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. RandomGood
    Apr 15, 2011
    1
    Everything is bad: design, storyline, characters (except Warric), copy-paste locations (really copy-paste), mindless boring combat with spawn frags from the space... it is just a one more asian MMORPG, just it's not MMO and RPG and it is from bioware. Don't waste your money and time!
  2. Ahto
    Apr 16, 2011
    1
    Let's see, where to start? Dragon Age: Origins was one of my favorite games in a long while. This game is a shell of that game. That's actually an insult to our shell-covered brethren. I would say that the graphics are much improved, but that's kind of a hollow endorsement in that you keep seeing the same graphics over and over and over. There is really no excuse for recycling the same mapLet's see, where to start? Dragon Age: Origins was one of my favorite games in a long while. This game is a shell of that game. That's actually an insult to our shell-covered brethren. I would say that the graphics are much improved, but that's kind of a hollow endorsement in that you keep seeing the same graphics over and over and over. There is really no excuse for recycling the same map over and over with some lame obstacle keeping you from exploring the same map you saw five minutes ago. Some say the combat has improved, but I am not one of them. The game teases you by suggesting that you set a tank at the choke point to protect your mage or ranged character, only to then see enemies fall from the sky behind you. You can back up to what looks like a 4 story building and enemies just drop from the sky. Pathetic. Where to go next? Oh yeah, the loot system. I can see this conversation playing out. Some wasted dude in the corner says "Hey, let's make 80% percent of the loot they find worthless". Some equally wasted dude says "Okay, that sounds cool and to top that, let's have them sell their cool looking 3 star weapons with cool names when they pick up plain 4 star weapons with cooler names like"dagger"". Seriously, you couldn't take the time to make all the weapons have names that represented their properties? Once again, pathetic. Okay, and why do enemies explode? That just seems juvenile. This is a mature rated game right? Why appeal to the basest of gaming instincts? Blood everywhere!!! Stupid. I wish I could think of a movie sequel that disappointed as much as this game "sequel" did, but I'm drawing a blank. That's probably because I'm drinking, which I had stopped doing until I tried to finish this game. Actually, in retrospect, Dragon Age:Awakening was a better sequel to DA:O than this game. Did I mention that there is absolutely no story here? A bunch of random fetch quest with no real purpose. And tell me, how do I pick up a random item from a chest and magically know to give it to some random person for, get this, a 1 gold piece reward? Insanely stupid! I rarely use exclamation points by the way. This is the saddest follow-up to a great game that I have ever encountered. I thought Mass Effect 2 was a step down from the original, but it was okay. I hear they are looking at online co-op play for DA3. I fear what we have on the horizon is a "Call of Dragon Effect" where, in an effort to maximize profits, Bioware decides to appeal to the brain-dead co-op button mashers at the expense of those of us who actually like RPGs. I have bought every Bioware game since I started buying games because I trusted them. That ends now.… Expand
  3. karok
    Apr 28, 2011
    1
    Not worth the money, It just goes to show how bad this game really is when Bioware employees made metacritic accounts just to try and boost the scores... then they go and add mass effect as a free game when you buy dragon age 2. Now that is desperate. In all honesty the combat seems different and OK to begin with, but then its just so repetitive and dull, you spend almost the entire gameNot worth the money, It just goes to show how bad this game really is when Bioware employees made metacritic accounts just to try and boost the scores... then they go and add mass effect as a free game when you buy dragon age 2. Now that is desperate. In all honesty the combat seems different and OK to begin with, but then its just so repetitive and dull, you spend almost the entire game in one city and the dialogue is no where near good enough to bring light to that fact. The only reason this game has positive reviews is because some people refuse to believe bioware can release a bad game, either that or they are just dragon age fan boys and mindless gamers who actually enjoy spamming the a button through combat and listening to depressing speech and story. Sorry but it's true.… Expand
  4. kellykrinaldi
    Apr 30, 2011
    1
    Disappointing!!!!! Decepcionante eu esperava muito mais desse jogo, emburreceram o Dragon age 2, sinceramente restringiram o jogo a uma história sem uma real possibilidade de escolha, ficar preso em um mapa mediocre com quests secundárias no minimo entediantes!!!
  5. LD9000
    May 2, 2011
    1
    This game is very disappointing. The plot is on rails, and the same X number of locations are reused ad nauseum. The dialog wheel takes away from the quality of interactions, and doesn't really offer any choices. You say what you have to say, just in 3 different forms...

    Now if you take Dragon Age out of the title, the score may be something like 6 or so. It's an ok action rpgish game.    This game is very disappointing. The plot is on rails, and the same X number of locations are reused ad nauseum. The dialog wheel takes away from the quality of interactions, and doesn't really offer any choices. You say what you have to say, just in 3 different forms...

    Now if you take Dragon Age out of the title, the score may be something like 6 or so. It's an ok action rpgish game. It's not deserving of the Dragon Age Title    … Expand
  6. Mikolaj
    Sep 30, 2011
    1
    Feels like a budget expansion release, should have cost 15 and be DLC for the original. 1 setting, same dungeon every corner not to mention none of the deep combat of the original.
  7. Emilia
    Dec 29, 2011
    1
    Honestly, the game is bad. Really bad. The story is slow and bland and the characters are annoying (please bioware, stop constructing dating-sims instead of making rpgs) at best, and hilariously bad at worst. The storytelling technique could be interesting, but it's really hard to tell since the story and characters are so of-the-wall bad that you just can't believe what you're seeing sometimes.
  8. Sagnip
    May 17, 2011
    1
    I used to be a feeble "biodrone". One of those many who believe that Bioware can do no wrong and that everything they touch turn to gold. That all changed when I played this game.

    **** you Bioware. **** you.
  9. RPGROB
    May 18, 2011
    1
    I borrowed, not bought this game. I'm glad I did. Battling is fun... everything else is not. What happened to games of quality like Baldurs Gate 2? It's a real shame.
  10. kalisnik
    May 20, 2011
    1
    Absolutly the biggest crap I ever played..Graphic is soooooooooo ugly,gameplay and story is boring ugly and It seems ea and bioware wants to just earn money,becose if this have to be serius game thay all must be fools
  11. sg1fan75
    May 20, 2011
    1
    The speed of combat was good and smooth, the story is so weak and boring. Being stuck in 1 city was dumb and usually Bioware is know for strong story. I did like the Magic powers they were fun. The only being human sucked. The repetitive environments made me angry I will never buy any Dragon Age games again very disappointed by this game.
  12. TruthIsOutThere
    May 22, 2011
    1
    Bioware releases another misogynistic jaunt into the Mary Sue world of 'the dragon crap.' There is hardly anything of substance to recommend this train wreck to a discerning connoisseur of RPGs. Every element of its design can be described as 'embarassingly awkward.' Animation, art direction, dialogue, writing, combat. It's a list of sad mediocrities as long as your arm. The fact of theBioware releases another misogynistic jaunt into the Mary Sue world of 'the dragon crap.' There is hardly anything of substance to recommend this train wreck to a discerning connoisseur of RPGs. Every element of its design can be described as 'embarassingly awkward.' Animation, art direction, dialogue, writing, combat. It's a list of sad mediocrities as long as your arm. The fact of the setting and characters being a shameless copy of Michael Moorcook's classic Elric of Melnibone series aside, the game itself behaves like a confused child. Does it want to be a brawler with peripheral RPG elements? Or an action RPG with brawler combat? In either situation the designers have failed to deliver on both satisfying combat or a compelling story that ever rises above the juvenile. Look to the masters at CDProject with their latest RPG epic, The Witcher 2, for inspiration in your future games, Bioware. You certainly won't find it making shallow sex simulators based on generic fantasy worlds.… Expand
  13. SarahCuda
    Aug 14, 2011
    1
    I was really excited for this game to come out, but. I wasent all impressed. The combat game play was better and that was the only this that made this game likable. I was not happy with the story. When i think Dragon age i think Grey Wardens and they did not evn go there in this game. I was not impressed.. The whole game you have to run around doing everyones arrends which made the gameI was really excited for this game to come out, but. I wasent all impressed. The combat game play was better and that was the only this that made this game likable. I was not happy with the story. When i think Dragon age i think Grey Wardens and they did not evn go there in this game. I was not impressed.. The whole game you have to run around doing everyones arrends which made the game boring toward the middle. The AI was boring, DA1 yo ugot to know your party members which made you feel attached. If your thinking of getting this game I would rethink it. Get the first one instead.… Expand
  14. ArcticZombie
    Nov 18, 2011
    1
    I will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detailI will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detail everywhere I look. The Darkspawn don't look evil; they look like knock-off Skeletor action figures. Plastic, dead, and trying too hard to be cool for its own good. Oh, and I hate the fact that my character was already given a name. And a voice. That contributed to the loss of me feeling like I was playing an RPG. That made it feel more like an interactive movie. This game is trash. I wouldn't take it for free. Bioware, wake up and stop contributing to the destruction of society.… Expand
  15. Bralz
    Dec 21, 2011
    1
    This is without a doubt the worst RPG I have ever played. Period. It's the RPG equivalent of repeatedly smacking your head against a wall. Combat is atrocious, characters are lame, dialogue is crap, and the story is boring and full of holes. Do yourself a favor, give this stinker a wide berth.
  16. Loco
    Jan 9, 2012
    1
    Dear EA,

    We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining. But killing Dragon Age?    Dear EA,

    We all know that you corrupt the poor developers who join your money-making operation, and I don't mind any more. I don't even care that you have sucked the soul out of Bioware, who used to be one of the best developers in the industry. It hurts, but I can deal with you killing talent in the way that you do. It's in your nature. I'm beyond complaining.

    But killing Dragon Age? After all the promise the first game had? All that potential, just wasted? Even you, EA, must recognise that you've crossed a line too far this time.

    So go ahead. Kill my favourite developers. Drain the life out of the whole industry if you have to. But leave Dragon Age alone. For the love of Ferelden, please, stop Mass Effect-ing what was once the greatest RPG franchise of this generation. Even you have to draw the line somewhere.

    -Loco    … Expand
  17. Notonlytheend
    Apr 3, 2012
    1
    If this game didn't have the "Dragon Age" in it's title, it wouldn't have gotten any attention. It's a crap game with a good trailer. The story is confined to the same city and dungeon maps you'll see till you can run through them blind. Your "friends" can barely be called that as they all just pine over some obsession for the course of the game. The character customization is far lessIf this game didn't have the "Dragon Age" in it's title, it wouldn't have gotten any attention. It's a crap game with a good trailer. The story is confined to the same city and dungeon maps you'll see till you can run through them blind. Your "friends" can barely be called that as they all just pine over some obsession for the course of the game. The character customization is far less than previous or comparable games. And the combat isn't fun or tactical. The RPG element have been stripped to appeal to action gamers. They want a wider audience, but it just ends up alienating anyone older than 12. Finally, the story tries to be dark. It's not dark. It's damn bleak. The vast majority of the people you meet are the worse for the encounter and nothing you do can ebb a coming war. At the end, everything stands in ruin and you just walk away. Personally, I don't play videogames to be depressed. I play to save the world and be the hero. They went for dark, they hit train wreck tragedy.… Expand
  18. Syndic
    Apr 11, 2012
    1
    The amount of critic reviews here giving this game a positive score is truly astonishing. Only explanation I can think of is that EA has spent a lot of money persuading the gaming media to give good reviews.

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

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

    Really a shame, used to be able to rely on Bioware to make decent RPGs but since EA bought them out they haven't released a single good game.    … Expand
  19. vazait
    Apr 11, 2015
    1
    This game ruined Flemeth forever.
    Zero interesting characters with the exception of Varrick.
    Zero exploration, zero RPG-elements, dumbed downed dialogue.
    All in all pretty much no redeeming factors.
    1/10 **** game.
  20. Theraton
    Feb 4, 2013
    1
    A waste of time. The beginning was very promising. Interesting new talent system, good graphic, new world/adventures. So much to discover.... Ye not really. The first act was kinda good, but there will much more to see in the second? No! You walk the following 20 hours in the same dungeons. To be precise: There are only 2 cavemaps total, whatever cave you enter, you are on the same mapA waste of time. The beginning was very promising. Interesting new talent system, good graphic, new world/adventures. So much to discover.... Ye not really. The first act was kinda good, but there will much more to see in the second? No! You walk the following 20 hours in the same dungeons. To be precise: There are only 2 cavemaps total, whatever cave you enter, you are on the same map just another entrance. this map recycling!! The whole game world map is as big as one event in Dragon age Origins. The "boss fights" are very poor also. No special abilities for your main hero. This game was way to fast published, and the fault goes 100 to EA… Expand
  21. janki
    Apr 10, 2014
    1
    Combat dumbed down. The art-style changes made since DA:O are awful. Companions are mostly bad and boring. Re-used areas all the bloody time! The game is a disaster and the biggest disappointment I had experienced with Bioware.

    The 'awesome' button killed the game. I hope that it won't kill the franchise when DA:Inquisition goes live.
  22. MaxNormal
    Aug 30, 2013
    1
    Just boring as hell.

    When I played this game I was devastated. The complete change of artistic and gameplay direction was an unexpected and not at all pleasant shock. The worse aspect is the combat. Completely ruined. Enemies just spawn and spawn from nowhere, making any kind of tactics useless. Its just hack and slash and really dull. The character progression is streamlined, and    Just boring as hell.

    When I played this game I was devastated. The complete change of artistic and gameplay direction was an unexpected and not at all pleasant shock.

    The worse aspect is the combat. Completely ruined. Enemies just spawn and spawn from nowhere, making any kind of tactics useless. Its just hack and slash and really dull. The character progression is streamlined, and it's OK I suppose but not very involving. You can't do anything with your companions and they aren't very interesting apart from a few exceptions.

    I loved DA:Origins and really wanted to like DAII. I tried to play this game for about 11 hours but just found the combat to boring and the story not interesting enough.

    I've sold it now and wouldn't recommend it to anyone, the worst of all worlds. It's just boring as hell.    … Expand
  23. Fishymew
    Nov 11, 2013
    1
    could in the original). And I never knew who to choose, as they are all flat, shallow and extremely hard to sympathize with. They've also ripped of the function to actually do any real talking to them, meaning you're stuck with a bunch of idiots that from time to time will chit-chat with each other about "quirky" stuff. While this was a nice perk of the original game, in this game it justcould in the original). And I never knew who to choose, as they are all flat, shallow and extremely hard to sympathize with. They've also ripped of the function to actually do any real talking to them, meaning you're stuck with a bunch of idiots that from time to time will chit-chat with each other about "quirky" stuff. While this was a nice perk of the original game, in this game it just makes the game feel even less interesting.

    They've changed the dialog system as well. While you chose from different speech alternatives in the original, which often had a range of options besides the good or evil one, this game will provide you with three types of answer. The good one, the evil one, and the "funny" one. But the character will seldom say exactly what you wanted, as you won't know for sure what the outcome will be. I find the new dialog system to be shallow, and overall makes the conversations uninspiring. While the protagonist do have a voice over, I must say that I actually felt less attached to him/her because of it, as I thought it affected my roleplay in a bad way.

    They have tweaked the battle system, including giving it more of a hack and slash feel. This actually felt nice the first 10 minutes, but as you'll soon realize that there's about 5 different fiends in the game and that you'll for some unexplained reason keep getting attacked every 30 seconds, it stops being fun in an instant. And not only will you keep getting randomly attacked, they've also made the fiends come in waves; meaning you will keep fighting the same guys forever and ever before you're done and may proceed with whatever the hell you were supposed to do. The classical RPG feel is completely taken away as well. I often found myself wishing that there was an "auto fight" button to use, so that I didn't have to engage in any fighting at all.

    As for the story. I'm still not sure what the story is about. The game is sectioned into acts, but there's overall no real goal to it. You just revisit the same handful of places in the game over and over (with minor changes, a dungeon door may be closed in one quest, but open in another one. But it's still the same place revisited.) Doing fetch quests for NPC's you don't care for at all, and won't remember 10 minutes after you're done. The main story is just a couple of minor events badly folded together into something supposed to look like an adventure, I guess. The game also takes for granted that you do care for minor NPC's, but since they all look alike and just feels like slightly different versions of each other, you won't remember them and definitely won't care one bit for them. Your only motivation to do stuff in this game lies within the hopes that maybe, one day, something interesting may happen.

    Because there is, for instance, no satisfaction in trying to collect new, badass weapons and gear. You'll just have to sell most of the stuff you find, since your party members can't use most of it. I'm still unsure on what you may buy for all the money though, there's very little interesting things to spend the money on.

    The only thing I did like with this game, was whenever you got to revisit any of the characters from the original game. Which is about 2-3 minutes of this dreadfully long game. Whenever I got to see any of the original characters, it just made me feel agony over that I was playing this pile of junk, when I might as well just replay Origins for the umpteenth time.

    So there you have it! Dragon Age 2 is a game without any satisfactory fighting, story, dialog, characters, environments or quests. I wish I could get my money back.    … Expand
  24. RidiculousDeath
    Oct 16, 2019
    1
    One of the worst sequels in the history of gaming. Also the beginning of a "woke" era in Bioware.
  25. Kmtw
    Jun 29, 2023
    1
    You'd think after all these years there'd have been a fix for the Wayward Son glitch by now. Can't progress the game, not starting over. Was looking forward to playing the Dragon Age games but I think I'll leave it here.
  26. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    I expected MUCH more. Dragon Age: Origins had an excellent concept and was much more enjoyable overall. This game definitely does not deserve to be part of the main series. The fact that you're forced to be in one town for most of the game shows how lazy EA is getting.
  27. paketep
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    Sorry, this review was intended for PC, and the delete button has gone south.

    150 char 150 char 150 char 150 char 150 char 150 char 150 char 150 char
  28. macready
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    Well, what can I say really? Its becoming the norm for Bioware now to covet what it doesnt have at the expense of what it does already. I saw it in ME2, and Ive seen it in this too. It really isnt that surprising that if you structure the game around a combat system designed for the lowest common denominator, the rest will suffer.

    Crappy environments based around ploughing through endless    Well, what can I say really? Its becoming the norm for Bioware now to covet what it doesnt have at the expense of what it does already. I saw it in ME2, and Ive seen it in this too. It really isnt that surprising that if you structure the game around a combat system designed for the lowest common denominator, the rest will suffer.

    Crappy environments based around ploughing through endless dumbed down combat. Poor story?

    It really is the transition from Mass Effect 1 to 2 in fantasy form. Both games just redisinged their core combat mechanic and made it the overriding focus of the game and all its pre-release hype in order to try and snare something approaching COD sales figures (which the PR folks are practically admitting openly).

    For me, its simple: ME3 is last chance saloon for Bioware. Currently as an RPG powerhouse, theyre simply dead to me. Its a question of if the final act of what started out to be a promising sci-fi RPG-shooter hybrid can get out the defibrillators and recapture some of that spark, or if its simply going to remain a dumbed down TPS.

    As DAII so closely mirrors it, Id have to say the same. After such a mediocre affair, the only way I could ever take interest again is from a concerted effort from Bioware to make up for all this dumbing down.    … Expand
  29. evanbiddulph
    Apr 11, 2011
    0
    I heard that Bioware had an employee review on here giving it a perfect 10 score. For that, I am going to write a review with a "0" to even it out. I love Metacritic and always will trust its integrity.
  30. libno
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    I love dragon age. Or at least the first one. This much anticipated sequel is a wreck. I played the demo and it's obvious this game has problems. First, all the systems from origins that were "improved" looked retarded and weren't to my liking. All the skills were cartoonized, the leveling tree is stupid, and your portraits are minuscule! I made a mage and guess what? They gave me oneI love dragon age. Or at least the first one. This much anticipated sequel is a wreck. I played the demo and it's obvious this game has problems. First, all the systems from origins that were "improved" looked retarded and weren't to my liking. All the skills were cartoonized, the leveling tree is stupid, and your portraits are minuscule! I made a mage and guess what? They gave me one stunning spell and that was it. The new loading screen even grinds my gears! It looks high tech, at least for dragon age, while the old one was realistic, looking like parchment and blood. And the hurlocks have no detail! Their faces were completely black and I used maximum quality. This is a degraded sequel comparable only to the force unleashed two (I haven't played many games so this is all I could come up with). A major disappointment for a long time bioware fan.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 75
  3. Negative: 1 out of 75
  1. GamingExcellence
    Aug 3, 2011
    85
    I'll give Bioware points for trying to do something different in their world, but they really did have it right the first time in terms of character building and the scope of the story.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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