I'm not going to lie as much as I loved DAO I would have never bought this game if I did not get an Epic GG deal on it. But I'm so glad I did. It did not get the best reviews but I liked it. I did find flaws in the game but the romance trails were great. The import of previous game data was amazing. The story line lacked a lot from DAO but hey I respect them going out and trying new things. I found the play control a lot more desirable in this version then the original. With that said I cannot wait for DAI (Dragon Age 3)

This games makes up for the few deficiency of the original dragon age with more intensive battles. Story is still interesting but you constanly revisit the same environment over and over. Could have been as great as the first one with minor efforts . Very good game in any case

It's like the other Biowares's games. You have many choice to play or answer the conversation to complete the quest. The graphic is good ,really nice stories ,more new items and characters. It's the must have RPG games.

I am quite disappointed in all these scathing reviews for the game. If you don't like it, fine give it a bad review on its own merit. But people seem really to have expected it to be a clone of the first game and act like its the worst game ever because it quite simply is not. And for that matter, if it was people would have complained about the lack of innovation.

My advice to anyone reading these types of reviews and feeling unsure about the game: if you're able to judge a game by its own merits, then know that DA2 is a fun game. It's a follow up, not an expansion. Yes it is different, yes it is more fast paced and for me, it has still been very immersive. If anything, I think that this has been less streamlined than DAO where you were one on long winding quest to kill the Archdemon. In this game I have been enjoying a lot of side quests and exploring. The friendship <--> rivalry relationship meter is very clever and imo an improvement over the simplified approval|disapproval. Crafting is not tedious in this game. I find the companions to still be interesting for the most part (Varric annoys me but that's great writing right there) but do miss the individual conversations.

I loved everything about DAO and I love everything about DA2. But yes, they are different. And surprise, DAO hasn't gone anywhere...its still a great game and can still be played! This is a great game too and I hope people are able to see past the inital negative reaction that some people have had.

This game seems to consist of three actions: right-clicking to attack things, clicking dialog options, and pressing Esc to skip the tedious dialogue. The controls are almost inexcusably frustrating; the cursor - with which you have to right click ON AN ENEMY to attack - gets lost amid the gore and flailing limbs, and the view seems to inevitably shift toward the ground reducing your field-of-view. Missing a click on your target causes your character to walk up next to an enemy and stand there ignoring repeated stabbings. Couple that with the fact that Bioware has a deeply ingrained hatred for players who prefer a gamepad and you've got a somewhat pretty game with cliched dialogue and story that's nearly unplayable. Unlike Mass Effect, nobody seems to be able to mod in gamepad support either, so don't get your hopes up. My only consolation is that I only paid around 3 dollars for this, though it's still too much for a game that feels modern on consoles and plays like it's from 1995 on PC.

Does not compare favorably to the original Dragon Age. A much smaller world to explore, fewer dungeons (that are repeated endlessly), decreased character customization options (no other races besides human), and sparse references to your exploits in the first game. There are some recurring characters and the combat system has been refined, but the entire experience has been Mass Effect 2'd, and not in a good way. The game looks marginally better than the first, but visuals were never a deciding factor for me in Dragon Age: Origins. Do not buy.

While Dragon Age 2 is not as long, or varied as DA Origins was, the combat has improved. Though the turn towards leaning on the "action" part of "action-RPG" left me a bit grumpy. Customization and character tweaking is minimized in favor of fast paced combat. Certain locations are reused and the world to explore is not as big as DA Origins, but DA2 has some really great movements in both combat and story form. Maybe not exactly like DA Origins, but still a worthy purchase for DA fans.

One of the last truly amazing Games that keep you entertained every step of the way. if you are hesitant to buy it is understandable, but if you want much entertainment for little investment i urge you to give this a go.

Shorter than the first of the series, Dragon Age 2 is a bit easier to manage than the first, but I actually find it more entertaining. I enjoy the story and the narrative style of storytelling. The game repetitive use of some locations can be irritating, but overall still a solid effort. This game still has about 40+hrs of gameplay and is an above average RPG

This game is so divisive ... people seem to love it or hate it. In many ways, it's a perfectly standard Bioware game; you follow your hero on his rise to power, accumulate companions, do quests. The story is episodic, compared to most of Bioware's games, though--the game is divided into chapters, each of which exists as a semi-distinct entity with its own climax. The overall story is good (some people seem not to like it--it's very low-key compared to the first games "Save the world" plot, but to my, that's a welcome change--I've saved the world so many times in games like this, it's nice to see something different), the characters are great (except for Sebastian, who's annoying as heck; my advise, don't bother with that bit of DLC), and the combat/gameplay is fine. At the same time (there's a *reason* this game is divisive), the dungeon-type levels are completely unacceptable for such a large-budget game; boring, small, linear, with graphics being literally reused from one dungeon to another. Furthermore, although I liked the story over-all, there's a sense of futility to it--you get to choose a side in a major city-wide conflict, but you can't make any real difference in how it ends, and you fight the same last boss no matter what, even though, the way the story is set up, it would make a lot more sense to have different last bosses depending on who you choose to support. Also, the armor and weapon system has been substantially simplified since DA1, so if you're the type of person who likes to spend ten minutes scrolling through lists of weapons and armor and comparing stats, I have some bad news for you. I mean, *I* don't miss it, but a lot of people seem to, angrily using the phrase "dumbed down" as if "pick the weapon with the highest stats" was a great mental challenge that had to be removed to please the unwashed masses (usually they're say something about console players in the same sentence).

In conclusion, a generally fun game, great characters, seriously substandard level design, and a good story that you are, ultimately, frustratingly unable to influence.

Dragon Age 2 is a very beautiful game, however it does not outshine the first Dragon Age Origins game. This game is still very fun and very good rpg. New cast of characters, very good voice overs and new direction that does build upon to ME3. If fan of the first game or rpg's in general pick this up. Fun 5/5 Graphics 5/5 Story 5/5

Dragon Age 2 is a better game that you might expect, assuming you forget the name, the heritage, and the fact that it promised to improve in all aspects of Dragon Age, except it did the opposite. So, in comparison to other games of its generation, Dragon Age 2 is a disappointment, but as a game per se is still good and fun. I picked it up when it was just $15, I thought I would have waited to go down at about 10, since this is its real value. Also, if you learn to wait, you will very often find a product that has been polished, patched, and offers a better value. Pick it up during this summer sale, you won’t be disappointed.

I honestly don't understand why so many people dislike this game. I think Dragon Age 2 is a fun game with a detailed setting, interesting story, and well-written characters. Add that to the fact that many of your choices from Dragon Age: Origins have subtle effects on the way everything plays out, and you have a great product.

The only thing that keeps me from giving the game 5 out of 5 stars is that I feel like the level design could have been a bit better thought-out; I don't have any issue with seeing areas repeated, but it's always nice to see what kinds of new things great developers like Bioware are capable of.

Excellent follow-up to the first game. Dragon Age 2 has everything great about Origins with faster paced combat, streamlined interface and polished graphics. This game is a must for any fans of classic or modern RPGs.

This game was okay, but I feel as though it could have done much better. And therein lies the problem, as a game, it is very good. But it just could've been so, so much better. The skills system was really nice, some good diversity in there. The storyline and the ability to upload your save file from the original was awesome (admittedly Mass Effect 2 had that option). I just feel as though there was something... lacking in it. It just tries to be more than it is, is what I'd think. If you've never played a game in the Dragon Age series, you could get this. But I give it a wary recommendation.

Dragon age 2, how I am torn between liking you and despising you.

I absolutely loved the first dragon age with a passion... not so much passion I wanted to play it again right away but enough to get pretty much all of the DLC. Dragon age 2, while having most of the things that made dragon age origins great, had a few falling points.

1.) atmosphere. One of the things that made origins great was its dark gloomy and ever present evil atmosphere. The world was dark. it was falling to pieces. nothing could stop the encroaching hordes of darkspawn from engulfing the land save a few rays of light, the player, you. This was all but gutted from dragon age 2. the world, while mildly dark in some sections, left little to inspire that same crushing and impending doom that beset the peasants and nobles alike rather it was an internal conflict of political interests that drove the events of dragon age 2. several cuts in time further detach the player from any sense of real accomplishment within the world, nothing really feels like the "grand adventure" but rather a few small adventures over frivolous ideological differences.

2.) the combat and inventory system.

combat has changed drastically between the two games. origins was almost a tactical party rpg where players controlled their party members through a series of programmed tasks (something which some people hated I know) was gutted almost completely from 2. this is what gave the skill sets and combat varying degrees of depth. without it fights become almost the same old same old style that has been rehashed since... well the earliest thing I can think of is the original dungeon siege in 2002.

Items in the game world also no longer feel as though they have meaning. everything has become generic and nothing really seems to have more power than anything else.

These bad things should not sour your interest in this game however. The story while lacking the really compelling plot that origins had, is still quite good and well written especially compared to other games out on the market today. character development and interactions still plays an integral role and is just as good as ever and it is quite long which is always a plus especially when you can get as absorbed into the game as dragonage so easily accomplishes.

B+

Great work as ever Bioware but your starting to slip...

just so people know this game is very different from DAO. it is very linear and their is only one city. it is much more action oriented also. it has a good story which kept me intrigued and you can get a good 30-40 hours from it. the combat it much better this time, but the game has taken a more action approach. the game isn't bad but it didn't exactly live up to everyone's expecations. i would reccomend this game but really only on sales.

Dragon age 2 is still a very good rpg,though in comparison to DA:O it just falls short, they have made the game more casual to appeal to a larger audience.

It's a good game, but it doesn't live up to the expectation of the fans from DA:O. Or more precisely, this game walks away from the successful formula that build up its fanbase from the first game. It focuses more on action, and simplifies the whole plot. As enjoyable as the combat can be, the recycling elements are annoying. If saying the first game is an long time hand drawn painting, then this one is more like a printed poster.

This game is still a decent action RPG. The combat is actually much more enjoyable than the first one. But making it an action oriented game to shorten the production period is not an acceptable act for the faithful fans.

I played DA 1 and loved it. However, this game, while loosely linked with the previous one through the general background story, it something completely different. The darkspawns are usually side-quests, with the main quests focusing on what happened in Kirkwall during the Champion's stay (you essentially).

The game suffers from overly re-using the same locations, again and again. For example, there are only 3-4 quest instances that you can go through. Sometimes, it really feels that the designers were lazy and simply decided that users wouldn't see the difference. We don't for the first hour or 2, but it becomes tedious afterwards.

Also, I had trouble connecting with the story. Contrary to DA 1, where the entire plot was simple (kill the darkspawn horde, save the kingdom) and everything revolved around it, it is harder to see the connecting dots in DA 2. It looks a lot more like a few big, unrelated, quests, that do tie up in the end, but in a unsatisfactory manner.

Overall, fun, informative, and I will probably buy DA 3. Just don't buy it full price, wait for discounts.

First off, let me open with the fact that I love the Dragon Age story and setting, which my affect my opinion of this game...

The story was good. I'll start with that. You start by dealing with the fallout from the first game as a refugee from Lothering running for your life. After a series of plot twists, you find yourself in Kirkwall with nothing, and have to work your way from the bottom to the top, with sufficient twists and challenges along the way to make the storyline just as enjoyable as Dragon Age: Origin's.

The combat system is better developed than in DAO, and has a more realistic feel to it. The animations for a mage class are more intricate and look more like actually casting a spell than DAO, and if you play a warrior weidling a 2-handed blade, your attacks will all affect multiple targets.

That being said, the game is, quite simply, a console port. It is a much, much shorter game than DAO and its replay value is, in my opinion, not nearly as high as the first one. Your experience will not vary as much from class to class, as the origin story is the same in each of them.

Overall, it was a good game, but a bit of a letdown from the first. Worth a buy, if it's on sale.

Great game I actually found it more enjoyable than the first one. You do cover alot of the same ground but i found te story more to my liking.

Dragon Age 2 really missed the mark in the series. I did enjoy the characters and the combat was a lot more fun... but the variety of locations and world were seemingly gone. You go through the same locations over and over... or caves/buildings that are identical in layout. It just really takes away from the adventure aspect of the experience. However, I really enjoyed the character missions and building the relationships. I think that's an element where Dragon Age succeeds.

Should you buy this game: If you played the first yes, on sale though. Don't expect an awesome experience. It's enjoyable and sometimes fun... but it will be a let down pretty quick from what you loved about DA1.

This game requires an account with EA to even play it. It is a solo game. I should not have to register and log into a website to play a game. If they want to make me register for DLCs and bug fixes, that is one thing. But this attempt to force players into media channels is getting ridiculous. I do not want to be part of the EA fan club. I just want to play a video game.

I was not a big fan of the first game, so I was apprehensive about buying this one. It was on sale so I decided to try it. The graphics are great, the story line is compelling, and the skill trees are interesting. A lot of fantasy involved in this story line, which is what I expect from most rpgs. The only gripe I have with the game is the character customization.

I was initially skittish about purchasing this game, given the somewhat negative reviews and general consensus that the game was an inferior version of the first game. However, when the game went on sale, I finally decide to pick it up. Perhaps the negative buzz had lowered my expectations, but I was very much impressed by the game. While one persistent criticism was valid (the reuse of environments), I found the story and characters as or more engaging as the original game. I particularly liked that the story involved following a group of characters set in one city over the course of ten years and watched as these characters evolved, changed, and were in turn changed by their environment. I found having the character voiced helped me to become far more attached to the protagonist than I became to my main character in DA:O.

All in all, a worthwhile purchase.

It is hard to give this game a fair shake since I inevitably compare it to DA:O which, I feel, is a much superior game. The game world of Dragon Age 2 feels very small as the vast majority of the game takes place within one city. That city, Kirkwall, is visually striking and offers a variety of locations all with their own unique feel but you continually traipse over the same areas multiple times and that feels like lazy level design.

My biggest gripe is that none of the characters really interested me and I was acutely aware of them being stereotypes (Merrill the naive and innocent mage taken out of her element, Fenris the angry and moody former slave, Isabella the large breasted rogue pirate wench, Aveline the insufferably good, etc) which really broke my suspension of disbelief. Voice acting was well done but I never felt any connection to them.

The part that struck me as most odd was how core game mechanics were altered from DA:O. Stats and derived stats were completely overhauled as were the talent/spell selection. As a matter of preference I did not like the change since it added nothing new.

Overall, the game is adequately fun but not really engaging. I have played it one time and I have no desire to go for another play-through. The game just felt...flat.

I'd like to first state that I was extremely skeptical about Dragon Age 2. I played the first one quite a bit, bought most of the DLC and played it and was absolutely a fan of the original game. I loved how they married the classic Balder's Gate style game with a compelling story using a wonderful setting as well as updated graphics.

When the sequel was announced I first thought "So soon? Okay - cool!". It wasn't long though before concept art was released, statements regarding how the game was going to be played etc etc and it began to sound less and less like the sort of game that I really loved in the first one. It released with great fanfare and was lauded for all of the awesomeness that it was lauded for but I didn't bite. I wasn't convinced. All of the new changes I was reading about sounded so counter-intuitive to the sort of game I wanted to play.

Some friends of mine, however, played the game and LOVED it. I still didn't budge. It wasn't until Gamersgate offered it steeply discounted that I decided to bite... and MAN! Am I glad I did. (I realize that's a long way for me to get to the actual review part of the review).

The graphics are amazing and the animations are exciting. The combat system, something I was pretty concerned with, works pretty smoothly. That being said, I had a difficult time at first adjusting. The storyline is compelling and very interesting and, all in all, the voice acting is well done. I also really liked the new "crafting" system.

My quibbles though is what ultimately costs it a star - Incredibly repetitive dungeon maps (and I'm not even talking about visiting the same places over and over again, but NEW locations using OLD maps). Equipment management is incredibly dumbed down for everyone save for the main character.

I really enjoyed this game on my first playthrough. The action is fast paced, the characters are fairly well done, and the world isn't bad. Immediately after this playthrough, however, I went and looked back over exactly what I had done. Doing this, I realized that the choices the player makes throughout the game mean absolutely nothing. The game will progress essentially exactly the same way no matter what you do. You can, essentially, not alter the course of the plot in any way. Certainly, they give you plenty of "choices" you have to make, but these all end up leading to the same outcome.

Additionally, the dialogue is a pale shadow of what was in Dragon Age: Origins. You can be the super nice guy, the cocky jokester, or the constantly angry guy. That's about it.

As far as the romances go, its far too easy to end up with just about every member of your team completely head over heals for you. And by far too easy I mean if you don't want everyone (male and female, regardless of your gender) flirting with you left and right, you have to occasionally be rude to them.

Finally, the copy and paste of dungeons is disgustingly over done. You will run through the exact same dungeons at least half a dozen times, if not more. The only differences being different enemies, and the occasional blocked-off passage.

Bioware continues to innovate with multiple top-drawer RPG titles. I won't pre-order too many publisher's titles as that can be a recipe for disappointment, but Bioware ... I preoder.

DA II takes the DA/O world and pushes it forward with faster more hectic battles and a completely different type of story. Saying too much would be pandering.

I do agree with some that point out that (for instance) playing an apostate mage should have consequences, but I also feel that this is going for the last (hardest) 10%.

I'm sure Bioware will try to tackle it in the future... but it doesn't dim my appreciation for DA II ... except when I dwell on it ... or when I'm trying to get laughs from friends :).

DA II is a must have for the RPG fan.

Get past the old-school RPG anti-action hype and arguably over-critical comparison to its predecessor, and you will realize just how much deeper and darker and more the storytelling of this sequel outclasses that of the first in the series. If you enjoyed Mass Effect 2 more than Mass Effect, lost yourself in the rigorously fleshed-out universe of Dragon Age: Origins, and tend to hold the Empire Strikes Back in higher regard than A New Hope, this game is right up your alley.

The purported "dark fantasy" of the first title is truly brought to bear through the innumerable moral ambiguities, sociopaths, psychopaths, and soul-wrenching choices and consequences of Dragon Age II - Bioware having seemed to learn that monsters and looming war do not necessarily a dark story make. Hawke's tale draws upon the world-foundations established by the first game, digging deep and making you feel the warring factions and ideologies of Thedas on a far more intimate level than Origins ever did. Characters and NPCs alike are original, deep, interesting and remarkably well-voiced. Gameplay is sharp and entertaining, if a bit over the top at times (especially in the beginning when there is no reason for your characters to be so skilled). Decisions come back to haunt you, leaving you wondering just how you might have changed things or saved someone you truly cared about. You love it, and you hate it, and hopefully you realize that those warring feelings are the hallmarks of a truly well-crafted and well-told story. Hawke may not feel as much like your own as the Warden - but you feel blessed to have taken part in the story, much like you did with Shephard. And it sticks with you long after its done and over with.

My pros and cons.

PROS-

- Combat: The speed and new style of combat is just fantastic. It's such an improvement over the last over used style (Same style as it was in KoToR and other older bioware games) This new fast paced combat gives a much better feel to it all and it pull you into the action much better.

- Quests: There are many interesting quests within this game, and they're quite uniqe as well which is a very good thing.

- Story: I personally find the story of this game to be marvelous, without saying too much i like how they've gone away from the old used up storyline of superhero gathering strength to fight the super villian that's been in your face all evily from the beginning and thus allowing you to have known your enemy all along.

-Graphics: The graphics are over all marvelous, apart from the characters hands.

-Companions: I actually find these companions interesting and quite as memorable as the ones in the original. I never cared for Morrigan in the first one, neither did i for sten, actually the only memorable characters for me from DA:O was Leliana, Ohgren and Alistair. And without spoiling this game i can say i've found at least 2 characters equally memorable(Even if none can top the so ever charmful Leliana). I do wish i could talk to the more though

-New skill system: I Actually find this system to be quite a lot better with the different trees and upgrades for skills.

-Voiced hero!

-Conversation system: I like how there are many different thing to say within the conversations. The more options the better really.

CONS:

-Maps, maps, maps, i say this three times because that's how repetative they get. A map should never be used more than once for each location. And the city could have been larger as well with more districts within it. The quests are luckily interesting enough to dampen the thought of the repetetive maps.

-Playtime: Less than 30 hours of playtime in one go. Which isn't even half of the first one with all sidequests done, this is not something to be taken lightly and will cut replayabillity.

-None-living city: If you can't talk about a quest with someone, you can't talk with them at all more or less. This is horrible if you ask me. I'd enjoy talking about with different characters within the game from time to time to get a feel on how the public in different areas feel about things that take place.

-Party Equipment: I'm split in two by this. I'd enjoy if you could swap the armour and such of your companions. But I'd also understand the viewpoint of them being their own individuals who pick their own gear. But in that case you shouldn't be able to pick their weapons or level them so it doesn't hold.

-New darkspawn skin is horrible.

-Removal of social skills to convince players

-Conversation system: It shouldn't be as obvious as this wheter what you pick say is good or bad. You shouldn't be influenced by the game to pick one thing over the other only because one has a sign saying I'm peaceful and nice and the other says I'll bash their faces in. You are supposed to pick what you feel like and then live with the decission and the response of whomever you're talking to, may it be good or bad.

-Party Socializing: During Dragon age: Origins I Could spend hours talking to the different characters before and listening to Lelianas songs. This time i go back to where they are again and again hoping they'd have something more to say to me but each time i find nothing to be had.

The game is in some ways not as good as the first one, but in others much greater.

My ratings of the game would be as following

Graphics: 8/10

Sounds: 8.5/10

Story: 9/10

Gameplay: 9/10

Overall 9/10