more interested in rushing a half finished product out the door as soon as possible to bring in the cash.

    My proof? The game is graphically inferior to Dragon Age 1, for a start. Not really sure how that's possible but it's true. The script has either never seen an active revision by a team of writers before release, or the whole team are raving idiots. This is the same company that brought us the amazing Jade Empire... it's beggars belief a game of this low quality passed through their doors.

    Gameplay? Awful. So very dumb to the extent that this is a generic hack and slasher with little to no requirement for strategy. Again, in stark contrast to the first game. Character development - something that should be a standard for an RPG, right? Nope. Nothing. In fact, three months after playing this title I dare you to recall three names from it. The sound effects and general atmosphere, so immersive in DA1, are completely gone. So how about the ability to move around the open world, discover places etc.? Nope, it's as linear as they come. In fact, it's almost a dungeon crawler. DA1 let you off the beaten track for a while which worked, even if you had to go back to the main story after a while; DA2 doesn't let you do this at all, ever. This would be forgivable, if the story was fine tuned and memorable, but no, no, no. It's completely generic and something your average 15 year old emo could write in a week. The completely irony is that if they'd taken the original Dragon Age graphics engine and overall game and just slapped a new story on it with reskinned characters, then they'd have had a hit. Instead, they managed to balls up everything (and I mean everything; not one single improvement and no redeeming qualities introduced) on the previous game.

    So thanks Bioware and Lionhead, you've destroyed my gaming innocence and the long held hope that some gaming studios actually gave a monkeys about making a decent game first and a profit second.

    The worst game of 2011 when taking into account the overall execution and expectations of the title. So bad, that I can no longer play Dragon Age: Origins without feeling angry about the franchise as a whole.

    So, just like Fable 3, this is potentially a franchise killer. A heartless, soulless train wreck of a game that doesn't deserve so much as $10 from anyone unlucky enough to find this in a bargain bin somewhere down the line. A game so bad that whenever I check for a review of a new game on a website, I check to see what score they gave Dragon Age 2. If it's anything over 6/10, I move on, as it'd be a ludicrous score. For me, 2/10, and those two points are solely for the fact that the game works when you put the disc in and it responds to the actions of your control pad. That's it.    … Expand
  11. hiimbigdave
    Jul 2, 2012
    0
    After playing the marvellous game that was the original Dragon Age this will be nothing but a disappointment to any person who chooses to play it. I suggest you instead use your time wisely and instead grind you way to the next prestige level in Call of Duty
  12. Vehement
    Jun 25, 2012
    0
    Bad game. Bioware took everything I loved about DA:O,and destroyed them in DA2. Stiff, locked, and awkward hack and slash really messed up DA2 for me. The characters in DA2 is no where as interesting and heartfelt like Origin. What happened to the many choices I can pick? Why am I getting a choice wheel? This is not f'n Mass Effect. Also, Tons of fetching/killing quests that willBad game. Bioware took everything I loved about DA:O,and destroyed them in DA2. Stiff, locked, and awkward hack and slash really messed up DA2 for me. The characters in DA2 is no where as interesting and heartfelt like Origin. What happened to the many choices I can pick? Why am I getting a choice wheel? This is not f'n Mass Effect. Also, Tons of fetching/killing quests that will have you backtracking the same map over and over and over again. DA2 and ME3 really dropped my confidence in Bioware's game quality.… Expand
  13. noesis790
    Jun 18, 2012
    0
    I created an account just so I could review this game.
    This is a sequel that takes a step backward in almost every area of the game.
    It doesn't even compare to Dragon Age: Origins.
    Skip.
  14. huzz
    Jun 13, 2012
    4
    A disappointing sequel. It seemed like Bioware left their core fans behind in an attempt to try and gain a more mainstream audience. DA2 fell short do to things like: re-used maps, simplified combat, boring characters, a weak story, a lack of important decisions, locked companion armor and many useless items.
  15. Welterweight426
    Jun 13, 2012
    8
    Sure, the game is more mainstreamed and its a little easier. Boo Hoo. It is still fun and entertaining. The characters have depth and the voice acting is good. The story is weaker than the first but it is still good and entertaining.
  16. PrpleTrtleBuBum
    May 25, 2012
    3
    Dragon Age 2 is way different from Origins, mostly in bad ways. Storywise it is very loosely connected with the original. Warden is barely mentioned just like everything else from Origins, though there a a couple of short fun cameos. Moreover much of the lore is neglected, for example in Origins Abominations were described as the worst beings ever and there are only some. During DA2 theDragon Age 2 is way different from Origins, mostly in bad ways. Storywise it is very loosely connected with the original. Warden is barely mentioned just like everything else from Origins, though there a a couple of short fun cameos. Moreover much of the lore is neglected, for example in Origins Abominations were described as the worst beings ever and there are only some. During DA2 the player however fights hundreds of Abominations and if mages are willing to reject their humanity so easily I just can't side with them, although otherwise I feel they're harshly oppressed and templars are the enemies.

    The story of game itself has 3 loose and incoherent acts with focus on templar oppression of mages. The concept is original and refreshing, but execution is half-assed. Aside from that there are no proper sidequests, which are replaced with eavesdropping fetch quests that absolutely suck. Game area is also awful centering just on 1 ugly barren city with a couple of small dungeons and such areas that are used over and over and over.

    Some people like the new more active combat, but I hated it. It's just smashing attack button with special moves thrown out as soon as possible. What completely ruins the system is the waves of spawning enemies. Even the smallest of fights becomes dragged and there is almost no planning or strategy possible. This is the first game ever in which I decided to lower the difficulty to easiest possible even though I didn't get stuck, but I just wanted to shorten the battles. There are also less skills and customization options than in Origins.

    On the positive notes Bioware still knows how to write characters, sort of. Varrick especially is great and he gets some support. Not every character is good though, and romances are absolutely horrible. Additionally I was surprised how at the very end I had troubles deciding when the time of the big choice came, the point-of-no-return was set up well and from there on the game got kind of interesting. At the very end I was even looking forward to seeing more.

    Summary: Dragon Age 2 is mostly terrible. It looks bad, it sounds bad, story is disconnected and retconning, gameplay is yawnworthy. None of the big things work. However there were some good scenes and conversations, which don't manage to save a lot. On the plus-side they managed to have me intrigued enough to wish for Dragon Age 3, but if it looks to be of the same rushed quality I'm not buying it even at half price. This game just feels rushed and obsolete, there was no reason to make this game other than to milk gamers.

    *    … Expand
  17. ButtholeSurfer
    May 19, 2012
    3
    Unfortunately for Bioware, Dragon Age WILL be judged and compared against its predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins. This is something to be expected, and this review is written with such a thing in mind.
    And indeed, compared to its predecessor, this game fails to to be equally or even half as good. The combat feels more arcade-like, the abilities watered-down and samey. For me, the worst thing    Unfortunately for Bioware, Dragon Age WILL be judged and compared against its predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins. This is something to be expected, and this review is written with such a thing in mind.
    And indeed, compared to its predecessor, this game fails to to be equally or even half as good. The combat feels more arcade-like, the abilities watered-down and samey. For me, the worst thing Bioware did was essentially eliminate what made DA: O so much fun; the need to use strategy during battles, the need to pause and plan out actions, the use of the abilities of different classes to form a strategy (for example a mage's cone of cold spell to freeze an enemy and stonefist, or a critical hit, to shatter him, and many other combinations). Another, very cheesy aspect of this game was that some of the characters' weapons and armour would automatically upgrade with their level, and for other characters you had to purchase specific upgrades. I'm not an autist by any means, but part of the fun of DA: O was setting up your characters with the correct equipment.
    Atmosphere was also another thing I found lacking in DA II. In DA: O, you really got a sense that you were fighting the Blight (especially when you were at Camp). In DA II, the story doesn't seem to have had any effort put into it, the characters feel boring and uninspired . Just think of Sten, Morrigan, Oghren, Wynne and other DA: O characters, all of which were interesting in their own way. It just feels boring.

    This is by no means a complete review, as I'm not so great at structured writing, but these are indeed my thoughts. My cents.    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. Chaosmaker
    Apr 28, 2012
    2
    Even without comparing it to the previous title, it's not a good game. But taking into account it being a sequel, 2 is a generous rating. Really.

    Let us begin with story. Entirely forgettable, detached from the former title, it didn't keep me playing at all. The certain... decision in its presentation actually detracts much from the experience than adds anything. Characters were bland and    Even without comparing it to the previous title, it's not a good game. But taking into account it being a sequel, 2 is a generous rating. Really.

    Let us begin with story. Entirely forgettable, detached from the former title, it didn't keep me playing at all. The certain... decision in its presentation actually detracts much from the experience than adds anything. Characters were bland and forgettable to the point I only remember one of them. My own "avatar" behaved stupidly, mostly because of bad representation of dialogue options that always seemed to mean the opposite from what I've planned.

    The graphics were good. But! Level design... Ugh. Reusing the same and same and same dungeons over and over is a crime in AAA title. That alone is simply insulting. Not that there were any breathtaking sceneries out there, mind you - the locations are horribly limited. And I mean - horribly. Another stupid decision was to remove the option of giving your companions armors. No, they are instead limited to QUEST UPGRADABLE ones! So no giving them latest loot - that would brake IMMERSION. The fool who thought of this idea should be fired on the spot. Immediately.

    Combat. While having nice moves, combat is surprisingly dull. Really. Enemies appear out of nowhere, you usually get waves of them. Tactics are nonexistent, magic is weak, skills are boring, the only battles that require you to actually think are the bosses - but this doesn't save the game much. Whenever a combat occured, I thought: oh, another Generic Combat Filler.

    I would consider this game a refund fodder. It feels rushed, looks rushed and is rushed. If this is the direction future RPGs will go, I am out of this train.    … Expand
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. Syndic
    Apr 11, 2012
    1
    The amount of critic reviews here giving this game a positive score is truly astonishing. Only explanation I can think of is that EA has spent a lot of money persuading the gaming media to give good reviews.

    As someone who is a big fan of Bioware's earlier games, this game was a severe disappointment. Not going to spend too much time writing this review as, frankly, it isn't worth the    The amount of critic reviews here giving this game a positive score is truly astonishing. Only explanation I can think of is that EA has spent a lot of money persuading the gaming media to give good reviews.

    As someone who is a big fan of Bioware's earlier games, this game was a severe disappointment. Not going to spend too much time writing this review as, frankly, it isn't worth the effort. Suffice it to say that if you are looking for an RPG avoid this like the plague. If you want a dumbed down, console action game then maybe you will enjoy this.

    Really a shame, used to be able to rely on Bioware to make decent RPGs but since EA bought them out they haven't released a single good game.    … Expand
  24. TheQuietGamer
    Apr 6, 2012
    9
    This games predecessor Dragon Age: Origins is one of my top 10 favorite games of all time, one of my top 3 favorite Bioware games, and Bioware is my favorite game developers of all time, so naturally I had high hopes for this game, and it for the most part didn't disappoint, it's not as good as Origins but it manages to be a fantastic RPG that you'll love every hour and night of sleepThis games predecessor Dragon Age: Origins is one of my top 10 favorite games of all time, one of my top 3 favorite Bioware games, and Bioware is my favorite game developers of all time, so naturally I had high hopes for this game, and it for the most part didn't disappoint, it's not as good as Origins but it manages to be a fantastic RPG that you'll love every hour and night of sleep missed you spend playing this fantastic game, it took me a little ove 33 hours to beat, Origins was a reminder of old school RPG's, this one feels more modern but manages also to maintain that classic feel, there is a lot of content to sink into, lots of side quests and hidden secrets to find, the story is great and really sets the pace for future entries in this fantastic series, and kudos to Bioware for doing something different with it's story than other RPG's and it's previous ones, also you have the ability to import you save from Origins, granted it doesn't do much other then alter a few lines of dialog and cameo appearances, but it's still a pretty sweet addition, and the characters as always with Bioware games are fantastic and extremely likable but not all are Bioware's best, the graphics are better than Origins but there not all that great, and the soundtrack and voice acting are fantastic and they gave us the conversation system of their Mass Effect series and my only complaint are that sometimes your character will talk on his own, but for 99.99% of the game your making the decisions but it's still irritating to have my character talk without my permission, and the gameplay has been changed from the originals, in some ways for the better and in some ways for the worst, on the plus side it's more interactive so your not just watching battles play out, but on the down side a lot of the time your just mashing the A button until you abilities recharge, but it's still fun, so in closing it's not as good as the first, but Bioware once again created a fantastic game and RPG that I'm already wanting to play through again, and I'm going to try and play the DLC in the near future, once again I'm blown away with what Bioware has done, and this game has only increased my faith in this fantastic company and this fantastic series, in my personal opinion this is a must play, truly fantastic.… Expand
  25. CrimsonWraith
    Apr 3, 2012
    8
    While I found that it clearly does not live up to its predecessor or other BioWare titles, I still thoroughly enjoyed the game while I played it. I liked the gameplay and combat, while it's hard for me to say whether it is an improvement or downgrade from Origins, it is certainly different. The scope of the story is quite limited (most of the game takes place in the same general location)While I found that it clearly does not live up to its predecessor or other BioWare titles, I still thoroughly enjoyed the game while I played it. I liked the gameplay and combat, while it's hard for me to say whether it is an improvement or downgrade from Origins, it is certainly different. The scope of the story is quite limited (most of the game takes place in the same general location) and it certainly does not have the epic feel that you may expect. While on a smaller scale than usual, the story is still great. The party dynamic and character interactions make up the strongest parts of the game and in that aspect keeps it on par with most of BioWare's other works. All in all, of the nine BioWare games that I've played, I would rank this one as #8, however it remains quite enjoyable in my opinion.… Expand
  26. Notonlytheend
    Apr 3, 2012
    1
    If this game didn't have the "Dragon Age" in it's title, it wouldn't have gotten any attention. It's a crap game with a good trailer. The story is confined to the same city and dungeon maps you'll see till you can run through them blind. Your "friends" can barely be called that as they all just pine over some obsession for the course of the game. The character customization is far lessIf this game didn't have the "Dragon Age" in it's title, it wouldn't have gotten any attention. It's a crap game with a good trailer. The story is confined to the same city and dungeon maps you'll see till you can run through them blind. Your "friends" can barely be called that as they all just pine over some obsession for the course of the game. The character customization is far less than previous or comparable games. And the combat isn't fun or tactical. The RPG element have been stripped to appeal to action gamers. They want a wider audience, but it just ends up alienating anyone older than 12. Finally, the story tries to be dark. It's not dark. It's damn bleak. The vast majority of the people you meet are the worse for the encounter and nothing you do can ebb a coming war. At the end, everything stands in ruin and you just walk away. Personally, I don't play videogames to be depressed. I play to save the world and be the hero. They went for dark, they hit train wreck tragedy.… Expand
  27. OnAnarchy
    Mar 19, 2012
    8
    I played this game a lot. Probably too much, come to think of it. There are many unfair criticisms being lobbed at this game, but as in everything, all the unfair accusations have a root in fair complaints and problems, which Dragon Age II has in abundance. The game is much more linear than it's predecessor, which did alienate a lot of the original fan base. But I find more often thanI played this game a lot. Probably too much, come to think of it. There are many unfair criticisms being lobbed at this game, but as in everything, all the unfair accusations have a root in fair complaints and problems, which Dragon Age II has in abundance. The game is much more linear than it's predecessor, which did alienate a lot of the original fan base. But I find more often than not that RPG gamers are among the worst for their rabid attachment to the past. Games evolve, and that's the way it is. I treat this as an evolution of the first game, and I do believe there were several missteps. Maps were reused, only one environment for the whole game, limited DLC, etc. These things all bugged me, but I took something else away from this game. A promise, for a war akin to the battle against the Reapers in Mass Effect, only this time on an ethnoreligious basis. Only time will tell if Bioware can deliver their promises; and they've done good so far.… Expand
  28. coelo
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    This game sucks so bad.
    Graphics are not as good as the first DA.

    Also, the environment just repeats over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...


    See how it felt to have to read that?
    That's how it feels to play DA II.

    The game sucks hard.
  29. SupR_G
    Mar 14, 2012
    3
    An absolute mess of a game. Buggy, full of nonsensical subplots and scenery that is constantly recycled in a way that just comes off as lazy - this game did not impress me. In terms of story and writing, it paled in comparison to Dragon Age: Origins and just came off as a cheap sequel you would see in theaters (like Speed 2). While I found some of the artistic re-designs of familiar racesAn absolute mess of a game. Buggy, full of nonsensical subplots and scenery that is constantly recycled in a way that just comes off as lazy - this game did not impress me. In terms of story and writing, it paled in comparison to Dragon Age: Origins and just came off as a cheap sequel you would see in theaters (like Speed 2). While I found some of the artistic re-designs of familiar races was refreshing and gave more distinction, overall the game suffered from the lack of a coherent and compelling story. Some of the characters got on my nerves and combat had little substance. The entire game seemed to forebode some "great threat" that we never see or understand, and the ending simply gives a cliffhanger into the next game. On top of this, the DLC is terrible and slapped together with little care. All in all a poor game that I would recommend to nobody.… Expand
  30. fitscotgaymer
    Mar 13, 2012
    7
    This game really gets a bum rap as far as games go, and the reason for it is two fold.

    1) The gaming media has so skewed the ratings system that most people think anything less than a 9 or a 10 is positively awful. This is a belief shared by big publishing houses, and by developers also. It has rendered the ratings system useless; and is, I believe, responsible in part for the negative    This game really gets a bum rap as far as games go, and the reason for it is two fold.

    1) The gaming media has so skewed the ratings system that most people think anything less than a 9 or a 10 is positively awful. This is a belief shared by big publishing houses, and by developers also. It has rendered the ratings system useless; and is, I believe, responsible in part for the negative overreaction to this game as evidenced by the inaccurate and unfair Zero's, One's, and Two's.

    2) Bioware's Marketing Department is really really bad. They gave a distinct impression to the fan base about what Dragon Age "2" was going to be like, and then what was delivered was quite different. Which explains much of the backlash.

    Granted none of this was helped by the extremely short development cycle that resulted in a game that feels incomplete and has a really crappy, bland, and boring ending.

    In spite of this however I still feel like a lot of the really low user reviews are unfair, because IMO the game is decent.
    The engine runs much more smoothly, and is much more stable than in Dragon Age Origins. The Character based textures are much cleaner, and much prettier. The dialogue, and interpersonal interactions with NPC companions are much deeper and more emotive than in Dragon Age Origins. And the overall story arc is coherent and mostly complete, even if it ends a little abruptly, and crappily with SuperEvilNinja!Meredith.

    Claims that the combat has been dumbed down to flashy hack'n'slash mechanics are untrue. Combat runs almost exactly the same as in DAO. The differences are mostly cosmetic, with faster animations, a lack of "finishing" moves, and the missing isometric camera.
    Or are different in the execution/presentation of the combat scenes - example: The Parachuting from the Sky Heavily Armoured Waves of enemies, or occasional cut scene "finishing" move.
    Tactics work the same, and talents (although streamlined) work the same. The guts, the actual mechanics of combat are exactly the same.

    If DA2 were an exam, it would get a solid and respectable B IMO (with DAO getting an A).    … Expand
  31. Ahmiran
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    The graphics seem cartoonish and while I like the art for the Qunari, the darkspawn look like clowns with a leather fixation. The environment is endlessly recycled.
    The story is disjointed. The three acts could very well be three separate stories being told. While I like the frame-narrative idea, but the implementation was poor.
    The real killer are the choices or the lack of them to be    The graphics seem cartoonish and while I like the art for the Qunari, the darkspawn look like clowns with a leather fixation. The environment is endlessly recycled.
    The story is disjointed. The three acts could very well be three separate stories being told. While I like the frame-narrative idea, but the implementation was poor.
    The real killer are the choices or the lack of them to be precise. Play the game in 2 completely different ways and you wind up with the same experience will only minor changes, your choice of character class has greater impact on the story than any other choice in the game.
    Thanks to the dialog wheel you have 3 ways of saying the same thing, yes, sarcastic yes or angry yes. It also doesn't help that what it says on the wheel isn't what Hawke says. Too often I was screaming "that's not what I wanted to say." The dialog itself between NPC's is actually very good and the only thing that kept me going through the game.
    Combat, the less said about it the best. Endless waves of generic foes which half the time seem to attack you for no reason what so ever. Too often I found myself asking who are these people and why am I killing them?
    All and all this is a poor game and nothing more than a shameless attempt to milk money off gamers. Stay away.    … Expand
  32. babyfarmer
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    Dragon Age II is my biggest letdown in video game history. DA: Origins is one of my favorite games this generation, and I was very stoked for DA2. Alas, I was just set up to be disappointed, everything that was great about the original has been replaced or removed. The entire game takes place in one city, unlike Origins, where you went from city to city in the world. The combat has beenDragon Age II is my biggest letdown in video game history. DA: Origins is one of my favorite games this generation, and I was very stoked for DA2. Alas, I was just set up to be disappointed, everything that was great about the original has been replaced or removed. The entire game takes place in one city, unlike Origins, where you went from city to city in the world. The combat has been sped up, dumbed down, streamlined, however you want to describe it. The combat devolves into mashing the attack button over and over and OVER. Against mobs that respawn out of nowhere, simply to inflate the game's difficulty by throwing more enemies at you, instead of making the enemies harder. If I wanted to mash the attack button all day long, I would play Dynasty Warriors, I thought this was an RPG? The writing and the "story" are laughable, especially by BioWare standards. All in all, a major letdown and the start of a once great video game developer going down the toilet. R.I.P. BioWare.… Expand
  33. lolwut6045
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    this game is so bad that it hurts. bioware needs to be purged. once a great company, now they pander out garbage left and right. also, hamburger helper
  34. moon625
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Put shortly, an abomination. Completely disregarding any input from the player or its predecessor, this game is, again put shortly, a solipsistic mess. This is an un-game. Its greatest positive influence is that it makes other games better in comparison. Not seem better, but actually making them better games by its mere existence.
  35. TheVindelator
    Mar 5, 2012
    2
    This game was a big disappointment for me. A huge step down from the original. The world is so incredibly small and limited. What I thought was the starting city turned out to be the entire game.

    If you haven't played Dragon Age Origins 1st, absolutely don't buy this. Play the original.
  36. bubblegumNtaffy
    Mar 3, 2012
    0
    The first RPG game I ever played was KoTOR. From then on I was instantly hooked, even calling it my favorite game. I bought every Bioware release from then on. Although Oblivion eventually replaced KoTOR as my favorite RPG/game of all time, Bioware continued to make me happy. I enjoyed Jade Empire, loved Mass Effect, and honestly I was mesmerized by Dragon Age. No story has fully engrossedThe first RPG game I ever played was KoTOR. From then on I was instantly hooked, even calling it my favorite game. I bought every Bioware release from then on. Although Oblivion eventually replaced KoTOR as my favorite RPG/game of all time, Bioware continued to make me happy. I enjoyed Jade Empire, loved Mass Effect, and honestly I was mesmerized by Dragon Age. No story has fully engrossed me as Dragon Age did. The characters were real. The plot was fantastic and felt as though ti was fully customizable and world that was yours to develop. Lets get this out of the way first, I have always been a console boy. Now onto DA2.... I have never been more let down by a video game. EVER. If you thought Mass Effect 2 was bad then you're in for a rude awakening. Mass Effect 2 at least kept me interested in the ME world. I have completely lost interest in everything relating to the DA world. I was bored the second hour into this game. The combat, is only slightly entertaining... for the first couple of fights. There is no tactical advantage at all. The only reason I finished the game was to finish the game. The game was pure filth. I honestly cannot say any more that anyone else hasn't said. Even those who have been at Bioware for years agree with most here. If you go to Wikipedia you'll read this:

    During the pre-development of the game, Brent Knowles, a veteran lead designer who had been with Bioware for a decade and the central figurehead behind Dragon Age: Origins, decided to resign during the designing process of Dragon Age II and eventually left the company, stating "I'm not the same person I was when I started, and BioWare isn't the same company."[10] He later went on to clarify his decision to leave, elaborating "I never thought Dragon Age 2 would be a terrible game. It was just that a highly cinematic, action-leaning RPG wasnâ    … Expand
  37. 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
  38. 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
  39. svett
    Feb 28, 2012
    0
    This was the most disappointing game that I ever played. Not because it was the worse, but because it did not measure at all to the first one. There's only one city during the whole game. The dungeons are reused with the entrances reversed and some rooms blocked. The characters are flashy, but not very deep. You can't equip your NPC's now - what's up with that?! It's a terrible failure inThis was the most disappointing game that I ever played. Not because it was the worse, but because it did not measure at all to the first one. There's only one city during the whole game. The dungeons are reused with the entrances reversed and some rooms blocked. The characters are flashy, but not very deep. You can't equip your NPC's now - what's up with that?! It's a terrible failure in light of the previous game - it's as if the game was not made by the same company. I don't know what else to say.… Expand
  40. Klijpo
    Feb 28, 2012
    7
    Certainly a mixed bag, Dragon Age 2 gets a lot of unfair criticism in among the well landed blows. Coming out only 16 months after 2009's Dragon Age: Origins, the follow up feels rushed and unpolished. The new more action oriented combat system, while pacier than its predecessors pedestrian fighting, also lacks some of the tactical planning, and could have done with more development. WorseCertainly a mixed bag, Dragon Age 2 gets a lot of unfair criticism in among the well landed blows. Coming out only 16 months after 2009's Dragon Age: Origins, the follow up feels rushed and unpolished. The new more action oriented combat system, while pacier than its predecessors pedestrian fighting, also lacks some of the tactical planning, and could have done with more development. Worse is the repeated use of the same maps over and over, which makes the exploration feel repetitive. However, despite the quick turnaround the story does not suffer much for it. Eschewing the epic battle against all odds of the previous game (and many other game narratives), DA2 is a character study of the (male or female) protagonists Hawke and his or her friends and family, told over 7 to 10 years, in 3 main acts. Fully voiced (using the same kind of dialogue wheel system from Mass Effect) and well written and acted, there are many subtle and clever subplots and arcs woven through the main narrative, mostly involving a cast of well developed characters all with back stories ranging from intriguing to powerful. BioWare have at least tried something different with the storyline, and while it does get a little restrictive towards the end, it is mostly successful. If it had had a few more months to solidify the story, and polish up the gameplay and environments, it could have as much improved over the original as Mass Effect 2 was to Mass Effect. However, the gameplay problems, while disappointing, are by no means terrible, and the game is still an entertaining experience for 30-40 hours or so. That hate this game gets is certainly extremely excessive, and it should not deter BioWare in trying out different types of story to tell.… Expand
  41. TeutonicTank
    Feb 24, 2012
    10
    I was expecting something akin to Mass Effect in Medieval times. The only reason I bought it was because I had finished ME1 and ME2. I had not played Origins yet. In the end I found it fantastic, I had come to love a handful of the characters and grew especially attached to my style of playing, bring up the difficulty and you actually have use some strategy to win. No doubt they tried toI was expecting something akin to Mass Effect in Medieval times. The only reason I bought it was because I had finished ME1 and ME2. I had not played Origins yet. In the end I found it fantastic, I had come to love a handful of the characters and grew especially attached to my style of playing, bring up the difficulty and you actually have use some strategy to win. No doubt they tried to cut costs with environments. I loved it so much I bought Dragon Age Origins Ultimate edition, which was much more pure RPG. In the end if you've played Mass Effect you should get this game… Expand
  42. David_wayne
    Feb 22, 2012
    9
    Wow I see allot of people on here whining and giving low scores because Dragon age 2 wasn't as good as DAO.too all you people giving low scores go back to you're pc's and stop giving bad reviews to a good game just because it went another route.dragon age 2 is a great game and I think if you like rpg's and a good story go get this game.nuff said.
  43. Aldrich
    Feb 13, 2012
    9
    Now that I've played it, I can see why players pan it. I will agree that there are somethings that I hated about it (such as the lack of changing equipment for other playable characters, and a small world) but the gameplay is very addicting, there is also something to do with 100s of side quest, and the cast of character.
    Making it the best $50 I've ever spent.
  44. 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
  45. Amorphous_Blob
    Feb 8, 2012
    3
    The best thing i can say about this game is that it is relatively stable... That's it... The game play is, for the most part, more or less the same as origins except simpler and with less emphasis on tactics, due to enemies spawning all around he group during fights. The character customisation has been, inexplicably, cut down(even though in the expansions for origins it was improved).The best thing i can say about this game is that it is relatively stable... That's it... The game play is, for the most part, more or less the same as origins except simpler and with less emphasis on tactics, due to enemies spawning all around he group during fights. The character customisation has been, inexplicably, cut down(even though in the expansions for origins it was improved). Many of the more interesting spells from origins have been entirely removed and the player now lacks the ability to decide what their characters wear. Non of this would matter, however, if the story or setting was interesting. They aren't. The story is confused and dull and the same goes for te environments. The main city feels dead with little to interact with. Outside the city, much the same except here the cut-and-paste environments get more noticeable...

    To sum up, EVERYTHING about this game smacks of a lazy developer doing the absolute minimum to make a quick buck. Bioware, you owe me £30...    … Expand
  46. Hunterx1x
    Feb 4, 2012
    0
    This game is an insult to players who have played DA:O. I do not see how Mike Laidlaw could have allowed this half***ed game to be released. Does he really think customers are that dumb that we wouldn't notice the recycled maps? Or he just didn't care because he's making good money off it? I played DA:O beginning to finish over 10 times and couldn't even finish DA2 a second time as a mageThis game is an insult to players who have played DA:O. I do not see how Mike Laidlaw could have allowed this half***ed game to be released. Does he really think customers are that dumb that we wouldn't notice the recycled maps? Or he just didn't care because he's making good money off it? I played DA:O beginning to finish over 10 times and couldn't even finish DA2 a second time as a mage versus a warrior. I could go on and on but it's not worth it. I will wait and see DA3's USER reviews first before I think about buying it. Same goes for ME3(… Expand
  47. 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
  48. Wulfsten
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    I'm not sure why Metacritic has played host to this massive tirade against DA2, but I'd like to do my part to rectify that. I don't usually like trying to skew the average with my score, and I'd usually give this game a 9, but I'm going to give it a 10 to try to balance out the hordes of people unthinkingly giving this game a 0. DA2 is a fantastic game that improves massively on itsI'm not sure why Metacritic has played host to this massive tirade against DA2, but I'd like to do my part to rectify that. I don't usually like trying to skew the average with my score, and I'd usually give this game a 9, but I'm going to give it a 10 to try to balance out the hordes of people unthinkingly giving this game a 0. DA2 is a fantastic game that improves massively on its predecessor in the only aspect that really counts: the story and the characters in it. The characters are complex and have lives outside of the protagonist's party, and their relationship to you evolves much more organically. The story is unique, well-told and a huge breath of fresh air compared to the stale sword-and-sorcery, kill the horde of bad guys story in Dragon Age Origins. It's the saga of a family and a city. It has some flaws, namely the reused environments and Isabela's breasts, but overall it's a huge improvement, and we need to see more RPGs like it, that take story and characters more seriously than inventory management and combat pacing.… Expand
  49. Resplendent
    Jan 27, 2012
    4
    Scoring this game is complicated for me. One the one hand, I will admit to it being a good time killer. But as a sequel to DA:O, which I absolutely loved, it falls completely flat. The story felt unimportant, several of the characters were just annoying, and the copy-paste maps were simply insulting to the player. If "epic adventure" is what you had in mind when you picked this up, you'reScoring this game is complicated for me. One the one hand, I will admit to it being a good time killer. But as a sequel to DA:O, which I absolutely loved, it falls completely flat. The story felt unimportant, several of the characters were just annoying, and the copy-paste maps were simply insulting to the player. If "epic adventure" is what you had in mind when you picked this up, you're going to be sorely disappointed. For $10 though, there are worse ways to kill several hours. Get it if you have absolutely nothing better to play, but prepare to end up wanting to strangle whoever green-lit DA2- truly a mistitled game if there ever was one.… Expand
  50. Crustypirate
    Jan 17, 2012
    0
    The story of dragon age 2 has a number of problems but the most evident one is that it doesn't have any relevance to the dragon age series in the slightest. In fact It feels more at home in the assassins creed universe. My best guess at bioware's thinking is that they wanted to cash in on the success of the assassins creed games and were pushed for time by EA their publisher. TheThe story of dragon age 2 has a number of problems but the most evident one is that it doesn't have any relevance to the dragon age series in the slightest. In fact It feels more at home in the assassins creed universe. My best guess at bioware's thinking is that they wanted to cash in on the success of the assassins creed games and were pushed for time by EA their publisher. The gameplay would be fine if not for the fact that this game bears the title of dragon age 2. The second game in a series is supposed to improve upon a game, refine and add to the mechanics and deliver a better experience. Dragon age 2 dumbs down already simple combat bringing it to a pathetic hack and slash style. Complexity and large numbers of abilities have been thrown out due to bioware attempting to build the game for a controller one of the worst design decisions that can ever be made yet I see repeated over and over. Basically the game is a simplified husk devoid of any interesting lore or gameplay. Do not waste your money on this garbage.… Expand
  51. 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. But killing Dragon Age?    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.

    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
  52. TolHydra
    Jan 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game really is a letdown...as a person who played Dragon Age: Origins 9 times through by writing this review. There are only a few things improved in Dragon Age II...Combat and in the aspects of character creation don't get me wrong, NOT being able to play any other races sucks badly but i loved creating a female hawk I could live with the voiced character..it didn't seemed very odd since i also love Bioware's other franchise Mass Effect; Only god knows how much would i enjoy to blow up a certain mage companion (the elf one) I mean i could live with the emo character but the thing made me frustrated was especially moral choices..AND MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER RESURRECTIONS REGARDING THE CHOICES OF THE FIRST GAME...You see i killed this lovely companion in the first game and imported my save to only see BIOWARE SIMPLY DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN THING about your moral choice..or role playing therefore this game has a real RPG value its a "auto-attack hack'n slash" yeah that's it .… Expand
  53. Sarog
    Jan 6, 2012
    2
    Dragon Age 2 suffered the burden of being the sequel to a highly beloved critical success, and falling completely short of the origins of the series.

    Areas of dissatisfaction include; - The game was obviously very rushed, given its development cycle in comparison to Origins, and suffered for it. Recycled area maps are obvious evidence of this, with "new" areas being the same tired,    Dragon Age 2 suffered the burden of being the sequel to a highly beloved critical success, and falling completely short of the origins of the series.

    Areas of dissatisfaction include;

    - The game was obviously very rushed, given its development cycle in comparison to Origins, and suffered for it. Recycled area maps are obvious evidence of this, with "new" areas being the same tired, repeated maps with different doors blocked off. It is visually jarring, especially considering the beautiful environments that Bioware has created in the series, and it shows quite clearly how corners were cut to a spartan extreme.

    - The game is focused very tightly on the city of Kirkwall, and this was compared by Bioware to how the beloved Baldur's Gate 2 was very focused on the city of Athkatla. The execution failed, however. Whereas Baldur's Gate 2 was a mammoth game that contained many environments outside of the main city, and many hours of gameplay to be spent there, Dragon Age 2 offers mere brief field trips into small, reused environments. Kirkwall itself is a let down; while being very visually appealing, the sheer lack of things to interact with, buildings to enter, and people to have conversations with leaves us with an extremely shallow urban adventure compared to the depth of BG2's Athkatla. Kirkwall, and the areas surrounding it, feel more like a stodgy field trip to a prison-turned-museum than the vibrant city-based RPG that might have been.

    - The artistic style of the game was a significant step down from the last installment. While there were some improvements (such as the re-imagining of humanoid races like elves and qunari to be more visually distinct from humans), the game was done a disservice in much of its visuals. The near photo-realism of Origins, coupled with its dark, gritty visuals to go with the tone of the world, was strength of the series that was too soon abandoned. Dragon Age 2 falls into the "stylized realism" trap, essentially cutting the corners of its visuals, offering *less* character customization than Origins, and brightening the world to a gaudiness that is inappropriate for a Western RPG set in a dark, medieval setting.

    - Visually, combat was a very jarring change from Origins. While the combat in Origins was slow, it was visually pleasing; players were treated to seeing the full arcs of weapon swings, weapons and armor felt heavy, and the game appealed to a strong medieval visual aesthetic. DA2 takes a turn towards anime; rather than having your warrior decapitate a foe in a beautifully rendered arc of his weapon, your characters swings his sword in a blur and suddenly enemies all around you explode in a maelstrom of random body parts. This step down from a beautiful, satisfying sense of aesthetics in Origins to childlike, immersion breaking anime-physics makes DA2 hard to take seriously in a side by side comparison to the grit and realism of the original. Compared to the visuals of competing games like The Witcher 2, DA2 seems like a cartoon.

    - For a game that was lauded by Mike Laidlaw for its innovation in moving choice into gameplay, DA2 offers merely the illusion of choice. The only outcomes the player can affect are minor details that are largely unimportant to the narrative. The player is blatantly subjected to a rail road, being forced every step of the way down a very tightly controlled narrative. Quests tend to be non-negotiable, outcomes remain fixed regardless of seemingly different choices, and the player character is stuck merely reacting to events that are beyond his/her ability to influence meaningfully. For a game that was marketed on the significance of choice, this is an unforgivable shortcoming.

    - The final act of the game is further evidence of rushed development. The act progresses very quickly, with precious little time spent familiarizing the player to extremely important characters that were introduced at the last minute with. Meredith and Orsino show up at the end of the story, and the game's conclusion is forced before either character is able to really play their role. The story falls apart, becoming a rushed railroad that doesn't make good narrative sense from every perspective (such as Orsino's fixed role regardless of the player's final choice). Compared to the highly superior act 2, act 3 was an narrative anticlimax no matter what big events are thrown in.

    - The extent to which the roleplaying aspect of the game was sacrificed in favor of being "streamlined" is both tragic and poorly executed. The sheer amount of FedEx quests is one thing; but the lack of story context is laughable. You pick up an item, you get a marker on you map, you hand in the item and get xp and gold. These quests clearly serve no purpose but to fill your purse in a convenient way, offering no context at all for your actions. Roleplaying game so bare-bones as to have the player play fetch without even being bothered to offer a rationale for it.

    Bad work.    … Expand
  54. Nikkolette
    Jan 4, 2012
    0
    Dumbed down RPG. Japanese slasher arcade combat with acrobatic knights in heavy armor, parachuting waves of zergling enemies, also in heavy armor. Idiotic wheel dialogue system where your written phrases differs from Hawke actually saying. Location that game uses n+1 times. Shallow companions. Etc etc etc.
    A shadow of Origins.
  55. anharium
    Jan 4, 2012
    2
    Very poor writing, removed everything interesting about the first games combat system. This game was clearly rushed out the door in an attempt to see if an RPG could be made with reliable selling sequels every year like a shooter or sports game.
  56. QuanticFive
    Dec 30, 2011
    8
    After a slew of negative reviews, I thought I would put my two-cents worth in - its a decent game, immersing, visually stunning, challenging, and I am playing it though to the end. There are a few niggles - the character control could be better, repetitive maps, and slow dialogue - but there is a thing called the 'escape key' which allows you to read and then skip the slow speech.
    And yes,    After a slew of negative reviews, I thought I would put my two-cents worth in - its a decent game, immersing, visually stunning, challenging, and I am playing it though to the end. There are a few niggles - the character control could be better, repetitive maps, and slow dialogue - but there is a thing called the 'escape key' which allows you to read and then skip the slow speech.
    And yes, you can get male and female characters in bed - but is that such a bad thing as to pan the game to death?!
    Yes, there are better games - but this definitely adds something to the RPG genre and is worth a look.

    And no, I don't work for Bioware :)    … Expand
  57. Emilia
    Dec 29, 2011
    1
    Honestly, the game is bad. Really bad. The story is slow and bland and the characters are annoying (please bioware, stop constructing dating-sims instead of making rpgs) at best, and hilariously bad at worst. The storytelling technique could be interesting, but it's really hard to tell since the story and characters are so of-the-wall bad that you just can't believe what you're seeing sometimes.
  58. Bralz
    Dec 21, 2011
    1
    This is without a doubt the worst RPG I have ever played. Period. It's the RPG equivalent of repeatedly smacking your head against a wall. Combat is atrocious, characters are lame, dialogue is crap, and the story is boring and full of holes. Do yourself a favor, give this stinker a wide berth.
  59. Ishman
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    Played on its own merits without any idea of DA:O this game would be quite solid.
    Having loved the original, and feeling like I was taking part in an epic quest that actually meant something, I was sorely disappointed with the follow up. Admittedly the first 10 hours or so were pretty Rad I thought, this was in part due to the fact that I was high as **** when I first got the game, but    Played on its own merits without any idea of DA:O this game would be quite solid.
    Having loved the original, and feeling like I was taking part in an epic quest that actually meant something, I was sorely disappointed with the follow up. Admittedly the first 10 hours or so were pretty Rad I thought, this was in part due to the fact that I was high as **** when I first got the game, but soon enough not even a big stack of weed couldn't improve this bland follow up. The action orientated combat didn't bother me as much as it has others, where it really let me down was the constantly repeating environments, the original had me trekking all over the place to a number of awesome locations, the sequel has going through the same old bland locales over and over. One of the few reviewers who must not have been paid off by EA put it best with "you can't have an epic storyline in your own backyard" or something like that, you get the gist. All in all its not a "bad game" in my mind, but not worthy of being the sequel to the excellent original. If you come to the game having never played the first you will probably enjoy it for what it is. Bioware really need to rethink there game plan for no. 3 especially since Skyrim is now out and has absorbed 80 hours of play time and I haven't really done jack **** so far. In summary, pay more and get Skyrim instead. Shame on you Bioware.Shame on You.    … Expand
  60. ManOfSteel
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    This game is a monstrosity. After a beautiful and well-written game in DA:O, BioWare took everything about the game, burned it, dumbed down gameplay and made hack/slash combat and a boring story, and what you have is the Dragon Age name tarnished forever. The effort or this game was lazy and rushed. They were very lazy in this game, and BioWare should be ashamed. I will never play a DAThis game is a monstrosity. After a beautiful and well-written game in DA:O, BioWare took everything about the game, burned it, dumbed down gameplay and made hack/slash combat and a boring story, and what you have is the Dragon Age name tarnished forever. The effort or this game was lazy and rushed. They were very lazy in this game, and BioWare should be ashamed. I will never play a DA game again. But at least there is Skyrim :).… Expand
  61. Eowor
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age Origins was announced as the spiritual brother of Baldur's Gate, an rpg in the greatest tradition of the genre.
    As has happened for DA2, strengthened by its new license falls as low as that. To make it the worst game bioware?
    On top of that, we see that mass EFFECT2 also had the race to the bottom, less than rpg, more action. But back in to DA2, the game looks better, but we    Dragon Age Origins was announced as the spiritual brother of Baldur's Gate, an rpg in the greatest tradition of the genre.
    As has happened for DA2, strengthened by its new license falls as low as that. To make it the worst game bioware?
    On top of that, we see that mass EFFECT2 also had the race to the bottom, less than rpg, more action.

    But back in to DA2, the game looks better, but we find ourselves in a smaller area, with some areas copy and paste, so an artistic research much less advanced than in DAO.
    The interface is simplistic, the inventory is ugly, I do not understand this modernity while we are in a medieval world. Our compagons wear one armor, unchangeable, innaceptable.
    The fighting tactics were great at a high level of difficulty, now, we are left with the little brother's spiritual Bayonetta, it does not reflect, is dark, no need to break tactics. Enemies out of the ground like moles.
    The story is weak, very weak compared to that of DAO. Immersion is difficult because of the script which is very poorly led. The fault also has not really charismatic fellow. Forget Sten, Alistair, Morrigan ...
    The design of the elves, Qunaris, Flemeth is really in poor taste, too offset from DAO
    The dialogue system is inadequate because not enough choice, because too Manichean. The hero is good but it speaks to the detriment of our answer choices. The world is not black or white, good or bad, the game is intended for an audience too mature to have such simplistic reasoning.
    Quests are a distressing banality, which do not grow more than that a plunge in the background, which is still good (but that's thanks to DAO).
    The soundtrack, also falls short of the first game, Mr. Inon Zur says himself: the game was sloppy
    I finished the game once, and I sold four days after his purchase, and more so because the game is much shorter than the first.
    Conversely, I always Dragon Age Origins and I remade some every 2 months

    Dragon Age 2 is an oil stain in the curriculum vitae of Bioware, I have done once, but I would be very careful next time.

    For me Mass Effect 3 will be your last chance.    … Expand
  62. coughxcool
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    Whate a waste of money. I was disgusted when I realized I was never leaving Kirkwall. The party and friend mechanics were cool, but thats to be expected from any bBoware game at this point.
  63. RedHead1982
    Dec 13, 2011
    2
    Dragon Age II is an embarrassing misstep by a company I have grown to trust over the past 8 years. Bioware has the desire to create a game genre that does not work by blending elements of the most basic platformer with the highly strategic and customizable character creation and interaction provided in most RPG genre games. Unfortunately, the gamer is left with a poorly diluted productDragon Age II is an embarrassing misstep by a company I have grown to trust over the past 8 years. Bioware has the desire to create a game genre that does not work by blending elements of the most basic platformer with the highly strategic and customizable character creation and interaction provided in most RPG genre games. Unfortunately, the gamer is left with a poorly diluted product which neglects to serve either the hardcore RPG fan (and Bioware fan) or the lowest common denominator it was intending to exploit for profit. Sadly, the RPG gamer is the only one who truly loses (and frankly feels deceived) with this hegemonic disaster because we are the ones who cared. (And I do care-- from an intelligent standpoint... read on.) I look forward to a "quality" RPG experience because a game like Dragon Age Origins is few and far between. Dragon Age II patronizes and agonizes the more intelligent and mature players with flavorless characters, effortless game mechanics and the repetitive pointless meandering through a linear plot. Bioware needs to understand that complex and interesting gaming which takes concentration and organization is NOT a bad thing. I am in no way bothered by the need to make money and sell a product, but I do not like it when myself as a consumer is being sold a defective product. I could reiterate the many problems and flaws in Dragon Age II that have been mentioned by many other reviewers, but the thing that pisses me off the most is that it could only have been produced by a lazy disinterested and unmotivated group of game developers intent on making money at the expense of its core audience. I want to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt, but Dragon Age II is truly inexcusable and it makes me wonder if the Action/RPG genre Bioware has taken effort to create over the past few years is really false advertising. Can you dilute tried and true RPG elements and still call a game an RPG? No, you really cannot. For some reason, despite all contrary propaganda it doesn't seem to be logically possible. Saying it is possible doesn't make it so. Sorry, "I don't believe in fairies." At least not this time, from a company that can and should do so much better.… Expand
  64. Warlike
    Dec 13, 2011
    5
    This game just didn't feel like dragon age, the story was just a series of side quests and then some longer (but not by much ) story quests. The combat system was OK but i preferred the original. I would rate this game lower but i played this game all the way through and did pretty much all the side quests possible that i could find, which lately i haven't managed to do with new gamesThis game just didn't feel like dragon age, the story was just a series of side quests and then some longer (but not by much ) story quests. The combat system was OK but i preferred the original. I would rate this game lower but i played this game all the way through and did pretty much all the side quests possible that i could find, which lately i haven't managed to do with new games these days. after finishing the main story i felt cheated, especially as the choices you make don't really affect the outcome at all. It will be worth it if you can pick it up cheap, but don't expect the game to live up to the originals glory.… Expand
  65. Acquiredempire
    Dec 8, 2011
    0
    Bioware fan since Baldur's Gate but this game was rushed, dumb downed and in my mind a sub par money grab off the success of Origins. Barley a RPG. Could have been so much more. Bioware is trying to walk the fine line of pulling in new fans without alienating their core. I hope this is not a sign of things to come from EA.
  66. Vertillian
    Nov 30, 2011
    0
    This makes a lie of all the previous praise for Bioware. Shoddy design, and lazy production values! In my opinion the inflated praise for ME2 has effected them far too much. Supposedly known for their "humility" bioware still won't admit to the outright failure and terrible reception this game has received. This is not an RPG, its a bland attempt to turn a successful Fantasy RPG into MassThis makes a lie of all the previous praise for Bioware. Shoddy design, and lazy production values! In my opinion the inflated praise for ME2 has effected them far too much. Supposedly known for their "humility" bioware still won't admit to the outright failure and terrible reception this game has received. This is not an RPG, its a bland attempt to turn a successful Fantasy RPG into Mass effect. Linear, unresponsive gameplay with no depth, nor attempt at decent storyline. No consequence to actions, nor any noticeable change to story. Shocking.… Expand
  67. 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
  68. 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.
  69. neo54311
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    I never had one bad thing to say about DA2. I loved every minute of it. I've seen a lot of complaints about the re-use of caves and dungeons and what-not, but that doesn't bother me a bit. Graphics don't bother me a bit either. I do believe the graphics have improved from Origins, but in no way does graphics make a game. For me it's story and characters, and I loved both aspects inI never had one bad thing to say about DA2. I loved every minute of it. I've seen a lot of complaints about the re-use of caves and dungeons and what-not, but that doesn't bother me a bit. Graphics don't bother me a bit either. I do believe the graphics have improved from Origins, but in no way does graphics make a game. For me it's story and characters, and I loved both aspects in this game. I've bought all DLC so far, and I can't wait to see what happens in DA3.… Expand
  70. ArcticZombie
    Nov 18, 2011
    1
    I will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detailI will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detail everywhere I look. The Darkspawn don't look evil; they look like knock-off Skeletor action figures. Plastic, dead, and trying too hard to be cool for its own good. Oh, and I hate the fact that my character was already given a name. And a voice. That contributed to the loss of me feeling like I was playing an RPG. That made it feel more like an interactive movie. This game is trash. I wouldn't take it for free. Bioware, wake up and stop contributing to the destruction of society.… Expand
  71. technoboy2008
    Nov 17, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game didn't meet my expectations and failed miserably on some fronts.
    I don't understand how people can rate it 9 or 8.
    I gave this game a fair 4 for the following reasons.

    The Positives:
    1;The Non-Linear plot of the game keeps you interested in this game to the very end. I used to take different decisions at a save point just to see how the story unfolded in each case.
    I finished the game as "Male Warrior",then beat it again with a "Male Mage".The point here is that the game doesn't end once beaten but there is a possibility to explore the game in 6 different classes/genders each having substantial effect on the story-line.
    2;Then the choice to choose your character's Gender and class in the beginning of the game is something which is unique and deserves praise.
    3;The graphics are just "fine".
    4;The XP system is quite good.

    The Negatives:
    1;The game has very few main quests which are actually a part of the story.a good chunk of quests are wasted on "Deep Roads Expedition" as a means to raise money for the expedition. They should have had more main quests which would gradually unfold the story and keep the Gamers interested not just the side quests which are meant for gaining XP,money,Amulets,Junk e.t.c
    The side quests are a liability.
    2;Even on "Nightmare" difficulty level,the battles seem too easy.
    3;i personally felt that the "Warrior" and "Rogue" class had very few good moves as compared to the "Mage" class.

    ***The worst part is that the "Negatives" overshadow the "Positives" of this game.***

    This game did all that was needed to defame it successor DA:Origins which was the "Game Of The Year" and succeeded. The success of sequel should not be expected to come from the reputation of the prequel.The "Dragon Age" name carries a distinct weight and importance but this game leaves you disappointed. I am very disappointed with this game and i don't think i'll be following "The Dragon Age" franchise in future.
    Bioware truly didn't deliver what was expected of them.    … Expand
  72. VaaderDj19
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    I really enjoyed the Kirkwall atmosphere and i believe the reason i like the game is why traditional RPG enthusiasts diss it. THe game attempts to merge more with the ME2 style of RPG's and i don't think that is a bad thing. The story is solid, Some missions are dumb and the impact of other peoples decisions screws with the choices you would want to make. I guess thats how real life is butI really enjoyed the Kirkwall atmosphere and i believe the reason i like the game is why traditional RPG enthusiasts diss it. THe game attempts to merge more with the ME2 style of RPG's and i don't think that is a bad thing. The story is solid, Some missions are dumb and the impact of other peoples decisions screws with the choices you would want to make. I guess thats how real life is but the dice shouldn't be loaded as much when it comes to the decisions.
    Some of the companions are extremely well done and intrigue you greatly, however if you are committed to a Romantic relationship with one character early on you may not pay as much interest to characters that come along later in the game. Also the amount of grief that is thrown at Hawk is not really fair..Its one emotional body blow after another, and you can't do much about most of the situations.    … Expand
  73. HonestJoe
    Nov 11, 2011
    2
    This game should have been brilliant. It was created by a developer that has the story driven RPG down to an art.
    The problem is that EA rushed the game out before it was ready and what we got was an unfinished mess.
    Repetitive scenery, repetitive combat, repetitive gameplay. Any redeeming features the game might have are overshadowed by the knowledge that this could have been a great game    This game should have been brilliant. It was created by a developer that has the story driven RPG down to an art.
    The problem is that EA rushed the game out before it was ready and what we got was an unfinished mess.
    Repetitive scenery, repetitive combat, repetitive gameplay. Any redeeming features the game might have are overshadowed by the knowledge that this could have been a great game if only it was given the time and attention it deserved.

    I HATE YOU EA!!!!!!    … Expand
  74. zakariru
    Nov 10, 2011
    0
    Big Bioware fanboy. This game was an attempt to bring people to the genre who don't understand it at the cost of people who do. I'll probably avoid DA3 because of how much this game offended me. It's not the worst game ever, if it wasn't a Dragon Age game it would probably be a 5 or 6/10 because it was playable. However the fact it has to be compared to DAO which was one of the best RPG'sBig Bioware fanboy. This game was an attempt to bring people to the genre who don't understand it at the cost of people who do. I'll probably avoid DA3 because of how much this game offended me. It's not the worst game ever, if it wasn't a Dragon Age game it would probably be a 5 or 6/10 because it was playable. However the fact it has to be compared to DAO which was one of the best RPG's ever makes it hard to give this anything other than this score.… Expand
  75. 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
  76. weedlord
    Nov 9, 2011
    0
    There was no button-awesome connection for me. I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry!
  77. WEDhicks
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    Surely this isn't a better game then the first part. But still it doesn't deserve all the negative score that it's getting now. Problem with this game is that they have flattened out a few of the RPG elements which shouldn't have been flattened out. Second; I don't get why they have repeating dungeon's. That is a big mistake. My last negative point would be the enemies just spawning nextSurely this isn't a better game then the first part. But still it doesn't deserve all the negative score that it's getting now. Problem with this game is that they have flattened out a few of the RPG elements which shouldn't have been flattened out. Second; I don't get why they have repeating dungeon's. That is a big mistake. My last negative point would be the enemies just spawning next to you. That seems really silly.

    So what is so great about this game? The story is just great. It's refreshing not to see some "hero needs to safe the world" story we are all getting used to. It's about a city with (and I dare to say) realistic problems. There is poverty, violence and discrimination. All problems that you are getting involved in and need to solve. The play through I had with this game lasted for 50 hours and those were 50 hours well spend. Simply love it and I hope there will be part 3 soon.    … Expand
  78. Aditum
    Nov 1, 2011
    2
    First of all I'd like to point out that I am an RPG fan. I played nearly all the RPGs out there, and despite that, I have quite liberal tastes (so what if in Oblivion highwaymen wore glass armor? It is still a great fantasy world simulator). Origins presented game mechanics that were considered too complicated for the mainstream to the mainstream, and won many a young heart with perfectFirst of all I'd like to point out that I am an RPG fan. I played nearly all the RPGs out there, and despite that, I have quite liberal tastes (so what if in Oblivion highwaymen wore glass armor? It is still a great fantasy world simulator). Origins presented game mechanics that were considered too complicated for the mainstream to the mainstream, and won many a young heart with perfect balance of all the aspects of the game. As for Dragon Age IIâ… Expand
  79. LX_Theo
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    First, DO NOT LITSEN TO THOSE WHO HATE IT. Here's why: many of those who have written negatively about this game see it as merely the next step from Origins. While it did, they wanted it to step right, when it stepped left.

    The game does seem to detract from the concepts that made it so popular with a particular gaming crowd. More specifically, this is the crowd that seems to swarm the    First, DO NOT LITSEN TO THOSE WHO HATE IT. Here's why: many of those who have written negatively about this game see it as merely the next step from Origins. While it did, they wanted it to step right, when it stepped left.

    The game does seem to detract from the concepts that made it so popular with a particular gaming crowd. More specifically, this is the crowd that seems to swarm the internet with their opinions. They expected a game based around old time RPG concepts, as a contrast to the trend of RPGs gaining a greater variety of concepts in cinema, action, and others in recent years. They were, to their dismay, wrong.

    Dragon Age 2 wields a strong assortment of new concepts for the modern age. Not all work, but they all build on the fundamental basis that made the first Dragon Age what it was. The gameplay is faster paced, and the cinematic experience is better, and the dialogue system is the best in the business by a bit. Built around a unique and interesting story, the game does feel like it was rushed. The large amount of repeated environments will make this obvious. It can be seen elsewhere, and hurts a number of aspects of the game. This, not on any reasonable level, does not make this game bad. Dragon Age 2 is a fun experience if you enjoy taking a chance on a unique action RPG. Don't expect to find an older styled RPGed, though. Also don't expect it to be great. Too high expectations can kill the experience and magnify what should be negligible flaws. I'd suggest that anyone who is remotely interested to try it at least through demo, though copies seem to be going for cheap after the internet backlash,    … Expand
  80. barbie
    Oct 6, 2011
    0
    I tried my best to like this game, but I couldnâ
  81. Mikolaj
    Sep 30, 2011
    1
    Feels like a budget expansion release, should have cost 15 and be DLC for the original. 1 setting, same dungeon every corner not to mention none of the deep combat of the original.
  82. Rammsoldat
    Sep 30, 2011
    3
    Utter Utter Utter disapointment, im not agaisnt them revamping the gameplay but the story and characters in this game are so half arsed. Any decisions you make in the game lead to nothing there are no consequences the story will still go where it goes all that changes is your group. I really dont see why when they had such a winner on theior hands with origins they decided to much aboutUtter Utter Utter disapointment, im not agaisnt them revamping the gameplay but the story and characters in this game are so half arsed. Any decisions you make in the game lead to nothing there are no consequences the story will still go where it goes all that changes is your group. I really dont see why when they had such a winner on theior hands with origins they decided to much about with it so much and chop so much out. I know they were after a call of duty type audience but those types dont typically go for RPG games so Bioware has forsaken its audience to pursue another that wont want what they have to offer.… Expand
  83. zunjin
    Sep 30, 2011
    9
    I did enjoy Da:0 alot. It was truely a joy playing a new rpg in Bioware class and style with a new universe that was both intriguing and dark. As such I did fast favor Da:0 over my old Bioware favorite Mass effect , and while proberly most people sat playing ME2 at launch, I was still stuck playing multiple playthroughs through Ferelden, not touching ME2 until about 3 months ago after II did enjoy Da:0 alot. It was truely a joy playing a new rpg in Bioware class and style with a new universe that was both intriguing and dark. As such I did fast favor Da:0 over my old Bioware favorite Mass effect , and while proberly most people sat playing ME2 at launch, I was still stuck playing multiple playthroughs through Ferelden, not touching ME2 until about 3 months ago after I finished my third playthough of Dragon age 2. I would say now that while Mass effect 1, 2, and DA:O are all terrific games with a quality not touched by any other roleplaying game serie I know of, DA:2 is for me the pinnacle of Bioware rpgs, a stepping stone to something even better. Let me explain: DA:2 is in many ways a different game then DA:O. It has a new dialogue system loaned by Mass effect, a reworked skill system,a new faster phaced fighting system making it into something more of a action game, and a simplication in roleplaying stats as itemization
    and stats. The later, something of the same as ME -> ME2, giving your compainons finalized gear and outfits, not giving you much of a choice customizing anything else then your own characther. While this might seem boring at first and missed, I couldnt in the end really see how it made the game any far less enjoyable. What makes Bioware game shine as much as they do are in my opinion mostly based on how great the compainons are. These characthers that follow you on your quests have always been greatly well done, always making me have more fun being stuck in conversations then actuall fighting in any Bioware game. Having these characthers having unique unchangable looks doesnt really bother me, instead for me it adds to the flavor, making each characther even more unique and unforgetting. I could go with having the option changing their gear, but as the game plays on, it really isnt that all missed. Going back to the compainions conversations and personalies, there is another great change in the dialoge system. Gone is the multiple text choices and in goes the wheel from Mass effect, giving you more pre defined and hinted choices. You always know when you are charming or intemitating, or joking, or being rude or being nice, or being persuaive. You can pretty much look at the icons for each dialoge choice and click it instead of looking at what your characther is actually saying in words. This is for me a big change from DA:O and not something always in my liking. I miss having conversations without a already known outcome. I miss saying something and not really be prepared where the conversation is going. The ME wheel is nice yes, but I really would like something more to DA:O. There is also the problem with about all the conversations being pre decided. Whatever choices you do you always end up with the same outcome in most cases, and this is in my opinion one of DA:2s biggest flaws, which stretches it self even to the games story. Before going into that I would like to finalize that the conversations in DA:2 are still great, well written and entertaining. They could just been less pre decided and defined.
    Going to the game story, its great. Its something of a rise to power story ( which I think is even a catch phrase done by Bioware for the game ), making out how your characther goes from being a nobody to a well respected hero. Its a bit Mass Effect the first over it, and while it may not be as epic or glorious as the first Dragon age's fight against the blight, it is good in its own way. It has all the exitement, twists , characthers and fantasy gory thats needed for a great story in this type of game, and it gets the job done. As with the conversations I do feel at times as whatever I do, Im always being pushed in the same direction. To say that no rpg is linear is false, but its abit to much in DA2, as I can feel my choices always makes me end up all the same. While its understandable that there is a story and I have to keep myself within it, I would like the illusion atleast that my own choices does make a difference, not just a gimmick. If I do run around and scream at whatever person I see, looking for the first best fight, I do not want to end up at the same exact place with the same exact conversation outcomes as if I workship the very ground the npcs are standing at, charming them with words and avoiding conflict at all cost. It was done in DA:O, it should be as well done in DA:2. Going quickly over the other changes, the combat is remade into a faster and more action like experience. I dont find it easier ( actually playing at hardest difficultiy, I have found myself pausing alot more in DA:2 then I ever did in DA:O ) but more fun and innovatie then DA:O was. The skill system is the best I seen in any rpg yet, beside I do miss the crafting abilities being skills. In a summary DA:2 is a sequal with alot of changes going on and not all of them in favor. But it is still quality and a great game that should be played by everyone. Done believe the hate, play it.    … Expand
  84. jorge100
    Sep 26, 2011
    0
    Terrible game with no redeeming qualities. Game play was horrible and the storyline was pathetic compared to Dragon Age Origins. . The graphics were also better in Origins. The characters were weak and uninspiring. The combat was a joke. Rogue and mage classes stunk. The skill trees had no skills in comparison to DAO. Games a boring button masher.
  85. Ali1247
    Sep 25, 2011
    6
    This game had potential to be an amazing rpg considering it was made by one of the greatest gaming companies ever: Bioware. But Bioware really dropped the ball with Dragon Age II. First of all the story is very average and is just nothing compared to the first Dragon Age game and I just could not really get into it because it really got kind of boring. As far as the characters go than IThis game had potential to be an amazing rpg considering it was made by one of the greatest gaming companies ever: Bioware. But Bioware really dropped the ball with Dragon Age II. First of all the story is very average and is just nothing compared to the first Dragon Age game and I just could not really get into it because it really got kind of boring. As far as the characters go than I just could not get myself to care for most of them because most of them seemed so heartless and boring which is a massive disappointment considering Bioware actually knows how to tell a great story in a video game and create very good and in depth characters, something which they do not do right in this game. The graphics I think have improved from Dragon Age Origins but not by much, the characters and environments look somewhat more detailed. But there are a lot of framerate issues I have not played the PC or the PS3 versions so I don't know about them but there way to many framerate issues on the 360 specially during the conversation cutscenes. The game's sidequests can also get repetitive and dull really fast. And in the game's main quest the same environments and dungeons are recycled over an over again that it feels like we are fighting in the same areas all the time and once again its gets very repetitive. On top of that unlike its predecessor Origins this games take place in only one town instead of taking place in a whole continent. The partner A.I is almost useless on high difficulties and they die way to quickly and are slow in performing their commands. The enemy A.I just rely on high numbers and ganging up on you rather than being competitive that is a problem on higher difficulties enemies should not gang up on you and increase in number they should be more competitive which is once again something this game does not do right. Having said all that Combat is more simpler and more easy to get used to compared to the first game it feels like a Hack and Slash on low difficulties unless you are playing as a Mage but all in all I found the combat better than its prequel. The weapons are armor you get in the game are good and are fun to use but sadly you cannot make you partner A.I put on the armor whenever you want them to they will infact put them on themselves at particular points in the game that just takes away your ability to customize your team mates the way you want to. However I must say that the dialogue wheel from the Mass Effect series has been put to good use and while dialogue despite not being as great as it could have been it still delivered well. The voice acting and music unsurprisingly are very good and always suit the environments and the situations. In the end I must say that as a big fan of Bioware and their RPGs Dragon Age II is a massive letdown, it can still be a fun game at times but Bioware is capable of much better. It is clear that the game is incomplete because EA made Bioware rush its production. Lets hope they fix up the problems brought up by all the people about this game and revive the franchise with Dragon Age III. 6/10.… Expand
  86. WesAdair
    Sep 21, 2011
    8
    Where Dragon Age 2 excels is the gameplay, not being an RPG fan I thought it was a great mix of the too. The story line was very well told and interesting, characters where fun to get to know, and over all the game was a success in my book.
  87. laxleonidas
    Sep 17, 2011
    4
    Despite of all expectations, BioWare not only removed good ideas from predecessor, but also used new bad game mechanisms. Forget about tactital fighting, interesting plot and - what's most important - huge, secret world to explore.
  88. SpunkyMonkey
    Sep 6, 2011
    0
    Total dross. Combat is the games main selling point, but it's soooooooo dull and uninteresting, button mashing not unlike Track and Field with very little else - It's just too fast and too sloppy to care about and too in between the action and strategy genres to work well as either. The game as a whole is and a horrid hybrid beteen a Dungeon Crawler and an interactive movie-game whichTotal dross. Combat is the games main selling point, but it's soooooooo dull and uninteresting, button mashing not unlike Track and Field with very little else - It's just too fast and too sloppy to care about and too in between the action and strategy genres to work well as either. The game as a whole is and a horrid hybrid beteen a Dungeon Crawler and an interactive movie-game which you'd find on the Mega CD - There's very little actual roleplaying involved like there was in Origins. As a stand alone game DA2 is very repetative, very dull and dire, but as a sequal it contains none of the elements which were enjoyable in the original. The dialogue tree is missed big time with the conversation choices reduced to a basic "Good/funny/evil" choice, none of which feel well placed or make much difference to proceedings. The final straw is replaying areas which you've already run through several times - how each gang and bad guy hangs out in the same ally is a joke. A perfect example of how this game falls short was with a 1-on-1 battle with what would be deemed as one of the games main antagonists - it literally had me laffing out loud at how bad, boring and comicly the fight unfolded. It was kind of like when I first saw Scream expecting a horror movie, but getting more of a comedy.

    After forcing myself to complete it I put the original on and in 2 minutes it became even more clear how bad DA2 was compare to the quality, if not slightly flawed, Origins. Play Originas through as a different race/class, youtube all the plot vids for DA 2 and avoid purchasing DA2 like the plague!!    … Expand
  89. Kris_d
    Sep 4, 2011
    9
    Having played through DA:O + awakening twice, i can say i am a big fan. Yes, i do agree some of the changes: taking skills away, having to use a lot less tactic, etc i'm not too fond of. On the other hand, it does a lot of things right. I just finished DA2 and i can honestly say it's still a very good game. I enjoyed it a lot and the whole negativity around it is just overreacted. MyHaving played through DA:O + awakening twice, i can say i am a big fan. Yes, i do agree some of the changes: taking skills away, having to use a lot less tactic, etc i'm not too fond of. On the other hand, it does a lot of things right. I just finished DA2 and i can honestly say it's still a very good game. I enjoyed it a lot and the whole negativity around it is just overreacted. My biggest gripe was only the recycling of the area's, which is VERY OFTEN. The game isnt as good as the first one, but considering they worked 5 years on that and 1,5 years on this, it's not surprising. I just hope they get more time for the next. Imo bioware never fails to deliver. If that makes me a fanboi so be it.… Expand
  90. 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
  91. Davidhowardking
    Aug 31, 2011
    2
    Bioware turned a can't-miss RPG into an easy to digest faux-rpg. It was a waste of time and money. Word is they are going to combine elements of 1 and 2 into 3. My advice is to not make a sequel if that is what they intend to do because the game will not sell. DA2 abandons all the characters from DAO and kills any sense of exploration. The new characters are tepid and the storytellingBioware turned a can't-miss RPG into an easy to digest faux-rpg. It was a waste of time and money. Word is they are going to combine elements of 1 and 2 into 3. My advice is to not make a sequel if that is what they intend to do because the game will not sell. DA2 abandons all the characters from DAO and kills any sense of exploration. The new characters are tepid and the storytelling lame. Your actions have far less impact than they did in DAO.… Expand
  92. GuvnaWill
    Aug 31, 2011
    10
    Seriously a 0, I wouldn't even give Halo reach a 0. When I saw Dragon Age 2, received a negative review, I lost all hope in gamers. Now gamers are just a mob of hipsters that follow the leader. Dragon age 2 was superior to Orgins in every way. The combat was better, the story telling was amazing and graphics were good. I was so impressed with the game I beat it, replayed it imediatelySeriously a 0, I wouldn't even give Halo reach a 0. When I saw Dragon Age 2, received a negative review, I lost all hope in gamers. Now gamers are just a mob of hipsters that follow the leader. Dragon age 2 was superior to Orgins in every way. The combat was better, the story telling was amazing and graphics were good. I was so impressed with the game I beat it, replayed it imediately after. I have Orgins on the Pc and DA2 on xbox, after DA2, Orgins is unplayable. Origins is basically a single player WoW, you have spells on massive cooldowns while most of the fight is auto-attacks. I know a lot of gamers try and act like they're old school and love old style combat, but if you like old style games so much, play your old games then. A game should strive to be like it's cinematics, and due to tech limitations we couldn't but now it's possible. I've been playing games since commodore 64, and I always like when a company takes a step forward. Bioware always does that. Sad that most people don't want games to advance.… Expand
  93. zexy
    Aug 31, 2011
    9
    Don't listen to any of these ignorant people about this game. Anyone who gives this game less than an 8 is just buttsore that DA 2 wasn't EXACTLY the same as DA:O. This game is amazing for what it is and that is a western action rpg with a fantasy setting and rich strorytelling with plenty of choices and custimization bioware is known for. People shouldn't even listen to "user" reviewsDon't listen to any of these ignorant people about this game. Anyone who gives this game less than an 8 is just buttsore that DA 2 wasn't EXACTLY the same as DA:O. This game is amazing for what it is and that is a western action rpg with a fantasy setting and rich strorytelling with plenty of choices and custimization bioware is known for. People shouldn't even listen to "user" reviews about video games or movies anyway. Everyone just gives things zeros based on their own biased feelings of nostalgia. That or they just say the game is completely garbage because of one or two flaws or simply the fact that a game is popular/mainstream....lol. just listen to the critic reviews from a respected video gmae magizine or website, these people do this for a living and know exactly what to rate on without own personal feelings or prefrences.… Expand
  94. froggyt1
    Aug 28, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. wow people are picky. Bioware is a AAA developer and this is their worst game in years but like i said they are a AAA developer and even the worst of their games are at least an 8/10 compared to other games. To be honest the personal character choices available is what makes this game stand out, the choices in this game have been well refined although we don't see some of them carry over from dao. Also i don't get the hateing on hawk yeah he doesn't kill like 3 high dragons but he is a realistic character with problems as compared to the warden. All in all this game is not terrible but it is not biowares best.… Expand
  95. Las7
    Aug 27, 2011
    5
    Dragon Age 2 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just a completely underwhelming sequel to one of the better RPGs in the last decade. It's quite obvious that development time was cut short - I don't mind the combat mechanics that much; but the mob respawn; the no overhead strategic view; the complete lack of customization for companions; the linear story line; the lack of dialogDragon Age 2 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just a completely underwhelming sequel to one of the better RPGs in the last decade. It's quite obvious that development time was cut short - I don't mind the combat mechanics that much; but the mob respawn; the no overhead strategic view; the complete lack of customization for companions; the linear story line; the lack of dialog choices; the lack of character development and lastly the lack of effect the main character has in terms of shaping the world around him that the game is not an RPG. Now Hawk Age is a fine game if it is taken out of the context of being a sequel to a pretty tactical and thoughtfully enjoyable RPG DA: O but keeping in mind that we fans of the original Dragon Age Franchise bought this game based on the DA: O we do feel cheated. This is an RPG with no replay value. Which isn't good considering I played DA: O 4 different times; I'm not sure what Bioware hoped to achieve with this game - but it was a grand failure. Hopefully they take note and don't mislead us again. One final note Critic Reviews are complexly out of sorts - I'm wondering if most of them even played the game. They might be on EA payroll or just based their reviews on just a few hours of game play; instead of figuring out that those few hours would be recycled through out the game and none of your choices will actually make any sort of difference to the final outcome. It's truly sad and I can understand my fellow games giving this game lower scores then the game deserves but I guess people want to warn other potential buyers of Dragon Age 2 not to expect a sequel as promised by Bioware.… Expand
  96. neon5162
    Aug 25, 2011
    10
    oh and metacritic sucks go ahead and ban my account i aitn going to use it again hahaha hmm i wonder if i can delete my account myself hmm must look into that
  97. thebrock
    Aug 23, 2011
    6
    This game was graphically superb. That said most other aspects of the game where disappointing when you compare it to dragon age origins. I played the game on normal level without spending any money on weapons and armour and managed to complete it, this should not be the case and it shows just how much the game has been dummed down. The most frustrating part of the game for me was theThis game was graphically superb. That said most other aspects of the game where disappointing when you compare it to dragon age origins. I played the game on normal level without spending any money on weapons and armour and managed to complete it, this should not be the case and it shows just how much the game has been dummed down. The most frustrating part of the game for me was the constant regurgitation of environments and more importantly the hack n slash combat system, at points i couldnt see who i was fighting it was just iq of 20 button pressing. All in all I think bioware rushed this product and that can be clearly seen in the end result. Not the rpg I was expecting.… Expand
  98. mwmike11
    Aug 16, 2011
    8
    While I totally agree with all of the criticism about the game (it's too short, there's no massive world to explore, etc.), I still feel as if this game was a great game...if viewed on it's own. Now, comparing it to DA:O, or even DA:O - Awakening, it is a TERRIBLE follow-up. I mean, there is no massive world to explore, just one city and a few identical dungeons surrounding. Instead of aWhile I totally agree with all of the criticism about the game (it's too short, there's no massive world to explore, etc.), I still feel as if this game was a great game...if viewed on it's own. Now, comparing it to DA:O, or even DA:O - Awakening, it is a TERRIBLE follow-up. I mean, there is no massive world to explore, just one city and a few identical dungeons surrounding. Instead of a traditional fantasy storyline (the unlikely hero brings a nation together to fight an unimaginable evil), it was more of...a story.

    However, despite it's glaring flaws, I still found the new combat system to be a HUGE step forward and the conversation wheel similar to Mass Effect was fantastic. Great companions, interesting story. Just, not a great step forward when compared to it's predecessor. Here's hoping Dragon Age III is better.    … Expand
  99. SarahCuda
    Aug 14, 2011
    1
    I was really excited for this game to come out, but. I wasent all impressed. The combat game play was better and that was the only this that made this game likable. I was not happy with the story. When i think Dragon age i think Grey Wardens and they did not evn go there in this game. I was not impressed.. The whole game you have to run around doing everyones arrends which made the gameI was really excited for this game to come out, but. I wasent all impressed. The combat game play was better and that was the only this that made this game likable. I was not happy with the story. When i think Dragon age i think Grey Wardens and they did not evn go there in this game. I was not impressed.. The whole game you have to run around doing everyones arrends which made the game boring toward the middle. The AI was boring, DA1 yo ugot to know your party members which made you feel attached. If your thinking of getting this game I would rethink it. Get the first one instead.… Expand
  100. alaric1224
    Aug 9, 2011
    9
    While disappointed by Dragon Age II in some aspects it is till a solid game that contains the Bioware touch. I'm shocked how many diehard Bioware fans claim that they'll never purchase another Bioware game because of this. My score is inflated because so many others on here are terribly deflated. The number of 0s is astonishing considering what a 0 game would really be like.
    Sharp    While disappointed by Dragon Age II in some aspects it is till a solid game that contains the Bioware touch. I'm shocked how many diehard Bioware fans claim that they'll never purchase another Bioware game because of this. My score is inflated because so many others on here are terribly deflated. The number of 0s is astonishing considering what a 0 game would really be like.
    Sharp graphics, quick load times, accessible interface, and an intriguing storyline that is unique in the way it tells a story of one person over time, in the same place. I loved that aspect although I understand why some might not. As for the criticism of the dungeons being too repetitive, I agree but this seems far more minor to me than many argue. Why is it so important for the map to be different in those dungeons when they all look so familiar in other games anyhow? In short, I loved this game despite it not living up to the quality of the predecessor.    … Expand
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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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