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. imperita
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    I've played this all of the way through before writing anything. I've always been a Bioware fan, but seriously, DA2 is disappointing and I cannot see how the bulk of review sites can ignore some its fundamental flaws. Granted I can see how the combat has improved for console platforms, but it's really the rest of the game that leaves me feeling irritated. For instance, the dialogue optionsI've played this all of the way through before writing anything. I've always been a Bioware fan, but seriously, DA2 is disappointing and I cannot see how the bulk of review sites can ignore some its fundamental flaws. Granted I can see how the combat has improved for console platforms, but it's really the rest of the game that leaves me feeling irritated. For instance, the dialogue options and conversation interactions have really been dulled down - I assume this is due to the fact that Hawke is now voice-acted. I would love to sit down and talk with whoever came up with the 'sarcastic' replies for Hawke - he just sounds like an idiot. Taking the character of Isabella as an example - we get it, she is a sex addict - there is no need to constantly remind the player over and over again aside from the obviously intended hit with the younger male audience. There is no connection with the characters, you just don't end up caring what happens to them. The exception to this in my opinion is Merrill, whose dilemmas and underlying story fit in more with what I'd come to expect from Origins. The constant 'cameos' from older characters only reinforce the lack of interest with the supposed main cast of this installment. The story is definitely a lesser scale than origins, which makes me feel quite angry as to the marketing propaganda hinting at some sort of epic ascent to 'power'.

    Whilst the combat mechanics are a little more streamlined, as is item and inventory management in general, this doesn't fix the issue of repeated zones, reuse of assets, the low variety of enemies and the incredibly annoying 'walk-into-an-area-and-keep-spawning-stuff' ideology. Perhaps it is my fault for having expectations that were too high, or not checking beforehand that the entire game was essentially going to be set in one relatively bland city with a few outdoor areas which would be reused at periodic intervals as 'years' progress.

    I see a lot of the positive reviews being given here with scores of '10'. I just don't see why. Especially the 'OH MY GOD IM LEVEL 7 AND THIS IS AMAZING' - I too was still 'giving it a chance' at that stage hoping that it would open up and improve. Others suggest increasing the difficulty somehow compensates for the bad storyline and being locked into only a few zones just so that you can engage in slightly harder repetitive combat where on occasion people jump randomly from the sky, up from the ground or pop out of nowhere.

    I'm not a professional review writer - and I've never posted a review on metacritic before despite being a deidcated PC gamer for well over a decade. I just felt massively let down as a player and as a fan of DA:O that the experience of DA2 was quite simply a let down. Honestly it feels as if they sat down after the Awakening expansion and thought 'lets do that again with a new character and implement some of the ideas we couldn't fit into the scope Awakening - we'll call it Dragon Age 2'.

    P.S. Bring back more of the mage schools and spell combos. Why remove them?    … Expand
  2. godofallu
    Mar 14, 2011
    2
    Bioware generally makes good games, this however, is not a good game. The gameplay is generally boring and slow. Character development is also extremely slow, and the dialogue system is as dumbed down as possible. They also thought it would be smart to remove customizing your companion characters, through removal of skill resetting and giving them armor. From any other developer this gameBioware generally makes good games, this however, is not a good game. The gameplay is generally boring and slow. Character development is also extremely slow, and the dialogue system is as dumbed down as possible. They also thought it would be smart to remove customizing your companion characters, through removal of skill resetting and giving them armor. From any other developer this game would have flopped.… Expand
  3. bolshibyr
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Disgusting plot silly fighting system it simply degradation of 1 part of any possibility for role game The drawing excentric "DX11" manages to give out poor quantity of shots in a second considering that it has become outdated year on 2 That it is a lot of, so it is locations-bliznjashek and at times some times sends us in identical caves and warehouses… Expand
  4. LivebytheSword
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    Dragon Age II is a cheap, shallow,boring,unpolished,unfinished and repetitive game. It fails to improve on its winning forward and in what appears to be an attempt at commercialization by drastically removing elements of the game that gave DA1it looses what actual prestige it had. Customizing of characters almost non-existent, environments are repetitive and suffer from poor textures, theDragon Age II is a cheap, shallow,boring,unpolished,unfinished and repetitive game. It fails to improve on its winning forward and in what appears to be an attempt at commercialization by drastically removing elements of the game that gave DA1it looses what actual prestige it had. Customizing of characters almost non-existent, environments are repetitive and suffer from poor textures, the story is linear with limited choices and endings. Its a great disappointment to say the least. The only thing worse is observing as all of EA's trouble shooting trolls give this game a 10 and make wildly outrageous statements like this being GOTY or BEST RPG EVER. Be wary of such reviews. I'll be conservative and give this travesty of a game a 2.… Expand
  5. UhMing
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    Total disappointment. Combat system is probably more fun then it was in DAO. Yet still, story is completely nonexistent, 25 hours into the game, and I still do not know what am I doing in it, what for. It just is a set of unrelated quests instead of good story. AI companions are worthless, I must always spend time on controling my mates, because they can't do a thing on their own in anyTotal disappointment. Combat system is probably more fun then it was in DAO. Yet still, story is completely nonexistent, 25 hours into the game, and I still do not know what am I doing in it, what for. It just is a set of unrelated quests instead of good story. AI companions are worthless, I must always spend time on controling my mates, because they can't do a thing on their own in any ecounter, beside easiest ones.
    Button mashing, single player MMO simulator.

    I must add how bad are those tunnel levels, almost like Final Fantasy 14, just a tiny bit better. Even worse is the fact that most side story quests are done in same "tunels", just with different doors closed.    … Expand
  6. remaxjon
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    Its not that this game is so bad its just that it was such a let down. I really enjoyed the first Dragon age. I played through twice and purchased all the DLC. The biggest problem I had with this game is the magical appearing enemy. I would have my mage in the back being protected by my tank casting spells only to be found defenseless by a buncy of enemys who spawn from no where. ItIts not that this game is so bad its just that it was such a let down. I really enjoyed the first Dragon age. I played through twice and purchased all the DLC. The biggest problem I had with this game is the magical appearing enemy. I would have my mage in the back being protected by my tank casting spells only to be found defenseless by a buncy of enemys who spawn from no where. It was awful. I could write about a lot more that I hated but I really just wanted to get this 2 on the board. 10 hours is what Dragon Age 2 got from me. I just returned the game and got $35 dollar credit from gamestop so I'm out $25. This is the first bioware game ever I have not liked. I really hope they don't ruin mass effect next.… Expand
  7. philosoraptor
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    Just awful. You're trapped in one area for the entire game; with some small excursions. You can barely interact with the characters (a couple times per year), & when you do the responses can tend to be annoying or disjointed. You don't become invested in these characters & if they were to die off, I'd just say, ok whatever. I'm about 30 hours in, I will finish this accursed game oneJust awful. You're trapped in one area for the entire game; with some small excursions. You can barely interact with the characters (a couple times per year), & when you do the responses can tend to be annoying or disjointed. You don't become invested in these characters & if they were to die off, I'd just say, ok whatever. I'm about 30 hours in, I will finish this accursed game one way or another, so far the Artwork is grossly overrated, the dialogue is mostly uninspired, and the hero's goals are twice as insipid as the conversation. Overall I'm bored out of my mind. To be fair the later chapters have picked up a bit, but at this point I can't bring myself to care, and I like being able to fight faster. But WOW, what disappointment.… Expand
  8. damdevildog
    Mar 11, 2011
    2
    I like most mature and experienced gamers that have some taste for a quality game so to speak am greatly disappointed in DA2, this game is so lame and cheap and i feel like i was bent over by Bio-ware and given the ol' sauseege!! Don't buy this game and waste your time and money if you have any depth at in your taste for games, it may have the type of control interface that Mass effect 2I like most mature and experienced gamers that have some taste for a quality game so to speak am greatly disappointed in DA2, this game is so lame and cheap and i feel like i was bent over by Bio-ware and given the ol' sauseege!! Don't buy this game and waste your time and money if you have any depth at in your taste for games, it may have the type of control interface that Mass effect 2 did but its nothing like ME2, not even in the same country, planet, GALAXY!! ME2 was a great game and this game is sh%t What a huge disappointment! And one more thing i would like to add (though there are about a thousand things i could go on about that i hated in this game!) is whats up with the lame ass 1990's disappearing of dead enemy's and blood or anything that leaves a hint that a battle took place just seconds before, i mean i know it's a friggin RPG and all and that they are huge games but if the Fallout series can leave battle remnants after a battle (you know i.e. bullet holes, scorch marks on walls, blood, and the majority of the bodies bloodied and mutilated, etc..)than i am sure DA2 could have because Fallout3 and New Vegas are a lot bigger and with better graphics than this piece of sh#t! It really kills the realism imo just something i hate, i was waiting for this game for a long time, what a shame!… Expand
  9. Gordon
    Mar 13, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After two playthroughs, I finally pinpointed what it is that ruins DA2. There is just no choice; a bit of a dealbreaker for an RPG! Whatever you do, you'll lose a sibling, your mother will die horribly, the chantry will go boom, the Qunari will attack. You don't roleplay, you simply watch as a character stumbles into various plotpoints. Even on a replay, the very limited dialogue options (angelic, sarcastic, angry) make it hard to change much. You're more of a watcher, not really a participant.

    Given that the rest of the game outside of the main plot is spent acting as the world's errand boy, and the world itself is so dull to look at, it's just not much fun overall. There is nothing wrong with the new fighting system, though the enemy-spamming gets very tedious very quickly (as did Origins). There's nothing wrong with the companions or the overall story. It's just... boring, compared to the sense of magnitude Origins invoked. There is no getting away from this.

    I truly believe all of its problems lie in the lack of creation time. One year is nowhere near enough to time for a polished product, and lot of the things which made Origins great have been removed. There is an obvious lack of thought in the way locations are reused over and over and, worst of all... across 10 years, people are still standing in the same places and the city doesn't change even slightly. Go to Fenris' mansion, for example, and the same corpse is still lying by the door 7 years on! The bright spark in this game is the way romances are handled. They don't have as much depth as in Origins, since there is not much interaction beforehand, but the developers are to be applauded for making the romances open regardless of gender. I hope more games follow their lead, at least on that score.

    But overall, Dragon Age 2 is a disappointment for the genre. I realised this when Isabella kept commenting "I'm bored of this", and I found myself thinking "yeah, me too".    … Expand
  10. Barman1942
    Mar 13, 2011
    2
    An unfortunate, utter disappointment. I started into this game hoping it would be as every bit enjoyable as Dragon Age: Origins, which was a pretty good RPG in its own right, if not what I would consider classic. The game is marred by shoddy writing, some rather terrible voice acting, bad facial animations (though BIoware has never been known for *good* facial animation), and copy andAn unfortunate, utter disappointment. I started into this game hoping it would be as every bit enjoyable as Dragon Age: Origins, which was a pretty good RPG in its own right, if not what I would consider classic. The game is marred by shoddy writing, some rather terrible voice acting, bad facial animations (though BIoware has never been known for *good* facial animation), and copy and paste levels, where you will often find yourself fighting through the same dungeon several times. It's also rather linear for an RPG, you feel like you're merely along for the ride with a choice here and there, than an actual driving force in the story. The only upside is the combat is sometimes fun, but even that is tarnished by the endless "waves" of enemies, which soon render it boring.

    2/10, stay away from this one, or at the most rent it.    … Expand
  11. Nenene
    Mar 13, 2011
    2
    Very disappointing. A complete step backwards from DA:O in every respect-- graphics, gameplay, characters and storytelling. This was a rush job, and it shows. I'm saddened that BioWare doesn't think very much of their playerbase to not callously use them as an apparent cash grab by charging inflated prices for a substandard product.
  12. Icee
    Mar 21, 2011
    2
    DragonAge: Origins was a great game but DA 2 is just **** Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy thisDragonAge: Origins was a great game but DA 2 is just **** Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game Don't buy this game… Expand
  13. Vegakvd
    Mar 14, 2011
    2
    Okay, so first off Dragon Age Origins is my favorite game of all time. I'm 31 years old and have been playing RPGs for years but Dragon Age really was the most fun I have ever had playing one. That being said, I waited months and months, checking Bioware forums every day for little bits of info and screenshots, for Dragon Age 2. I pre ordered the Signature Edition and everything, I wasOkay, so first off Dragon Age Origins is my favorite game of all time. I'm 31 years old and have been playing RPGs for years but Dragon Age really was the most fun I have ever had playing one. That being said, I waited months and months, checking Bioware forums every day for little bits of info and screenshots, for Dragon Age 2. I pre ordered the Signature Edition and everything, I was ready for it and even went to the midnight release. I am about 80% into the game now and I know all I need to know. The game is a shadow of the previous. They stripped out so much stuff it is ridicilous. Specializations like Shapeshifter, and my favorite, Ranger, and gone. Everything is less. Combat IS better, in my opinion, and graphics are improved. that's where it stops. The story is extremely boring, the romances are shallow, and despite a few intresting twists and turns, everything is just...bland...Definitly not worth the 60 bucks I forked over and the hype surrounding it. Oh, and my biggest complant..the voiced character. I never once felt like I was "role playing".… Expand
  14. Essense
    Mar 14, 2011
    2
    Don't support this putrid crap. Bioware sold out any soul it had left when it incubated this turd for what appears to have been a few weeks.

    Bioware and EA are out there drugding up false reviews (Fake 10 out of 10) to try and milk as much money money as possible from a game that deserves anything but any of your hard earned cash.

    Stay away.
  15. BakedPotato
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Well, the combat was better than the first, but that was about it. I tried to play all the way through but couldn't bear to keep playing. I am now scared for Mass Effect 3. For me it was like when something not very funny happens and someone makes a joke about it and laughs nervously while everyone else just stares at them. I was extremely disappointed, that is probably why I couldn'tWell, the combat was better than the first, but that was about it. I tried to play all the way through but couldn't bear to keep playing. I am now scared for Mass Effect 3. For me it was like when something not very funny happens and someone makes a joke about it and laughs nervously while everyone else just stares at them. I was extremely disappointed, that is probably why I couldn't enjoy it.… Expand
  16. Thylkerisis
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    The worst RPG game, Bioware had ever done.... I am very disappointed with thic "game", lots of bug, graphics are bad. the hero is dumb and fight like a "ninja"
  17. ruxi
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Compared to DA1, the sequel is trash in my honest opinion. The game lacks depth in storytelling, lore and quests. Storytelling was even lower quality than DA1. What I mean is that if I am playing a "movie RPG" like DA2, I expect to see some scripted custom animations, high quality dialogue or even nice prerendered cut scenes but when I completed the game I felt empty handed. I was also expecting to see some advancement in the Dragon Age core lore but after the brief introduction of Flemeth and her reappearance mid-game, the game just kept centering on the Champion of Kirkwall. Lore-wise speaking the game should have been an expansion or DLC to original DA, very much like DA:O. The quests themselves are mindless, which might be enough for some people but I feel that there should be something new to these "go to the point X, kill Y and bring me the Z". Recycling maps is usually acceptable in this kind of games but if we are just running around one city lik in DA2, I get the expression the game was pushed out too early. Every mansion looks the same, every house has the same rooms and even all the close by caves, five or six of them, look completely the same. I felt like playing one of those low grade Asian role-playing game made for kids which would not see the similarity of the maps.

    Combat and skill system is surely better than in DA1. Fighting in general feels more smooth and even thought number of abilities/spells was reduced, I think the general feel of the abilities/spells is better. The "combo states" (staggering etc.) game the fighting a little more depth too but overall these positive features can't save the game.

    All-in-all, I feel like I've brought an overpriced and hurried expansion pack to Dragon Age. Makes me a sad panda.    … Expand
  18. ArcticFox
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    This game was made for people that don't really have any demands regarding dialogue, game-design or features in an RPG. I would rather replay the witcher 10 times than have played this even once!
  19. SteveO
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Could have been amazing... if it was finished and tested before release! Lots of bugs, lazy with zone creation, DLC items massively screwed up. Publishers need to stop rushing the developers to get the game out before it's ready. It may make them a quick buck but it's financially bad for them in the long run as people like me will stop buying their games altogether.

    Having to re-summon    Could have been amazing... if it was finished and tested before release! Lots of bugs, lazy with zone creation, DLC items massively screwed up. Publishers need to stop rushing the developers to get the game out before it's ready. It may make them a quick buck but it's financially bad for them in the long run as people like me will stop buying their games altogether.

    Having to re-summon the war hound after every cinematic and zone change was especially annoying!    … Expand
  20. ExiledMimic
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Dragon Age 2 takes you on a tour of Kirkwall, a new city outside Ferelden in the Free Marches. You see new culture, a deviation in social standing as well as a different take on several subjects from the original Dragon Age: Origins. As you play through the game you run through both Kirkwall and immediate area outside it's gates doing side quests as well as plot quests that are supposeDragon Age 2 takes you on a tour of Kirkwall, a new city outside Ferelden in the Free Marches. You see new culture, a deviation in social standing as well as a different take on several subjects from the original Dragon Age: Origins. As you play through the game you run through both Kirkwall and immediate area outside it's gates doing side quests as well as plot quests that are suppose to help tell the tale of Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, as over the course of 7 years (not 10 as advertised) becomes a central person in the events that would change the world.

    Fans of Dragon Age: Origins will like most of the improved combat. No more shuffling to the exact spot to throw a shield slam, or throwing small balls of light from your mage's staff only to hit blocking terrain and do nothing. For those who are playing the console version the auto-attack feature didn't make it onto the disc, so expect to be spam-smashing the A button on your 360 for hours on end while you try to kill anything. You also wont see the tactical decisions you use to make. Instead of controlling the whole party for optimal results, you have more tactics slots to use to make sure that while you smash your buttons to cause damage, your party can function without you for the most part. However the companions are not as reliant on the tactics as they use to be. They have a will of their own at times, and will skip petty things like healing to throw attack spells if the AI thinks it's necessary. Which isn't as bad as you think since this go around a tank OR a healer will get you through all but the most difficult encounters.

    Unlike Origins you also have a more forgiving tier. Casual is about the same, leading you to slaughter the world in order to enjoy the story or just beat the game. Where Normal isn't a huge leap like in Origins, so you don't feel like the learning curve is so severe if you decide to replace at higher challenge levels.

    Companions, this time, are sadly bland. Your class choice (warrior, rogue, mage) decides which of your two siblings survives to reach Kirkwall to begin with. Bethany, your sister, is a mage. So if you choose Warrior or Rogue, you'll have her around to help out. Where Carver, your brother, will be there for you if you play a Mage. Which is fine and good, however by comparing the two companions Bethany is by far the more reasonable and likeable sibling. In terms of story it's a sad thing if you like Mage since Carver is so lack-luster.

    The rest of your companions have their gems. Varric is easy to get along with, and he tells your story throughout the game, but he's not very interesting. He's just a comfortable friend on par with the person you'll use for his skills and get a few chuckles out of his reactions. Isabella is for those who want plenty of sex jokes through the game, and Merrill is the sweet innocent girl who you'll love instantly (even if she practices blood magic). The rest of the companions seem to lack true depth. But each have their moments where they become interesting. Sadly by the time something is there to like you stopped caring.

    The story in Dragon Age: Origins is epic. Defeating the blight and solving problems as you mass an army to do so. In DA2 you're just sort of a bi-standard to the events of the world, even if an important one. The linear angle of the story means most of your choices are simply fluff. You can't affect the world much beyond the scope of how the story lets you. And at times the decisions you make that seem to have real impact, are forgotten by NPCs suddenly for the sake of required conflicts. The perfect example is that if you side with mages constantly, a group of them made up from those you've helped with suddenly decide that you are against them for no reason and require you to fight them.

    The ending tells how rushed the game was as you have more than a few fights that just don't seem to belong. As well as being punished for choosing a side in the end conflict (no matter which side you choose) despite the fact you couldn't decide to sit it out because of how muddled the conflict is. This leads to an ending that will leave you angry that you spent the time you did to get there.

    All in all the game would have been successful as an expansion pack, or perhaps a side game. But as a sequel to DAO it falls very flat and fails to capture the hearts of the player, or breath life into a world you already love. Strangely if you like God of War you will like some of the combat options, or if you like most run-and-smash games that leave gore in your wake. However if you want an immersible RPG experience, this is not the game for you.

    For those who didn't like Origins you'll probably like this game. For those who did? Read the wiki entry soon and just be glad you didn't have to live it. Hawke may be the Champion of Kirkwall, but when it comes down to it? The Warden's dog had more personality and charisma.    … Expand
  21. Basques
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Firstly, I was always a huge bioware fan. I played all the rpg/frp games created by them (hell I finished Baldur's gate 5 times). I preordered Dragon Age 2 and I was so disappointed that I am not even sure if I'll finish the game.

    Beatiful voice acting, gorgeous graphics and sadly zero game play satisfaction. Sometimes you don't even know what's going on in the screen. It's just a hack    Firstly, I was always a huge bioware fan. I played all the rpg/frp games created by them (hell I finished Baldur's gate 5 times). I preordered Dragon Age 2 and I was so disappointed that I am not even sure if I'll finish the game.

    Beatiful voice acting, gorgeous graphics and sadly zero game play satisfaction. Sometimes you don't even know what's going on in the screen. It's just a hack and slash game with zero burden on your brain. Combats just play themselves automatically, dialogues are non existing, good evil choices are too plain with no real content in it. And on top of that, most of the dungeon maps are repetitive, copy paste, including the hidden doors and their entrances. Literally, two dungeons I visited on after the other had the exact same cave room.

    Do yourself a favour, go and buy Baldur's gate 2 and start playing it again.    … Expand
  22. sterle2009
    Mar 16, 2011
    2
    I really loved Dragon Age : Origins. It was a refreshing RPG. A great release for the PC in a long while. Of course that created high expectations for DA2. I pre-ordered the game just to get Signature Edition and then came the rumours that it's a game suffering from consolitis... I had to keep my faith as I wanted to believe the developers wouldn't snub PC gamers... Then came the Demo...I really loved Dragon Age : Origins. It was a refreshing RPG. A great release for the PC in a long while. Of course that created high expectations for DA2. I pre-ordered the game just to get Signature Edition and then came the rumours that it's a game suffering from consolitis... I had to keep my faith as I wanted to believe the developers wouldn't snub PC gamers... Then came the Demo... my worst fears were justified. i didn't finish the demo as I wanted to believe the final game would be different. In the end... it's worse than I thought. Pure consolised displays, 0-day patch for High Res textures, armour only for the main char, selected "upgrades" for the companions... It's a very disappointing sequel to one of the best games ever.
    Overall, if taken on it's own. It's a decent game. When taken as a sequel to DA:O... Maybe if u play it on a console it wold be good. I don't know. I won't buy another sequel until it hits the bargain bins..    … Expand
  23. HarveyBirdman
    Mar 16, 2011
    2
    Dragon Age 2 is a thoroughly mediocre game. But it's not the forgivable kind of mediocre -- say, where a new developer strives for greatness but falls far short. It is something much worse: it reflects a deliberate and cynical decision by a top developer to turn a quick profit by whoring a top-tier franchise. This lazy, quick-cash-in approach destroys any sense of immersion or actualDragon Age 2 is a thoroughly mediocre game. But it's not the forgivable kind of mediocre -- say, where a new developer strives for greatness but falls far short. It is something much worse: it reflects a deliberate and cynical decision by a top developer to turn a quick profit by whoring a top-tier franchise. This lazy, quick-cash-in approach destroys any sense of immersion or actual roleplaying. For example, the game features about eight mid-size maps TOTAL: Hightown, Lowtown, Darktown, the Gallows (all of which have the same cold, blocky feel), a generic cave, the coast, the Deep Roads, and a mountain. This lone cave is used for practically every single quest outside of Kirkwall. To be clear, this is not a similar cave (as in, say, Oblivion) -- it is the EXACT SAME CAVE, with various sections closed off. Adding insult to injury, Bioware couldn't even be bothered to provide a different overhead map, or close off the sections in some realistic way, like a cave in. You just find a low-res concrete wall within the door frame. (For reference for DAO fans, the entire game feels about the size of Orzimmar and the Deep Roads in the original.) The result is a boring, empty, claustrophobic game world that annihilates any sense of immersion or exploration.

    Bioware's proposed remedies for this and many other flaws (like spending the entire first act doing random fetch quests to raise money) are (1) improved combat and (2) better writing. I'll gladly admit enjoying the combat visual effects the first time my mage tore through a dozen soldiers. But after a dozen or so battles, shooting fireballs between your legs while turning a backflip becomes dull and repetitive. In DAO, there was great satisfaction in decisively taking down a room of enemies with smart tactics, knowing they would tear you apart if you just ran in and pressed A. In DA2, you just run in and press A.

    The writing is very good in spots, but can't save the game. For every well-written character like Varric, there is a cartoonish caricature like sex-bomb Isabella or a dud like Aveline. For every laugh-out-loud line, there is a wince-inducing response by Hawke. The bottom line is this: Not everyone loved DAO, but millions of people did. Those who loved it did so because it was a sprawling, unabashed, old-school, D&D inspired RPG that challenged the player and provided a genuine sense of high adventure. Bioware seems to believe it can make more money scrapping the sprawling adventure, and instead selling back-flipping, large-breasted rogues who decapitate multiple enemies with the touch of a button. That is, of course, their decision to make. My decision will be to stop buying their products absent evidence of a dramatic reversal in course.    … Expand
  24. ujellybro
    Mar 16, 2011
    2
    Thanks metacritic for deleting my honest opinion about this game. Gaming really has taken a turn for the worse, when you can't express your opinions on a bad game without it getting deleted. You should be ashamed of yourselves, you and BioWare.
  25. penfever
    Mar 16, 2011
    2
    First time / long time, and so I want to thank Metacritic for years of excellent service to the gaming community. I've enjoyed reading the reviews, both professional and personal, and I base many of my buying decisions on what I glean here.

    I finished DA2. I could certainly talk about the game's many egregious failures (most of which have been covered here), but I think it's more    First time / long time, and so I want to thank Metacritic for years of excellent service to the gaming community. I've enjoyed reading the reviews, both professional and personal, and I base many of my buying decisions on what I glean here.

    I finished DA2. I could certainly talk about the game's many egregious failures (most of which have been covered here), but I think it's more interesting to think about this game in the context of what is happening to the RPG genre in general. FFXIII was, after a nearly interminable wait, the weakest FF ever. DA2 may well be the weakest Bioware game of the modern era. Atari is out of the RPG business, as are many others. And although the EuroPGs like Gothic may be to some players' tastes, I find them too heavily invested in a 'realistic' medieval setting. Seriously ... the PS3's been out for years now. Where are the RPGs?

    I can't remember the last time I played a truly great Fantasy RPG. Some (The Last Remnant) had intriguing ideas but failed in other areas. Some are just dull. DA2 is not a terrible game (merely a mediocre one), but it is a terrible RPG, because it makes you give up on the things that are supposed to matter the most ... exploration, character growth and story.

    By the end I was skipping almost every conversation. I knew what I said wouldn't matter. The idea that Kirkwall is 'vast' is a shameful lie. Daggerfall was vast. LOTRO and WOW are vast ... it takes hours to traverse them. Fallout: New Vegas was ... well, not vast, but pretty big. Gothic was sizable, if repetitious. DA2 is microscopic. Eensy weensy. Really truly small in scope, ambition, diversity ... you name it.

    Why do all mages perform the same four spells (and why are they mostly designed to prevent you from killing the mages immediately?)? Why are shades randomly appearing in Lowtown? Why do trash mobs rain from the heavens like the worthless copper you gather from the corpses? Why do the shops withhold their inventories for years? Why is crafting so utterly meaningless? Why is most of the treasure you collect useless? Why can't your companions wear armor? Why is this game's idea of 'strategy' flooding the screen with identical foes?

    It's not enough to trash this worthless, shameless cash-in of an RPG. That's easy, but insufficient. What we need is a revolution.

    Indie developers, are you listening? Do you remember, as I do, the days of Vagrant Story, FF6, Valkyrie Profile? Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Neverwinter Nights? Do you remember when there was an embarrassment of riches for Fantasy RPG gamers? Think about what we could do now. Imagine Bioware's production values and visual storytelling married to REAL innovation.

    This review is a call to action. Let's bring REAL RPGs back, on both the PC and the consoles, and relegate this overhyped, overvalued junk to the dustbin of history, where it belongs.    … Expand
  26. Getbusyliving
    Mar 17, 2011
    2
    Terrible game. Thoroughly disappointed. I just can't understand why they would mess with a formula that worked so well in the previous game. I won't be pre-ordering anything from Bioware ever again.
  27. kingjamesjr
    Mar 19, 2011
    2
    First off, this game had potential but somewhere down the line, someone really made some fuc up decision, this game no way a sequel to dao, I feel really sad that bioware has really drop the ball on this game, it's time for Bioware to grow some real balls and tell ea to suk it. Because at this current rate Bioware is going to lose its fan base at a rapid pace if this mickey mouse ****First off, this game had potential but somewhere down the line, someone really made some fuc up decision, this game no way a sequel to dao, I feel really sad that bioware has really drop the ball on this game, it's time for Bioware to grow some real balls and tell ea to suk it. Because at this current rate Bioware is going to lose its fan base at a rapid pace if this mickey mouse **** keeps up! Now back to this awful of a game period, this game is so simple that my 2 yr can play, I just hope that's not the market Bioware or Ea are trying to target because if it is they fail miserablely. There is nothing in this game that saids i'm the damn best rpg out there so screw everyone else! They have made some improvements but they over did it with the more i reuse the better the game will be concept. Which fail miserable again. My real gripe is this why mess with a game that could have been a great by trying to make it a action rpg which fail btw look at ff13 a massive falier. In the future, stop EA from messing with what ur company does best Good story, character that u truely love and hate,innovating character design and maps those are ur real strength in making a stellar rpg game. Oh btw, I will never by a game pre-order period from u guys any more what a shame, That u let alot of folks down with this so called sequel that suppose to top DA:O and i swear all the hype behind this title was really misleading and Ea And Bioware should be ashame of themselves Cuz actually i feel cheated cuz i bought a product that did nothing what was suppose to do most of all suppose to be entertaining. All i got was bunch of nonsense that really didn't make any sense.… Expand
  28. florestan123
    Mar 20, 2011
    2
    Along with several other people here, I have never written a review or commented on a game before, but I felt the strong need to voice my opinion about DA2. It just isn't a good game at all. How is it possible that the gaming industry critics have given the game such a favorable review?? Surely they are getting paid by EA in some form or another - we already know that at least one biowareAlong with several other people here, I have never written a review or commented on a game before, but I felt the strong need to voice my opinion about DA2. It just isn't a good game at all. How is it possible that the gaming industry critics have given the game such a favorable review?? Surely they are getting paid by EA in some form or another - we already know that at least one bioware employee (name of Avalone I think?) has posted here with a perfect score. That isn't really bad, and I don't mind that so much, but it sure makes me wonder what else EA/bioware is up to. Here's a message to all RPG fans out there wondering whether to buy this game or not... you will be hugely dissapointed if you enjoyed DAO - because all of the things that made DAO great are missing in this game. Trust me when I say this (because I have no hidden agenda), the general consensus of the user reviews is a lot more accurate than the critics reviews. All of the things that you've read about the game from the user reviews (repeatiing dungeons, hack and slash style play, poor dialogue choices, non-immersion, no caring for characters, no sense of being part of a bigger world), it's all true. Stay away from this one - you can find a much better way to spend $60!… Expand
  29. Hun73rdk
    Mar 20, 2011
    2
    The copy paste RPB of the decade everything in the game is the same copy paste the mines a all the same the caves a all the same and the areas around the city a all the same, armor only have diffrent colors.

    Im having trouble playing for more than 10 min at the time before getting bored This game is dumbed down to console players with no brains at all You can sit and watch a movie just    The copy paste RPB of the decade everything in the game is the same copy paste the mines a all the same the caves a all the same and the areas around the city a all the same, armor only have diffrent colors.

    Im having trouble playing for more than 10 min at the time before getting bored
    This game is dumbed down to console players with no brains at all

    You can sit and watch a movie just pressing R and still win a battle    … Expand
  30. KOTOR
    Mar 20, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was a big fan of bioware. I bought Baldurs gate 1 and 2 ,Neverwinter nights 1,Jade Empire,Sonic The dark Brotherhood,Mass Effect 1 and 2,Dragon Age Origins and Dragon age Awakening And Dragon age 2 .I was dissapointed with Mass effect 2 it was streamlined and didnt fixed the errors of the previous game because i WAS such a fan of bioware forgive them and hoped Dragon Age 2 was the return of The Great Rpg Creators they were.
    Sadly This isnt true Dragon age 2 is not a roleplaying game ,more of action game with a very weak combat and a mess that is the story,this game is a cashin on Dragon Age origins success it was rushed. Spoilers :The Storyline in Dragon Age 2 isn't all that coherent and doesn't really make sense. You have one leader inspired by a magic weapon that influences attitude...but the other leader...their decisions at the end of the game make NO Sense really. The entire game Really doesn 't make coherent sense. It's like whoever made the storyline wanted to make 3 different games and then tried to link them all up nicely at the very end.    … Expand
  31. L0RDNIK0N
    Mar 23, 2011
    2
    The Good: The name
    The Bad: The game
    The Ugly: The elves

    Hardly an RPG at all. A disgrace to the title Dragon Age. Poorly built, uninspired and shallow gameplay with predictable characters and anime style combat. Almost complete garbage. Beats looking at a blank screen, but not by much.
  32. Surenkin
    Mar 26, 2011
    2
    I have enjoyed almost all the games Bioware has produced in the past. Hardly anyone can deny that games like Baldurs Gate II, Dragon Age Origins and Kotor provide tons of entertainment. They received high ratings from professional reviewers and the community was pleased.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    On a scale from 1 to pretzel, I'm mad salty lol. I guess it's time to go back to hyping the upcoming Mass Effect 2 DLC, because atleast you still have dev-teams that know what the hell they are doing.    … Expand
  33. stiffneck
    Mar 31, 2011
    2
    Very dissapointing for a Bioware game.
    Gameplay short and pretty pointless .
    Storyline..well there just isn't one . City of kirkwall..like a quiet village on a sunday Fighting..arcade beat em up. The storyline was hugely uninspired, I was bored after the first 2 hours and this stayed right through to the end,thank goodness it was short TBH. Fighting waves of random darkspawn with    Very dissapointing for a Bioware game.
    Gameplay short and pretty pointless .
    Storyline..well there just isn't one .
    City of kirkwall..like a quiet village on a sunday
    Fighting..arcade beat em up.

    The storyline was hugely uninspired, I was bored after the first 2 hours and this stayed right through to the end,thank goodness it was short TBH.
    Fighting waves of random darkspawn with no objective made it a chore.
    Kirkwall was a HUGE dissapointment in itself.An empty city on par with chernobyl
    Save your money as this was a let down..or buy it and post yourselves here like I have    … Expand
  34. dj1917
    Apr 9, 2011
    2
    As soon as the corporate behemoth that is EA swallowed up Bioware, this was the inevitable result- trying to get an RPG, a game genre that will always appeal to a specific rather than general audience, and make it appeal to the masses of Gears of War and Halo fans. In the process they rushed development, leaving in several game-breaking bugs, and decided to re-use all the environments inAs soon as the corporate behemoth that is EA swallowed up Bioware, this was the inevitable result- trying to get an RPG, a game genre that will always appeal to a specific rather than general audience, and make it appeal to the masses of Gears of War and Halo fans. In the process they rushed development, leaving in several game-breaking bugs, and decided to re-use all the environments in the game (of which there are no more than what, eight?) so the player spends most of his time either in the same very few city locations (day or night versions), or in caves or mansions which all look identical but in which different random doors will be impassably locked (even to my lockpicking expert rogue) and unbreakable, and different passages which have been seemingly concreted up. What is in Act 1 of the game the entrance to a warehouse is magically transformed 3 years later to be the entrance to an alleyway, despite being clearly the door to a building. To compund this, areas are far too small. For instance, apparently the Elven Alienage area of Lowtown is where all the thousands of elves in the city live, despite consisting of about 12 houses and a big tree. There's no sign of any effort whatsoever to even give the impression of a larger city beyond, as in Mass Effect and other games. Areas outside of the city are made up of strange winding path-based areas with no open areas whatsoever, and various versions of the one-size-fits all dungeon/cave/underground base area. Undetailed, unrealistic environments like this have only previously been acceptable in RPGs because gamers knew that the price you paid for having loads of different places to explore was that they would inevitably have to be a bit scaled-down and simplified. When there are so few different areas in the game, it's inexcusable. Combat is a major problem too: even IF my character wasn't now moving at half-speed due to a bug. Acts 1 and 2 are absurdly easy, and almost every fight can be won in seconds by basically bashing A. In Act 3, suddenly the difficulty level shoots through the roof, which is not helped by the unbalanced economy of the game- i've been everywhere, done everything, looted all the corpses and opened every chest, yet there are items on sale in shops that cost four times the gold my character has got his hands on in the entire game. Basic healing potions etc. are far too expensive. How my character affords to maintain his 'estate' (which has about four rooms and one double bed, despite at least six people living there) is beyond me.
    And then there's the story-telling. It shows how terrible it has generally been in games if people think this is good. One example (trying to be spoiler-free for anyone fool enough to actually buy this game): a companion ends up in a situation where they have to do something that would haunt most of us for the rest of our lives, although they have no choice. They have destroyed all that mattered to them. But seconds later, that character will, it seems, have forgotten all about it and be back to making mildly humourous remarks.
    To sum up: it's broken, it's boring, and Bioware games should in future be approached with caution.    … Expand
  35. KalrocVN
    Apr 12, 2011
    2
    A classic example of a game not matching the overall franchise's core values and brand. DA Origins was strongly designed and communicated as a solid old-school Western RPG hearkening back to Baldur's Gate, which itself was strongly influenced by the pioneering Ultima games from the 80's and 90's. Halmarks of these games are 1) large, non-linear open worlds 2) strategic combat 3)A classic example of a game not matching the overall franchise's core values and brand. DA Origins was strongly designed and communicated as a solid old-school Western RPG hearkening back to Baldur's Gate, which itself was strongly influenced by the pioneering Ultima games from the 80's and 90's. Halmarks of these games are 1) large, non-linear open worlds 2) strategic combat 3) character statistic and equipment customization for the protagonist and supporting party members. DA II fails on all accounts.

    There's obviously still a decent market for the traditional western RPG, as DA Origins sold a LOT of copies. And let's be honest, DA Origins wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but it at least targeted a specific segment of the market and served that segment decently well.

    This was bad brand management. Whoever is in charge of the DA franchise at EA should be canned, he's done incredible harm to the DA brand and ultimately devalued EA's investment in Bioware.    … Expand
  36. JenniferGoo
    Apr 12, 2011
    2
    The crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just notThe crticial reception of Dragon Age II is one of the most glaring examples of just how terrified the enthusiast video game press is afraid of upsetting publishers. They wouldn't dare tell you at what point this is a focus-driven rushed-to-market insult to video game consumers everywhere. I never played the original Dragon Age so I'm not an irate fan of the original... there is just not much to defend here. There isn't a single battle in the game (including bosses) that doesn't involve waves and waves of enemies spawning out of thin air waiting for you to mow them down. Sometimes, even when you give them a gentle whack, they explode into a dozen pieces... which I guess is suppose to make me feel like a bad ass. The entire game takes place in one city made up of a few small disconnected areas and the same two or three dungeons that are reused for the entire game. They even try to trick you into thinking this is a new area by blocking off doors you were previously able to go through and opening other ones. Why can't you go through that door you see this time around? Who knows! You just can't click on it! Look, when asked about this problem in an interview, the developers claim they had two choices: give us all original content and cut the game length down to a couple hours or reuse the same areas over and over until the game lasted twenty-five hours. If that doesn't give you an idea of how rushed this product is, I don't know what will. There is not 60 dollars worth of content here and yet so many people have already bought this game because the video game press is looking out more for themselves and not for us. The sad part of this is that underneath it all, the character interaction is great even if the overally story arc, like the rest of the game, is not well thought out at all. It's clear there were talented people working on Dragon Age II, but they weren't given the liberty or time to make this into a good product. Buyer beware.… Expand
  37. Epicmaster
    Jun 17, 2011
    2
    Very Unsatisfying RPG game in general, story did not take full advantage of the depth possibility of frame narrative, The Game is full off little things that make it less of a deep RPG and more of an action adventure game. The ending of the game is probably the worst of any RPG i have played. I only finished this game because of the commitment I had from finishing DA:O.
  38. CursedKnight187
    Apr 29, 2011
    2
    It's hard to explain why this game isn't good, but it isn't. The fighting hasn't really got any worse, but it hasn't really got any better either, even if it is different. After a while I just couldn't be bothered to continue, and you don't really know what's going on concerning the main plot, and the side quests just aren't good enough to be enjoyable. Not a good game.
  39. azza
    May 11, 2011
    2
    I used to really love Bioware and every game they made. KOTOR was fantastic as was Mass Effect. With Dragon Age: Origins being such an amazing game i expected Dragon Age 2 to be of the same calibre but it simply wasn't. They seem to have a problem when it comes to sequels, they get them all wrong. Mass Effect 2 is another example, while it was still a good game, not great, it paled inI used to really love Bioware and every game they made. KOTOR was fantastic as was Mass Effect. With Dragon Age: Origins being such an amazing game i expected Dragon Age 2 to be of the same calibre but it simply wasn't. They seem to have a problem when it comes to sequels, they get them all wrong. Mass Effect 2 is another example, while it was still a good game, not great, it paled in comparison to the original. If something is working great, it should keep the main elements and build upon it, not completely change everything about it. Dragon Age: Origins was a true core RPG and that was why it received such praise. So why shift the focus to action and put story telling on the back burner? Was it so it would appeal to a mass market and make Bioware and EA more money, at the cost of alienating fans of the original? I don't know but i hope they fix these issues in the next one, which at this stage i donâ… Expand
  40. Wowsa
    May 22, 2011
    2
    Disappointing, rushed, reused cash grab from Bioware/EA. Should never have been advertised as a sequel. Limited role playing, forced decisions that culminate in same ending.
  41. BucketHead
    May 27, 2011
    2
    This game is incomplete. Just read all the other reviews here. Who are you going to believe? The short 1-sentenced reviews with 10s or the majority with descriptive flaws? You're only deceiving yourself if you say this is a good game after playing it. This would have been an alright game, but I give this game barely any score simply because this is BioWare. Their previous game Mass EffectThis game is incomplete. Just read all the other reviews here. Who are you going to believe? The short 1-sentenced reviews with 10s or the majority with descriptive flaws? You're only deceiving yourself if you say this is a good game after playing it. This would have been an alright game, but I give this game barely any score simply because this is BioWare. Their previous game Mass Effect 2 had to be one of the most polished and immersive games that I've ever played. I give it a perfect 10 because no game has ever done what Mass Effect 2 did for this industry. This on the other hand... Are you kidding me?! The biggest thing that sticks out here: There is no story! What? This is a BioWare game, where is the story, the lore, the environments. Worst setting I have ever seen in a game. This is no exaggeration, there is little to no detail in the environments other than brownish colors with rocks. Nothing pleasing to look at. It may have been acceptable in last-generation gaming for lesser-known developers, but this is absolutely preposterous for BioWare! Did you really do this BioWare?! I trusted playing every one of your games, until now. Mass Effect 3 will undoubtedly be outstanding, simply because the BioWare team isn't lost, the best workers they have are just working on the projects that matter: Mass Effect 3 and TOR. I still expect those games to be outstanding, but I'm through with the BioWare team that made DA2. From now on, I will pay attention to which BioWare team makes which games.… Expand
  42. Topster
    Jun 1, 2011
    2
    Ladies and gentlemen, this is the result of attempting to market to the masses. The result of rushing production to "capitalize" on a loved franchise. The result of completely misunderstanding what made the first Dragon Age popular in the first place. This kind of thing is to be expected of that horrid producer EA who, let's face it, would be almost unheard of if they hadn't secured theLadies and gentlemen, this is the result of attempting to market to the masses. The result of rushing production to "capitalize" on a loved franchise. The result of completely misunderstanding what made the first Dragon Age popular in the first place. This kind of thing is to be expected of that horrid producer EA who, let's face it, would be almost unheard of if they hadn't secured the rights to make almost exclusive games for the major sports leagues so long ago. But it is NOT what is to be expected of BioWare, the company that gave us KotOR, Baldur's gate, and Neverwinter Nights. This is not a bad game relatively speaking, but the reason I give this a 2 is because of how much of an utter disappointment it is. Where to start? Dumbing down combat? The copy-pasted environments? The worse inventory system? The dialog wheel that seems more interested in telling its own story regardless of what the player chooses? Hell, they couldn't even get whether consoles had the auto-attack feature fight, which it didn't. Because nothing is more immersive than monotonously having to mash the A button the entire combat. Let's start with combat, shall we? From the very first dev interview I knew something was wrong. This sales guy said something along the lines of "Combat will be streamlined so casual players will be able to just fight their way through without the menu, but for older fans, you can still set up tactics and use the menu!" Essentially, this douchebag told us that you can succeed in combat by completely ignoring tactics and menus, but for some reason they give us the option to use them anyway. The result of this brilliant stratagem is a hack & slash Dynasty Warriors-style game where you mash A through endless hoards of enemies while even more respawn around you who, funnily, go after the closest enemies they spawn near, which is usually the mages handing out in back. Yes, this game PUNISHES YOU for relying on tactics. People say that these issues can be solved through cranking the difficulty up, but I can't fathom how this is the case, since all that accomplishes is making your squishy companions die FASTER. The environments. Need I say more? "Oh, but BW didn't have enough time! It was EA's fault!" Yeah, well I don't see how that changes the fact that after you beat the first act of the game, you have literally seen all there is to see. I wonder what else you could excuse with this logic; "Twilight would have been good if the author didn't suck!" "The Star Wars prequels would have been awesome if George Lucas didn't go insane before writing them!" The fact of the matter is that it sucks. It doesn't matter *why*, because it still does. And to touch on something one of the devs said in defense of the environments, how it was "artfully concealed"? No, it wasn't Having you enter and exit through the same dungeon 30 times from different areas is not "artfully done". Hell, they didn't even bother to alter the minimap to not show areas they block off. The inventory....Can you believe that even though they dumbed the crap out of this system, it STILL gets mired in useless crap you have to micromanage? They take away exchangeable armor for party members, they restrict what kind of weapons they can use (if you want an NPC that can use a bow you pick up, you need to pay for one.) and they don't ever let you change weapon styles. Varric can only ever use his crossbow. Isabella can't use a bow. Aveline can't use a 2h and Fenris can't use a shield. Why. The. Hell. Not? AND YET you still have to micromanage all the loot you pick up to make sure that all your party is still equipped with the best possible gear. BW has made an inventory system that is simpler AND still requires as much micromanaging as the first DA. ow do you DO that? The dialog wheel. Dear GOD the dialog wheel. I will never understand BW's obsession with that system. Why? What is so good about a circular select screen that gives you a few little blurbs of dialog you want to say before your character winds up saying something that only vaguely matches what you picked? If BW doesn't want our input, just make the game action-adventure and make the main character a handsome everyman with short brown hair and stubble who spouts cliched action-movie quotes. That's the direction they seem to have gone anyway. EA is cancer and BW is the willing carrier. Before this game, I was psyched to pick up TOR, ME3, and yeah, DA3. Now? I'm waiting for the reviews to come out before I even consider renting any of those. Vote with your money, people.… Expand
  43. Necrotaur
    Jul 18, 2011
    2
    I was extremely, extremely disappointed in this game. I found DA to be fairly mediocre, but this is a definite step backwards in everything except perhaps graphics. DA2 is one of the few Bioware games I have not had an urge to go back and play through again as the opposite alignment. For one, I found the companions to be either bland or distasteful except for Varric, and the factionsI was extremely, extremely disappointed in this game. I found DA to be fairly mediocre, but this is a definite step backwards in everything except perhaps graphics. DA2 is one of the few Bioware games I have not had an urge to go back and play through again as the opposite alignment. For one, I found the companions to be either bland or distasteful except for Varric, and the factions also annoyed me... especially the 'climax' at the end. It made me realize that my choices throughout the game played no part. I understand the concept of 'grey morality' but in DA2 it's closer to black vs. black. They could have replaced the mages vs. templars plotline with demons vs. Nazis and it would have had no major effect. I mean, the Tranquil Solution? Really? I wanted to side with neither one of them and just return to Ferelden, but sadly I wasn't given that option.… Expand
  44. 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
  45. 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
  46. 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
  47. 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.
  48. 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
  49. 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.
  50. 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
  51. 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
  52. Socratease
    Feb 16, 2013
    2
    Worst. Bioware game. Ever. At least Mass effect 3 did a pretty good job of covering up its crappyness. With dragon age 2, however, bioware seemed to think it a rather amusing joke to throw as much said crappyness as possible at their consumers, AND BOY WAS THERE A LOT OF IT!!

    First off, the only two characters in the game that were even marginally interesting were the antagonist, and    Worst. Bioware game. Ever. At least Mass effect 3 did a pretty good job of covering up its crappyness. With dragon age 2, however, bioware seemed to think it a rather amusing joke to throw as much said crappyness as possible at their consumers, AND BOY WAS THERE A LOT OF IT!!

    First off, the only two characters in the game that were even marginally interesting were the antagonist, and Varric, the dwarf without a beard!!!

    Nobody reacted to ANYTHING you did (EX: stealing from a guard, using magic RIGHT. IN FRONT. OF TEMPLARS, drawing your weapon in public, etc. I thought this series was going to evolve, not devolve). It`s not a living, breathing world like ME1s and DA:Os were: it`s a bland, empty, artists nightmare filled with carboard cut outs in place of NPCs. The facial animations are terrible. Half the NPCs look like they had their faces partially melted, and the elves looked like retarded little fairy creatures. bu-but the protagonist is fully voiced!!

    Whoopdie. Fu--ing. Doo. Does it make up for the other 98% of the games bad parts?

    But the combat is more action oriented!

    Did dragon age ever NEED to be a mindless hack n slash?! Did it ever need to be something so witless that only the hapless little lab monkeys at EA games and Activision would find it enjoyable?!

    Somethings rotting in the state of bioware and it has a name: Electronic. Goddamned. Arts.

    Dragon age was, WAS, the spiritual successor to Baldurs gate and Neverwinter nights. But now it`s a final fantasy wannabe, complete with final fantasy rejects (Fenris. Nough said).

    Who in their right mind would give this game a score any higher than a 3/10?! Oh, that`s right: the bought and paid for game ''journalists'', if that`s what you want to call them. Personally, i think a more appropriate term for them would be: corporate spokespersons. Pay no attention to those pravda rejects.

    This game is NOT AN RPG by ANY stretch of the imagination: it`s a witless hack n slash for six year olds, and should be burned in the streets along with similar games like mindjack and, lets count sand (okay, i made that up, but you get the point). Unless you`re six years old and don`t know any better yet, DO NOT buy this game!!    … Expand
  53. DinoVas
    May 9, 2016
    2
    This game completely derails from the excellence of DAO. It's extremely weak, horrible battle system and very boring story. Actually the game doesnt even let you get to know the story since the game is so horrible from the get go.I tried to like it as I loved the first game but Icouldnt get passed 1 hour.
  54. MarsCorialanus
    Oct 27, 2017
    2
    I love Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening. Super fun RPG's that just felt amazing. Cool characters with compelling stories. This sequel had repetitive maps and missions that lacked any fun factor. I also felt like I was always on a loading screen, maybe it would be more tolerable on a more powerful machine. Dragon Age II, I cannot even recall one memorable character. Not like Liliana,I love Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening. Super fun RPG's that just felt amazing. Cool characters with compelling stories. This sequel had repetitive maps and missions that lacked any fun factor. I also felt like I was always on a loading screen, maybe it would be more tolerable on a more powerful machine. Dragon Age II, I cannot even recall one memorable character. Not like Liliana, Morrigan, Alistair, or Sten! This game is really when I first saw that Bioware could do wrong. After MEIII I realized I would not be joining in for another title from this new EA Bioware. This game truly marked the beginning of the end.… Expand
  55. mikereview
    Aug 1, 2018
    2
    Dragon Age 2 plays like an unimaginative console port. The story is lackluster, the battle consists of brainless button mashing and the graphics are ugly and dated. They even recycled several maps. There's very little this game has in common with either DA1 or DA:Inquisition except the name. It is a turd sandwich so stay away from this game.
  56. AutumnReviewer
    Sep 16, 2018
    2
    When I played the game for the first time I love it.
    But playing again, again and again (I played 7 times) we start to notice the flaws. Despite one of their main features being "choices" and diversity of gameplay, it don't exist much to do. It has almost no replay value after you play for the second time. They reuse the same map over and over again damage more the game replay value. You    When I played the game for the first time I love it.
    But playing again, again and again (I played 7 times) we start to notice the flaws. Despite one of their main features being "choices" and diversity of gameplay, it don't exist much to do. It has almost no replay value after you play for the second time. They reuse the same map over and over again damage more the game replay value. You really need to have a bad memory if you want to play this game again.
    The combat is very dumbed down than Dragon Age Origins. Despite I liked some stuffs, like the warriors skills tree, it's very noticeable they decrease the skills from the Mages. This lead to not have much to do when you play the game again with the same class.
    Nightmare mode apparently was not tested, resulting in a very infuriating level which you will die constantly and win mostly fights by luck.
    The personality trait, despite being a interesting idea, really don't suit Dragon Age franchise and limit your freedom to roleplay.
    I liked the characters and the plot was ok, but really it required more development to be someway be interesting. They constantly drop some characters to do cameos from Origins which I found kind annoying.
    The soundtrack is probably one of the best on the franchise.

    Conclusion: You probably will like to play this once and never more.    … Expand
  57. gqmasters3
    May 11, 2019
    2
    I cannot give this game a "zero" because it IS playable and it has a mild amusement value, but it is the worst sequel ever. The game is clearly very rushed, dungeons are reused over and over (to the degree it is insulting to the gamer), you spend the entire game in one town and the plot is quite scattered and unengaging. I personally did not like the different battle gameplay, but it isI cannot give this game a "zero" because it IS playable and it has a mild amusement value, but it is the worst sequel ever. The game is clearly very rushed, dungeons are reused over and over (to the degree it is insulting to the gamer), you spend the entire game in one town and the plot is quite scattered and unengaging. I personally did not like the different battle gameplay, but it is not terrible.… Expand
  58. Peachboiii
    Nov 28, 2021
    2
    I feel bad for giving it such a low score, because i know its EAs fault and not bioware. And they did a great job in the time they had and the pressure they were under. But i just cant get into this game. I hate the character im playing, the layout looks cheap, enviroment is bland and everything looks the same everywhere. They could've called this something else, like making it a spin offI feel bad for giving it such a low score, because i know its EAs fault and not bioware. And they did a great job in the time they had and the pressure they were under. But i just cant get into this game. I hate the character im playing, the layout looks cheap, enviroment is bland and everything looks the same everywhere. They could've called this something else, like making it a spin off or something. It would be more forgiving. But EA also demanded they call it DA2.. I mean, f them so f*ing much. EA is the worst thing to happen to Dragon age.… Expand
  59. tei15
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Worst sequel ever. Unbearably repetitive locations (effectively just a copy paste), boring story, weak writing, bad visuals (characters are even uglier than in the first game) . Never expected people who made ME2 to publish such low-quality game.
  60. Miz3k
    Mar 19, 2011
    1
    What a total disappointment. Much like Mass Effect 2 this game fails to deliver on so many levels. About the only thing I can say I liked about this game was the combat overhaul, but after some time with the game even that became very boring and was added to the long list of cons. This game has been so over-simplified it barely resembles an RPG anymore. You can craft the appearance of yourWhat a total disappointment. Much like Mass Effect 2 this game fails to deliver on so many levels. About the only thing I can say I liked about this game was the combat overhaul, but after some time with the game even that became very boring and was added to the long list of cons. This game has been so over-simplified it barely resembles an RPG anymore. You can craft the appearance of your character as in other games of this type, but you are basically just selecting different presets. Guitar Hero and Rock Band had a more robust creation tool. Menus have been lifted straight from Mass Effect 2, and the game setup is identical, this is not a good thing. Your choices for upgrading your character are very limited, there is a difference between making your game more user-friendly and stripping down almost all customization options. Combat is reduced to hack n' slash gameplay and anyone who believes this isn't just another button-masher is diluted. You can pause the action and give commands but you never really need to. Graphics are very bland, textures are low-res and character models are questionable. The only characters who look even remotely cool are certain companions and if you look in the strategy guide you can see that the concept art for these and all other characters was better than the finished product. There are very few locations the game takes place in, an even bigger crime is that every house you enter, every cave you search, every sewer you trudge through is the exact same place as all the ones you ever have or ever will venture into in the game. It really takes away from the immersion when you are told to search for something in a cave or sewer or estate only to realize you've already been there more than once. And no, they aren't telling you that you are having multiple missions in the same locale, they are all different missions in the same recycled location visually, these places are on different parts of the map with different names and are being passed off as a new place, and Bioware is hoping you won't notice. Also there is no exploration, you walk down pre-defined paths with a few deviations here and there with expected loot waiting at the end. This is essentially Final Fantasy 13, Bioware just covered up the linearity a little better. There is no customization for your companions. They always wear the same armor and you can only buy four upgrades for them, all they do is change stats, not appearance. This is really a game all about accessorizing, the most you'll ever toy with in terms of customization is the jewelry you and your companions wear. The DLC was obviously part of the game that was withheld to make extra money for EA and Bioware, visually and story-wise it fits in too well with the rest of the game to be standard DLC. Speaking of story, there really isn't one. The first Dragon Age was so epic, the story of a hero on a quest to save the world. Here you are a refugee out to reclaim your family's name and honor. There isn't even a real villain until Act 3 and that's the end of the game. Just like ME2 this game boils down to being just a checklist. "Make sure you do these things before this time or this will happen to you." As for save-game importing, it has no effect on the story whatsoever. Certain characters show up but seem tacked on and out of place. At one point you meet a character that with the use of the import could have been your created character from the first game, however it ends up just being some generic character that has no impact on the story at all. What's bad is that in this scene you could tell Bioware thought this would be epic and dramatic and it ended up failing on all levels. Romances boil down to the same checklist formula as in ME2 as well as the rest of this game and thus lose all impact and are rendered pointless and too much effort for no real payoff. I don't know how they did it but Bioware even managed to make the Deep Roads unexciting. I also don't understand why Bioware thought the story and characters in the first game were so bad not to continue them, they did the same thing to a lesser extent in ME2. Bioware really needs to stop stripping down their games to reach a broader, less intelligent audience simply to make more money for their new overlords(EA). Once they have alienated all their fans and no longer present any value to them they will be cast aside like EA's other at-one-time golden children(Black Box for example, there are others). I know this will probably be my last trip into the Dragon Age universe, and as soon as I'm through with ME3(I have to finish the series because I'm already so invested in the Commander's story) I won't waste any more of my time with any new Bioware IPs. Oh well, at least I still have Skyrim to look forward to. Also, BEWARE! Bioware posts their own reviews to inflate their game's score, this added to everything listed above is really sad.… Expand
  61. Ramaah
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    One of the most overrated games ever, second to Treyarch's works. You say graphics are good? In my opinion old Dungeon Siege looks better and juicier. Game looks like poor MMORPG. Dialogues are flat, boring, predictable, and trying so hard to be epic, that are actually parody of RPG genre. The whole history of hero's family is like "The Bold and the Beautiful" or "Dallas" with dragons. TheOne of the most overrated games ever, second to Treyarch's works. You say graphics are good? In my opinion old Dungeon Siege looks better and juicier. Game looks like poor MMORPG. Dialogues are flat, boring, predictable, and trying so hard to be epic, that are actually parody of RPG genre. The whole history of hero's family is like "The Bold and the Beautiful" or "Dallas" with dragons. The most funny thing is the masturbation mode for 12 y.o.: dragon-sized boobs everywhere. Hell yeah, I just drowned in epicness, singing the song of the old days. What is good? I really don't know, maybe music here and there? This game is not BAD, it deserves more than 3.5 (user score at the time I'm writing) - I'd say it's something between 5 and 6 (7 if you really love dragons). It still offers adventure and ugly creatures to kill and for sure it's better than Arcania.. But in order to balance these crazy optimistic rates I give it 1. Because I have enough of this stupid trend, that if BioWare did this, or Bethesda did this, or some part of the title says "Call of Duty", than we give 8 or 9 at the very beginning and then we play the game. No, folks, all the glitters is not gold! And Dragon Age 2 don't deserve to be called VERY good game (8/10), fantastic game (9/10) or masterpiece (10/10). This game has nothing more to offer, than dozens of similar RPG games. My score is my protest against such practice mentioned above. (Sorry for bad spelling).… Expand
  62. GenTrigger
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    If this game was promised to be a worthy successor to Dragon Age 2 and this game breaks all of those promises to try to be something that not only undermines everything that was good about Dragon Age: Origins, it spits on those mechanics and insults the player's intelligence at every moment in some new spectacular way. When the game runs out of ways to prove it's not it's more matureIf this game was promised to be a worthy successor to Dragon Age 2 and this game breaks all of those promises to try to be something that not only undermines everything that was good about Dragon Age: Origins, it spits on those mechanics and insults the player's intelligence at every moment in some new spectacular way. When the game runs out of ways to prove it's not it's more mature sibling it begins to plateau into boring and repetitive quests that leave you asking, "Was this supposed to be fun?"

    The setting was supposed to be stylized more to look more exciting, though someone forgot to tell the art direction what stylization meant and they just assumed it means making boring designs and making them look ridiculous. The best example of this is the gigantic weapons that look like they'd be more fitting in a cartoon, which are lazily animated to rest on the back two inches away as if held there by magic. Also another pet peeve that's plucked about the weapons is that staffs (tools that are normally used to assist walking) are placed on the back in an absolutely ridiculous manner. Knives are also held on the back in this way and look absolutely ridiculous while placed as such.

    The writing is downright elementary and the game treats the subject matter of sex like a bunch of giggling school children who've just seen a breast for the first time in their life. We've grown far beyond this juvenile stage in video games and EA should feel ashamed to publish this trash that's dragging down the medium of video games.    … Expand
  63. sogeking7
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    RPG is not a full voiced hack n slash. RPG is not a linear cinematic scenes. RPG is not a copy paste dungeons. You want profit of casual gamers but you are losing your fan player base. DLC policy are totally abusive and greedy. ad graphics, bad gameplay, bad story, loaded with day 1 DLC that you have to pay for. What is there to like? Dragon age origins is so much better than this POS.RPG is not a full voiced hack n slash. RPG is not a linear cinematic scenes. RPG is not a copy paste dungeons. You want profit of casual gamers but you are losing your fan player base. DLC policy are totally abusive and greedy. ad graphics, bad gameplay, bad story, loaded with day 1 DLC that you have to pay for. What is there to like? Dragon age origins is so much better than this POS. Don't give into bioware and stop buying their products. Save your money and buy something better.… Expand
  64. Madval
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    Simply a damn console game for inept inapt. The 1 was so much better. Fail bioware. As someone say : Boring, boring and boring ... Can't even compare it to DA:O not to mention BioWare's older RPG games. Incredible disappointment. No much more to say. Simply a damn console game for inept inapt. The 1 was so much better. Fail bioware. As someone say : Boring, boring and boring ... Can't evenSimply a damn console game for inept inapt. The 1 was so much better. Fail bioware. As someone say : Boring, boring and boring ... Can't even compare it to DA:O not to mention BioWare's older RPG games. Incredible disappointment. No much more to say. Simply a damn console game for inept inapt. The 1 was so much better. Fail bioware. As someone say : Boring, boring and boring ... Can't even compare it to DA:O not to mention BioWare's older RPG games. Incredible disappointment. No much more to say.… Expand
  65. uazzamerican
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    This game is a clera example on how a company maximizes profits using a brand name, lot of resouces to advertising and marketing (INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL REVIEWERS... SHAME ON YOU) and an awful product.
    This "Sonic-like" game doesn't deserve a review, this game doesn't deserve nothing. Stay away, save your money, it's the best thing you can do.
  66. RPGLover
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    A Dynasty Warriors from Bioware? wtf
    I loved their games but this is awful in all ways. No NPC reaction for stealing, fighting, etc. Tube Levels, cloned caves, a dumb story, cloned NPC (thx for the big **** BW! if this would be real, yeahhh!)
    Please make RPG instead of this crap Bioware!
  67. Blago
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    Here's the best analogy I can think of to summarize my feeling about Dragon Age II. Imagine you love heavy metal music and this new band released their debut album (Dragon Age: Origins) a couple years ago and it was simply awesome. Heavy, deep, rewarding. You counted down the days in giddy anticipation to their second album (Dragon Age II). You couldn't wait to see how they couldHere's the best analogy I can think of to summarize my feeling about Dragon Age II. Imagine you love heavy metal music and this new band released their debut album (Dragon Age: Origins) a couple years ago and it was simply awesome. Heavy, deep, rewarding. You counted down the days in giddy anticipation to their second album (Dragon Age II). You couldn't wait to see how they could possibly improve on the first album, but you knew this band would not disappoint. Finally the day is here and you have the album in hand. You put on your best set of cans, press play, and........find out your favorite band sold out and is now producing "pop" music for the masses. Yes, they may sell more albums, but man, what a bummer. Total sell out.… Expand
  68. girlgamer212
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    I think the number of Bioware reps jumping onto this site to defend this sorry excuse for a game is pathetic. Oh no! People are actually going to discover what horrible dreck DA2 actually is! In all honesty, I have never been so disappointed from when I bought a game, to actually getting home and playing it. This is the worst game Bioware has ever released, and I played Jade Empire. II think the number of Bioware reps jumping onto this site to defend this sorry excuse for a game is pathetic. Oh no! People are actually going to discover what horrible dreck DA2 actually is! In all honesty, I have never been so disappointed from when I bought a game, to actually getting home and playing it. This is the worst game Bioware has ever released, and I played Jade Empire. I was so upset I even went back to the store and bought the PC version to see if it was any better......WRONG. In addition to being just as boring as the console version, the PC one was buggy beyond belief! I am never buying a Bioware game again without reading reviews first, and NOT the paid-for "professional" reviews.… Expand
  69. Pentasurge
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    Thanks Bioware for all the shades of brown. It's like there was a giant mystical power in the sky just **** out brown the entire time. Also, great job on all the paid reviews, does it feel good to know that everyone thinks your game is **** Oh wait, you only care about the money and profits you can make. The 2005 graphics mix well with all the brown. The dialogue is also very well writtenThanks Bioware for all the shades of brown. It's like there was a giant mystical power in the sky just **** out brown the entire time. Also, great job on all the paid reviews, does it feel good to know that everyone thinks your game is **** Oh wait, you only care about the money and profits you can make. The 2005 graphics mix well with all the brown. The dialogue is also very well written and probably took months to come up the extremely complicated and sophisticated "I want to be a dragon." line.
    **** you Bioware.    … Expand
  70. PeterWillard
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I must say this is one of the biggest disappointments I had in the last couple of years in terms of games. I have spent over 50h playing DA1 and even though it had its flaws it managed to give a memorable and overall enjoyable experience, cool locations and character development. It was solid. I don't really know where to start when it comes to DA2. It's such a wasted title. With all the built up hype and promises from the ever so self-content developers the end result is appalling. The worst thing in my opinion is how Bioware treats us, their paying customers, delivering a product of such low standards and still advertising it as an improvement over the first installment. Day 1 DLC with an additional NPC character? Seriously? There is so little to go with in the game itself and yet you cut out one party members? I've just finished the chapter with the expedition and to my dismay discovered that I am still confined to the same city, the same locations (with re-rolled resource items so you have to look for them again). There are what - four unique dungeon/building maps which repeat over and over only to change the initial spawn point and lock some of the doors. The dialogues, although pleasantly voiced, have no impact on the story whatsoever. It doesn't matter whether you pick the nice option or the aggressive one - the show goes on no matter what. You can bad-mouth most of the important npc characters with no penalty. At some point I started skipping lines altogether and just relying on the map marker to guide me to the next objective - yes this is what this game degrades to after some time - running around delivering answers / questions to the next individual and slaying groups of cloned enemies appearing from thin air on scripted locations. I once had spiders descend on their webs straight from the bloody sky. Combat although presented as dynamic and engaging comes down to mindless button-mashing. Large groups of cloned enemies appear in waves very much alike to some arcade games. The fighting is so high-paced all you see on the screen is bloody pulp exploding all the time and severed limbs flying all over the place. I mean how is it possible to hit someone with a dagger so that the body explodes and only the boots are left standing? After a while, when you have seen all the animations and effects, combat becomes more of a nuisance rather than fun. As for me I am abandoning the game completely - it's not worth the time and it feels more like punishment or some chore. I strongly advise you to skip this game and keep your money.… Expand
  71. Trotskyist
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    If you want to ever get decent, smart CRPG again, if you dont want the whole genre to die out - Dont buy this slasher game! Under any circumstances - dont buy this slasher, labelled as RPG!

    This slasher needs to flop. Bioware should go bankrupt. Laidlaw, Gaider, Muzyka - all these... ahem... businessmen... no longer have moral rights to wear the same badge as Baldurs    If you want to ever get decent, smart CRPG again, if you dont want the whole genre to die out - Dont buy this slasher game! Under any circumstances - dont buy this slasher, labelled as RPG!

    This slasher needs to flop. Bioware should go bankrupt. Laidlaw, Gaider, Muzyka - all these... ahem... businessmen... no longer have moral rights to wear the same badge as Baldurs Gate 2 creators.
    If DA2 succeeds comercially, this kind of gameplay re-imagining may very well happen to possible Baldurs Gate 3. Just imagine this nightmare - Baldurs Gate 3 : God of War style.    … Expand
  72. Olf
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    A game that resembles every other RPG game tossed out for consoles. No imagination or creativity. The ingenuity that made Dragon Age origins so ground breaking is totally lost on this sequel that would make DAO get an emancipation from Dragon Age 2 if it could so it would not stain its good name. A terrible at best sequel and a very sub par game in general. Poorly done Bioware, and EA youA game that resembles every other RPG game tossed out for consoles. No imagination or creativity. The ingenuity that made Dragon Age origins so ground breaking is totally lost on this sequel that would make DAO get an emancipation from Dragon Age 2 if it could so it would not stain its good name. A terrible at best sequel and a very sub par game in general. Poorly done Bioware, and EA you should be ashamed by the lack of imagination it took to create this game.… Expand
  73. Goikotxea
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    Not only this is not a step forward from what was already a "not so good but somewhat promising" RolePlaying Game, this is officially two steps back. Some people like to call those gamers that like to think, when playing, other than smashing buttons expecting awesome things to happen, i don't care, i refuse to call what is an extremely dumbed down, very poorly written action game with itsNot only this is not a step forward from what was already a "not so good but somewhat promising" RolePlaying Game, this is officially two steps back. Some people like to call those gamers that like to think, when playing, other than smashing buttons expecting awesome things to happen, i don't care, i refuse to call what is an extremely dumbed down, very poorly written action game with its own, childish concept of "mature content"(which means sex scenes and lots of blood-- give me a break) anything more than horrible. Poor job Bioware.… Expand
  74. derpyderpderp
    Mar 10, 2011
    1
    DA:1 was a good game. Sadly, EA and Bioware sold themselves out to some made up focus group to sell games. DA:1, like Balder's Gate, was popular with a group of gamer who make up a decent share of the market. Sure, it's not as large as the Call of Duty crowd, or even the Mass Effect crowd, but they make up for it in loyalty. DA 2 flat out ruins what made the original so good. It's sadDA:1 was a good game. Sadly, EA and Bioware sold themselves out to some made up focus group to sell games. DA:1, like Balder's Gate, was popular with a group of gamer who make up a decent share of the market. Sure, it's not as large as the Call of Duty crowd, or even the Mass Effect crowd, but they make up for it in loyalty. DA 2 flat out ruins what made the original so good. It's sad enough that there are no improvements, but it's worse that it's a step back. The combat is horrendous and a button masher. The story is just a set up to sell DLC so you can get a real ending. Bioware sold themselves out, trying to grab a bigger market share by forgetting their loyal customer base. Because of this, it's hard to trust them in the future. i'm already concerned about the quality of Mass Effect 3. I'm sorry, I've been a Bioware fan since KOTOR and Neverwinter Nights, but I can no longer support a company that won't support its fan base that allowed them their success. Shame on you guys for ruining a sequel to an above-average game.… Expand
  75. FinalRodz
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Bioware DA 2 is a turd. As a fan of your games and the worlds you create, I want to know. Why are you trying to turn the Dragon Age series into a Broski game? Please stick to your strengths in game design of strong RPG elements, story, and world design. YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT MAKING ACTION GAMES, KNOW YOUR LANE. I didn't even want to waste time giving a review but I was reading the reviewsBioware DA 2 is a turd. As a fan of your games and the worlds you create, I want to know. Why are you trying to turn the Dragon Age series into a Broski game? Please stick to your strengths in game design of strong RPG elements, story, and world design. YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT MAKING ACTION GAMES, KNOW YOUR LANE. I didn't even want to waste time giving a review but I was reading the reviews and the same theme kept popping up in most review scores of 9 and 10. The reviewers are giving 10s because they saw negative reviews posted and had to give a high score based on feeling bad for Bioware, even though they didn't believe it deserved a 10. Hmmm. Sounds to me like Bioware is sending in trolls or developers to inflate the user score back up.. CLASSY! Truth be told this game is marketed as a RPG and is a 2 out of 10 at that, and plays like a bad God of War/Dynasty Warriors and is a 0 out of 10 at that. Smash the scores together you get a 1 out of 10. Even though my head hurts from this game I am still WINNING… Expand
  76. Adwinistrator
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    Another bad game from a bad company, just a button jamming slasher. Too many complaints, the combat, subpar conversations (YES , NO, HELL YES, NO) , terrible graphics and a boring world killed the immersion entirely. Rent this, do not buy.
  77. Alexandr_n
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. She was the most anticipated game of the year. With trepidation, I watched all the interviews and news. And now the game is released. A feeling that we were betrayed and sold.… Expand
  78. Eddyward
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    I have always been a fan of Bioware, and always backed it when people would their RPGs boring. I grew up with NWN and absolutely loved KotOR. I enjoyed Mass Effect and the sequel was also pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Age Origins, and Bioware shone in DA's characterisation and storyline. Dragon Age 2 pales in comparison to its predecessor. (Just for the record, this is not aI have always been a fan of Bioware, and always backed it when people would their RPGs boring. I grew up with NWN and absolutely loved KotOR. I enjoyed Mass Effect and the sequel was also pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Age Origins, and Bioware shone in DA's characterisation and storyline. Dragon Age 2 pales in comparison to its predecessor. (Just for the record, this is not a troll post. I've seen that many bioware employees have been accusing people of intentionally rating down DA2.)

    There are a couple of improvements, I suppose. The combat's generally a bit higher paced, and I always found DA's combat a little slow. Party members also seem to have a bit more character (in DA, Alistair and Morrigan had some character, while everyone else just seemed to have one theme which they stuck to as stereotypically as possible). The use of less party members means that you don't have people who say they want to help the Warden, but instead sit around in a camp all day everyday. It's also nice to know what effect you speech options will have.

    Now to the bad points. The textures on the characters is about the same as on DA, while the textures on everything else is somehow worse than on DAO. I get that texture quality may stagnate between games, but how can it be regressive? The voice acting is much worse and default Hawke's face looked silly. A big thing in RPGs these days is the choices you make. The only choices you get to make in DA2 are who you have sex with and whether the templars do or don't like you. You can't even choose your race. Another annoying thing that DAO didn't have (well there wasn't too much of it) was sidequests that are fetch this, collect that. I would've though the champion has better things to do. There's no continuity between what you did in DAO and what happens in DA2. I freed the mages. They don't need to rebel. And Anders was the only cool character in Awakening, and they ruined him. DAO left on a lot of cliffhangers, and DA2 didn't even mention them. I understand that Bioware is trying to set up a fantasy world of their own, but DA2 added nothing to this.

    I'm overlooking EA's and Bioware's treatment of its customers when reviewing DA2.

    I've been constantly holding out for a NWN or BG clone, and Bioware's the only company that's gonna make that, but they refuse to go back to their roots, and instead stick with action RPGs where the only thing players ever discuss is who they slept with. I can't really see The Old Republic doing well and if ME3 doesn't do well, I imagine it'll be end of line for Bioware.    … Expand
  79. SiliconNooB
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    How did Bioware manage to turn the majesty of DAO into this dingy and myopic little world? The plot is stunted, the Dialogue shallow, and the combat is clearly compromised, and that is without even touching upon the game's myriad bugs! Dumbed down doesn't even begin to describe DA2.
  80. FapFapFap
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    EA rushed the game to capitalize on the success of the first one. This game sucks. They should call this Dragon Age 2: Errand Boy. Everything about this game is dumb down to appeal to a larger audience and to the console gamers. The interface looks like it was taken from Mass Effect. The characters are boring; where's Allistor when you need him. All the fine details of the original areEA rushed the game to capitalize on the success of the first one. This game sucks. They should call this Dragon Age 2: Errand Boy. Everything about this game is dumb down to appeal to a larger audience and to the console gamers. The interface looks like it was taken from Mass Effect. The characters are boring; where's Allistor when you need him. All the fine details of the original are gone, and what is left is a streamlined, dull, and repetitive sequel. If I wanted to play a japanese RPG, I'll play a freakin' japanese RPG. SCREW YOU EA!!!… Expand
  81. Voland
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    This game is not terrible but it is so wrong it threatens the future for pc RPGs.
    It's cheap and dumbed down.
    The game mainly consist in following yellow marks on the map, to complete or to take quests, there is no real need to be able to read to play this game. Combat is not so bad, but the difficulty is. Hard is mainly easy as pie and sometimes it gets stupidly luck based or imbalanced.    This game is not terrible but it is so wrong it threatens the future for pc RPGs.
    It's cheap and dumbed down.
    The game mainly consist in following yellow marks on the map, to complete or to take quests, there is no real need to be able to read to play this game.
    Combat is not so bad, but the difficulty is. Hard is mainly easy as pie and sometimes it gets stupidly luck based or imbalanced. I've not played much of nightmare because the friendly fire thing is not well thought out and causes rage-quit.
    Ambients are copy-pasted so much you actally feel frauded when playing.
    Character lack any depth and are not even remotely interesting.

    The plot is (spoiler alert) "You are a champion, or you are going to be one, and haters gonna hate you."

    Thisgameisbad.    … Expand
  82. alkatrazz
    Mar 13, 2011
    1
    Utter garbage inasmuch as it actually inspired me to signup in order to post my views. This is truly a shame, given the expectations built up with DA:O -- What is hilarious to note is all the major review companies noting `once you get past the..' OR `compare to DA:O this is much worse BUT' and awarding ~80, tbh these look like paid for reviews in order to drive sales. DA2 is awful c.f.Utter garbage inasmuch as it actually inspired me to signup in order to post my views. This is truly a shame, given the expectations built up with DA:O -- What is hilarious to note is all the major review companies noting `once you get past the..' OR `compare to DA:O this is much worse BUT' and awarding ~80, tbh these look like paid for reviews in order to drive sales. DA2 is awful c.f. DA:O.
    END OF LINE.    … Expand
  83. RavenZD
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    This games claims to be mature RPG from one of best RPG developers in the world, It simply is not true.
    Before i start with pros and cons, let me just say a thing or two about mature rpg:
    1. It is not mature (yes there is sex and some quests are rather interesting), but flashy combat, quests that are so dumb (discover a item on floor and bring it to someone for reward is insult of    This games claims to be mature RPG from one of best RPG developers in the world, It simply is not true.
    Before i start with pros and cons, let me just say a thing or two about mature rpg:

    1. It is not mature (yes there is sex and some quests are rather interesting), but flashy combat, quests that are so dumb (discover a item on floor and bring it to someone for reward is insult of intelligence). There is no real group dynamics, story so far is refreshment from usual rpg epic default, but i don't mention this as a necessary good thing - you are driven solely by making a name for your self in one rather small town. It is ok to have this, but you expect more at the end. This is just: ok, and that is it, what now?

    2. RPG - where to start....it just doesn't feel like one. Inventory is a big part of rpg for me - i like to play around with items, have meaningful icons, distribute with my members, combine what is best and generally play around with crafting etc. Here they take most of it away. There are no icons, party customization is awful, if you get DLC armor & weapons, you will be using it alot because it is very powerful...crafting is just basically purchasing from a stand...no open world, feels very limited with location recycle... i just can't get into the character and into setting.


    To be clear, haven't played game through...i started by single session of 8 hours, than 6, than 4, than 2.. yesterday i just chilled on couch, had absolutely no wish to turn it on (in DA:o it was quite opposite, my desire to play got bigger with progression). Not really sure if i will be able to finish it (difficultly is not an issue).. it just doesn't captivate and mesmerize like RPG should.


    PRO: no bugs, some very interesting quests, combat can be fun sometimes, top notch voice acting
    CONS: inventory, party chars not very interesting, fight is not tactical at all, no open space, narrow corridors or walls most of game (don't mind dungeon crawl now and then, but this is nowhere near so far), dialog wheel (absolute rpg abomination) and yes for me - no epic struggle as culmination of all the efforts...


    For me a big letdown, if you liked origins and enjoy classic RPG experience do not buy this game until it is not on some discount or used...don't think I'll ever play this more than once if i manage to get interested enough to complete.

    P.S. If this is what RPG is going to be from now on - i must be getting too old and this simply is not for me.    … Expand
  84. Ravepirate
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    Such a dissappointment from Dragon Age 1, everything that made the Origins fun and interesting has been stripped out and replaced with "EPIC" violence and a failed attempt at trying to gain access to the young violence fanatic. Oh, and it would've been high, BUTTT, this stuff about Bioware padding Metacritic with employee's writing reviews, i feel a -5 is in order
  85. Golem25
    Mar 14, 2011
    1
    To already give a conclusion before I even arrive at the meat of this review, Dragon Age II feels incredibly rushed, and is a definite step down from the original, which already was quite mediocre. This unfortunate turn in quality leaves us with a sloppy, uninspired, dumbed down, and generally unlikeable game, which pales in comparison to some of Bioware`s gems.

    Gameplay; 1.0/10 The    To already give a conclusion before I even arrive at the meat of this review, Dragon Age II feels incredibly rushed, and is a definite step down from the original, which already was quite mediocre. This unfortunate turn in quality leaves us with a sloppy, uninspired, dumbed down, and generally unlikeable game, which pales in comparison to some of Bioware`s gems.

    Gameplay; 1.0/10

    The combat in DA2 is a huge step back from Dragon Age Origins. The underlying system is the same, but by upping the pace and letting the player control normal attacks directly, combat feels incredibly dumbed down, which becomes rather boring, rather quickly. Successful attacks are met with a slashing sound. The fighting styles between the three classes (warrior, mage, rogue) feel as almost the same, as do different specializations within a class. Difficulty levels are incredibly unstatic, enough to accomodate neither gamers looking for hack `n` slash action, nor for gamers who want full control over their party, and utilizing the pause menu to issue tactical commands for setting up combos.

    STORY: 1/10

    The tale within a tale narrative structure is kinda interesting at first, but any curiosity you might have quickly dies down, however, as poor storytelling makes you lose any connection to Hawke you may have had at the beginning. There are two issues with the plot devices used in DA2. The first is the timeskip. Between each act of the game, there is a gap in which you do not participate. This makes you feel less engaged at the start of the next act, because whatever new predicament Hawke finds himself in, you were not there to experience it. Moreover, Hawke occasionally meets people that he supposedly met during a timeskip, but you as a player have never met. This really wrenches you out of Hawke's shoes, as you realize that despite controlling Hawke's actions and choices for certain parts of his life, you are ultimately just a spectator.

    The second plot device that I have trouble with is something that is common in RPGs. Basically, you have a main objective, but have to do a bunch of other stuff before you can achieve that objective. DA2's side quests are incredibly boring (more on this later), thus making this common RPG plot device much more obvious. After literally spending hours doing side quest after side quest that have no relation to the main plot whatsoever, it's easy to get sidetracked and forget what Hawke's main goal was in the first place.

    Finally, conversations in DA2 are a step down from the ones in DAO. The fully written dialogue choices from DAO are done away with. Instead, DA2 uses a dialogue wheel similar to Mass Effect. What this means is that Hawke talks exclusively in one-liners, and that conversations are all short and to the point, presumably so they wouldn`t get in the way of the mind-numbingly boring action. Moreover, all conversation choices are marked with an emotion icon (heart, halo, you get the idea). While potentially useful, what these icons really do is making sure gamers don`t have to think about how to phrase a response. Instead, conversation quickly boils down to choosing the stance you want to take, like in the much better, but also quite rushed, Alpha Protocol. Conversations with random NPCs are gone too. Now, every conversation is with a quest-giver. This makes Kirkwall a horribly lifeless place, as everyone you talk to just wants you to help solve their problems. It also means that no one talks to you about Dragon Age lore in the game. Instead, all lore is obtained through the Codex, and not conversations. This means that people who hate reading on a screen like me aren't able to learn much about the lore of the DA universe. Then again, it wasn`t interesting in the first place, but still.

    Conclusion;

    Dragon Age II is an incredibly messy game, which smothered any potential it had with bugs, missed opportunities, and general laziness. Kirkwall is a lifeless place, á la the settlements in Borderlands, while dungeons are reused and reused and reused untill you can literally traverse them with your eyes closed. This, of course fits with the dumbing down of the other elements of DA2. The developers spoke of trying to capture the audience of the Call of Duty series, which is, in my eyes, a grave mistake; firstly because this`ll leave RPG-fans and more serious gamers in the cold, and secondly because COD-fans rather occupy themselves with things like Bulletstorm and sports games, outside of COD.

    DA2 could have redeemed itself with other features, like the score, but fails with that too.

    My final verdict;

    GAMEPLAY; 2/10
    STORY; 2/10
    SCORE; 4/10
    REPLAY VALUE; 1/10
    GENERAL FEEL; 1/10

    This adds up to around a 1.5, but seeing as things like gameplay are much more important than the score, I have to give this game a 2. Bioware dropped the ball big time with this game, and I look forward to Mass Effect 3 with fear, anticipating a failure of a game, much like Dragon Age 2. (1.0)    … Expand
  86. Larkin90
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    dragon age 2 is the worst game made by bioware, the graphics, animations, story,dialogues , character design...all looks really terrible. if i wanted a action rpg i would play diablo. but i expect much more from bioware
  87. nibelung
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    DA 2 is not an RPG worthy of praise. It is not even an RPG. Its more like simplified MMORPG. Its battle system are horrendous and its storyline is no better than generic MMORPG in my opinion. The last horror I have with any RPG is the last FF series until I meet this game. To shorten my point, if you are no fan of MMOs, avoid this game. You can find better storyline and combat in genericDA 2 is not an RPG worthy of praise. It is not even an RPG. Its more like simplified MMORPG. Its battle system are horrendous and its storyline is no better than generic MMORPG in my opinion. The last horror I have with any RPG is the last FF series until I meet this game. To shorten my point, if you are no fan of MMOs, avoid this game. You can find better storyline and combat in generic MMO than this game and with all that recycled battlemap and waves type of combat, you better play a Free - to - play Korean MMOs. Seriously, its that bad. The only good thing about this game is, it have a big budget. and Dragon Age for its title. I give score 1 for sympathy sake, but that probably an insult to 1.… Expand
  88. Drakan
    Apr 2, 2011
    1
    I rate this game a 3. Terrible game, do not buy it, avoid.

    If you loved DAO you'll most likely hate DAO2. It's just a brainless dumbed-down button-masher. All the beauty, poetry and epic from DAO has been removed. Why? Boring. Wait for the GOTY edition if you really want to play it.
  89. jaymac407
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    Wow. What a disappointment. I don't know what EA are paying the critics, but it must be a very large amount.
    I've given this game a 1 instead of a 0 because the graphics are spectacular. Unfortunately, that's all that's good about this game.
    This wasn't an RPG and I didn't feel like I was in control of the story. It seemed too scripted which is unlike a typical BioWare title. I do not see    Wow. What a disappointment. I don't know what EA are paying the critics, but it must be a very large amount.
    I've given this game a 1 instead of a 0 because the graphics are spectacular. Unfortunately, that's all that's good about this game.
    This wasn't an RPG and I didn't feel like I was in control of the story. It seemed too scripted which is unlike a typical BioWare title.
    I do not see why this was called "Dragon Age II" - because there was little, if any continuation from the previous game. It was hard to see where this game linked to the first.

    Oh, and releasing a DLC before the game was even out yet? Shame on you EA!    … Expand
  90. galaktur
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    Game - disappointing year. is certainly in the game and the good moments, improvements and new approaches, but unfortunately, disadvantages outweigh all its advantages. in pursuit of excess income, usually leaves the crude product, which subsequently will only exacerbate the situation and standard condemns the continuation of game to fail. ea company should reconsider marketing policy.
  91. mratomix
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    Poor narrative choices mixed with repetitive gameplay and a good bit of EA chicanery to boot and this game went from being just amazing to disappointing quick. Trying to appeal to everyone, Bioware has become the puppet of EA and I for one thinks it's a shame that such a formerly-great developer couldn't distance itself from the rest of the pack and give us an experience they invested morePoor narrative choices mixed with repetitive gameplay and a good bit of EA chicanery to boot and this game went from being just amazing to disappointing quick. Trying to appeal to everyone, Bioware has become the puppet of EA and I for one thinks it's a shame that such a formerly-great developer couldn't distance itself from the rest of the pack and give us an experience they invested more than just EA's cash into. Sucks for the developers and for the gamers, not for EA, because ultimately we are the one's getting screwed raw here.… Expand
  92. Morbane
    Mar 17, 2011
    1
    This sequel reminds me of the disappointment I felt when I played CoD3, after loving CoD2. Same game engine, but a completely different take on the game and game world. Not so much a sequel as a homage or reboot.

    DA2 really feels like it was made by a different studio, one with no regard for stylistic continuity. I'd argue DA2 is more linear than past incarnations of this genre and    This sequel reminds me of the disappointment I felt when I played CoD3, after loving CoD2. Same game engine, but a completely different take on the game and game world. Not so much a sequel as a homage or reboot.

    DA2 really feels like it was made by a different studio, one with no regard for stylistic continuity.

    I'd argue DA2 is more linear than past incarnations of this genre and doesn't shape up to offerings like Mass Effect that continue plot and character decisions across sequels. Mass Effect and DAO made me want to play them again to see how things would have turned out had I made different decisions. My choices in DA2 felt inconsequential, at least individually. The world itself is fairly linear as well, rather than the story or action pushing you forward - the maps / landscape forces you to move in a specific direction.

    Perhaps my biggest disappointment was when I realized I could not import my character from DAO, I had to be a specific new character. I could pick my gender and class, although they all looked very similar, but there were less options than DAO which went beyond the typical 3 classes and 2 genders to offer up different races and unique back stories. I really think RPG fans expect more from this genre than a choice between Mage, Warrior or Rouge. I loved DAO and to be honest was hoping for more of the same with DA2. I played DAO through as three different characters - each experience had enough unique elements to keep me coming back for more. I especially liked that I could import my characters into the expansions packs and really enjoyed Awakenings (which in my opinion felt more satisfying as a sequel than DA2).

    DA2 does allow you to import key plot points from your save game, although considering the first character I met in DA2 from DAO was one I killed in DAO - I'm not sure what impact this actually had. To be fair I think the part of DA2 I'm referring to is set before I killed said character in DAO (yep it's a kind of parallel story line as opposed to a continuation), but even so the character looked completely different. Had the name not been mentioned several times, I would not have guessed it was the same character.

    DA2 also has none of the detail or depth of DAO.

    It's highly stylised compared to DAO, icons replace images of weapons and armor in the inventory for example. Part of the fun of DAO was considering the look of the character as much as the features of items - but in DA2 with items represented by icons and the wider camera, you tend to just pick items purely on their stats like an old school Ever Quest game. Icons are a lot more abstract / stylised as well, so aren't always obvious what they represent - particularly the spells and skills. Likewise many back story elements and cut scenes are highly stylized 2d flash style animations. Similar to the flashbacks in the cartoon Mulan. The abstraction / style comes across as an animation cheat rather than an artistic decision.

    The camera perspective is higher and wider than DAO, which has the effect of taking you out of the action and makes the battle field look more like Dynasty Warriors or Warriors Orochi - it's often confusing and the wider view means you see less detail in the charters and models. This is compensated for by the inclusion of non-interactive elaborate "finish him" cut sequences when you kill a boss. Combined with the faster pace and the single action button for attack that triggers combo / attack animations - the fighting feels very much like the Samurai button mashers I mentioned. The combat in DAO was always pretty basic compared to other RPGs, DA2 has simplified it further. The speed of the action also means less detail and more animation cheats for things like spells. Again this more realistic timing has been replaced by stylistic animation loops. Action is broken up by the turn based system, but even this doesn't feel as rewarding as DAO, with the wider view effecting enemy selection. There seems to be more enemies as well, but you seem to be able to take more damage and dispatch them faster than DAO as well. The gaps in the enemy waves allow you to regenerate, so all these aspects combined mean there's less reliance on the turn based tactics and more button mashing. The specialization system is similar to what was on offer in the DAO Expansions, but the layout isn't as clear. With specialization groups displays as trees rather than in a matrix with prerequisites. AI tactics seem better, but probably because combat is less complicated. In terms of visuals, you won't be having any Red Dead Redemption moments.

    Bottom line is it really doesn't feel like a sequel. It feels more like a poor copy or a stylistic re-imagining    … Expand
  93. Corvus
    Mar 18, 2011
    1
    i cant believe what bio did with this game. they take the name of a good rpg and put it on a hack and slash dungeon crawler for consoles. the name of the game reminds of dragon age origins and the theme. nothing else. everything is made with consoles in mind. i don't want to destroy my keyboard and mouse after all. graphics are a joke and the hi res texture pack for pc is nonsense. manyi cant believe what bio did with this game. they take the name of a good rpg and put it on a hack and slash dungeon crawler for consoles. the name of the game reminds of dragon age origins and the theme. nothing else. everything is made with consoles in mind. i don't want to destroy my keyboard and mouse after all. graphics are a joke and the hi res texture pack for pc is nonsense. many say that a good rpg doesn't need good visuals but no one plays text based adventures anymore. we live in 2011.
    the only good thing about the game is that with its lunch dao ultimate edition sells for 18 euros for pc.    … Expand
  94. uberfanboy2000
    Mar 19, 2011
    1
    As a fan of everything RPG, I fell completely in love with Dragon Age: Origins. A sprawling game filled with memorable characters, an intricate storyline and seemingly limitless customization opportunities, Origins ticked all the right boxes and felt like a concerted effort to breathe new life into a genre that is seemingly falling by the wayside. Even Origins' most glaring flaws could beAs a fan of everything RPG, I fell completely in love with Dragon Age: Origins. A sprawling game filled with memorable characters, an intricate storyline and seemingly limitless customization opportunities, Origins ticked all the right boxes and felt like a concerted effort to breathe new life into a genre that is seemingly falling by the wayside. Even Origins' most glaring flaws could be easily forgiven in light of it's many strengths.

    Dragon Age II is a rushed, poorly written and overly-simplified game that has little to nothing in common with it's predecessor. Whilst the immediacy of the reformed combat and the overhauled interface are welcome improvements, the rest of the game seems like a cynical slap in the face to roleplaying game fans everywhere.

    The characters are soulless husks saddled with sparse, poorly written dialogue. The environments are claustrophobic, drab, grey and brown boxes with moveable walls and endlessly spawning enemies that are endlessly recycled (think of THAT WAREHOUSE in Mass Effect 1). The dialogue wheel, whilst a positive move, was hampered by the fact that Hawke delivers all of his lines with about as much emotion as dead slug. Couple this with the fact that the ENTIRE of the game takes place within roughly 10 or so areas (sorry, but Hightown Day and Hightown Night or does not exactly satisfy any wanderlust) and you are left with a bland, cynical, soulless game that does nothing but blacken the name of what was shaping up to be an intelligent, well written and refreshing fantasy series.

    Must try harder Bioware. You are a lot better than this nightmare of a game...    … Expand
  95. Arglesmurf
    Mar 21, 2011
    1
    I have never played a bad Bioware game before. As retaliation, I'm giving it a 0. The game is probably nowhere near that bad, but I bought it at full price based on liking the first and loving Bioware products - I'm done with trusting Bioware and will now check reviews before buying. Never again soil your name with crap, Bioware!
  96. TerminalCraze
    Mar 24, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. DA2 is absolutely terrible. They took out everything that made the first DA fun. I want to shoot the breeze with my characters, learn about them, have real battles instead of facing endless hordes and spend time setting up their equipment (which, on easy, you barely had to do in DA:O). The characters just plain sucked too, I didn't even like Hawke. Just when I was starting to get Avelina leveled up they just killed her off randomly in the deep roads, what the heck ? Now I am stuck with that loser Anders for the rest of the game if I want a healer, and he's a murderer! If I had paid more then a $10 rental fee for this game I'd be even more pissed. You have your right to like this game, I have the right to hate it. Poor writing, lack of customization, endless recycling of boring and drab environments, just an all around bad game.… Expand
  97. BLAHEMOTH
    May 19, 2011
    1
    This game,simply put,is an absolute train wreck-the lead designer should be fired for this stain on bioware's legacy-dumbed-down gameplay,awful graphics(is it 2006?)and "quests" that are not only an absolute bore,but feel like work,not fun-and isn't that the point of gaming in the first place?Combat is repetitive,with wave upon wave of drone enemies attacking,again and again ,adThis game,simply put,is an absolute train wreck-the lead designer should be fired for this stain on bioware's legacy-dumbed-down gameplay,awful graphics(is it 2006?)and "quests" that are not only an absolute bore,but feel like work,not fun-and isn't that the point of gaming in the first place?Combat is repetitive,with wave upon wave of drone enemies attacking,again and again ,ad nauseum..(why do they explode,anyway,absolutely ridiculous!) Bottom line,people,be glad i played this abomination,that way only one of us had to suffer..a total waste of time and money, avoid at all costs! i give it 1 point because it boots up.… Expand
  98. kweeks1
    Mar 31, 2011
    1
    The stats on the game tell the story Dragon Age Origins requires 20 GB HD space while Dragon Age 2 requires 7 GB HD space. why duplicate scenes, less game!
  99. outlaw2x4
    Apr 2, 2011
    1
    Utter betrayal of a loyal fan base. Designed entirely to accommodate a simplistic console community. Origins was a massive success both critically and financially, so why did Bioware suddenly think everything needed to be changed in a sequel. If its not broken don't fix it.
  100. Akira91
    Apr 7, 2011
    1
    Does bioware not know what rpg means anyway? I feel geberous giving it a 2 and not a zero just for the effort but it feels like there was no effort put in this game. the thing that made DA:O great was its rpg elements and DA2 has none infact.... WHY BIOWARE WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU WTF!! thats what im screaming inside my head while playing this game..
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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

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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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