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. Vaegrin
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    This game is fantastic. The combat, the characters, the graphics, and the story are all dramatically improved over the first game. Like the original Mass Effect, there is some repetition in some of the side quest environments, but the side quests are written well enough that it is still worth it. All in all, this is the most fun I've had playing a game in a long time.
  2. Mortrau
    Mar 16, 2011
    7
    Not bad. Excellent screenplay and characters, good music and graphic. Boring gameplay, poor roleplay system (if compare with DAO). But the Story is brilliant. This is an interactive book.
  3. adamfmartin
    Mar 18, 2011
    9
    Dragon Age 2 shakes things up, and as a result as caused a polarizing view of the worthy RPG. The gameplay is faster than it's predecessor and the story more intimate. Instead of travelling Ferelden to stop a massive archdemon from destroying the world, the creators have streamlined the game into the city of Kirkwall. Kirkwall itself is a complex city-state in political turmoil. YouDragon Age 2 shakes things up, and as a result as caused a polarizing view of the worthy RPG. The gameplay is faster than it's predecessor and the story more intimate. Instead of travelling Ferelden to stop a massive archdemon from destroying the world, the creators have streamlined the game into the city of Kirkwall. Kirkwall itself is a complex city-state in political turmoil. You play Hawke, a refugee from Lothering, fleeing the events of the first game. The changes to the game are audacious. It's an intimate story about family, politics, and religion all set against the backdrop of dark fantasy. It's deceptively clever. While the game starts slowly and feels aimless, you realize as you play through that every decision, every mission you go on, ends up effecting the world and how you play your character. Instead of traditional "save the world from evil", Bioware has given us a game that plays out in wonderful shades of gray.

    The voice acting is superb, the characters complex and interesting, and the gameplay, while not your traditional rpg-style, is visceral and dynamic. Don't be fooled by the low ratings. I don't believe anyone should review a game based on ten minutes of playing it. By Act 2 of this game, you are so emotionally involved with Hawke and his companions, there is real immersion and emotion. Bioware is known for creating classic characters. In Knights of the Old Republic, you have HK-47. In Mass Effect, you have the wonderfully blunt Wrex. In KOTOR 2, there is wonderfully slippery Kreia. And in both Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins, you have a number of characters that rank up there with the best characters the industry as produced. And in Dragon Age 2, there's the wonderfully crafty dwarf known as Varric. As the narrator of this story, he becomes something of its heart and soul.

    People in this day and age like to make snap judgments. In the history of gaming, I've never seen more childish reviews of a game. Don't let this 4.33 fool you. This game, while not as epic as the original, is infinitely satisfying and groundbreaking. Worth every penny.    … Expand
  4. ImHimTheButcher
    Mar 22, 2011
    10
    Much better than origins. Better story better choices and better gameplay. I actually cried during one part of the game. The ending could have been a little better but this is one of the best games I've ever played.
  5. Facehead2k
    Mar 23, 2011
    10
    Iâ
  6. zexy
    Aug 31, 2011
    9
    Don't listen to any of these ignorant people about this game. Anyone who gives this game less than an 8 is just buttsore that DA 2 wasn't EXACTLY the same as DA:O. This game is amazing for what it is and that is a western action rpg with a fantasy setting and rich strorytelling with plenty of choices and custimization bioware is known for. People shouldn't even listen to "user" reviewsDon't listen to any of these ignorant people about this game. Anyone who gives this game less than an 8 is just buttsore that DA 2 wasn't EXACTLY the same as DA:O. This game is amazing for what it is and that is a western action rpg with a fantasy setting and rich strorytelling with plenty of choices and custimization bioware is known for. People shouldn't even listen to "user" reviews about video games or movies anyway. Everyone just gives things zeros based on their own biased feelings of nostalgia. That or they just say the game is completely garbage because of one or two flaws or simply the fact that a game is popular/mainstream....lol. just listen to the critic reviews from a respected video gmae magizine or website, these people do this for a living and know exactly what to rate on without own personal feelings or prefrences.… Expand
  7. ImUnavailable
    Mar 13, 2011
    7
    Not nearly as bad as these reviews would have you believe but disappointing none the less. Combat is much more fluid than DA:O, and the graphics are marginally better. But that's about it as far as improvements go. The story isn't really about Hawke. It's about Kirkwall and its people, making for a more personal story. However, it lacks the scope of its predecessor and what I do in theNot nearly as bad as these reviews would have you believe but disappointing none the less. Combat is much more fluid than DA:O, and the graphics are marginally better. But that's about it as far as improvements go. The story isn't really about Hawke. It's about Kirkwall and its people, making for a more personal story. However, it lacks the scope of its predecessor and what I do in the game doesn't feel as significant as in DA:O. The writing is still of a high standard overall but the dialog wheel makes conversations much more confined and clunky. Kirkwall feels empty and fails to construct its own identity, something Rockstar games do very well. The lack of customization for teammates also hurts the game. In spite of all this, I enjoyed myself and I will replay it. It just wasn't the game it could have been.… Expand
  8. Zarafan
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    i must say that this game is one of those, that you must play based in what you see and NOT in what you read. i just toke a risk buying it, and im pretty happy i did. Certainly the dislikes from ppl came because of the change on the direction on history line and some gameplay changes. i have 7 Hours Playing already, and as RPG fan, this change was quite enjoyable. IS NOT A BAD GAME, buti must say that this game is one of those, that you must play based in what you see and NOT in what you read. i just toke a risk buying it, and im pretty happy i did. Certainly the dislikes from ppl came because of the change on the direction on history line and some gameplay changes. i have 7 Hours Playing already, and as RPG fan, this change was quite enjoyable. IS NOT A BAD GAME, but they changed the direction about to DAO. They did Add a little more action to it. They did it more like Mass Effect Style, and that its what some DAO´s fan dont accept. i Love DAO and ME as well, so this DA2 is great for me.

    Could be Better? of Course, we can allways Want more from Bioware, this time we was waiting for a lot more. and i think that is the real problem.    … Expand
  9. Dralen
    Mar 11, 2011
    9
    I've played alot of games this year and this is definitely the best I've played so far. I think alot of people are very unhappy with the drastic change that Dragon Age has taken. It's very very different from the first, I played the first on the PC and decided to make the switch to the console version after playtesting the demo of both versions, the console version is the best version. TheI've played alot of games this year and this is definitely the best I've played so far. I think alot of people are very unhappy with the drastic change that Dragon Age has taken. It's very very different from the first, I played the first on the PC and decided to make the switch to the console version after playtesting the demo of both versions, the console version is the best version. The story is fantastic and really takes a hold of you, I checked my game-time stats on Raptr afterwards and I almost choked after I noticed I had been playing for 12 hours straight. I'm actually really enjoying the combat, it's fast and very challenging on the harder difficulties. This is really is one of those Marmite situations where you are going to love it or hate it.… Expand
  10. MattyIce82
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Truly a classic and can never be topped. Dragon Age II has got it all. Epic drama. Epic graphics. Epic situations. This game surpassed all my greatest expectations to become the best game I've played this gen.
  11. Comrade_Critic
    Mar 21, 2011
    7
    This game is deeply flawed, yet I've played it for so many hours and really do enjoy it. First, the problems. There are some major glitches, especially on the Wayward Son mission. You are best to save often if you don't want to lose hours of play like I did. Second, the DA2 guys packed a lot of story in here, but didn't pack in a lot of maps so, sorry to say it does get a bit repetitive.This game is deeply flawed, yet I've played it for so many hours and really do enjoy it. First, the problems. There are some major glitches, especially on the Wayward Son mission. You are best to save often if you don't want to lose hours of play like I did. Second, the DA2 guys packed a lot of story in here, but didn't pack in a lot of maps so, sorry to say it does get a bit repetitive. I'm glad they didn't skimp on story. I guess I'd rather have to keep going back to the same caves and beaches than have less story, but it can get stale. The voice acting was much improved over the first DA2 and the main character is a far better voice actor than the scrubs they got to do Mass Effect. Game play and graphics are also much improved over DA1, though they did dumb it down so people who don't like collecting herbs or enchanting weapons can still have fun with it. At the end of the day this is a solid game that's provided me with hours of enjoyment. It's not another Oblivion, sadly I don't think we'll ever see that again, and it's not even another Mass Effect or KOTOR. It is however a pretty fun game for fans of the genre who don't mind frequent saves and a glitch here or there.… Expand
  12. Xiphus200
    Mar 19, 2011
    7
    I found the game enjoyable, though it didn't have the same epic scope that Origins did.

    Story: The main story overall didn't have much continuity other then your character, Hawke was the one responsible for solving each 'years' crisis. Your companions have better story arcs. The ending was a letdown to me, after 40 hours of game play their wasn't much resolution, no end game wrap up of    I found the game enjoyable, though it didn't have the same epic scope that Origins did.

    Story: The main story overall didn't have much continuity other then your character, Hawke was the one responsible for solving each 'years' crisis. Your companions have better story arcs. The ending was a letdown to me, after 40 hours of game play their wasn't much resolution, no end game wrap up of the events Hawke had set in motion or how each of his companions fared. It felt hollow and open ended for the obligatory sequel.

    Graphics: The biggest thing people who played Origins will notice is character design has changed a lot, and its quite jarring when you run into NPCs that made appearances in Origins/Awakening that look nothing like they did before. However, once you get past all the retcons of art design the game itself is rather well designed, though some reused textures from Origins for clothes don't show as much polish as the new armor and clothes. The scenery is lovely though.

    Combat: I actually liked the increased pace of combat and the cross-class combos were pretty fun to pull off. My main gripe about combat is the 'waves' of enemies, where you'd kill the first group of enemies and then a second and sometimes third group would materialize out of thin air. Towards the end of the game having to kill 30 enemies every fight just made things drag on and I got a bit tired of all the mindless slaughter.

    I don't regret buying this game and it did hold my attention for 40 hours and probably more in subsequent play throughs. I consider any game that I play for more then 20 hours a success. It's not the best Bioware game I've played but when stacked up against other fantasy games it can hold its weight.    … Expand
  13. Talvrae
    Mar 20, 2011
    7
    As a Bioware fan girl i will try to make as much of an unbiased review i can do for this game. I'm not blind to it's flaw. But dont want to bash it rediculously for some of the scandals on the game reviews.
    Even if some of the features of Dragon Age Origins return, this is not the same game at all, for the good and the bad. We return to Thedas the same universe and we still are playing a    As a Bioware fan girl i will try to make as much of an unbiased review i can do for this game. I'm not blind to it's flaw. But dont want to bash it rediculously for some of the scandals on the game reviews.
    Even if some of the features of Dragon Age Origins return, this is not the same game at all, for the good and the bad. We return to Thedas the same universe and we still are playing a tactical RPG like the first one, who let you customise the enemies tactics (Richards that's not an unfinished feature, it's necesseries with all the customisations possibles, and it allow to to addapt the tactics to your liking).
    .
    I wills tart out with the bads
    Less customisation than the first one, It's no longer possible to play an elf or a dwarf.
    Recicled environements
    Lack of environement variety
    straight lined missions

    On the good side
    The story is nice and very personal a good change of the epics stories
    The voice acting is excellent as usual on a Bioware titles and the dialogue well work well in the game
    Uge improvement on the graphical side (the art style have changed a lot trought and you like it or you dont)
    Good replayability with lot of things who can change in the game plays

    It's not as good as the original but still a good game    … Expand
  14. Guolfo
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    I understand that people could dislike DA2 (even if on day one is too early to give a judgement), but giving a 0 is too much. Anyway, here is my first review!
    I'm actually playing it, I'm finishing third act and I'm having a blast. Inventory is better than origin, combat is more arcade, yes, but playing on hard or nightmare is still really difficult and requires a lot of micromanagement    I understand that people could dislike DA2 (even if on day one is too early to give a judgement), but giving a 0 is too much. Anyway, here is my first review!
    I'm actually playing it, I'm finishing third act and I'm having a blast. Inventory is better than origin, combat is more arcade, yes, but playing on hard or nightmare is still really difficult and requires a lot of micromanagement (and a lot of use of pause button!). The companion are quite lively and they tend to interact more often than in origin. And, as much as the gift mechanics of Origins could be amusing, the gift and interaction system used in DA2 is more functional and easier to understand. If there is something I don't like, that's the environment, that's build around four or five standard maps that never change... That's disappointing, since Origins had a really nice amount of variety.
    All in all, I'm really loving DA2 and I can't wait to start my second and third play-through, making entirely different decisions.    … Expand
  15. Drakan
    Apr 2, 2011
    1
    I rate this game a 3. Terrible game, do not buy it, avoid.

    If you loved DAO you'll most likely hate DAO2. It's just a brainless dumbed-down button-masher. All the beauty, poetry and epic from DAO has been removed. Why? Boring. Wait for the GOTY edition if you really want to play it.
  16. Agamemnon
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    I liked the game alot actually though I seem to be one of the few who did. Its not Baldur's gate 2 or even Dragon Age: Origins but on it's own merits its a good game. Dragon Age: Origins was too easy on Nightmare difficulty and this game surely isn't.
  17. PC-GAMER-HATER
    Mar 29, 2011
    10
    Great game 10 out of 10......well done bioware keep up the good work....:-)...............................cannot wait for the movie...................
  18. LanceX2
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    I truly believe this game is amazing. The graphics are much better IMO in this game. The combat is vastly superior then DAO. I often got bored while fighting in DAO. The changes were huge and there are downsides such as reused maps but I stand by Dragon Age and Bioware and Im able to evolve just as they tried. Heres hoping even more in DA 3!
  19. Nikola8
    Mar 18, 2011
    10
    The game is excellent. After reading over a bunch of the 0/10 ratings that people are giving it here on Metacritic, I will begin my review by addressing the biggest complaints I've seen.

    First of all, the graphics ARE better than DA:O. That's really not debatable (one can look at the engine that was used or simply compare screenshots of the game). There are a lot of negative remarks    The game is excellent. After reading over a bunch of the 0/10 ratings that people are giving it here on Metacritic, I will begin my review by addressing the biggest complaints I've seen.

    First of all, the graphics ARE better than DA:O. That's really not debatable (one can look at the engine that was used or simply compare screenshots of the game). There are a lot of negative remarks about the fighting. As an XBOX player, I am actually happy with the updated fighting mechanism. The fights are faster and more fluid, but are still RPG fights- when it all comes down to it, the fights are still turn based- this is hidden a little, but go play a game in the Fable series then this game and compare and you'll see that the basic turn based elements are still there. It may feel like the buttons are press-and-slash, but you will notice that a head-on fight will result in you getting hit once in between every hit you attempt. There has been criticism as the the small number of talents/spells you have. I have not added up the total number compared to DA:O, but it is very comparable. Many of the reviews bash the story telling. Most of these, however, admit that they haven't played the game through or that they gave up on the game. Considering the fact that you don't even have the whole story revealed until the end of the game, those who haven't played it through don't have credibility to speak about the story. As someone who has played it through, I must say the story is VERY good. I dare say better than DA:O (as much as I love Origins). The difference is that, after Lothering, you can pretty much guess the way the rest of the story will play out in Origins. Conversely, It is impossible to see the story in DA2 coming since so many plot elements aren't revealed until the end of the game. It is very well done.

    It is true that the talking mechanism is simplified into a wheel, giving fewer conversation options. However, it is simply a carryover from Mass Effect and functions in a very similar way. I did appreciate the plethora of conversation options in DA:O, but the fact that Hawke has a voice compared to the "Silent Hero of Fereldon" more than makes up for this since it makes the protagonist more 'real'. The complaint over DLC is unjustified. If your pre-ordered before January, you got the signature edition for the price of the retail edition, which came with the day 1 DLC free. There is only x amount of room on a disc, and Bioware didn't have enough room to include everything, hence the "Day 1 DLC". You pay $60 for a full disc, it isn't unreasonable for Bioware to charge extra for content that comes in addition to the full disc. Now that I've addressed the complaints I've seen, my final comments are simply that this game is excellent. I will admit that it takes a few hours to get into it, but in that sense it is like a good book (the beginning is a compilation of what seems like random events, but as you play on these events start to weave together in a very satisfying way. I would highly recommend this game and its DLC- Sebastian's story in the DLC is quite engaging. Overall, its a step below Mass Effect 2, but a step above Mass Effect and DA:O. A very satisfying game to play.    … Expand
  20. samus_smash
    Mar 19, 2011
    9
    Dragon Age 2 does take a different turn from its predecessor but I do not understand all these low ratings. It is a good game. It functions well and it's engaging, so it at least deserves a 2. The graphics are better, the fighting is better, the loot is better organized and the skill system is stream lined. They have even gotten rid of all the useless spells that I never used. Not only isDragon Age 2 does take a different turn from its predecessor but I do not understand all these low ratings. It is a good game. It functions well and it's engaging, so it at least deserves a 2. The graphics are better, the fighting is better, the loot is better organized and the skill system is stream lined. They have even gotten rid of all the useless spells that I never used. Not only is the combat more fast-paced and involving but the micro-managing of your party is better as well. It may seem like a little change, but when you issue orders, the game doesn't automatically pull you back into the combat like in Origins. Like I said, small change but it makes so much of a difference. I replayed Origins and found the combat slow in comparison. The only problem I've had with the game is the lack of locations. The story is also less grand than Origins, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ignore the trolls and at least rent it. It may not be your cup of tea, but if it is, you'll have a lot of fun.… Expand
  21. Siadern
    Mar 22, 2011
    10
    A truely brilliant game. The refinements to the class system are an improvement, combat is even better than the first game (which I also enjoyed), and the game is well paced. A good story and interesting characters, that's well written and brilliantly voiced acted.
  22. PigBodine
    Mar 23, 2011
    10
    Never put my four-penny worth in on anything online before, but, with so many bad reviews, I felt I had to chip in... So, I gave it a ten.
    Not a real life ten but a computer game ridiculous marking system 10.
    There are faults. It's not perfect... What is? Ok then, what is wrong? 1) Recycling of environments you cheap ass Bioware swine. 2) Not being able to re-clothe the rest of your    Never put my four-penny worth in on anything online before, but, with so many bad reviews, I felt I had to chip in... So, I gave it a ten.
    Not a real life ten but a computer game ridiculous marking system 10.
    There are faults.
    It's not perfect...
    What is?

    Ok then, what is wrong?
    1) Recycling of environments you cheap ass Bioware swine.
    2) Not being able to re-clothe the rest of your party.- though actually after a while you kinda forget that as there's plenty of cool stuff for the main protagonist to collect, so...
    3) If you're ass kickingly good at battle strategy then the difficulty level doesn't go up high enough...
    4) Dialogue choices- they could have stretched to 4 or 5 choices some of the time if not the amount you get in Dragon Age 1.
    5) And, well, for me... that's about it.
    A confession.
    I'm a gamer.
    Not a strictly rpg gamer, or a strictly fps gamer, or whatever... just a gamer.
    What did I like?

    1) The changes made to the combat seem to me improvements. You press a button something happens without having to wait. It doesn't mean you can play this like Fable-( which incidently I did like- that's Fable 2 not 3- which had multiple story-telling faults) If you do play this like Fable you will have your butt handed to you.
    2)The graphics are way better than the first.
    3) Hearing the hero speak makes a nice change.
    4) Non-linear story that strayed from the usual 'I will become a totally mighty hero...' quest- I don't know, given the context of this being a pop-culture fantasy, it just seemed a little more adult, maybe?
    5) The comedy was up to the usual standard.
    6) The characters felt rounded. 7) It was Dragon Age- ie I've run out of things to say that were wrong or right because 85% of this game is the same thing we've come to ecpect whatever all those bad reviews say. The differences make up 15% and I'd say two thirds of those are improvements and a 1/3rd, or 5% of the total, are missteps.    … Expand
  23. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    I expected MUCH more. Dragon Age: Origins had an excellent concept and was much more enjoyable overall. This game definitely does not deserve to be part of the main series. The fact that you're forced to be in one town for most of the game shows how lazy EA is getting.
  24. Thom
    Apr 24, 2011
    7
    I think a lot of the criticism of the game has been overly focused on the combat. The combat certainly has its issues, but the real problem the game is its complete lack of pacing or plot. Origins was an epic adventure where your choices actually mattered. This game doesn't even provide the illusion of choice, as its painfully obvious that the game will rail-road you as it sees fit. ThisI think a lot of the criticism of the game has been overly focused on the combat. The combat certainly has its issues, but the real problem the game is its complete lack of pacing or plot. Origins was an epic adventure where your choices actually mattered. This game doesn't even provide the illusion of choice, as its painfully obvious that the game will rail-road you as it sees fit. This would be acceptable if the game had a decent story, but with the exception of a few interesting side quests, it really doesn't. Character motivation is often non-existent and their decisions often make no sense. The plot is painfully predictable.

    The three acts are basically unrelated. I admire what Bioware tried to do with the 7-year plot span, but it required a sense of change that wasn't present.

    My other gripe is that the game only provides about 10 hours of content, and then pads it out with recycled environments and fetch quests. I think almost everyone would agree this is a big problem.

    I'm giving the game a seven because the companions were mostly excellent. I didn't care for Merrill, because I felt her side-stories had no rationale, but most people seem to like her too. Otherwise, there are much better RPG's out there, many of them by bioware. Try one of those.    … Expand
  25. whiskeyknight
    Apr 25, 2011
    8
    dragon age 2 is a really good game, but given the standards set by bioware this should be an incredible game. honestly my main gripe is the recycled dungeons. what was going through the developers heads when they decided to use the same maps over and over? i have no idea..which is a shame because most of the other components of da2 are fantastic.
  26. Blazing
    Mar 17, 2011
    7
    Sin duda alguna, una entrega muy inferior en relación a Origins, con muchos puntos flojos. Su único punto fuerte es que los combates contra bosses siguen teniendo "algo de estrategia", y otras pequeñas cosas sin mucha importancia. Esta entrega ha sido especialmente enfocada a todos los públicos, dejando de banda a los fieles seguidoresSin duda alguna, una entrega muy inferior en relación a Origins, con muchos puntos flojos. Su único punto fuerte es que los combates contra bosses siguen teniendo "algo de estrategia", y otras pequeñas cosas sin mucha importancia. Esta entrega ha sido especialmente enfocada a todos los públicos, dejando de banda a los fieles seguidores del rol. Personajes poco complejos, historia confusa, simplificaciones... un despropósito en si. BioWare solo tenía mejorar un poco Origins para hacer un gran juego.… Expand
  27. RagingPacifist
    Mar 15, 2011
    7
    If you are looking for a LONG game and enjoy RPGs then this is like you. At times, it plays more like a 'Choose your own Adventure' book (yeah, I am that old) and wasn't terribly thrilled with the sexual ambiguity of the game, but it was entertaining. Between the long periods of video, choose what you will say, comes the hack and slash which was a bit repetitive at times. Not horriblyIf you are looking for a LONG game and enjoy RPGs then this is like you. At times, it plays more like a 'Choose your own Adventure' book (yeah, I am that old) and wasn't terribly thrilled with the sexual ambiguity of the game, but it was entertaining. Between the long periods of video, choose what you will say, comes the hack and slash which was a bit repetitive at times. Not horribly challenging but kept me busy.… Expand
  28. Baska88
    Mar 16, 2011
    6
    Sadly Bioware seems to have succumbed to possible pressure from EA to quickly produce a sequel to DA:O. This is reflected in many aspects of the game and most importantly in the environment and story. The environments are static and because you spend the whole game in the same city you will visit the same places hundreds of times.

    The story misses a clear drive and remains vague    Sadly Bioware seems to have succumbed to possible pressure from EA to quickly produce a sequel to DA:O. This is reflected in many aspects of the game and most importantly in the environment and story. The environments are static and because you spend the whole game in the same city you will visit the same places hundreds of times.

    The story misses a clear drive and remains vague throughout the whole game. In the end I had the feeling my decisions did not have any 'real' impact on the conclusion of the story (if there even is one). Certain things that happened simply did not make sense to me. Furthermore the ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it reminded me of the ending of KotOR 2, which is definitely not a good thing.

    A final sign of hasty production of this game is perhaps the removal of certain features from the first game. One of these is that you can no longer choose what armor your companions wear, making most of the armor useless since you can only wear armor suited for your own class. Perhaps Bioware had to remove this feature because they did not have the time to adapt the armor for different character models?

    In the end I had some fun with DA II (the fighting is great although it is quite easy) but it left me thinking "Was that all?". You can do better than this Bioware!    … Expand
  29. MarcusGejm
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    Od Dragon Age II oczekiwaÅ
  30. jagid
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. DA2 is clearly a polarizing game. But I think that it's a very good one, even if it fails to achieve greatness.

    Technically DA2 far outstrips Origins. The gameplay simplifications lead to a product that reminds me of the polish that you would expect in a Final Fantasy game. There is less choice (bad) but the the focus is significantly improved (good). And the shackles of an old fashioned D&D type system have been left well behind which if a good thing given the progression that has been made in the genre over the years.

    The quests are excellent and do a good job of balancing paint by numbers with assistance (do I really want to spend 30 mins searching an area for what I need) .

    The story is something of a mixed bag (at times I got sick of the whole apostate thing) but it is refreshing (and brave) to avoid the tired cliche of saving the world from the rampaging demon / dragon (or both the the case of the original DA!) The characters are strong too and while not as compelling as in its predecessor there is a bewildering amount of nuanced dialog. Ambiguity and choice are also extremely well implemented.

    Uncharted 2 is still the best PS3 game IMHO. Demon's Souls is next. DA2 is not at that level but f you are an RPG fan and can be prepared to get beyond the early button mashing and play on a high enough difficulty level there's a game that's not to be missed here.    … Expand
  31. RoldinVoir
    Mar 29, 2011
    7
    Dragon Age 2 was a Good game, However it had many flaws in it which keeps it from receiving a better score from me. DA:O was a game that was almost the perfect RPG but it too had flaws as in a slow combat system and shotty graphics for the 360. While DA 2 Fixed the slow combat system it went away from the core of what made DA:O a great game. For it didn't have varied areas and you wereDragon Age 2 was a Good game, However it had many flaws in it which keeps it from receiving a better score from me. DA:O was a game that was almost the perfect RPG but it too had flaws as in a slow combat system and shotty graphics for the 360. While DA 2 Fixed the slow combat system it went away from the core of what made DA:O a great game. For it didn't have varied areas and you were stuck in one city the entire game. While the story and the side quests were amazing, but the areas were just used over and over again and after awhile you just started to get bored of doing the same thing over and over. The only saving grace for this was the combat system was fluid and the story was amazing.

    I can only imagine that if Bioware kept this game in development for another 6months it would have produced a much better game. As it stands sadly while the game was fun it just wasn't as impressive as DA:O was with it's epic feel of adventure, and settings. DA2 had a better story and combat system however it just fell down on variety and the feel of epic. Cause really I'll never forget going into the Deep Roads and the mage tower in the first game, The experience these places produced were one of a kind.    … Expand
  32. DWlubu1998
    Apr 15, 2011
    7
    This may be a step down from origins but its still a good game and there are some improvements. Most of the beginning of the game you are doing boring quest that have you going from one place to the other then the other then the other... But once you get further into the game it gets more enjoyable. There are some unexpected moments along the way. The customization from the first game wasThis may be a step down from origins but its still a good game and there are some improvements. Most of the beginning of the game you are doing boring quest that have you going from one place to the other then the other then the other... But once you get further into the game it gets more enjoyable. There are some unexpected moments along the way. The customization from the first game was mostly taken away seeing how your character is picked for you but you can pick his/her face and that about it besides armor and weapons. Dont get me wrong i still like this game but the first one was better.… Expand
  33. SuctorialDave
    Apr 20, 2011
    7
    Not as good as "Dragon age: Origins" but not bad. I find it good that the combats are now more action-packed. The story is interesting but not as epic as it was in Origin. What i really hated was the copy-paste levels. In every Chapter the levels were the same. I am a little bit disapointed but nonetheless it is a good game.
  34. Fenrir81
    Apr 22, 2011
    7
    I've been a fan of Bioware since KOTOR, but I am the first to admit that with Dragon Age 2, they dropped the ball. Big time. The product of one year of lazy and extremely rushed development, this game remains good compared to other videogames on the market, but as per Bioware standards, it is truly mediocre. The sequel to the masterful Dragon Age Origins falls (very short) in every domainI've been a fan of Bioware since KOTOR, but I am the first to admit that with Dragon Age 2, they dropped the ball. Big time. The product of one year of lazy and extremely rushed development, this game remains good compared to other videogames on the market, but as per Bioware standards, it is truly mediocre. The sequel to the masterful Dragon Age Origins falls (very short) in every domain but the graphics. The levels are re-used ad nauseum, the characters are boring and unlikable (the worst thing that can happen to an RPG), the story is a deconstructed mess, the fighting is more dynamic but less deep... Overall, the game is a severe failure and a huge step back.… Expand
  35. Catalyst38
    May 13, 2011
    10
    i loved it. heres my breakdown will go in descending for what i feel is impotent in a game.

    Graphics - It weird the graphics i'd have to say look better some times then worse then DA:O at others. For every improved look like the Qunari and elves you get a odd one like Alister face just looked weird. Music- Made you feel like you where in the moment with your character cant ask for    i loved it. heres my breakdown will go in descending for what i feel is impotent in a game.

    Graphics - It weird the graphics i'd have to say look better some times then worse then DA:O at others. For every improved look like the Qunari and elves you get a odd one like Alister face just looked weird.

    Music- Made you feel like you where in the moment with your character cant ask for more.

    Voice Acting- Is very well done they spared no expense, I was very happy with all the voice casting.

    Combat- It was way more entertaining the Origins but even on hard was to easy i never really used the cross combo thing they talked about so much. Also the re-spawning of enemy's got annoying fairly fast. That all aside come was still fun and i enjoyed it even with a big of repetition.

    RPG elements- You did have the range and depth of choices you did in Origins. That being said you got more then you did in oblivion and fallout combined. Also you end up just using the DLC gear right from the get go witch is both sweet and since i never used anything else but DLC armor i have no reason for anything in the game. Sorta makes looting a bit pointless

    Overall - This is a fun game but it seams to suffer from the middle child syndrome witch i believe is why its getting so many negative reviews. Its has no real ending upon beating the game i just felt like i needed to put in disk2 or something. i'm Giving this game a 10 not because it really should get one it deserves more like a 7/10 but theres no many people hating on it irrationally i feel the low 4.5 rating will stop people from experiencing the game.    … Expand
  36. Nikkolette
    Jan 4, 2012
    0
    Dumbed down RPG. Japanese slasher arcade combat with acrobatic knights in heavy armor, parachuting waves of zergling enemies, also in heavy armor. Idiotic wheel dialogue system where your written phrases differs from Hawke actually saying. Location that game uses n+1 times. Shallow companions. Etc etc etc.
    A shadow of Origins.
  37. Aidana2010
    Jul 19, 2013
    0
    This is the most disgusting and miserable game that I played. I did not expect this from Bioware!
    A terrible battle animation, faceless companions, horrible redesign of the elves. I have no words that would express how disappointed me this trash!
  38. Crichtonrygel
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    Just finished putting 37 hours into the game. Dragon Age 2 is a slightly different experience than Dragon Age Origins but I found it much more satisfying. Responsive combat, different character classes (that actually control differently) characters you actually care about, mixed with the usual strong writing from Bioware make Dragon Age 2 one of the best RPG's out there. It's not perfectJust finished putting 37 hours into the game. Dragon Age 2 is a slightly different experience than Dragon Age Origins but I found it much more satisfying. Responsive combat, different character classes (that actually control differently) characters you actually care about, mixed with the usual strong writing from Bioware make Dragon Age 2 one of the best RPG's out there. It's not perfect as several environments are reused, the ending's a bit of a cliffhanger, and the whole game takes place in or around one area (think Vagrant Story or Planescape:Torment). Even with these issues I was hooked my entire play-through and am already creating a new character. It's frustrating to see so many people hating on this game and but I hope Bioware keeps with the direction they're going. They've managed to top themselves with each game and I look forward to their next title!… Expand
  39. DarthPreamp
    Mar 13, 2011
    10
    I can say with confidence, having played most of the RPG that has come out in the last ten years, this is one of the best. The characters are extremely well developed, more like you would find in a fine fantasy novel, than what usually passes for character development in video games. The story is fascinating, and huge. There are MANY things to do , stories to discover, and interestingI can say with confidence, having played most of the RPG that has come out in the last ten years, this is one of the best. The characters are extremely well developed, more like you would find in a fine fantasy novel, than what usually passes for character development in video games. The story is fascinating, and huge. There are MANY things to do , stories to discover, and interesting ideas. There is also a lot to read. There is more depth to this game than the previous, in terms of the ideas that are presented and developed. It is also , a MUCH more original story than its predecessor. Kudos to Bioware for actually doing something original, at the apparently very real risk of alienating some core players, by doing something interesting,original, and VERY compelling. The truth about this game is the EXACT opposite of what those who are disparaging it would have you believe. Bioware did not sell out, the exact opposite is true. They are doing what they have always done, pushing the boundaries of the genre in new and very fascinating ways. Think about it, they could have really cashed in by making the game a direct sequel to the original in every way, but they didn't, they chose to do something worthwhile, they chose to create something original. This game is actually a giant step forward for digital story telling as well as for RPG's. Oh yeah, its also a hell of a lot of fun!!!! Go out and get it!… Expand
  40. mustang
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    dragon age 2 is FANTASTIC ,its a fantastic game, fantastic gameplay, fantastic graphics and fantastic history. i love it , bioware make a very goods games.I don't know what the rest of these people are talking about.
  41. coolblaze
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    DA2 has it's head up it's ass. Sorry, but it's true. I think there are alot of fans that are just disappointed because of the arrogant flare being displayed in the game. The mob won't tolerate arrogance, or perhaps someone is sick that is in charge. I don't doubt they worked hard, I don't doubt they tried to make it fun.... but that was the point... it was fun, but I couldn't fall in loveDA2 has it's head up it's ass. Sorry, but it's true. I think there are alot of fans that are just disappointed because of the arrogant flare being displayed in the game. The mob won't tolerate arrogance, or perhaps someone is sick that is in charge. I don't doubt they worked hard, I don't doubt they tried to make it fun.... but that was the point... it was fun, but I couldn't fall in love with the product because there were places in the game that just left a bitter taste in my mouth. Like going to 4 difference places.... but it's all the same map? What the hell were you guys thinking? I tried to fool myself for DA2 and couldn't do it. But.... it's still a very good game COMPARED to the games out there. The 0's in the scores are just people who resent being left in the dust as DA2 tries HARDER to win new customers rather then keeping old customers satisfied. GET USED TO IT. I give it a 10 to even things out. Because those who believe it's a 4.2 will be missing out. It's worth your 60 bucks compared to the garbage out there. Those of you who gave it a 0? Get over it. Support them this time, because they got something big coming along that will make alot of people happy.… Expand
  42. Drakenian
    Mar 18, 2011
    8
    While Dragon Age 2 is certainly not as good as its predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins, it is still an incredible fun and enjoyable game. All the typical elements of Bioware games are present, from the branching dialogue trees, deep immersive characters, and a good storyline as well. Added to the mix is a new combat system, a more "real-time" combat system as opposed to the semi "time-based"While Dragon Age 2 is certainly not as good as its predecessor, Dragon Age: Origins, it is still an incredible fun and enjoyable game. All the typical elements of Bioware games are present, from the branching dialogue trees, deep immersive characters, and a good storyline as well. Added to the mix is a new combat system, a more "real-time" combat system as opposed to the semi "time-based" one present in Origins. What this new combat system allows is more of an action-y experience during battles, allowing you to properly dodge of your own volition and strike when you wish.

    The one thing inexcusable about this game, however, is that it is buggy as all hell. Texture glitches more prominently than others, but glitches in conversation lines, glitches in recognizing certain things you have or have not done that should affect certain situations, (game may not recognize that you, say, slew a girl's brother, and she will act as if he's alive) bog down the experience and cause irritation. That is not to say that it completely ruins the experience, but it is evident that the game could have used a few more months working out the bugs.    … Expand
  43. Kezmer
    Mar 19, 2011
    9
    This game is really fun, and I don't understand the negative reviews. I am having a great time with it. I think the conversations and story line are great. there are a few annoying things here and there but for the most part even if it is "dumbed down" this game deserves wall better than the average score it has right now
  44. SUPERFLY
    Mar 20, 2011
    8
    Okay, okay, OKAY !!!! We get it that your annoyed, alright? I've read so many unfairly negative reviews of this game that it's really started to bug me. I'm a Dragon Age Origins fan. I loved the first game, but it wasn't perfect. Just like this game isn't perfect. Inevitably comparisons are going to be made, but we should all judge this game on it's own merits. I'm not going to go intoOkay, okay, OKAY !!!! We get it that your annoyed, alright? I've read so many unfairly negative reviews of this game that it's really started to bug me. I'm a Dragon Age Origins fan. I loved the first game, but it wasn't perfect. Just like this game isn't perfect. Inevitably comparisons are going to be made, but we should all judge this game on it's own merits. I'm not going to go into great detail, but I feel as though Bioware / EA have taken two steps forward and one step back with this game. I have gamer friends who have welcomed the simplification of certain aspects of the game. I personally feel differently. Don't misunderstand, there is still depth to be had from managing team combat tactics and your main characters item set, but that's about it. I think some people are having a hard time getting used to this. I love the improvement to the visuals and still feel that the story telling is as engaging as the first. However, this game does feel like the first instalment of a trilogy rather than the full epic story of the first Dragon Age. I predict DLC, a lot of DLC. Overall, I've enjoyed this game and would recommend it to others, with a note of caution.… Expand
  45. dragoonie
    Apr 3, 2011
    9
    Giving a game that has many obvious merits a "zero" rating is just an annoying way of looking bitter and foolish. I played, and enjoyed, DA:O on PC and 360. That being said, it was obviously made for PC. Looking back at my calendar of 2009 I scarce remember the big fallout of console gamers crying foul about the fact that DA:O was clearly made for PC. Rather the console gamer simplyGiving a game that has many obvious merits a "zero" rating is just an annoying way of looking bitter and foolish. I played, and enjoyed, DA:O on PC and 360. That being said, it was obviously made for PC. Looking back at my calendar of 2009 I scarce remember the big fallout of console gamers crying foul about the fact that DA:O was clearly made for PC. Rather the console gamer simply felt blessed that Bioware attempted, seemingly, the impossible, to port a Baldur's Gate-esque game to a console with not-so-terrible results. DA2 is a good game. It, and all games, have their problems (the repeating dungeons just seem lazy) and if that bothers you terribly then by all means, rant. To complain that the problem with this game is development time though is ridiculous. Plenty of Maddens or 2K sports games are put out every single year with little to no improvement and the reviewers are more than happy to give them 8/10 or 9/10's. This game is different. It is not DA:O. It doesn't take away what DA:O was and is though, so if you want Origins then play Origins, if you want something different then play this. It is addictive, with good characters, story, and gameplay. But it's not Origins. If you can remember that, then you'll probably reserve your 'zero' review scores for the games they rightly belong to (Barbie's Horse Adventures, never played it but I mean, come on) and not Dragon Age II… Expand
  46. dancodan
    Apr 12, 2011
    10
    I agree that Dragon Age 2 has been dumb down a notch.
    It has taken the mainstream path to lure in more young players.
    This is the road that all games take now days when money talks and unique gameplay walks. None the less. You will not find a better game in this genre for a few years. It is money well spent. Not only for the quality of the gameplay, graphics and voice acting but also for    I agree that Dragon Age 2 has been dumb down a notch.
    It has taken the mainstream path to lure in more young players.

    This is the road that all games take now days when money talks and unique gameplay walks.
    None the less. You will not find a better game in this genre for a few years.
    It is money well spent. Not only for the quality of the gameplay, graphics and voice acting but also for the extensive campaign.

    The game should be considered as a action-rpg from now on. If you are the one who love the old pen n paper play style and prefer baldurs gate 1 & 2 in front of Dragon age 1, then maybe you should take a second thought, but I would suggest you to pick this up anyway. It's not money wasted, no matter what your preferences are.


    /dancodan    … Expand
  47. Hardlydan
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Don't listen to all the circle jerking Origins fanboys, Dragon Age 2 is a fantastic game. Ok so there is some recycling of environments but that isn't much of a problem when you consider the great story, music, characters and playability. As for the people saying that the game looks terrible, well they obviously need to go to the opticians or stop reviewing the demo. As for the peopleDon't listen to all the circle jerking Origins fanboys, Dragon Age 2 is a fantastic game. Ok so there is some recycling of environments but that isn't much of a problem when you consider the great story, music, characters and playability. As for the people saying that the game looks terrible, well they obviously need to go to the opticians or stop reviewing the demo. As for the people complaining about the lack of choice If you actually play the game you will find that the choices you make are in the dialogue, choices here effect the outcome of the game. Bioware chose to take this path in developing the game because it drives the narrative in a far better way than it would if you just chose in which direction to wander.

    All in all, in my opinion Dragon Age 2 is a fantastic game and quite possibly the best game I have played in the past few years.    … Expand
  48. xLeTudex
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    I really don't understand why this game has been rated low from so many people. Its a brilliant game! it has everything, great gameplay, an interesting story which is not predictable and doesnt feel linear, and the graphics are superb. Yes, the majority of the game is set in one town/city, but the variety of quests to be undertaken more than makes up for this. It may be different thanI really don't understand why this game has been rated low from so many people. Its a brilliant game! it has everything, great gameplay, an interesting story which is not predictable and doesnt feel linear, and the graphics are superb. Yes, the majority of the game is set in one town/city, but the variety of quests to be undertaken more than makes up for this. It may be different than Dragon Age Origins, but in my opinion, when taking everything into consideration, it is a much better game. It is the fantasy version of Mass Effect 2, and that got game of the year. Enough said, GET THIS GAME!… Expand
  49. Kadan
    Mar 10, 2011
    7
    Ð¥Ñ
  50. DraMass
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game. A masterpiece. Bioware as always have shown that they the best rpg developers. The combat, a plot, and characters are incredible. Game is ideal in all. Thanks for Fenris, Anders, Isabella and certainly Hawk. The original plot holds throughout all game. A one minus - repeating locations. But this isn't neccesary. I always buy your games. Thanks once again that you have made!
  51. swizer
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. dragon age 2 best game of all times... I do not know why at this game such low estimation, but is better rpg you can't find... Bioware as always have surpassed itself… Expand
  52. Darkfung
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    The demo failed to impress me but after spending hours playing through the game I'm fully converted! piles of missions to keep me wandering about and the much derided Kirkwall and the Freemarshes are massive and beautifully detailed - no you can't armour up your companions but you can change their weapons, rings etc. and set up individual tactics that make them behave differently each timeThe demo failed to impress me but after spending hours playing through the game I'm fully converted! piles of missions to keep me wandering about and the much derided Kirkwall and the Freemarshes are massive and beautifully detailed - no you can't armour up your companions but you can change their weapons, rings etc. and set up individual tactics that make them behave differently each time you play. yes it's more "fight-y" but the animations are spectacular - well done Bioware (don't know why the reviews are so negative !!)… Expand
  53. Persephone611
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    10.00 Dragon Age 2 is not your standard "Hero against the world" or "Hero slays a dragon" story. This is a story about conflict, politics, oppression and personal drama. Unlike most games, it offers no "good" or "evil" way out. That alone is one of its strongest points. I'll list my personal pros and cons first:

    + Breaks out of the stale "Hero defeats an ancient evil" formula. +    10.00 Dragon Age 2 is not your standard "Hero against the world" or "Hero slays a dragon" story. This is a story about conflict, politics, oppression and personal drama. Unlike most games, it offers no "good" or "evil" way out. That alone is one of its strongest points. I'll list my personal pros and cons first:

    + Breaks out of the stale "Hero defeats an ancient evil" formula.
    + Companions are all well defined, plot heavy and not just people with ten dialogue options
    + The combat system is fast and furious, it feels involved and largely improved
    + No more "You gave me 5 gifts. I wuv you" = "Romance" nonsense. Romances take time, feel real and are part of the drama
    + Side quests and Companion Quests are woven into the main story
    + It no longer takes "approval" to get to know your companions. Friendship and rivalry offer different paths, you are no longer punished for disagreeing with your companions
    + Importing DAO saves add wonderful touches and REAL cameos, unlike the hack job called Awakening
    + Gorgeous graphics
    + I encountered only two quests I could not finish
    + No hours of sludging aimlessly through the Deep Roads or the Fade, killing everything in sight

    - Re-used enviroments. While the enviroments they DID create are gorgeous in color and finely drawn, there are too few. Hopefully this will be fixed via a patch.
    - Much as I like the companion interaction being spread out, I'd have liked to see more and I'd have liked to customize them fully. But worry not, the modders are already at work

    This game is not was not meant to be a direct sequel to DAO. They tried going down that road with Awakening and we know that was a disaster. It is a bold, new way of picking up a conflict that was already hinted at in the original. Also, it was bound to happen sooner or later. The tragedies unfolding in this game cannot be blamed on an antagonist or an ancient evil but on, pardon the RPG pun, human nature. There were so many moments in this game when I was teary eyed or yelling "No, no, NO!" at my screen. I don't want to spoil anything however. Is it a perfect game? No. Was DAO a perfect game? Hell, no. DAO was horribly bugged, the last third of the game was badly written and rushed and never mind its formulaic nature and cliché ending. I love both games though. DA2 represents change and many do not like change. I happen to love it. I cannot wait for the newest DLCs and expansion and DA3 can't come soon enough either. I know the haters will pounce down on my review. It'll be an honor though, because I don't care what they think.    … Expand
  54. cephalopd
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    After playing through the game I think its a solid game. It is very different from Dragon Age: Origins, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I feel like the game is more streamlined than Origins. It reminded me more of Knights of the Old Republic than Baldur's Gate. I enjoyed my first playthrough and and am working on my second and there will probably be a few more over the next fewAfter playing through the game I think its a solid game. It is very different from Dragon Age: Origins, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I feel like the game is more streamlined than Origins. It reminded me more of Knights of the Old Republic than Baldur's Gate. I enjoyed my first playthrough and and am working on my second and there will probably be a few more over the next few months. So, if you are expecting a rehash of Origins, you'll be disappointed. It's a completely different game, but it's still a fun game and has plenty of merits of its own. Download the demo, give it a whirl and see for yourself.… Expand
  55. Spybreak
    Mar 30, 2011
    8
    Dragon Age 2 is the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins but some could actually argue it's more of a side story. You don't actually continue the actions and decisions from the first game, you can still pick an Origins' save or a set list of what happened in the world of Dragon Age. Instead you take on the role of Hawke, a similar Mass Effect protagonist like Commander Shepard (in fact manyDragon Age 2 is the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins but some could actually argue it's more of a side story. You don't actually continue the actions and decisions from the first game, you can still pick an Origins' save or a set list of what happened in the world of Dragon Age. Instead you take on the role of Hawke, a similar Mass Effect protagonist like Commander Shepard (in fact many design aspects of Mass Effect 2 are infused into Dragon Age). This time you're also given a voice for the main character, which I found to be enjoyable and helpful in my immersion. The game is played out by what one of your companions is describing, which I thought was a nice fresh way of storytelling. This is similar to what the Call of Duty franchise did with Black Ops. The player has the option to bring over their character from Origins or create from three classes; a warrior, rogue, or a mage (all with varying gameplay styles). Throughout the game you'll be able to unlock more skills and develop a specific skill tree. The combat feels fresh. At many times tactical, this depends highly on difficulty chosen, with the player's decisions on how to counter what enemy with what skill/companion or what sequence of moves to use. There is an overwhelming amount of character progression with the main character along with many of his/her party members. The world that Bioware has crafted is told very well and often times similar or repetitive information which was given in Origins feels fresh and interesting. There are a set amount of environmental pieces however that you'll frequent and at times you may find yourself stuck with a serious glitch, (certain party friendship bonuses can actually give you a negative effect if they're not enrolled in your current party) that affects the difficulty immensely. You might also not like the exclusion of companion armor management but this will come down to personal taste, I believe. Those issues aside I found Dragon Age 2 to be a very fun RPG that I grew attached to the characters and the believability of the world that Bioware created. The plethora of side quests, the little improvements over Origins (the inclusion of item ratings/accessible hotkeys/superb voice work/an enjoyable art style,lore,story/quests showing up on the world map now), the streamlined dialogue system and overarching story makes Dragon Age 2 a buy for any RPG fan. Recommend… Expand
  56. JohnFrink
    Apr 11, 2011
    8
    Dragon Age II offers a lot of solid RPG gameplay and fresh storytelling. Many of the issues of Dragon Age: Origins have been resolved and the visuals are generally improved. However, BioWare has also made extensive changes where there was no obvious need with mixed results. As a big fan of the original, my initial reaction to Dragon Age II was disappointment and frustration with some ofDragon Age II offers a lot of solid RPG gameplay and fresh storytelling. Many of the issues of Dragon Age: Origins have been resolved and the visuals are generally improved. However, BioWare has also made extensive changes where there was no obvious need with mixed results. As a big fan of the original, my initial reaction to Dragon Age II was disappointment and frustration with some of these changes. The game slowly grew on me and by the middle I was enjoying it on its own merits and was still engaged by the story and character progression through to the end of the lengthy game and already thinking about a second play through.
    As a sequel, Dragon Age II didn't live up to my expectations, but is still quite a good game. Hopefully BioWare has the opportunity to move forward with this franchise in the future rather than taking another step laterally.    … Expand
  57. WarX
    May 18, 2011
    7
    It's a Great Game, but ya they could have done better, but still a good buy for PC, I like that the main character can talk, gives more life to your character, the story so far for is great, my favourite character is the dwarf Varric, he is a good Narrator, gives more flavour for the Story...
  58. cidgrad01
    Dec 31, 2013
    0
    This game is not only one of the most disappointing sequels ever made but a terrible RPG overall, to boot. It feels like a rush job EA ordered Bioware to put on the market to fill the void in their schedule before Mass Effect 3 came out. If you did not play the first Dragon Age game, you might think this is okay, at best. If you loved the first game, however, you’ll most likely find DragonThis game is not only one of the most disappointing sequels ever made but a terrible RPG overall, to boot. It feels like a rush job EA ordered Bioware to put on the market to fill the void in their schedule before Mass Effect 3 came out. If you did not play the first Dragon Age game, you might think this is okay, at best. If you loved the first game, however, you’ll most likely find Dragon Age 2 an abomination worthy of being hunted down by Templars.

    There is no continuation of any loose threads from the DA: Origins story other than a few characters making lame cameo appearances. This despite a cliffhanger ending where Morrigan (and possibly your Warden character, with her) disappear through a mirror portal to an unknown location. Instead of bothering with any of that stuff, Bioware thought you might enjoy playing the life of Hawke, a refugee who ends up in the city of Kirkwall and stays as far away from the plot of DAO as possible. So what does he do? Well…nothing, really. Just wanders around Kirkwall & its environs.

    To give you something to compare this to, imagine that the second Lord of the Rings movie decided to take a break from all that heavy stuff about Frodo, the One Ring, Sauron, etc and instead followed the life of a guard in the village of Bree. That’s what Dragon Age 2 is like.

    This is doubly disappointing since the story & characters in DA2 are completely uninteresting and silly. It’s like reading fan fiction. There are a few returning, minor characters from the first game who were pretty cool there but are ruined by Dragon Age 2’s dull-witted dialogue & stupid plot choices that cannot be changed no matter what. Oh and pretty much everybody but Hawke’s sister and the dwarf guy are bisexual, which again, is silly and seems designed by a 10-year old boy: “I want male or female Hawke to be able to have sex with everybody!”

    The game tries to pretend like your choices make a difference but they ultimately don’t. The first game explored a very complex relationship between Templars & mages. DA2 turns everything DAO spent telling you about this relationship on its head. DA2 wants to paint a portrait of Templars just being jerks while mages are poor victims who should be set free. Except that every time you side with a mage over a Templar, the mage decides to turn into an evil demon to gain more power. This includes the head enchanter during the final part of the game. To me, that seems pretty conclusive proof that maybe the Templars are right. There isn’t anyone to root for and you end up killing pretty much everybody.

    The atrocity doesn’t stop at the story & characters, unfortunately. Gameplay is broken as all you need to do is talent up the dwarf’s crossbow damage. I literally ended up running around & spamming the attack button in every fight, including bosses. I barely even needed to heal myself except during a few fights. A huge letdown from DAO’s combat system that was very strategic and required you to pay attention to what you were doing to beat many groups of enemies.

    The most unforgivable sin this game makes, though, is that of its reused environments. It’s bad enough the story takes place over several decades, giving Bioware an excuse to drudge up the same old environment maps after a “10 year later” subtitle. However, they also reuse the exact same maps for supposedly different areas. One, in particular, is the “cave map” that appears whenever you go inside a cave dungeon. It’s not supposed to be the same cave every time, but IT IS the same cave. They don’t even do palette swaps or rearrange any items. The most they do will be to block off section of the map or start you from the opposite end to try and make it feel fresh. Ditto for the “mansion map” and “underground map”. It’s the laziest thing I’ve ever seen in a game, especially for a AAA budget game.

    To recap: uninteresting gameplay, terrible story, stupid characters, and walking again & again through literally the same maps for 30+ hours. If that sounds like fun, have at it. As far as I’m concerned, though, the Dragon Age franchise is dead well before its time.    … Expand
  59. RidiculousDeath
    Oct 16, 2019
    1
    One of the worst sequels in the history of gaming. Also the beginning of a "woke" era in Bioware.
  60. Vaille
    Mar 11, 2011
    7
    I went into Dragon Age II with high hopes, only to be crushed summarily upon realizing that the Auto-Attack feature had not been implemented as promised, and that the importation system was supposedly broken. Much like Hawke's rise to power, however, my feelings towards the game grew steadily until I found myself staring wide-eyed at the game's climax. I'll start with graphical details,I went into Dragon Age II with high hopes, only to be crushed summarily upon realizing that the Auto-Attack feature had not been implemented as promised, and that the importation system was supposedly broken. Much like Hawke's rise to power, however, my feelings towards the game grew steadily until I found myself staring wide-eyed at the game's climax. I'll start with graphical details, though. Playing on 1080i, the graphics are a moderate improvement over those of Origins. That said, they could be better. There are a few minor clipping issues, and if you pay attention, you can definitely tell that you're playing a video game. Graphically, this is no Mass Effect. However, from an artistic standpoint, the game is impressive, to say the least. Thedesian art is shown over Varric's voiceovers, providing an experience that genuinely immerses you in the world. Furthermore, breathtaking environments outside of Kirkwall can leave you forgetting your quest at times. There are complaints of several technical issues. Most notably is the lack of an Auto-Attack feature. Chris Priestly has promised a patch that will include the feature, but until then, players are committed to button mashing in order to attack. Fans of Origins, I don't have to tell you how much of a nightmare this can be. There have also been reports of the import feature not working. However, as I haven't encountered said glitch, I won't fault the game for it. From a gameplay standpoint, the game has seen noticeable improvements (with the exception of the Auto-Attack issue). Choosing an action now sets that action immediately into motion. No longer do you have to shuffle around enemies or wait for them to stop running from you. Furthermore, ranged characters like archers and mages can now hold their own (to a degree) in close-quarters combat. However, you can no longer customize the armor of your party members, other than accessories. While this has the sense of a lack of control, it does make every party member stand out as unique. The story is drastically different from that of Origins. Where Origins was a high fantasy epic involving the defeat of Thedas' greatest known evil, Dragon Age II is a personal story that slowly builds purpose. The developers were mostly correct when they said that there's no primary antagonist. The game is divided into several acts, with the final two each having their own enemies. After a slow climb, the game reaches a world-shattering climax in its final act, with the opportunity to change Thedas much more than your Warden ever did. Unfortunately, the story to that point is almost totally devoid of the embracing feel of Origins. Additionally, the denouement is short and unfulfilling, and you find yourself hoping for an expansion that will offer some closure. Ultimately, Dragon Age II comes off as a strong game that just barely missed its mark. It hits a high point towards the end, but the journey there often feels cold and uninviting in comparison with the enthralling world of Origins. The graphics, while improved, still don't meet the standards set by many games recently released. Gameplay has seen several improvements, but in an effort to streamline, the developers were perhaps a bit too ambitious for their own good. In short, Dragon Age II is worth playing, but you shouldn't shelf the original just yet.… Expand
  61. Lungbrace
    Mar 30, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age 2 is an RPG that takes a close look at a large, living world full of culture, racial clash, national identities. If you loved DAO you won't love DA2 for the same reasons. If you come into DA2 with an open mind, like you should all games, you will find a high quality story filled with characters who have their own opinions and viewpoints. You will see the journey of a man (orDragon Age 2 is an RPG that takes a close look at a large, living world full of culture, racial clash, national identities. If you loved DAO you won't love DA2 for the same reasons. If you come into DA2 with an open mind, like you should all games, you will find a high quality story filled with characters who have their own opinions and viewpoints. You will see the journey of a man (or woman) named Hawke, who was dealt a bad hand and had to flee his his country. He arrives in an alien culture and quickly realizes he must learn a whole new set of politics to make his way as a foreigner in the city of Kirkwall. You know the beginning of his story and the end right from the start, but you get to fill in the large blank in the middle and explain how he made the decisions that got him to the end. I am a huge fan of Bioware. And I feel like Bioware is one of the only developers devoted to creating high quality, large storied worlds the way they create their RPGs. I find all the negativity towards DA2 as peoples lack to manage their expectations before a game is released. No game that is in working condition and has so much high quality content deserves a 0 unless that person hasn't managed their own expectations.… Expand
  62. maverikki
    Mar 19, 2011
    9
    Once you get past the horrible inventory system and if you can get past the reused dungeons, this is a really solid game. The game is also very long and I loved the unreliable narrator. The story is about the player rising from being nobody to being the champion. The story and the characters felt really diverse and I have the feeling that there should be enough content for a second orOnce you get past the horrible inventory system and if you can get past the reused dungeons, this is a really solid game. The game is also very long and I loved the unreliable narrator. The story is about the player rising from being nobody to being the champion. The story and the characters felt really diverse and I have the feeling that there should be enough content for a second or third playthrough. This is based on my experience of finishing the game on nightmare difficulty on a mage. Playtime 60 hours but that doesn't include all the reloading I would guess.… Expand
  63. xxAntag0nisTxx
    Apr 2, 2011
    10
    Reading so many reviews, I am baffled by the amount of gamer negativity to this game! Looking at this game, there have definitely been some changes from the original game- however to look past them and judge DAII on it's own merits is the right way to review this game.

    Storyline- The cinematic feel of this game far exceeds the original, and whilst the scope of the game is centered solely    Reading so many reviews, I am baffled by the amount of gamer negativity to this game! Looking at this game, there have definitely been some changes from the original game- however to look past them and judge DAII on it's own merits is the right way to review this game.

    Storyline- The cinematic feel of this game far exceeds the original, and whilst the scope of the game is centered solely around the events in one main city (and a few outlying areas), to me this still felt like an epic journey where your actions had true consequences upon the outcome of the game. The storyline behind each of your companions is fleshed out very well, and offers a deep experience and distraction from the main story. As usual Bioware comes through with a great storyline, a deep fantasy world to explore and great development of the characters within the story.

    Graphics- Not of the same caliber as a Mass Effect title, however, it is still a nice looking game. Length- My first playthrough took me 52.5 hours, and my second took me 50 hours. Some people are talking about an extremely short game, whereas it is not short at all. If you explore this game and exhaust the gameplay in this game you will get a lot of value for your money out of this title.

    Combat- this is where the big improvement in this game lies. The fights are now faster paced, and for those who argue it is not as deep an combat experience as DAI, I completely disagree. The combat is fast paced, and full of action- whilst still giving you the option to slow things down with the "wheel" to issue orders to each of the member in your party (which is my personal preferred way of fighting). On top of this, the "combat tactics" still exist for each character, where you can set a bunch of orders for each of your companions to follow- adding a depth of strategy to how you want your team to fight when you are not issuing direct orders. Miscellaneous- There is still plenty of loot, and character development is still there with the ability to level up characters and customise them to your playstyle. Enchanting weapons and upgrading armor returns as well. in short, the RPG elements have been retained to an acceptable level (even though some people may disagree with not being able to equip armor on your companions).

    My conclusion is that DAII is a great game, and whilst some things have been simplified/streamlined, there is no doubt that this has not had a negative effect on the game. I can imagine some RPG purists may find it hard to overcome this, however, should people judge this game on it's own merits they will find a deep, rewarding and entertaining experience from Bioware yet again!    … Expand
  64. dark89
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best RPG in the world. Unlike the first part of the game is 10 hours and she's fun and interesting. I do not understand people who put her 0 and 1. You even played in it?? Why spoil a game rating? Do nothing else or what?
  65. DoubtedCarrot
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    I have put in about 12-13 hours into this game and have found that people seemed to just be mad at the fact BioWare has just changed how they feel an RPG should work. I personally feel that all genres need to evolve and am glad that BioWare is doing their best for the RPG. Anyone who is mad that this is not an exact replica of Dragon Age: Origins needs to stop. The game is titled DragonI have put in about 12-13 hours into this game and have found that people seemed to just be mad at the fact BioWare has just changed how they feel an RPG should work. I personally feel that all genres need to evolve and am glad that BioWare is doing their best for the RPG. Anyone who is mad that this is not an exact replica of Dragon Age: Origins needs to stop. The game is titled Dragon Age II not Dragon Age: Here's the first game again.

    That being said, I have found that overall the game is very good. Sure there are some minor problems to it but they can easily be overlooked. If you want the game to be more tactical you can up the difficulty to Hard/Nightmare but I have found that even on normal you still have to keep the situation in mind and not blindly charge in. So far the story seems to flow pretty well, with a small disconnect in between chapter 1 and 2 (currently at the beginning of 2). I feel like the conversations are well done even if sometimes the responses are a little corny. Overall I would give the game a 9 so far but with all the haters in the world I will leave it at a 10.    … Expand
  66. Vejita00
    Mar 20, 2011
    10
    This game is excellent. Do not be fooled by all the fanboys who are giving it an extremely low review simply because its not exactly like Dragon Age: Origins.
    The combat flows much better, and is still quite tactical if you put it on the harder settings. The new conversation system is a bit dumbed down but its worth it to have a character with a voice, I believe. There are a lot of little    This game is excellent. Do not be fooled by all the fanboys who are giving it an extremely low review simply because its not exactly like Dragon Age: Origins.
    The combat flows much better, and is still quite tactical if you put it on the harder settings. The new conversation system is a bit dumbed down but its worth it to have a character with a voice, I believe. There are a lot of little changes that I could probably nitpick to death but most of them grew on me.
    This is worth giving a shot, trust me. Its a very solid game. Its not the dumbed down action fest that everyone makes it out to be. In many ways, I'd call it superior to Dragon Age: Origins.    … Expand
  67. belkheldar
    Mar 20, 2011
    10
    Forget the haters, this is a great game. Loved every minute. Easily the best RPG I have played since DAO (and that includes ME2). Graphics and gameplay are top notch. Only criticism is recycling of maps.
  68. Bioware_Fan_98
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Absolute masterpiece of storytelling. The combat system puts Bayonetta to shame and the RPG side of things makes other such games seem like Manic Miner by comparison. Bioware simply cannot fail!
  69. cerberus
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    bien mieux que le premier a mon sens, plus action et l'histoire se laisse suivre, le peu de decors ne derange pas car ils vont de paire avec l'histoire, inutil d'avoir 200 decors different pour ne pas s'en servir corrctement.
  70. Uuwawh
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    DA2 is a game that is a change. The story centers around things that are about to change, and the game itself "seems" that it is a radical change from its roots. From me these changes are for the betterment of the overall story telling that Bioware strives to show us. For myself I felt as though the game had a much better set of developed companions, and the interaction between theseDA2 is a game that is a change. The story centers around things that are about to change, and the game itself "seems" that it is a radical change from its roots. From me these changes are for the betterment of the overall story telling that Bioware strives to show us. For myself I felt as though the game had a much better set of developed companions, and the interaction between these companions are much more complex and personal.

    Also this game may seem like there is a lack of an over arching plot and therefor its a "bad" game. In this there is a truth, its hard to see this over arching plot. In a lot of ways DA2's separate acts are each there own mini story in which hawke is a center piece of. Yet the over aching plot is there and it has been some thing that Bioware has told use many times, why did Hawke make the choices he did and how come he was always in the middle of it all?

    For me this game was a fresh and brave take on story telling in games. With the lake of a big evil to fight the story becomes more about you (or hawke) and less about the enemy that you need to kill. I see this as being a great addition to the mythos of the Dragon Age universe.

    (Oh yea, I also love the changes to combat)    … Expand
  71. TogaFett
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Alright, first off I'll say that I have read many of the reviews here and keep seeing the same things coming up: "The story isn't any good" "the interactions between characters sucks" "the combat is hack and slash".I do hope that people actually finish the game before they review it here (although i highly doubt they do) because how can you say the story sucks if you haven't finished it.Alright, first off I'll say that I have read many of the reviews here and keep seeing the same things coming up: "The story isn't any good" "the interactions between characters sucks" "the combat is hack and slash".I do hope that people actually finish the game before they review it here (although i highly doubt they do) because how can you say the story sucks if you haven't finished it. While the story is not quite as "epic" as it was in the first game, it still has it's own appeal and I, for one, felt myself being pulled into it and not wanting it to end. As for the Character interactions, The dialogue wheel is a good addition. While it is not quite as well done as the Mass Effect wheel, it still adds something to the game as I think it helps you to grow more attached to your character due to the fact that your main character is voice and not simply a stoic and unspeaking being. Now the hack and slash game play, It may seem like a hack and slash at first glance, but as others have said if you turn up the difficulty you will have to use the tactics so many enjoyed about the first title. And really people complaining about the change to an active attack button instead of pressing the a button and watching your character continually attack is in my view just laziness. The combat looks more appealing in Dragon Age 2 than it did in DA:O, but admittedly feels more like an action rpg than a basic rpg. The people saying that the graphics are worse, are absolutely wrong, no question about it. While it is a different art style, animations look more fluid and characters themselves look more believable. The only thing holding this game back from getting a 10 from me, is the recycled environments, much like Mass Effect. While they do try to switch it up, sometimes starting you on different ends of the same recycled environment, it still makes exploration disappointing at best. Overall i think this game is getting terrible reviews by users because they either simply loved the first game and do not enjoy the changes and so they overcompensate, because people didn't like Dragon Age to begin with, or finally because people have written reviews before finishing the game. It is a wonderful expansion on the Dragon Age universe, with improved graphics and gameplay, lovable characters and a wonderful and sometimes emotional story, and it's probably the best game of the year so far for me.… Expand
  72. Raxxer61
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Loved it. Hated 2 things. Somewhat of a gay sex agenda right off the bat. Nothing against gays, but having 2 men flirt with me before having any chance at a female sets a certain tone I didn't care for. The Mother's death seemed to have no purpose for the main plot and all it did was upset me. My last remaining family member gets mutilated and killed in front of me and it seems to just be some random act of insanity.… Expand
  73. Zhijn
    Mar 20, 2011
    6
    Without going into to many details. Great voice acting, love the way your character stay in voice character should you be angry, funny or serious. However that alone does not carry a hole game. DA2 is infact incredible repetitive with the method of reusing areas for pretty much everything throughout the hole game, while the environment is very well made and detailed it gets very and i meanWithout going into to many details. Great voice acting, love the way your character stay in voice character should you be angry, funny or serious. However that alone does not carry a hole game. DA2 is infact incredible repetitive with the method of reusing areas for pretty much everything throughout the hole game, while the environment is very well made and detailed it gets very and i mean very boring really fast. Everything from the city to the dungeons are reused over and over and over, very tireing and you are constantly sitting with a feeling that somethings gotta change soon, but it never does.

    Moving on to combat. I got abit of mixed feelings on this one, while i enjoy the faster combat and the class cross combos you can do i absolutely hate the exploding bodies and massive gore that spew all over the place. Fatalities is another thing i liked from DAO but were totally removed from DA2 with exploding enemies. No much strategy in combat either, while you still got the tactical setup for your party there is no strategy to be made on the go, you can still pause and issue orders but you can no longer zoom as you did in DAO. Planning a combat in DA2 isnt to great either anymore considering the game just throw hordes of weak enms at you from all direction making it a total mess for any type of planning. Its clear the combat was not designed for your typical RPG but more of a hack n' slash type.

    Story time. The Hawke start interesting with them fleeing Lothering. Its all a nice setup for well, nothing. After that you just go around picking up side-quests and do main quests with any real story behind you, without any real sens of a goal or any sens of having a villian to fight. They make it clear that its all about Mages and Templars, but your in for a huge suprise when you realize that everything you did getting to the end didnt matter one bit. Every choice you make have zero matter on the world around you.

    Your party. You got a emo elf which is clearly some homage to J-RPGs, a naive elf, a brute ginger female, a pirate whore and a dwarf. You can romance either of em except two. Sadly DA2 have also gone taken a step back here, the romance that had a nice touch in DAO is just blend and dull in DA2.

    Dialog wheel. While i dont mind it to much, its abit to simple. Gone is persuasion, now you get a clear picture of what is what. If a romance option is ready the wheel make it clear with a heart shaped icon. Very simple, maybe to simple (?).

    Bugs and glitchs. Way to many, and that baffles me. Since iv never played a bioware game where so many glitchs and game breaking bugs actually took out the fun.

    Closing. Being a bioware fan and a fan of Dragon Age Origins i say that BioWare did not come through this time around. DA2 is short, unfufilling, lack and sens of purpose with the characters and the hole game have been simplified beyond words, it dosnt feel much like an RPG anymore. I think might have tried to appeal to a to wide of an audience and came up with something that didnt quite work. In short, it feels very rushed like it had a deadline they just barely made.

    I will look forward to Mass Effect 3 and hopefully Dragon Age 3. And i hope BioWares once and for all start improving their sequels, and dont let a deadline or something else get in their way of making a great game.

    My first thought was a solid 7, but after completing DA2 and learning that nothing you do matters it has lost all appeal to me. So sadly, very sadly i give DA2 a 5. =(    … Expand
  74. kaskade
    Apr 6, 2011
    10
    The game is tremendously disappointing. There is no story, the characters are unlikeable, the dialogue is terrible and the voice acting worse, there is no pacing in story or battles, and skills and character options have been dramatically whittled down since the original. Towns are empty, boring and lifeless. And there's only one town to explore. The same 5 dungeons are reused overThe game is tremendously disappointing. There is no story, the characters are unlikeable, the dialogue is terrible and the voice acting worse, there is no pacing in story or battles, and skills and character options have been dramatically whittled down since the original. Towns are empty, boring and lifeless. And there's only one town to explore. The same 5 dungeons are reused over and over and linear and simple. There is almost no equipment in the game and companions can't even wear armor. The same 4 enemies continually jump you to the point where it feels like the entire game is killing bandits. Enemies continually respawn so tactics are useless and the game degenerates into a button mashing mess. One fight in the entire game is difficult and mainly because it requires hitting attack hundreds of times.

    I bought the game excited and traded it in wary of bioware. I will rent Mass Effect 3 first and hope the development team doesn't get their hands on that game. Until then I will buy Planescape Torment and play a real RPG>    … Expand
  75. Siduri
    May 13, 2011
    10
    The Metacritic score for this title has been unduly influenced by a legion of die-hard Dragon Age: Origins fans who are angry that the sequel doesn't offer more of the exact same game. A lot of things were changed, and that's upsetting for some fans. But here's the thing: judged on its own merits, DA:2 is a frickin' great RPG, and in most ways it's a better game than DA:O. In fact, DA:2 isThe Metacritic score for this title has been unduly influenced by a legion of die-hard Dragon Age: Origins fans who are angry that the sequel doesn't offer more of the exact same game. A lot of things were changed, and that's upsetting for some fans. But here's the thing: judged on its own merits, DA:2 is a frickin' great RPG, and in most ways it's a better game than DA:O. In fact, DA:2 is my new favorite RPG of all time, which is why I gave it the 10 rating.

    If you're the kind of gamer who really likes to "role play," there has never been a game like DA:2. Your ability to create your own character and personality, to forge relationships with the other people in the world, and to make decisions that matter is unparalleled. Yes, they re-use the same maps a lot. So I guess if you mostly care about having the background change a lot when you're playing, then don't play this game. But if you liked Planescape: Torment or KOTOR, play this game. If you like wrestling with difficult moral choices...if you're the kind of gamer who can fall in love with a story or a character, or be heartbroken by them...play this game. If you're a role-player...play this game.    … Expand
  76. SalvadorDL
    May 31, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In my opinion Dragon Age II is not much like the Dragon Age: Origins. There is no prolonged battles, there is completely different dialogue system (which by the way is taken from the Mass Effect) and a totally different concept (we are fighting basically not with darkspawn, but with problems in Kirkwall). But still, in spite of repeated locations and unfinished written story, it is still fun to play. There is pretty various and interesting characters (Merrill, my favorite :3), simple but elegant locations, and a lot of drama.… Expand
  77. NavyBratS
    Jun 2, 2011
    8
    I just recently beat this game after a friend let me borrow it. And I find myself almost sad to give it back, as I truly do love it. I went through as a mage and made all the wrong choices which hurled toward every one of my family member's deaths. No, not on purpose, and I was actually attatched to these characters. It was a horrible feeling, and yet so good. The many ways the game canI just recently beat this game after a friend let me borrow it. And I find myself almost sad to give it back, as I truly do love it. I went through as a mage and made all the wrong choices which hurled toward every one of my family member's deaths. No, not on purpose, and I was actually attatched to these characters. It was a horrible feeling, and yet so good. The many ways the game can play out, the dialogue, the combat... EVERYTHING was very well done! The people up at BioWare deserve more respect for this game. It's unfair how poorly the other so-called "players" rated this game. Dragon Age II is amazing and deserves no less than an amazing rating.… Expand
  78. GaMsTeRcRiTiC
    Jul 11, 2011
    8
    the game was highly expected of, it is very expansive, but the dungeons get incredibly repetitive, offering no new dugeon areas. It will provide you with several hours of entertainment, but does not live up to the first game
  79. FrogX
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    I loved it. People can hate on Bioware all they want but this game was fantastic. The beginning seemed a bit slow at first, but I don't believe it could have been any other way. The manner in which the story ramps up the juice first slowly then with greater speed had me questioning my decisions and at one point sitting in shock. This was a great game. Yes it is different, and I applaudI loved it. People can hate on Bioware all they want but this game was fantastic. The beginning seemed a bit slow at first, but I don't believe it could have been any other way. The manner in which the story ramps up the juice first slowly then with greater speed had me questioning my decisions and at one point sitting in shock. This was a great game. Yes it is different, and I applaud Bioware for smashing the mold on a tired old game system that is simply no longer needed in this day and age. This was not DnD, this was not Dragon Age: Origins. This was something new and beautiful. RPG's were never supposed to be about hitting action keys and spending hours on a leveling process. It is about playing a role.

    In Dragon Age: 2 you play the role of Hawke, starting out as just a guy trying to get by, you are inexplicably pulled into a whirlwind of events happening in your new home. The new interface is clean, and the fact that it fades from view when not needed is fantastic. I have loved the programmable controller button concept since Fable 1, and I choose my characters skills to keep me off the radial menu. The potential to either directly control your associates or just let them hang back and do their job was wonderful. I hate pausing a game. As to the story I found it to be intriguing. At first, despite hype I had read since the game was announced, I truly didn't know what was happening. I started to wonder how long I would have to do all these side quests... then BAM something big happens. From that point it just gets bigger. This game literally had me in shock. At least twice I set my controller down and just stared at my giant screen. One time I reloaded just to make sure I had understood what had happened. I was confused that after such a short time I genuinely felt close to a character I had largely ignored. Bravo Bioware!

    This game defies the standard that so many people have begun to believe comprises an RPG. It takes the story and gameplay and merges them into something that begs to be called art. Is it for everyone? Well it should be! There is no excuse with the computational power at our finger tips not to finally advance the genre. This was a bold move and I think one that pays off. Love it or hate it, the game has finally changed. As to the current accusations that Bioware employees tried to inflate the rating here. If that were the case then you would have seen far more positive reviews. How naive to think most companies from game developers to hardware manufacturers do not inflate reviews every chance they get. I am glad in this case for had I not seen the article on another site I would not have realized that so many people, many of which could work for Bioware's competitors had written bad reviews of a game I deeply enjoyed. So here I am. I agree whole heartedly with Avanost that dislike for this game largely stems from an inability to let go of conventions. We gamers are constantly derisive of anyone who "clones" another companies games (one in particular comes to mind in the MMO space) and yet the moment true innovation, skillfully executed hits the shelf we cry foul and crawl back in our familiar box unable to contend with change. I am disappoint in all of you!

    I say cheers Bioware! Now go use that engine for Old Republic 3... I want to smash things with a lightsaber!!!    … Expand
  80. xDeniz
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    I don't know why people are being so harsh on Dragon Age 2. All i wanted from this title was to feel that i was really THE CHAMPION OF KIRKWALL! And it did! The history isn't as epic as the first one, there isn't a great threat to humanity. Instead we have a deep history about a human and his family. It tells how he rise to fame and fortune. I really loved this game! I played KOTOR, DragonI don't know why people are being so harsh on Dragon Age 2. All i wanted from this title was to feel that i was really THE CHAMPION OF KIRKWALL! And it did! The history isn't as epic as the first one, there isn't a great threat to humanity. Instead we have a deep history about a human and his family. It tells how he rise to fame and fortune. I really loved this game! I played KOTOR, Dragon Age Origins and i also loved them all. Dragon Age 2 has a special place in my heart, it was the first game that i completed 100%, i really wanted to feel that i was Hawke and never wanted his 10-years-long adventure to come to and end... But it did and now i want Dragon Age 3 as bad as ever!… Expand
  81. Eerazer
    Mar 18, 2011
    9
    It's a good game, stop being stupid everyone, its intensely annoying.

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  82. Kris_d
    Sep 4, 2011
    9
    Having played through DA:O + awakening twice, i can say i am a big fan. Yes, i do agree some of the changes: taking skills away, having to use a lot less tactic, etc i'm not too fond of. On the other hand, it does a lot of things right. I just finished DA2 and i can honestly say it's still a very good game. I enjoyed it a lot and the whole negativity around it is just overreacted. MyHaving played through DA:O + awakening twice, i can say i am a big fan. Yes, i do agree some of the changes: taking skills away, having to use a lot less tactic, etc i'm not too fond of. On the other hand, it does a lot of things right. I just finished DA2 and i can honestly say it's still a very good game. I enjoyed it a lot and the whole negativity around it is just overreacted. My biggest gripe was only the recycling of the area's, which is VERY OFTEN. The game isnt as good as the first one, but considering they worked 5 years on that and 1,5 years on this, it's not surprising. I just hope they get more time for the next. Imo bioware never fails to deliver. If that makes me a fanboi so be it.… Expand
  83. Erock
    Apr 17, 2011
    10
    I am TRULY baffled by the user reviews on this game, especially seeing that Mass Effect 2 got a 90. I thought the critics score was too low! Also out of 2,883 ratings on Gamefly the members give it an 82.(xbox 360) What is going on with the people on this site? The game is nearly flawless, perfect 10!
  84. thelawgiver
    Apr 13, 2011
    8
    Dragon Age II suffers from the same ailment as Fallout: New Vegas - people were expecting their worlds to be completely shattered, and when it wasn't, they went onto Metacritic and started trolling the threads and giving the game "0" ratings. This game is not a 0. It's not a 5. It's also not a 10, but a 7 or 8 is fair. Why? It's a fun game! It might not be what you expected, and itDragon Age II suffers from the same ailment as Fallout: New Vegas - people were expecting their worlds to be completely shattered, and when it wasn't, they went onto Metacritic and started trolling the threads and giving the game "0" ratings. This game is not a 0. It's not a 5. It's also not a 10, but a 7 or 8 is fair. Why? It's a fun game! It might not be what you expected, and it might have eliminated some of the elements that you enjoyed from DA:O, but it's also drastically better in a number of ways. What shocks me is how people call this came "dumbed down" in relation to DA:O, when really very few mechanical elements changed between the games. First, I don't see why people are saying the combat system got a "complete overhaul" and is "dumbed down." It's the exact same combat system, except you have to press A over and over to make your character use his/her basic attack, instead of your character simply automatically attacking the target. There's still the same hot buttons, same radial menu, same tactics slots for your companions, same everything. Combat is nearly identical in terms of interface to DA:O, except now it LOOKS a whole lot cooler. Not dumbed down in the least, unless you thought DA:O was dumbed down, too. Second, the use of the Mass Effect dialogue wheel vastly improves conversation, making the story far more engaging. Playing a character with a discernible voice and personality is a lot more fun than playing an awkward mute. As is typical of Bioware games, the characters are well-developed; the voice-acting and writing are excellent, and the story is unfolded in an interesting, compelling manner. Again, maybe you can call this dumbed-down, but many people happen to prefer it.

    Third, the graphics are markedly improved over the original. DA:O couldn't hold a candle to many of its contemporaries, including Mass Effect 2. DA2 stands on its own as an impressively designed, intricately detailed and beautifully rendered world. Though somewhat limited in scope (you'll spend most of your time in Kirkwall), you'll embark on enough excursions outside - to mountains, coasts, mines, the Deep Roads - that you won't feel claustrophobic. Finally, I think the classes and skill trees are much more intuitive and well-balanced than in DA:O. You also level more evenly than in DA:O. To me, the skill trees makes more sense and have real benefits associated will completely filling out certain ones as opposed to dabbling in several. There are some really diesel abilities and passive traits in the latter portions of the skill trees, and it gives your characters more defined roles. There are some issues, as it's not a perfect game. The inventory system hasn't been fixed, and you still end up collecting a lot of meaningless and essentially worthless loot. While you still have to fully customize your own character's weapons, armor and accessories, you can't customize your companions' armor (still their weapon/shield and accessories, though). You CAN purchase "upgrades" that add slots for runes, increase attack, defense, etc. It seemed like they were thinking of implementing Mass Effect 2's no-inventory system, but abandoned it at some point without removing the hallmarks of its once-intended existence. It's also annoying when you think you've eliminated a group of enemies, only to find that a new group has spawned ON TOP OF YOUR RANGED ATTACKERS. However, it becomes very obvious early on that this is something that will happen in every battle. If you keep getting killed by these rear-spawning enemies, you're not playing the game intelligently. The game isn't going to stop doing it just because you don't like it, so be aware of that and move your mages/archers as SOON as you finish off a set of enemies...not that hard. Also, there are a good number of fetch quests which don't relate to the main story line. Many of them have interesting little side stories, but they go get old after a while. However, the storylines carry over from act to act, and the quests you get in later acts depend on your actions in prior acts. This adds an interesting element to the consequences of player actions, and it gives the game high replay value.

    Overall, I think people rushed to judgment on this game. It really is still very, very similar to DA:O, with more of an illusion of change rather than actual, substantive changes. The important facts are that the graphics are better, the story-telling is better (although the story itself may not be), combat is more fun and it remains a highly customizable experience within the confines of its more linear storyline. Not a bad game at all, and definitely not worth all the 4.5 it current has per user reviews.    … Expand
  85. Amster
    Mar 17, 2011
    10
    Most of the hate for this game is entirely unfounded. I know there are several groups from several forums who have said they intended to down rate this game, without having played it, out of the "principle" of it, and I think we see much of that here. Some people wanted nothing but DA:O v 2.0, but Bioware made the choice to innovate and try to reach a broader audience.

    Is DA2 the same as    Most of the hate for this game is entirely unfounded. I know there are several groups from several forums who have said they intended to down rate this game, without having played it, out of the "principle" of it, and I think we see much of that here. Some people wanted nothing but DA:O v 2.0, but Bioware made the choice to innovate and try to reach a broader audience.

    Is DA2 the same as DA:O? No. They did change the game up, and hardcore fans of DA:O may be disappointed. Does that make DA2? No. But people are having a hard time seeing past the changes. I am a huge fan of Dragon Age: Origins, and I am also finding that I am quickly becoming a big fan of Dragon Age 2.

    ***The combat is, to me, less tactical and on a normal setting easier, but it is much more engaging and fun. I adore DA:O, but there were times when the combat felt like it was just dragging on and on and on and would never end. The animations in DA:O for combat were sluggish and pretty basic. In DA2 they are much more catchy and action packed, they make you feel like your character has some real talent, and lend to you feeling powerful.

    ***It is unfortunate that we no longer have options for other races for our PC, but I feel so much more connected to my voiced character than I ever did to my Warden in DA:O who was mute and expressionless most of the time. She felt so lifeless, and the PC now has a personality all her own that develops with the dialog options you make as the game progresses. Always take the witty approach, then you characters dialog even on things you do not choose reflects this. Always take the stern approach, same thing.

    ***Companions are still interesting, I think they did a great job of writing them and didn't find one I didn't like, though I feel we do not get enough time to get to know them. Party banter while we are out and about is increased, but talking to your party members when they are at their homes (vs. being at a camp now) is very low, and usually only triggers by picking up certain items or progressing to a certain point in the story. I would have liked to get to know them a bit better, as what I did get to know of them was truly interesting.

    ***The game does reuse certain maps and dungeons, which I find unfortunate, but DA:O was not free from this and did it as well. It is more noticeable for DA2 though, as we are in the same city/area spanning 7 years of the game. I honestly didn't find it bothering me TOO much, but I would have liked to see a bit more variety in the dungeons.

    ***The last thing I will touch on is the story and writing. DA2 isnt a big epic story about one truly evil big bad that is out to destroy or take over the world. You do not get the same kind of sense of urgency or threat as you did in DA:O. This is by design, and honestly, by request. MANY fans begged for this on the official forums, and yet now they complain about it.

    ***The story is more about the smaller events in the characters life, about what happened to this person to shape them into the individual they are, they are about the things they happened to Hawke and his/her family and their city which lead them to eventually becoming the Champion of the city. I actually enjoyed the story and it was a nice change of pace for once. The ultimate climax and culmination of these events was interesting and I enjoyed the ending boss battles. ***The writing for the game was very good. There are many endearing moments in the game through dialog and the quests, many hilarious, and many heartbreaking. The writing and voice acting were extremely enjoyable and I never really felt it lacking at anytime. I feel completely immersed into the game because of it.    … Expand
  86. dmz82
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    This is a great game. It is not a direct continuation of the Origins storyline, so if that is what you are looking for, you might be disappointed. The story does survive on its own though, and you get the impression that there is a much bigger picture forming in the background that Bioware will reveal in a later game. The tale is epic, to be sure, but not in the formulaicThis is a great game. It is not a direct continuation of the Origins storyline, so if that is what you are looking for, you might be disappointed. The story does survive on its own though, and you get the impression that there is a much bigger picture forming in the background that Bioware will reveal in a later game. The tale is epic, to be sure, but not in the formulaic hero-saves-the-world kind of way. In fact, you could debate whether the hero (if Hawke can be called that) actually saves anything or instead sets everything on fire. The combat is faster paced than it was in Origins. If you like that, you will enjoy this game. If not, it might be a bone of contention for you. It's nice to see more detail in how the characters fight. For instance, mages wielding their staffs as actual weapons is one of the little improvements that actually adds a lot to the game. It was disappointing to see finishing moves removed, and the exploding bodies is kind of cheesy. I liked Origins combat, but I like DAII's combat as well. If Bioware could synergize the two systems, they'd have something great. The characters are interesting and have a lot of depth. There are so many directions you can go with each of them. You control their fate throughout their game and some choices you make will decide what the future holds for them or whether they even survive at the end. The biggest downside I found to this game were what I perceived to be laziness in design. Reusing maps was an obnoxious shortcut that gave some parts of the game a repetitive feeling and had me rolling my eyes. The game also takes place in a very enclosed geographic area that can get boring after awhile. I also disliked how I had to run over long distances to find an exit just so I could move to a new area of the city. But these dislikes are minor in comparison.

    Overall, I enjoyed this game immensely. I feel Bioware is putting a big story together. The scope of DAII's story was not as big as DAO in the traditional sense, but it seems like this game is setting us up for something big later on.    … Expand
  87. Spektre
    Mar 30, 2011
    10
    UUUUGH where do i begin, the combat is terrible, there are only 4 dungeons in the entire game, only difference are weather or not some doors are unlocked, the game is FULL of bugs, and they took away one of the most original and best features of origins, being able to pick your race and background.

    i could make a list of stuff taken out of this game since origins, and think of only a    UUUUGH where do i begin, the combat is terrible, there are only 4 dungeons in the entire game, only difference are weather or not some doors are unlocked, the game is FULL of bugs, and they took away one of the most original and best features of origins, being able to pick your race and background.

    i could make a list of stuff taken out of this game since origins, and think of only a couple good additions.

    The one upgrade since origins is the art style, which i liked, bur even so, most people dont.

    And on a final note, BIOWARE you might possibly have the worst marketing department EVER.

    Well you post fake reviews in metacritic advertising your game, then accuses 4 chan of doing the same thing against you. then you ban a guy from playing a game that he payed for because he broke a rule on your forum.

    All in all DA2 isnt Horrible, but its not that good, and as a sequel to DAO it just plain sucks.

    If you want a good RPG just wait for Skyrim    … Expand
  88. MrSheridan
    Apr 22, 2011
    9
    First of all, the credentials. I've been playing video games for 30 years. I even had a game review published in PCGamer a long time ago. I've enjoyed Bioware games since Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars KOTR, all the way through Dragon Age. Anyone who is hating on this title is either crazy or bitter. Dragon Age 2- compared to any other modern video game, is excellent andFirst of all, the credentials. I've been playing video games for 30 years. I even had a game review published in PCGamer a long time ago. I've enjoyed Bioware games since Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars KOTR, all the way through Dragon Age. Anyone who is hating on this title is either crazy or bitter. Dragon Age 2- compared to any other modern video game, is excellent and definitely above average. You can script your characters to do certain things, activate spells or abilities, or behave in certain ways. This scripting cuts down the micromanagement, but allows you to more fully enjoy the game. Pluses: Interesting characters, sweeping story, and well over 30 hours of gameplay, and that's not completing most of the sidequests. Cons: Graphics look a little dated, dialouge options often lead to the same outcome, combat is mostly button mashing. I was disappointed importing your character has very little effect on the game. Many of the negative . It's not perfect.

    I definitely would recommend this game for RPG fans. You wont be disappointed.    … Expand
  89. msherry9
    Jul 14, 2011
    8
    I'm having trouble following the justification that many reviewers attempt in their reviews after giving this game multiple horrid reviews, even 0's. Really? Do you really think this game is so broken and unplayable that it deserves a 0? Or are they giving it a 0 because the overall revamped gameplay design is geared more towards the mass audience of gamers, which generally doesn't consistI'm having trouble following the justification that many reviewers attempt in their reviews after giving this game multiple horrid reviews, even 0's. Really? Do you really think this game is so broken and unplayable that it deserves a 0? Or are they giving it a 0 because the overall revamped gameplay design is geared more towards the mass audience of gamers, which generally doesn't consist of hardcore RPG diehards? Let's be fair: despite the dumbed down gameplay, strategy, storyline choices, and micro-management, it's still an entertaining predecessor to an RPG that I was personally a huge fan of. I loved Dragon Age: Origins, having played through it a total of 3 times, and I can honestly say that I am not heavily disappointed in the sequel at all. I completed all of the side quests and the main storyline, finishing all of this in approximately 35 hours, so it might be slightly shorter than the original, but still satisfying. Don't be mislead by these haters when it comes to the quality of this game: it's not deserving of such fire, especially from previous fans. The graphics are improved, but not significantly, which is why I can't understand why people claim the visuals are actually worse. Character models are about as good as they were in Origins, but the battle animations and details are greatly improved. The dialogue in this game is absolutely astounding as well as downright hilarious at times, and the voice acting is superb. Sandal makes a triumphant return in this one, causing me to bust out laughing too many times for me to count. Despite containing some generic sidequests, there are some extremely engaging and original ones as well to occupy your time. The inventory system has been revamped as well, simplified to accommodate more casual gamers, but also repelling fans of the old party customization in Origins. You can no longer customize which clothing and armor to equip to party members, being stuck with their same outfit with minor cosmetic changes that are accompanied with upgrades found throughout the game. The spell and skill trees are also simplified as well, consisting of a primary skill and basic upgrades to that spell or skill to invest points into. The characters on Dragon Age 2 are all extremely likable, and you generally care about their background stories and problems. Th combat system has been entirely changed as well, but is that a good thing? Although I liked the strategic and tactical combat from the original, I'm not fuming at Bioware for making the switch. The faster paced combat is much more brutal and loads more satisfying, despite being nothing more than a slight button masher. Do I prefer it over the original? I can't really say. It is a button masher, but I've never been a hater of button mashers. Somehow, completely dismembering bandits from the waist-up with one massive sword swipe really gets the blood flowing. There are a few gripes I have with this game, with the main one being repetitive environments. You don't realize until later on, but you will visit the same dank caverns and dark sewers several times over during multiple sidequests and even some main ones. Kirkwall's bustling streets and busy bazaars tire rapidly, and even when you travel outside of the city, it's essentially the same places with items generated in since the last time you traveled there. In Dragon Age: Origins, the entire feel of traveling anywhere on an entire continent was exciting, but feels rather congested and caged in DA2. Another issue I had with this game was that the storyline lacked any real arc to it. I never felt that the story was being built up until I was one quest away from advancing to the next act, and it's basically a paper-thin plot. With that being said, it's still a fantastic tale with an overwhelming amount of lore and background details on the entire world that the game takes place in. The history is extremely rich, and I wouldn't be surprised to see multiple spin-offs with this particular world, such as novels or even movies (if neither of these exist yet). The conversation wheel from Mass Effect was implemented into this game, which I enjoyed, but prefer the original "choose your dialogue" option from the first one. I also noticed that conversations when speaking with NPC's don't "flow", or so to speak, as well as they did in Mass Effect, despite them being expertly written. Overall, I rather enjoyed myself during the span of Dragon Age. The combat is satisfying, characters are deep, quests and dialogue really shine, and the lore of the entire Dragon Age series is outstanding. Don't listen to the haters that give it anything below a 7. When you first hear Sandal's familiar voice cry out "ENCHANTMENT!?", you know you've got yourself a quality sequel to an epic series.… Expand
  90. RockmasteR
    Mar 21, 2011
    8
    lots of Bioware fans are disappointed by Dragon Age II, but if we need to study the gamers reaction, a 0 score is not a review, it's a response to Bioware and EA for making a game that did not satisfy the DA fans
    even games like Prison Brake did not get a 0 score, and trust me that game is bad!
    now for the review, Dragon Age II is not what Dragon Age was, it changes lots of things, from    lots of Bioware fans are disappointed by Dragon Age II, but if we need to study the gamers reaction, a 0 score is not a review, it's a response to Bioware and EA for making a game that did not satisfy the DA fans
    even games like Prison Brake did not get a 0 score, and trust me that game is bad!
    now for the review,
    Dragon Age II is not what Dragon Age was, it changes lots of things, from gameplay, to scenes, to graphics, etc...
    now if you are playing on a PC with DX11 capable card, you will enjoy the very high graphics, if not, ah well, you will have to suffice with the medium settings on DX9 or High on DX10.
    the gameplay becomes fast paced and by that DA II can be called an action RPG, so the game now is console friendly more than its predecessor. But what let the game down, is the repeated scenes, the limited options for an RPG,
    other than that, the combat is still fun, the choices have a superb impact on the story.
    If you really enjoyed Dragon Age Origins, there is a good possibility that you will be disappointed by Dragon Age II but that does not mean you won't have any fun playing it.    … Expand
  91. TeamRyan
    Mar 13, 2011
    10
    I believe that this games shining points are its story and well crafted world. it manages to pull out some of the most sincere dramatic story telling I've seen in the last few years. The battle system has changed since origins, i would like to say it has improved but I'm still just learning, i know the team said they were trying to make the skill tree's more simple but i don't think theirI believe that this games shining points are its story and well crafted world. it manages to pull out some of the most sincere dramatic story telling I've seen in the last few years. The battle system has changed since origins, i would like to say it has improved but I'm still just learning, i know the team said they were trying to make the skill tree's more simple but i don't think their description of abilities and their effects were effective. secondly the game could have been polished and tested for bugs a little bit more. while no bugs are game breaking some can be used to circumvent difficulty.

    Overall I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the story a lot, the end of chapter's 2 and 3 were great closers for those particular story arc's. I truly loved how side quests and secondary quests would tie into the storyline, and would often times give you background on what is happening currently and also foreshadow what will happen in the future. There are few if any plot twists and points that aren't founded in or logical in the game.

    Boss fights were much improved over the first game many of them seemed unique in approach, and challenging if a plan isn't devised or your squad isn't adequately set up. The game seemed to miss the sweet spot for length, took me about 45 hours play time to beat on my first run-through, it will probably drop down to around 30 on any subsequent play-through. Ideally it would have been 60 hours. But i can't knock them for leaving me wanting more.

    Gripes are that I don't have nearly as much control over my party roster as I would like because all the companions are glued to one weapon type, or have a unique specialisation without the ability to learn another specialisation.

    Inventory has been simplified with a new star system telling you how good an item is compared to your level. The old system from origins seemed to make more sense to me due to the fact that in this game most equipment only has one name, so you will be stuck with numerous items that say belt, or sword, and they all would have different effects stats and bonuses. This becomes a problem when you start trashing loot and finding the ones you do want to keep against the ones you don't becomes a hassle.

    The most important thing though is that I thoroughly enjoyed this game and I am about to start up my second play-through.    … Expand
  92. LinkoftheAge
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Twenty hours into the game the world seems to continue to expand. The combat remains true to the original while increasing the pace of the combat. Boss battles are far more inspired than most RPG's. I encountered one boss where I had to manage my part to heal, tank the boss, take out adds, run behind a pillar before it does a huge aoe. It felt very much like doing a WoW raid, but withoutTwenty hours into the game the world seems to continue to expand. The combat remains true to the original while increasing the pace of the combat. Boss battles are far more inspired than most RPG's. I encountered one boss where I had to manage my part to heal, tank the boss, take out adds, run behind a pillar before it does a huge aoe. It felt very much like doing a WoW raid, but without the incompetence of other players. Only thing that holds this game back from a 10 are the use of the same locations for many of the quests. It breaks the immersion when you realized you been to this same spot 10 times to save mages, fight dragons, find bandits, locate an item ect.… Expand
  93. Wabblewobble
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    I have no idea how anyone would be able to successfully play this on a console on the harder settings. I was a bit afraid they would have made this game easier due to some of the press pre release. But, as they say, only the easier settings have been made easier. Nightmare is alot harder, especially at the start. And the game is difficult in some ways which we are not accustomed. You cantI have no idea how anyone would be able to successfully play this on a console on the harder settings. I was a bit afraid they would have made this game easier due to some of the press pre release. But, as they say, only the easier settings have been made easier. Nightmare is alot harder, especially at the start. And the game is difficult in some ways which we are not accustomed. You cant actively tank stuff. You cant as easily control threat. Its more about movement and position tactics then other games. Usually, using such tactics are exploitive, due to game design, like pathing etc. And its not perfect in this game but its a step in the right direction.… Expand
  94. Crf_Commando
    Mar 18, 2011
    8
    This game is not truly DA2. It is a well designed game, but unfortunately instead of building on the success of DA:O, it takes bits and pieces from that game and tries to go in a new direction. I give the company credit with trying to change and improve upon the game. However, if you are trying to make a series of DA games, you probably should have taken the time to improve the originalThis game is not truly DA2. It is a well designed game, but unfortunately instead of building on the success of DA:O, it takes bits and pieces from that game and tries to go in a new direction. I give the company credit with trying to change and improve upon the game. However, if you are trying to make a series of DA games, you probably should have taken the time to improve the original games shortcomings before releasing this game. All that said. I thoroughly enjoyed this game(enough to play through it 4 separate times). Just keep in mind that you are not getting Dragon Age: Origins 2. You are getting Dragon Age: Kirkwall.
    I would have rated it a 5 because of its succession behind DA:O, but instead I chose to rate the game based on its own merits and shortcomings.    … Expand
  95. Dario97
    Apr 2, 2011
    10
    Dragon Age II si è evoluto nel corso dei mesi rimanendo costantemente in bilico su un sottile filo all'apparenza sempre in procinto di spezzarsi. Fin dal primo incontro in una delle fiere di settore, vedere dal vivo il sequel, talvolta anche provandolo in prima persona, ci trasmetteva sensazioni sempre diverse talvolta persino in contrasto tra loro. Ogni tanto rimanevamo conDragon Age II si è evoluto nel corso dei mesi rimanendo costantemente in bilico su un sottile filo all'apparenza sempre in procinto di spezzarsi. Fin dal primo incontro in una delle fiere di settore, vedere dal vivo il sequel, talvolta anche provandolo in prima persona, ci trasmetteva sensazioni sempre diverse talvolta persino in contrasto tra loro. Ogni tanto rimanevamo con l'amaro in bocca, altre volte uscivamo dalla sessione di test esaltati e non sono mancate le volte in cui ci siamo sentiti completamente indifferenti nei confronti del gioco. Questo miscuglio di stati d'animo li abbiamo riprovati anche nel corso delle prime, lunghe ore di gioco in vista della recensione; ma fortunatamente più ci siamo lasciati trasportare dal flusso degli eventi e più le nostre sensazioni negative venivano dissolte e soppiantate da quelle positive. Dragon Age II è evidentemente un titolo schizofrenico che ha costretto BioWare a raggiungere grandi compromessi in fase di design nel tentativo finale di realizzare un gioco di ruolo action profondo e dettagliato nei contenuti ma allo stesso tempo immediato e semplificato nelle meccaniche di gioco.
    In questo sequel sono decisamente più presenti e meglio delineati soprattutto nelle caratterizzazioni dei personaggi. Rimane la scelta multipla senza alcun tipo di limite temporale con l'aggiunta di una piccola indicazione visiva che dovrebbe suggerire al giocatore l'approccio di Hawke al dialogo se si sceglie quell'opzione. Il sistema funziona piuttosto bene, soprattutto nella componente di approfondimento al dialogo: è infatti possibile indagare durante le chiacchierate per avere maggiori elementi di storia e, a seconda dei personaggi presenti nel party, talvolta si sbloccano opzioni per far partecipare alla discussione o per far agire i propri compagni. Purtroppo non mancano delle volte in cui inevitabilmente si fraintende la scelta che si sta per fare e soprattutto ci sentiamo di criticare la precisa scelta di BioWare di eliminare del tutto una competenza del protagonista nella persuasione: scordatevi quindi opzioni di dialogo per evitare combattimenti o raggirare l'interlocutore se non in casi rarissimi previsti dalla storia stessa. Ma arriviamo al cuore di Dragon Age II: i combattimenti. Qui si esplicita con forza quella ricerca di un compromesso operata da BioWare durante la realizzazione del suo progetto. E' evidente come si sia voluto semplificare e rendere molto più immediati, attivi e probabilmente coinvolgenti i combattimenti spostando il focus sull'azione in tempo reale quasi a voler ricercare l'anima più action di un qualsiasi RPG d'azione che si rispetti. Il risultato è buono solo in parte ed è estremamente legato al livello di difficoltà scelto (che può comunque essere cambiato in qualsiasi momento del gioco). Giocando infatti ai livelli facile o normale si andrà avanti suonando con forza il pulsante X, quello del colpo standard, quasi sul limite del button mashing di un qualsiasi picchiaduro a scorrimento. L'importante è gestire adeguatamente il mana o il vigore a seconda della classe per attivare le varie magie e abilità speciali e aver "configurato" i membri del party a ogni cambio di livello attraverso il menu delle tattiche, ripreso di sana pianta da quello di Origins. In questo modo ad esempio sarà possibile impostare, anche automaticamente attraverso dei set pre-impostati, l'aggressività dei compagni di squadra e far gestire all'intelligenza artificiale l'uso delle loro abilità. La cosiddetta pausa tattica è sempre presente con la pressione del grilletto sinistro ma sarà necessario solo negli scontri più difficili bloccare l'azione per far magari bere una pozione a un compagno o indirizzarlo verso un nemico in particolare. Il risultato è un'azione costante, frenetica e anche piuttosto adrenalinica ma che ovviamente tralascia in blocco la profondità tipica di una gestione avanzata del party.
    Gestione che diventa invece cruciale e costante se si scelgono i due livelli di difficoltà maggiori ma con un drammatico rovescio della medaglia: comandare manualmente i compagni diventa un'esigenza fondamentale per superare anche gli scontri con i nemici più stupidi, soprattutto se questi si presentano in grandi numeri, pena la morte costante dei personaggi più deboli o l'uso incessante di pozioni (a discapito dell'economia del protagonista). Ma così facendo viene fuori tutta la macchinosità del sistema di controllo che si appoggia a un menu radiale che compare quando si utilizza la pausa tattica e che serve a dare qualsiasi tipo di comando. L'impossibilità di muovere liberamente la telecamera (se non tramite l'uso di magie e abilità con area di effetto) e un sistema di targeting basato sull'angolo di visuale dei personaggi contribuiscono a rendere ogni scontro una sorta di micro-gestione certosina. Sicuramente questo stile può soddisfare i giocatori di ruolo più incalliti.    … Expand
  96. imbrex
    May 27, 2011
    10
    Fun game. The bad things: too simplified, not being able to change your party members is a no-no in RPG ('action' RPG's or no). Auto-attack should be an option, constantly pushing the attack button is just a chore and adds nothing to combat - which is way too easy.
    Good stuff: Although the combat is easy, it is still fun. Most strategy will be things like 'kill the mage first' or 'use ice    Fun game. The bad things: too simplified, not being able to change your party members is a no-no in RPG ('action' RPG's or no). Auto-attack should be an option, constantly pushing the attack button is just a chore and adds nothing to combat - which is way too easy.
    Good stuff: Although the combat is easy, it is still fun. Most strategy will be things like 'kill the mage first' or 'use ice weapons', pretty basic but still enjoyable. Graphics are great. But, what got me to like the game despite the RPG-sins were the characters and story. It was refreshing not to have a simple 'go kill ultimate baddie and save the world' arch like in origins. Ultimately the games weakness (easy combat) puts that much more focus on its strength (plot and characters). Personally I hope they return to a top down, baldur's gate-style rpg for the next installment, but this is still a fun game even if sometimes you just wait for the next plot device and watch people explode. (and the PC version is much better)

    I would give this game an 8, but all of the fanboy rage '0's need to have some counter-balance, so +2.    … Expand
  97. neon5162
    Aug 25, 2011
    10
    oh and metacritic sucks go ahead and ban my account i aitn going to use it again hahaha hmm i wonder if i can delete my account myself hmm must look into that
  98. froggyt1
    Aug 28, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. wow people are picky. Bioware is a AAA developer and this is their worst game in years but like i said they are a AAA developer and even the worst of their games are at least an 8/10 compared to other games. To be honest the personal character choices available is what makes this game stand out, the choices in this game have been well refined although we don't see some of them carry over from dao. Also i don't get the hateing on hawk yeah he doesn't kill like 3 high dragons but he is a realistic character with problems as compared to the warden. All in all this game is not terrible but it is not biowares best.… Expand
  99. GuvnaWill
    Aug 31, 2011
    10
    Seriously a 0, I wouldn't even give Halo reach a 0. When I saw Dragon Age 2, received a negative review, I lost all hope in gamers. Now gamers are just a mob of hipsters that follow the leader. Dragon age 2 was superior to Orgins in every way. The combat was better, the story telling was amazing and graphics were good. I was so impressed with the game I beat it, replayed it imediatelySeriously a 0, I wouldn't even give Halo reach a 0. When I saw Dragon Age 2, received a negative review, I lost all hope in gamers. Now gamers are just a mob of hipsters that follow the leader. Dragon age 2 was superior to Orgins in every way. The combat was better, the story telling was amazing and graphics were good. I was so impressed with the game I beat it, replayed it imediately after. I have Orgins on the Pc and DA2 on xbox, after DA2, Orgins is unplayable. Origins is basically a single player WoW, you have spells on massive cooldowns while most of the fight is auto-attacks. I know a lot of gamers try and act like they're old school and love old style combat, but if you like old style games so much, play your old games then. A game should strive to be like it's cinematics, and due to tech limitations we couldn't but now it's possible. I've been playing games since commodore 64, and I always like when a company takes a step forward. Bioware always does that. Sad that most people don't want games to advance.… Expand
  100. REiS9
    Mar 19, 2011
    8
    .. Well, where do I start. There were various of bugs and glitches in the game I didn't quite enjoy. One of them prevented me from getting an extra party member. And another one pretty much never allowed me to die. In this game, your more of an errand boy/girl through out the game. But; it stuck with DA:O story very well. The same map/area is contently reused over, and over again. But; you.. Well, where do I start. There were various of bugs and glitches in the game I didn't quite enjoy. One of them prevented me from getting an extra party member. And another one pretty much never allowed me to die. In this game, your more of an errand boy/girl through out the game. But; it stuck with DA:O story very well. The same map/area is contently reused over, and over again. But; you are in the same area through out the game. That was the bad review. The good: It was.. At the right pace. Everyone rants on about how it was TOO fast. DA:O was too slow. While in DA:O I found myself hitting one button in a fight; and then going to the bathroom or something else while I waited for the fight to be over. Maybe every now and then I hit a button. I found myself actually staying for the game; actually playing the game. and lots more. The graphics had minor improvements. The storyline may not be as good as DA:O; but it's still quite impressive for what it was (It's a sequel with a good storyline? Bonus points). Some of you said that this game is too fast paced because of it's animations.. What? No; animation is for effects. While the combat may look as though it's faster; the average fight in DA:O and DA2 has minor time differences. I found myself using the same strategy in both games. Think of what to do; do it, and make minor changes if I it didn't go as plan; but except I have to repeatedly hit A, which I enjoy; I have something to do while I think of my next plan. I also find it a little harder to stay alive nDA2 then DA:O (Mainly cause of a healing tree taken away). Classes are as balance as they were in DA:O. Oh! Your character talks! I found this really shocking. And I recently discovered that your personality is set by how often you make a choice. For example; if you were to talk in a joking way a lot, your tone of voice will change and adjust to that depending how often you used it. I thought this was a very interesting game mechanic. You and other characters have there own set of personality (of course). And none of them are really boring either. (Well except for Fenris). I know I'm suppose to talk about the game; but it really bothers me that people actually give this game a big zero. Is the game so bad; even in comparison to the original, that it had to be given a zero? I even hear that this is the last game you will EVER buy from Bioware. Really now? Jees' calm down drama queen. "This game was a rushed game" This I agree with. The game didn't get enough time I would like to assume. But yes; rushed would be one of the right words during the production of this video game. You guys also seem to LOVE including un-related games into the subject as well. Comparing them for your own purpose to make this game look bad. I'm honestly starting to think you guys are just going with what people are saying. And not actually playing the game to your fullest. I even find some of yo using the same lines as the next guy. You play this game with your hopes way to high; and expectations even higher.] I kept my expectations low. The second I heard Dragon Age 2 was coming out, I thought "Eh; it's probably going to be a bad sequel like every other movie.game." But it wasn't! The game was surprisingly a lot better than I imagined it to be; sure there were some minor improvements needed to be done, but over all it was still good. Don't just listen to what others say; hell, you don't have to listen to what I say; just look up a video of the game play, if you like; try, if not; then whatever. This game does NOT deserve a straight zero. MOST of you guys aren't even reviewing over the story! I know I might be taking some lines from BigLou, I know I'm a bit hypocrite. But I swear to you right now; I wrote all this down before I read his.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

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