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. Topster
    Jun 1, 2011
    2
    Ladies and gentlemen, this is the result of attempting to market to the masses. The result of rushing production to "capitalize" on a loved franchise. The result of completely misunderstanding what made the first Dragon Age popular in the first place. This kind of thing is to be expected of that horrid producer EA who, let's face it, would be almost unheard of if they hadn't secured theLadies and gentlemen, this is the result of attempting to market to the masses. The result of rushing production to "capitalize" on a loved franchise. The result of completely misunderstanding what made the first Dragon Age popular in the first place. This kind of thing is to be expected of that horrid producer EA who, let's face it, would be almost unheard of if they hadn't secured the rights to make almost exclusive games for the major sports leagues so long ago. But it is NOT what is to be expected of BioWare, the company that gave us KotOR, Baldur's gate, and Neverwinter Nights. This is not a bad game relatively speaking, but the reason I give this a 2 is because of how much of an utter disappointment it is. Where to start? Dumbing down combat? The copy-pasted environments? The worse inventory system? The dialog wheel that seems more interested in telling its own story regardless of what the player chooses? Hell, they couldn't even get whether consoles had the auto-attack feature fight, which it didn't. Because nothing is more immersive than monotonously having to mash the A button the entire combat. Let's start with combat, shall we? From the very first dev interview I knew something was wrong. This sales guy said something along the lines of "Combat will be streamlined so casual players will be able to just fight their way through without the menu, but for older fans, you can still set up tactics and use the menu!" Essentially, this douchebag told us that you can succeed in combat by completely ignoring tactics and menus, but for some reason they give us the option to use them anyway. The result of this brilliant stratagem is a hack & slash Dynasty Warriors-style game where you mash A through endless hoards of enemies while even more respawn around you who, funnily, go after the closest enemies they spawn near, which is usually the mages handing out in back. Yes, this game PUNISHES YOU for relying on tactics. People say that these issues can be solved through cranking the difficulty up, but I can't fathom how this is the case, since all that accomplishes is making your squishy companions die FASTER. The environments. Need I say more? "Oh, but BW didn't have enough time! It was EA's fault!" Yeah, well I don't see how that changes the fact that after you beat the first act of the game, you have literally seen all there is to see. I wonder what else you could excuse with this logic; "Twilight would have been good if the author didn't suck!" "The Star Wars prequels would have been awesome if George Lucas didn't go insane before writing them!" The fact of the matter is that it sucks. It doesn't matter *why*, because it still does. And to touch on something one of the devs said in defense of the environments, how it was "artfully concealed"? No, it wasn't Having you enter and exit through the same dungeon 30 times from different areas is not "artfully done". Hell, they didn't even bother to alter the minimap to not show areas they block off. The inventory....Can you believe that even though they dumbed the crap out of this system, it STILL gets mired in useless crap you have to micromanage? They take away exchangeable armor for party members, they restrict what kind of weapons they can use (if you want an NPC that can use a bow you pick up, you need to pay for one.) and they don't ever let you change weapon styles. Varric can only ever use his crossbow. Isabella can't use a bow. Aveline can't use a 2h and Fenris can't use a shield. Why. The. Hell. Not? AND YET you still have to micromanage all the loot you pick up to make sure that all your party is still equipped with the best possible gear. BW has made an inventory system that is simpler AND still requires as much micromanaging as the first DA. ow do you DO that? The dialog wheel. Dear GOD the dialog wheel. I will never understand BW's obsession with that system. Why? What is so good about a circular select screen that gives you a few little blurbs of dialog you want to say before your character winds up saying something that only vaguely matches what you picked? If BW doesn't want our input, just make the game action-adventure and make the main character a handsome everyman with short brown hair and stubble who spouts cliched action-movie quotes. That's the direction they seem to have gone anyway. EA is cancer and BW is the willing carrier. Before this game, I was psyched to pick up TOR, ME3, and yeah, DA3. Now? I'm waiting for the reviews to come out before I even consider renting any of those. Vote with your money, people.… Expand
  2. Warlike
    Dec 13, 2011
    5
    This game just didn't feel like dragon age, the story was just a series of side quests and then some longer (but not by much ) story quests. The combat system was OK but i preferred the original. I would rate this game lower but i played this game all the way through and did pretty much all the side quests possible that i could find, which lately i haven't managed to do with new gamesThis game just didn't feel like dragon age, the story was just a series of side quests and then some longer (but not by much ) story quests. The combat system was OK but i preferred the original. I would rate this game lower but i played this game all the way through and did pretty much all the side quests possible that i could find, which lately i haven't managed to do with new games these days. after finishing the main story i felt cheated, especially as the choices you make don't really affect the outcome at all. It will be worth it if you can pick it up cheap, but don't expect the game to live up to the originals glory.… Expand
  3. Ozymandias23
    Mar 23, 2011
    0
    I'll just leave this here:

    http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/dragon-age-ii-review#comment-38510

    btw I'm giving this a 0 to do my part to offset the 10s given by the EA/Bioware review writers.
  4. thebrock
    Aug 23, 2011
    6
    This game was graphically superb. That said most other aspects of the game where disappointing when you compare it to dragon age origins. I played the game on normal level without spending any money on weapons and armour and managed to complete it, this should not be the case and it shows just how much the game has been dummed down. The most frustrating part of the game for me was theThis game was graphically superb. That said most other aspects of the game where disappointing when you compare it to dragon age origins. I played the game on normal level without spending any money on weapons and armour and managed to complete it, this should not be the case and it shows just how much the game has been dummed down. The most frustrating part of the game for me was the constant regurgitation of environments and more importantly the hack n slash combat system, at points i couldnt see who i was fighting it was just iq of 20 button pressing. All in all I think bioware rushed this product and that can be clearly seen in the end result. Not the rpg I was expecting.… Expand
  5. Emilia
    Dec 29, 2011
    1
    Honestly, the game is bad. Really bad. The story is slow and bland and the characters are annoying (please bioware, stop constructing dating-sims instead of making rpgs) at best, and hilariously bad at worst. The storytelling technique could be interesting, but it's really hard to tell since the story and characters are so of-the-wall bad that you just can't believe what you're seeing sometimes.
  6. Dyalad
    May 24, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age 2 seems to be an experiment to introduce Bioware's classic RPG elements to console gaming. The result is at best disappointing.

    You play as Hawke, a human refugee from a town called Lothering. Through framed narrative, you lead Hawke's life through important events of his/her life and how they shape the world. As opposed to previous Bioware titles where several decisions would    Dragon Age 2 seems to be an experiment to introduce Bioware's classic RPG elements to console gaming. The result is at best disappointing.

    You play as Hawke, a human refugee from a town called Lothering. Through framed narrative, you lead Hawke's life through important events of his/her life and how they shape the world.

    As opposed to previous Bioware titles where several decisions would affect the game storyline, the only significant change in Dragon Age 2 is in regards to companion relationships. Discussions between companions will slightly vary depending which way they perceive you, but overall, they will still offer the same missions regardless which path you chose to pick.

    And this is where this game fails miserably. Where previous Bioware titles encouraged and rewarded replays, in Dragon Age the replay value is at best poor, arguably non-existent. On a second playthrough one will sadly realize that if they decide to pick opposite options than in their first playthrough, the consequences and dialog will be the same. By that I mean; if you refuse to complete a task, it will be forced upon you. I found that excruciating and shallow.

    The game ending is probably one of the worst I've seen out there for RPGs. It left me unsatisfied, and I basically felt I wasted 30 hours or so to get an ending that I figured out within the first 5 minutes of the game. The only comparable ending dissapointement I can think of was when I ended Neverwinter Nights 2 (original campaign).

    On to combat. The initial release on console did not have auto-attack option. The combat system was extremely tedious and soulcrushing. Had I done this review prior to be fixed, this game would've deserved a 2 at best.

    Combat is an omnipresent element in the game. Combat went to a classic tabletop style in Dragon Ages Origins to a mish mash button spam that sometimes reminded me of Winter Games or something. I think that the idea was good but poorly executed; if you hit the standard attack button 4 times, the 5th attack has an animation with a flourish and does a bit more damage. The other buttons can be used to map skills. Skill cooldowns usually were at least a dozen of seconds, which felt very long when spamming the auto attack button.

    Most combat scenes, if not all, have waves of enemies. While this concept works well in certain situations, its overuse made the game extremely frustrating; the way these waves appeared was most of the time questionable and definitely mood-breaking (bandits "jumping down" from an enclosed ceiling for example).

    Enemy variety is near non-existent. There is a handful of darkspawns (3 types), humanoids, 2 or 3 types of undeads, the odd unique-style bosses, and spiders. Did I mention spiders?

    I could continue going on, but I think I went over some of the things that made me rage the most about this game.

    Anyways. If you're looking for a RPG fix, look elsewhere, because this game has nothing that older western RPGs offer out there.    … Expand
  7. spiderfish
    May 29, 2011
    3
    I would've given this game a higher review if the apple hadn't fallen so far from the tree. The combat is much improved, as is the art direction, but in all other aspects the game falls far short of its predecessor.

    Bioware loves to tout its emphasis on "story, story, story." They should know the heart of any story is it's characters, and boy did they miss the boat in DA2. There are    I would've given this game a higher review if the apple hadn't fallen so far from the tree. The combat is much improved, as is the art direction, but in all other aspects the game falls far short of its predecessor.

    Bioware loves to tout its emphasis on "story, story, story." They should know the heart of any story is it's characters, and boy did they miss the boat in DA2. There are only two interesting characters in the game: Anderson and the Arishok, who outshine the rest of the cast by several orders of magnitude. I felt no connection whatsoever to Hawke, and even less to his groupies. Why are these characters following me around again?

    We've all heard it said that the environment can be a character too. In that sense, Kirkwall is as hollow and uninspiring as the rest of the cast. Hardly anyone in the city is worth talking too. Most NPCs are stereotypes of one kind or another, and the setting loses its luster quickly. You see every environment in the game during the first act, and it's recycled for the rest of the game.

    Choices are meaningless for the most part. You can flip flop between personalities without any consequences. I found myself making conversation choices based on which of the two companion skills I'd like to have. Conversations are far less intricate and engaging than they were in DA:O, probably because the characters themselves are so underwhelming.

    Perhaps Bioware expected the more complex subject material and narrative framing to carry the game. It didn't. DA:O, a perfectly boilerplate monomyth fantasy, was infinitely better.

    What a waste!    … Expand
  8. T-A
    Jun 18, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age II diverges considerably from Dragon Age I. Leaving behind the pause-and-play strategy, Dragon Age II is more action and less RPG. I can understand the change, since the narrative progressed smoothly. The overall challenge drops though. I could button-mash my way through a hoard of monsters in Dragon Age II whereas I had to shape my battle plan carefully in the first game.Dragon Age II diverges considerably from Dragon Age I. Leaving behind the pause-and-play strategy, Dragon Age II is more action and less RPG. I can understand the change, since the narrative progressed smoothly. The overall challenge drops though. I could button-mash my way through a hoard of monsters in Dragon Age II whereas I had to shape my battle plan carefully in the first game. Further, I was not happy with the lack of impact my choices had on the overall plot. Set events were going to unfold no matter what. The dialogue wheel helped move conversations along quickly, but statements were really tied to one of three categories: Benevolent, Charming or Humorous, and Assertive. Constraints to character choice and reduced strategy are somewhat disappointing. After I stopped comparing it to the first game, Dragon Age II was a fun experience but not one that I intend to revisit again.… Expand
  9. Sci-Fi-Dude1456
    Jul 28, 2011
    5
    A bland Role- Playing game with boring maps, same caves, same dungeons, linear maps, and everything takes place in one city. The story is average and the dialogue is very predictable. I recommend you not to buy this game as this is one of the worst Bioware game , or I are say worst Role-Playing Game. I hope Bioware won't mess up with Dragon Age 3 or Mass Effect 3, because I expect highA bland Role- Playing game with boring maps, same caves, same dungeons, linear maps, and everything takes place in one city. The story is average and the dialogue is very predictable. I recommend you not to buy this game as this is one of the worst Bioware game , or I are say worst Role-Playing Game. I hope Bioware won't mess up with Dragon Age 3 or Mass Effect 3, because I expect high standards for their games.… Expand
  10. Spawnah
    Jul 20, 2011
    6
    The gameplay, combat and user interface is better than the first game, but the characters and story aren't as compelling. And who took all the funny away from Anders? I had fun, just not as much as I should have. My expectations were too high. I loved the first Dragon Age, and was slightly disappointed in this one. I want to see how the story ends, but I'm definitely going to wait untilThe gameplay, combat and user interface is better than the first game, but the characters and story aren't as compelling. And who took all the funny away from Anders? I had fun, just not as much as I should have. My expectations were too high. I loved the first Dragon Age, and was slightly disappointed in this one. I want to see how the story ends, but I'm definitely going to wait until I've seen a lot of reviews before buying a third one lest I waste my money.… Expand
  11. Las7
    Aug 27, 2011
    5
    Dragon Age 2 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just a completely underwhelming sequel to one of the better RPGs in the last decade. It's quite obvious that development time was cut short - I don't mind the combat mechanics that much; but the mob respawn; the no overhead strategic view; the complete lack of customization for companions; the linear story line; the lack of dialogDragon Age 2 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just a completely underwhelming sequel to one of the better RPGs in the last decade. It's quite obvious that development time was cut short - I don't mind the combat mechanics that much; but the mob respawn; the no overhead strategic view; the complete lack of customization for companions; the linear story line; the lack of dialog choices; the lack of character development and lastly the lack of effect the main character has in terms of shaping the world around him that the game is not an RPG. Now Hawk Age is a fine game if it is taken out of the context of being a sequel to a pretty tactical and thoughtfully enjoyable RPG DA: O but keeping in mind that we fans of the original Dragon Age Franchise bought this game based on the DA: O we do feel cheated. This is an RPG with no replay value. Which isn't good considering I played DA: O 4 different times; I'm not sure what Bioware hoped to achieve with this game - but it was a grand failure. Hopefully they take note and don't mislead us again. One final note Critic Reviews are complexly out of sorts - I'm wondering if most of them even played the game. They might be on EA payroll or just based their reviews on just a few hours of game play; instead of figuring out that those few hours would be recycled through out the game and none of your choices will actually make any sort of difference to the final outcome. It's truly sad and I can understand my fellow games giving this game lower scores then the game deserves but I guess people want to warn other potential buyers of Dragon Age 2 not to expect a sequel as promised by Bioware.… Expand
  12. Davidhowardking
    Aug 31, 2011
    2
    Bioware turned a can't-miss RPG into an easy to digest faux-rpg. It was a waste of time and money. Word is they are going to combine elements of 1 and 2 into 3. My advice is to not make a sequel if that is what they intend to do because the game will not sell. DA2 abandons all the characters from DAO and kills any sense of exploration. The new characters are tepid and the storytellingBioware turned a can't-miss RPG into an easy to digest faux-rpg. It was a waste of time and money. Word is they are going to combine elements of 1 and 2 into 3. My advice is to not make a sequel if that is what they intend to do because the game will not sell. DA2 abandons all the characters from DAO and kills any sense of exploration. The new characters are tepid and the storytelling lame. Your actions have far less impact than they did in DAO.… Expand
  13. laxleonidas
    Sep 17, 2011
    4
    Despite of all expectations, BioWare not only removed good ideas from predecessor, but also used new bad game mechanisms. Forget about tactital fighting, interesting plot and - what's most important - huge, secret world to explore.
  14. Ali1247
    Sep 25, 2011
    6
    This game had potential to be an amazing rpg considering it was made by one of the greatest gaming companies ever: Bioware. But Bioware really dropped the ball with Dragon Age II. First of all the story is very average and is just nothing compared to the first Dragon Age game and I just could not really get into it because it really got kind of boring. As far as the characters go than IThis game had potential to be an amazing rpg considering it was made by one of the greatest gaming companies ever: Bioware. But Bioware really dropped the ball with Dragon Age II. First of all the story is very average and is just nothing compared to the first Dragon Age game and I just could not really get into it because it really got kind of boring. As far as the characters go than I just could not get myself to care for most of them because most of them seemed so heartless and boring which is a massive disappointment considering Bioware actually knows how to tell a great story in a video game and create very good and in depth characters, something which they do not do right in this game. The graphics I think have improved from Dragon Age Origins but not by much, the characters and environments look somewhat more detailed. But there are a lot of framerate issues I have not played the PC or the PS3 versions so I don't know about them but there way to many framerate issues on the 360 specially during the conversation cutscenes. The game's sidequests can also get repetitive and dull really fast. And in the game's main quest the same environments and dungeons are recycled over an over again that it feels like we are fighting in the same areas all the time and once again its gets very repetitive. On top of that unlike its predecessor Origins this games take place in only one town instead of taking place in a whole continent. The partner A.I is almost useless on high difficulties and they die way to quickly and are slow in performing their commands. The enemy A.I just rely on high numbers and ganging up on you rather than being competitive that is a problem on higher difficulties enemies should not gang up on you and increase in number they should be more competitive which is once again something this game does not do right. Having said all that Combat is more simpler and more easy to get used to compared to the first game it feels like a Hack and Slash on low difficulties unless you are playing as a Mage but all in all I found the combat better than its prequel. The weapons are armor you get in the game are good and are fun to use but sadly you cannot make you partner A.I put on the armor whenever you want them to they will infact put them on themselves at particular points in the game that just takes away your ability to customize your team mates the way you want to. However I must say that the dialogue wheel from the Mass Effect series has been put to good use and while dialogue despite not being as great as it could have been it still delivered well. The voice acting and music unsurprisingly are very good and always suit the environments and the situations. In the end I must say that as a big fan of Bioware and their RPGs Dragon Age II is a massive letdown, it can still be a fun game at times but Bioware is capable of much better. It is clear that the game is incomplete because EA made Bioware rush its production. Lets hope they fix up the problems brought up by all the people about this game and revive the franchise with Dragon Age III. 6/10.… Expand
  15. barbie
    Oct 6, 2011
    0
    I tried my best to like this game, but I couldnâ
  16. ArcticZombie
    Nov 18, 2011
    1
    I will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detailI will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detail everywhere I look. The Darkspawn don't look evil; they look like knock-off Skeletor action figures. Plastic, dead, and trying too hard to be cool for its own good. Oh, and I hate the fact that my character was already given a name. And a voice. That contributed to the loss of me feeling like I was playing an RPG. That made it feel more like an interactive movie. This game is trash. I wouldn't take it for free. Bioware, wake up and stop contributing to the destruction of society.… Expand
  17. coughxcool
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    Whate a waste of money. I was disgusted when I realized I was never leaving Kirkwall. The party and friend mechanics were cool, but thats to be expected from any bBoware game at this point.
  18. Eowor
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age Origins was announced as the spiritual brother of Baldur's Gate, an rpg in the greatest tradition of the genre.
    As has happened for DA2, strengthened by its new license falls as low as that. To make it the worst game bioware?
    On top of that, we see that mass EFFECT2 also had the race to the bottom, less than rpg, more action. But back in to DA2, the game looks better, but we    Dragon Age Origins was announced as the spiritual brother of Baldur's Gate, an rpg in the greatest tradition of the genre.
    As has happened for DA2, strengthened by its new license falls as low as that. To make it the worst game bioware?
    On top of that, we see that mass EFFECT2 also had the race to the bottom, less than rpg, more action.

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

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

    For me Mass Effect 3 will be your last chance.    … Expand
  19. Ishman
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    Played on its own merits without any idea of DA:O this game would be quite solid.
    Having loved the original, and feeling like I was taking part in an epic quest that actually meant something, I was sorely disappointed with the follow up. Admittedly the first 10 hours or so were pretty Rad I thought, this was in part due to the fact that I was high as **** when I first got the game, but    Played on its own merits without any idea of DA:O this game would be quite solid.
    Having loved the original, and feeling like I was taking part in an epic quest that actually meant something, I was sorely disappointed with the follow up. Admittedly the first 10 hours or so were pretty Rad I thought, this was in part due to the fact that I was high as **** when I first got the game, but soon enough not even a big stack of weed couldn't improve this bland follow up. The action orientated combat didn't bother me as much as it has others, where it really let me down was the constantly repeating environments, the original had me trekking all over the place to a number of awesome locations, the sequel has going through the same old bland locales over and over. One of the few reviewers who must not have been paid off by EA put it best with "you can't have an epic storyline in your own backyard" or something like that, you get the gist. All in all its not a "bad game" in my mind, but not worthy of being the sequel to the excellent original. If you come to the game having never played the first you will probably enjoy it for what it is. Bioware really need to rethink there game plan for no. 3 especially since Skyrim is now out and has absorbed 80 hours of play time and I haven't really done jack **** so far. In summary, pay more and get Skyrim instead. Shame on you Bioware.Shame on You.    … Expand
  20. Amorphous_Blob
    Feb 8, 2012
    3
    The best thing i can say about this game is that it is relatively stable... That's it... The game play is, for the most part, more or less the same as origins except simpler and with less emphasis on tactics, due to enemies spawning all around he group during fights. The character customisation has been, inexplicably, cut down(even though in the expansions for origins it was improved).The best thing i can say about this game is that it is relatively stable... That's it... The game play is, for the most part, more or less the same as origins except simpler and with less emphasis on tactics, due to enemies spawning all around he group during fights. The character customisation has been, inexplicably, cut down(even though in the expansions for origins it was improved). Many of the more interesting spells from origins have been entirely removed and the player now lacks the ability to decide what their characters wear. Non of this would matter, however, if the story or setting was interesting. They aren't. The story is confused and dull and the same goes for te environments. The main city feels dead with little to interact with. Outside the city, much the same except here the cut-and-paste environments get more noticeable...

    To sum up, EVERYTHING about this game smacks of a lazy developer doing the absolute minimum to make a quick buck. Bioware, you owe me £30...    … Expand
  21. Ahmiran
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    The graphics seem cartoonish and while I like the art for the Qunari, the darkspawn look like clowns with a leather fixation. The environment is endlessly recycled.
    The story is disjointed. The three acts could very well be three separate stories being told. While I like the frame-narrative idea, but the implementation was poor.
    The real killer are the choices or the lack of them to be    The graphics seem cartoonish and while I like the art for the Qunari, the darkspawn look like clowns with a leather fixation. The environment is endlessly recycled.
    The story is disjointed. The three acts could very well be three separate stories being told. While I like the frame-narrative idea, but the implementation was poor.
    The real killer are the choices or the lack of them to be precise. Play the game in 2 completely different ways and you wind up with the same experience will only minor changes, your choice of character class has greater impact on the story than any other choice in the game.
    Thanks to the dialog wheel you have 3 ways of saying the same thing, yes, sarcastic yes or angry yes. It also doesn't help that what it says on the wheel isn't what Hawke says. Too often I was screaming "that's not what I wanted to say." The dialog itself between NPC's is actually very good and the only thing that kept me going through the game.
    Combat, the less said about it the best. Endless waves of generic foes which half the time seem to attack you for no reason what so ever. Too often I found myself asking who are these people and why am I killing them?
    All and all this is a poor game and nothing more than a shameless attempt to milk money off gamers. Stay away.    … Expand
  22. ButtholeSurfer
    May 19, 2012
    3
    Unfortunately for Bioware, Dragon Age WILL be judged and compared against its predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins. This is something to be expected, and this review is written with such a thing in mind.
    And indeed, compared to its predecessor, this game fails to to be equally or even half as good. The combat feels more arcade-like, the abilities watered-down and samey. For me, the worst thing    Unfortunately for Bioware, Dragon Age WILL be judged and compared against its predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins. This is something to be expected, and this review is written with such a thing in mind.
    And indeed, compared to its predecessor, this game fails to to be equally or even half as good. The combat feels more arcade-like, the abilities watered-down and samey. For me, the worst thing Bioware did was essentially eliminate what made DA: O so much fun; the need to use strategy during battles, the need to pause and plan out actions, the use of the abilities of different classes to form a strategy (for example a mage's cone of cold spell to freeze an enemy and stonefist, or a critical hit, to shatter him, and many other combinations). Another, very cheesy aspect of this game was that some of the characters' weapons and armour would automatically upgrade with their level, and for other characters you had to purchase specific upgrades. I'm not an autist by any means, but part of the fun of DA: O was setting up your characters with the correct equipment.
    Atmosphere was also another thing I found lacking in DA II. In DA: O, you really got a sense that you were fighting the Blight (especially when you were at Camp). In DA II, the story doesn't seem to have had any effort put into it, the characters feel boring and uninspired . Just think of Sten, Morrigan, Oghren, Wynne and other DA: O characters, all of which were interesting in their own way. It just feels boring.

    This is by no means a complete review, as I'm not so great at structured writing, but these are indeed my thoughts. My cents.    … Expand
  23. iKen
    Apr 13, 2020
    8
    Played on XBOX 360.
    Gameplay: GREAT.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue/Voice Acting: GREAT.
  24. mnKx
    Jun 23, 2020
    4
    Coming fresh from beating DA:O and all of it expansions it makes really frustrating playing this game
    It has basically the same type of combat and commands as DA:O but executed very differently.
    The combat (and the animations) got a lot faster mostly because of the way they design the levels and the combat encounters. Instead of having all the enemies placed on the map, you will find a    Coming fresh from beating DA:O and all of it expansions it makes really frustrating playing this game
    It has basically the same type of combat and commands as DA:O but executed very differently.
    The combat (and the animations) got a lot faster mostly because of the way they design the levels and the combat encounters. Instead of having all the enemies placed on the map, you will find a small group and when you start combat they will have spawning waves of enemies that come from pretty much everywhere in the surrounding area of the encounter, which would be fine if the gameplay itself was something more appropriate to this kind of design (something like Devil May Cry or even Diablo), instead we have very generic and streamlined gameplay mechanics that doesn't fit the type of game that was supposed to be.
    The gameplay changes are probably the worst part about this sequel (even though I liked the new animations compared to the dull ones from DA:O), but another thing that buggered me the most was the reused scenarios and the way they did it, because a lot of times you would do a few missions in a row that used the same scenario but in a different part of the map, which was very bad for immersion
    There are a few things good about the game, but as a Dragon Age title is a disappointment    … Expand
  25. JunnuW
    Mar 19, 2011
    5
    The new combat system gives more feeling to the fighting but can bit repetitive in the end. The biggest flaw in the game is the story IMO. If i want to see 3 different political stories i open my tv and turn on the news. And all tho the small quest to get money works in the beginning it gets really boring after that.. come one not 1 good longer fantasy quest? Just quest that take 15 min toThe new combat system gives more feeling to the fighting but can bit repetitive in the end. The biggest flaw in the game is the story IMO. If i want to see 3 different political stories i open my tv and turn on the news. And all tho the small quest to get money works in the beginning it gets really boring after that.. come one not 1 good longer fantasy quest? Just quest that take 15 min to do x 100. I like Dragon age 1 style more. 3 Long stories where u can get into the story better. But the game still does have lots of good things like good characters and some nice quest lines. I started to like the game most, just before the end.. finally something is happening. then comes the credits... Funny enough the game has more loot than DA1 but now only main character can use armors. others can still use weapons tho. but they all have armor that u can upgrade but not change.

    IMO Good characters and good story telling saves this, but i really would like to see more fantasy themed stories not some political fights over same city in 3 different times. Come one 3 same quest with different people on other sides? cheap.    … Expand
  26. bunndle_of_fun
    Mar 9, 2011
    2
    ... way to go EA for turning Bioware into a factory... you should have waited another year to release this and actually make a decent game...
    steamy triple coiler....
  27. Sabiancym
    Mar 9, 2011
    4
    Yet again a company decides to "improve" their game by removing the complexity and mechanics that made it great in the first place. No longer can you equip your companions with any item you find, you now have set upgrades. The skills have also been dumbed down. Removing or merging skills like trap-making, poison making, etc.

    The combat is also a mess. A slight speed up would have done    Yet again a company decides to "improve" their game by removing the complexity and mechanics that made it great in the first place. No longer can you equip your companions with any item you find, you now have set upgrades. The skills have also been dumbed down. Removing or merging skills like trap-making, poison making, etc.

    The combat is also a mess. A slight speed up would have done Dragon Age well, but they went extremely too far with it. Animations are jerky, gore is over the top, they've basically turned it into a hack and slash RPG game.

    They went away from a lot of what made Dragon Age: Origins great. It's sad that they would insult the people who supported the first game.    … Expand
  28. Pentasurge
    Mar 9, 2011
    1
    Thanks Bioware for all the shades of brown. It's like there was a giant mystical power in the sky just **** out brown the entire time. Also, great job on all the paid reviews, does it feel good to know that everyone thinks your game is **** Oh wait, you only care about the money and profits you can make. The 2005 graphics mix well with all the brown. The dialogue is also very well writtenThanks Bioware for all the shades of brown. It's like there was a giant mystical power in the sky just **** out brown the entire time. Also, great job on all the paid reviews, does it feel good to know that everyone thinks your game is **** Oh wait, you only care about the money and profits you can make. The 2005 graphics mix well with all the brown. The dialogue is also very well written and probably took months to come up the extremely complicated and sophisticated "I want to be a dragon." line.
    **** you Bioware.    … Expand
  29. johnnypopular
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Congratulations EA and Bioware! Dragon Age 2 is truly a marvel of modern gaming; no story to get in the way of all that action, no tactics to get in the way of all that hacking... you even reused locations and enemies so we wouldn't get lost or confused. How dear of you! Oh and I promised myself that I wouldn't gush, but I just can't help myself... I love what you've done with theCongratulations EA and Bioware! Dragon Age 2 is truly a marvel of modern gaming; no story to get in the way of all that action, no tactics to get in the way of all that hacking... you even reused locations and enemies so we wouldn't get lost or confused. How dear of you! Oh and I promised myself that I wouldn't gush, but I just can't help myself... I love what you've done with the armor/robes- they are still color coded! Some naysayers think that they are all the same and just palette swapped, but I don't believe it, not one word! You also got rid of all those messy RPG bits like speech challenges and an overarching quest, how silly, who would want either of those? Fat nerds, that's who! But don't you worry Bioware, you are on the side of the angels, or in this case the side of ADD afflicted pre-teens, but they are kinda angelic when they are not snorting Ritalin.
    So Once again, congratulations are due to EA and Bioware! You've made Dragon Age 2 more accessible for action oriented/casual gamers! Of course in the process you forgot who your real fans were, you know those crazy RPG kids who actually bought DA1 and all those pitiful DLC snippets, but who cares, right? You got our money too! You guys should be proud, seriously...    … Expand
  30. City17
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Never hated a game so much ever. It's so badly designed and the fact that someone who made this game is reviewing it as a user is absolutely appalling. https://twitter.com/lewiep/status/47399904137584640
  31. mratomix
    Mar 16, 2011
    1
    Poor narrative choices mixed with repetitive gameplay and a good bit of EA chicanery to boot and this game went from being just amazing to disappointing quick. Trying to appeal to everyone, Bioware has become the puppet of EA and I for one thinks it's a shame that such a formerly-great developer couldn't distance itself from the rest of the pack and give us an experience they invested morePoor narrative choices mixed with repetitive gameplay and a good bit of EA chicanery to boot and this game went from being just amazing to disappointing quick. Trying to appeal to everyone, Bioware has become the puppet of EA and I for one thinks it's a shame that such a formerly-great developer couldn't distance itself from the rest of the pack and give us an experience they invested more than just EA's cash into. Sucks for the developers and for the gamers, not for EA, because ultimately we are the one's getting screwed raw here.… Expand
  32. kingjamesjr
    Mar 19, 2011
    2
    First off, this game had potential but somewhere down the line, someone really made some fuc up decision, this game no way a sequel to dao, I feel really sad that bioware has really drop the ball on this game, it's time for Bioware to grow some real balls and tell ea to suk it. Because at this current rate Bioware is going to lose its fan base at a rapid pace if this mickey mouse ****First off, this game had potential but somewhere down the line, someone really made some fuc up decision, this game no way a sequel to dao, I feel really sad that bioware has really drop the ball on this game, it's time for Bioware to grow some real balls and tell ea to suk it. Because at this current rate Bioware is going to lose its fan base at a rapid pace if this mickey mouse **** keeps up! Now back to this awful of a game period, this game is so simple that my 2 yr can play, I just hope that's not the market Bioware or Ea are trying to target because if it is they fail miserablely. There is nothing in this game that saids i'm the damn best rpg out there so screw everyone else! They have made some improvements but they over did it with the more i reuse the better the game will be concept. Which fail miserable again. My real gripe is this why mess with a game that could have been a great by trying to make it a action rpg which fail btw look at ff13 a massive falier. In the future, stop EA from messing with what ur company does best Good story, character that u truely love and hate,innovating character design and maps those are ur real strength in making a stellar rpg game. Oh btw, I will never by a game pre-order period from u guys any more what a shame, That u let alot of folks down with this so called sequel that suppose to top DA:O and i swear all the hype behind this title was really misleading and Ea And Bioware should be ashame of themselves Cuz actually i feel cheated cuz i bought a product that did nothing what was suppose to do most of all suppose to be entertaining. All i got was bunch of nonsense that really didn't make any sense.… Expand
  33. Cobrawar
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Lolz on you, if you buy this game. First off if you want the full content on release its going to cost you over 70 dollars. Story takes place mostly in one area, kirkwall. reuse of many areas in the game. graphics aren't that much better then DAO. Combat consist of nothing but spamming abilities. enemies spawn on top of you. Many bugs. This is not a Bioware quality product we all knowLolz on you, if you buy this game. First off if you want the full content on release its going to cost you over 70 dollars. Story takes place mostly in one area, kirkwall. reuse of many areas in the game. graphics aren't that much better then DAO. Combat consist of nothing but spamming abilities. enemies spawn on top of you. Many bugs. This is not a Bioware quality product we all know and love. This is a rushed ,greed game used to maximize profits for EA.… Expand
  34. PeaceWalker
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    DON'T BUY THIS! It's one of the bad RPGs I've played in recent years. Bad story, bad characters, bad setting, inferior music (the composer himself admitted it was a "rush job"). Even years old RPG games from a PSP can beat this. DUMB, CHEESY GAME.
  35. clawbytes
    Mar 14, 2011
    3
    An insult to anyone who enjoyed the first game. How the hell can you screw up a good game? The formula to making a decent sequel isn't hard to figure out. Just simply BUILD ON TOP OF WHAT YOU HAVE. Instead, Bioware took out everything great about the first game. Players aren't given the choice to choose their own races this time around. This would be bearable, except your companions aren'tAn insult to anyone who enjoyed the first game. How the hell can you screw up a good game? The formula to making a decent sequel isn't hard to figure out. Just simply BUILD ON TOP OF WHAT YOU HAVE. Instead, Bioware took out everything great about the first game. Players aren't given the choice to choose their own races this time around. This would be bearable, except your companions aren't exactly diverse either. Aside from a shaved Dwarf that looks exactly human (save the height), an emo Elf and another popsicle stick she-elf, the rest of your team comprises of boring human characters. Let's say you wouldn't mind that either, but would you care if you spend the MAJORITY of your time doing quests in a town? I won't even go into the half-baked direction in story line. The developers clearly took a page from the 2004 Chinese movie Hero, except from the exaggerated tale in the beginning, the rest of the story becomes linear as hell. Your role in the story doesn't fare too well either. You don't become anywhere as great as humanity's savior, instead you run around town settling a petty political dispute. If that's also not so bad? You rarely fight Darkspawn this time around. All you fight are rouge mages and bandits. For the fans who insists on playing the game, don't buy it. Rent it or wait for the price to drop, which I'm sure won't take long since the game is so crappy anyways. Or if you've never played any game in the series, just get the first one. At least then you'll understand why I'm so mad.… Expand
  36. PlutoniumTiger
    Mar 16, 2011
    3
    First of all, just to clear things up, "Avanost" is a Bioware engineer. You see, as long as the critic ratings are positive, Bioware care about their "fans", & their opinions. But when the user reviews are negative, Bioware just dismiss them as an "overreaction". Thats right, we are all far too stupid to play proper RPGs - all we want is dumbed-downed drivel, but we just don't know it!
  37. Zappman321
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    I did not like this game. I thought it was majorly dumbed down compared to DA:O, which wasn't even that good of a game. I hope Bioware can learn from this fiasco and do a much better job with the equally anticipated Mass Effect 3 title.
  38. orionstarmurder
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Let me start off by saying I completely and utterly enjoyed the first dragon age, so of course I was plenty hyped for the next incarnation. What I got was an obviously rushed poorly designed shell of a game. I don't think it would have been as bad if I had been informed of the dramatic changes and 180 degree gameplay and story turns. But in all honesty this is a let down. 80% of the gameLet me start off by saying I completely and utterly enjoyed the first dragon age, so of course I was plenty hyped for the next incarnation. What I got was an obviously rushed poorly designed shell of a game. I don't think it would have been as bad if I had been informed of the dramatic changes and 180 degree gameplay and story turns. But in all honesty this is a let down. 80% of the game is spent in one place no more traveling around and doing fun stuff, the main enemies from the first game have been completely redesigned and everyone in the universe apparently hasn't noticed. The level design and colors are all plain, boring, and dull. Not too mention the combat is now a button smashing hack and slash, ugh cant explain how hurt and disappointed I am.… Expand
  39. Jandei
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    New Coke anyone? Our new formula is better than our original (seriously--just have a sip).

    Sadly, this could have been avoided. It was a matter of setting expectations and marketing this not as a sequel (as it deviates too far from the original) but as a X X of Dragon Age or Dragon Age Hero X. Although, Dragon Age 2 it's not. Crpg to Arpg in an existing IP wasn't even a risky move--it    New Coke anyone? Our new formula is better than our original (seriously--just have a sip).

    Sadly, this could have been avoided. It was a matter of setting expectations and marketing this not as a sequel (as it deviates too far from the original) but as a X X of Dragon Age or Dragon Age Hero X. Although, Dragon Age 2 it's not. Crpg to Arpg in an existing IP wasn't even a risky move--it was foolish.

    Bioware has every right to change direction, but this wasn't well coordinated or thought out. I smell EA in the mix ... and hope that the black eye Bioware has now taken will strengthen their resolve in the future. Please stay true, Bioware, please stay true in the end...

    Please don't mistake me: The devs are not at fault. It's the fault of everyone on the GTM (go-to-market) team who signed off on this. Fire them. It's a disaster.    … Expand
  40. asassin667
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    As someone who absolutely loved Dragon Age Origins ( I completed 6 playthroughs and finished Awakenings and most of the DLCs), I am traumatized by how much I dislike Dragon Age 2. They changed things in this game that didn't need fixing in my opinion. Sorry but does anyone else hate the new look of the Dalish Elves as much as me? I can't stand the new look of the Dalish Elves. I don'tAs someone who absolutely loved Dragon Age Origins ( I completed 6 playthroughs and finished Awakenings and most of the DLCs), I am traumatized by how much I dislike Dragon Age 2. They changed things in this game that didn't need fixing in my opinion. Sorry but does anyone else hate the new look of the Dalish Elves as much as me? I can't stand the new look of the Dalish Elves. I don't think they seem more mystical as some people have said but they remind me of the horrible creatures from Avatar. It kills me that they ruined something that was visually pleasing before to something so cartoonish and weird looking. I also don't like the new combat system. It seems like mindless button mashing is all that is required. I also don't like the annoying new levelling up system. I don't feel as strong of emotional attachments to my companions as I did in the first game. I'll still play this game since I've played out Oblivion, Fallout 3 and New Vegas but I am disappointed. I hope Skyrim gives me something better to immerse myself in than this game.… Expand
  41. Toxic_Ninja
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    I think it must have been around my 7th hour of farming 50 gold for an expedition I had no reason to go on, right around the time I was running through the fourth instance of the same god damn cave when I realized this game was unsalvagable.

    The story is garbage. The gameplay is a dumbed down version of the first one. On the plus side, they broke my favorite feature from DA:O, they    I think it must have been around my 7th hour of farming 50 gold for an expedition I had no reason to go on, right around the time I was running through the fourth instance of the same god damn cave when I realized this game was unsalvagable.

    The story is garbage.

    The gameplay is a dumbed down version of the first one.

    On the plus side, they broke my favorite feature from DA:O, they replaced the chat system with some mass effect 2 piece of ****

    This game has zero immersion, 12 hours in I still saw no story. How can a game like this even be immersive? I mean, they recycle the dungeons so **** hard it's insane. Way to go bioware, you've gone so far down hill since your kotor and bg days. I blame EA more than you, you're not the first studio they destroyed, who else remembers westwood?    … Expand
  42. iocus
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    Ð
  43. thelivingsauce2
    Mar 12, 2011
    3
    After playing this game I have to say it has to be the worst bioware game ever released. I have a few problems with the game one in the constant re-use of areas. The second is after I heard about EA banning a player from playing their game for calling them a devil company I knew I made a mistake in buying this game. Then I recently heard about EA and Bioware lying to their fans aboutAfter playing this game I have to say it has to be the worst bioware game ever released. I have a few problems with the game one in the constant re-use of areas. The second is after I heard about EA banning a player from playing their game for calling them a devil company I knew I made a mistake in buying this game. Then I recently heard about EA and Bioware lying to their fans about securom in their game and last I heard about how they scammed many a customer out of the Signature Edition because they were to lazy to make enough copies for their fans, but more so is how Mike Laidlaw in an interview pretty much said "people hate complex things so we must call our fans stupid under the guise we are doing what we feel is going to be better"(ok not exactly like that). Now for the game I CAN NOT stress enough how many times they re-used the same locations. The characters you can only talk to at set intervals(at each new act). I think this is the beginning of the end of bioware cause if this is the best they can do under EA then it's clear EA will continue to rush bioware's games out for the sake of making a quick buck, but hey bioware decided to merge with ea.… Expand
  44. FapFapFap
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    EA rushed the game to capitalize on the success of the first one. This game sucks. They should call this Dragon Age 2: Errand Boy. Everything about this game is dumb down to appeal to a larger audience and to the console gamers. The interface looks like it was taken from Mass Effect. The characters are boring; where's Allistor when you need him. All the fine details of the original areEA rushed the game to capitalize on the success of the first one. This game sucks. They should call this Dragon Age 2: Errand Boy. Everything about this game is dumb down to appeal to a larger audience and to the console gamers. The interface looks like it was taken from Mass Effect. The characters are boring; where's Allistor when you need him. All the fine details of the original are gone, and what is left is a streamlined, dull, and repetitive sequel. If I wanted to play a japanese RPG, I'll play a freakin' japanese RPG. SCREW YOU EA!!!… Expand
  45. xtrmx
    Mar 15, 2011
    0
    Why I can't rate the PC version with a big fat ZERO is beyond me, bioware also paying off metacritic now?
    All has been said already, they took DA:O, deleted half of the content, "fixed" everything so it became broken, and hired a hobo on the street to write up a story to save money.
  46. Nikkol
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    the game is abysmal. I don't care about graphics, but story and presentation is terrible. Camera, with tactical view gone, is something horrible, especially with targeting bosses in a cluster of weak enemies. Dialogues give you virtually no alternative, you are shoved into pre-made decisions. Where Origina and Awakening reacted to your char, DA2 simply ignores it completely. You canthe game is abysmal. I don't care about graphics, but story and presentation is terrible. Camera, with tactical view gone, is something horrible, especially with targeting bosses in a cluster of weak enemies. Dialogues give you virtually no alternative, you are shoved into pre-made decisions. Where Origina and Awakening reacted to your char, DA2 simply ignores it completely. You can perform Blood Magic and second later speak that Blood Magic is a sin, and all who practice it should die. Dialogue wheel is another step to console idiocy. Combat...I don't wanna even start. that's jRpg, simply.… Expand
  47. Hammerholm
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Absolute rubbish Bioware, I hope you learn something from the USER experience & score of this game, no matter the platform. I can't believe you'd give in to the temptation of easy made money.
  48. ArcticFox
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    This game was made for people that don't really have any demands regarding dialogue, game-design or features in an RPG. I would rather replay the witcher 10 times than have played this even once!
  49. El_Duckie
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    I don't say this often, but I found myself unable to complete this game. Not out of difficulty mind you, but sheer boredom. After completely ignoring their old fanbase who enjoyed the original, Bioware, and I quote, "want call of duty's audience." I.e. a bunch of ADD 12 year olds, and this shows in the changes. Gone are the skill trees in the first game, replaced instead with...nothing.I don't say this often, but I found myself unable to complete this game. Not out of difficulty mind you, but sheer boredom. After completely ignoring their old fanbase who enjoyed the original, Bioware, and I quote, "want call of duty's audience." I.e. a bunch of ADD 12 year olds, and this shows in the changes. Gone are the skill trees in the first game, replaced instead with...nothing. Something as simple as a skill tree would scare off the Call of Duty audience so they just got rid of it altogether. Combat is now hack'n'slash in Devil May Cry style, only without the fun. The graphics are awful, textures and objects are poorly rendered, but don't worry, I heard they're releasing a graphics overhaul as DLC for the low price of £14.99. Bioware seems to have it's greedy heart set on deliberately taking out features of a finished game and forcing you to pay extra for content that should've been part of the game originally.

    If you can't be bothered to read that, imagine Dragon Age I as an older brother. He has his flaws, he's hardworking, immersive and generally an interesting person to be around. Dragon Age 2 is it's younger, exceedingly simple and borderline retarded brother, who was diagnosed with ADD as a fetus.    … Expand
  50. Jealousy
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    DA2 gone very wrong. It's no more a tactical RPG, it's just an action point & click. Example : when you are in a tavern, you can only talk to Isabella and Varric, and that's only when they have quests available. You can't interact with any of the NPCs at all. The wheel of dialogue don't do her job, sometimes you select a choice, and the dialogue is completely different and then you getDA2 gone very wrong. It's no more a tactical RPG, it's just an action point & click. Example : when you are in a tavern, you can only talk to Isabella and Varric, and that's only when they have quests available. You can't interact with any of the NPCs at all. The wheel of dialogue don't do her job, sometimes you select a choice, and the dialogue is completely different and then you get loose in the conversation, the choice have not really any impact on the story. Optionnal quest are boring, some are using the same graphic for the dungeon. Only one city ..… Expand
  51. Calita
    Apr 15, 2011
    5
    Much worse than the previous game. Besides, this game will make you homophobic. Really, despite the fact that I am tolerant. A lot of members of sexual minorities in the game. In the story there is no epic and the whole game is boring. Side quests just sad.
  52. NotTodayThanks
    Mar 15, 2011
    2
    Not good. Not good at all. Still an ugly game, so generic in the fantasy space it had to sue the word `Dragon` in the title... there are much better games out there that are basically the same, currently in the bargain bin. Go buy one of those.
  53. sugam
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    Hay guys, I just thought I would say that DA2 is the greatest game of all time......lol, just kidding, its fail. Bioware rushed the game to milk us idiots, that's the story behind it. Repeated zones, nearly no customization, no rpg elements. Look at the combat, no CC? look at the choices to make in dialog, it MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHAT YOU CHOSE. Are you gay? well tough, everybody wants yourHay guys, I just thought I would say that DA2 is the greatest game of all time......lol, just kidding, its fail. Bioware rushed the game to milk us idiots, that's the story behind it. Repeated zones, nearly no customization, no rpg elements. Look at the combat, no CC? look at the choices to make in dialog, it MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHAT YOU CHOSE. Are you gay? well tough, everybody wants your bod and often tried to jump your bones.

    I would give the game a 3.0 but all the "greatest game ever" fan boy crap is all lies, so SOME ONE has to balance the games score, imiright?    … Expand
  54. Eddyward
    Mar 11, 2011
    1
    I have always been a fan of Bioware, and always backed it when people would their RPGs boring. I grew up with NWN and absolutely loved KotOR. I enjoyed Mass Effect and the sequel was also pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Age Origins, and Bioware shone in DA's characterisation and storyline. Dragon Age 2 pales in comparison to its predecessor. (Just for the record, this is not aI have always been a fan of Bioware, and always backed it when people would their RPGs boring. I grew up with NWN and absolutely loved KotOR. I enjoyed Mass Effect and the sequel was also pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Age Origins, and Bioware shone in DA's characterisation and storyline. Dragon Age 2 pales in comparison to its predecessor. (Just for the record, this is not a troll post. I've seen that many bioware employees have been accusing people of intentionally rating down DA2.)

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

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

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

    I've been constantly holding out for a NWN or BG clone, and Bioware's the only company that's gonna make that, but they refuse to go back to their roots, and instead stick with action RPGs where the only thing players ever discuss is who they slept with. I can't really see The Old Republic doing well and if ME3 doesn't do well, I imagine it'll be end of line for Bioware.    … Expand
  55. Yasuchika
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    I thought DA:O was a decent enough game, although it wasn't the baldur's gate successor I was hoping for. This game however has nothing to do with the term RPG and is an insult to the DA:O fans.
  56. Puma_Mexa
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Previous game was miles better. This one is just average at best, definitely not worthy of a good score. But I can see EA payed every relevant reviewer to have a descent score on Metacritic, though If you see the user scores It clearly shows the discontent of gamers about DA2, too much hype and all we got was a game where the only descent point is the combat mechanics (just at hard). EvenPrevious game was miles better. This one is just average at best, definitely not worthy of a good score. But I can see EA payed every relevant reviewer to have a descent score on Metacritic, though If you see the user scores It clearly shows the discontent of gamers about DA2, too much hype and all we got was a game where the only descent point is the combat mechanics (just at hard). Even the graphics are really bad. I have a high end PC were I can run Crysis at max at 60fps, but DA2 consumes a ridiculous amount of resources even on medium settings, and it's not like it has state of the art visuals or employs real time physics in every interaction either. I was going to give it a 5 but now. Bioware, banning a gamer and not letting him play the game just because he talked bad about your overlord, EA? That's low, and not just Activision low. See if I ever buy another game from you.… Expand
  57. Enshia
    Mar 9, 2011
    4
    After nearly 10hrs of game play I'll start with the "game is a step backwards" statement. Anyone who believes otherwise is a blind fanboy(and yes I really did and do like previous BW titles and was a fanboy). The real problems start when the game moved from a cRPG(dao/a) to a action RPG. Where your PC does lightening fast **** that makes things explode! Well I suppose if you like that,After nearly 10hrs of game play I'll start with the "game is a step backwards" statement. Anyone who believes otherwise is a blind fanboy(and yes I really did and do like previous BW titles and was a fanboy). The real problems start when the game moved from a cRPG(dao/a) to a action RPG. Where your PC does lightening fast **** that makes things explode! Well I suppose if you like that, this game is for you. There's serious problems with how bosses are dealt with. First if you attack a boss, they spawn 'friends'. Then as you keep attacking them, they spawn more, and sometimes more! This is the cheap way of making content hard. Sure I can understand having minions, but repeatedly spawning 8 groups of 10 mobs to make something difficult? No dice. The level designs are lack luster(the city itself is pretty). But you're going to revisit the same areas, again, and again, and again. Did I mention going to the same areas again? Maybe not. You will not have party conversations while out and about, nope you must goto their house/building/hideout. The difficulty scaling is messed up, no longer following a core set of rules. If you're waiting for us modders to fix the game? Well who knows, because they have yet to even say if we'll get a toolset. And the original toolset doesn't work in the game, missing assets and all that.

    I could carry on with the spell changes, and several other things but there's no real point. I'll say this, if you want to buy the game wait for the super-ultra-deluxe version, where you won't be nickeled and dimed over DLC. And hopefully by then we'll have a toolset, and be able to fix this horrid game.    … Expand
  58. Aedorei
    Mar 12, 2011
    5
    Dragon Age 2 is praiseworthy in many areas but fails utterly at what should have been its core strength. Compared to DA:O the game falls far short of what it should have been. Rather than being an integral part of the story and a catalyst, the hero is swept along by events totally beyond their control and has little impact on these events. There are bright spots. Some of the storiesDragon Age 2 is praiseworthy in many areas but fails utterly at what should have been its core strength. Compared to DA:O the game falls far short of what it should have been. Rather than being an integral part of the story and a catalyst, the hero is swept along by events totally beyond their control and has little impact on these events. There are bright spots. Some of the stories are well written and well portrayed, but for the most part your choices are all bad. Inter-party relationships are superficial and both the companions and villains are one dimensionally fanatical. For the most part, all the companions are either unlikable or uninspired. More than half of them would stab you in the back if necessary. Even our beloved Alistair in a brief cameo sounds trite and shallow, as if he is a well paid actor in a equal he wants to get over quickly. If you are looking for an action RPG, this is a title you will enjoy. If you are looking for more of DA:O, you will be sorely disappointed.… Expand
  59. Eikinskjaldi
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    The worst sequel i ever played. Perhaps developers planned this game for dumb heads? 3 variants of answers in dialogs, poor armor and weapons arsenal, stupid, oh sorry, idiotic combat system, absolutely predictable story and a lot of other "great" innovations...
    Am i sleep or this guys really developed the greatest rpg games in past?
    Also, about magazines score - Are U F Kidding? 9/10 -    The worst sequel i ever played. Perhaps developers planned this game for dumb heads? 3 variants of answers in dialogs, poor armor and weapons arsenal, stupid, oh sorry, idiotic combat system, absolutely predictable story and a lot of other "great" innovations...
    Am i sleep or this guys really developed the greatest rpg games in past?
    Also, about magazines score - Are U F Kidding? 9/10 - for what? O_o
    2.0/10.0 - enough for this "masterpiece"    … Expand
  60. lelloraff
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age 2 it's painful! I liked Origins for its great dialogues, variety of environments, graphics realism, charismatic characters, possibility of choices. Dragon Age 2 have nothing of that!
  61. vandro
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    Less races, less skills, less hours of gaming, but more jumping, more killing, more speed. Meant to be a casual game for casual gamers. But looks like a game for people who like tu run amok.
  62. ikatomas
    Jun 8, 2011
    0
    A pale shadow of bioware's old titles. Lazy Coding, bad scripting, no appreciation of the RPG genere, linear plot, DA:O, BG, KOTOR were classics. This one is too. A Classic embaressment of piss poor effort.
  63. Nosradna
    May 27, 2011
    6
    I was very disappointed to purchase this game. The fighting improved from the first but otherwise this game was a step down from Dragon Age 1. The entire game takes place in a small area that reuses scenes instead of custom making them for each quest. I liked the ability to summon your hound but was very disappointed that you could not customize equipment for each of the NPC's. Many ofI was very disappointed to purchase this game. The fighting improved from the first but otherwise this game was a step down from Dragon Age 1. The entire game takes place in a small area that reuses scenes instead of custom making them for each quest. I liked the ability to summon your hound but was very disappointed that you could not customize equipment for each of the NPC's. Many of the achievements were obscure or tedious and the NPC's were not compelling. I hope Bioware changes the format before DragonAge 3. Either way, I will not be purchasing the next game on opening day.… Expand
  64. Tomtzor
    Jun 20, 2011
    3
    This is not a role-playing game, it's a dumbed down piece of sh*t!
    How could you do this to the Dragon Age franchise EA?!
    Shame on you! You can't talk with any of the characters (except when the game allows you 1 out of 100 times ) You can't customize anything basically! The story is crap, the characters are crap. But goddamnit! It's Dragon Age! I pushed through and enjoyed parts of it, I    This is not a role-playing game, it's a dumbed down piece of sh*t!
    How could you do this to the Dragon Age franchise EA?!
    Shame on you!
    You can't talk with any of the characters (except when the game allows you 1 out of 100 times )
    You can't customize anything basically!
    The story is crap, the characters are crap.
    But goddamnit! It's Dragon Age!
    I pushed through and enjoyed parts of it, I must admit
    I did not mind the changes to combat so much, it was pretty engaging, and the interface was really neat!
    But the rest is just an on-going train-wreck of quick cash-in of a franchise
    I'll go nuts if they do the same with Mass Effect 3!
    Cmon Bioware! You are the rpg kings!
    Bring it next time!    … Expand
  65. Lawlimnator
    Mar 14, 2011
    3
    Visual: 3/10. Too much junk that bugs me.
    Pros-
    1. They're in hi-def (that's to be expected nowadays, though). Cons- 1. Ground mapping re-used over and over and over. I know this can be real-to-life as far as buildings go, but why are all the caves and mountains the same? 2. Certain people from past games physically changed way too much. 3. Hair. I keep seeing hair do things it    Visual: 3/10. Too much junk that bugs me.
    Pros-
    1. They're in hi-def (that's to be expected nowadays, though).
    Cons-
    1. Ground mapping re-used over and over and over. I know this can be real-to-life as far as buildings go, but why are all the caves and mountains the same?
    2. Certain people from past games physically changed way too much.
    3. Hair. I keep seeing hair do things it shouldn't. While I forgive hair falling through bodies and the like, I can't honestly say I'm pleased about the hair on the back of the elven leader's neck overlapping her collar. Or in other parts, not being connected to her neck at all. It's little wonder half the characters have short or pulled up hair in this game.
    4. Rarely, but sometimes, I can see the audio not having great lip sync. 5. Most non-important characters are replicas (or close to it) of someone else. I don't just mean the horde of enemies you're cutting through, I mean anyone that doesn't have much screen time. Like character A from side quest B looks too much like character B from side quest A.
    Audio: 6/10
    Pros-
    1. Voice acting on main characters is always good, and overall, I only had one character that really bugged me, voice-acting wise.
    2. The main character (i.e. YOU) actually talks. Thank God we're out of the silent savior age of games.
    Cons-
    1. A lot of times, I felt like I'd heard "this music" somewhere before. Obviously they wrote the music for the game, I'm not saying they ripped off some major motion picture, but it's just generic. Being that music is important, this one hits worse than the usual cons.
    2. Not enough background noise. We're in the mountains, is the wildlife dead? Where's the wind and splashing water on the coast?
    Game Play: 2/10
    Pros-
    1. Combat flows better than the original.
    2. Warriors actually do stuff to have top dps, not just dual wield and eat all their stamina with sustained buffs.
    Cons- 1. It's hard to justify more than one mage. Their cooldowns are just too long, all you want is the brittle for your warriors/rogues.
    2. Gearing sucks. I agree with locking us based on the primary stat (Strength, dexterity, or magic), but not so much the secondary one (constitution, cunning, or willpower). Not all my warriors are tanks, some of my mages might be blood. I guess the rogue one doesn't really matter, cunning is useful.
    3. Interaction sucks. I liked in Dragon Age when I couldn't tell how they might like my reaction based on a pretty picture in the middle. For the most part, this isn't too bad, but it seriously tosses you insta-romance. There's no struggle there, and I hate it.
    4. I can't think of many games that require me to constantly pause in combat to beat a boss. The tactics menu is still a joke.
    5. Depending too much on user addons, which are hard to put out without an updated addon creator.
    6. Can't change my allies actual armor, just upgrade it. Even then, I can't honestly see a difference. Maybe I need all four upgrades, but there should be intermediate steps at least.
    7. I know this doesn't bother everyone, but I hate not having everyone in my active party. I guess they'd better fix 4 first, otherwise I'd be pausing every half-second.
    8. Why can't everyone have a specialized talent tree? It sucks that I have to choose from four characters to be on my team because the other four don't get a character-specific talent tree.
    9. Combat is way too repetitive. 10. Story is too linear. When I think successful RPG, I think of things like Morrowind with a much more open-world environment.    … Expand
  66. GooGooguru
    Mar 14, 2011
    5
    in Short, if you enjoyed dragon age origins you may not enjoy this at all... if your new to the franchise and haven't been exposed to the rich cannon or experience the sweeping grand scale of the original then you may very well enjoy this game... New combat system is good, Narattive is good, Environments are excessively overused. if your going to set a game in a city it would be a goodin Short, if you enjoyed dragon age origins you may not enjoy this at all... if your new to the franchise and haven't been exposed to the rich cannon or experience the sweeping grand scale of the original then you may very well enjoy this game... New combat system is good, Narattive is good, Environments are excessively overused. if your going to set a game in a city it would be a good idea to create a large and engaging environment that feels alive and dynamic.. not a sterile shoebox with no soul… Expand
  67. dgrey
    Mar 17, 2011
    0
    This game represents exactly what is wrong with the video game industry these days. What's more is that developers are attempting to inflate the scores of these games by creating fake reviews (see "Avanost"). For that, and the fact that this game is a travesty, I'm giving the game a 0.
  68. djekna
    Mar 17, 2011
    5
    I`m big fan or RPG games, hell big fan of Bioware but come on, OK from the start visual really great
    but who play RPG games for great visual, we play for story, making our character more and more better with next level, going trough lots of mission to get that perfect item, so at the end of the game we can see how our perfection look like. Fighting well big zero click this and yeee this    I`m big fan or RPG games, hell big fan of Bioware but come on, OK from the start visual really great
    but who play RPG games for great visual, we play for story, making our character more and more better with next level, going trough lots of mission to get that perfect item, so at the end of the game we can see how our perfection look like. Fighting well big zero click this and yeee this explode click that and wow another explosion, story well i can dig it but this is part 2, the story should have been much better come on i have finish 5 time allover ahead Dragon age origins and now i`m level 11 and still trying to find good reason for play(damn how a great commercial and reputation can make you feel stupid for paying 50 euro). Skills really you can chose what ever you want, trust me i`t going to look great when you click to use it and there it end it`s value , inventory well i like how they handled resource but that is it if you want to upgrade armor of your companion you need to look out trough all town just sad. Items also i don`t see some great innovation there, if you liked first dragon age this one is going to be huge disappointment, really how it get that great critic review i don`t know, this is what it is a mediocrity game with nothing special, and please guys from game industry enough of DLC and promo item that we need to pay, make it free or don`t make it at all    … Expand
  69. Skyduke
    Mar 18, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all: if you thought this game was going to be a successor to Dragon Age, my advice to you is: don't buy it. You will be sorely disappointed. It has nothing of the depth and immersion of the first game; the dialogue is trite, and there is little to no party interaction (you can't even chat to your companions at a camp, for crying out loud...).
    The quests are very much disconnected; there is no central theme to it, like there was in the first game. There is no overarching goal. You are basically just doing random, WoW-like quests. The "main" quests make little or no sense, and I'm honestly not sure your choices matter that much, except for one or two major exceptions. To give you an idea: I sided with the mages: Orsino turning to blood magic when we had been killing all the templars and had been supporting him all the way made no sense at all.
    Now, I'll just tell you what I think the good and bad points are:
    Positive: Faster, more reactive fights (with the downside that they are now a little too fast; feels a lot like button mashing to me, and waiting for your cooldowns...). Your choices do have real consequences on the plot/setting/companions.
    That's it.
    Negative: Watered down story, which at times will make no sense at all. Feeling of disconnection and "just wandering around".
    Very little meaningful party interaction.
    Quite a few bugs left.
    Ending was very unsatisfying: no summary of what happens to the participants depending on what you did during the game.
    No truly horrific elements, like the Deep Roads in the first one.
    Trite, often juvenile, canned dialogue. "Steer my boat" Hurhurhur!!!
    Graphics are actually worse than the first (all things equal).
    Canned, cut-and-paste repetitive dungeons with no character.

    All in all, I am really disappointed. I expected much better.    … Expand
  70. JustAGamer
    Mar 20, 2011
    5
    First of all: in my 20 years of C-RPG experience I've never written a game review before because I've never felt the need for it (by the way: apologies for my bad English, I'm not a native speaker). With Drageon Age 2 I believe a worrying tendency emerges I have to adress: short development periods (18 month for DA2), incomplete game world and story, simplistic gameplay to broaden theFirst of all: in my 20 years of C-RPG experience I've never written a game review before because I've never felt the need for it (by the way: apologies for my bad English, I'm not a native speaker). With Drageon Age 2 I believe a worrying tendency emerges I have to adress: short development periods (18 month for DA2), incomplete game world and story, simplistic gameplay to broaden the audience, demanding full prize while preparing DLCs that shall fill in the remaining gaps. Bioware was once regarded as "the bringer of rain" after a drought in the genre of RPGs (for the PC). But now they could play the opposite role: if they are the most prominent agents of the genre (besides Bethesda) and their games are setting trends, then other companies will follow their example, if they haven't already. To be more detailed I'll point out aspects that annoyed me the most: Game World:
    - The most insolent re-use in an state-of-the-art RPG I've seen so far: dozens of times you walk through levels which are IDENTICAL, and I mean identical. Every corner, texture, modell, architecture, lighting etc. are exactly the same, just with another label (for example "cave xyz" instead of "cave abc").
    - The main game world consists of just 15 to 20 small or very small locations in a city (small means an area which takes 20 seconds to 60 seconds to cross, very small means a simple flat)
    - There are no (more or less) diversified regions like snowy mountains, deserts, jungle, forest, real dungeons, castles, other towns etc., just this one city and three outer regions that are not noteworthy
    - The few existing places look sterile and somehow empty although there are a few people standing around, but they are just copies doing nothing. There are no animals, no interesting props, no interesting architecture, no waving foliage, no sounds of wind, loud chatter etc.
    - Most of the levels are extremely tubular: just one way, no possibility for exploration. If you use such level design, you should use it for thrilling script events like in COD to propell the storytelling, but that's not the case for DA2. A proper game world would have been to expensive...

    Gameplay:
    - 90% of gameplay consists of running and killing: go to place X, kill everyone, talk to person Y to have a reason for killing and then go to place Z and kill everyone. Most of the time there are no alternative ways to solve problems (the only exceptions are found in dialogues with companions). But hey: that's what's the world about, ain't it?
    - There are no possible interactions with the environment, just run, fight, talk, (rudimental) barter. No environmental riddles, no forging, no eating, no sleeping, etc. Would be to complex, eh?

    Items and Inventory:
    - Companions can't be equipped with armor, just with a weapon, a ring, a belt and an amulet. Would be to complex...
    - In the inventory and shops items look absolutely uninteresting and the same: each type of item has the SAME grey and white icon, for example the same symbol for a sword. The only difference are the values of the item. To much effort giving them a distinguishable look?
    - Most of the time the few items you can purchase outvalue the few items you find in your travels
    - There are no real item sets or unique items
    - Why does a plate armor take exactly the same space / weight in inventory (= 1 Slot) as a ring or an amulet (= 1 Slot)? Too much to think about?

    Combat:
    - Remember, you have to fight and fight and fight, and sometimes to fight, but don't worry: there isn't much to do, sit back and watch, no tactics needed (you could raise the difficulty but that just means opponents don't take as much damage and hit you harder).
    - No overview allowed: forget Dragon Age Origins or Baldur's Gate, not immersive enough, has to be a close look over the should like Mass Effect 2 or say COD!? Another "advantage": the game world seems to be larger than it is.
    - In many fights there are up to four or five waves of the same opponents like in good old arcade gaming. That's a challenge RPG-players really like. - If a fight ends successfully health, mana and stamina of all your companions are restored instantly. No need for rest, healing etc.... Waste of time, there are more interesting fights waiting 10 yards ahead.
    - Ammunition is for prigs: arrows and bolts are created the moment they are shoot, no buying needed.

    Dramaturgy:
    - The backgrounds and dialogues preceding and following missions are of high quality, BUT what about a larger conflict, to what end am I killing hordes of idiots? Is there any greater inner or outer threat than a killer whom the player seeks to kill? The Qunari are a threat, for twenty minutes of gameplay. Templar and Magicians don't like each other and there's a fight, but that's it. No threat and no thread. Calling Hawke "Champion" is an exaggeration to cover that he hasn't achieved much. The whole game is "unepic" and seems to be a chapter of an epic game.    … Expand
  71. odysseus2
    Mar 20, 2011
    5
    Before playing Dragon Age 2 Bioware could do no wrong in my eyes.Even merging with EA ,i hoped they could be working towards a dungeon & dragon style mmorpg which truely could take Blizzards bored customer base.
    Looking at the previous titles it was clear that Bioware have very talented people working for them which i got the impression looked at what their fans had to say.
    Thats what    Before playing Dragon Age 2 Bioware could do no wrong in my eyes.Even merging with EA ,i hoped they could be working towards a dungeon & dragon style mmorpg which truely could take Blizzards bored customer base.
    Looking at the previous titles it was clear that Bioware have very talented people working for them which i got the impression looked at what their fans had to say.
    Thats what makes this game release totally unforgivable in my eyes. The characters lack dept, the fight mechanics are terrible, be it a hack & slasher or rpg ,its just wrong. The world is small, barren & uninteresting, i found myself rushing through areas rather than enjoying the game.The game truely lacks any story, ive seen better on first person shooters.

    Perhaps Bioware have their people spread too thin with mass effect 3 and star wars on the horizon, that been said i cant help but dread to see what these major titles will turn out like.
    I hope bioware will learn a lesson from this rather than just faking reviews.    … Expand
  72. L0RDNIK0N
    Mar 23, 2011
    2
    The Good: The name
    The Bad: The game
    The Ugly: The elves

    Hardly an RPG at all. A disgrace to the title Dragon Age. Poorly built, uninspired and shallow gameplay with predictable characters and anime style combat. Almost complete garbage. Beats looking at a blank screen, but not by much.
  73. Shadenuat
    Apr 19, 2011
    5
    First RPG from Bioware that can be humbly summarised as a mediocrity or even below. While it still shows us that the team has decent writers and artists, a lack of strong design leadership and quality is something we did't see in Bioware RPG's before. It's a linear adventure with watered story and, to some extent, fun to banter with characters, so-so combat and.. that's it. Dragon Age 2First RPG from Bioware that can be humbly summarised as a mediocrity or even below. While it still shows us that the team has decent writers and artists, a lack of strong design leadership and quality is something we did't see in Bioware RPG's before. It's a linear adventure with watered story and, to some extent, fun to banter with characters, so-so combat and.. that's it. Dragon Age 2 lacks freedom of choice (one we have is actually a masterfuly done illusion, which waves if you try to replay game second time), exploration; to some extend, character customisation; puzzles; it does't give player any tactical challenges. Dragon Age 2 also laughs at many DA:O aspects and characters, beating any decentness from them with black emo stick, and fails to deliver long, gripping dialogues. Overall, one can have some fun with this game, but it's almost painful experience to begin with. This game does't worth it's 60$, and makes you sorry and sad for yourself, your time and money after.… Expand
  74. Humboldt1337
    Apr 22, 2011
    8
    BioWare - a name known for making good games, which makes this abortion so much more frustrating - almost as frustrating as the fact that i paid $60 for this terrible game.
    Gameplay:
    -On normal its a joke, on hard its near impossible - enemies simply rush at you from every direction, spawing from thin air over and over until you either keep up with the spawn rate, or die. This is some of    BioWare - a name known for making good games, which makes this abortion so much more frustrating - almost as frustrating as the fact that i paid $60 for this terrible game.
    Gameplay:
    -On normal its a joke, on hard its near impossible - enemies simply rush at you from every direction, spawing from thin air over and over until you either keep up with the spawn rate, or die. This is some of the laziest game design i have ever seen.
    Graphics:
    -Amazing....when they work. I am running this on a Radeon HD 5830, with a bleeding edge system behind it - and i CANNOT get max graphics to work smoothly. Also, when the graphics are turned down to a resonable level, the chat bubble still flicker when the characters move, and there is unexplainable micro-lag and just overall non-smoothness which is INFURIATING, and makes playing the game an exercise in staving off epileptic seizures.

    This is the MOST DISAPPOINTING GAME I HAVE BOUGHT IN 4 YEARS.
    I hope everyone who worked on this is ashamed of themselves. And i want my $60 back.    … Expand
  75. Nashtor
    Apr 25, 2011
    6
    Very bad game... It´s not Dragon Age it´s "Dragon Effect" (but worst). It no have the essence of the firts game... bad of work EA and Bioware... In the game, your decisions are useless...you cant change nothing in the world, all the facts happen without your help...your partners are lineal, they aren´t charming like in origins...is a step back inVery bad game... It´s not Dragon Age it´s "Dragon Effect" (but worst). It no have the essence of the firts game... bad of work EA and Bioware... In the game, your decisions are useless...you cant change nothing in the world, all the facts happen without your help...your partners are lineal, they aren´t charming like in origins...is a step back in rol´s game... (sorry for my english...im spanish...)… Expand
  76. Epicmaster
    Jun 17, 2011
    2
    Very Unsatisfying RPG game in general, story did not take full advantage of the depth possibility of frame narrative, The Game is full off little things that make it less of a deep RPG and more of an action adventure game. The ending of the game is probably the worst of any RPG i have played. I only finished this game because of the commitment I had from finishing DA:O.
  77. brisbanesimon
    May 17, 2011
    0
    I am so disappointed in this game,went out and brought it as soon as it was released,there was no love put into the making of this game there are sloppy textures everywhere and the world seems to be populates by poorly realized idiotic characters,shame on you bioware I will be thinking twice about buying any product that you release in the future
  78. Mercz86
    May 17, 2011
    5
    Run off the mill RPG-Lite action adventure.Bland quests alot of reused content and hack and slash combat all amount to a shadow of DA:Origins.More like a HBO programme than an RPG.
  79. cainx10a
    May 17, 2011
    0
    I played through the first Dragon Age and its expansion pack, Awakening for a total of 300+ hours, and plan to play more of it over the coming years. Dragon Age: Origins was one of the best RPGs I played in my life time (25 y/o gamer who has played every games in BioWare library). Dragon Age 2 is a mediocre game that is undeserving of the high score given to it by professional reviewers,I played through the first Dragon Age and its expansion pack, Awakening for a total of 300+ hours, and plan to play more of it over the coming years. Dragon Age: Origins was one of the best RPGs I played in my life time (25 y/o gamer who has played every games in BioWare library). Dragon Age 2 is a mediocre game that is undeserving of the high score given to it by professional reviewers, and its legion of fanboys and fangirls who remind me more of twilight fans than mature and honest people. From the unscrupulous BioWare employee who would go as far as accuse The Witcher 2 of plagiarizing its source material (being the Witcher's book itself) for which it was given consent to (how do write something like that is beyond me) to others who are adamant their game is good, and will pay no heed to the complaints of the product, this is a game whose developers only care about hearing praises rather than meaningful criticism, and are eager to shut down everyone who say otherwise. -Story- I love the story, it's an interesting concept to move away from the usual RPG cliche of Epics. Here we live in the small clothes of Hawke, an immigrant to the city of Kirkwall and how over 7 years of Hawke's life, his actions will affect the lives of Kirkwall multi-racial population. It's a personal story... I enjoyed it, a lot. The relationship is great too, the fact that they went with everyone is a Bi is a good move, too bad that'snot the case in real life, but hey, that's what games are for right? ESCAPISM! yay! I would say, if you can ignore every of the gripe I have about the game, go for it. My score of 0 is a biased one, because I had a bad time, a horrible time even, playing it. But there's one major problem the story have. This coincides with the gameplay section, but bare with me on this part, along the road like any good RPG, you will befriend people who will either be your biggest admirator, and loyal kickass buddy. There will always be the other guy, who questions your every choice and is a plain pain in the butt, but hey, you need a warrior on the team. That doesn't sound so bad? Until you look at their skill tree, and the fact the guy who is a crucial member to the team (hint -healer-) decides to be a douche, now you are left with an option, role play (it's an RPG right) and leave him behind. Or not role play, and keep him in the team, and ruin the story for you because your party is lacking skill wise, and the story itself follows the path you wish it did not,.


    -Gameplay- This is where the major problem lies. Gameplay in DA2 yells LAZY in my ears. From enemies that follow a strict archetype, you have your warrior, your rogue, your mage, your archer. That's it. No imagination, at all. The rogue templar is no different than a bandit rogue. How does that make sense, a fully armored rogue should not even exist, they fact they are even harder to deal with than the average templar is just stupid when they can murder your Mage in one strike. How, please, tell me BioWare. Add to that enemies wave, and it stopped making sense, a year ago.

    Add to that, the fact no one bothered to test the different difficulty levels and see whether they are playable or not. Hard was a fun romp until a certain boss fight that was immune to backstabbing (important positioning move), and blam, the useless countdown abilties I had, all used up, and taking another year to cool down, and now my entire party was as useful as that mentally challenged kid ... minus his super powers. Then there's map design, they are all awful, and they are recycled. This is an RPG game right? I am in kirkwall, does every basement and mansion have to look the same? Seriously. Every goddamn cave look the same. Every side quests bring you to those same locations over and over again.

    DA2 gameplay is broken, frustrating on the harder difficulties (way too easy on the normal/easy one), and is pure lazy game development.

    -Presentation-
    Sure, your main characters look beautiful. The environments too. The other NPCs you interact will are good looking too. Then you do a bit of exploring, then you start finding there are some weed here and there, ugly NPCs, people we are not supposed to interact with. You know, beggars, peasants. Should have seen the look on their faces, like they were from the 16-bit era (it's right there before Kitten Age, and after Goat Age ... 16-bit Age). Kirkwall kinda remind me of Braavos from A Song of Ice and Fire, with the massive statue in front of the city. That's about it. The end-game armor for the hero is pretty, the fixed armor design for your companions is a great idea, I understand the logic behind preventing the player to equip the NPCs with rags when they are their own being, and the choice of wearing small clothes ... or not (ISABELLA!!!) is well, their choice.

    - Replay Value -
    Dragon Age: Origins 300 hours and counting
    DA 2: 38 Hour Campaign ... DONE ... UNINSTALLED


    -Conclusion-
    I did not have fun.    … Expand
  80. wilddemoncat
    May 19, 2011
    3
    I own every bioware game ever made, and this is only one I really have been disappointed in, don't get me wrong I did enjoy parts of the game, but clearly EA had them rush it out, reused art assets, maps and ninja's jumping down from 2nd floor or higher in full plate........ Out of everything in this game what I disliked most was the combat spawning system, no excuse to be teleporting inI own every bioware game ever made, and this is only one I really have been disappointed in, don't get me wrong I did enjoy parts of the game, but clearly EA had them rush it out, reused art assets, maps and ninja's jumping down from 2nd floor or higher in full plate........ Out of everything in this game what I disliked most was the combat spawning system, no excuse to be teleporting in units for a fight unless in startrek or some magic teleportation that makes sense.

    I found almost all the battles same, 1st group attack kill them 2nd harder group teleports in broke the game for me.

    After finishing wither 2 today I really see how much was missing from DA 2.

    BIOWARE RIP    … Expand
  81. Fascination80
    May 19, 2011
    3
    I love RPGs. I loved Dragon Age Origens. This game is not an RPG. Very linear playthrough; I played both endings (yes, only 2 endings!) and your choices don't really matter.
    You can't talk with your companions whenever you want like in Origens so you don't feel as connected to them. My iPhone is messing up so that's all I can type now but shame on you, Bioware
  82. rusina
    Jun 6, 2011
    0
    If you are a fan of Dragon Age: Origins, I recommend leaving this abomination on the store shelf. Re-used areas, one dimensional characters, tedious quests and the dumbed down combat ruin the game completely.
  83. liotius
    Jun 1, 2011
    4
    Worst BioWare game I've played yet. Remarkably unfinished to such a laughable degree. Many of the zones are _exact_ copies of other zones, with easily identifiable markings to the fact. So much so in fact that they had to jury rig blockades for areas they didn't want you to go into, not even bothering to update the minimap, causing you to continually go toward implacable barriers. TheWorst BioWare game I've played yet. Remarkably unfinished to such a laughable degree. Many of the zones are _exact_ copies of other zones, with easily identifiable markings to the fact. So much so in fact that they had to jury rig blockades for areas they didn't want you to go into, not even bothering to update the minimap, causing you to continually go toward implacable barriers. The voice acting was poorest for the main character, every remark sounded like a sarcastic one, leaving no real movement on emotion.

    Buggy quests as well, some quests remain active even if there is absolutely no way to complete them.

    As far as the storyline goes absolutely felt like a beginning but if its the beginning then why number it as 2? Poor choice by some of the higher ups on naming this game.    … Expand
  84. SarahCuda
    Aug 14, 2011
    1
    I was really excited for this game to come out, but. I wasent all impressed. The combat game play was better and that was the only this that made this game likable. I was not happy with the story. When i think Dragon age i think Grey Wardens and they did not evn go there in this game. I was not impressed.. The whole game you have to run around doing everyones arrends which made the gameI was really excited for this game to come out, but. I wasent all impressed. The combat game play was better and that was the only this that made this game likable. I was not happy with the story. When i think Dragon age i think Grey Wardens and they did not evn go there in this game. I was not impressed.. The whole game you have to run around doing everyones arrends which made the game boring toward the middle. The AI was boring, DA1 yo ugot to know your party members which made you feel attached. If your thinking of getting this game I would rethink it. Get the first one instead.… Expand
  85. Vertillian
    Nov 30, 2011
    0
    This makes a lie of all the previous praise for Bioware. Shoddy design, and lazy production values! In my opinion the inflated praise for ME2 has effected them far too much. Supposedly known for their "humility" bioware still won't admit to the outright failure and terrible reception this game has received. This is not an RPG, its a bland attempt to turn a successful Fantasy RPG into MassThis makes a lie of all the previous praise for Bioware. Shoddy design, and lazy production values! In my opinion the inflated praise for ME2 has effected them far too much. Supposedly known for their "humility" bioware still won't admit to the outright failure and terrible reception this game has received. This is not an RPG, its a bland attempt to turn a successful Fantasy RPG into Mass effect. Linear, unresponsive gameplay with no depth, nor attempt at decent storyline. No consequence to actions, nor any noticeable change to story. Shocking.… Expand
  86. Acquiredempire
    Dec 8, 2011
    0
    Bioware fan since Baldur's Gate but this game was rushed, dumb downed and in my mind a sub par money grab off the success of Origins. Barley a RPG. Could have been so much more. Bioware is trying to walk the fine line of pulling in new fans without alienating their core. I hope this is not a sign of things to come from EA.
  87. Bralz
    Dec 21, 2011
    1
    This is without a doubt the worst RPG I have ever played. Period. It's the RPG equivalent of repeatedly smacking your head against a wall. Combat is atrocious, characters are lame, dialogue is crap, and the story is boring and full of holes. Do yourself a favor, give this stinker a wide berth.
  88. ManOfSteel
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    This game is a monstrosity. After a beautiful and well-written game in DA:O, BioWare took everything about the game, burned it, dumbed down gameplay and made hack/slash combat and a boring story, and what you have is the Dragon Age name tarnished forever. The effort or this game was lazy and rushed. They were very lazy in this game, and BioWare should be ashamed. I will never play a DAThis game is a monstrosity. After a beautiful and well-written game in DA:O, BioWare took everything about the game, burned it, dumbed down gameplay and made hack/slash combat and a boring story, and what you have is the Dragon Age name tarnished forever. The effort or this game was lazy and rushed. They were very lazy in this game, and BioWare should be ashamed. I will never play a DA game again. But at least there is Skyrim :).… Expand
  89. Nichtswisser
    Apr 24, 2012
    3
    Behold one of the worst sequels in history: Dragon Age 2, the adventure of Hawk in copy&paste Land. If you ever wanted to see serious recycling this is the game for you
  90. hellogoodbye
    Mar 9, 2011
    0
    "You are not the landed gentry and intelligentsia of these forums â
  91. brutback
    Mar 11, 2011
    5
    I loved DA:O and some people would probably consider me to be a BioWare fanboy. I have spent countless hours with their previous games. DA2 however.....is just a money milking mediocre game! I honestly can't believe that they released this crap. It's like pissing in your pants. Keeping you warm for a moment but hurts you in the longer run. Booooo!
  92. tei15
    Mar 15, 2011
    1
    Worst sequel ever. Unbearably repetitive locations (effectively just a copy paste), boring story, weak writing, bad visuals (characters are even uglier than in the first game) . Never expected people who made ME2 to publish such low-quality game.
  93. bobloadmire
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    awful game, and EA/Bioware bans (banned from actually using the game) users for talking bad about the game on their forums. Do not buy from this company.
  94. feanor81
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    I was a huge fan of the bioware products in the 90s up until DA1, but this one really sucks
    Just an arcarde game with more cinematic than play
    No isometric ? Not an rpg, sorry EA, you really screwed up this one
  95. binarybetrayer
    Mar 10, 2011
    2
    A mayor setback from the first title in every aspect of the game. maybe with more time to get the game properly made instead of rushing it and selling a halfmade thing it would really live up to the scores the rabid fanbase is spamming everywhere to hide the fact that this is actually a bad game.
  96. raviadso
    Mar 11, 2011
    0
    this game doesnt work as an RPG, a strategy RPG, or even an action RPG. RPG-The story is too short, ininspired and blah to capture anyone's attention and has none of the epicness of a passable RPG.
    SRPG- The skills/classes are far too unbalanced and the games core mechanics are not designed to be terribly strategic. It just doesnt work
    ARPG- the action is fluid and fun but the totally    this game doesnt work as an RPG, a strategy RPG, or even an action RPG. RPG-The story is too short, ininspired and blah to capture anyone's attention and has none of the epicness of a passable RPG.
    SRPG- The skills/classes are far too unbalanced and the games core mechanics are not designed to be terribly strategic. It just doesnt work
    ARPG- the action is fluid and fun but the totally dumbed down equipment management (which borders on retarded), the total lack of variety of enemies and the repetition of only 10 small (SMALL!) zones make this game not even work as a dungeon crawler.    … Expand
  97. BKotick
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    This game is so bad. Call of Duty: Black Ops, by Treyarch is 100x better than this! In Black Ops, there is a variety of different maps to play on (unlike this game), plus additional maps that you can buy! I don't see Dragon Age 2 offering free* additional maps!

    *After purchase, the maps become free to download again if you accidentally delete them.
  98. durgenage2
    Mar 14, 2011
    0
    Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Bioware used to be such a good developer too it really is sad to see them create something this god-awful. I would not recommend this game as a frisbee, much less as entertainment.
  99. Essense
    Mar 14, 2011
    2
    Don't support this putrid crap. Bioware sold out any soul it had left when it incubated this turd for what appears to have been a few weeks.

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

    Stay away.
  100. xnoxiousx
    Mar 16, 2011
    0
    Crap dragon age 2 is not even close to as good as da1. Da1 was one of best rpgs in recent time but they took all that was great and stripped it down to crap that is dragon effect.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 75
  3. Negative: 1 out of 75
  1. GamingExcellence
    Aug 3, 2011
    85
    I'll give Bioware points for trying to do something different in their world, but they really did have it right the first time in terms of character building and the scope of the story.
    Read full review
  2. Gaming Nexus
    May 1, 2011
    75
    Faulty game mechanics and disappointing maps, combat scenarios and storyline direction aside, Dragon Age II still has a surprising amount of intrigue hidden beneath the blemishes. The depth of character relationships, as well as the complex nature of the world of the Dragon Age franchise are a savior to a game that would otherwise forever be remembered by its mistakes.
    Read full review
  3. Game Chronicles
    Apr 22, 2011
    90
    Above all, it seems like Dragon Age II is an experiment. If you're a fan of the first game and expect a direct continuation, either in story or mechanics, you'll be disappointed. If you're not willing to put up with some rough edges and some mechanics that don't quite work as intended, you'll end up having a hard time. But if you're going for a game that has some of the best storytelling in RPGs in a while, or you're looking for a BioWare RPG to tide yourself over until Mass Effect 3, you won't do much better right now than Dragon Age II.
    Read full review
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