Dragon Age II Xbox 360
User Score
4.4 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2156 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 767 out of 2156
  2. Mixed: 206 out of 2156
  3. Negative: 1,183 out of 2156

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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 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
  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. 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!
  4. 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
  5. 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 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
  6. 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 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
  7. Chankins94
    Mar 16, 2011
    9
    Dragon Age 2 is not Origins 2.0. It has faster combat, less loot sorting, and a more cinematic presentation. These changes were bound to create division among the fanbase. Neither of the camps are necessarily wrong per-se, but many members of them are simply focusing on the changes, not the game as a whole. Dragon Age: Origins had a somewhat traditional top-down tactical style of combat. DAII retains some of Origins' tactical elements ( the radial pause menu, for example) but increases combat pacing and decreases its difficulty. The new combat looks, and feels more intense, and to me at least, more fun. The mentality to the changes in combat seems to be geared towards cinematic presentation, which is extended into other facets of the game as well, like the dialogue system.

    DA II has a fully voiced protagonist, and the dialogue is chosen from a wheel that offers a thought that the character translates into speech. The system, while borrowed from Mass Effect, fits into the game quite nicely. The dialogue choices you make will also determine how your character behaves when you don't have direct control. By having the character speak, Hawke feels like a character, rather than a puppet. Dragon Age II's plot is somewhat unconventional. It isn't necessarily about Hawke himself, but the consequences of his actions on the world surrounding him. The writers accomplish this by utilizing a framed narrative, one of your companions, Varric, tells the tale in three acts. For the most part there is no central villain to defeat, as the whole setting is morally gray. While the main plot is interesting in its own right, the characters that follow Hawke are some of the most intriguing characters in any game period, whether you love em' or hate em'. The games weakest component is its visuals. On an artistic level, it finds its own ground in the crowded fantasy genre, but suffers due to continually recycled environments. I understand that the central location of the game, the city of Kirkwall, is bound to be recycled since the game takes place there over the course of 10 years. And each district is fairly visually distinct. However, the surrounding environments are inexcusable. The first time you go into a mine , it looks great. Then, you enter another mine, for a separate quest, and it is the EXACT SAME, visually, and its actual layout. Sure, it makes some sense for one cave to look visually similar to another, but every side location should have its own unique layout. On a technical level, textures on some clothing and armor A common complaint has been that you can no longer customize your companions weapons and armor. You can still customize the accessories that they wear, and can enchant their gear as you see fit. I don't find this change particularly bothersome, as I find sorting through loot to be tedious. Less time spent in menus, to me, is a good thing. And besides I would rather my companions have a few sets of unique armor, than wear the same armor that everyone else does.

    Dragon Age II is a role-playing game in the simplest sense. Bioware gives you a role, Hawke, and you play it. With its cinematic presentation, and new narrative direction, it marks a change. Dragon age wasn't "dumbed down" it was changed. The game industry is not static, it grows and evolves. DAII isn't perfect by any means, no new things are. But its faults don't mean that it isn't a game that shouldn't be enjoyed.    … Expand
  8. laughwithme
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    DA2 is a very good game with minor problems. If you liked Dragon Age: Origins don't come into this game think of it as a direct sequel. DA2 is it's own game, it should live and die by itself. The writing is great especially the companions. The fighting needs a little work, it's almost to actiony. Overall DA2 was a fun experience and I would recommend it to my friends and strangers who read this small review.… Expand
  9. sjuk72
    Mar 16, 2011
    7
    DA II isn't that bad, it's just not moving the game forward since DA Origins. It doesn't deserve a really bad score, I was just hoping for an improvement from the previous.
  10. kaeljae
    Mar 17, 2011
    6
    The question you need to ask yourself when you're playing Dragon Age 2 is what you're actually comparing it to. Are you comparing it to Dragon Age 1 and deciding if you liked the first game better? Or are you looking at it on its own and thinking if it makes a good RPG? Perhaps an even more important question is: what do you expect out of a modern RPG and is Dragon Age 2 even an RPG anymore?

    The disparity between the critic and user reviews leads me to think that most users are just bashing DA2 because they liked DA1 better. That's fine, but the grades being given are just exaggerated. Dragon Age 2 is an average game, but it's not TERRIBLE, and it doesn't deserve an average score of 4 out of 10.

    This doesn't mean I don't have major problems with Dragon Age 2, however. When I first heard that Dragon Age 2's art director thought that Dragon Age 1 lacked an definitive style, I was puzzled. I didn't think that Dragon Age 1 was "too brown" and I didn't think it was bland, and I didn't think I was "lost in Middle-Earth." I thought I was in a FANTASY game, and the universe's art direction screamed fantasy to me. I also loved the characters, loved the choice of races and designs, and I loved the storyline. It was my favorite fantasy RPG in a long, long time.

    I miss a lot about Dragon Age 1 when I play DA2. I miss the variety and depth of the origin stories. I miss the old darkspawn designs. I miss fully equipping my teammates. I miss Morrigan and Alistair. I miss the LESS stylized character models (oh how I HATE the way the new elves look...). Ironically, it seems as they dialed up the flash of the art, they dialed down the depth of the characters. It wasn't enough to have Qunari be large...now they have to have giant horns. It wasn't enough to have elves to be slightly lithe...now they have to have the big-eyes, small-mouth of manga characters. Most of all, I miss the CHEER of the first game. The breezy banter of Alistair, Morrigan, Zevran, Sten, Leliana, Shale -- even the dog are gone. Humor seems to have been largely replaced with heavily stylized doom and gloom. Everything is over the top, saturated, overblown, overexposed.

    So why am I saying that Dragon Age 2 isn't THAT bad? Because, all things considered, the characters are still somewhat memorable, the story isn't half-bad and the game is still somewhat fun. The problem is that people are expecting this to be an RPG in the mold of Dragon Age 1 -- which is it not. DA2 is really more of an action game with RPG touches at this point. Perhaps if this had been a game by another name, it would be more forgivable for some reviewers. But it's hard to just strictly on its merits when the memories of its classic ancestor are so fresh in our heads. Perhaps down the road Bioware have a little bit more appreciation for the universe they created, and, more importantly, for what gamers really enjoyed about that universe.

    + Not half bad for an action game with RPG elements
    - It's more Sean Lennon than John Lennon
    = 6/10    … Expand
  11. Tahdeus88
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    DA2 is a really good game, and thank God its not like DA:O cause that was only popular because it brought back the old RPG environment for the "old RPG and DND fans". Sure it had it's great moments but but think of it, role-playing doesn't mean you need to spend all your time managing your every move in combat but to have fun while talking with your companions, and this way it's more fun and there are still hard encounters where you can not survive without pausing all the time. Tha dialogue system is simpler but to be honest, when you wanted to be rude with somebody in the DA:0 you chose a bit harsh and aggressive answer and when you want to be good, you chose a kind one. It's all the same, just visually different. Sure the places that you visit can be a bit boring after some time but that's it. A tone of side quests and possibilities and companions are great, they are fun to listen to while wondering the city and have a pretty good background. I l really like this game, and for all the haters...
    Come writers and critics, Who prophesize with your pen, And keep your eyes wide, The chance won't come again, And don't speak too soon, For the wheel's still in spin, And there's no tellin' who, That it's namin', For the loser now, Will be later to win, For the times they are a-changin'.

    Remember how everyone cried about ME2 after the first game?
    Good Job BIoware, we love you !    … Expand
  12. djotacon
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    Dragon Age 2 is for me, an excellent game. Have simplified and improved the class system making the game accessible and very entertaining. The RPG elements are still present but rather the player and help each ballasting in deep mechanical game pc own that do not benefit at all.

    Graphically the game has been improved and the animations of the scenes to levels magnificent and gifted the ga    me of impeccable artistic finish and much better than its predecessor.

    As for the game system contains numerous ethical issues to be resolved by the player avoiding the dichotomy good / bad as simplistic in many RPGs.
    For me it is a great buy for any role player. I'm not at all agree with the comments of people who will surely do nothing but destructive criticism of the game.

    For me an excellent RPG and a very good purchase.

    note. Not working for Bioware and I'm unemployed .... XD    … Expand
  13. drumbunny
    Mar 17, 2011
    6
    It's not a bad game but definitely no RPG, not to speak of a Dragon Age... The story also is far less dramatic and interesting than in DAO. Damn those casuals :(
  14. 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 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
  15. Ghostwise
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    I've been playing RPG's as well as every Bioware title all my life and I enjoy them thoroughly. I thought Dragon Age 2 was a fantastic wild romp through the impressive city of Kirkwall. I found the combat to be infinitely more satisfying than in Origins with it's faster pace but it still retained the pause and play tactics of the original. The ability to give your party up to 20 tactics each is also awesome. The production values are pretty impressive too with fantastic camera work and good voice acting. The game really feels to me like a fantasy version of Mass Effect 2, and that's not a bad thing in my book. Sure there are some changes to the core gameplay like the dialog wheel and the stripping away of armor from companions but it still definitely feels like another AAA Bioware title. I'm even more impressed that they did it in such a short time as well. The game, for me on my first playthrough, lasted right on the 45 hour mark and I enjoyed every minute of it.… Expand
  16. 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. 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
  17. 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 ab    out 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
  18. 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" 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
  19. 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 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
  20. 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
  21. 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     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
  22. 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 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
  23. 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.
  24. Morten242
    Mar 21, 2011
    10
    Despite what others think, I know this is NOT Dragon Age: Origins, and I'm happy for that, Origins was a great game, don't get me wrong, but endlessly long quests and repetitive tasks inside the other quests made the game unbearable for a second playthrough. This game on the other hand has short quests, repetitive, but still manages not to get boring.


    I have played through Origins a tota    l of two times in the time of 6 months, I played through Dragon Age 2 in time of a week just because it had major improvements.


    Graphics in Dragon Age 2 are improved, they aren't the best, but they're good enough.
    Sound is ok, haven't really thought about it, but the music tracks are epic!
    Gameplay is faster and more varied than DAO had, which to me is a plus.


    Now that I've played through the game twice - soon to start my third playthrough - I must say, this is a great game, and I can't see why people doesn't like this! And I hope for DLC soon, I need more! :D    … Expand
  25. electryc
    Mar 21, 2011
    8
    The PC game has much improved graphics, and I do truly enjoy the story telling. What I think bioware missed on was a notion that making the combat simpler would be better. RPG's such as bioware classics have made this area fun. I enjoy complexity as well as a majority of rpg lovers. Another knock is the price. 60 dollars seems quite expensive. I hope this has an expansion like Origins: Awakenings. I do think I should add ranks due to arsehats who haven't even played this game giving it a 0-3 rating. No game is worth this unless its a bugfest w/ terrible graphics and broken gameplay. I won't stoop to that level and rate it for what an 'actual' player of the game views it at.… Expand
  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. Ozymandias23
    Mar 23, 2011
    0
    I'll just leave this here:

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

    btw I'm giving this a 0 to do my part to offset the 10s given by the EA/Bioware review writers.
  29. 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 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
  30. Facehead2k
    Mar 23, 2011
    10
    Iâ
  31. Daemon75
    Mar 25, 2011
    7
    First off, loved DA: Origins and admit to being initially disappointed in this sequel. However, as others have already said, taken on it's own merits it is actually a good game. It's only in comparison to the original that it suffers. There are a couple of things which I feel are very poor, such as the re-use of areas with parts blocked off, and the carry object to person quests which had no real sense to them without being related to a conversation.
    I believe part of the perceived lack of depth could also be because we aren't newly discovering this world as in DA:O (despite taking it's inspiration from Tolkien it did have either unique or interesting twists), and so we are familiar with many things that this storyline requires (mages and their predisposition to a case of the abominations, darkspawn and the blight, the chantry/templar/mage relationship etc although the last one was fleshed out a bit more).
    There were some excellent and disturbing plot points, the companions were good (though no-one as memorable as Shale, Morrigan or Leliana - with the possible exception of Varric), the combat was good though not great (and exploding bodies was a bit daft).
    For this to be a much better game only a few things would have needed to be added
    1.) More companion content, including more conversations between companions, and personally I would prefer the ability to kit out their armour
    2.) More areas to explore, and definitely more distinct art and design
    3.) A bigger game, possibly more and longer sidequests that would increase replayability.

    I really have to disagree with all of the zero ratings, most of these state that they are in response to some of the overly hyped critic reviews but it gives an unfair picture of what is a good but flawed game.    … Expand
  32. FlyMonBlaze
    Mar 25, 2011
    8
    Dragon age 2 isn't Dragon Age: Origins, and that's a good thing. Origins was an almost perfect game but i'm glad Bioware decided to mix things up it DA2. There are many things great about this game, but as with many other games as well, it has its down sides.
    Pros:
    Combat has been sped up to increase action Graphics have improved from the original
    Side missions have been made more interest    ing and have a lasting impact
    Having a character that actually talks is nice along with the dialogue wheel
    The story- while it isnt straight forward like DA:O, it has its twists, its cool bosses, and it builds up from the start. The way the game is separated into 3 acts and the way it tells Hawke's story is very well done

    Cons: Inventory: only you can change armor and your companions sometimes get upgrades. Also, almost everything you pick up is garbage.
    Characters: while they are very good characters, they don't compare to DA:O characters.
    Romances: again, arent as good as DA:O
    Leveling up: there are a lot more options, which sounds like a good thing, but it really actually isnt because in this game, having a well rounded character isnt the best.

    Overall, Dragon Age 2 is a very good game. If you buy it only to compare it to Origins, then you might be disappointed. But if you buy it to play it as its own game then you'll be very happy with the outcome.    … Expand
  33. Notclevr
    Mar 25, 2011
    9
    This game was immense, immersive and enjoyable. It is different than the original, but expands the arc and breadth of the series in a way that has me very excited about future iterations. As for the gameplay mechanics complaints--I really don't get it, there's a difficulty slider for that. Combat has as much depth and complexity as a player would like, assuming the player levels past the first two hours before posting a review with a 0 score because the game doesn't have their favorite potion crafting shortcut from the original. The art, animations, and voice acting are beautiful.

    The game takes place in three distinct acts, and the quality really shows through in the second and third. What will be really interesting going forward is seeing how the open-endedness of the original (and the sequel, to a lesser extent) is reconciled with the need for a stable canon to build on in future editions. Right now the more perverse imported saves and gameplay choices already don't seem to fit with story arc, and I think that problem will only compound as the threads come together in future editions. The first two games have given us two major characters we really care about, and there is a platform to build on with that in an amazing setting, but something has to give. I lean towards hoping that the designers retcon a reasonable canon going forward...but I also hope that said canon looks a lot like my imports, while somehow resolving the fact that both The Warden and Hawke look a lot like me. Holding the game back from a 10 are the excessive setting reuse and the launch bugs--in my play-through the chronological jumbling of Merrill's companion quest cutscenes was the major one here. That said, the game could have still reached a 10 with a higher ratio of interpersonal cutscenes and role playing to mindless murder of waves of henchmen. The set up is all there--great characters (including art and voice) and a great conversation mechanism, but still not nearly enough relationship catharsis and interaction with those characters! Especially later in the game. The issue of realism and roving hordes of minor enemies could maybe be resolved with a preference slider for random encounters. The implementation solution of completely undeveloped side quests with no depth at all beyond some Twitter-length codex entires and places to go to kill enemies was hollow.    … Expand
  34. Tommy758
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    I'm more of an Action-RPG fan than a straight up RPG fan so I was more forgiving with this title. I understand a lot of people's frustration with this game but regardless, this game is enjoyable. The gameplay is more action this time around but I like that. What I don't like is the horrible story. I won't spoil anything but when you get to the end of the game it FEELS as if that's the mid-point of the game. But no, it's a cliffhanger for a sequel or an expansion. Dragon Age 2 is not a bad game. But I care about story and when the beginning is so well done you find yourself faced with a piece of crap at the end. I can't really recommend this game to hardcore RPG or Bioware fans. If you like Action-RPG's I'd say give this a rent or buy it when it's cheap.… Expand
  35. DizzyKa
    Mar 27, 2011
    9
    In a nutshell Dragon Age II is a Dragon Age game with a clear focus and direction and because of it you as the player have to sacrifice certain things ( race choice, certain RPG elements, ect. ) in order for the story to be told with that clear focus. It can make people angry at first, but give it a chance. The game feels much more like a complete story. If you forget about all the external reasons you should hate the game ( the betrayal to PC gamers, the simplification of the RPG aspects) and you pick the game up and play it you will NOT be disappointed. This is one of the best games I've played in years and topples the first game completely. Why? The characters are so much more interesting and likable. RPG's ( including the previous Dragon Age ) contain too many cynical and brooding characters. In Dragon Age II there is only one and he's almost a caricature of himself - Fenris. Varric is such a likable person, a robin hood in dwarf form with all the charm and a bit of storytelling. Party chatter as you run around the world is hilarious, sad, engaging, and really adds to the experience.

    The new combat system ( I know ). I was afraid and initially appalled that they would take the RPG style system and degrade it to a hack and slash style play.... but... its so much more FUN! And natural on the 360, I know, sorry PC players. I played a rogue and it required precise tactics and timing to use all your abilities it was really involved for "hack and slash". Beyond that the story is really well done as well and there is a real sense of progress. I really felt as though I started out a weary refugee looking for shelter who worked her way into a place of respect and financial stability for her, her family and her friends. The citizens revile you at first, a cursed Ferelden rat... and eventually they call you Champion and hail your name. There were quite a few WTF moments with quests and character backgrounds where I stared mouth agape at the horror and unexpectedness of what was happening and then shook my head and said wow, they really did that? That's awesome.

    Allowing romances open to any gender. THANK YOU Bioware. As a female gamer I felt very set aside in the previous game ( and in both the Mass Effects ) when it came to romance choices for female lead characters. Unlocking romances for anyone gives everyone the ability to experience the same thing and not get stuck with some lump, or none at all because of unrequited love ; )

    What could be better?

    The character interactions are SO stunning it leaves the player wanting more. I truly felt like I made friends while playing the game but the companion quests and encounters are too far and few between. This goes for the main plot as well. It would have been better to have a little more fleshing out.

    FIX THE BUGS. I was afflicted by the save bug which caused every 20th or 30th save to corrupt and sometimes I would have to restart the console because the game would be stuck eternally attempting to save. On top of that the game doesn't recognize my old Dragon Age saves so I couldn't import.... that was a huge bummer as my previous choices weren't reflected in game. I cringed every time the characters would refer to the hero of Ferelden as "he" when in my experience.... surely that was not the case.

    Bring back random chatter with NPCs. When the only NPCs that converse are questgivers it makes the world feel less alive.    … Expand
  36. ShiverinEskimo
    Mar 28, 2011
    9
    Not sure why this game is getting such negative reviews from the user-base. I think they've improved on every aspect of the first game which was a little clunky and aimless at times. Combat is a lot easier to manipulate and direct with the streamlined interface and overall it feels like you're more in control without having to sacrifice as much of the stop-start mechanics required in the first game to set everyone's actions up one by one. The ally AI is much improved and I find they employ the correct attacks to sync up with mine as my main character to get the best results. Playing as a mage I found all spells to have much better feedback in terms of the effects and damage they can do. The storyline is typical Bioware - they certainly know what they are doing and despite a slow start it settled quickly into the epic game you'd expect with myriads of characters whose lines were personal and meaningful throughout. Very little repetition of common lines across multiple peripheral characters you are used to seeing in other RPGs. 'Hardcore' RPG fans who are slating the game have probably made their mind up before playing it simply because a few of more mainstream reviews have described the streamlining that has taken place and automatically decided it means 'dumbed down' when nothing could be further from the truth. This is by far the most natural-feeling RPG interface on the Xbox360 so far and they make good use of the controller buttons and interface. It also performs extremely well will slow-down only occurring very very briefly in some of the most populated fighting scenarios. I would highly recommend any RPG fan to play it through.… Expand
  37. CmdrShepard
    Mar 29, 2011
    3
    As a fan of Bioware, I can honestly say that I never expected quite an "exprience" like the one I received from this game. Bioware, to me, is a forward thinking developer of Great Western RPGS and experiences like the Mass Effect Series, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins and of course, Knights of the Old Republic. Despite my great anticipation of Dragon Age 2, the game feels very rushed from the stand point of the story, which is completely linear and somewhat unsatisfying, a rare failure by Bioware. The "rushed to the shelves" feeling also comes from the lack of Item descriptions and the complete failure of the Inventory System. Companion Armor is nonexistent and probably 80 percent of the items you will loot are useless as you are unable to equip them based on your characters stats or your character's build. (Warrior, Rogue or Mage) Thankfully, you have access to several vendors and storage almost immediately , unfortunately, it still requires either going back to your home base to store or constantly visiting vendors to unload several pairs of "Torn Trousers" you have come across in Thedas. The generic item names also led to several things being sold that weren't meant to be sold, thus more trips back to the vendors. This caused a large disconnect from the game world for me.

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

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

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

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

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

    No need to try and reinvent the wheel if its still working, Bioware. You have a strong enough team of writers that just minor tweaks to the Origins system would have brought this game much more widespread acclaim amongst the consumers.    … Expand
  38. 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     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
  39. xXImSoBalzyXx
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    Before you read any further, take note that the views expressed here are mine and mine alone. Dragon Age 2, despite the fact that many critics and fans believe that it is a sad excuse for a sequel to such a great game, is a more than exceptional game in it's own right. Let me first say that Dragon Age: Origins, is better than Dragon Age 2, this does not mean that Dragon Age 2 is bad, not by a long shot. DA:O, had a more gripping story and more in depth combat than DA2. DA2, on the other hand, had more fluent combat, better graphics, though that doesn't make the game, and more interesting characters. DA:O's story was gripping from the very first hour to the end credits, the story just made you want to continue to gather your forces together to destroy the Archedemon. DA2 on the other hand was both exciting and dull throughout the story, of course most games become dull at one point or the other. Some side quests just seem as though there was no point in them to be there, as though they are just filler material. What is a good thing is that some quests that you do in Act 1 continue into Acts 2 and 3, where they affect the world around you. To add to all of this in DA:O you could be a different race AND pick your class, while in DA2 you could only be a human. Graphics in DA2 don't look as gritty and blurry as they did in DA:O. Instead, they look more slick and sharp. Just remember that the graphics aren't everything in a game, and that having amazing graphics is not as important as core gameplay, though it is still important nonetheless. In DA:O, the combat system, even though it was on a console, seemed much more in depth than DA2. While playing DA:O, I often paused the game and issued commands to my party, while in DA2 I rarely, if ever, issued tactical commands. DA2 is more of a hack n' slash game, with tactical elements blended in. So, DA:O is more tactical, while DA2 is more fast paced. The characters in DA2 seemed much more humorous, and it seemed like they had their own personalities. In DA:O some characters had personalities, while others showed little emotion. What makes the characters, are the voice actors, and the voice actors are quite good in DA2, though there are some instances where it is questionable. Dragon Age 2, is a well thought out sequel, though it could have used some polishing. You don't have to play Dragon Age: Origins to understand it, so its a good place to start, if you wish.… Expand
  40. solitas777
    Mar 31, 2011
    7
    On it's own Dragon Age 2 is a good game, not a great game or an epic game mind you, but a good game. Good: The combat system is streamlined and simplified (a blessing for console players but a curse for PC gamers). Good/Excellent/Serviceable- voice acting. The visual style is excellent, with excellent facial expressions and interesting and varied character designs (from the buxom isabella, small thin flat chested elves, tall horned qunari, short stout dwarves). The quest locator system is awesome, just awesome. I also appreciated the fast travel abilities. The load times after I installed it on my HD was quick, i loved it. Visually it's not a bad looking game. The interface is much easier to navigate. Bad- A roleplaying game lives and dies by its story and its level designs. This is where DA2 dies a hard death. The pacing of the story is a disjointed mess. There is no flow. The epic storyline is absent here, A story, should have an arc, a climax, and a conclusion but the climax is so abrupt and conclusion so unsatisfying that it takes away what should be dramatic moments of the game. The level design is actually good, so what detracts from it then? It is reused to such a degree that you will begin to dread having to slog through the same cityscapes, soulless buildings types, dungeons, and outdoor environments. This kills the replay value for me. I swear by the end of the game I had the perverse wish that I could cast mega apocalypse just so I would never have to suffer through one more stupid repetitive level.

    This game is a good game, but usually I associate bioware games with the height of excellent. This game I associate with the height of mediocrity. By all means...buy the game....when the price drops and its a remastered edition with DLC bundled in it but don't buy brand new. Not worth it.    … Expand
  41. 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 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
  42. SailorJason
    Apr 3, 2011
    8
    Ignore, the petty, whiny, bitter fanboys plaguing this site out of spite. Dragon Age II is a solid, entertaining RPG that provides hundreds of hours of fun game play. Sure, it's not as good as the first game, but that hardly makes it bad by any means. The combat is smoother, and faster than Origins. The companions have deeper stories, and interaction. The story is far more personal, and emotionally driven. The conversation wheel is more engrossing than the previous game's, regardless of of it's origins on Mass Effect. Being able to identify, and customize your personality at will, rather than guessing your character's mood with each response, is great.

    Look at the complaints. Moronic, often poorly spelled nonsense, about how the role playing is gone. Proving such users as unable to actually define "role playing", as anything more than awkward combat.
    Play the game for more than the intro, and you'll see this game is pretty much just like Origins. Except the combat is actually faster.

    The game was obviously rushed, and could have been better, true, but Dragon Age II still turned out to be a very enjoyable game.    … Expand
  43. JJShredder
    Apr 4, 2011
    7
    While I had my issues with this game, I feel like all they did was go the route that Mass Effect 2 did with streamlining, cutting fat, and focusing on character stories more than a main story. Strangely enough though, because this game did it, people are out in droves to give it an unfair 0 rating. I mean really? is that not the same crap you blame critics for when it comes to the game being overrated, you turn around and severely underrate it? So why are the user reviews of ME 2 so high when for the most part they went the same route with DA 2? I don't get it, this is a solid game that does nothing special but yet does not deserve the self-serving terrible review a lot of you have given it. At least rent it and try for yourself.… Expand
  44. 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 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
  45. oldmanyounger
    Apr 14, 2011
    5
    Short review: Game is ok, not as good as the first one. Too many recycled environments, uninspired missions and combat. Best part of the game are still the companions and their conversations.
  46. CursedKnight187
    Apr 29, 2011
    2
    It's hard to explain why this game isn't good, but it isn't. The fighting hasn't really got any worse, but it hasn't really got any better either, even if it is different. After a while I just couldn't be bothered to continue, and you don't really know what's going on concerning the main plot, and the side quests just aren't good enough to be enjoyable. Not a good game.
  47. mirimar
    Apr 28, 2011
    3
    Another disappointing cash run from a major developer. Clearly rushed; yet most mainstream review blogs and magazines pander to Bioware and give praise to this abortive money grabber. Don't these reviewers know they lose the trust of their readers when they do this?
  48. thebrock
    Aug 23, 2011
    6
    This game was graphically superb. That said most other aspects of the game where disappointing when you compare it to dragon age origins. I played the game on normal level without spending any money on weapons and armour and managed to complete it, this should not be the case and it shows just how much the game has been dummed down. The most frustrating part of the game for me was the constant regurgitation of environments and more importantly the hack n slash combat system, at points i couldnt see who i was fighting it was just iq of 20 button pressing. All in all I think bioware rushed this product and that can be clearly seen in the end result. Not the rpg I was expecting.… Expand
  49. whisky
    May 5, 2011
    0
    DA2 is a huge disappointment. Being a sequel to DA:O, it has nothing to do with the Dragon Age universe. Instead, DA2 told some lame story about politics and earning money. Some of you may think it's ridiculous to give this game a zero, but I'll tell you why: Ugly art style, bland environments, ugly user interface, no tactical camera, exploding bodies parts, thousands waves of teleporting enemies, DMC combat style, no companion interactions, boring companions, boring ugly city, recycle maps, no armor customization for companions, retarded darkspawn design, painfully boring story and conversations choices. If I give a minus (-1) for every bad aspect above, DA2 will get a negative score. Sadly, we all know it's impossible to give a negative score, so zero is my only choice.… Expand
  50. Kosma
    May 8, 2011
    4
    Simple, dumbed down, lacking everything that made the original have such potential. Bland story, constant reusing of the same locales.

    This is the most disappointing game of 2011 so far, feels like a budget cash-in for Bioware.
  51. azza
    May 11, 2011
    2
    I used to really love Bioware and every game they made. KOTOR was fantastic as was Mass Effect. With Dragon Age: Origins being such an amazing game i expected Dragon Age 2 to be of the same calibre but it simply wasn't. They seem to have a problem when it comes to sequels, they get them all wrong. Mass Effect 2 is another example, while it was still a good game, not great, it paled in comparison to the original. If something is working great, it should keep the main elements and build upon it, not completely change everything about it. Dragon Age: Origins was a true core RPG and that was why it received such praise. So why shift the focus to action and put story telling on the back burner? Was it so it would appeal to a mass market and make Bioware and EA more money, at the cost of alienating fans of the original? I don't know but i hope they fix these issues in the next one, which at this stage i donâ… Expand
  52. Emilia
    Dec 29, 2011
    1
    Honestly, the game is bad. Really bad. The story is slow and bland and the characters are annoying (please bioware, stop constructing dating-sims instead of making rpgs) at best, and hilariously bad at worst. The storytelling technique could be interesting, but it's really hard to tell since the story and characters are so of-the-wall bad that you just can't believe what you're seeing sometimes.
  53. 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!
  54. Bioware_Intern
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Baldurs Gate, Planescape Torment and now Dragon Age 2. This pinnacle of RPG's has taken the storytelling and interactive combat to another level. Its smooth combat aided by the future generation of quicktime events proves that turn-based RPG's are a thing of the past. Extreme unprecedented level of detail makes the cities feel alive and it makes it feel like you are living in the game.

    A     must buy for any oldschool RPG fanatic.… Expand
  55. raza
    May 17, 2011
    9
    I'm a fan of RPG titles since Pool of Darkness on old Commodore 64. Dragon Age II certainly took a risk in going for more action oriented rpg, but personally I liked it. Heavy re-use of maps and NPC's appearing as if teleported are the only big minuses in an otherwise entertaining and fast moving show.
  56. Dyalad
    May 24, 2011
    4
    Dragon Age 2 seems to be an experiment to introduce Bioware's classic RPG elements to console gaming. The result is at best disappointing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Anyways. If you're looking for a RPG fix, look elsewhere, because this game has nothing that older western RPGs offer out there.    … Expand
  57. Fascination80
    May 19, 2011
    3
    I love RPGs. I loved Dragon Age Origens. This game is not an RPG. Very linear playthrough; I played both endings (yes, only 2 endings!) and your choices don't really matter.
    You can't talk with your companions whenever you want like in Origens so you don't feel as connected to them. My iPhone is messing up so that's all I can type now but shame on you, Bioware
  58. sg1fan75
    May 20, 2011
    1
    The speed of combat was good and smooth, the story is so weak and boring. Being stuck in 1 city was dumb and usually Bioware is know for strong story. I did like the Magic powers they were fun. The only being human sucked. The repetitive environments made me angry I will never buy any Dragon Age games again very disappointed by this game.
  59. BucketHead
    May 27, 2011
    2
    This game is incomplete. Just read all the other reviews here. Who are you going to believe? The short 1-sentenced reviews with 10s or the majority with descriptive flaws? You're only deceiving yourself if you say this is a good game after playing it. This would have been an alright game, but I give this game barely any score simply because this is BioWare. Their previous game Mass Effect 2 had to be one of the most polished and immersive games that I've ever played. I give it a perfect 10 because no game has ever done what Mass Effect 2 did for this industry. This on the other hand... Are you kidding me?! The biggest thing that sticks out here: There is no story! What? This is a BioWare game, where is the story, the lore, the environments. Worst setting I have ever seen in a game. This is no exaggeration, there is little to no detail in the environments other than brownish colors with rocks. Nothing pleasing to look at. It may have been acceptable in last-generation gaming for lesser-known developers, but this is absolutely preposterous for BioWare! Did you really do this BioWare?! I trusted playing every one of your games, until now. Mass Effect 3 will undoubtedly be outstanding, simply because the BioWare team isn't lost, the best workers they have are just working on the projects that matter: Mass Effect 3 and TOR. I still expect those games to be outstanding, but I'm through with the BioWare team that made DA2. From now on, I will pay attention to which BioWare team makes which games.… Expand
  60. BlackVulcan
    May 28, 2011
    3
    Very bad game following DAO. The combat is too flashy without any substance, animations are overexaggerated and trash mobs are everywhere making you wonder "Just how many people do live in Kirkwall? I must've slain a thousand by now" . The level design is bland, dull and poorly done, with Bioware reusing the same dungeons at least 5 times(I did every sidequest hoping it would affect the main story.. big disappointment there as well). And I'm a real die-hard perfectionist/completionist in games and honestly... this game left a severely bad taste in my mouth. The story was meh really, no sense of scale and though some scenes were well done, the hundreds of enemies exploding from handblade strikes ruined the moment. Slash enemies with a dagger, they explode. Bash em with a large sword, they explode. Shoot em with an arrow, they explode. Blow em up with a fireball and guess what happens? These fights in between story missions are just NOT fun(nor are the enemies materializing out of the void) and the isometric camera is sorely missed, or the slightly free roam one to effectively survey the battlefield. It was watered down completely to the point it lost everything that DAO shined for and replaced with generic rpg drivel. It was the biggest disappointment of the year and I am definitely NOT getting DA3 anymore... ME3 is still a might since ME2 wasn't butchered THAT much, and at least there... combat wasn't this garbage.… Expand
  61. spiderfish
    May 29, 2011
    3
    I would've given this game a higher review if the apple hadn't fallen so far from the tree. The combat is much improved, as is the art direction, but in all other aspects the game falls far short of its predecessor.

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

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

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

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

    What a waste!    … Expand
  62. HoraceBartleby
    Jun 12, 2011
    8
    Dragon Age 2 is an experiment in the RPG genre that excels in most areas but comes up short in a few others. Don't believe the polarized user reviews on this site, this game is neither perfect nor terrible, but if an unconventional roleplaying narrative is something you might be interested in, then DA2 is definitely worth a look. I suspect part of the reason for the backlash DA2 has received is that it makes a terrible first impression. Despite its deceptive title, Dragon Age 2 is neither a narrative nor mechanical continuation of the original Dragon Age Origins, but an offshoot of sorts that is set in the same dark fantasy universe. From its anime-inspired art style to its simplified combat system, most of my early misgivings about the game stemmed from how different it is from the first. I imagine if it had a more appropriate title like Dragon Age: Champion, these expectations wouldn't have come back to bite Bioware quite as hard as they have. For one, Dragon Age 2 is not a tactical RPG, but a hack and slash action game with some tactical elements mixed in. On paper, the combat in DA2 is deeper than that of its predecessor. There are more spells and abilities, more opportunities for members of each class to work together to deal damage, and a vastly improved tactics system that is easier to use and allows for more complex behaviors to be programmed into your AI companions. However, the pace of combat is much faster than the original's and rather than using hand crafted encounters that rely heavily on the player's spatial position in relation to enemies, DA2's encounters focus on spawning 'waves' of enemies where spatial positioning is largely irrelevant. The trade off is a more visceral and satisfying combat system that forgoes the necessity of tactical positioning. Overall I would say that DA2's combat is neither better nor worse than that of the first, but simply different. Which one you will prefer depends largely on your personal taste as a gamer. On the narrative side Dragon Age 2 takes a sharp left turn from the standard fantasy fare of the first. Rather than a traditional 'save the world' plot, Dragon Age 2 is a personal story of a hero trying to find his or her way through life during pivotal and tumultuous time in Thedas's history. The unconventional narrative can be jarring or even frustrating at first, especially if you are unaware of its experimental nature. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that Dragon Age 2's first act (which comprises the first 10-15 hours of gameplay) does little to sell the player on the new design choices Bioware has made. The early hours of this personal history is spent collecting gold coins to fund an expedition into the Deep Roads. If that sounds like a terribly unexciting objective to push you through several hours of tedious unrelated quests, you would be absolutely right and because of it the first third of Dragon Age 2 is largely a failure. I came very close to giving up on the game altogether and giving it an abysmal score at this point during my play through, but forced myself to keep going. I am very glad I did, because DA2's later acts are superb. The main plot of the game, once it kicks into gear, centers on the place of individuals with dangerous magical abilities within society. The game's central conflict is a multifaceted one, that deals with tough questions on both political and existential levels. I had a lot of fun roleplaying as Hawke as he tried to find a moral balance among conflicting ideologies permeating the city of Kirkwall, and was delighted to see that the game kept track and responded to my roleplaying decisions, reflecting them in Hawke's behavior and opinions during non-interactive dialogue. The NPC companions are treated with the same level of depth. Unlike the traditional RPG where companions are groupies who live, eat, and sleep at your side and twiddle their thumbs while you're not adventuring with them; these companions are fully fledged characters with their own houses, relationships, and lives that they live out while they aren't travelling with you. That isn't to say the player doesn't have any influence in those lives though. I found that characters, who ideologically opposed me when I first met them, ended up being loyal and even falling in love with Hawke by the time their arcs progressed over the course of the game's ten year narrative. Overall I would say that the NPCs are the most fleshed out Bioware has created so far. I connected with the characters and events of DA2 on an emotional level moreso than any other RPG I've played in a long time. While I hesitate to recommend a game with such a lackluster opening act to anyone new to the genre; if you are a roleplaying aficionado, Dragon Age 2 does enough to elevate the RPG genre that it is well worth sticking it out for.… Expand
  63. ronnel990
    Jun 16, 2011
    0
    repetitive maps, cut scene sucks, too short and decision that didn't change the outcome of the game. DRAGON AGE II IS JUST LAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  64. T-A
    Jun 18, 2011
    6
    Dragon Age II diverges considerably from Dragon Age I. Leaving behind the pause-and-play strategy, Dragon Age II is more action and less RPG. I can understand the change, since the narrative progressed smoothly. The overall challenge drops though. I could button-mash my way through a hoard of monsters in Dragon Age II whereas I had to shape my battle plan carefully in the first game. Further, I was not happy with the lack of impact my choices had on the overall plot. Set events were going to unfold no matter what. The dialogue wheel helped move conversations along quickly, but statements were really tied to one of three categories: Benevolent, Charming or Humorous, and Assertive. Constraints to character choice and reduced strategy are somewhat disappointing. After I stopped comparing it to the first game, Dragon Age II was a fun experience but not one that I intend to revisit again.… Expand
  65. tzedan
    Jun 20, 2011
    4
    Bioware should have released this game first and then DAO; that would at least give the impression of improvement. As it stands, this game provides no continuity of significance with Dragon Age Origins. The game play is dumbed down, the character development is no where to be found and the plot is weak. Seems like Bioware is betting all it's money on Mass Effect 3. I just hope then don't mess that game up.… Expand
  66. e_cop
    Jun 29, 2011
    7
    This game is a step backwards from DA:O, while i like the new combat system and graphics have been improved, the rest of the game feels uninspired. They stripped custumizaton for all your companions, so 70% of objects you pick up are junk, and sell very cheap by the way, good items are incredibly expensive, so by the time you buy them the game is almos over. Your companions are no where near as interesting as in DA:O. It no longer matters if you play as a good or a bad guy because the story plays the same way with little consequence. to sum up: Graphics 7, Sound 7, Story 6, Gameplay 8, Replay value 8… Expand
  67. Sci-Fi-Dude1456
    Jul 28, 2011
    5
    A bland Role- Playing game with boring maps, same caves, same dungeons, linear maps, and everything takes place in one city. The story is average and the dialogue is very predictable. I recommend you not to buy this game as this is one of the worst Bioware game , or I are say worst Role-Playing Game. I hope Bioware won't mess up with Dragon Age 3 or Mass Effect 3, because I expect high standards for their games.… Expand
  68. JamesX
    Jul 20, 2011
    3
    Glitz and glamour makes a pretty presentation but the game falls short of its pedigree and promise of "rise to power." In fact the game's flaw is hugely exasperated on 2nd play through - when you realize that there is little to no difference to outcome of events based on your choice. If it were called Mass Effect with Dragons I would have given it at 8 - because I would not have judged it as an RPG as opposed to a Shooter with RPG elements. Unfortunately it was not. For a game that is sold on the detail of the world and its story - it is very much a disappointment and falls far from the tree.… Expand
  69. Spawnah
    Jul 20, 2011
    6
    The gameplay, combat and user interface is better than the first game, but the characters and story aren't as compelling. And who took all the funny away from Anders? I had fun, just not as much as I should have. My expectations were too high. I loved the first Dragon Age, and was slightly disappointed in this one. I want to see how the story ends, but I'm definitely going to wait until I've seen a lot of reviews before buying a third one lest I waste my money.… Expand
  70. Las7
    Aug 27, 2011
    5
    Dragon Age 2 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just a completely underwhelming sequel to one of the better RPGs in the last decade. It's quite obvious that development time was cut short - I don't mind the combat mechanics that much; but the mob respawn; the no overhead strategic view; the complete lack of customization for companions; the linear story line; the lack of dialog choices; the lack of character development and lastly the lack of effect the main character has in terms of shaping the world around him that the game is not an RPG. Now Hawk Age is a fine game if it is taken out of the context of being a sequel to a pretty tactical and thoughtfully enjoyable RPG DA: O but keeping in mind that we fans of the original Dragon Age Franchise bought this game based on the DA: O we do feel cheated. This is an RPG with no replay value. Which isn't good considering I played DA: O 4 different times; I'm not sure what Bioware hoped to achieve with this game - but it was a grand failure. Hopefully they take note and don't mislead us again. One final note Critic Reviews are complexly out of sorts - I'm wondering if most of them even played the game. They might be on EA payroll or just based their reviews on just a few hours of game play; instead of figuring out that those few hours would be recycled through out the game and none of your choices will actually make any sort of difference to the final outcome. It's truly sad and I can understand my fellow games giving this game lower scores then the game deserves but I guess people want to warn other potential buyers of Dragon Age 2 not to expect a sequel as promised by Bioware.… Expand
  71. 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" 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
  72. Davidhowardking
    Aug 31, 2011
    2
    Bioware turned a can't-miss RPG into an easy to digest faux-rpg. It was a waste of time and money. Word is they are going to combine elements of 1 and 2 into 3. My advice is to not make a sequel if that is what they intend to do because the game will not sell. DA2 abandons all the characters from DAO and kills any sense of exploration. The new characters are tepid and the storytelling lame. Your actions have far less impact than they did in DAO.… Expand
  73. SpunkyMonkey
    Sep 6, 2011
    0
    Total dross. Combat is the games main selling point, but it's soooooooo dull and uninteresting, button mashing not unlike Track and Field with very little else - It's just too fast and too sloppy to care about and too in between the action and strategy genres to work well as either. The game as a whole is and a horrid hybrid beteen a Dungeon Crawler and an interactive movie-game which you'd find on the Mega CD - There's very little actual roleplaying involved like there was in Origins. As a stand alone game DA2 is very repetative, very dull and dire, but as a sequal it contains none of the elements which were enjoyable in the original. The dialogue tree is missed big time with the conversation choices reduced to a basic "Good/funny/evil" choice, none of which feel well placed or make much difference to proceedings. The final straw is replaying areas which you've already run through several times - how each gang and bad guy hangs out in the same ally is a joke. A perfect example of how this game falls short was with a 1-on-1 battle with what would be deemed as one of the games main antagonists - it literally had me laffing out loud at how bad, boring and comicly the fight unfolded. It was kind of like when I first saw Scream expecting a horror movie, but getting more of a comedy.

    After forcing myself to complete it I put the original on and in 2 minutes it became even more clear how bad DA2 was compare to the quality, if not slightly flawed, Origins. Play Originas through as a different race/class, youtube all the plot vids for DA 2 and avoid purchasing DA2 like the plague!!    … Expand
  74. laxleonidas
    Sep 17, 2011
    4
    Despite of all expectations, BioWare not only removed good ideas from predecessor, but also used new bad game mechanisms. Forget about tactital fighting, interesting plot and - what's most important - huge, secret world to explore.
  75. thejestermk2
    Oct 11, 2011
    2
    The first Dragon Age was arguably one of the most iconic and bar raising RPGs of recent history. This is bar setting alright; how much can it ruin the DA name. The fighting system completely ruined to monotonous hack and slash. Linear story and a step away from basic RPG formula. Now much closer to a Dynasty Warriors esque button basher than a stellar RPG series. Goodbye DA, you've been a good series.… Expand
  76. Ali1247
    Sep 25, 2011
    6
    This game had potential to be an amazing rpg considering it was made by one of the greatest gaming companies ever: Bioware. But Bioware really dropped the ball with Dragon Age II. First of all the story is very average and is just nothing compared to the first Dragon Age game and I just could not really get into it because it really got kind of boring. As far as the characters go than I just could not get myself to care for most of them because most of them seemed so heartless and boring which is a massive disappointment considering Bioware actually knows how to tell a great story in a video game and create very good and in depth characters, something which they do not do right in this game. The graphics I think have improved from Dragon Age Origins but not by much, the characters and environments look somewhat more detailed. But there are a lot of framerate issues I have not played the PC or the PS3 versions so I don't know about them but there way to many framerate issues on the 360 specially during the conversation cutscenes. The game's sidequests can also get repetitive and dull really fast. And in the game's main quest the same environments and dungeons are recycled over an over again that it feels like we are fighting in the same areas all the time and once again its gets very repetitive. On top of that unlike its predecessor Origins this games take place in only one town instead of taking place in a whole continent. The partner A.I is almost useless on high difficulties and they die way to quickly and are slow in performing their commands. The enemy A.I just rely on high numbers and ganging up on you rather than being competitive that is a problem on higher difficulties enemies should not gang up on you and increase in number they should be more competitive which is once again something this game does not do right. Having said all that Combat is more simpler and more easy to get used to compared to the first game it feels like a Hack and Slash on low difficulties unless you are playing as a Mage but all in all I found the combat better than its prequel. The weapons are armor you get in the game are good and are fun to use but sadly you cannot make you partner A.I put on the armor whenever you want them to they will infact put them on themselves at particular points in the game that just takes away your ability to customize your team mates the way you want to. However I must say that the dialogue wheel from the Mass Effect series has been put to good use and while dialogue despite not being as great as it could have been it still delivered well. The voice acting and music unsurprisingly are very good and always suit the environments and the situations. In the end I must say that as a big fan of Bioware and their RPGs Dragon Age II is a massive letdown, it can still be a fun game at times but Bioware is capable of much better. It is clear that the game is incomplete because EA made Bioware rush its production. Lets hope they fix up the problems brought up by all the people about this game and revive the franchise with Dragon Age III. 6/10.… Expand
  77. barbie
    Oct 6, 2011
    0
    I tried my best to like this game, but I couldnâ
  78. ArcticZombie
    Nov 18, 2011
    1
    I will remember DA2 as the game that officially knocked Bioware off its throne. The king of RPGs has become a fat, lazy, greedy pig of its former self. It is a dumbed-down joke of an RPG that only some delusional fanboy, or unskilled/half-retarded child could ever love. Flat, bland, recycled environments. RPG elements dumbed-down beyond recognition or removed. Lack of detail everywhere I look. The Darkspawn don't look evil; they look like knock-off Skeletor action figures. Plastic, dead, and trying too hard to be cool for its own good. Oh, and I hate the fact that my character was already given a name. And a voice. That contributed to the loss of me feeling like I was playing an RPG. That made it feel more like an interactive movie. This game is trash. I wouldn't take it for free. Bioware, wake up and stop contributing to the destruction of society.… Expand
  79. coughxcool
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    Whate a waste of money. I was disgusted when I realized I was never leaving Kirkwall. The party and friend mechanics were cool, but thats to be expected from any bBoware game at this point.
  80. Eowor
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    Dragon Age Origins was announced as the spiritual brother of Baldur's Gate, an rpg in the greatest tradition of the genre.
    As has happened for DA2, strengthened by its new license falls as low as that. To make it the worst game bioware?
    On top of that, we see that mass EFFECT2 also had the race to the bottom, less than rpg, more action.

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

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

    For me Mass Effect 3 will be your last chance.    … Expand
  81. Ishman
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    Played on its own merits without any idea of DA:O this game would be quite solid.
    Having loved the original, and feeling like I was taking part in an epic quest that actually meant something, I was sorely disappointed with the follow up. Admittedly the first 10 hours or so were pretty Rad I thought, this was in part due to the fact that I was high as **** when I first got the game, but soo    n enough not even a big stack of weed couldn't improve this bland follow up. The action orientated combat didn't bother me as much as it has others, where it really let me down was the constantly repeating environments, the original had me trekking all over the place to a number of awesome locations, the sequel has going through the same old bland locales over and over. One of the few reviewers who must not have been paid off by EA put it best with "you can't have an epic storyline in your own backyard" or something like that, you get the gist. All in all its not a "bad game" in my mind, but not worthy of being the sequel to the excellent original. If you come to the game having never played the first you will probably enjoy it for what it is. Bioware really need to rethink there game plan for no. 3 especially since Skyrim is now out and has absorbed 80 hours of play time and I haven't really done jack **** so far. In summary, pay more and get Skyrim instead. Shame on you Bioware.Shame on You.… Expand
  82. jamesbme
    Mar 13, 2011
    9
    There is something wrong with everyone that is saying that this is a bad game. It's not perfect but it is very fun, has great controls, a good story and characters, and the graphics are better then the first one. This game is very fun and most people giving it a bad score just either liked the first one too much or are just very extreme PC gamers that think the game is broken or something. So if your looking for a fun, sometimes addictive RPG then you should definitely pick up Dragon Age 2.… Expand
  83. 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 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
  84. BigDave81
    May 12, 2011
    9
    Wow,thats all I can say about alot of people on here Giving Dragon age 2 a score of zero and bashing a great game.you who gave such low scores just don't know what great games are made of and only focus on the same old point and click crap you can buy on pc's.Now don't get me wrong I loved and I mean I love Dragon age 1 but I do enjoy dragon age 2 alot more since I have more options available to me the player.so please have some consideration for a great game...in my book Dragon age 2 is amazing.… Expand
  85. Eerazer
    Mar 18, 2011
    9
    It's a good game, stop being stupid everyone, its intensely annoying.

    150 char150 char150 char150 char150 char150 char150 char150 char150 char150 char150 charv150 char
  86. 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. 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
  87. 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.
  88. 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. 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
  89. 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!
  90. 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 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
  91. 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 ga    meplay, 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
  92. 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 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
  93. ThingsThatGoBoo
    Mar 13, 2011
    8
    The problem that BioWare faces is now its fanbase. The classic RPG-ers that grew with games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment. They can't seem to accept change, which is what BioWare's doing with Dragon Age II. This shows through the combat, which is not prefect by any means, but is a commendable effort. In my personal opinion, the characters, story, and choices make up for the meh combat. The story has interesting twists, the characters have great histories to explore, and the choices actually feel like they have consequences. Rather then read text in DAO you see lots of choices in-game. To have fun in DA 2 you have to be able to lose yourself in the universe and characters, rather then play to kill things. This definitely is not an instant classic like BG and DAO, but it is still a cool and interesting epic to play through.… Expand
  94. Animus
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    Having played DA:O on the 360, I was expecting the sequel to be just an enjoyable experience. I was mostly right. DA2 is a bit more linear than Origins, but the combat is improved. I like the dialogue wheel. I found the story compelling, and that's what I play these games for. Not as good as Origins, but a solid game overall.
  95. 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 horribly challenging but kept me busy.… Expand
  96. 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.
  97. TurtlesAWD
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    Dragon age 2 is an amazing game! It has graphics, and combat, and role playing game mechanics. There is also dialogue. I want to be a dragon, but Flemeth says I can't :(
  98. 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 throughou    t 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
  99. 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 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
  100. MarcusGejm
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    Od Dragon Age II oczekiwaÅ
Page:

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critics

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