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. 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
  2. necro128
    Mar 19, 2011
    4
    simple.. repetitive and predictable. good bye dragon age.....
    now you have a action game masked as rpg. run around the same caves and "dungeons" one time and other let you with the feeling of be playing a bad chinese MMO made to extract you money with micropayments. and probably thats what EA want with the forthcoming dlc,s.
  3. Nerresand
    Mar 14, 2011
    3
    Story - 5/10
    While I appreciate the divergence from the stereotypical "save the universe from an unspeakable evil" in favor of a more down-to-earth story, they spoiled an opportunity here. Not being grandiose doesn't mean the story can't be good and interesting, and this one wasn't particularly either one.
    Graphics/Audio - 4/10 I actually liked Origins' graphics and sound much more.    Story - 5/10
    While I appreciate the divergence from the stereotypical "save the universe from an unspeakable evil" in favor of a more down-to-earth story, they spoiled an opportunity here. Not being grandiose doesn't mean the story can't be good and interesting, and this one wasn't particularly either one.

    Graphics/Audio - 4/10
    I actually liked Origins' graphics and sound much more. It's just personal preference, but I feel that DA2 looks and sounds more like a comic book than a good RPG.

    Speaking of RPG... 2/10
    The positive spin is that this game was made "more accessible". Unfortunately, I feel that this spoiled part of what made Origins so good - it was a game that focused on RP elements more than most, and they sold out. Interacting with the characters is a shallow experience, inexplicably made more difficult than it needs to be and offering very little satisfaction from a roleplaying perspective. This is a roleplaying game, and while personal character customization and choice are part of that, the RP elements that Dragon Age already had were very good, and just needed a little work; I was surprised and disappointed to discover the gigantic step backwards. Almost everything having to do with your party members is worse than it was in Origins, from customizing their gear, to having conversations with them, to affecting their personalities, to making sweet love with them in a campsite. Overall - 3/10
    Bioware seems to have taken the approach that simplicity is good, delivering a mindless comic book of absurd gore (one fatal sword slash causes an enemy to explode in a cloud of blood and its armor to, for some reason, pop into a dozen pieces?) and lackluster story. Simplicity is a very bad approach for an RPG, however, and a great many things that only needed minor improvement (or didn't need fixing) were completely destroyed in this sequel. Your opinion of DA2 will very likely depend on what you liked or didn't like about DAO. If you were disappointed with the action and thought the overall game was too complex, you'll probably like it. If you liked the core RP elements, you probably won't.    … Expand
  4. 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.
  5. FozzyTheForger
    Mar 16, 2011
    0
    (PC) Acknowledging that "Immersion" has become the sword to wield when you're in computer game or other content delivery marketing, I have built up antibodies that make me immune to marketing BS. If marketing funds manage to show me nothing but outsourced videos to try and lure me in, I just don't bite anymore and put my cravings on hold until I get reviews and visual proof of what's to(PC) Acknowledging that "Immersion" has become the sword to wield when you're in computer game or other content delivery marketing, I have built up antibodies that make me immune to marketing BS. If marketing funds manage to show me nothing but outsourced videos to try and lure me in, I just don't bite anymore and put my cravings on hold until I get reviews and visual proof of what's to come. This is, of course, a bit sad in itself since it prevents me from pre-ordering, another new tool of the trade that has already gone bittersweet.

    Thing is, I was really actively waiting for Dragon Age II to happen. So, when I got it in the mail, I simply could not wait to have it up and running. I tried to look beyond the shaved dwarf or the deadpan delivery of unpalatable speech impediments. I was looking forward to dive into the game and get my RPG fix. And I got a hack'n'slash with multiple-choice cutscene intermissions. Or a machinima movie with action-RPG intermissions, maybe.

    Let me say that I really like God of War. But when I go out and (pre)order an RPG, that's what I expect to get. In case of Dragon Age II, however, it is just not what I got - at all. I got a mini-game which consists of way too many options to customize my - one - character. So I did that. Then I was served confusing and annoying bits of want-to-be movie sequences, haphazardly made-up history, cut scenes, an in-my-face appetizer of the action that was to come and.... more cut-scenes and more sessions of story-telling. If you can't read, it's pretty much OK, for the video is included in the game. Then I ran through what appeared to be an on-rails beat-em-up button mashing routine that was only improved (on PC) by having my character auto-attack, which is definitely easier on the mouse-and-keyboard hardware. My brother has no such luck on the PS3, he's mashing buttons till kingdom come - but he likes it, so there you go.

    I have not yet finished the game, but currently I feel more inclined to un-install it and burn the disc it came on. It is not an adventure. It is not an RPG. What it seems to be is partly immersive cut-scenes with multiple choice forks - of the "Good"-"SarcasticLOL!"-"OhShutUpAlready" type, with the "good" ones easily leading to gratuitous sessions of very open-minded sexual intercourse with seemingly anything that moves. Bioware really seems to be about procreation. Was I surprised? Yes. Was I touched? A bit, but not in places where I wish for an RPG to touch me, really. "Moving about" has become a moving back and fro, revisiting recycled resources as if it had a positive impact on CO2 emissions. It is definitely less about discovery and all about run-by kill-em-all. "Dungeons" consist mainly of recycled locations, as well. Not the kind of ever-repeating deja-vu I was looking to find. I actually came up with a word to describe my emotions when i recognized the same set for the n-th time: Grindhog Day.

    I know the bills that need to be paid and business in general call for franchises to be established and then cashed in ASAP to reach ROI targets. But this is sad and preposterous.

    I hope this new-school bubble of not-quite-RPG will soon burst and funds will find a way to flow into the resurrections or reincarnations of the true RPG titles of old. Here's to hoping we'll get more "Dungeon Master", "Bard's Tale" and "Wizardry" crawling and discovering than "Dragon's Lair" interactive cut-scenes (without the brilliant cartoons, mind you). When I feel like watching a movie, I don't sit down to play a game. Maybe this is "modern" and I'm just not "modern" enough. Then again, I remember going out and buying what I thought was a fighting game some fifteen years back. It did involve well-known samurai sword-wielding characters alright. But it turned out to be a Japanese RPG of sorts. I felt stupid for not having informed myself properly beforehand. It was my fault, and it at very least delivered good incentive to get a basic grip on the Kanji & Kana, even though the game still didn't get better once I was able to somewhat understand the funny symbols.

    This time around, however, I got something I thought I was watching closely for a year - and I still didn't get what I thought I'd get. And that's wrong on a number of levels, I think.    … Expand
  6. Jaddel
    Mar 19, 2011
    0
    Absolutely disappointing. This was my last bioware game...
    For the next 5 years I will give the money for every bioware game released, to charity instead buying the game !!!
  7. pete_3po
    Mar 22, 2011
    0
    I have never felt the need to write a review for anything on metacritic before. However after being so excited at getting my hands onto DA 2 and enjoying the first few hours of play i have been left feeling appalled by the absolute lack of regard shown by Bioware towards the Xbox community. As i have said i was enjoying playing this game and have no particular greivance with the differingI have never felt the need to write a review for anything on metacritic before. However after being so excited at getting my hands onto DA 2 and enjoying the first few hours of play i have been left feeling appalled by the absolute lack of regard shown by Bioware towards the Xbox community. As i have said i was enjoying playing this game and have no particular greivance with the differing approach taken from origins, but since running into the shield glitch I have had to stop playing and wait for Bioware to release a patch. The shield glitch is a bug in the game were-by if you unequip/re-equip or change your shield your defense stat is not reset but stacks, meaning that your warrior class characters become unbalanced and in effect you are unintenionally lowering the diffulculty of the game. How was this bug missed in testing? did the testers never change their characters shields? In the demo you were unable to change your characters equipment and this leads me to belive that there were stat issues with regard to altering equipment then, if this was the case why was this game released without Bioware resolving this glitch. While I haven't been playing DA 2 (all most two weeks now) I have been reading the Bioware social forums for info on a ETA for a patch, from what I have read I'm glad that I did stop because multiple other game breaking glitches have been found including save, achievement, AI and issues envolving the downloadable content. While little to no info from Bioware as to why on when these issues have occurred or will be resolved.

    Overall i have had to rate this game 0 out of 10 as it is unfinished and should never have been released and therefore in my opinon does not qualify for a rating. The experience has left me with a nasty taste in my mouth after giving Bioware and EA my £40 day one that all most two weeks later is still not a finished product whilst also feeling completly ignored by a company that just doesn't seem to care that it has done wrong.    … Expand
  8. konda210
    Mar 23, 2011
    4
    Same review I've posted in other forums...One word. Unfinishable. This was like watching a long bad direct-to-video fantasy. Wow. I'm really shocked at how bad the storytelling was here. Just so unlike Bioware to utterly fail at the story. Possibly it was the production timeline? I can excuse the repetitive maps, the hack-and-slash, the idiotic AI, the auto-spawn enemies that always seemSame review I've posted in other forums...One word. Unfinishable. This was like watching a long bad direct-to-video fantasy. Wow. I'm really shocked at how bad the storytelling was here. Just so unlike Bioware to utterly fail at the story. Possibly it was the production timeline? I can excuse the repetitive maps, the hack-and-slash, the idiotic AI, the auto-spawn enemies that always seem to materialize out of closed spaces, even the giant spiders who web down from a clear blue sky. Over-powered rouges and buggy system that clearly handicaps damage when there are more enemies than less, no problem. I can even excuse the locked companion armor, nameless equipment and the disjointed, often-times mindless quests, but never, ever have I bought a Bioware game and was so frustrated where I just preferred not to finish. I'm a hardcore RPG fan and not only is this worse than Dragon Age Origins, it's more like some strange alternate world spin-off. It doesn't even feel like Dragonage. I got to the final part of the end of the final act and was so disgusted with the story, I turned my Xbox off. It's been a long, long time since I've done that.

    Look for copies to show up on the pre-owned shelves soon. Remember it's a very LONG game and Bioware earned credibility with DA:O that despite bad experiences people are still trying to give it a chance. I think some are coming to the conclusion that I've arrived at. I'm done. Not even a DLC can save this .......... abomination. LOL.    … Expand
  9. CmdrShepard
    Mar 29, 2011
    3
    As a fan of Bioware, I can honestly say that I never expected quite an "exprience" like the one I received from this game. Bioware, to me, is a forward thinking developer of Great Western RPGS and experiences like the Mass Effect Series, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins and of course, Knights of the Old Republic. Despite my great anticipation of Dragon Age 2, the game feels very rushedAs a fan of Bioware, I can honestly say that I never expected quite an "exprience" like the one I received from this game. Bioware, to me, is a forward thinking developer of Great Western RPGS and experiences like the Mass Effect Series, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins and of course, Knights of the Old Republic. Despite my great anticipation of Dragon Age 2, the game feels very rushed from the stand point of the story, which is completely linear and somewhat unsatisfying, a rare failure by Bioware. The "rushed to the shelves" feeling also comes from the lack of Item descriptions and the complete failure of the Inventory System. Companion Armor is nonexistent and probably 80 percent of the items you will loot are useless as you are unable to equip them based on your characters stats or your character's build. (Warrior, Rogue or Mage) Thankfully, you have access to several vendors and storage almost immediately , unfortunately, it still requires either going back to your home base to store or constantly visiting vendors to unload several pairs of "Torn Trousers" you have come across in Thedas. The generic item names also led to several things being sold that weren't meant to be sold, thus more trips back to the vendors. This caused a large disconnect from the game world for me.

    The Story is spilt into three Acts, with each one hinging on a end act climax. Bioware really pushed this game as an "Interactive Framed Narrative", where your choices have real consequences, but nothing could be further from the truth. Every descision your character makes all leads to the same result, regardless of how you play through the game. Bioware has already written the end before you kill you're first Darkspawn, all you are doing is telling them if your Character is a jerk or a nice person. Little to no depth from the standpoint of the PC, you're character is billed as one of the most important people in the world by the end of the game, but you feel dragged along since you're choices just don't matter.

    Promised fresh new enviornments was what i was also looking forward to, alas, the game failed to deliver in this respect as well. The Environments are bland and HEAVILY recycled, giving you a deja vu feeling everytime you are sent to a quest location. You are constantly revisiting the same areas over the course of the story with no real change, despite being told over a decade, nothing in the city or the surrounding landscape, outside of a few corpses to loot, ever changes. The Battle system, which was tweaked to be more natural feeling on consoles was hit and miss. I liked the new skill trees and the new animations, even if they were a bit "over the top" however, the "wave fights" were handled poorly with enemies basically dropping off high buildings or out of the sky, in some cases. This also made the "tactical" side of combat completely useless with enemies poping in and out all the time.

    The story was driven by the sidequests, but there were only a few that actually mattered to the overall story of the game, the rest felt like "filler", but there was always a unique hook or angle from which the quest went. Some of the later side quests were bugged, further leading to the assumption that the game was rushed. Act 1 and 2 were hit and miss but the Last act, act 3, was an absolute nightmare, it was buggy, glitched in some respects and led to a hollow, empty ending.

    The dialogue was witty and clever, for the most part. Utilizing a Conversation wheel, like Mass Effect, along with a voiced character really added to the experience in the sense that you could, at least navigate responses, even if you couldn't affect the story in any measurable way. The Bioware writing and lore salvaged what little respect the game gets from me. Certainly, its hard not to see this has an attempt to blind the gamer with unfulfilled promises and cheap flair. The questionable release of a DLC pack day one that seems like it was meant to be part of the original game as well is disappointing. Hopefully, Bioware will realize that trying to totally reinvent something has risks. I'm glad that the same development team isn't working on other Bioware products. This game clearly isn't worth what was charged for it and I think you would've seen an even bigger outcry had Bioware/EA charged extra for the Signature Edition (instead of just setting a "Pre-Order By" deadline)

    A disappointing ride from start to finish. Clearly not a product that stands up with its predecessor or any other Bioware titles that I've had the pleasure of playing and enjoying.

    No need to try and reinvent the wheel if its still working, Bioware. You have a strong enough team of writers that just minor tweaks to the Origins system would have brought this game much more widespread acclaim amongst the consumers.    … Expand
  10. junglepat
    Apr 3, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have been a follower of BioWare's games since the release of the Baldur's Gate series - they generally put out high quality products. Dragon Age 2 is not of the same caliber as previous games, but it is moderately entertaining. They have made some changes to improve the overall game play experience - some are successful, while others are not.

    PROS:
    - Combat system feels more responsive and visceral. While the option to manage companions and their tactics remains, you can definitely get right into some button mashing fun without every combat being an agonizing tactical slog or ending in a funeral pyre for you and your friends.

    - I enjoyed the way the the story unfolded as a combination of cut-scene dialogue and direct player involvement. The cut-scenes between Varric and Cassandra are excellent and work to unfold your time in Kirkwall.

    -Great character companions, with involving stories, certainly made the game interesting. They were well voice-acted and written. More dialogues would have been even better.

    CONS:
    -Some quest bugs had me running around scratching my head as to what I was doing wrong - all of which can be fixed with a patch. Although I did find it funny when my character assumed the daggers ready stance for 1/3 of the game while moving and talking to people - she looked like a car crash victim, hobbling along. Seriously, buggy games are not cool.

    - Player options are severely limited. After the tour de force that was Dragon Age:Origins, with multiple races and origin stories, your time as a human male/female seems downright pitiful. Not the usual buffet of choice presented in BioWare's games. It is not inconceivable that there may have been other survivours from Lothering, or characters that had been related to the Battle at Ostagar in a different way. -Player choices don't have the same impact that they have in Dragon Age: Origins. Whether you are an apostate or a supporter of the Templars does not make a difference to the game ending. You fight the same boss and the game ends exactly the same way - as a cheap cliffhanger. Choices made during the game have no actual impact on on how the story unfolds. As an example, I supported the mages and Templars during different play throughs and got the same result. I felt like decisions made during the game were pointless. -The story is somewhat limited. In other games like ME, ME2 and DA:O there were extensive plot lines and character development. In comparison, DA 2 felt short and contrived. It did not have the same epic feel as these other games. Most of the time you are completing mundane fetch/carry/find quests. The plot which is suppose to be the back bone of this story is sometimes non-existent and when it does rear its head you are left wondering how things got to this point. The idea of a rags to riches story is great in theory, but falls short in this game. On my first play through I stumbled on the end game - very annoying since I had unfinished quests. -Environments and NPC's - I don't know if BioWare was under pressure to save money or if they only had one guy working on these but, the places you go and the people you see are severely limited. Just because you make me run through a place backwards doesn't mean I don't realize that it is the exact same environment. At one point, when an NPC said that I could meet him at his base on the Wounded Coast, I felt like asking if everyone in Kirkwall was time-sharing this place, because three other NPC's were using it as their base as well. No effort was made to change any of the layout's or anything. I understand that the story takes place in one city - it's good to be familiar with a place that you are living in for an extended period of time, but creating one cave and two outdoor sets really seems like someone got lazy. It really makes the game hard to replay when you know you will be trudging through the same 10 rooms over and over again. Character models are also limited - the mobs that you meet in the streets wear the same outfits. At one point I was like "Hey! Didn't I kill you guys in the other alley over there... at least 30 times!?" -A lack of really memorable foes. Besides the Arishok and the High Dragon (which really came out of nowhere the first time I fought it) the villains you meet really are not that memorable. Meredith seems like a foe of convenience rather than, someone you have been building to face - like the Archdemon or Saren/Reaper.

    While not un-fun, this game is certainly a shadow of its predecessor. It lacked the momentous choices of DA:O and the involved story that went along with that. It worries me that this may be a trend that BioWare's games are going to follow. Perhaps BioWare will take player concerns into account when releasing DLC and DA 3. I certainly hope that the issues with this game are not the result of being tied to EA - generally more concerned with profit than quality.    … Expand
  11. Makaveli
    Apr 14, 2011
    4
    Is this an action game or an RPG? Perhaps a ARPG? I played the first dragon age and I give that one a 7 out of 10, DA 2 gets a 4 and that is being genourous. I have never seen such a game, where they copy and paste areas. I know a lot of games do this because the creators are lazy, but that is all this game is. Take out all the copy and pasted elements in this game and what do you have?Is this an action game or an RPG? Perhaps a ARPG? I played the first dragon age and I give that one a 7 out of 10, DA 2 gets a 4 and that is being genourous. I have never seen such a game, where they copy and paste areas. I know a lot of games do this because the creators are lazy, but that is all this game is. Take out all the copy and pasted elements in this game and what do you have?
    It's like going to a museum and seeing the same painting with different color. This game is only good enough to wipe your ass with, and even then, it aint charmin..    … Expand
  12. 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
  13. 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!!!
  14. Nyurena
    May 18, 2011
    4
    The combat system was a new streamlined approach that was enjoyable. Story was decent and your decisions had some weight. At first I felt it had far surpassed DAO in every way. Then the extensive level reuse and boring arbitrary fights set it. Every time I started to get immersed in the story a quest would send me to the same reused level and it would all evaporate. Kudos to bioware forThe combat system was a new streamlined approach that was enjoyable. Story was decent and your decisions had some weight. At first I felt it had far surpassed DAO in every way. Then the extensive level reuse and boring arbitrary fights set it. Every time I started to get immersed in the story a quest would send me to the same reused level and it would all evaporate. Kudos to bioware for trying some new and well implemented things, like the combo system, but you sold us a cheap and dragging game in the end. Don't let EA force to you cut so many corners to release early like this, or your well earned rep will suffer. I turned it to casual and ignored sidequests just to be able to finish it by the end.… Expand
  15. Saker
    May 13, 2011
    0
    on Dragon Age II website they say :

    Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins but then again people say , it's not DA:O 2 , i know it's not and never expected it would either but i would have expected the same quality of it's predecessor or even better but in no way it was. People then say well they only had    on Dragon Age II website they say :

    Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins

    but then again people say , it's not DA:O 2 , i know it's not and never expected it would either but i would have expected the same quality of it's predecessor or even better but in no way it was.

    People then say well they only had 18 months to do it, the development time was too short to make it as good, then why did they scrapped everything and remade a totally different game instead of fixing what was broken and getting rid of meh stuff ? The result is a bland story, shallow companions, retcons, recycled maps: same 1 house same 1 cave same estate and same warehouse X 100 , ninja waves that comes from no where as in popping out of thin air , plot holes .

    While not really worth a 0 but more a 4 or 5 since it's a crap sequel, i put a 0 because of the Biodrones who rated it with a 10 and some tool on DA2 forums exhorted everyone who liked the game to create accounts to raise the user score with 10s    … Expand
  16. sid4975
    May 15, 2011
    4
    Im just so incredibly disappointed in this game that im actually taking the time to write about it. even though im sure no one will read it. when it comes to sequels why must developers dumb down and ruin everything that made the previous game great?! Will someone please tell me this. I must have played through DA1 about 20 times. I cant even get halfway through this game. its a damnIm just so incredibly disappointed in this game that im actually taking the time to write about it. even though im sure no one will read it. when it comes to sequels why must developers dumb down and ruin everything that made the previous game great?! Will someone please tell me this. I must have played through DA1 about 20 times. I cant even get halfway through this game. its a damn hack fest! They did the Same with mass effect 2 although not half as bad as this, but dumbed down none the less. I cant help but think any reviewer on here that gave this higher then a 5 has to be a developer. If you looking for an action/rpg experience look elsewhere. dragon age 1, mass effect 1, the witcher, and the soon to be released witcher 2!… Expand
  17. gorkys
    May 17, 2011
    0
    I am very disappointed. I was expecting something more like RPG game, not Hack&Slash game. BioWare shame on you!! That was waste of my money. This game is very overrated on all platforms.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  18. wrotos
    May 17, 2011
    4
    I,m really disappointed Abut this game. I expect good cRPG and i get game with bad history, graphics and terrible game play, Boring game, made for console,
  19. Fanton
    May 18, 2011
    0
    I had high expectations with this game after Dragon Age: Origins, the game was done without any care for the story, being short and leaving holes that may have been playable and interesting! The worst of it is repeating the same maps in the few places to go! I very much hope that Mass Effect 3 will not turn that same garbage!
  20. yofingolfin
    May 17, 2011
    0
    Oh my God! And I realy mean it- oh my God! How could anyone call this piece of utter uselessnes a cRPG? This is just impossible. Extremely weak plot, characters that are as developed as the grass in my backyard, moder-4-years-ago graphics. But there's a lot of fighting and when you are not fighting you ... fight! If only this was absorbing but no, it's dull and monotonous as hell. FirstOh my God! And I realy mean it- oh my God! How could anyone call this piece of utter uselessnes a cRPG? This is just impossible. Extremely weak plot, characters that are as developed as the grass in my backyard, moder-4-years-ago graphics. But there's a lot of fighting and when you are not fighting you ... fight! If only this was absorbing but no, it's dull and monotonous as hell. First game that I bought just to sell it 2 days later on ebay. This piece of **** is not worth a penny! I give it the score it deserves- (0.0)… Expand
  21. 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.
  22. estrogen
    May 19, 2011
    0
    Dragon age 2 is underdeveloped, politically correct [in every possible aspect] and consolized hack'n'slash. Graphics are bad, environments are recycled and repetitive, characters are dull and stereotypical. Dialogue "wheel" is pathetic [GOOD CHOICE,BAD CHOICE, NEUTRAL CHOICE LOL]. Comparing to the first Dragon age everything got dumbed down drastically. Talent trees got simplified,Dragon age 2 is underdeveloped, politically correct [in every possible aspect] and consolized hack'n'slash. Graphics are bad, environments are recycled and repetitive, characters are dull and stereotypical. Dialogue "wheel" is pathetic [GOOD CHOICE,BAD CHOICE, NEUTRAL CHOICE LOL]. Comparing to the first Dragon age everything got dumbed down drastically. Talent trees got simplified, dialogues got simplified, you can even equip your team-mates anymore [I guess bioware thought it was too hard for a subset of gamers]. Conclusion: I don't recommend this game because it's a waste of time and money.… Expand
  23. Utensils
    May 19, 2011
    0
    This has to be one of the most disappointed games I have had the displeasure of playing. I foolishly pre-ordered this P.O.S game on the pretense that Bioware couldn't possibly mess up a sequel to a great game. I was wrong. I will not be buying another Bioware game.
  24. Lessi
    May 27, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dragon Age suffers from a disconnect with its predecessor in more than one area.

    One of which being the protagonist and setting. While it is a decent idea to have either a new character or a new location it is an extremely stupid idea to have BOTH. This removes players from the familiar to an absurd degree and makes it harder to see a continuation in the story.

    The story is a weak point in itself. it is a story of religious intolerance and evil magic, but with no real substance. The mages that attack you may as well be cardboard cut outs are are so irredeemably evil that it seems like a safe bet that the local knights of mageslaying are the sane ones until you find out the entire city just wanted to kill itself and the faction that was played up as the 'villains' for 2/3rds of the game probably had the right idea after all.

    The game actually lacks an ending and takes place during a story told by one of the protagonists supposed companions who may or may not be lying through his teeth about everything.

    Hawke is leashed to Kirkwall like a Damane to a Sul'dam (or Saarebas and Arvaarad, as bioware would call yet another of their seemingly endless Wheel of Time borrowances) and can only go to a handful of locations outside the city which never change except to be populated with the monsters that hawke must kill for the new quests.

    Overall the game starts off well enough with anticipation and excitement being the main emotions as the player awaits one of biowares great storylines, this never actually materializes and you eventually wonder what happened as the credits roll.

    One of the reasons the game rates so poorly is the hype and expectation surrounding the game. This to some people may not be a fair evaluation, but as it influenced the positive experience with the first part of the game it is essential in understanding why people are so upset.

    Many people spent months watching trailers and unable to contain their excitement, and the game that arrived is one that causes one of two reactions; denial of its flaws or intense disappointment. I found myself in the later category, after hoping that the game would revive, it didn't.

    Decisions such as having a character killed off immediately if you chose the 'wrong' class reduced the replay value greatly, as it was easy to to see the character 'killed off' if your PC is a wielder of magic is needed to give a magical connection to hawke to artificially draw him/her into the mage-templar conflict.

    As did lack of racial choices. Ultimately we wanted a continuation to the storyline started in origins, wether the Warden's story or Fereldan's story and it simply wasn't told.    … Expand
  25. jorge100
    Sep 26, 2011
    0
    Terrible game with no redeeming qualities. Game play was horrible and the storyline was pathetic compared to Dragon Age Origins. . The graphics were also better in Origins. The characters were weak and uninspiring. The combat was a joke. Rogue and mage classes stunk. The skill trees had no skills in comparison to DAO. Games a boring button masher.
  26. JamesX
    Jul 20, 2011
    3
    Glitz and glamour makes a pretty presentation but the game falls short of its pedigree and promise of "rise to power." In fact the game's flaw is hugely exasperated on 2nd play through - when you realize that there is little to no difference to outcome of events based on your choice. If it were called Mass Effect with Dragons I would have given it at 8 - because I would not have judgedGlitz and glamour makes a pretty presentation but the game falls short of its pedigree and promise of "rise to power." In fact the game's flaw is hugely exasperated on 2nd play through - when you realize that there is little to no difference to outcome of events based on your choice. If it were called Mass Effect with Dragons I would have given it at 8 - because I would not have judged it as an RPG as opposed to a Shooter with RPG elements. Unfortunately it was not. For a game that is sold on the detail of the world and its story - it is very much a disappointment and falls far from the tree.… Expand
  27. Rammsoldat
    Sep 30, 2011
    3
    Utter Utter Utter disapointment, im not agaisnt them revamping the gameplay but the story and characters in this game are so half arsed. Any decisions you make in the game lead to nothing there are no consequences the story will still go where it goes all that changes is your group. I really dont see why when they had such a winner on theior hands with origins they decided to much aboutUtter Utter Utter disapointment, im not agaisnt them revamping the gameplay but the story and characters in this game are so half arsed. Any decisions you make in the game lead to nothing there are no consequences the story will still go where it goes all that changes is your group. I really dont see why when they had such a winner on theior hands with origins they decided to much about with it so much and chop so much out. I know they were after a call of duty type audience but those types dont typically go for RPG games so Bioware has forsaken its audience to pursue another that wont want what they have to offer.… Expand
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. Chaozzak
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    Its different game. Its not DA:O and i know it. But i really don't enjoy this one. Combat system is ridiculous, inventory is entire garbage. On the other side - graphics and story is good (not great!). EA pushes to many pencils and this game was obviously rushed. And... I don't want play Mass Effect in fantasy world!
  31. Lascelle
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    What reason do we have to believe Mass Effect 3 won't be given the same shoddy treatment as Dragon Age II? So disappointed. Bioware has bought into their own hype and is throwing their well-earned reputation into the proverbial toilet.
  32. peroxxi
    Mar 12, 2011
    4
    This game in crap. No exploration, tons of bugs, tons of more bugs, awful difficulty calibration, crappy graphics. They made this game in few months just because EA command it!
    It's turned to a great rpg to a casual action rpg.
  33. Erxar
    Mar 13, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is in a word a disaster. Every aspect of the game is simplified. There is no story whatsoever. You don't get the feeling that you're playing to achieve any goal at all. It's only side stories loosely connected to each other. BioWare SOLD OUT. I'm so furious about it. I can't understand critics high scores. My only explanation is that they ware payed to write good reviews. This is the biggest scam of all time.… Expand
  34. muchacho
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    I can only hope this isn't an indication of what to expect with mass effect 3. Reusing level assets multiple times, making dungeons look the same and limiting the map size to a small city and surrounding country side. Also the lack of customization when it comes to the companions in my party. Why did Bioware feel the need to once again streamline one of the best parts of an rpg, gearI can only hope this isn't an indication of what to expect with mass effect 3. Reusing level assets multiple times, making dungeons look the same and limiting the map size to a small city and surrounding country side. Also the lack of customization when it comes to the companions in my party. Why did Bioware feel the need to once again streamline one of the best parts of an rpg, gear customization, is beyond me. This does not live up to the expectations I have of a Bioware rpg, this is a huge step back from the quality titles I have come to expect from them.… Expand
  35. 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
  36. Verilee
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    Oh my... I have never thought I had to write that...

    RPGs... I did em all... from the first days with my Commodore Amiga (Bard's Tale, some AD&D RPGs), to PC games (also AD&Ds, Might and Magics, Ultima Underworld, those from Interplay, and all the classic Biowares, and Elder Scrolls Arena, Daggerfall and so on...), so I claim to have a vast knowledge about how RPGs were and how they are    Oh my... I have never thought I had to write that...

    RPGs... I did em all... from the first days with my Commodore Amiga (Bard's Tale, some AD&D RPGs), to PC games (also AD&Ds, Might and Magics, Ultima Underworld, those from Interplay, and all the classic Biowares, and Elder Scrolls Arena, Daggerfall and so on...), so I claim to have a vast knowledge about how RPGs were and how they are now. I found some better, some not so good, but most of them were quite solid RPGs.

    It's of course a matter of taste, but to me, RPG means story, interactions and customizing the characters. DAO is already streamlined compared to the Elder Scrolls Universe, but still classic RPG because of all those things that are still possible, and probably one of the best story and especially dialogues (which results in a great overall atmosphere) I have ever seen in an RPG.

    Although, even in DAO I miss being able to jump, or to access all those places that can be seen, from that point it's a bit limited, but still acceptable to me as there are other unique features.

    Now DA2... I decided to first have a look, so visited a friend, and had a look, and have to say, I won't buy that game. I don't hate it, but I am not into Action-Adventures. Opponents spawning out of nowhere, 2 metres jumps in full armor, no thank you... to me that is more comic style gaming, jump and run even a bit... no, that's not RPG anymore to me.

    Flemeth designed like a mixture of Manga and Domina, no, not my taste.

    Not being able to equip my party... that is a no go for me in an RPG. I mean, I love to spend hours with so callled unimportant details like trying out clothes, armors, crafting, making potions... whatever. DA2 delivers nothing. A fast paced action game, not bad by itself, but not worthy of being named Dragon Age or even being regarded as its successor.

    Some good things still, some nice dialogues, but it feels more like an interactive movie... hey of course not to the extent I had with Dragon's Lair on my good old Amiga... but still, too dictated for me. Everything is kind of chewed before we get it to eat.

    I don't hate this game, but I don't think it is wise to distribute it as the successor of DAO, and besides, Bioware to me was a synonym for great RPGs. Now, that does not seem to apply anymore. A pity.

    Per se there is nothing wrong in offering variations or different style games within the same universe... other companies did that in the past too, Bethesda had some spin-offs (Elder scrolls series vs Battlespire, Redguard), 3DO had them (Might and Magic series vs Heroes), Origin (Ultima, and then Ultima underworld was different), and some more.

    They could have opened a new spin off series, like DA Action Adventures or whatever, then the players can decide for themselves whether to try it out or not, without being fooled with wrong expectations, rising up when hearing the name Dragon Age, or even Dragon Age 2, which implies the continuation of the 1st game.

    Dragon Age, to me, stood for RPG, like Elder Scrolls does, different, but great. I don't want to see an action adventure under the Elder Scrolls series label, and I didn't want to see that with DAO.

    It happened, and I think they didn't do themselves a favour. For me, this series ended with DAO, and will start again, when they pick up on what they built with DAO. Whether it was Bioware's fault, or EA's, it is an enourmous damage that has been done to Bioware's reputation, in rushing out such a game, and pretending it is the successor of DAO.    … Expand
  37. Kermutten
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    This game is utter crap, they decided to make a good start (DA:O) into **** by dumbing it down for the console marked, and it may be good business but it sure as hell rubs us computer gamers the wrong way, in the end i think you should just stop making computer games, and stick to the beloved console marked, if this is the piece of **** you want to release.
  38. 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
  39. 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.
  40. freo14
    Mar 13, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game very disappointed .. .. do not even believe that *it* makes developers NWN. Cool RPG turned into a dull meat grinder. I really, really sorry for the fans DE. Although children from 10 to 14, this game is really like .. Although there since age limit 18 ))… Expand
  41. TheDeadHeart
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    The Dragon Age franchise has been tossed into the corporate machinery and spat out as a bruised and crippled shell of its former self. The game manages to deliver a thoroughly mediocre and disappointing experience to both RPG and casual gaming fans alike.

    The combat could possibly be the largest flaw with the game, however it is but one of many large flaws. Many skills and abilities    The Dragon Age franchise has been tossed into the corporate machinery and spat out as a bruised and crippled shell of its former self. The game manages to deliver a thoroughly mediocre and disappointing experience to both RPG and casual gaming fans alike.

    The combat could possibly be the largest flaw with the game, however it is but one of many large flaws. Many skills and abilities present in DA: O which made the game an overly tactical, challenging and rewarding experience have been removed in favor of more 'exciting and fast paced' combat. In Dragon Age 2's case 'exciting and fast paced' equates into the mindless ability bashing. Combat now relies heavily upon 'wave' mechanics. Where instead of individual mobs of enemies the player will be bombarded by wave after wave of enemy turning an epic skirmish into a tedious exercise of endurance. Most side quests are trivial and generic which furthermore offer no further insight into the game world and hold little other responsibility other than keeping the player distracted for a few extra hours collecting X number of items..

    The visuals have undergone an upheaval, yet surprisingly manages to look worse than its predecessor.
    The combat now resembles something out of a Devil May Cry game, rather than the style set in DA:O. The visceral and realistic style of Origins now replaced with an over sensationalized gratuitous flood of warrior aerobatics and bloody explosions. Many Caves, mountains, roads used again and again presumably due to constraints imposed by the soulless suits over in EA pushing for a speedy release and a fast cash-in. Dragon Age: Origins was a modern day throwback to classic RPG games: It incorporated engaging Tactical gameplay , interesting characters and appropriate use of dialog selection and an immersive fantasy setting imbued with a touch of gritty realism to provide a satisfying fantasy experience. Because of this the game was critically acclaimed and sold very well.
    Now letâ    … Expand
  42. 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
  43. Fireside
    Mar 21, 2011
    4
    So initially I wasn't too upset with this game, but I decided to go back and play DOA over the weekend. Man, you haters are right: this game sucks. Everything about it is tragically inferior to its predecessor, even the graphics. F you Bioware. This game is garbage and you know it.
  44. IslandMonkee
    Mar 16, 2011
    4
    This over simplified pile of crap would not even bare the name Bioware a couple of years ago. I am not going to go in depth about the hack and slash gameplay or the repetitive use of the same environments over and over again. Just read the negative reviews from others, you will get the picture.
  45. Trxw11
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    As a fan of DA1 (and BG before it), this is a disappointment. The gameplay is easier (i.e. less challenging) and paced for action not roleplay, the controls are simpler & imprecise (i.e. fewer tactics possible), the graphics are glossy with FF-style overblown animations, the levelling is much faster and less satisfying with earlier access to formerly senior skills (so it feels badlyAs a fan of DA1 (and BG before it), this is a disappointment. The gameplay is easier (i.e. less challenging) and paced for action not roleplay, the controls are simpler & imprecise (i.e. fewer tactics possible), the graphics are glossy with FF-style overblown animations, the levelling is much faster and less satisfying with earlier access to formerly senior skills (so it feels badly balanced), the redesigned maps are harder to read and spread across multiple panes (so you can't see the whole world in 1 place), the game world starts to repeat even a few hours into the game, and finding stuff is less exciting because it simply says "ring" rather than "ring of xxx" until you go into the inventory, which has been simplified and streamlined so it's less satisfying allocating your spoils. Widescale tinkering by designers too influenced by Mass Effect and less mindful of real RPG design (which should be satisfyingly complex) has resulted in a game that does precisely what they hoped it wouldn't, which is alienate its core audience. Sad to see a franchise get watered down like this. The only major improvements are in story and character, which have more twists, grey areas and unpredictability - unlike the gameplay. I'm playing on in the hope it slows down, this is like getting a sugar rush after eating too many sweets - a slightly sickly feeling tinged with regret.… Expand
  46. Cirth
    Mar 24, 2011
    3
    bad rpg (the story is very disapointing), very bad dragon age, the fighting part is badly done it's more a hack & slash than a strategic fighting system and moreover there are way too much fights in the game, we can also add bugs, unfinished quest, and bad graphic. I'm very disappointed in bioware, until now i always preordered their game blindly, this time is over.
  47. DenofLionsx
    Mar 25, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (TL;DR at bottom)

    I give this game a 4 only because if you ignore the fact that this was suppose to be a sequel to Origins/Awakening it can be sort of fun. This game took the "Spiritual Successor" to the Baldur's Gate Series, killed it, mutilated its corpse, burned it, and pissed on its ashes. From characters that have the depth of a pot hole to the entire campaign being one giant linear repeat of the same 4 rooms. Everything has been dumbed down to the point where if you want a classic tank/healer/dps style part you're character locked into almost a singular party setup due to only ONE CHARACTER IN THE GAME HAVING THE ABILITY TO USE A SHIELD, and one other character being the only one who can AoE heal and ressurect. Spoilers below on characters:

    Your initial tank in the game, Aveline, is probably the most annoying character in the Dragon Age universe (Yes, even Anders makes an appearance and redeems his stupidity from Awakening). Mrs. Goody two-shoes cry about my dead husband. She is the anti-Morigan. Characters that lean entirely to one side with uncompromising ethics are boring.

    Isabela is a character who seems to have been written by the same brilliant 13 year old boys who wrote Lara Croft. Her only redeeming factor, like Lara, is that her **** are the size of watermelons... wait, how does this redeem anything? Anders, along with Justice, is, imo, the best character in this game. He actually has an interesting story since Awakening and isn't a whiny little girl anymore. Sadly he does not make up for the rest of this game's failings.

    Combat:

    The combat system has been dumbed down to the point of, to be blunt, console standards. Once you get a mage with proper end of tree spells the game becomes "Gravity well, AoE the **** out of everything, loot" which I guess is right on target for the kind of audience this game is shooting for. Dialog and Choices:

    Your choices honestly don't mean dick in this game other than party friendship. Kill the templar? What consequences does this action hold? Oh, nothing, -20 Aveline rep and +20 Anders. The Mass Effect style wheel dialog options are rather bad, though I do enjoy my character being voiced this time around. You see the text on the wheel but what comes out of Hawke's mouth isn't even close to the option you chose half the time. Final Thoughts (TL;DR):

    I have no idea who at Bioware thought locking characters to a specific role was a good idea. One of my favorite aspects on DA1 was changing a characters role to better fit the party I wanted to run. The characters lack depth and the entire story is a linear romp with no real choices of consequence. The entire game feels like it was designed to try and lure in Call of Duty fans to make more money. EA boosting the Metascore by having employees post as critics just shows they screwed up and they know it.    … Expand
  48. n00bdream
    Mar 31, 2011
    4
    Very disappointing. The game lacks almost everything that made the first one so enjoyable. The characters are uninspiring, the story is almost non-existing and the interactions with your teammates are boring. The gameplay works, but everything else is inferior to the first game.
  49. AlekKolchak
    Apr 3, 2011
    4
    Honestly, Bioware's first bad game and a poor successor to a great first game. All strategy has been taken out of combat, making it a "point and click" game until all waves of enemies are destroyed. The role playing aspect has been cut, leaving the player with only the ability to select one of three dialogue choices: "peaceful, humorous, aggressive." This has no affect on how the gameHonestly, Bioware's first bad game and a poor successor to a great first game. All strategy has been taken out of combat, making it a "point and click" game until all waves of enemies are destroyed. The role playing aspect has been cut, leaving the player with only the ability to select one of three dialogue choices: "peaceful, humorous, aggressive." This has no affect on how the game plays out. Environments are rarely as detailed as the first game and are recycled to an amazing degree. Most of the game play is uninspired delivery quests. Loot is random and you cannot equip armor on the other team characters. The main story feels more like an expansion pack. The pros? Good graphics and excellent voice work. Hopefully player created mods will eventually add the content that the developers did not. Still, it is sad to think that EA has purchased and eliminated another creative game company.… Expand
  50. 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
  51. Dracowyr
    Mar 14, 2011
    3
    A company that once saved the RPG genre, is now destroying it. Poor production value, and dumbed-down gameplay aims this game at a more 'casual' console market. I was a fan of Bioware for over 13 years - they were one of the few companies that I would buy a game from without having tried it out first. They were shining examples in the game industry. No longer.

    A terrible disappointment, I    A company that once saved the RPG genre, is now destroying it. Poor production value, and dumbed-down gameplay aims this game at a more 'casual' console market. I was a fan of Bioware for over 13 years - they were one of the few companies that I would buy a game from without having tried it out first. They were shining examples in the game industry. No longer.

    A terrible disappointment, I feel this game would have been better received as a DLC rather than a full game.

    Is this EA's hand at work?    … Expand
  52. 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
  53. 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
  54. 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
  55. Kalaha
    Mar 16, 2011
    4
    The immersion and combat of this game is matched by nearly every consol game for the last 10 years. See what i did there? :). The folks at Bioware clearly wanted to make Dragon Age 2 accessible to the greater masses. And i'm pretty sure they succeeded in that. It just didnt do it for me. I bought this game at the EA-online store and even before i had inserted my creditcard information, iThe immersion and combat of this game is matched by nearly every consol game for the last 10 years. See what i did there? :). The folks at Bioware clearly wanted to make Dragon Age 2 accessible to the greater masses. And i'm pretty sure they succeeded in that. It just didnt do it for me. I bought this game at the EA-online store and even before i had inserted my creditcard information, i was spammed with FREE Downloadable Content - order now. order now. Already at this point, i figured something was fishy in the state of bioware. The game is filled with re-used dungeons. Even in the first act, i ran through the same mine 3 times. What the hell is that about? I wont attack the battle-system - i didnt like it, some would. The graphics actually ARE improved from the first game, but you gotta love red - since most of your screen will be filled with it throughout the game. All in all this just seemed like a rushed game. 4/10… Expand
  56. 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.
  57. Tent27
    Apr 1, 2011
    5
    After the initial shock I decided to make a third attempt at Dragon Age 2. I couldn't do it. There are indeed a few things RIGHT with this game like the better flowing combat and re-used mass effect 2 engine, but there are so many things wrong with this game that make it unplayable to me. For one, it feels insulting. This isn't an RPG, there is not a suitable amount of depth to be had forAfter the initial shock I decided to make a third attempt at Dragon Age 2. I couldn't do it. There are indeed a few things RIGHT with this game like the better flowing combat and re-used mass effect 2 engine, but there are so many things wrong with this game that make it unplayable to me. For one, it feels insulting. This isn't an RPG, there is not a suitable amount of depth to be had for a bioware level RPG. Through my entire 16 hours of play I found one particular thing eating at my head, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was playing a beta. The game has an overwhelming unfinished feeling to it. It literally seems like the developers had so much more in store, but were rushed out the door before they got completely dressed. Dragon Age 2 could use some polish in ALL departments. The product I'm playing is at best a raw attempt at people trying to capture the dragon age feel, but failing to do so. This is the first time I've ever been able to put down a bioware game without finishing it. My 5/10 review is only as such because 5/10 denotes that yes, there is indeed a game somewhere in here, but it's so lost in a pile of problems that it's nearly impossible to find and enjoy. Sorry bioware, it has to be said.… Expand
  58. hexchen1206
    Mar 26, 2011
    0
    I am really disappointed. The game seems to be unfinished, and it has no "soul". It isn't worth the name "Dragon Age". The main-story is boring, the NPCs look all the same and most of them have nothing to say.
  59. Azm0dAn
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    After having a blast playing Dragon Age: Origins I had high expectations for DA2. A few weeks before the release date I read on some forums that they were trying to pull "a new audience" to the game but things would remain the same for the so called "elitist rpg player". I don't think Bioware will ever be able to please both type of players in the same game but I understand that money isAfter having a blast playing Dragon Age: Origins I had high expectations for DA2. A few weeks before the release date I read on some forums that they were trying to pull "a new audience" to the game but things would remain the same for the so called "elitist rpg player". I don't think Bioware will ever be able to please both type of players in the same game but I understand that money is what drives the world and right now the money is on the "press a button something awesome happens" crowd. Eventually some new action game will come, DA2 will be overshadowed and only the old fans will remember Bioware and most of those will probably still be enraged by this weak RPG game. - No character customization, lack of classes;
    - Cannot equip different armor on party members (that is just to cruel in a party based game);
    - Lack of in-game items! Lots of useless junk (it even goes to a section called Junk in the inventory) that you can't use. Couldn't you be bothered to create some simple items?
    - Items stats are not enough. Most rings give +stamina/mana (not even separated, it's decided based on character's needs);
    - Some parts of the story are quite good but they are just too few to make a difference. - Voice acting is not that good, Hawke doesn't really sound mad or pissed when you press the RED DIALOGUE FOR SOMETHING AWESOME TO HAPPEN;
    - Map is too small, there's no exploration and you keep on re-using the same map for different places! I went into dozens of different caves, they are ALL the same. The only difference is that in one door A is open, and in another door A is closed preventing you from going further. Even a mine used the same level design for a cave. What's going on with that? Didn't you learn anything from Mass Effect?
    - Kirkwall looks too empty;
    - Combat is spamfest of mobs... There's no tactics to it, just keep on mashing buttons, eventually you'll make it... I tried Nightmare but i spent more time fighting the camera than the enemies so i went back to hard;
    - You don't run out of reagents for potions/runes/bombs.... All you need to do is find the ingredient (on that same map you already went to dozens of times before but this time on a different quest) and you'll be able to brew everything you want (as long as you have the coin);
    Now, for the good points:
    + Some companions have nice stories;
    + There are alot of quests but since you keep going to the same places over and over again they just feel boring;
    + Some dragon fights;
    + Good use for gold, + A lot of books to read and some interesting stuff in the codex;
    + Qunari leader;
    + You press a button and something awesome happens... (Kidding on this one)    … Expand
  60. scorpius952
    Mar 10, 2011
    5
    I have to say that all in all, I didn't like this game. I am a big fan of the first one but this neither looks or feels like the first at all. Although the graphics are better, I dislike the art style. The game seems to run a little smoother but I don't like the way it's played. I can see why the critics gave this a high score. Even though no one seems to really like all of theI have to say that all in all, I didn't like this game. I am a big fan of the first one but this neither looks or feels like the first at all. Although the graphics are better, I dislike the art style. The game seems to run a little smoother but I don't like the way it's played. I can see why the critics gave this a high score. Even though no one seems to really like all of the changes and omissions in this game, according to how the critics review it, it had to receive a high score. They only rate the game on graphics, sound, gameplay, presentation and lasting appeal. 4 out of five worked so it had to have a high score even though none of this is liked. Critics don't really give their opinion on games. They review it according to these factors because everyone has a different opinion. My opinion is, this game is bad. I don't like the art style, the street fighter like animations for the characters, or the button mashing. I don't like not being able to create my own character. The first time I played this game, I immediately turned it off and wrote a letter to bioware letting them know how they let me down. I've tried several times to play this game but I just can't take it. After 10 minutes or so my thumb is hurting and I am too bored to continue. That's pretty bad in my opinion considering how much I love fantasy rpg's. I have to recommend passing this game up. I honestly don't see how anyone could get any enjoyment out of this game other than the huge breast the female characters are sporting. And that's the only reason this game got a 5!… Expand
  61. Somas99999
    Mar 11, 2011
    3
    I wanted to like this game so badly. The character voices are top notch, and their personalities are well developed, but this could not save the game. There is no real story, only about 10 individual areas in the entire game that are constantly revisited, and, on PC, the combat is simply clicking once on an enemy and watching a character perform a five hit combo repeatedly. To be fair,I wanted to like this game so badly. The character voices are top notch, and their personalities are well developed, but this could not save the game. There is no real story, only about 10 individual areas in the entire game that are constantly revisited, and, on PC, the combat is simply clicking once on an enemy and watching a character perform a five hit combo repeatedly. To be fair, using abilities does add some differentiation to combat, but, playing as a rogue at least, I found that most of the time I would find myself in a situation where all of my abilities were on cool down before the end of every battle. This was usually because each combat encounter seems to drag on to long. Most of the fights pit you against around 15+ enemies, and as soon as the vast majority are dead, reinforcements will literally rain from the sky. I went into this game expecting an RPG with hack and slash elements, what I got was God of War without all the button mashing.… Expand
  62. secretblue
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    You're stuck in Kirkwall not because this is some new and innovated way of telling a story but because Bioware only had a year to pump this thing out. The environments are never altered, even after ten years for this very same reason. Caves, houses, and underground passages are all just one map. Some people were even fooled because you get let into a cave from a different area or becauseYou're stuck in Kirkwall not because this is some new and innovated way of telling a story but because Bioware only had a year to pump this thing out. The environments are never altered, even after ten years for this very same reason. Caves, houses, and underground passages are all just one map. Some people were even fooled because you get let into a cave from a different area or because some of the caves have stone doors when they enter. They're just trying to throw your senses off, but if you actually take the time to travel through the whole thing you'll realize it it's the very same cave you were in on multiple occasions. Also, remember at the end of Fable where you have to collect all that money? Wasn't fun, right? Well Bioware uses this same tactic, only they moved it to the beginning of the game, not the end. So you spend a good bit of time running around collecting gold before the storyline even moves forward. Speaking of storyline, this game has no real plot. You're basically just some guy/gal who goes around doing good or bad deeds. In it's predecessor you played as one of the last grey wardens in Ferelden and your goal was to collect all the treaties to gather aid for the battle against the blight. There is no well defined plot in DA2, you're just wandering around completing task. While playing there will come a time when you will ask yourself "what is the point of any of this". I'm giving this a 0 because no one should have to pay 60 dollars for a game that feels like one long DLC. I didn't hate this game because I wasn't a huge fan of the first DA and didn't expect much from this one. However, this fell below my already low expectations. The only positive about this game were the characters, but it's not enough to make this game a worthy title for your game shelf. I'm returning mine as soon as possible and purchasing something worthwhile.… Expand
  63. Diogenes4evr
    Mar 12, 2011
    4
    In a world where there already exists a Mass Effect 1 and 2 why would you buy a third; smaller, shorter, more repetitive and poorer version of it? Dragon Age is a great IP as demonstrated by Origins and DA2 could have been great. Longer and more in-depth quests with greater exploration could have made a mediocre game good; as it is the constant recycling of areas makes the story andIn a world where there already exists a Mass Effect 1 and 2 why would you buy a third; smaller, shorter, more repetitive and poorer version of it? Dragon Age is a great IP as demonstrated by Origins and DA2 could have been great. Longer and more in-depth quests with greater exploration could have made a mediocre game good; as it is the constant recycling of areas makes the story and characters carry the entire weight of this game and it's them that you will play through it for. Combat is repetitive and needs to either be more strategic or require better talent useage (the cool down times are far to long). Still very well written with solid characters and better than the majority of games out there but if you are looking for a BioWare masterpiece or a worthy successor to Origins; this is not it.… Expand
  64. 27raven
    Mar 14, 2011
    4
    Why the lack of interesting and diverse locations? Why one repeating cave and houses over and over again? Why waves of enemies spawning from the ceiling? Why the brutal requirements in DX11 in 5 year old looking game? Why no interesting and surprising puzzles? Why many other things i don't want to even remember? If it wasn't for DA:O and if it wasn't Bioware I would give 7 points but likeWhy the lack of interesting and diverse locations? Why one repeating cave and houses over and over again? Why waves of enemies spawning from the ceiling? Why the brutal requirements in DX11 in 5 year old looking game? Why no interesting and surprising puzzles? Why many other things i don't want to even remember? If it wasn't for DA:O and if it wasn't Bioware I would give 7 points but like this i fell it deserves 5 points max.
    Btw. I didn't like many things in DA:O (skill system, class imbalances) but it was still a pearl in comparison to this game.

    PS: Why so high scores from magazines? Does EA pay that well? It was the same with NFS:Shift and I completely understand people who give 0 points as a defense against so exaggerated ratings.    … Expand
  65. tuttifrutas
    Mar 14, 2011
    3
    the game is very disappointing. The graphics seem dated, the music is ok, the game-play is simplified and poses no challenge at all for experienced rpg gamers. LOTS of the recycled content. it is the same layout for all caverns, almost all houses, and almost everything has the same type of texture applied.
    But the City Hub system is the worse, i never seen so many loading screen in my    the game is very disappointing. The graphics seem dated, the music is ok, the game-play is simplified and poses no challenge at all for experienced rpg gamers. LOTS of the recycled content. it is the same layout for all caverns, almost all houses, and almost everything has the same type of texture applied.
    But the City Hub system is the worse, i never seen so many loading screen in my life. initiate quest in district A , goto hub, Loading, do quest in district B, goto hub, Loading, finish quest in district A. This system makes the game a chore. just go play DAO this one is just plain boring.    … Expand
  66. dirtyfinger
    Mar 18, 2011
    3
    Combat is ridiculous. Animation speed increased to the point that no strike animations are visible. Intended to speed up combat ... which it doesn't, since the increased speed is offset by higher monster hitpoints and swarms of enemies.
    also, combat has been "coolified", meaning that every standard attack is the 'Fallout 3' equivalent of 'Bloody Mess', meaning that a killing stab with a    Combat is ridiculous. Animation speed increased to the point that no strike animations are visible. Intended to speed up combat ... which it doesn't, since the increased speed is offset by higher monster hitpoints and swarms of enemies.
    also, combat has been "coolified", meaning that every standard attack is the 'Fallout 3' equivalent of 'Bloody Mess', meaning that a killing stab with a dagger causes humans to explode.

    unconvincing encounters with different factions ... you somehow are constantly forced to kill potential allies. also swarms of enemies, even if you're just on a evening stroll to the nearest tavern.

    also, maps get recycled over and over and over. sure, you're revisiting old locations very very often, but you'll see the exact same dungeon map on up to five DIFFERENT locations!
    Lazy!

    No, this game is a complete fail in the categories Bioware tried to improve.    … Expand
  67. drewho
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    A total embarrassment of a game, bioware should be ashamed of themselves.
    Terrible graphics, Terrible story,do not buy this poc
  68. 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
  69. Erenthorn
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    This an extremely sad attempt for an rpg, before continuing i will point out the first obvious flaws in the game. -Reusing the same four maps 500 times.
    -Setting the whole game in one city.
    -Enemies have a ton of HP and come in waves so the game feels longer. -Frame narrative to avoid being too descriptive about what happens between large periods of time. -Half as much dialogue, more    This an extremely sad attempt for an rpg, before continuing i will point out the first obvious flaws in the game. -Reusing the same four maps 500 times.
    -Setting the whole game in one city.
    -Enemies have a ton of HP and come in waves so the game feels longer.
    -Frame narrative to avoid being too descriptive about what happens between large periods of time.
    -Half as much dialogue, more passive interaction.
    -Millions of stupid side quests that have nothing to do with anything.
    -Dull environment bereft of life and matter.
    -Inability to customize companions allowed you to skip designing different armor models.
    -Collecting hundreds of-- literally, junk items-- to create the illusion of immersion and depth.
    -Poor character development, so you hardly care about your companions by the end of the game. -Lack of any substantial choices that have lasting effects.
    -Contrived ending, that tells you nothing, and leaves a huge gap for sub-par DLC
    -Generic UI showing a lack of creativity and effort.

    Thank You to Sharkey1337 from the Bioware forums for pointing this out. This "game" is a sad excuse for a rushed rpg that lacked any standards of innovation and i ask anyone who thinks about playing this game to not do so. At most, rent and DO NOT BUY, YOU WILL HAVE WASTED 60$ IF YOU DO. Dragon Age Origins compared to this is an absolute masterpiece and anyone who was not played it should do so over buying this short pathetic game.    … Expand
  70. LordOFlibertY
    Jul 7, 2011
    6
    I cant understand how gamers can rate this game a 9 or 10 at the same time why are they rating is a big fat 0?
    Im my honest opinion I give this game a 6/10.
    In short, everything is inferior than Origins except for a little touch of Combat and little pinch of Side quests.
  71. assmaster69
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    I wrote a detailed review about all the things wrong with the game earlier, and gave it a score of three. This is a revision to balance out the bioware employees and shills giving it 10s.
  72. Aerozoul
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    I loved Dragon Age: Origins and i was hyped for Dragon Age 2. But my anticipation quickly died when i played the demo. This is not Dragon Age, this is not an RPG, this is like fast-food and junk. I am disappointed BioWare.
  73. 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
  74. Skywin
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    I really enjoyed DA1 but this one i was really dissapointed i didn't care so much , it had no tactics at all i just ran and slaughter everything lol , The storyline was crap as hell , I loved the dialogue in Da1 they pretty much took away everything i liked from DAO , it didn't even feelt like it was a Dragon age games, I think they rushed the game and made the wrong decisions..
  75. 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
  76. harmattan
    Mar 10, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age 1, although not the BGII second-coming I was hoping for, offered a close-to-perfect compromise between micro-management of Inventory, Spells and Tactics and hack-and-slash action -- this is what I buy RPGs like this for. Dragon Age 2 takes a different approach: attacking is, for the most part, fire and forget, spell management is limited and inventory is over-simplified.Dragon Age 1, although not the BGII second-coming I was hoping for, offered a close-to-perfect compromise between micro-management of Inventory, Spells and Tactics and hack-and-slash action -- this is what I buy RPGs like this for. Dragon Age 2 takes a different approach: attacking is, for the most part, fire and forget, spell management is limited and inventory is over-simplified. Moreover, the story is convoluded and didn't motivate me to keep playing. Good dialogue and voice acting redeems this game a bit, but nothing can save it from it's pander-to-the-lowest-common-denominator simplicity.

    This game is definitely not worth $60, either on PC or console. Either hold out for the bargain bin or until you can find it used, or just pass (you're not missing much).    … Expand
  77. scotius
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    This review contains no spoilers.

    Being a Bioware fan and having followed this company since their dawn, I wanted to love this game. I really wanted to love this game. Bioware is a company renowned for their compelling characters, vibrant locations and amazing storytelling. Sadly, this game has none of these things. Remember HK-47? Remember Morte? Remember the Justicar or Darth Revan?    This review contains no spoilers.

    Being a Bioware fan and having followed this company since their dawn, I wanted to love this game. I really wanted to love this game. Bioware is a company renowned for their compelling characters, vibrant locations and amazing storytelling. Sadly, this game has none of these things. Remember HK-47? Remember Morte? Remember the Justicar or Darth Revan? The characters in this game are very bland, very boring, third rate LOTR rip offs.

    The locations? Well, lets just say that the entirety of this game is played in the same 2 locations. Backgrounds and models are used and rehashed ad nauseam. This entire game feels as if it was very cheaply made, rushed and pointed towards an audience that does not like RPGs or wants them to be "simpler". The combat is half RPG and half Diablo and the end result of that unholy union is something abominable. The game will last you about 6 hours if you play through to the end. Pathetic. The graphics are not as good as Shadow of the Collossus (a game that came out just as the PS2 was ending its commercial life). It is dumbed down terribly. Also, be very aware that Bioware employees are on this site bumping it up. The reviewer "Avanost" has been discovered to be one of these already. "Anything negative you will see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference" eh?! A review is a statement of personal preference. Well done on giving it a ten, though, signifying that you think DA2 is the best that a game can become or ever be.    … Expand
  78. Jacksmedula
    Mar 24, 2011
    6
    Playing Dragon Age 2 was a very mediocre experience... The companions are flat and 2 dimensional. There is only a handful of maps that you will visit over and over to ad nauseum. The most disappointing aspect of the game is: other than a couple of lines in the epilogue, the ending plays out the same no matter your choices. Overall, a very disappointing effort by Bioware.
  79. FaisedOut
    Mar 25, 2011
    0
    This is NOT an RPG, folks. I should've listened to the negative reviews posted here but my excitement for a new console RPG took over and I purchased it anyway. Think of this game as a "Dynasty Warriors" or the related "Samurai Warriors" game. Now if mindless hack-and-slash doesn't appeal to you, this game won't either. Funny thing is, I love hack-and-slash as well as a good RPG butThis is NOT an RPG, folks. I should've listened to the negative reviews posted here but my excitement for a new console RPG took over and I purchased it anyway. Think of this game as a "Dynasty Warriors" or the related "Samurai Warriors" game. Now if mindless hack-and-slash doesn't appeal to you, this game won't either. Funny thing is, I love hack-and-slash as well as a good RPG but this game is neither! Download the demo and you will see what I mean. DO NOT HEED ANY OF THE GOOD REVIEWS ON THIS SITE! Did they even PLAY the game???… Expand
  80. Tanis
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    All good in Orgins is gone, this is an insult to rpg players from EA/bioware, where is the spirit from Baldurs gate?. Simply, it is dead.
    - Dialog wheel breaks any rpg experience. Good/Bad/Stupid decisions insults human intelligence.
    - No tactical view, wtf! Baldurs legacy!? ( for me the best of the battles in Origins) - UI terrible, consolized, ugly and ridiculously small for 1920x1200    All good in Orgins is gone, this is an insult to rpg players from EA/bioware, where is the spirit from Baldurs gate?. Simply, it is dead.
    - Dialog wheel breaks any rpg experience. Good/Bad/Stupid decisions insults human intelligence.
    - No tactical view, wtf! Baldurs legacy!? ( for me the best of the battles in Origins)
    - UI terrible, consolized, ugly and ridiculously small for 1920x1200 ( subtitles hurts my eyes)
    - Corridors maps once and once again, repeat maps once and once again.
    - Companions/history/inmersion far far far from Origins. ( for me the best in Origins)
    - Graphics/Art Design and Music/Effects far worst than Origins.
    - a lot of bugs/side effects in pc because is a very very bad port. (DAO was designed for PC, ME was a bad port, ME2 was a very bad port, and this is extremely bad port, whats the next bioware?)
    - very poor performance for main characters (i like me/me2 character performance but this not)
    - uninspired side quests and typical main quest, always in the same place, only the storytelling is good.
    - etc..., all good in Origins is dumped down extremely or removed.
    - this is not a rpg game, is a kick in the face from bioware for all loyalty customers who support them since their beginning.
    - From more than 900 hours in Origins and still playing to 18 hours in DA2 and uninstalled, this is the evolution for me. The worst game in Bioware history so far.    … Expand
  81. rmorgan779
    Mar 15, 2011
    5
    bioware should be ashamed as a gaming company and being for realesing this u cant go from da to this what has happened i completed game in 38 hours as warrior bearing in mind ive owned every bioware game ever made i was so dissapionted i sold game refusing to keep in my collection i will now buy mass effect 3 to finish the trilogy and thats it i think bioware has down themselves a lot ofbioware should be ashamed as a gaming company and being for realesing this u cant go from da to this what has happened i completed game in 38 hours as warrior bearing in mind ive owned every bioware game ever made i was so dissapionted i sold game refusing to keep in my collection i will now buy mass effect 3 to finish the trilogy and thats it i think bioware has down themselves a lot of untold damage by realesing this trash i rate the game a five this in my opinion is generous i dont know what game the reviewers have been playing on its a ugly world when so reviews are honest edge.… Expand
  82. spanky36
    Apr 7, 2011
    5
    Take a great RPG, turn it into a decent hack'n'slash with pretty visuals. I loved DA2 at first. from the first combat sequence I was pretty hooked. 40 hours later it was over, with me not gasping, not in amazement at this epic story, but gasping at how bad it actually was. For the first 25-30 hours I was enjoying it a lot, but the rest was more of a "well I made it this far, might as wellTake a great RPG, turn it into a decent hack'n'slash with pretty visuals. I loved DA2 at first. from the first combat sequence I was pretty hooked. 40 hours later it was over, with me not gasping, not in amazement at this epic story, but gasping at how bad it actually was. For the first 25-30 hours I was enjoying it a lot, but the rest was more of a "well I made it this far, might as well finish it" feeling instead of playing because I couldn't wait to see what was next. Your decisions have no impact really. The story does not flow. It is kinda like watching the first half of a Batman movie, then replacing the last half with Tron...it makes about that much sense. Fortunately, I can play a game with a bad story and enjoy it just fine, if the rest of the game is great.

    So much gear to upgrade for you and your party! I love it...oh wait, I can't really upgrade my party? And I wore most of the same gear from about the 10th hour until the end? Well, so much for that part.

    So many spells to cast! Wait what? Everything has a long cooldown, so I can only use it once, maybe twice, in a battle? Well, so much for that part.

    So many ways to progress in this open RPG! Uh-oh, what's this? Everything is about as linear as you can get? Well, so much for that part.

    So I give it a 5. If you are one who believes the story is awesome, play a mage, and all of the inconsistencies will present themselves, especially for a blood mage. I go with a 5 because of the amount of fun I had in the first half of the game. I kept thinking ok this game is gonna open up, but once I realized I would see the same locations over and over and over again and follow a strict story line with a few side quests, it became no more fun.    … Expand
  83. 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
  84. Qwik
    Mar 12, 2011
    4
    Corrupt save files just like the last one. Game over Dragon Age. The game is OK story wise but so many corrupt game saves and just bad everything. It's a big miss on their part. I wish they would have taken 6 more months and actually came out with a quality experience.
  85. iTimmeh
    Mar 14, 2011
    5
    I didn't think Dragon Age II would be this bad. But if you look back on DA:O. It's nothing like it's predecessor. They tried to make it too much like ME2 and it didn't work. You have many conversation options that lead to 1 outcome. This is not an RPG. It's a conversation simulator with the majority of battles being auto attacks. The maps are dull, and boring, not to mentioned there's onlyI didn't think Dragon Age II would be this bad. But if you look back on DA:O. It's nothing like it's predecessor. They tried to make it too much like ME2 and it didn't work. You have many conversation options that lead to 1 outcome. This is not an RPG. It's a conversation simulator with the majority of battles being auto attacks. The maps are dull, and boring, not to mentioned there's only about 5 different maps used OVER and OVER.

    It's getting a 5 due to the half assing of Bioware.

    Their current attitude towards reviews doesn't help this review at all either.    … Expand
  86. DisgruntledGame
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    I see a lot of people giving it perfect scores who have only played a few hours of the game. Well guess what? After a few hours you have actually seen the whole game. The landscape is repetitive, you never leave the starting city, and the story is dull and uninspiring. I am thoroughly disappointed in Bioware, and this release does not bode well for Mass Effect 3. There is no replayI see a lot of people giving it perfect scores who have only played a few hours of the game. Well guess what? After a few hours you have actually seen the whole game. The landscape is repetitive, you never leave the starting city, and the story is dull and uninspiring. I am thoroughly disappointed in Bioware, and this release does not bode well for Mass Effect 3. There is no replay value, and the dialogue choices are beyond basic. I can only think that EA rushed this game out the door, and after witnessing how Bioware has handled the PR disaster of rushing out an unreleased game I can no longer say I am a fan of Dragonage, or the company Bioware.

    Do yourself a favor and rent this game, it is absolutely NOT worth 60$. I'm amazed that somehow gaming companies can STILL make the mistake of releasing an unfinished product, and this is the result. As all mature gamers probably know, the review industry is entirely bought and paid for, and if you read through the user reviews I'm sure the trends will become noticeable and you well get a realistic picture of DA2.    … Expand
  87. 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"
  88. 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
  89. 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
  90. 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
  91. jukejoint
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    It makes me sad to review this game. I have loved everyone of Biowares games, but this one. Dragon Age 2 is nothing of the same game. They took a fantastic RPG and turned it into an Action/combat console game. The combat is not difficult i didn't die once on default settings, not a challenging game.
  92. UserJuicer
    Mar 20, 2011
    4
    Story is interesting, voice work is great.
    Most quests involve running through sewers, caves or country side - all of which you have seen 100 times before.
    During combat enemies come in waves. Killing 10 will almost always guarantee that 10 or 20 more will follow. The combination of the repeated environments and awful, grating combat proves the game didn't receive enough development time    Story is interesting, voice work is great.
    Most quests involve running through sewers, caves or country side - all of which you have seen 100 times before.
    During combat enemies come in waves. Killing 10 will almost always guarantee that 10 or 20 more will follow.
    The combination of the repeated environments and awful, grating combat proves the game didn't receive enough development time and has been padded beyond belief.
    Disappointing.    … Expand
  93. 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
  94. Enex
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    Disappointing, on the whole. None of your choices actually matter in the game. There is a serious lack of art in the game which leads to extreme repetitive environments and enemies. The "wave" enemies appearing from nowhere are an insult to DA:O more strategic gameplay. The siphoning off much of the game to release as DLC later is stupid. There isn't enough game there to siphon off.Disappointing, on the whole. None of your choices actually matter in the game. There is a serious lack of art in the game which leads to extreme repetitive environments and enemies. The "wave" enemies appearing from nowhere are an insult to DA:O more strategic gameplay. The siphoning off much of the game to release as DLC later is stupid. There isn't enough game there to siphon off. Overall, I'd call it a quick cash-in on a much better title. Hopefully EA will do better next time. (I'm really not even sure you can call them Bioware after this).… Expand
  95. TheArchitect
    Apr 23, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Horrible disappointment.They took everything that was good in Dragon Age Origins&Awakening and threw it out of the window.Graphics? Poor level design,recycled generic dungeons,90% of the quests are located in ONE CITY! Just terrible.Sound? Also much better in Origins,voice acting in DA2 is poor and unconvincing,music was also waaaaay better in Origins.Dialogues? The dialogue system is a very very poor copy of the Mass Effect dialogue system,with pseudoparagon and pseudorenegade answers and supposedly funny answers that usually spectacularly fail to be funny.Dialogue system in Origins provided much more to choose from and it was much better written.Party members? Extremely annoying and shallow (Varric Tethras is the only half bearable character) and you cannot change their armor AT ALL.Romance? Almost non existant options for any interesting romance,especially for male Hawke,you get to choose from retarded elf woman (Merrill) and a slut (Isabella),that is it if you dont count gay romance with Anders.Combat? One of the most annoying parts of the game,dumbed down to the console click click level catered for the very casual RPG gamers,any true RPG gamer will be extremely disappointed with the new combat system.DAO had pretty good combat system,DA2 combat system is total crap.User interface? DAO had beautifully designed user interface with detailed descriptions of items,now you get a bland black user interface that has no place in any game,let alone a fantasy game.Weapon,armor and item descriptions are also totally dumbed down.Now you actually collect "junk",way to go.Storyline,quests and ending? Unlike DAO,DA2 forces some plot developments on you,regardless of what you do or choices you make,lame.In DAO you could influence even major plot developments,often in significant ways.Now you are forced to accept certain decisions and your influence on them is cosmetics.This game is either rushed so it is half done or Bioware decided to dumb down their best RPG since Baldur's Gate to cater for wider audience,and therefore make more money for Bioware.Hopefully they will listen to the widespread criticism of DA2 and make the likely third installment of Dragon Age once again a real hardcore RPG.DA2 is a great example of what NOT to do with a sequel to a game,take everything that was good,throw it away,add horrible redesign and "new features" that are actually crap and you get this.They even managed to screw up the redesign of DAO character faces like Sandal,Zevran or Alistair.Not to mention that darkspawn now look like a joke.In some moments during gameplay I started laughing on how terrible some things were compared to DAO.I just could not believe that Bioware can screw up the sequel this much.… Expand
  96. Frorfvoid
    May 20, 2011
    0
    It's not often that a sequel comes out worse in every single way to its predecessor, yet the brilliant minds at BioWare have managed to accomplish just that with Dragon Age 2. This game is clearly rushed, likely due to the influence of EA, and doesn't even remotely resemble all of the greatness that Dragon Age Origins was known for. Try harder next time, BioWare, and you might win back myIt's not often that a sequel comes out worse in every single way to its predecessor, yet the brilliant minds at BioWare have managed to accomplish just that with Dragon Age 2. This game is clearly rushed, likely due to the influence of EA, and doesn't even remotely resemble all of the greatness that Dragon Age Origins was known for. Try harder next time, BioWare, and you might win back my business.… Expand
  97. obrion
    May 21, 2011
    0
    what a stupid game i cant beleive i brought it the music is baaaaaaaad the graphics are baaaaaaaad the story is baaaaaaaaaaaaad the whole game is baaaaaaaaaad
  98. Logikal1
    May 21, 2011
    0
    This game is so bad that I consider it unplayable. I have been a BioWare fan for a decade and I'm sad to say that this product is complete and total trash. Not being able to customize your characters armor is obscene. There is no excuse for that. Not having a tactical camera for a game that IN THEORY (and theory only) is a party based tactical combat RPG is obscene. There is no excuse forThis game is so bad that I consider it unplayable. I have been a BioWare fan for a decade and I'm sad to say that this product is complete and total trash. Not being able to customize your characters armor is obscene. There is no excuse for that. Not having a tactical camera for a game that IN THEORY (and theory only) is a party based tactical combat RPG is obscene. There is no excuse for that. Enemies randomly appearing in 5+ waves on nightmare is obscene. Swordman often literally drop from the sky. There is no excuse for that. Areas are recycled over and over. I don't believe ANY are of the game is unique. The game is trash. Don't buy it. Don't rent it. Don't acknowledge it exists. Its really not worth the frustration if you're expecting another incredible BioWare title. That being said...... I hope Mike Laidlaw never develops another BioWare game.… Expand
  99. blueweed
    May 22, 2011
    3
    my second post, and a few things happened that led me to create a metacritic account. I bought DA2 recently, I could not reconcile the quality of this game(bad) so I had gone to the web to check around and I read Laidlaw's defense on DA2 design decicions, fine...then

    Then, I played Witcher 2. so there I made a metacritc account and gave witcher 2 a 10, and had felt responsible to give DA2    my second post, and a few things happened that led me to create a metacritic account. I bought DA2 recently, I could not reconcile the quality of this game(bad) so I had gone to the web to check around and I read Laidlaw's defense on DA2 design decicions, fine...then

    Then, I played Witcher 2.
    so there I made a metacritc account and gave witcher 2 a 10, and had felt responsible to give DA2 a 3. Witcher 2 was made from labor of love, DA2 was made from steaming pile of %$@, laziness, and lies imo. in anycase, DA2 is passe, so you better watch out Skyrim....the bar have just been raised!    … Expand
  100. 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.
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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.
    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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